Note 11 — Income Taxes

In accordance with the provisions of ASC 740, the Company periodically reviews its income tax positions based on tax laws and regulations and financial reporting considerations, and records adjustments as appropriate. This review takes into consideration the status of current taxing authorities’ examinations of the Company’s tax returns, recent positions taken by the taxing authorities on similar transactions, if any, and the overall tax environment.

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits is as follows:

 

 

 

Year Ended December 31,

 

 

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

 

(in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unrecognized tax benefits at beginning of year

 

$

 

 

$

258

 

 

$

258

 

Gross decreases for tax positions of prior years

 

 

 

 

 

(258

)

 

 

 

Unrecognized tax benefits at end of year

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

258

 

 

There were no unrecognized tax benefits that would affect our effective tax rate if recognized as of December 31, 2025 or 2024. The total amount of unrecognized tax benefits that would affect our effective tax rate if recognized as of December 31, 2023, was $0.3 million. The Company records interest expense and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax expense. There was no accrued interest or penalties at December 31, 2025 or 2024. At December 31, 2023, the Company recorded accrued interest and accrued penalties that were each less than $0.1 million. Accrued interest and penalties are included within accrued expenses and other liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

For the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, there were no unrecognized tax benefits. For the year ended December 31, 2023, there were no changes to unrecognized tax benefits related to California Enterprise Zone hiring credits.

As of December 31, 2025, the Company was subject to examination by federal and various state tax authorities for the years ended December 31, 2021 through 2024. As of December 31, 2025, the Company's audit with the State of California for tax years 2020 and 2021 was settled, resulting in an immaterial impact to the consolidated financial statements.

Pretax income from continuing operations was as follows:

 

 

 

Year Ended December 31,

 

 

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

 

(in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S. income before tax

 

$

107,927

 

 

$

88,605

 

 

$

114,581

 

Foreign income before tax

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total income before taxes

 

$

107,927

 

 

$

88,605

 

 

$

114,581

 

Income tax expense (benefit) from continuing operations was as follows:

 

 

 

Year Ended December 31,

 

 

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

 

(in thousands)

 

Current expense:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Federal

 

$

28,287

 

 

$

18,139

 

 

$

26,336

 

State

 

 

13,526

 

 

 

11,704

 

 

 

13,610

 

Total current expense

 

 

41,813

 

 

 

29,843

 

 

 

39,946

 

Deferred expense (benefit):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Federal

 

 

(7,911

)

 

 

(2,009

)

 

 

(4,980

)

State

 

 

(2,064

)

 

 

(1,430

)

 

 

(426

)

Total deferred expense

 

 

(9,975

)

 

 

(3,439

)

 

 

(5,406

)

Income tax expense

 

$

31,838

 

 

$

26,404

 

 

$

34,540

 

 

Deferred tax assets and liabilities were as follows:

 

 

 

As of December 31,

 

 

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

 

 

(in thousands)

 

Deferred tax assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Provision for credit losses

 

$

19,771

 

 

$

20,828

 

Purchase accounting

 

 

1,639

 

 

 

1,977

 

Net operating loss carryforward

 

 

13,452

 

 

 

13,459

 

Unrealized losses on securities available for sale

 

 

16,765

 

 

 

28,638

 

Lease liability

 

 

11,850

 

 

 

11,845

 

State taxes

 

 

2,520

 

 

 

2,520

 

Other

 

 

4,347

 

 

 

4,548

 

Total deferred tax assets

 

 

70,344

 

 

 

83,815

 

Deferred tax liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mark to market

 

 

(17,374

)

 

 

(30,018

)

Depreciation

 

 

(394

)

 

 

(885

)

Leases - right of use assets

 

 

(8,814

)

 

 

(10,616

)

Other

 

 

(4,854

)

 

 

(2,624

)

Total deferred tax liabilities

 

 

(31,436

)

 

 

(44,143

)

Valuation allowance

 

 

(1,488

)

 

 

(1,488

)

Net deferred tax assets

 

$

37,420

 

 

$

38,184

 

 

As of each reporting date, management considered the realization of deferred tax assets based on management’s judgment of various future events and uncertainties, including the timing and amount of future income, as well as the implementation of various tax planning strategies to maximize realization of deferred tax assets. A valuation allowance is provided when it is more likely than not that some portion of deferred tax assets will not be realized. As of December 31, 2025, and 2024, management determined that a valuation allowance of $1.5 million was appropriate against certain state net operating losses. For all other deferred tax assets, management believes it was more likely than not that these deferred tax assets will be realized principally through future taxable income and reversal of existing taxable temporary differences.

As of December 31, 2025, the Company had net operating loss carryforwards of $2.2 million and $192.3 million for federal and state income tax purposes, respectively. The federal net operating loss carryforwards of $2.2 million expire in 2035. The state net operating loss carryforwards included California of $131.4 million which expire at various dates from 2034 through 2040, and Illinois of $60.9 million which expire at various dates from 2038 through 2039. Management determined that a partial valuation allowance was required against the Illinois net operating loss carryforwards.

On June 24, 2025, the Franchise Tax Board of the State of California amended Senate Bill 132 which, among other changes, enacted a single-sales-factor apportionment calculation for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2025. This reduced the Company's effective tax rate in California for the year ended December 31, 2025. As a result, the Company re-measured its deferred tax assets, including those related to the net unrealized loss on securities available for sale within accumulated other comprehensive loss. The reduction in the effective tax rate resulted in a lower tax benefit on those unrealized losses, which created an amount stranded within accumulated other comprehensive loss equal to the difference in tax rate upon remeasurement, multiplied by net unrealized losses. At December 31, 2025, the stranded amount from deferred tax remeasurement was $1.1 million.

A reconciliation between the federal statutory income tax rate and the effective tax rate is shown in the following table, as reported in accordance with ASU 2023-09, on a retrospective basis:

 

 

 

Year Ended December 31,

 

 

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

 

(in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Federal statutory income tax rate

 

$

22,665

 

 

 

21.00

 %

 

$

18,607

 

 

 

21.00

 %

 

$

24,062

 

 

 

21.00

 %

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

 

 

8,675

 

 

 

8.04

 %

 

 

7,773

 

 

 

8.77

 %

 

 

10,505

 

 

 

9.20

 %

Tax credits:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Federal low income housing tax credit

 

 

(1,573

)

 

 

(1.46

)%

 

 

(1,468

)

 

 

(1.66

)%

 

 

(1,872

)

 

 

(1.63

)%

Nontaxable or nondeductible items

 

 

(872

)

 

 

(0.81

)%

 

 

(393

)

 

 

(0.44

)%

 

 

38

 

 

 

0.00

 %

Other adjustments:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amortization of low income housing tax credit

 

 

2,502

 

 

 

2.32

 %

 

 

1,816

 

 

 

2.05

 %

 

 

1,874

 

 

 

1.64

 %

Other

 

 

441

 

 

 

0.41

 %

 

 

69

 

 

 

0.08

 %

 

 

(67

)

 

 

(0.06

)%

Effective tax rate

 

$

31,838

 

 

 

29.50

%

 

$

26,404

 

 

 

29.80

%

 

$

34,540

 

 

 

30.15

%

 

(1)
State income tax in California make up the majority (greater than 50%) of the tax effect in this category.

 

Income taxes paid were as follows:

 

 

 

Year Ended December 31,

 

 

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

 

(in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Federal

 

$

22,500

 

 

$

26,250

 

 

$

9,700

 

California

 

 

10,141

 

 

 

12,150

 

 

 

5,250

 

All other states

 

 

3,184

 

 

 

3,274

 

 

 

1,586

 

Total income taxes paid

 

 

35,825

 

 

 

41,674

 

 

 

16,536

 

Refunds, Federal

 

 

(63

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Refunds, all other states

 

 

(105

)

 

 

(109

)

 

 

(131

)

Total income taxes paid, net of refunds

 

$

35,657

 

 

$

41,565

 

 

$

16,405

 

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2025Feb 27, 2026Showing above
2024Feb 28, 2025
2023Feb 29, 2024
2022Feb 28, 2023
2021Feb 28, 2022
2020Mar 1, 2021
2019Mar 2, 2020
2018Mar 1, 2019
2017Mar 1, 2018
2016Mar 1, 2017
2015Feb 29, 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.