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Income Taxes
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2018
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income taxes
(7) Income Taxes

 

Income taxes as a percentage of earnings before income taxes as reported in the consolidated financial statements were 12.6% and 11.8% for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, respectively, compared to 32.4% and 33.6% for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, respectively. As further described below, the decrease in tax rate for the comparative periods is primarily due to a decrease in the federal corporate tax rate, the release of the valuation allowance related to capital losses as a result of the Company’s tax planning initiatives, a pension contribution made during the second quarter of 2018 that was attributable to the 2017 plan year, and the Company’s additional tax planning initiatives.

 

The federal corporate income tax rate declined from 34% to 21% effective January 1, 2018 as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, (Tax Act). The Company’s tax rate is lower than the federal statutory rate primarily as a result of tax-exempt income, the release of the valuation allowance related to capital loss carryforwards, and a pension contribution made during the second quarter of 2018 that was attributable to the 2017 plan year, and the Company’s additional tax planning initiatives. The provisional adjustments recorded in the fourth quarter of 2017 related to the enactment of the Tax Act have been finalized as of September 30, 2018 with the filing of the Company’s 2017 tax return. The finalization of the Tax Act included a $306,000 benefit attributable to the pension contribution discussed above and an $180,000 benefit attributable to various accounting method changes made on the Company’s 2017 tax return. Such adjustments were recorded in the second and third quarters of 2018 respectively, within the one-year measurement period provided under Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 in regards to the application of FASB’s ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes.

 

The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income of the appropriate character 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 initiatives in making this assessment. In management’s opinion, the Company will more likely than not realize the benefits of its deferred tax assets and, therefore, has not established a valuation allowance against its deferred tax assets as of September 30, 2018. Management arrived at this conclusion based upon the level of historical taxable income and projections for future taxable income of the appropriate character over the periods in which the deferred tax assets are deductible. As indicated above, the Company released a $46,000 valuation allowance against certain capital loss carryforwards during the second quarter of 2018 as a result of the execution of certain tax planning initiatives that generated sufficient capital gain income prior to the expiration of the carryforwards.

 

The Company follows ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes, which addresses the accounting for uncertain tax positions. For each of the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, the Company did not have any uncertain tax provisions, and did not record any related tax liabilities.