14. Income Taxes

The components of income before income taxes are as follows:

The components of the income tax benefit (expense) are as follows:

The income tax benefit (expense) computed using the federal statutory income tax rate differs from our effective tax rate primarily due to the following:

Our effective tax rate was (324%), 8%, and 4% in the years ended January 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively. The income tax expense for fiscal 2012 was primarily due to $1.0 million of state income taxes and income tax expense of $1.5 million at foreign subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Ireland.

The components of deferred income taxes are as follows:

At January 31, 2012, we had federal, state and foreign net operating loss carryforwards of $2.6 million, $27.0 million and $14.4 million respectively, which can be used to offset future tax liabilities and expire at various dates beginning in fiscal 2016. Utilization of these net operating loss carryforwards may be limited pursuant to provisions of the respective local jurisdiction. At January 31, 2012, we had federal and state research and development credit carryforwards of approximately $3.1 million and $848,000 respectively, and state investment tax credit carryforwards of $178,000. The federal credit carryforwards will expire at various dates beginning in fiscal 2016, if not utilized. Certain state credit carryforwards will expire at various dates beginning in fiscal 2013, while certain other state credit carryforwards may be carried forward indefinitely. Utilization of these credit carryforwards may be limited pursuant to provisions of the respective local jurisdiction. We also have alternative minimum tax credit carryforwards of $558,000 which are available to reduce future federal regular income taxes over an indefinite period. We have foreign tax credit carryforwards of $600,000 which are available to reduce future federal regular income taxes.

We review quarterly the adequacy of the valuation allowance for deferred tax assets. We have evaluated the positive and negative evidence bearing upon the realizability of our deferred tax assets and have established a valuation allowance of approximately $12.3 million for such assets, which are comprised principally of net operating loss carryforwards, research and development credits, deferred revenue, inventory and stock based compensation. If we generate pre-tax income in the future, some portion or all of the valuation allowance could be reversed and a corresponding increase in net income would be reported in future periods. The valuation allowance increased from $7.0 million at January 31, 2011 to $12.3 million at January 31, 2012

At January 31, 2012, we have indefinitely reinvested $68.3 million of the cumulative undistributed earnings of certain foreign subsidiaries. Approximately $45.1 million of such earnings would be subject to U.S. taxes if repatriated to the U.S. Through January 31, 2012, we have not provided deferred income taxes on the undistributed earnings of our foreign subsidiaries because such earnings are considered to be indefinitely reinvested outside the U.S. Non-US income taxes are, however, provided on those foreign subsidiaries’ undistributed earnings with the exception of ZQ Interactive, LTD based in the British Virgin Islands. Determination of the potential deferred income tax liability on these undistributed earnings is not practicable because such liability, if any, is dependent on circumstances existing if and when remittance occurs.

For the year ended January 31, 2012, we recognized an additional tax expense for unrecognized tax benefits of $431,000. None of the amounts included in the balance of unrecognized tax benefits at January 31, 2012 of $6.5 million are related to tax positions for which it is reasonably possible that the total amounts could significantly change during the next twelve months. We recognize accrued interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in income tax expense. A reconciliation of the beginning and ending balance of the total amounts of gross unrecognized tax benefits, excluding interest of $721,000 is as follows (in thousands):

We and our subsidiaries file income tax returns in U.S. federal jurisdiction, various state jurisdictions, and various foreign jurisdictions. We are no longer subject to U.S. federal examinations before 2008. However, the taxing authorities still have the ability to review the propriety of certain tax attributes created in closed years if such tax attributes are utilized in an open tax year, such as our federal research and development credit carryovers.