Entity information:
NOTE 21 - INCOME TAXES
The following table details the components of income taxes (in thousands):
 
 
Years Ended December 31,
 
 
2017
 
2016
 
2015
Income tax expense (benefit):
 
 
 
 
 
 
Current:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Federal
 
$
994

 
$
1,733

 
$
1,705

State
 
856

 
966

 
430

Total current
 
1,850

 
2,699

 
2,135

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Deferred:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Federal
 
3,475

 
6,707

 
(423
)
State
 
1,288

 
1,586

 
(358
)
Total deferred
 
4,763

 
8,293

 
(781
)
Income tax expense (benefit)
 
$
6,613

 
$
10,992

 
$
1,354


A reconciliation of the income tax expense (benefit) based upon the statutory tax rate to the effective income tax rate is as follows for the periods presented (in thousands):
 
 
Years Ended December 31,
 
 
2017
 
2016
 
2015
Income tax expense (benefit)
 
 
 
 
 
 
Statutory tax
 
$
9,301

 
$
(1,103
)
 
$
945

State and local taxes, net of federal benefit
 
1,415

 
1,005

 
(271
)
Permanent adjustments
 
37

 

 
149

True-up of prior period tax expense
 
(2,010
)
 
(256
)
 
530

Valuation allowance
 
(2,203
)
 
11,294

 

Tax reform
 
4,918

 

 

Tax reform - valuation allowance
 
(4,918
)
 

 

Other items
 
73

 
52

 
1

Income tax expense (benefit)
 
$
6,613

 
$
10,992

 
$
1,354


The components of deferred tax assets and liabilities are as follows (in thousands):
 
 
December 31,
 
 
2017
 
2016
Deferred tax assets related to:
 
 
 
 
Federal, state and local loss carryforwards
 
$
2,261

 
$
7,933

Reserve on MSR valuation
 

 
237

Accrued expenses
 
393

 
118

Amortization of intangibles
 
416

 

Unrealized gains (losses)
 
1,702

 
1,673

CLCO carryforwards
 

 
5,680

Partnership investment
 
5,301

 
2,902

Total deferred tax assets
 
10,073

 
18,543

Valuation allowance
 
(9,927
)
 
(11,294
)
Total deferred tax assets, net of valuation allowance
 
$
146

 
$
7,249

 
 
 
 
 
Deferred tax liabilities related to:
 
 
 
 
Amortization of intangibles
 
$

 
$
(1,589
)
Investment in securities
 
(89
)
 
(1,320
)
Depreciation
 
(57
)
 
(85
)
Total deferred tax liabilities
 
$
(146
)
 
$
(2,994
)
 
 
 
 
 
Deferred tax assets, net
 
$

 
$
4,255


At December 31, 2017, excluding discontinued operations, the Company had $4.8 million of gross federal and $1.6 million of gross state and local net operating tax loss carryforwards, or $6.4 million (deferred tax asset of $2.3 million) in total. Due to changes in management's focus regarding the non-core asset classes, the Company determined that it no longer expected to have sufficient forecasted taxable income to completely realize the tax benefits of the deferred tax assets at December 31, 2017. Therefore, a gross valuation allowance of $37.0 million (tax effected expense of $9.9 million) has been recorded against the deferred tax asset at December 31, 2017.  Management will continue to assess its estimate of the amount of deferred tax assets that the Company will be able to utilize.
The Company is subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") for calendar years including and subsequent to 2015, and is subject to examination by state and local jurisdictions for calendar years including and subsequent to 2013. The IRS audit of RCC Residential, Inc., for the tax year 2014, was finalized in October 2017 with no adjustments.