Investments in Qualified Affordable Housing Projects, Federal Historical Projects and New Market Tax Credits

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Schedule of Investments [Abstract]

Investments in Qualified Affordable Housing Projects, Federal Historical Projects and New Market Tax Credits

Investments in Qualified Affordable Housing Projects, Federal Historic Projects and New Market Tax Credits

The Corporation invests in qualified affordable housing projects, federal historic projects, and new market tax credits for the purposes of community reinvestment and to obtain tax credits. Return on the Corporation's investment in these projects comes in the form of pass-through tax credits and tax losses. The carrying value of the investments is included in other assets. The Corporation primarily utilizes the proportional amortization method to account for investments in qualified affordable housing projects and the equity method to account for investments in other tax credit projects.

Under the proportional amortization method, the Corporation amortizes the initial cost of the investment in proportion to the tax credits and other tax benefits. The Corporation recognized amortization expense of investments in qualified affordable housing projects of $13.3 million, $9.9 million and $9.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Amortization expense was offset by tax credits and other tax benefits of $16.6 million, $11.6 million and $12.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The Corporation's remaining investment in qualified affordable housing projects accounted for under the proportional amortization method totaled $195.8 million at December 31, 2019 and $90.9 million at December 31, 2018.

Under the equity method, the Corporation's share of the earnings or losses is included in other noninterest expense. The Corporation's remaining investment in federal historic projects, all of which were acquired in the Merger, totaled $43.6 million at December 31, 2019. During the year ended December 31, 2019, $4.6 million of income tax benefit was recognized due to the federal historic tax credits, which was partially offset by amortization expense, inclusive of impairment, of $4.0 million.

The Corporation's unfunded equity contributions relating to investments in qualified affordable housing projects, federal historic projects and new market tax credits are included in other liabilities. The Corporation's remaining unfunded equity contributions totaled $131.3 million at December 31, 2019 and $56.2 million at December 31, 2018.

Management analyzes these investments for potential impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that it is more-likely-than-not that the carrying amount of the investment will not be realized. An impairment loss is measured as the amount by which the carrying amount of an investment exceeds its fair value.