Income Tax	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2019
Income Tax [Abstract]
Income Tax	9. Income Tax Income tax expense was $2.2 million and $2.0 million during the three month periods ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Our actual federal income tax expense is different than the amount computed by applying our statutory income tax rate to our income before income tax primarily due to tax-exempt interest income and tax-exempt income from the increase in the cash surrender value on life insurance. In addition, the first quarters of 2019 and 2018 each include reductions of $0.2 million of income tax expense related to impact of the excess value of stock awards that vested and stock options that were exercised as compared to the initial fair values that were expensed. We assess whether a valuation allowance should be established against our deferred tax assets based on the consideration of all available evidence using a “more likely than not” standard. The ultimate realization of this asset is primarily based on generating future income. We concluded at both March 31, 2019 and 2018, that the realization of substantially all of our deferred tax assets continues to be more likely than not. At both March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, we had approximately $0.6 million, of gross unrecognized tax benefits. We do not expect the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits to significantly increase or decrease during the balance of 2019.

9. Income Tax

Income tax expense was $2.2 million and $2.0 million during the three month periods ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Our actual federal income tax expense is different than the amount computed by applying our statutory income tax rate to our income before income tax primarily due to tax-exempt interest income and tax-exempt income from the increase in the cash surrender value on life insurance. In addition, the first quarters of 2019 and 2018 each include reductions of $0.2 million of income tax expense related to impact of the excess value of stock awards that vested and stock options that were exercised as compared to the initial fair values that were expensed.

We assess whether a valuation allowance should be established against our deferred tax assets based on the consideration of all available evidence using a “more likely than not” standard. The ultimate realization of this asset is primarily based on generating future income. We concluded at both March 31, 2019 and 2018, that the realization of substantially all of our deferred tax assets continues to be more likely than not.

At both March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, we had approximately $0.6 million, of gross unrecognized tax benefits. We do not expect the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits to significantly increase or decrease during the balance of 2019.