Income tax expense and the effective tax rate for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015 were as follows (in thousands, except the effective tax rate):

The tax provisions for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015 were computed using the estimated effective tax rates applicable to each of the domestic and international taxable jurisdictions for the full year. The Company estimates its ongoing effective annual tax rate for the remainder of 2016 to be between 18% and 23%, which is subject to management’s quarterly review and revision, as necessary.

The Company’s provision for income tax expense and effective income tax rate are significantly impacted by the mix of the Company’s domestic and foreign earnings (loss) before income taxes. In the foreign jurisdictions in which the Company has operations, the applicable statutory rates range from 0% to 34%, which is generally significantly lower than the U.S. federal and state combined statutory rate of approximately 39%. For the three months ended September 30, 2016, the increase in the effective tax rate was primarily due to a difference in the amount of projected foreign earnings (loss) relative to projected domestic earnings as compared to the same period in the prior year. For the nine months ended September 30, 2016, the decrease in the effective tax rate was primarily due to a difference in the amount of projected foreign earnings (loss) relative to projected domestic earnings as compared to the same period in the prior year.

As of September 30, 2016, the Company had approximately $665.3 million in cash and cash equivalents, of which $345.0 million, or 51.9%, was held outside the U.S. Of the $345.0 million held by the Company’s foreign subsidiaries, approximately $33.4 million is available for repatriation to the U.S. without incurring U.S. income taxes and applicable foreign income and withholding taxes in excess of the amounts accrued in the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements. Under current applicable tax laws, if the Company chooses to repatriate some or all of the funds designated as indefinitely reinvested outside the U.S., the amount repatriated would be subject to U.S. income taxes and applicable foreign income and withholding taxes. The Company does not expect to repatriate any of the funds presently designated as indefinitely reinvested outside the U.S. As such, the Company did not provide for deferred income taxes on its accumulated undistributed earnings of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries.

In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015‑17, “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes” (“ASU 2015-17”), which amends the guidance requiring companies to separate deferred income tax liabilities and assets into current and non-current amounts in a classified balance sheet. This accounting guidance simplifies the presentation of deferred income taxes, such that deferred tax liabilities and assets are classified as non-current in a classified balance sheet. ASU 2015-17 will be effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning January 1, 2017, with early adoption permitted. In the first quarter of 2016, the Company early adopted ASU 2015-17 on a retrospective basis. For all periods presented, deferred income taxes are reported as “Deferred tax assets” or “Deferred tax liabilities” on the condensed consolidated balance sheets. Prior to adoption, the Company reported deferred income taxes in either “Deferred tax assets,” “Other assets,” or “Other long-term liabilities” on the condensed consolidated balance sheets, depending on whether the net current deferred income taxes and net non-current deferred income taxes were in an asset or liability position. The change in presentation as of December 31, 2015 resulted in a reduction of current deferred tax assets and non-current deferred tax liabilities, and an increase of non-current deferred tax assets. The adoption of ASU 2015-17 did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements, financial condition or results of operations.