Note 6. Income Taxes

Income tax expense differed from the amount computed by applying the federal income tax rate to total income before income taxes as a result of the following:


	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2018						2017
In thousands	$			%			$			%
Federal tax expense at statutory rate	$	2,382			21.0	%	$	3,507			35.0	%
Increase (reduction) in income taxes resulting from:
State tax, net of federal benefit		379			3.3	%		246			2.5	%
Excess tax benefits from share-based awards		(138	)		(1.2	)%		(1,452	)		(14.5	)%
Other		74			0.7	%		84			0.8	%

	$	2,697			23.8	%	$	2,385			23.8	%

In December 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”) was signed into law. The Tax Act made changes to U.S. tax law, including a reduction in the federal tax rate from 35.0% to 21.0%. The 14.0% rate decrease for the three months ended March 31, 2018 was offset by a decrease in excess tax benefits from share-based awards compared to the three months ended March 31, 2017. As a result, the Company’s total effective tax rate remained 23.8% for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017.

As of December 31, 2017, the Company was required to revalue deferred tax assets and liabilities at the enacted rate as a result of the Tax Act. Due to the timing of the enactment and the complexity involved in applying the provisions of the Tax Act, the Company made reasonable estimates of the effects of the Tax Act and recorded provisional amounts in its consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2017. As the Company collects and prepares necessary data and interprets the Tax Act and any additional guidance issued by the U.S. Treasury Department, the Internal Revenue Service, the SEC, and other standard-setting bodies, it may make adjustments to the provisional amounts. The accounting for the tax effects of the Tax Act will be completed in 2018.

Pursuant to the adoption of an accounting standard update issued in March 2016 and effective beginning in fiscal year 2017, the Company recognizes the tax benefits or deficiencies from the exercise or vesting of share-based awards in the income tax line of the consolidated statements of income. These tax benefits and deficiencies were previously recognized within additional paid-in-capital on the Company’s balance sheet.