Entity information:
Income Taxes
Income tax expense consisted of the following:
 
 
Year Ended
(In thousands)
 
August 26, 2017
 
August 27, 2016
 
August 29, 2015
Current
 
 
 
 
 
 
Federal
 
$
33,125

 
$
14,293

 
$
15,406

State
 
2,937

 
1,685

 
1,124

Total
 
36,062

 
15,978

 
16,530

Deferred
 
 
 
 
 
 
Federal
 
926

 
4,280

 
1,486

State
 
281

 
444

 
308

Total
 
1,207

 
4,724

 
1,794

Income Tax Expense
 
$
37,269

 
$
20,702

 
$
18,324



The following table provides a reconciliation of the US statutory income tax rate to our effective income tax rate:
 
 
Year Ended
(A percentage)
 
August 26, 2017

 
August 27, 2016
 
August 29, 2015
US federal statutory rate
 
35.0
 %
 
35.0
 %
 
35.0
 %
State taxes, net of federal benefit
 
2.8
 %
 
2.5
 %
 
2.4
 %
Tax-free and dividend income
 
(0.7
)%
 
(1.3
)%
 
(1.3
)%
Income tax credits
 
(0.6
)%
 
(1.1
)%
 
(0.3
)%
Domestic production activities deduction
 
(2.4
)%
 
(2.5
)%
 
(3.7
)%
Other items
 
0.8
 %
 
(1.3
)%
 
(0.8
)%
Uncertain tax positions settlements and adjustments
 
(0.6
)%
 
—
 %
 
(0.5
)%
Effective tax provision rate
 
34.3
 %
 
31.3
 %
 
30.8
 %


The tax effects of temporary differences that give rise to deferred income taxes were as follows:
(In thousands)
 
August 26, 2017
 
August 27, 2016
Deferred income tax asset (liability)
 
 
 
 
Deferred compensation
 
$
9,135

 
$
9,609

Warranty reserves
 
11,675

 
4,729

Postretirement health care benefits
 
—

 
2,262

Self-insurance reserve
 
1,967

 
2,214

Accrued vacation
 
2,142

 
2,006

Stock based compensation
 
943

 
1,030

Unrecognized tax benefit
 
437

 
698

Other (1)
 
2,072

 
1,785

     Total deferred tax assets
 
28,371

 
24,333

Inventory
 
(1,919
)
 
(1,930
)
Intangibles
 
(7,455
)
 
—

Depreciation
 
(6,261
)
 
(3,650
)
     Total deferred tax liabilities
 
(15,635
)
 
(5,580
)
Total deferred income tax assets, net of deferred tax liabilities
 
$
12,736

 
$
18,753


(1)
At August 26, 2017, Other includes $46,000 related to state NOLs that will begin to expire in Fiscal 2021. We have evaluated all the positive and negative evidence and consider it more likely than not that these carryforwards can be realized.

Unrecognized Tax Benefits
Changes in the unrecognized tax benefits are as follows:
(In thousands)
 
August 26, 2017
 
August 27, 2016
 
August 29, 2015
Unrecognized tax benefits - beginning balance
 
$
1,710

 
$
1,589

 
$
1,709

Gross decreases - tax positions in a prior period
 
(536
)
 
(355
)
 
(568
)
Gross increases - current period tax positions
 
21

 
476

 
448

Unrecognized tax benefits - ending balance
 
1,195

 
1,710

 
1,589

Accrued interest and penalties
 
411

 
751

 
922

Total unrecognized tax benefits
 
$
1,606

 
$
2,461

 
$
2,511


  
The amount of unrecognized tax benefits is not expected to change materially within the next 12 months.
If the remaining uncertain tax positions are ultimately resolved favorably, $1.5 million of unrecognized tax benefits would have a favorable impact on our effective tax rate. It is our policy to recognize interest and penalties accrued relative to unrecognized tax benefits into tax expense.
We file a US federal tax return and various state tax returns. Although certain years are no longer subject to examinations by the various taxing authorities, NOL carryforwards generated in those years may be adjusted upon examination by the taxing authorities if the NOL carryforwards are utilized in a future period. As of August 26, 2017, our federal returns from Fiscal 2014 to present are subject to review by the IRS. With limited exception, state returns from Fiscal 2013 to present continue to be subject to review by state taxing jurisdictions. Several years may lapse before an uncertain tax position is audited and finally resolved and it is difficult to predict the outcome of such audits.