Company: CMTV
Filing Date: 2025-03-28
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0001654954-25-003447
Chunk: 98

Company: COMMUNITY BANCORP /VT
Filing Date: 2025-03-28
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1A
Chunk 98
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 a physical presence in a market area. We are therefore likely to face increasing competition from out-of-market competitors, including national firms.  Moreover, in many cases transactions may now be completed without the involvement of banks. For example, consumers can pay bills and transfer funds over the Internet and by telephone without banks. Many non-bank financial service providers have lower overhead costs and are subject to fewer regulatory constraints. If consumers do not use banks to complete their financial transactions, we could potentially lose fee income, deposits and income generated from those deposits.

New products and services are essential to remain competitive but may subject us to additional risks.

We consistently attempt to offer new products and services to our customers to remain competitive. There can be risks and uncertainties associated with these new products and services, especially if they are dependent on new technologies. We may spend significant time and resources in development of new products and services to market to customers. Through our development and implementation process we may incur risks associated with delivery timetables, pricing and profitability, compliance with regulations, technology failures and shifting customer preferences. Failure to successfully manage these risks could have a material effect on our financial condition, result of operations and business.

Changes in our tax rates could affect our future results.

Our future effective tax rates and tax liabilities could be unfavorably affected by increases in applicable tax rates, such as from the expiration of the 2017 Tax Act rate reductions in 2025 if not reauthorized by Congress, and by other changes in federal or state tax laws, regulations and agency interpretations. Our effective tax rates could also be affected by changes in the valuation of our deferred tax assets and liabilities or by the outcomes of any examinations of our income tax returns by the IRS or our state income, franchise, sales and use or other tax returns by the Vermont Department of Taxes.  Our results of operations and financial condition could also be adversely affected in the short-term by decreases in applicable tax rates that require us to revalue our deferred tax asset, as occurred in 2017 as a result of passage of the 2017 Tax Act.

Our business could suffer if we fail to attract and retain skilled personnel.

Our success depends, in large part, on our ability to attract and retain key personnel, including executives. Any of our current employees, including our senior management, may terminate their employment with us at any time. Competition for qualified personnel in our industry can be intense and our geographic market area might not be favorably perceived by potential executive management candidates. We may not be successful in attracting and retaining sufficient qualified