CASH 2017 Annual Report

48 Moreover, unlike the OTS control rules, the Federal Reserve does not have a separate application process for rebutting control under the BHCA and Regulation LL does not include such a process. Under the former OTS rules, investors that triggered a control factor under the rules could submit an application to the OTS requesting a determination that they have successfully rebutted control under the HOLA. This separate application process is not available under Regulation LL. Given that Federal Reserve practice is to consider potential control relationships for all investors in connection with applications submitted under the BHCA, the Federal Reserve will review potential control relationships for all investors in connection with applications submitted to the Federal Reserve under Section 10(e) or 10(o) of theHOLA. The Federal Reservemay obtain a series of passivity commitments from investors seeking to purchase in excess of 5% of the issued and outstanding common stock of savings and loan holding companies and bank holding companies. Management On August 9, 2017, the Federal Reserve published proposed guidance related to supervisory expectations for board of directors, including boards of directors of savings and loan holding companies. The proposal seeks to clarify supervisory expectations of boards and distinguish the roles held by senior management to allow boards to focus on fulfilling their core responsibilities. The comment period closes on February 15, 2018. Federal and State Taxation Federal and State Taxation . Meta Financial and its subsidiaries file a consolidated federal and various consolidated state income tax returns. Additionally, Meta Financial or its subsidiaries file separate company income tax returns in states where required. All returns are filed on a fiscal year basis using the accrual method of accounting. We monitor relevant tax authorities and change our estimate of accrued income tax due to changes in income or franchise tax laws and their interpretation by the courts and regulatory authorities. In addition to the regular income tax, corporations, including savings banks such as the Bank, generally are subject to a minimum tax. An alternative minimum tax is imposed at a minimum tax rate of 20% on alternative minimum taxable income, which is the sum of a corporation’s regular taxable income (with certain adjustments) and tax preference items, less any available exemption. The alternative minimum tax is imposed to the extent it exceeds the corporation’s regular income tax and net operating losses can offset no more than 90% of alternative minimum taxable income. To the extent earnings appropriated to a savings bank’s bad debt reserves and deducted for federal income tax purposes exceed the allowable amount of such reserves computed under the experience method and to the extent of the bank’s supplemental reserves for losses on loans (“Excess”), such Excess may not, without adverse tax consequences, be utilized for the payment of cash dividends or other distributions to a stockholder (including distributions on redemption, dissolution or liquidation) or for any other purpose (except to absorb bad debt losses). As of September 30, 2017, the Bank’s Excess for tax purposes totaled approximately $6.7 million. Competition The Company’s Retail Banking operation faces strong competition, both in originating real estate and other loans and in attracting deposits. Competition in originating real estate loans comes primarily from commercial banks, savings banks, credit unions, captive finance companies, insurance companies and mortgage bankers making loans secured by real estate located in the Company’s market area. Commercial banks and credit unions provide vigorous competition in consumer lending. The Company competes for real estate and other loans principally on the basis of the quality of services it provides to borrowers, interest rates and loan fees it charges, and the types of loans it originates. The Company’s Retail Banking operation attracts deposits through its Retail Banking offices, primarily from the communities in which those Retail Banking offices are located; therefore, competition for those deposits is principally from other commercial banks, savings banks, credit unions and brokerage offices located in the same communities. The Company competes for these deposits by offering a variety of deposit accounts at competitive rates, convenient business hours and convenient branch locations with interbranch deposit and withdrawal privileges at each. The Company’s MPS division serves customers nationally and also faces strong competition from large commercial banks and specialty providers of electronic payments processing and servicing, including prepaid, debit and credit card issuers, Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) processors and ATM network sponsors. Many of these national players are aggressive competitors, leveraging relationships and economies of scale. It is also expected that the Bank will continue to experience strong competition for its AFS/IBEX division with respect to financing insurance premiums and for its Refund Advantage, EPS, and SCS businesses with respect to tax return processing services.