NOTE 16. INCOME TAXES

Reconciliation of income tax expense and the effective tax rate is as follows for 2025:

 

(dollars in thousands)

 

For The Year Ended December 31, 2025

 

Federal statutory tax rate

 

$

58,640

 

 

 

21.0

%

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

 

 

6,672

 

 

 

2.4

 

Low-income housing and historic tax credits

 

 

(9,102

)

 

 

(3.3

)

New markets tax credits

 

 

(3,900

)

 

 

(1.4

)

Nontaxable and nondeductible items:

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Net tax-exempt interest income on securities and loans of state and political
   subdivisions

 

 

(5,841

)

 

 

(2.1

)

Bank-owned life insurance

 

 

(3,171

)

 

 

(1.1

)

Nondeductible expenses

 

 

3,534

 

 

 

1.3

 

Other adjustments:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Proportional amortization of investments that generate low-income housing
and historic tax credits

 

 

10,941

 

 

 

3.9

 

Other tax benefits related to investments that generate low-income
housing and historic tax credits

 

 

(2,545

)

 

 

(0.9

)

Other

 

 

905

 

 

 

0.3

 

Income tax expense

 

$

56,133

 

 

 

20.1

%

(1) The states of West Virginia and Maryland make up the majority (more than 50%) of the total of state taxes.

 

Reconciliation from the federal statutory income tax rate to the effective tax rate is as follows for 2024 and 2023:

 

 

 

For the Years Ended
December 31,

 

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

Federal statutory tax rate

 

 

21.0

%

 

 

21.0

%

Net tax-exempt interest income on securities and loans of state and
   political subdivisions

 

 

(3.2

)

 

 

(3.1

)

State income taxes, net of federal tax effect

 

 

2.8

 

 

 

3.0

 

Bank-owned life insurance

 

 

(1.1

)

 

 

(1.2

)

General business credits

 

 

(4.4

)

 

 

(3.9

)

All other—net

 

 

3.1

 

 

 

2.3

 

Effective tax rate

 

 

18.2

%

 

 

18.1

%

 

The provision for income taxes applicable to income before taxes consists of the following:

 

 

 

For the Years Ended December 31,

 

(in thousands)

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

Current:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Federal

 

$

11,719

 

 

$

30,314

 

 

$

31,935

 

State

 

 

2,403

 

 

 

6,517

 

 

 

6,763

 

Deferred:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Federal

 

 

35,968

 

 

 

(3,149

)

 

 

(4,328

)

State

 

 

6,043

 

 

 

(78

)

 

 

647

 

Total

 

$

56,133

 

 

$

33,604

 

 

$

35,017

 

 

The following income tax amounts were recorded in shareholders’ equity as elements of other comprehensive income:

 

(in thousands)

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

Securities and defined benefit pension plan unrecognized items

 

$

(26,446

)

 

$

2,600

 

 

$

12,369

 

 

 

The following table presents income taxes paid (net of refunds received):

 

 

 

For the Year Ended December 31,

 

(in thousands)

 

2025

 

U.S. Federal

 

$

26,500

 

U.S. state and local

 

 

 

Maryland

 

 

2,000

 

Other

 

 

3,236

 

Total

 

$

31,736

 

Deferred tax assets and liabilities consist of the following:

 

 

 

December 31,

 

(in thousands)

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

Deferred tax assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Allowance for credit losses

 

$

50,480

 

 

$

33,242

 

 

$

31,571

 

Security gains

 

 

8,400

 

 

 

969

 

 

 

1,320

 

Non-accrual interest income

 

 

1,814

 

 

 

829

 

 

 

833

 

Partnership adjustments

 

 

1,812

 

 

 

995

 

 

 

553

 

Net operating loss carryforwards

 

 

3,060

 

 

 

3,570

 

 

 

4,709

 

Purchase accounting adjustments

 

 

36,202

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fair value adjustments on securities available-for-sale

 

 

42,559

 

 

 

70,793

 

 

 

72,932

 

Lease accrual

 

 

10,623

 

 

 

9,344

 

 

 

11,178

 

Other

 

 

7,102

 

 

 

4,323

 

 

 

3,963

 

Gross deferred tax assets

 

 

162,052

 

 

 

124,065

 

 

 

127,059

 

Deferred tax liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

(7,066

)

 

 

(4,796

)

 

 

(5,366

)

Accretion on securities

 

 

(1,020

)

 

 

(791

)

 

 

(577

)

Deferred fees and costs

 

 

(4,822

)

 

 

(3,224

)

 

 

(4,107

)

Purchase accounting adjustments

 

 

 

 

 

(6,959

)

 

 

(8,398

)

Compensation and benefits

 

 

(378

)

 

 

(1,981

)

 

 

(1,818

)

Lease - right of use assets

 

 

(8,782

)

 

 

(8,331

)

 

 

(10,173

)

Other

 

 

(2

)

 

 

 

 

 

(197

)

Gross deferred tax liabilities

 

 

(22,070

)

 

 

(26,082

)

 

 

(30,636

)

Net deferred tax assets

 

$

139,982

 

 

$

97,983

 

 

$

96,423

 

No valuation allowance was established for any deferred tax assets, since management believes that deferred tax assets are likely to be realized through future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences and future taxable income.

As a result of the acquisition of Your Community Bankshares ("YCB") in 2016, Old Line Bankshares in 2019 and PFC in 2025, Wesbanco has federal net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards of $13.5 million, which expire beginning in 2034, 2037 and 2028, respectively. Wesbanco has Maryland NOL carryforwards of $0.8 million, which expires beginning in 2030. Wesbanco has Kentucky NOL carryforwards of $2.3 million, which expires beginning in 2030. The use of the federal NOL and other carryforwards are limited by Internal Revenue Code Section 382, but they are currently expected to be utilized before their respective expiration dates.

As a result of the previous acquisitions of YCB, ESB Financial Corporation, Fidelity Bancorp, Inc., Western Ohio Financial Corporation, Winton Financial Corporation, Oak Hill Financial, Inc. and PFC, retained earnings at December 31, 2025 and 2024 included $78.0 million and $45.9 million, respectively, of qualifying and non-qualifying tax bad debt reserves existing as of December 31, 1987, upon which no provision for income taxes has been recorded. The related amount of unrecognized deferred tax liability is $17.8 million and $10.3 million for 2025 and 2024, respectively. If this portion of retained earnings is used in the future for any purpose other than to absorb bad debts, it would be added to future taxable income.

Federal and state income taxes applicable to securities transactions totaled $0.8 million, $0.3 million and $0.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Wesbanco had $0.3 million and $0.1 million of unrecognized tax benefits and interest as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. As of December 31, 2025, $0.3 million represented the amount of unrecognized tax benefits that if recognized would favorably affect the effective tax rate in the future. At December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, accrued interest related to uncertain tax positions was immaterial. Wesbanco provides for interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions as part of its provision for federal and state income taxes.

Wesbanco is subject to U.S. federal income tax as well as to tax in various state income tax jurisdictions. Wesbanco and its prior acquired companies are no longer subject to any income tax examinations for years prior to 2022.

Unrecognized Tax Benefits

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits (excluding interest and the federal income tax benefit of unrecognized state tax benefits) is as follows:

 

 

 

For the Years Ended December 31,

 

(in thousands)

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

Balance at beginning of year

 

$

116

 

 

$

58

 

 

$

158

 

Additions based on tax positions related to the current year

 

 

178

 

 

 

58

 

 

 

20

 

Reductions due to the statute of limitations

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(120

)

Balance at end of year

 

$

294

 

 

$

116

 

 

$

58

 

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2025Mar 2, 2026Showing above
2024Mar 3, 2025
2023Feb 26, 2024
2022Feb 27, 2023
2021Feb 28, 2022
2019Feb 28, 2020
2018Mar 1, 2019
2017Feb 27, 2018
2016Feb 24, 2017
2015Feb 26, 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.