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          Estimated interest and penalties related to potential underpayment of income taxes are classified as a component of tax expense in the consolidated statements of comprehensive loss. The Company does not expect the amount of reserves for uncertain tax positions to change significantly in the next twelve months. Similarly, the Company does not anticipate that the total reserve for uncertain tax positions will significantly change due to the settlement of audits and the expiration of statutes of limitations within the next twelve months.

          The Company files a consolidated federal income tax return in the United States federal jurisdiction and files various combined and separate tax returns in several state and local jurisdictions. For United States federal tax, the Company is no longer subject to examinations by the authorities for fiscal years ending prior to November 1, 1998. The expiration dates of the statute of limitations related to the various state income tax returns that the Company files vary by state. There is no statute of limitations for assessments related to jurisdictions where the Company may have a nexus but has chosen not to file an income tax return.

          The Company has federal net operating loss (“NOL”) and general business tax credit carry forwards; however, the utilization of these tax loss and tax credit carry forwards is limited under Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”) §382 and §383, respectively, as a result of an IRS-deemed change in ownership that occurred in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2006. The Company estimates that the amount of federal NOL carry forward from October 31, 2014 that is not limited is approximately $13.0 million. These loss carry forwards will expire in years 2018 through 2032. Additionally, the Company has general business credit carry forwards of $100,000 that will expire in 2033. The Company also has $134,000 of alternative minimum tax credit carry forwards that do not have expiration dates. The alternative minimum tax credit carry forwards are limited by IRC §383, but their ultimate use is not affected since these do not expire.

          The Company recorded a full valuation allowance against its domestic net deferred tax assets as of January 31, 2015 based on its belief that it was more likely than not that the asset would not be realized in the future. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets depends upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which those temporary differences become deductible. In assessing the need for a valuation allowance, management considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. Management considers the scheduled reversal of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income and tax planning strategies. Given the volatility of historical results and the uncertainty of the further success of the present new strategies, the Company believes it has not yet achieved the more-likely-than-not threshold. This conclusion requires the valuation allowance to remain in place at January 31, 2015 for U.S. and foreign deferred assets, other than Belgium. For Belgium, which is in a net deferred tax liability position, no valuation allowance is required. The Company will continue to assess the potential realization of the domestic deferred tax assets on a quarterly basis in the future to determine if sufficient evidence exists to remove all or a portion of this valuation allowance on its deferred tax assets. If conditions support a conclusion that the recent profitability has stabilized and is more predictable, the recognition of the Company’s deferred tax assets could occur sometime in fiscal 2015 or later, as facts become known. A reduction of the allowance may have a substantial impact on profitability in the period of the reduction.

          The Company’s domestic NOL carry forwards of $13.0 million referenced above as of October 31, 2014 include $2.8 million of income tax deductions in excess of previously recorded tax benefits. Although these additional tax deductions are reflected in NOL carry forwards referenced above, the related tax benefit of $1,029,000 will not be recognized until the deductions reduce taxes payable. Accordingly, since the tax benefit did not reduce the Company’s current taxes payable in 2014, these tax benefits are not reflected in the Company’s deferred tax assets presented in Note 14 Income Taxes to the financial statements in MGC Diagnostics Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended October 31, 2014. The tax benefit of these excess deductions will be reflected as a credit to additional paid-in capital when and if recognized. Any reduction of the valuation allowance related to post-bankruptcy net operating losses and other deferred tax assets would (i) first affect earnings as a reduction in the provision for taxes and (ii) thereafter, the remaining $1.0 million would increase additional paid-in capital as these deferred tax assets represent employee stock-based compensation tax deductions included in the Company’s net operating losses. Due to the extension from 15 to 20 years for the carry forward of these NOLs, none of the current loss carry forward benefits expire over the next five years, after considering the statutory limitations described above. In addition, the Company has state NOL carry forwards of approximately $2.6 million and foreign NOL carry forwards of approximately $3.0 million. Expiration of state NOLs vary by state and approximately $550,000 will expire in fiscal 2015 if not utilized. Foreign NOL expiration varies by country; however Belgium net operating loss carry forwards, which are approximately $2.5 million, do not expire. All of the foreign subsidiaries generated current period tax losses in fiscal 2015.

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