environment. The increases were offset in part by customer derivative income decreasing to $484 thousand from $962 thousand in the third quarter 2025 due to lower customer swap volume.
Non-interest expenses decreased $1.4 million to $31.4 million in the third quarter 2026 compared to $32.7 million in the third quarter 2025. The decrease was due to acquisition expenses in the prior year. Salaries and employee benefit costs increased 3% to $16.4 million in the third quarter 2026 compared to $15.9 million in the third quarter 2025 driven by cost-of-living adjustments and increased full-time equivalents year-over-year. Occupancy and equipment increased $319 thousand driven primarily by higher operating costs due to the Woodsville acquisition. Amortization of intangible assets increased $116 thousand, reflecting incremental amortization associated with the Woodsville acquisition. Other expenses increased $1.2 million for the third quarter 2026 compared to the third quarter 2025 primarily due the aforementioned $1.0 million write-down on other real estate owned.
Income tax expense was $4.3 million for the third quarter 2026 compared to $2.2 million for the third quarter of 2025. Our GAAP effective tax rate for the third quarter 2026 was 21.0% compared to 19.8% in the third quarter 2025.
BACKGROUND
Bar Harbor Bankshares (NYSE American: BHB) is the parent company of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust. Founded in 1887, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust is a true community bank serving the financial needs of its clients for over 135 years. Bar Harbor Bank & Trust provides full-service community banking with office locations in all three Northern New England states of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. For more information, visit www.barharbor.bank.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included in this release that address activities, events, or developments that the Company expects, believes, or anticipates will or may occur in the future are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this release the words “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “may,” “will,” “assume,” “should,” “predict,” “could,” “would,” “intend,” “targets,” “estimates,” “projects,” “plans,” and “potential,” and other similar words and expressions of the future, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements, but other statements not based on historical information may also be considered forward-looking, including statements relating to Company’s balance sheet management, our credit trends, our overall credit performance, and the Company’s strategic plans, objectives, and intentions. All forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the statements, including, but not limited to: (1) changes in interest rates and the cost of deposits; (2) changes in general business and economic conditions on a national basis and in our markets throughout Northern New England; (3) changes in consumer behavior due to political, business, and economic conditions, including ongoing armed conflicts, inflation, future United States government shutdowns, and concerns about liquidity; (4) the possibility that our asset quality could decline or that we experience greater loan losses than anticipated; (5) the impact of liquidity needs on our results of operations and financial condition; (6) changes in the size and nature of our competition; (7) unanticipated weakness in loan demand, pricing, or collectability; (8) the possibility that future credit losses are higher than currently expected due to changes in economic assumptions or adverse economic developments; (9) operational risks including, but not limited to, changes in information technology, cybersecurity incidents, fraud, natural disasters, climate change, war, terrorism, civil unrest, and future pandemics; (10) lack of strategic growth opportunities or our failure to execute on available opportunities, (11) our ability to effectively manage problem credits; (12) our ability to successfully develop new products and implement efficiency initiatives on time and with the results projected; (13) our ability to retain executive officers and key employees and their customer and community relationships; (14) regulatory, litigation, and reputational risks and the applicability of insurance coverage; (15) changes in the reliability of our vendors, internal control systems, or information systems; (16) changes in legislation or regulation and accounting principles, policies, and guidelines; (17) reductions in the market value or outflows of wealth management assets under management; (18) the impacts of tariffs, sanctions, and other trade policies of the United States and its global trading counterparts; and (19) changes in the assumptions used in making such forward-looking statements. Additional factors which could affect the forward-looking statements can be found in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and current reports on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and available on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. The Company believes the forward-looking statements contained herein are reasonable; however, many of such risks, uncertainties, and other factors are beyond the Company’s ability to control or predict and undue reliance should not be placed on any forward-looking statements, which are based on current expectations and speak only as of the date that they are made. Therefore, the Company can give no assurance that its future results will be as estimated. The Company does not intend to, and disclaims any obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statement.