Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements); 

an approximate 24 percent combined effective tax rate on gains from divestitures (refer to Note 19 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements); 

a tax charge of approximately $10 million related to the recognition of a valuation allowance on deferred tax assets (refer to Note 17 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements); and 

a net tax benefit of approximately $5 million, primarily related to amounts required to be recorded for changes to our uncertain tax positions under Interpretation No. 48, including interest and penalties (refer to Note 17 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements). 

Our effective tax rate of approximately 24.0 percent for the year ended December 31, 2007, included the following: 

an approximate 18 percent combined effective tax rate on restructuring charges and asset impairments recorded by the Company (refer to Note 18 and Note 19 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements); 

an approximate 14 percent combined effective tax rate on our proportionate share of restructuring charges and tax rate changes recorded by CCE, and asset impairments recorded by CCBPI and Coca-Cola Amatil (refer to Note 19 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements); 

an approximate 58 percent combined effective tax rate on the sale of a portion of our equity interest in Coca-Cola Amatil and Vonpar (refer to Note 19 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements); 

a tax benefit of approximately $19 million related to tax rate changes in Germany (refer to Note 17 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements); and 

a tax charge of approximately $96 million related to amounts required to be recorded for changes to our uncertain tax positions under Interpretation No. 48, including interest and penalties (refer to Note 17 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements). 

Our effective tax rate of approximately 22.8 percent for the year ended December 31, 2006, included the following: 

• an approximate 16 percent combined effective tax rate on asset impairments, impairments of investments in our bottling operations, contract termination fees and restructuring charges recorded by the Company (refer to Note 19 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements); 

an approximate 8.8 percent net effective tax rate on our proportionate share of impairment charges, restructuring charges and the impact of certain tax rate changes recorded by CCE (refer to Note 3 and Note 19 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements); 

an approximate 1.8 percent tax benefit on the sale of a portion of our investments in Coca-Cola Icecek and Coca-Cola FEMSA. The tax benefit was a result of the reversal of valuation allowances on certain deferred tax assets recorded related to capital loss carryforwards. In addition to the impact of the reversal of valuation allowances, we also benefited from the reversal of deferred tax liabilities related to differences between the book and tax bases in the stock sold. The tax benefit associated with the aforementioned items was partially offset by a reduction of deferred tax assets due to the utilization of these capital loss carryforwards. The capital loss