Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

INCOME TAXES

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INCOME TAXES
12 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2013
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Tax Disclosure [Text Block]

NOTE 11: INCOME TAXES

Pre-tax income (loss) reflected in the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended March 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011 follows (in thousands):

For the year ended March 31,
      2013       2012       2011
U.S. $      (53,180 ) $      (8,589 ) $      271
Foreign 1,922 667 4,283
$ (51,258 ) $ (7,922 ) $ 4,554
 

Income tax provision consists of the following (in thousands):

For the year ended March 31,
      2013       2012       2011
Federal:
       Current $      $      $      (302 )
State:
       Current 231 301 446
Foreign:
       Current 1,090 1,847 74
       Deferred (160 ) (1,261 ) (205 )
              Total foreign 930 586 (131 )
Income tax provision $ 1,161 $ 887 $ 13
 

The income tax provision differs from the amount computed by applying the federal statutory rate of 35% to income (loss) before income taxes as follows (in thousands):

For the year ended March 31,
      2013       2012       2011
Expense (benefit) at federal statutory rate $      (17,940 ) $      (2,773 ) $      1,594
State taxes 300 301 380
Unbenefited losses and credits 18,799 3,471 (1,235 )
Net release of contingent tax reserves (130 ) (176 ) (466 )
Other 132 64 (260 )
$ 1,161 $ 887 $ 13
 

Significant components of deferred tax assets and liabilities are as follows (in thousands):

As of March 31,
      2013       2012
Deferred tax assets:
       Inventory valuation method $      3,870 $      6,429
       Accrued warranty expense 2,873 3,072
       Distribution reserves 1,407 2,377
       Loss carryforwards 72,969 54,162
       Foreign tax and research and development credit carryforwards 206,764 221,459
       Restructuring charge accruals 1,810 710
       Other accruals and reserves not currently deductible for tax purposes 34,824 35,177
       Depreciation and amortization methods 4,824
324,517 328,210
       Less valuation allowance (269,373 ) (252,402 )
       Deferred tax asset $ 55,144 $ 75,808
Deferred tax liabilities:
       Depreciation $ (6,466 ) $
       Acquired intangibles (2,664 ) (10,186 )
       Tax on unremitted foreign earnings (15,679 ) (15,712 )
       Other (29,492 ) (49,179 )
Deferred tax liability $ (54,301 ) $ (75,077 )
Net deferred tax asset $ 843 $ 731
 

A reconciliation of the gross unrecognized tax benefits follows (in thousands):

For the year ended March 31,
     2013      2012      2011
Beginning balance $     32,744 $     33,012 $     33,292
       Settlement and effective settlements with tax authorities and related remeasurements (60 ) (255 ) (357 )
       Lapse of statute of limitations (135 ) (105 ) (228 )
       Increase in balances related to tax positions taken in prior period 92 82
       Increases in balances related to tax positions taken during current period 223
Ending balance $ 32,549 $ 32,744 $ 33,012

During fiscal 2013, we recorded a net decrease in our unrecognized tax benefits. Including interest and penalties, the total unrecognized tax benefit at March 31, 2013 was $33.5 million, all of which, if recognized, would favorably affect the effective tax rate. At March 31, 2013 accrued interest and penalties totaled $0.9 million. Our practice is to recognize interest and penalties related to income tax matters in income tax provision in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Unrecognized tax benefits, including interest and penalties, were recorded in other long-term liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

We file our tax returns as prescribed by the laws of the jurisdictions in which we operate. Our U.S. tax returns have been audited for years through 2002 by the Internal Revenue Service. In other major jurisdictions, we are generally open to examination for the most recent three to five fiscal years. Although timing of the resolution and closure on audits is highly uncertain, we do not believe it is likely that the unrecognized tax benefits would materially change in the next 12 months.

As of March 31, 2013, we had federal net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards of approximately $252.9 million and $152.4 million, respectively. Our federal net operating loss carryforwards include $33.6 million attributable to excess tax deductions from stock option exercises, and are not included in the deferred tax assets shown above. The benefit of these loss carryforwards will be credited to equity when realized. The net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards expire in varying amounts beginning in fiscal 2014 if not previously utilized, the utilization of which is limited under the tax law ownership change provision. These carryforwards include $15.6 million of acquired net operating losses and $10.8 million of credits.

Certain changes in stock ownership could result in a limitation on the amount of net operating loss and tax credit carryovers that can be utilized each year. Should the company undergo such a change in stock ownership, it could severely limit the usage of these carryover tax attributes against future income, resulting in additional tax charges.

Due to our history of net losses and the difficulty in predicting future results, we believe that we cannot rely on projections of future taxable income to realize the deferred tax assets. Accordingly, we have established a full valuation allowance against our U.S. net deferred tax assets. Significant management judgment is required in determining our deferred tax assets and liabilities and valuation allowances for purposes of assessing our ability to realize any future benefit from our net deferred tax assets. We intend to maintain this valuation allowance until sufficient positive evidence exists to support the reversal of the valuation allowance. Our income tax expense recorded in the future will be reduced to the extent that sufficient positive evidence materializes to support a reversal of, or decrease in, our valuation allowance.