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A reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances of gross unrecognized tax benefits is as follows:(in thousands)for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2009Balance, beginning of year ......................................................... $67,913Additions for tax positions of prior years .............................................. 9,788Reductions for tax positions of prior years ............................................ (2,614)Additions for tax positions related to the current year .................................... 9,579Settlements with taxing authorities .................................................. (755)Expirations of statute of limitations .................................................. (7,913)Balance, End of Year ........................................................ $75,998If recognized, substantially all of this amount, net of any deferred tax benefits, would favorably affectthe Company’s effective income tax rate in future periods.Accrued interest on uncertain tax positions at September 30, 2009 and 2008 was approximately $13.6million and $10.4 million, and is not presented in the unrecognized tax benefits table above. Interestexpense of $3.5 million and $4.2 million was recognized in the consolidated statements of income duringfiscal years 2009 and 2008. Accrued penalties at September 30, 2009 and 2008 were insignificant.The Company files a consolidated U.S. federal income tax return, multiple U.S. state and local incometax returns, and income tax returns in multiple foreign jurisdictions. The Company is subject to examinationby the taxing authorities in these jurisdictions. The Company’s major tax jurisdictions and the tax years forwhich the statutes of limitations have not expired are as follows: India 1995 to 2009; the City of New York2000 to 2009; Singapore 2001 to 2009; Hong Kong 2003 to 2009; Canada 2003 to 2009; the States ofCalifornia and Florida 2005 to 2009; U.S. federal and the State of New York 2006 to 2009; and the UnitedKingdom 2007 to 2009.The Company has on-going examinations in various stages of completion in the City of New York,States of Florida and Illinois, Canada and India. Examination outcomes and the timing of settlements aresubject to significant uncertainty. Such settlements may involve some or all of the following: the paymentof additional taxes, the adjustment of deferred taxes and/or the recognition of unrecognized tax benefits.The Company has recognized a tax benefit only for those positions that meet the more-likely-than-notrecognition threshold. It is reasonably possible that the total unrecognized tax benefit as of September 30,2009 could decrease by an estimated $20.6 million within the next twelve months as a result of theexpiration of statutes of limitations in the U.S. federal and certain U.S. state and local and foreign taxjurisdictions, and potential settlements with U.S. states and foreign taxing authorities. The unrecognized taxbenefits described above are included in the Company’s contractual obligations table to the extent theCompany is able to make reliable estimates of the timing of cash settlements with the respective taxingauthorities. At this time, the Company cannot make a reliable estimate as to the timing of cash settlementsbeyond the next twelve months. However, the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits is disclosed in afootnote to the contractual obligations and commitments table in Item 7 of Part II of this Form 10-K. Theamount of unrecognized tax benefits and related interest that are expected to be paid in the next twelvemonths are $4.7 million and $2.0 million.Note 15 – Commitments and ContingenciesGuaranteesThe Company is obligated to cover shortfalls for the automobile securitization trusts in amounts due tothe holders of asset-backed securities up to certain levels (see Note 9 – Securitization of Loans Held for Sale).99