Noninterest expense for the first quarter of 2022 increased $4.6 million, or 33.2%, to $18.3 million compared to $13.8 million for the fourth quarter in 2021 and increased $4.2 million, or 30.1%, compared to $14.1 million for the same quarter in 2021. Noninterest expense for the first quarter of 2022 included $3.1 million of nonrecurring acquisition-related expenses related to our PEB acquisition, which were comprised of $555,000 in salary and employee benefits, $1.1 million in data processing expenses, $725,000 in professional and legal fees, $375,000 in occupancy expense, and $347,000 in other expenses.
Excluding acquisition-related expenses for each of the periods, noninterest expense for the first quarter of 2022 increased $1.5 million, or 10.8%, compared to the prior quarter primarily due to a $1.2 million increase in salary and employee benefits as a result of normal year end salary increases and an increase in the number of full time equivalent employees, a $277,000 increase in occupancy costs for the Southern California branch acquired from PEB and annual increases in lease expense for our other locations, a $193,000 increase in other noninterest expense, partially offset by a $130,000 decrease in data processing expense. Noninterest expense for the first quarter of 2022 increased $1.2 million, or 8.2%, compared to the same quarter a year ago primarily due to an $870,000 increase in salary and employee benefits, a $236,000 increase in occupancy costs and a $340,000 increase in other noninterest expense, partially offset by a $284,000 decrease in data processing expense.
The provision for income taxes decreased $144,000 to $1.9 million for the first quarter of 2022, compared to the fourth quarter of 2021, and increased $232,000 compared to the first quarter of 2021. The decrease in income tax provision in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the prior quarter was primarily due to the non-taxable bargain purchase gain in the current quarter. The increase in income tax provision in the current quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago was due primarily to an increase in taxable income, partially offset by the non-taxable bargain purchase gain. The effective tax rate for the first quarter of 2022 was 23.0% compared to 26.8% for the fourth quarter of 2021 and 27.3% for the same quarter a year ago. The effective tax rate was lower for the first quarter of 2022 compared to the prior quarter and same quarter a year ago primarily due to the non-taxable bargain purchase gain in the current quarter.
Loans and Credit Quality
Loans, net of deferred fees, increased $339.0 million to $2.0 billion at March 31, 2022, compared to $1.7 billion at December 31, 2021, and increased $419.7 million compared to $1.6 billion at March 31, 2021. The increase in loans at March 31, 2022 compared to December 31, 2021 primarily was due to $411.6 million of loans acquired from PEB and $81.6 million of new loan originations, partially offset by $143.3 million of loan repayments, including $51.6 million in PPP loan repayments, and $10.9 million in loan sales. At March 31, 2022, there was a total of 375 PPP loans outstanding totaling $114.6 million, compared to 323 loans totaling $69.6 million at December 31, 2021. The increase from the prior quarter reflects PPP loans acquired from PEB.
Nonperforming loans, consisting of non-accrual loans and accruing loans that are 90 days or more past due, totaled $12.6 million or 0.63% of total loans at March 31, 2022, compared to $6.9 million or 0.41% of total loans at December 31, 2021, and $9.8 million or 0.62% of total loans at March 31, 2021. The increase in non-performing loans was primarily due to one $4.9 million commercial and industrial loan which was restructured and placed on non-accrual during the current quarter. The portion of nonaccrual loans guaranteed by government agencies totaled $822,000, $841,000, and $850,000 at March 31, 2022, December 31, 2021, and March 31, 2021, respectively. There was one loan totaling $117,000 that was 90 days or more past due and still accruing at March 31, 2022, compared to no loans at both December 31, 2021 and March 31, 2021. Accruing loans past due between 30 and 89 days at March 31, 2022, were $3.4 million, compared to $3.8 million at December 31, 2021, and $643,000 at March 31, 2021.
At March 31, 2022, the Company’s allowance for loan losses was $17.7 million, or 0.88% of total loans, compared to $17.7 million, or 1.06% of total loans, at December 31, 2021 and $17.5 million, or 1.10% of total loans, at March 31, 2021. The decline in the allowance for loan losses as a percentage of total loans outstanding was due to our acquisition of PEB and related acquisition accounting on those loans, as the acquired loans were recorded at their estimate fair value at acquisition and no allowance for loan losses is recorded for acquired loans. We recorded net charge-offs of $7,000 for the first quarter of 2022, compared to net charge-offs of $95,000 in the prior quarter and no charge-offs were recorded in the same quarter in 2021.