Table:
|  |  | Fiscal years ended July 31, |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
| Unrecognized tax benefit - beginning of period | $10,321 | $9,346 | $7,687 |
| Gross increases - prior period tax positions | 98 | 729 | 712 |
| Gross decreases - prior period tax positions | (88) | (878) | (691) |
| Gross increases - current period tax positions | 1,302 | 1,124 | 1,638 |
| Unrecognized tax benefit - end of period | $11,633 | $10,321 | $9,346 |
Paragraphs:
Unrecognized Tax Benefits
Activity related to unrecognized tax benefits is as follows (in thousands):
During the year ended July 31, 2019, the Company’s unrecognized tax benefits increased by $1.3 million, primarily associated with the Company’s U.S. Federal and California R&D credits. As of July 31, 2019, the Company had unrecognized tax benefits of $6.2 million that, if recognized, would affect the Company’s effective tax rate. An estimate of the range of possible change within the next 12 months cannot be made at this time.
The Company, or one of its subsidiaries, files income taxes in the U.S. Federal jurisdiction and various state and foreign jurisdictions. If the Company utilizes net operating losses or tax credits in future years, the U.S. Federal, state and local, and non-U.S. tax authorities may examine the tax returns covering the period in which the net operating losses and tax credits arose. As a result, the Company’s tax returns in the U.S. and California remain open to examination from fiscal years 2002 through 2019. As of July 31, 2019, the Company has no income tax audits in progress in the U.S. or foreign jurisdictions.
Question:
In which year was Unrecognized tax benefit - end of period less than 10,000 thousands?
Answer: Because locate and analyze Unrecognized tax benefit - beginning of period in row 3, the answer is: 2017.