Significant Accounting Policies

9 Months Ended

Oct. 01, 2011

Significant Accounting Policies

Significant Accounting Policies

1.  Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation

The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements included herein are unaudited; however, they contain all normal recurring accruals and adjustments which, in the opinion of management, are necessary to present fairly the condensed consolidated financial position of Silicon Laboratories Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”) at October 1, 2011 and January 1, 2011, the condensed consolidated results of its operations for the three and nine months ended October 1, 2011 and October 2, 2010, and the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the nine months ended October 1, 2011 and October 2, 2010.  All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.  The condensed consolidated results of operations for the three and nine months ended October 1, 2011 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year.

The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements do not include certain footnotes and financial presentations normally required under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Therefore, these Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the audited Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto for the year ended January 1, 2011, included in the Company’s Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on February 10, 2011.

The Company prepares financial statements on a 52-53 week year that ends on the Saturday closest to December 31.  Fiscal 2011 will have 52 weeks and fiscal 2010 had 52 weeks.  In a 52-week year, each fiscal quarter consists of 13 weeks.

Reclassifications

Certain reclassifications have been made to prior year financial statements to conform to current year presentation.

Revenue Recognition

Revenues are generated almost exclusively by sales of the Company’s integrated circuits (ICs). The Company recognizes revenue when all of the following criteria are met: 1) there is persuasive evidence that an arrangement exists, 2) delivery of goods has occurred, 3) the sales price is fixed or determinable, and 4) collectibility is reasonably assured. Generally, revenue from product sales to direct customers and contract manufacturers is recognized upon shipment.

A portion of the Company’s sales are made to distributors under agreements allowing certain rights of return and price protection related to the final selling price to the end customers. Accordingly, the Company defers revenue and cost of revenue on such sales until the distributors sell the product to the end customers. The net balance of deferred revenue less deferred cost of revenue associated with inventory shipped to a distributor but not yet sold to an end customer is recorded in the “deferred income on shipments to distributors” liability on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. Such net deferred income balance reflects the Company’s estimate of the impact of rights of return and price protection.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In September 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued FASB Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2011-08, Intangibles — Goodwill and Other (Topic 350) — Testing Goodwill for Impairment. ASU 2011-08 permits an entity to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test. If an entity determines it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, then it is required to perform the two-step impairment test. If an entity concludes otherwise, then the two-step impairment test is not required. ASU 2011-08 is effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011, with early adoption permitted. The adoption of this ASU is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.

In June 2011, the FASB issued FASB ASU No. 2011-05, Comprehensive Income (Topic 220) — Presentation of Comprehensive Income. This ASU requires that all non-owner changes in stockholders’ equity be presented either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. In the two-statement approach, the first statement should present total net income and its components followed consecutively by a second statement that should present total other comprehensive income, the components of other comprehensive income, and the total of comprehensive income. ASU 2011-05 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011 and is to be applied retrospectively. The adoption of this ASU is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.

In May 2011, the FASB issued FASB ASU No. 2011-04, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820) — Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRSs. This ASU provides a consistent definition of fair value between U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards. Additionally, the ASU changes certain fair value measurement principles and expands the disclosures for fair value measurements. ASU 2011-04 is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011 and is to be applied prospectively. The adoption of this ASU is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.