13. INCOME TAXES
Income taxes consist of the following:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
| 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | ||||||||||
| (In thousands) | ||||||||||||
| Current tax provision: | ||||||||||||
| Federal | $ | 1,505 | $ | 1,925 | $ | 2,036 | ||||||
| State | 581 | 370 | 319 | |||||||||
| Total | 2,086 | 2,295 | 2,355 | |||||||||
| Deferred tax (benefit) provision: | ||||||||||||
| Federal | 7,613 | 262 | (203 | ) | ||||||||
| State | 702 | 10 | (82 | ) | ||||||||
| Change in valuation reserve | (973 | ) | 2 | 54 | ||||||||
| Total | 7,342 | 274 | (231 | ) | ||||||||
| Total | $ | 9,428 | $ | 2,569 | $ | 2,124 | ||||||
The reasons for the differences between the statutory federal income tax rate and the effective rates are summarized below:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
| 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | ||||||||||
| Statutory federal income tax rate | 35.0 | % | 34.0 | % | 34.0 | % | ||||||
| Increase (decrease) resulting from: | ||||||||||||
| State taxes, net of federal tax benefit | 3.2 | 3.4 | 1.6 | |||||||||
| Tax exempt income | (2.8 | ) | (2.6 | ) | (3.2 | ) | ||||||
| Bank-owned life insurance (BOLI) | (2.9 | ) | (7.2 | ) | (6.6 | ) | ||||||
| Nondeductible merger expenses | 0.1 | 8.3 | — | |||||||||
| Change in valuation reserve | (4.5 | ) | — | 0.7 | ||||||||
| Option exercise tax benefit | (3.2 | ) | — | — | ||||||||
| Effect of tax rate change | 18.4 | — | — | |||||||||
| Other, net | — | (1.2 | ) | 0.6 | ||||||||
| Effective tax rate | 43.3 | % | 34.7 | % | 27.1 | % | ||||||
Cash paid for income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 was $5.6 million, $2.6 million and $2.4 million, respectively.
The tax effects of each item that gives rise to deferred taxes are as follows:
| December 31, | ||||||||
| 2017 | 2016 | |||||||
| (In thousands) | ||||||||
| Deferred tax assets: | ||||||||
| Allowance for loan losses | $ | 3,045 | $ | 4,021 | ||||
| Net unrealized loss on derivative and hedging activity | 1,635 | 2,681 | ||||||
| Employee benefit and share-based compensation plans | 2,184 | 3,220 | ||||||
| Defined benefit plan | 1,692 | 1,864 | ||||||
| Net unrealized loss on securities available for sale | 1,316 | 2,024 | ||||||
| Other-than-temporary impairment write-down | 91 | 129 | ||||||
| Purchased mortgage servicing rights | 344 | 562 | ||||||
| Purchase accounting adjustments, net | — | 1,824 | ||||||
| Net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards | — | 1,320 | ||||||
| Other | 996 | 787 | ||||||
| Gross deferred tax assets | 11,303 | 18,432 | ||||||
| Valuation reserve | — | (973 | ) | |||||
| Gross deferred tax assets, net of valuation reserve | 11,303 | 17,459 | ||||||
| Deferred tax liabilities: | ||||||||
| Deferred loan fees | (1,226 | ) | (1,268 | ) | ||||
| Hedge termination payments | (1,030 | ) | — | |||||
| Purchase accounting adjustments, net | (234 | ) | — | |||||
| Other | (29 | ) | (32 | ) | ||||
| (2,519 | ) | (1,300 | ) | |||||
| Net deferred tax asset | $ | 8,784 | $ | 16,159 | ||||
The federal income tax reserve for loan losses at the Bank’s base year is $9.4 million. If any portion of the reserve is used for purposes other than to absorb loan losses, approximately 150% of the amount actually used, limited to the amount of the reserve, would be subject to taxation in the fiscal year in which used. As the Bank intends to use the reserve solely to absorb loan losses, a deferred tax liability of $2.6 million has not been provided.
We do not have any uncertain tax positions at December 31, 2017 or 2016 which require accrual or disclosure. We record interest and penalties as part of income tax expense. No interest was recorded for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, and no penalties were recorded for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015.
Our income tax returns are subject to review and examination by federal and state tax authorities. We are currently open to audit under the applicable statutes of limitations by the Internal Revenue Service for the years ended December 31, 2014 through 2017. The years open to examination by state taxing authorities vary by jurisdiction; however, no years prior to 2014 are open.
The Company had net operating loss carryforwards brought over in the Chicopee merger of $3.5 million, which was used during the year ended December 31, 2017.
As a result of the Tax Act, the Company recorded $4.0 million in additional income tax expense which includes a tax benefit of $2.1 million relating to the impact of the rate change on deferred tax items originally recorded through other comprehensive income (net unrealized losses on securities available for sale, change in fair value of derivatives used for cash flow hedges and actuarial losses on the defined benefit pension plan). This accounting treatment effectively stranded $2.1 million of deferred tax items in accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”). In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-02, Income Statement—Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220), which allows for a reclassification from AOCI to retained earnings to eliminate the stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Act. As permitted, the Company early adopted the ASU and recorded a $2.1 million reclassification to 2017 beginning retained earnings from accumulated other comprehensive loss.