10. INCOME TAXES
The income tax expense included in the consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31 is allocated as follows:
| (In thousands) | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |||||||||
| Federal: | ||||||||||||
| Current expense/(benefit) | $ | 1,559 | $ | 13,207 | $ | 13,035 | ||||||
| Deferred expense/(benefit) | 13,922 | 486 | (3,210 | ) | ||||||||
| State: | ||||||||||||
| Current expense/(benefit) | 2,133 | 2,105 | 3,176 | |||||||||
| Deferred expense/(benefit) | 196 | 466 | (833 | ) | ||||||||
| Total income tax expense | $ | 17,810 | $ | 16,264 | $ | 12,168 | ||||||
Total income tax expense differed from the amounts computed by applying the U.S. Federal income tax rate of 35 percent to income before taxes as a result of the following:
| (In thousands) | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |||||||||
| Computed “expected” tax expense | $ | 19,008 | $ | 14,959 | $ | 11,249 | ||||||
| (Decrease)/increase in taxes resulting from: | ||||||||||||
| Tax-exempt income | (584 | ) | (496 | ) | (316 | ) | ||||||
| State income taxes | 1,514 | 1,671 | 1,523 | |||||||||
| Bank owned life insurance income | (475 | ) | (492 | ) | (454 | ) | ||||||
| Life insurance expense | 479 | 297 | 175 | |||||||||
| Interest disallowance | 124 | 95 | 40 | |||||||||
| Meals and entertainment expense | 76 | 77 | 69 | |||||||||
| Stock-based compensation | (982 | ) | 15 | 86 | ||||||||
| Rate adjustment | — | — | (70 | ) | ||||||||
| Tax reform impact | (1,648 | ) | — | — | ||||||||
| Other | 298 | 138 | (134 | ) | ||||||||
| Total income tax expense | $ | 17,810 | $ | 16,264 | $ | 12,168 | ||||||
The tax effects of temporary differences that give rise to significant portions of the deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities as of December 31 are as follows:
| (In thousands) | 2017 | 2016 | ||||||
| Deferred tax assets: | ||||||||
| Allowance for loan losses | $ | 9,972 | $ | 12,969 | ||||
| Lease adjustment | 49 | 89 | ||||||
| Post-retirement benefits | 297 | 443 | ||||||
| Prepaid alternative minimum assessment | — | 283 | ||||||
| Contribution limitation | — | 235 | ||||||
| Organization costs | 14 | 22 | ||||||
| Cash flow hedge | — | 304 | ||||||
| Unrealized loss on securities available for sale | 714 | 668 | ||||||
| Stock option expense | 118 | 387 | ||||||
| Nonaccrual interest | 31 | 25 | ||||||
| Accrued compensation | 900 | 1,993 | ||||||
| Capital leases | 774 | 1,075 | ||||||
| Total gross deferred tax assets | $ | 12,869 | $ | 18,493 | ||||
| Deferred tax liabilities: | ||||||||
| Depreciation | $ | 10,091 | $ | 800 | ||||
| Cash flow hedge | 392 | — | ||||||
| Deferred loan origination costs and fees | 1,072 | 1,535 | ||||||
| Deferred income | 729 | 790 | ||||||
| Investment securities, principally due to the accretion of bond discount | 13 | 4 | ||||||
| Other | 20 | 44 | ||||||
| Total gross deferred tax liabilities | 12,317 | 3,173 | ||||||
| Net deferred tax asset | $ | 552 | $ | 15,320 | ||||
Based upon taxes paid and projected future taxable income, Management believes that it is more likely than not that the gross deferred tax assets will be realized.
At December 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company had no unrecognized tax benefits. The Company does not expect the amount of unrecognized tax benefits to significantly increase or decrease in the next twelve months.
On December 22, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1) (the “Act”) was signed into law. The Act contains several changes in existing tax law impacting businesses, including a reduction in the Federal corporate income tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent, effective January 1, 2018. The Company determined a reduction in the value of its net deferred tax liability of approximately $1.6 million, which was a result of a reduction in the Federal corporate tax rate that is expected to apply to the reversal of the Company’s temporary differences. The Company recorded the reduction in the deferred tax liability as an income tax benefit in the Company’s statement of income for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2017. The tax benefit was net of tax expense of $215 thousand related to the other comprehensive income revaluation adjustment.
The Company is subject to U.S. Federal income tax as well as income tax of various state jurisdictions. The Company is no longer subject to federal examination for tax years prior to 2014. The tax years of 2014, 2015 and 2016 remains open to federal examination. The Company is no longer subject to state and local examinations by tax authorities for tax years prior to 2013. The tax years of 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 remain open for state examination.