The Company recorded income tax expense of $3.7 million in 2014 resulting in an effective tax rate of 19.6% versus an income tax expense of $3.7 million and an effective tax rate of 22.6% in the comparable period a year ago. Due to the New York State tax legislation signed into law on March 31, 2014, the Company made an adjustment to increase its DTA, which resulted in an income tax benefit of $818 thousand in 2014. The Company also recorded a $172 thousand income tax benefit to reflect the changes in the federal tax rates expected to be in effect during the periods in which the temporary differences are expected to reverse. Partially offsetting these tax benefits was a $454 thousand income tax expense related to a first quarter 2014 adjustment to the Company's DTA related to stock-based compensation. Excluding the net tax benefit of $536 thousand arising from these transactions, the Company's full year 2014 effective tax rate would have been 22.4%.
Asset Quality
Non-accrual loans totaled $13 million or 0.96% of total loans outstanding at December 31, 2014 versus $15 million or 1.42% of loans outstanding at December 31, 2013. The allowance for loan losses as a percentage of total non-accrual loans amounted to 148% at December 31, 2014 versus 114% at December 31, 2013. Total accruing loans delinquent 30 days or more amounted to $1 million or 0.10% of loans outstanding at December 31, 2014 versus $3 million or 0.33% of loans outstanding at December 31, 2013.
Total criticized and classified loans were $40 million at December 31, 2014 versus $43 million at December 31, 2013. Criticized loans are those loans that are not classified but require some degree of heightened monitoring. Classified loans were $30 million at December 31, 2014 versus $37 million at December 31, 2013. The allowance for loan losses as a percentage of total classified loans was 64% and 47%, respectively, at the same dates.
At December 31, 2014, the Company had $20 million in troubled debt restructurings ("TDRs"), primarily consisting of commercial and industrial loans, commercial real estate loans and residential mortgages totaling $4 million, $10 million and $4 million, respectively. The Company had TDRs amounting to $16 million at December 31, 2013.
At December 31, 2014, the Company's allowance for loan losses amounted to $19.2 million or 1.42% of period-end loans outstanding. The allowance as a percentage of loans outstanding was 1.62% at December 31, 2013. The Company recorded net loan recoveries of $150 thousand in the fourth quarter of 2014 versus net loan recoveries of $72 thousand and net loan charge-offs of $1.6 million in the third quarter of 2014 and the fourth quarter of 2013, respectively. As a percentage of average total loans outstanding, these net amounts represented, on an annualized basis, (0.05%) for the fourth quarter of 2014, (0.02%) for the third quarter of 2014 and 0.61% for the fourth quarter of 2013. The Company recorded net loan recoveries of $937 thousand in 2014 versus net charge-offs of $1.8 million in 2013. As a percentage of average total loans outstanding, these amounts represented (0.08%) and 0.20%, respectively, in 2014 and 2013.
The Company held no OREO at any of the reported periods.
Capital
Total stockholders' equity was $183 million at December 31, 2014 compared to $167 million at December 31, 2013. The increase in stockholders' equity versus December 31, 2013 was due to a combination of net income, net of dividends paid, recorded during 2014 coupled with a $446 thousand decrease in accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax. The decrease in accumulated other comprehensive loss at December 31, 2014 resulted primarily from the positive impact of a reduction in interest rates in 2014 on the value of the Company's available for sale investment portfolio, somewhat offset by the net increase in the Company's pension benefit obligations. The Company's return on average common stockholders' equity was 8.57% for the year ended December 31, 2014 versus 7.78% for the comparable 2013 period.
The Bank's Tier 1 leverage, Tier 1 risk-based and total risk-based capital ratios were 9.96%, 12.00% and 13.25%, respectively, at December 31, 2014. Each of these ratios exceeds the regulatory guidelines for a "well capitalized" institution, the highest regulatory capital category.