Income Taxes	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2019
Income Taxes
Income taxes	(8) Income Taxes Income taxes as a percentage of earnings before income taxes as reported in the consolidated financial statements were 18.9% for the three months ended March, 2019 compared to 16.4% for the three months March 31, 2018. The change in the effective tax rate in the first quarter of 2019 over the first quarter of 2018 is primarily due to an increase in taxable income, which included a $2.1 million pre-taxable gain from the sale of the Branson branch. 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 for the quarters ending March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively, primarily due to tax-exempt income and additional tax planning initiatives. The provisional adjustments recorded in the fourth quarter of 2017 related to the enactment of the Tax Act were finalized during the third quarter of 2018 with the filing of the Company's 2017 tax return, 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 March 31, 2019. 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 of March 31, 2018, the Company had a $46,000 valuation reserve against its capital loss carry forward deferred tax asset related to approximately $219,000 of capital losses during 2013 and 2014 as a result of disposing of certain limited partnership interests. The Company released this 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 months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively, the Company did not have any uncertain tax provisions, and did not record any related tax liabilities.

(8) Income Taxes

Income taxes as a percentage of earnings before income taxes as reported in the consolidated financial statements were 18.9% for the three months ended March, 2019 compared to 16.4% for the three months March 31, 2018. The change in the effective tax rate in the first quarter of 2019 over the first quarter of 2018 is primarily due to an increase in taxable income, which included a $2.1 million pre-taxable gain from the sale of the Branson branch.

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 for the quarters ending March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively, primarily due to tax-exempt income and additional tax planning initiatives. The provisional adjustments recorded in the fourth quarter of 2017 related to the enactment of the Tax Act were finalized during the third quarter of 2018 with the filing of the Company's 2017 tax return, 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 March 31, 2019. 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 of March 31, 2018, the Company had a $46,000 valuation reserve against its capital loss carry forward deferred tax asset related to approximately $219,000 of capital losses during 2013 and 2014 as a result of disposing of certain limited partnership interests. The Company released this 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 months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively, the Company did not have any uncertain tax provisions, and did not record any related tax liabilities.