balance will be recovered from future taxable income. To the extent we believe that recovery is not likely, we establish a valuation allowance against our net deferred tax asset, which increases our Income tax expense in the period when such determination is made. 

In addition, we have not recorded U.S. income tax expense for foreign earnings that we have determined to be indefinitely reinvested outside the United States, thus reducing our overall Income tax expense. The amount of earnings designated as indefinitely reinvested offshore is based upon the actual deployment of such earnings in our offshore assets and our expectations of the future cash needs of our U.S. and foreign entities. Income tax considerations are also a factor in determining the amount of foreign earnings to be indefinitely reinvested offshore. 

We carefully review all factors that drive the ultimate disposition of foreign earnings determined to be reinvested offshore and apply stringent standards to overcome the presumption of repatriation. Despite this approach, because the determination involves our future plans and expectations of future events, the possibility exists that amounts declared as indefinitely reinvested offshore may ultimately be repatriated. For instance, the actual cash needs of our U.S. 

entities may exceed our current expectations, or the actual cash needs of our foreign entities may be less than our current expectations. This would result in additional Income tax expense in the year we determined that amounts were no longer indefinitely reinvested offshore. Conversely, our approach may also result in a determination that accumulated foreign earnings (for which U.S. income taxes have been provided) will be indefinitely reinvested offshore. In this case, our Income tax expense would be reduced in the year of such determination. 

On an interim basis, we estimate what our effective tax rate will be for the full fiscal year. This estimated annual effective tax rate is then applied to the year- to-date Income before income taxes excluding infrequently occurring or unusual items, to determine the year-to-date Income tax expense. The income tax effects of infrequent or unusual items are recognized in the interim period in which they occur. As the fiscal year progresses, we continually refine our estimate based upon actual events and earnings by jurisdiction during the year. This continual estimation process periodically results in a change to our expected effective tax rate for the fiscal year. When this occurs, we adjust the income tax provision during the quarter in which the change in estimate occurs. 

On a quarterly basis, we evaluate the probability that a tax position will be effectively sustained and the appropriateness of the amount recognized for uncertain tax positions based on factors including changes in facts or circumstances, changes in tax law, settled audit issues, and new audit activity. Changes in our assessment may result in the recognition of a tax benefit or an additional charge to the tax provision in the period our assessment changes. We recognize interest and penalties related to income tax matters in Income tax expense.