8. INCOME TAXES

At September 30, 2017, the Company had an unrecognized tax benefit of $3,242 including accrued interest. If recognized, the unrecognized tax benefit would have a favorable effect on the effective tax rate in future periods. The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense. Interest accrued as of September 30, 2017, is not considered material to the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

The Company files U.S. federal income tax returns as well as income tax returns in various states and foreign jurisdictions. The Company is no longer subject to income tax examinations by tax authorities for years prior to 2007 for the majority of tax jurisdictions.

The Company’s federal returns are currently under examination by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the United States for the periods 2007 through 2012. To date, there have not been any significant proposed adjustments that have not been accounted for in the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Audit outcomes and the timing of audit settlements are subject to significant uncertainty. It is reasonably possible that within the next twelve months the Company will resolve some or all of the matters presently under consideration for 2007 through 2012 with the IRS and that there could be significant increases or decreases to unrecognized tax benefits.