Summary of Significant Accounting Policies |
3 Months Ended |
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Mar. 31, 2017 | |
| Summary of significant accounting policies | |
| Summary of Significant Accounting Policies |
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("U.S. GAAP") for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. They do not include all information and notes required by generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. However, except as disclosed herein, there has been no material change in the information disclosed in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of The Coca-Cola Company for the year ended December 31, 2016.
When used in these notes, the terms "The Coca-Cola Company," "Company," "we," "us" or "our" mean The Coca-Cola Company and all entities included in our condensed consolidated financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (including normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2017 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2017. Sales of our nonalcoholic ready-to-drink beverages are somewhat seasonal, with the second and third calendar quarters accounting for the highest sales volumes. The volume of sales in the beverage business may be affected by weather conditions.
Each of our interim reporting periods, other than the fourth interim reporting period, ends on the Friday closest to the last day of the corresponding quarterly calendar period. The first quarter of 2017 and the first quarter of 2016 ended on March 31, 2017 and April 1, 2016, respectively. Our fourth interim reporting period and our fiscal year end on December 31 regardless of the day of the week on which December 31 falls.
Advertising Costs
The Company's accounting policy related to advertising costs for annual reporting purposes, as disclosed in Note 1 of our 2016 Annual Report on Form 10-K, is to expense production costs of print, radio, television and other advertisements as of the first date the advertisements take place. All other marketing expenditures are expensed in the annual period in which the expenditure is incurred.
For interim reporting purposes, we allocate our estimated full year marketing expenditures that benefit multiple interim periods to each of our interim reporting periods. We use the proportion of each interim period's actual unit case volume to the estimated full year unit case volume as the basis for the allocation. This methodology results in our marketing expenditures being recognized at a standard rate per unit case. At the end of each interim reporting period, we review our estimated full year unit case volume and our estimated full year marketing expenditures that benefit multiple interim periods in order to evaluate if a change in estimate is necessary. The impact of any changes in these full year estimates is recognized in the interim period in which the change in estimate occurs. Our full year marketing expenditures are not impacted by this interim accounting policy.
Hyperinflationary Economies
A hyperinflationary economy is one that has cumulative inflation of 100 percent or more over a three-year period. In accordance with U.S. GAAP, local subsidiaries in hyperinflationary economies are required to use the U.S. dollar as their functional currency and remeasure the monetary assets and liabilities not denominated in U.S. dollars using the rate applicable to conversion of a currency for purposes of dividend remittances. All exchange gains and losses resulting from remeasurement are recognized currently in income.
Venezuela has been designated as a hyperinflationary economy. During the three months ended April 1, 2016, the Venezuelan government devalued its currency and changed its official and most preferential exchange rate, which should be used for purchases of certain essential goods, to 10 bolivars per U.S. dollar from 6.3. The official and most preferential rate is now known as DIPRO. The Venezuelan government also announced a new rate known as DICOM, which is allowed to float freely and is expected to fluctuate based on supply and demand. Management determined that the DICOM rate was the most appropriate legally available rate to remeasure the net monetary assets of our Venezuelan subsidiary.
In addition to the foreign currency exchange exposure related to our Venezuelan subsidiary's net monetary assets, we also sell concentrate to our bottling partner in Venezuela from outside the country. These sales are denominated in U.S. dollars. We also have certain U.S. dollar-denominated intangible assets associated with products sold in Venezuela. As a result of weaker sales resulting from continued political instability, we recognized impairment charges of $20 million during the three months ended March 31, 2017, recorded in the line item other operating charges in our condensed consolidated statement of income. Further government regulation or changes in exchange rates could result in additional impairments of these intangible assets.
As of March 31, 2017, the combined carrying value of the net monetary assets of our Venezuelan subsidiary, the receivables from our bottling partner in Venezuela and the intangible assets associated with products sold in Venezuela was $61 million. The Company's ability to pay dividends from Venezuela is restricted due to the low volume of U.S. dollars available for conversion. As a result of the floating DICOM rate, the Company expects to continue to record losses on foreign currency exchange, may incur additional write-downs of receivables or impairment charges and will continue to record our proportionate share of any charges recorded by our equity method investee that has operations in Venezuela.
Recently Issued Accounting Guidance
In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance in U.S. GAAP and is intended to improve and converge with international standards the financial reporting requirements for revenue from contracts with customers. The core principle of ASU 2014-09 is that an entity should recognize revenue for the transfer of goods or services equal to the amount that it expects to be entitled to receive for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 also requires additional disclosures about the nature, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments. ASU 2014-09 allows for adoption either on a full retrospective basis to each prior reporting period presented or on a modified retrospective basis with the cumulative effect of initially applying the new guidance recognized at the date of initial application, which will be effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2018.
The Company plans to adopt ASU 2014-09 and its amendments on a modified retrospective basis and is continuing to assess all future impacts of the guidance by reviewing our current contracts with customers to identify potential differences that could result from applying the new guidance. Based on our preliminary review, we expect that ASU 2014-09's broad definition of variable consideration will require the Company to estimate and record certain variable payments resulting from collaborative funding arrangements, rebates and other pricing allowances earlier than it currently does. While we do not expect this change to have a material impact on net revenues on an annual basis, we do expect that it will have an impact on our revenue in interim periods. As we complete our overall assessment, the Company is also identifying and preparing to implement changes to our accounting policies and practices, business processes, systems and controls to support the new revenue recognition and disclosure requirements. Our assessment will be completed during fiscal year 2017.
In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-17, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes. The amendments in this update are intended to simplify the presentation of deferred income taxes and require that deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent in a consolidated statement of financial position. These amendments may be applied either prospectively to all deferred tax liabilities and assets or retrospectively to all periods presented. The standard was prospectively adopted by the Company on January 1, 2017. Had the Company retrospectively adopted the standard, as of December 31, 2016, the line items prepaid expenses and other assets and accounts payable and accrued expenses in our consolidated balance sheet would have been reduced by $80 million and $692 million, respectively, as a result of reclassifying the current deferred tax assets and liabilities. The offsetting impact for the reclassifications as of December 31, 2016 would have increased the noncurrent line items other assets and deferred income taxes in our consolidated balance sheet by $54 million and $666 million, respectively.
In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments — Overall: Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities, which addresses certain aspects of the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of financial instruments. The amendment will be effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2018 and will require us to recognize any changes in the fair value of certain equity investments in net income. These changes are currently recognized in other comprehensive income ("OCI").
In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases, which requires lessees to recognize on the balance sheet a right-of-use asset, representing their right to use the underlying asset for the lease term, and a lease liability for all leases with terms greater than 12 months. The guidance also requires qualitative and quantitative disclosures designed to assess the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. The standard requires the use of a modified retrospective transition approach, which includes a number of optional practical expedients that entities may elect to apply. ASU 2016-02 is effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2019 and we are currently evaluating the impact that ASU 2016-02 will have on our consolidated financial statements.
In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, Compensation — Stock Compensation: Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting. The standard is intended to simplify several areas of accounting for share-based compensation arrangements, including the income tax impact, classification on the statement of cash flows and forfeitures. The Company adopted ASU 2016-09 on January 1, 2017 by prospectively recognizing excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies in our consolidated statement of income as the awards vested or were settled. Effective January 1, 2017, the Company also prospectively presented excess tax benefits as an operating activity, rather than a financing activity, in our consolidated statement of cash flows. Had these changes been required to be adopted retrospectively, during the three months ended April 1, 2016, the Company would have recognized an additional $96 million of excess tax benefit in our consolidated statement of income. Additionally, during the three months ended April 1, 2016, the Company would have reduced our financing activities and increased our operating activities by $96 million, respectively, in our consolidated statement of cash flows. The Company has elected, consistent with past practice, to estimate the number of awards that are expected to vest to determine the amount of stock-based compensation expense amounts recognized in earnings.
In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments — Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, which requires measurement and recognition of expected credit losses for financial assets held. ASU 2016-13 is effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2020 and we are currently evaluating the impact that ASU 2016-13 will have on our consolidated financial statements.
In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-16, Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory, which requires the Company to recognize the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset other than inventory when the transfer occurs. ASU 2016-16 is effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2018 and will be applied using a modified retrospective basis. We are currently evaluating the impact that ASU 2016-16 will have on our consolidated financial statements and, based on our preliminary review of recent transactions, we expect to record a deferred income tax asset in our cumulative-effect adjustment resulting from certain intra-entity transfers. Our assessment of the impact that ASU 2016-16 has on all applicable transactions and the calculation of the cumulative-effect adjustment will be finalized in 2017.
In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, Restricted Cash. The amendments in this update address diversity in practice that exists in the classification and presentation of changes in restricted cash and require that a statement of cash flows explain the change during the period in the total of cash, cash equivalents, and amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents. ASU 2016-18 is effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2018 and is required to be applied using a retrospective transition method to each period presented. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that ASU 2016-18 will have on our consolidated cash flows.
In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-01, Clarifying the Definition of a Business, which clarifies the definition of a business with the objective of adding guidance to assist entities with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals) of assets or businesses. ASU 2017-01 is required to be applied prospectively and will be effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2018. The impact on our consolidated financial statements will depend on the facts and circumstances of any specific future transactions.
In February 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-05, Clarifying the Scope of Asset Derecognition Guidance and Accounting for Partial Sales of Nonfinancial Assets, which defines the term "in-substance nonfinancial asset" and clarifies the scope and accounting of a financial asset that meets the definition. ASU 2017-05 also provides guidance for partial sales of nonfinancial assets. ASU 2017-05 may be adopted under a retrospective or modified retrospective approach and is effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2018. We are currently evaluating the impact that ASU 2017-05 will have on our consolidated financial statements.
In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-07, Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost, which requires that the service cost component of the Company's net periodic pension cost and net periodic postretirement benefit cost be included in the same line item as other compensation costs arising from services rendered by employees, with the other components of net periodic benefit cost being classified outside of a subtotal of income from operations. Of the components of net periodic benefit cost, only the service cost component will be eligible for asset capitalization. ASU 2017-07 is effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2018 and is required to be applied retrospectively for the presentation of the service cost component and the other components of net periodic pension cost and net periodic postretirement benefit cost in the income statement. ASU 2017-07 allows a practical expedient for the estimation basis for applying the retrospective presentation requirements and requires the prospective adoption, on and after the effective date, for the capitalization of the service cost component of net periodic pension cost and net periodic postretirement benefit cost in assets. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that ASU 2017-07 will have on our consolidated financial statements.
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