Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Estimates	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2022
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Estimates
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Estimates	2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Estimates Basis of Presentation These interim statements should be read in conjunction with the historical Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes of Comfort Systems included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for the year ended December 31, 2021 (the “Form 10-K”). The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements were prepared using generally accepted accounting principles for interim financial information and the instructions to Form 10-Q and applicable rules of Regulation S-X of the SEC. Accordingly, these financial statements do not include all the footnotes required by generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements and should be read in conjunction with the Form 10-K. We believe all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of these interim statements have been included and are of a normal and recurring nature. The results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results for the full fiscal year. Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires the use of estimates and assumptions by management in determining the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, revenue and expenses and disclosures regarding contingent assets and liabilities. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The most significant estimates used in our financial statements affect revenue and cost recognition for construction contracts, self-insurance accruals, deferred tax assets, fair value accounting for acquisitions and the quantification of fair value for reporting units in connection with our goodwill impairment testing. Recent Accounting Pronouncements Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted In October 2021, the FASB issued ASU 2021-08, “Business Combinations (Topic 805): Accounting for Contract Assets and Contract Liabilities from Contracts with Customers.” This standard requires an acquirer to apply Accounting Standards Codification Topic 606 to recognize and measure contract assets and contract liabilities in a business combination. ASU 2021-08 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022 and interim periods within that year. Early adoption is permitted. We do not expect our adoption of this standard on January 1, 2023 to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. Revenue Recognition We recognize revenue over time for all of our services as we perform them because (i) control continuously transfers to that customer as work progresses, and (ii) we have the right to bill the customer as costs are incurred. The customer typically controls the work in process, as evidenced either by contractual termination clauses or by our rights to payment for work performed to date, plus a reasonable profit, for delivery of products or services that do not have an alternative use to the Company. For the reasons listed above, revenue is recognized based on the extent of progress towards completion of the performance obligation. The selection of the method to measure progress towards completion requires judgment and is based on the nature of the products or services to be provided. We generally use a cost-to-cost input method to measure our progress towards satisfaction of the performance obligation for our contracts, as it best depicts the transfer of assets to the customer that occurs as we incur costs on our contracts. Under the cost-to-cost input method, the extent of progress towards completion is measured based on the ratio of costs incurred to date to the total estimated costs at completion of the performance obligation. Revenue, including estimated fees or profits, is recorded proportionally as costs are incurred. Costs to fulfill include labor, materials, subcontractors’ costs, other direct costs and an allocation of indirect costs. For a small portion of our business in which our services are delivered in the form of service maintenance agreements for existing systems to be repaired and maintained, as opposed to constructed, our performance obligation is to maintain the customer’s mechanical system for a specific period of time. Similar to construction jobs, we recognize revenue over time; however, for service maintenance agreements in which the full cost to provide services may not be known, we generally use an input method to recognize revenue, which is based on the amount of time we have provided our services out of the total time we have been contracted to perform those services. Our revenue recognition policy is further discussed in Note 3 “Revenue from Contracts with Customers.” Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Credit Losses We are required to estimate and record the expected credit losses over the contractual life of our financial assets measured at amortized cost, including billed and unbilled accounts receivable, other receivables and contract assets. Accounts receivable include amounts from work completed in which we have billed or have an unconditional right to bill our customers. Our trade receivables are contractually due in less than a year. We estimate our credit losses using a loss-rate method for each of our identified portfolio segments. Our portfolio segments are construction, service and other. While our construction and service financial assets are often with the same subset of customers and industries, our construction financial assets will generally have a lower loss-rate than service financial assets due to lien rights, which we are more likely to have on construction jobs. These lien rights result in lower credit loss expenses on average compared to receivables that do not have lien rights. Financial assets classified as Other include receivables that are not related to our core revenue producing activities, such as receivables related to our acquisition activity from former owners, our vendor rebate program or receivables for estimated losses in excess of our insurance deductible, which are accrued with a corresponding accrued insurance liability. Loss rates for our portfolios are based on numerous factors, including our history of credit loss expense by portfolio, the financial strength of our customers and counterparties in each portfolio, the aging of our receivables, our expectation of likelihood of payment, macroeconomic trends in the U.S. and the current and forecasted non-residential construction market trends in the U.S. In addition to the loss-rate calculations discussed above, we also record allowance for credit losses for specific receivables that are deemed to have a higher risk profile than the rest of the respective pool of receivables (e.g., when we hold concerns about a specific customer going bankrupt and no longer being able to pay the receivables due to us). Income Taxes We conduct business throughout the United States in virtually all fifty states. Our effective tax rate changes based upon our relative profitability, or lack thereof, in states with varying tax rates and rules. In addition, discrete items such as tax law changes, judgments and legal structures, can impact our effective tax rate. These items can also include the tax treatment for impairment of goodwill and other intangible assets, changes in fair value of acquisition-related assets and liabilities, uncertain tax positions, and accounting for losses associated with underperforming operations. In early October 2020, we filed amended federal returns for 2016, 2017 and 2018, primarily to claim the credit for increasing research activities (the “R&D tax credit”) requesting refunds of $9.8 million, $9.5 million and $11.9 million, respectively. The $31.2 million of refunds requested was offset by unrecognized tax benefits of $28.8 million due to the uncertainty of the outcome of an Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) examination. The R&D tax credit had no material impact on our effective tax rates for the 2020 and 2021 calendar years. Following an IRS survey of previously filed refund claims for the 2016, 2017 and 2018 tax years, the Joint Committee on Taxation approved such refunds in late January 2022. As a result, our benefit for income taxes in the first quarter of 2022 included a $28.8 million reduction in unrecognized tax benefits plus approximately $1.6 million of net interest income on the refunds. Our benefit for income taxes in the first quarter of 2022 was further increased by $26.8 million for the expected refunds due to our intention to claim the R&D tax credit for the 2019, 2020 and 2021 tax years. In the third quarter of 2022, we claimed the R&D tax credit on our originally filed 2021 federal return and recognized an additional $1.7 million benefit for the 2019, 2020 and 2021 tax years. Furthermore, we have included an estimate for the R&D tax credit in the computation of our annual effective tax rate for the current year and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. The Inflation Reduction Act was enacted on August 16, 2022. This law, among other provisions, provides a corporate alternative minimum tax on adjusted financial statement income over $1 billion, which is effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2022, and a 1% excise tax on net corporate stock repurchases after December 31, 2022. We currently believe these provisions will be immaterial to our overall financial results, financial position and cash flows. Financial Instruments Our financial instruments consist of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, other receivables, accounts payable and life insurance policies, for which we deem the carrying values approximate their fair value due to the short-term nature of these instruments, as well as notes to former owners and a revolving credit facility. We believe the carrying value of our debt associated with our revolving credit facility approximates its fair value due to the variable rate on such debt. Investments We have a $1.6 million investment with a fair value that is not readily determinable and is recorded at cost. This investment is included in “Other Noncurrent Assets” in our Consolidated Balance Sheet and is reviewed quarterly for impairment. We did not recognize any impairments in the current year related to this investment.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Estimates

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2022

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Estimates

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Estimates

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Estimates

Basis of Presentation

These interim statements should be read in conjunction with the historical Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes of Comfort Systems included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for the year ended December 31, 2021 (the “Form 10-K”).

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements were prepared using generally accepted accounting principles for interim financial information and the instructions to Form 10-Q and applicable rules of Regulation S-X of the SEC. Accordingly, these financial statements do not include all the footnotes required by generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements and should be read in conjunction with the Form 10-K. We believe all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of these interim statements have been included and are of a normal and recurring nature. The results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results for the full fiscal year.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires the use of estimates and assumptions by management in determining the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, revenue and expenses and disclosures regarding contingent assets and liabilities. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The most significant estimates used in our financial statements affect revenue and cost recognition for construction contracts, self-insurance accruals, deferred tax assets, fair value accounting for acquisitions and the quantification of fair value for reporting units in connection with our goodwill impairment testing.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted

In October 2021, the FASB issued ASU 2021-08, “Business Combinations (Topic 805): Accounting for Contract Assets and Contract Liabilities from Contracts with Customers.” This standard requires an acquirer to apply Accounting Standards Codification Topic 606 to recognize and measure contract assets and contract liabilities in a business combination. ASU 2021-08 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022 and interim periods within that year. Early adoption is permitted. We do not expect our adoption of this standard on January 1, 2023 to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Revenue Recognition

We recognize revenue over time for all of our services as we perform them because (i) control continuously transfers to that customer as work progresses, and (ii) we have the right to bill the customer as costs are incurred. The customer typically controls the work in process, as evidenced either by contractual termination clauses or by our rights to payment for work performed to date, plus a reasonable profit, for delivery of products or services that do not have an alternative use to the Company.

For the reasons listed above, revenue is recognized based on the extent of progress towards completion of the performance obligation. The selection of the method to measure progress towards completion requires judgment and is based on the nature of the products or services to be provided. We generally use a cost-to-cost input method to measure our progress towards satisfaction of the performance obligation for our contracts, as it best depicts the transfer of assets to the customer that occurs as we incur costs on our contracts. Under the cost-to-cost input method, the extent of progress towards completion is measured based on the ratio of costs incurred to date to the total estimated costs at completion of the performance obligation. Revenue, including estimated fees or profits, is recorded proportionally as costs are incurred. Costs to fulfill include labor, materials, subcontractors’ costs, other direct costs and an allocation of indirect costs.

For a small portion of our business in which our services are delivered in the form of service maintenance agreements for existing systems to be repaired and maintained, as opposed to constructed, our performance obligation is to maintain the customer’s mechanical system for a specific period of time. Similar to construction jobs, we recognize revenue over time; however, for service maintenance agreements in which the full cost to provide services may not be known, we generally use an input method to recognize revenue, which is based on the amount of time we have provided our services out of the total time we have been contracted to perform those services. Our revenue recognition policy is further discussed in Note 3 “Revenue from Contracts with Customers.”

Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Credit Losses

We are required to estimate and record the expected credit losses over the contractual life of our financial assets measured at amortized cost, including billed and unbilled accounts receivable, other receivables and contract assets. Accounts receivable include amounts from work completed in which we have billed or have an unconditional right to bill our customers. Our trade receivables are contractually due in less than a year.

We estimate our credit losses using a loss-rate method for each of our identified portfolio segments. Our portfolio segments are construction, service and other. While our construction and service financial assets are often with the same subset of customers and industries, our construction financial assets will generally have a lower loss-rate than service financial assets due to lien rights, which we are more likely to have on construction jobs. These lien rights result in lower credit loss expenses on average compared to receivables that do not have lien rights. Financial assets classified as Other include receivables that are not related to our core revenue producing activities, such as receivables related to our acquisition activity from former owners, our vendor rebate program or receivables for estimated losses in excess of our insurance deductible, which are accrued with a corresponding accrued insurance liability.

Loss rates for our portfolios are based on numerous factors, including our history of credit loss expense by portfolio, the financial strength of our customers and counterparties in each portfolio, the aging of our receivables, our expectation of likelihood of payment, macroeconomic trends in the U.S. and the current and forecasted non-residential construction market trends in the U.S.

In addition to the loss-rate calculations discussed above, we also record allowance for credit losses for specific receivables that are deemed to have a higher risk profile than the rest of the respective pool of receivables (e.g., when we hold concerns about a specific customer going bankrupt and no longer being able to pay the receivables due to us).

Income Taxes

We conduct business throughout the United States in virtually all fifty states. Our effective tax rate changes based upon our relative profitability, or lack thereof, in states with varying tax rates and rules. In addition, discrete items such as tax law changes, judgments and legal structures, can impact our effective tax rate. These items can also include

the tax treatment for impairment of goodwill and other intangible assets, changes in fair value of acquisition-related assets and liabilities, uncertain tax positions, and accounting for losses associated with underperforming operations.

In early October 2020, we filed amended federal returns for 2016, 2017 and 2018, primarily to claim the credit for increasing research activities (the “R&D tax credit”) requesting refunds of $9.8 million, $9.5 million and $11.9 million, respectively. The $31.2 million of refunds requested was offset by unrecognized tax benefits of $28.8 million due to the uncertainty of the outcome of an Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) examination. The R&D tax credit had no material impact on our effective tax rates for the 2020 and 2021 calendar years.

Following an IRS survey of previously filed refund claims for the 2016, 2017 and 2018 tax years, the Joint Committee on Taxation approved such refunds in late January 2022. As a result, our benefit for income taxes in the first quarter of 2022 included a $28.8 million reduction in unrecognized tax benefits plus approximately $1.6 million of net interest income on the refunds.

Our benefit for income taxes in the first quarter of 2022 was further increased by $26.8 million for the expected refunds due to our intention to claim the R&D tax credit for the 2019, 2020 and 2021 tax years. In the third quarter of 2022, we claimed the R&D tax credit on our originally filed 2021 federal return and recognized an additional $1.7 million benefit for the 2019, 2020 and 2021 tax years. Furthermore, we have included an estimate for the R&D tax credit in the computation of our annual effective tax rate for the current year and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

The Inflation Reduction Act was enacted on August 16, 2022. This law, among other provisions, provides a corporate alternative minimum tax on adjusted financial statement income over $1 billion, which is effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2022, and a 1% excise tax on net corporate stock repurchases after December 31, 2022. We currently believe these provisions will be immaterial to our overall financial results, financial position and cash flows.

Financial Instruments

Our financial instruments consist of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, other receivables, accounts payable and life insurance policies, for which we deem the carrying values approximate their fair value due to the short-term nature of these instruments, as well as notes to former owners and a revolving credit facility. We believe the carrying value of our debt associated with our revolving credit facility approximates its fair value due to the variable rate on such debt.

Investments

We have a $1.6 million investment with a fair value that is not readily determinable and is recorded at cost. This investment is included in “Other Noncurrent Assets” in our Consolidated Balance Sheet and is reviewed quarterly for impairment. We did not recognize any impairments in the current year related to this investment.