Basis of Presentation and Accounting Policies (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2017

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Receivables

Receivables

Receivables are stated net of an allowance for doubtful accounts of $24.5 million at June 30, 2017, and September 30, 2016. In addition, receivables are stated net of an allowance for certain customer returns, rebates and incentives of $9.6 million at June 30, 2017, and $7.9 million at September 30, 2016.

Recent accounting pronouncements

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued a new standard on share-based compensation. This requirement is effective for us no later than October 1, 2017; however, we elected to adopt earlier as of October 1, 2016. This standard requires entities to record the excess income tax benefit or deficiency from share-based compensation within the income tax provision rather than within additional paid-in capital. This change reduced our income tax provision by $4.5 million and $24.7 million in the three and nine months ended June 30, 2017, respectively. The standard also requires this benefit or deficiency to be classified as an operating cash flow rather than as a financing cash flow. The requirement to record the benefit or deficiency within the income tax provision is effective on a prospective basis. We have elected to adopt the cash flow presentation requirement on a prospective basis. Our adoption of all other requirements under the new standard had no material impact on our financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued a new standard on accounting for leases that requires lessees to recognize right-of-use assets and lease liabilities for most leases, among other changes to existing lease accounting guidance. The new standard also requires additional qualitative and quantitative disclosures about leasing activities. This standard is effective for us for reporting periods beginning October 1, 2019.  We are currently evaluating the impact the adoption of this standard will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In May 2014, the FASB issued a new standard on revenue recognition related to contracts with customers. This standard supersedes nearly all existing revenue recognition guidance and involves a five-step principles-based approach to recognizing revenue. The underlying principle is to recognize revenue when promised goods or services are transferred to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that is expected to be received for those goods or services. The new standard will also require additional qualitative and quantitative disclosures about contracts with customers, significant judgments made in applying the revenue guidance, and assets recognized from the costs to obtain or fulfill a contract. We will adopt this new standard in the first quarter of fiscal 2019 and have established a project plan and a cross-functional implementation team to adopt the new standard. We are in the process of identifying and implementing necessary changes to accounting policies, processes, controls and systems to enable compliance with this new standard. We continue to evaluate the impact the adoption of this standard will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

Product warranty obligations

We record a liability for product warranty obligations at the time of sale to a customer based upon historical warranty experience. Most of our products are covered under a warranty period that runs for twelve months from either the date of sale or installation. We also record a liability for specific warranty matters when they become probable and reasonably estimable.

Investments

We invest in certificates of deposit, time deposits, commercial paper and other fixed income securities. All investments meeting the U.S. GAAP definition of a security were classified as available-for-sale as of June 30, 2017, and September 30, 2016. Unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale investments are included in our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income, net of any deferred taxes. Realized gains and losses are included in net income.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Fair Value of Investments

U.S. GAAP defines fair value as the price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (exit price) in an orderly transaction between market participants in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability. U.S. GAAP also classifies the inputs used to measure fair value into the following hierarchy:

Level 1: Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

Level 2: Quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, or inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability.

Level 3: Unobservable inputs for the asset or liability.

We recognize all available-for-sale investments at fair value in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet. The valuation methodologies used for our investments measured at fair value are described as follows.

Certificates of deposit and time deposits — These investments are stated at cost, which approximates fair value.

Commercial paper — These investments are stated at amortized cost, which approximates fair value.

Government securities — Valued at the most recent closing price on the active market on which the individual securities are traded or, absent an active market, utilizing observable inputs such as closing prices in less frequently traded markets.

Corporate debt securities — Valued at either the yields currently available on comparable securities of issuers with similar credit ratings or valued under a discounted cash flow approach that maximizes observable inputs, such as current yields of similar instruments, but includes adjustments for certain risks that may not be observable such as credit and liquidity risks.

The methods described above may produce a fair value calculation that may not be indicative of net realizable value or reflective of future fair values. Furthermore, while we believe our valuation methods are appropriate and consistent with other market participants, the use of different methodologies or assumptions to determine the fair value of certain financial instruments could result in a different fair value measurement at the reporting date. We did not hold any Level 3 investments or have any transfers between levels of fair value measurements during the periods presented.

Income taxes

At the end of each interim period, we estimate a base effective tax rate that we expect for the full fiscal year based on our most recent forecast of pre-tax income, permanent book and tax differences and global tax planning strategies. We use this base rate to provide for income taxes on a year-to-date basis, excluding the effect of significant unusual items and items that are reported net of their related tax effects in the period in which they occur.