Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

INCOME TAXES

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INCOME TAXES
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2019
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes
NOTE 11 - INCOME TAXES
Our 2019 estimated annual effective tax rate before discrete items is 12.1%. The estimated annual effective tax rate differs from the U.S. statutory rate of 21.0% primarily due to the deduction for percentage depletion in excess of cost depletion related to U.S. operations. The 2018 estimated annual effective tax rate before discrete items at June 30, 2018 was 0.1%, which was significantly lower due to the reversal of valuation allowance in the same period.
For the three and six months ended June 30, 2019, we recorded discrete items that resulted in an income tax benefit of $0.4 million and $0.8 million, respectively. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, we recorded discrete items that resulted in a benefit of $2.0 million and an expense of $13.7 million, respectively. The $2.0 million benefit primarily relates to the reversal of a reserve for uncertain tax positions due to a lapse in the statute of limitations. The $13.7 million expense relates primarily to a $14.5 million reduction of the refundable AMT credit recorded in Income tax receivable, non-current in our Statements of Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Position based on sequestration guidance issued by the Internal Revenue Service during the first quarter of 2018. This position was subsequently reversed by the Internal Revenue Service during the fourth quarter of 2018. The prior-year period expense was a reduction of an asset and did not result in a cash tax outlay.