Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of Walmart Inc. and its subsidiaries ("Walmart" or the "Company") and the accompanying notes included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are unaudited. In the opinion of management, all adjustments necessary for the fair presentation of the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been included. Such adjustments are of a normal, recurring nature. The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements, and the accompanying notes, are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP") and do not contain certain information included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2018 ("fiscal 2018"). Therefore, the interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with that Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The Company's Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements are based on a fiscal year ending January 31 for the United States ("U.S.") and Canadian operations. The Company consolidates all other operations generally using a one-month lag and based on a calendar year. There were no intervening events during the month of July related to the operations consolidated using a lag that materially affected the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

The Company's business is seasonal to a certain extent due to calendar events and national and religious holidays, as well as weather patterns. Historically, the Company's highest sales volume and operating income have occurred in the fiscal quarter ending January 31.

Reclassifications

Certain reclassifications have been made to previous fiscal year amounts and balances to conform to the presentation in the current fiscal year. These reclassifications did not impact consolidated operating income or net income.

Inventories

At July 31, 2018 and January 31, 2018, the Company's inventories valued at LIFO approximated those inventories as if they were valued at FIFO.

Fair Value Measurement

In January 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2016-01, Financial Instruments–Overall (Topic 825), which updates certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of financial instruments ("ASU 2016-01"). The Company adopted this ASU on February 1, 2018, which primarily impacted the Company's accounting for its investment in JD.com ("JD") and resulted in a positive adjustment to retained earnings of approximately $2.6 billion, net of tax, based on the market value of the Company's investment in JD at January 31, 2018. The adoption requires changes in fair value of the Company's investment in JD to be recorded in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Income.

The Company records and discloses certain financial and non-financial assets and liabilities at fair value. The fair value of an asset is the price at which the asset could be sold in an orderly transaction between unrelated, knowledgeable and willing parties able to engage in the transaction. The fair value of a liability is the amount that would be paid to transfer the liability to a new obligor in a transaction between such parties, not the amount that would be paid to settle the liability with the creditor. Refer to Note 5 for additional fair value disclosures.

Revenue Recognition

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). This ASU is a comprehensive new revenue recognition model that requires a company to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to a customer at an amount that reflects the consideration it expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. The Company adopted the ASU on February 1, 2018, using the modified retrospective approach and applied the ASU only to contracts not completed as of February 1, 2018. Updated accounting policies and other disclosures are below. Note 11 provides the related disaggregated revenue disclosures. The impact of adopting the ASU was not material to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

Sales

The Company recognizes sales revenue, net of sales taxes and estimated sales returns, at the time it sells merchandise to the customer. eCommerce sales include shipping revenue and are recorded upon delivery to the customer. Additionally, estimated sales returns are calculated based on expected returns.

Membership Fee Revenue

The Company recognizes membership fee revenue both in the U.S. and internationally over the term of the membership, which is typically 12 months. Membership fee revenue is included in membership and other income in the Company's Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. The deferred membership fee is included in accrued liabilities in the Company's Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Gift Cards

Customer purchases of gift cards, to be utilized at the Company's stores or eCommerce websites, are not recognized as sales until the card is redeemed and the customer purchases merchandise using the gift card. Gift cards in the U.S. and some countries do not carry an expiration date; therefore, customers and members can redeem their gift cards for merchandise indefinitely. Gift cards in some countries where the Company does business have expiration dates. While gift cards are generally redeemed within 12 months, a certain number of gift cards, both with and without expiration dates, will not be fully redeemed. Management estimates unredeemed balances and recognizes revenue for these amounts in membership and other income in the Company's Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income over the expected redemption period. Management periodically reviews and updates its estimates.

Financial and Other Services

The Company recognizes revenue from service transactions at the time the service is performed. Generally, revenue from services is classified as a component of net sales in the Company's Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.

Contract Balances

Contract balances as a result of transactions with customers primarily consist of receivables included in receivables, net, and deferred gift card revenue included in accrued liabilities in the Company's Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. The following table provides the Company's receivables and deferred gift card revenue from transactions with customers:



(Amounts in millions)	As of July 31, 2018
Assets:
Receivables from transactions with customers, net	$	1,554

Liabilities:
Deferred gift card revenue	$	1,853

The deferred gift card revenue liability was $2.0 billion at January 31, 2018.

Income Taxes

In December 2017, the Securities and Exchange Commission staff issued Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118, Income Tax Accounting Implications of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ("SAB 118"), in response to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 ("Tax Act"). The Company recorded a provisional benefit, as allowed by SAB 118, of $207 million during fiscal 2018 and an additional provisional expense of $123 million and benefit of $19 million during the three and six months ended July 31, 2018, respectively. The adjustments to the provisional amounts are related to refinements of the transition tax for changes in assumptions.

The Tax Act created a new requirement that certain income (i.e., global intangible low-taxed income or "GILTI") earned by controlled foreign corporations ("CFCs") must be included currently in the gross income of the CFCs’ U.S. shareholder. Due to the complexity of the new GILTI tax rules, the Company is not yet able to reasonably estimate the long-term effects of this provision. Therefore, the Company has not yet recorded any potential deferred tax effects related to GILTI in the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and has not made a policy decision regarding whether to record deferred taxes on GILTI or use the period cost method. The Company has, however, included an estimate of the current GILTI impact in the annual effective tax rate for fiscal 2019.

The Company has previously asserted all its unremitted earnings offshore were permanently reinvested. In the second quarter of fiscal 2019, the Company changed its repatriation assertion for certain historical and fiscal 2019 earnings. The Company now plans to repatriate approximately $5 billion of cash at a cost of approximately $80 million. The tax cost of repatriating historical earnings was recorded as a discrete tax charge in the current quarter, while the tax cost of repatriating current year earnings was included in the annualized effective tax rate. The Company is continuing its analysis and awaits anticipated technical guidance surrounding any potential repatriation plans beyond fiscal 2019. Final determination and disclosure will be made as more information is received, including guidance from the IRS and Treasury.

In addition to the GILTI and repatriation evaluations, management is also still evaluating the Tax Act with respect to the deferred tax remeasurement, transition tax and certain policy elections. The ultimate impacts of the Tax Act may differ from provisional amounts due to gathering additional information to more precisely compute the amount of tax, changes in interpretations and assumptions, and additional regulatory guidance that may be issued. The Company expects to continue to revise the provisional amounts during the allowable measurement period of one year from the enactment as the Company refines its analysis of the new rules and as new guidance is issued.

In February 2018, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update ASU 2018-02, Income Statement–Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income ("ASU 2018-02"). The ASU provides that the stranded tax effects from the Tax Act in accumulated other comprehensive loss may be reclassified to retained earnings. The Company adopted this ASU on February 1, 2018, which resulted in an immaterial adjustment to retained earnings.

The Company's U.S. statutory tax rate is 21%. The Company's effective income tax rate was 283% and 52% for the three and six months ended July 31, 2018, respectively. The loss related to the sale of a majority stake in the Company's retail operations in Brazil ("Walmart Brazil") increased the effective tax rate 227% and 28% for the three and six months ended July 31, 2018, respectively, as it provided minimal realizable tax benefit. Additionally, for the three months ended July 31, 2018, the adjustment in the provisional amount recorded related to the Tax Act increased the effective tax rate by 31%.

Restricted Cash

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows–Restricted Cash (Topic 230), which requires restricted cash to be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning and ending amounts on the statement of cash flows. The Company adopted this ASU on February 1, 2018. Restricted cash held outside of cash and cash equivalents is primarily recorded in other-long term assets in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and was $22 million as of July 31, 2018 and was approximately $0.3 billion as of January 31, 2018 and July 31, 2017.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which requires lease assets and liabilities to be recorded on the balance sheet. Certain qualitative and quantitative disclosures are also required. The Company will adopt this ASU and related amendments on February 1, 2019 and expects to elect certain practical expedients permitted under the transition guidance. Additionally, the Company will elect the optional transition method that allows for a cumulative-effect adjustment in the period of adoption and will not restate prior periods. Management is implementing new lease systems in connection with the adoption of this ASU; however, these systems are still being developed to comply with the new ASU.

Although management continues to evaluate the effect to the Company's Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and disclosures, management currently estimates total assets and liabilities will increase approximately $14 billion to $18 billion upon adoption, before considering deferred taxes. This estimate could change as the Company continues to progress with implementation and will also fluctuate based on the lease portfolio and discount rates as of the adoption date. Management does not expect a material impact to the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income or Cash Flows.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments–Credit Losses (Topic 326), which modifies the measurement of expected credit losses of certain financial instruments. The Company will adopt this ASU on February 1, 2020. Management is currently evaluating this ASU to determine its impact to the Company's Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and disclosures.