14.  INCOME TAXES

The components of income tax expense (benefit) were as follows for the periods indicated (dollars in thousands):

   
Year Ended December 31,
 
   
2025
   
2024
   
2023
 
Current expense
                 
Federal
 
$
16,105
   
$
14,184
   
$
16,192
 
State
   
520
     
440
     
381
 
Deferred expense
                       
Federal
   
(1,023
)
   
(1,049
)
   
99
 
Total
 
$
15,602
   
$
13,575
   
$
16,672
 
Effective tax rates differ from the federal statutory rate of 21% applied to income before income taxes due to the following for the periods indicated (dollars in thousands):

   
Year Ended December 31,
 
   
2025
   
2024
   
2023
 
   
Amount
   
Rate
   
Amount
   
Rate
   
Amount
   
Rate
 
Federal statutory rate times financial statement income
 
$
15,555
     
21.0
%
 
$
13,291
     
21.0
%
 
$
16,678
     
21.0
%
Effect of:
                                               
Tax-exempt income
   
(718
)
   
(1.0
)%
   
(701
)
   
(1.1
)%
   
(836
)
   
(1.1
)%
State taxes, net of federal benefit
   
411
     
0.6
%
   
348
     
0.6
%
   
301
     
0.4
%
Earnings from bank owned life insurance
   
(343
)
   
(0.5
)%
   
(326
)
   
(0.5
)%
   
(279
)
   
(0.4
)%
Non-deductible expenses
   
499
     
0.7
%
   
648
     
1.0
%
   
675
     
0.8
%
Other, net
   
198
     
0.3
%
   
315
     
0.5
%
   
133
     
0.2
%
Total
 
$
15,602
     
21.1
%
 
$
13,575
     
21.5
%
 
$
16,672
     
20.9
%

Income taxes paid, net of refunds received, were as follows for the periods indicated (dollars in thousands):

   
Year Ended December 31,
 
   
2025
   
2024
   
2023
 
Federal
 
$
16,721
   
$
12,104
   
$
19,102
 
State
   
472
     
431
     
286
 

Year-end deferred tax assets and liabilities were due to the following at year-end (dollars in thousands):

   
December 31,
 
   
2025
   
2024
 
Deferred tax assets
           
Allowance for credit losses
 
$
9,478
   
$
9,080
 
Deferred compensation
   
6,038
     
5,884
 
Leases
   
204
     
197
 
Other real estate owned
   
44
     
23
 
Nonaccrual loans
   
111
     
320
 
Unrealized gain on available-for-sale securities
   
14,708
     
19,273
 
Other
   
568
     
446
 
Total deferred tax assets
   
31,151
     
35,223
 
                 
Deferred tax liabilities
               
Depreciation
   
(2,629
)
   
(2,457
)
Intangibles
   
(260
)
   
(401
)
Prepaid expenses
   
(625
)
   
(704
)
Mortgage servicing rights
   
(5,049
)
   
(5,521
)
Other
   
(2,155
)
   
(3,300
)
Total deferred tax liabilities
   
(10,718
)
   
(12,383
)
Net deferred tax asset
 
$
20,433
   
$
22,840
 

There was no valuation allowance for deferred tax assets recorded at December 31, 2025 and 2024 as management believed it was more likely than not that all of the deferred tax assets will be realized against deferred tax liabilities and projected future taxable income. There were no unrecognized tax benefits during any of the reported periods.

We file income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction. We are no longer subject to U.S. federal income tax examinations by tax authorities for years before 2022.
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Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2025Mar 5, 2026Showing above
2024Mar 7, 2025
2023Mar 15, 2024
2022Mar 13, 2023
2021Mar 8, 2022
2020Mar 11, 2021
2019Mar 25, 2020

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.