Payroll taxes and employee benefits expense totaled $12.3 million, $9.8 million and $8.6 million in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The increase in 2018 as compared to 2017 is primarily due to a $0.5 million increase in payroll taxes, a $1.1 million increase in health care insurance and a $0.6 million increase in 401(k) plan employer contributions. A portion of the increases in 2018 were due to the Merger. However, we maintain a self-insured health care plan (with an individual claim stop loss limit) and we experienced a significant rise in claims in 2018. In 2018, we also increased the 401(k) employer match to 4% (from 3%) of an employee’s eligible compensation. The increase in 2017 as compared to 2016 is primarily due to a $0.6 million increase in payroll taxes, a $0.4 million increase in health care insurance and a $0.2 million increase in recruiting costs.
Occupancy expenses, net, totaled $8.9 million, $8.1 million and $8.0 million in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The increase in 2018 as compared to 2017 is primarily due to additional locations acquired in the Merger and additional loan production offices opened during 2017. The increase in 2017 as compared to 2016 is primarily due to increased lease costs for new loan production offices related to the aforementioned expansion of our mortgage banking operations.
Data processing expenses totaled $8.3 million, $7.7 million, and $8.0 million in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The increase in 2018 as compared to 2017 is primarily due to the Merger as well as higher mobile banking activity and software costs for new applications in several departments. The decrease in 2017 as compared to 2016 is primarily due to a $0.8 million decline related to the sale of our payment processing business in May 2017 that was partially offset by a $0.5 million increase related to higher mobile banking activity and software costs for new or expanded lending systems.
Furniture, fixtures and equipment expense totaled $4.1 million, $3.9 million, and $3.9 million in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The increase in 2018 as compared to 2017 is primarily due to the Merger.
Merger related expenses totaled $3.5 million and $0.3 million in 2018 and 2017, respectively. These expenses include our investment banking fees, certain accounting and legal costs, various contract termination fees, data processing conversion costs, payments made on officer change-in-control contracts, and employee severance costs.
Communications expense totaled $2.8 million, $2.7 million and $3.1 million in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The increase in 2018 as compared to 2017 is primarily due the Merger. The decrease in 2017 as compared to 2016 is primarily due to the sale of our payment plan processing business in May 2017, reduced checking account related direct mail and a change in our telecommunications provider as well as 2016 including a debit card mailing.
Interchange expense, which totaled $2.7 million, $1.2 million, and $1.1 million in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively, primarily represents fees paid to our core information systems processor and debit card licensor related to debit card and ATM transactions. The increase in 2018 is due primarily to the impact of the implementation of ASU 2014-09 on January 1, 2018. Prior to 2018, certain processing costs were being netted against interchange income. As described above, under ASU 2014-09 these costs are no longer being netted against interchange income but instead are being reported as part of interchange expense.
Loan and collection expenses reflect costs related to new lending activity as well as the management and collection of non-performing loans and other problem credits. These expenses totaled $2.7 million, $2.2 million and $2.5 million in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The reduced level of expense in 2017 primarily reflects a higher level of recoveries of previously incurred expenses related to the resolution and collection of non-performing or previously charged-off loans.
Advertising expense totaled $2.2 million, $1.9 million, and $1.9 million in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The increase in 2018 as compared to 2017 is primarily due to increased outdoor advertising (billboards) as well as the Merger.
Legal and professional fees totaled $1.8 million, $1.9 million, and $1.7 million in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The decrease in 2018 as compared to 2017 is primarily due to lower consulting costs for certain deposit account programs. The increase in 2017 as compared to 2016 is primarily due to higher co-sourced internal audit costs and higher consulting costs for certain deposit account programs.
FDIC deposit insurance expense totaled $1.1 million, $0.9 million, and $1.0 million in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The increase in 2018 as compared to 2017 is primarily due to the Merger and growth in total assets. The