(ii) a pre-tax charge of $46.4 million associated with reducing adverse income tax consequences arising from the review of stock options by a special committee of the Board of Directors (this is $23.6 million less than the estimated expected charge announced last quarter); and
(iii) a $10.1 million pre-tax benefit primarily to merchandise costs for an excise tax refund on prior merchandise sales of phone cards. Excluding these one-time items, second quarter net income would have been $302.9 million, or $.66 per diluted share.
Net sales for the first half of fiscal 2007 increased 8% to $28.66 billion from $26.46 billion during the first half of fiscal 2006. Excluding the sales return reserve adjustment recorded in the second quarter, net sales for the first half of fiscal 2007 would have been $28.88 billion, or a 9% increase over the prior year.