Note 9: Income Taxes

Income tax expense for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, is summarized as follows:

The difference between the income tax expense shown on the statements of income and the amounts computed by applying the statutory federal income tax rate to income before income taxes is primarily due to tax-exempt income, the change in valuation allowance, and the adjustment of deferred taxes for enacted changes in tax laws. The provision for income taxes differs from that computed are as follows:

The tax effects of existing temporary differences that give rise to significant portions of the deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities at December 31, 2023 and 2022, are as follows:

The Bank does not expect the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits to change significantly in the next twelve months. Gross Federal net operating losses (NOL) as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 are $5.0 million, and $1.7 million, respectively. A portion of the Federal NOL, related to charitable contributions, totaling $1.3 million, as of December 31, 2023, will expire in 2027. The remainder of the Federal NOL does not expire. During 2023, management assessed the available positive and negative evidence to estimate whether sufficient future taxable income will be generated to permit use of the existing deferred tax assets. A significant piece of objective negative evidence evaluated is the cumulative taxable loss incurred over the four-year period ended December 31, 2023. Such objective evidence limits the ability to consider other subjective evidence, such as our projections for future growth.

On the basis of this evaluation, as of December 31, 2023, a full valuation allowance of $2.1 million on Federal NOLs and other temporary differences, other than those arising from the unrealized loss on securities available-for-sale, has been recorded to recognize only the portion of the deferred tax asset that is more likely than not to be realized. 

NOL carryforwards for state income tax purposes were approximately $5.6 million and $3.9 million at December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and will begin expiring in 2024. Due to the uncertainty that the Bank will be able to generate future state taxable income sufficient to utilize the net operating loss carryforwards, a full valuation allowance of $532,000 has been recorded on the related deferred tax asset.

There were no uncertain tax positions outstanding as of December 31, 2023 and 2022. As of December 31, 2023, tax years remaining open for State of Illinois and Wisconsin were 2019 through 2022. Federal tax years that remained open were 2020 through 2022. As of December 31, 2023, there were also no unrecognized tax benefits that are expected to significantly increase or decrease within the next twelve months.