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Income Taxes
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2014
Income Taxes [Abstract]  
INCOME TAXES

NOTE 13 INCOME TAXES

 

On June 30, 2013 the Governor signed Act No. 40-2013, known as Ley de Redistribución y Ajuste de la Carga Contributiva” (Act of Redistribution and Adjustment of Tax Burden), as amended. The main purpose of the Act is to increase government collections in order to alleviate the structural deficit. The most relevant provisions of the Act, as applicable to the Company, and effective for taxable years beginning after December 31,2012 are as follows: (1) the maximum Corporate Income Tax rate was increased from 30% to 39%; (2) the deduction allowed for determining the income subject to surtax was reduced from $750,000 to $25,000 (which must be allocated among the members of a controlled group of corporations); (3) the allowable Net Operating Loss (“NOL”) deduction was reduced to (i) 90% of the corporation's net income subject to regular tax for purposes of computing the regular income tax, and (ii) 80% of the alternative minimum taxable income for purposes of computing the alternative minimum tax (“AMT”); (4) the NOL carryover period was extended from 10 to 12 years for NOLs incurred in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2004 and before January 1, 2013, and from 7 to 10 years for losses incurred in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012; (5) a new special tax based on gross income (the “Special Tax”) was added to the Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Code of 2011, as further described below; and (6) a special tax of 1% was imposed on insurance premiums earned after June 30, 2013.

 

In the case of non-financial institutions, the Special Tax is paid as part of the AMT and thus is accounted for under the provisions of ASC 740. The applicable Special Tax rate for non-financial institutions increases gradually from 0.2% for gross income equal to or in excess of $1.0 million up to 0.85% for gross income in excess of $1.5 billion. In the case of a controlled group of corporations, the tax rate for all members of the group is determined by the aggregate gross income of all members in the group. In the case of financial institutions, the Special Tax is not part of the AMT calculation thus is accounted for as other tax not subject to the provisions of ASC 740 since the same is based on gross income. The applicable Special Tax rate for financial institutions is 1% of its gross income of a taxable year, of which fifty percent (50%) may be claimed as a credit against the financial institution's applicable income tax of that year.

 

At March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, the Company's net deferred tax asset amounted to $127.7 million and $137.6 million, respectively. In assessing the realizability of the deferred tax asset, management considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion or the entire deferred tax asset will not be realized. The ultimate realization of the deferred tax asset is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which those temporary differences become deductible.  Management considers the scheduled reversal of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income, and tax planning strategies in making this assessment.  Based upon the level of historical taxable income and projections for future taxable income over the periods in which the deferred tax asset are deductible, management believes it is more likely than not that the Company will realize the entire deferred tax asset, net of the existing valuation allowances recorded at March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013. The amount of the deferred tax asset considered realizable, however, could be reduced in the near term if estimates of future taxable income during the carryforward period are reduced.

 

At March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, Oriental International Bank Inc. (“OIB”), the Bank's international banking entity subsidiary, had $219 thousand and $356 thousand, respectively, in income tax effect of unrecognized gain on available-for-sale securities included in other comprehensive income. Following the change in OIB's applicable tax rate from 5% to 0% as a result of a Puerto Rico law adopted in 2011, this remaining tax balance will flow through income as these securities are repaid or sold in future periods. During the quarters ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, $137 thousand and $47 thousand, respectively, related to this residual tax effect from OIB was reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income into income tax provision.

The Company classifies unrecognized tax benefits in income taxes payable. These gross unrecognized tax benefits would affect the effective tax rate if realized. The balance of unrecognized tax benefits at March 31, 2014 was $4.0 million (December 31, 2013 - $4.0 million). The Company had accrued $1.6 million at March 31, 2014 (December 31, 2013 - $1.2 million) for the payment of interest and penalties relating to unrecognized tax benefits.

 

Income tax expense was $11.8 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2014, compared to $7.1 million for the same period in 2013. The increase in enacted tax rate from 30% to 39% from the second quarter 2013 amendment to the Puerto Rico tax Code resulted in the increased quarterly income tax expense for this quarter as compared to the same quarter of 2013.