12.         INCOME TAXES

Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting and income tax purposes. Net deferred tax assets as of December 31, 2025 and 2024 consist primarily of the following ($ in thousands):

  ​ ​ ​

2025

  ​ ​ ​

2024

Deferred tax assets:

 

  ​

 

  ​

Allowance for credit losses

$

10,723

$

12,412

Unearned loan fees and other

 

1,691

 

3,201

Lease liability

13,926

2,583

Net unrealized loss on investment securities available for sale

 

646

 

5,964

Federal low income housing credit carryforward

 

274

 

369

Deferred compensation

 

1,380

 

1,458

Capitalized research and experimental expenditures

1,238

Net operating loss

5,460

Other

 

3,943

 

2,696

Valuation allowance

 

 

(3,457)

Total deferred tax assets, net of valuation allowance

 

32,583

 

31,924

Deferred tax liabilities:

 

  ​

 

  ​

Right-of-use assets

14,929

2,331

Purchase accounting

914

911

Depreciation

1,693

606

Derivative asset

36

1,007

Other

 

328

 

603

Total deferred tax liabilities

 

17,900

 

5,458

Net deferred tax assets

$

14,683

$

26,466

The Company had no valuation allowance recorded against deferred tax assets as of December 31, 2025. A valuation allowance of $3 million related to PFH was recorded against deferred tax assets as of December 31,  2024.  Management believes that the realization of the remaining deferred tax assets was more likely than not based on the expectation that Primis will generate the necessary taxable income in future periods.

The Company has no unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31, 2025 or 2024. Should the accrual of any interest or penalties relative to unrecognized tax benefits be necessary, the policy is to record such accruals in income tax accounts; no such accruals existed as of December 31, 2025 or 2024. Primis and its subsidiaries file a consolidated U.S. federal income tax return and individually file numerous state income tax returns. These returns are subject to examination by taxing authorities for all years after 2021.

The provision for income taxes consists of the following for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023 ($ in thousands):

  ​ ​ ​

2025

  ​ ​ ​

2024

  ​ ​ ​

2023

Current tax expense

 

  ​

 

  ​

 

  ​

Federal

$

7,046

$

21

$

1,861

State

 

1,201

 

9

 

771

Total current tax expense

 

8,247

 

30

 

2,632

Deferred tax expense (benefit)

 

  ​

 

  ​

 

  ​

Federal

 

6,307

 

(4,178)

 

(2,699)

State

 

159

 

(90)

 

(1,000)

Total deferred tax expense (benefit)

 

6,466

 

(4,268)

 

(3,699)

Total income tax expense (benefit)

$

14,713

$

(4,238)

$

(1,067)

The Company operates exclusively in the United States and had no foreign income, foreign income tax expense, or foreign income taxes paid for the year ended December 31, 2025.

A reconciliation of the provision for income taxes to the amount computed by applying the 21% statutory U.S. federal income tax rate to income before income taxes after the adoption of ASU 2023-09 is as follows ($ in thousands):

  ​ ​ ​

2025

Amount

Percent

U.S. Federal statutory tax rate

 

$

15,236

 

21.0

%

State and local income taxes, net of federal income tax effect (1)

1,063

1.5

Nontaxable or nondeductible items:

 

Sale of PFH common stock

 

(2,153)

(3.0)

Income from bank-owned life insurance

(375)

(0.5)

Other

(6)

Tax credits:

 

  ​

  ​

Low income housing tax credit (2)

 

(74)

(0.1)

Change in valuation allowance

 

934

1.3

Other

 

88

0.1

Total

$

14,713

20.3

%

(1)The states and local jurisdictions that contribute to the majority (greater than 50%) of the tax effect in this category include Maryland, New York, California, New Jersey, and Tennessee.
(2)Amount is shown net of amortization of the related investments

The income tax expense differed from the amount of income tax determined by applying the U.S. Federal income tax rate of 21% to pretax income for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 due to the following ($ in thousands):

  ​ ​ ​

2024

  ​ ​ ​

2023

Computed expected tax benefit at statutory rate

$

(6,070)

$

(2,348)

Increase (decrease) in tax expense resulting from:

 

 

Remeasurement of deferred tax assets and liabilities

257

(531)

Low income housing tax credits, net of amortization

19

1

Income from bank-owned life insurance

 

(506)

 

(424)

Goodwill impairment

2,342

Research and development credit

(33)

(1,150)

Valuation allowance

2,098

704

State taxes, net

(110)

503

Other, net

 

107

 

(164)

Total income tax benefit

$

(4,238)

$

(1,067)

Income taxes paid (refunds received), net, disaggregated by federal and state jurisdictions are as follows for the years ending ($ in thousands):

  ​ ​ ​

2025

  ​ ​ ​

 

U.S. Federal

$

(1,050)

State:

North Carolina

85

Pennsylvania

216

Tennessee

81

Texas

 

97

Other

 

88

State Subtotal

 

567

 

Total cash paid for (refunds of) income taxes, net

$

(483)

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2025Mar 16, 2026Showing above
2024Apr 29, 2025
2023Oct 15, 2024
2022Mar 15, 2023
2021Mar 14, 2022
2020Mar 16, 2021
2019Mar 16, 2020
2018Mar 15, 2019
2017Mar 16, 2018
2016Mar 16, 2017
2015Mar 15, 2016

About Income Taxes Disclosures

The income tax disclosure reveals how much a company actually pays in taxes versus what the statutory rate would predict. Analysts focus on the effective tax rate (ETR) reconciliation, which breaks down every item driving the gap between the 21% federal rate and the company's reported ETR — including R&D credits, foreign rate differentials, and state taxes. Deferred tax assets (DTAs) and their valuation allowances signal management's confidence in future profitability: a rising allowance suggests the company doubts it can use accumulated tax benefits. Uncertain tax benefit (UTB) reserves quantify exposure to IRS challenges on aggressive positions.

Key signals to watch: sudden ETR drops without clear operational reasons, large increases in valuation allowances, growing UTB balances, and significant unremitted foreign earnings. Post-TCJA, pay attention to GILTI and BEAT provisions that affect multinational tax structures. Compare the cash taxes paid (from the cash flow statement) against the income tax provision to gauge earnings quality.