Table:
|  |  | For the Year Ended |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | January 31, 2020 | February 1, 2019 | February 2, 2018 |
| Balance, beginning of the year | $385 | $305 | $265 |
| Tax positions related to current year: |  |  |  |
| Additions | 116 | 57 | 63 |
| Tax positions related to prior years: |  |  |  |
| Additions | 98 | 44 | 2 |
| Reductions | (7) | (1) | (2) |
| Settlements | (28) | (4) | (9) |
| Reductions resulting from a lapse of the statute of limitations | (83) | (8) | (24) |
| Foreign currency effects | (2) | (8) | 10 |
| Balance, end of the year | $479 | $385 | $305 |
Paragraphs:
Unrecognized Tax Benefits
A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of gross unrecognized tax benefits, excluding interest and penalties associated with unrecognized tax benefits, for the periods presented is as follows (table in millions):
Of the net unrecognized tax benefits, including interest and penalties, $323 million and $296 million were included in income tax payable on the consolidated balance sheets as of January 31, 2020 and February 1, 2019, respectively. Approximately $313 million and $266 million, respectively, would, if recognized, benefit VMware's annual effective income tax rate. VMware includes interest expense and penalties related to income tax matters in the income tax provision. VMware had accrued $48 million and $56 million of interest and penalties associated with unrecognized tax benefits as of January 31, 2020 and February 1, 2019, respectively. Income tax expense during the year ended February 1, 2019 included interest and penalties associated with uncertain tax positions of $15 million. Interest and penalties associated with uncertain tax positions included in income tax expense (benefit) were not significant during the years ended January 31, 2020 and February 2, 2018.
The Dell-owned EMC consolidated group is routinely under audit by the IRS. All U.S. federal income tax matters have been concluded for years through 2015 while VMware was part of the Dell-owned EMC consolidated group. The IRS has started its examination of fiscal years 2015 through 2019 for the Dell consolidated group, which VMware was part of beginning fiscal 2017. In addition, VMware is under corporate income tax audits in various states and non-U.S. jurisdictions. Consistent with the Company’s historical practices under the tax sharing agreement with EMC, when VMware becomes subject to federal tax audits as a member of Dell’s consolidated group, the tax sharing agreement provides that Dell has authority to control the audit and represent Dell’s and VMware’s interests to the IRS.
Open tax years subject to examinations for larger non-U.S. jurisdictions vary beginning in 2008. Audit outcomes and the timing of audit settlements are subject to significant uncertainty. When considering the outcomes and the timing of tax examinations, the expiration of statutes of limitations for specific jurisdictions, or the timing and result of ruling requests from taxing authorities, it is reasonably possible that total unrecognized tax benefits could be potentially reduced by approximately $17 million within the next 12 months.
Question:
What was the percentage change in the balance at the end of the year between 2019 and 2020?
Answer: (479-385)/385 = 24.42