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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements of Piedmont are prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and include the accounts of Piedmont, Piedmont’s wholly-owned subsidiaries, any variable interest entity ("VIE") of which Piedmont or any of its wholly-owned subsidiaries is considered to have the power to direct the activities of the entity and the obligation to absorb losses/right to receive benefits, or any entity in which Piedmont or any of its wholly-owned subsidiaries owns a controlling interest. In determining whether Piedmont or Piedmont OP has a controlling interest, the following factors, among others, are considered: equity ownership, voting rights, protective rights of investors, and participatory rights of investors.

Piedmont owns a majority interest in four properties through three joint ventures. Two of these joint ventures, 1201 and 1225 Eye Street, NW Associates, own the 1201 and 1225 Eye Street buildings, respectively, in Washington, D.C. The other joint venture, Piedmont-CNL Towers Orlando, LLC, owns CNL Center I and II, in Orlando, Florida. All three joint venture investments are consolidated under the voting model. Accordingly, Piedmont’s consolidated financial statements include the accounts of 1201 Eye Street, NW Associates, LLC, 1225 Eye Street, NW Associates, LLC, and Piedmont-CNL Towers Orlando, LLC.

All inter-company balances and transactions have been eliminated upon consolidation.

Further, Piedmont has formed special purpose entities to acquire and hold real estate. Each special purpose entity is a separate legal entity and consequently the assets of the special purpose entities are not available to all creditors of Piedmont. The assets owned by these special purpose entities are being reported on a consolidated basis with Piedmont’s assets for financial reporting purposes only.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the accompanying consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the accompanying consolidated financial statements and notes. The most significant of these estimates includes the underlying cash flows and holding periods used in assessing impairment, judgements regarding the recoverability of goodwill, and the assessment of the collectibility of receivables. While Piedmont has made, what it believes to be, appropriate accounting estimates based on the facts and circumstances available as of the reporting date, actual results could materially differ from those estimates.
Real Estate Assets

Piedmont classifies its real estate assets as long-lived assets held for use or as long-lived assets held for sale. Held for use assets are stated at cost, as adjusted for any impairment loss, less accumulated depreciation. Held for sale assets are carried at lower of depreciated cost or estimated fair value, less estimated costs to sell. Piedmont generally reclassifies assets as held for sale once a sales contract has been executed and earnest money has become non-refundable.

Amounts capitalized to real estate assets consist of the cost of acquisition or construction, any tenant improvements or major improvements, betterments that extend the useful life of the related asset, and transaction costs associated with the acquisition of an individual asset that does not qualify as a business combination. All repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred. Additionally, Piedmont capitalizes interest while the development, or redevelopment, of a real estate asset is in progress.

Piedmont’s real estate assets are depreciated or amortized using the straight-line method over the following useful lives:
Buildings
40 years
Building improvements
5-25 years
Land improvements
20-25 years
Tenant allowancesLease term
Furniture, fixtures, and equipment
3-10 years
Intangible lease assetsLease term

Piedmont continually monitors events and changes in circumstances that could indicate that the carrying amounts of the real estate and related intangible assets of either operating properties or properties under construction in which Piedmont has an ownership interest, either directly or through investments in joint ventures, may not be recoverable. When indicators of potential impairment are present, management assesses whether the respective carrying values will be recovered from the undiscounted future operating cash flows expected from the use of the asset and its eventual disposition for assets held for use, or from the estimated fair values, less costs to sell, for assets held for sale. In the event that the expected undiscounted future cash flows for assets held for use or the estimated fair value, less costs to sell, for assets held for sale do not exceed the respective asset carrying value, management adjusts such assets to the respective estimated fair values and recognizes an impairment loss. Estimated fair values are calculated based on the following information, depending upon availability, in order of preference: (i) recently quoted market prices, (ii) market prices for comparable properties, or (iii) the present value of undiscounted cash flows, including estimated sales value (which is based on key assumptions such as estimated market rents, lease-up periods, estimated lease terms, and capitalization and discount rates) less estimated selling costs.

Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities of Acquired Properties

Upon the acquisition of real properties, Piedmont records the fair value of properties (plus any related acquisition costs) allocated based on relative fair value as tangible assets, consisting of land and building, and identified intangible assets and liabilities, consisting of the value of above-market and below-market leases and the value of in-place leases, based on their estimated fair values. Substantially all of Piedmont's property acquisitions qualify as asset acquisitions under Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 805, Business Combinations.

The estimated fair values of the tangible assets of an acquired property are determined by valuing the property as if it were vacant, and the “as-if-vacant” value is then allocated to land and building based on management’s determination of the estimated fair value of these assets. Management relies on a sales comparison approach using closed land sales and listings in determining the land value, and determines the as-if-vacant estimated fair value of a property using methods similar to those used by independent appraisers. Factors considered by management in performing these analyses include an estimate of carrying costs during the expected lease-up periods considering current market conditions and costs to execute similar leases. In estimating carrying costs, management includes real estate taxes, insurance, and other operating expenses and estimates of lost rental revenue during the expected lease-up periods based on current market demand. Management also estimates the cost to execute similar leases including leasing commissions, legal, and other related costs.

The estimated fair values of above-market and below-market in-place leases are recorded based on the present value (using an interest rate which reflects the risks associated with the leases acquired) of the difference between (i) the contractual amounts to be paid pursuant to the in-place leases and (ii) management’s estimate of market rates for the corresponding in-place leases, measured over a period equal to the remaining terms of the leases, taking into consideration the probability of renewals for any below-market leases. The capitalized above-market and below-market lease values are recorded as intangible lease assets or liabilities and amortized as an adjustment to rental revenues over the remaining terms of the respective leases.
The estimated fair values of in-place leases include an estimate of the direct costs associated with obtaining the acquired or "in place" tenant, estimates of opportunity costs associated with lost rentals that are avoided by acquiring an in-place lease. The amount capitalized as direct costs associated with obtaining a tenant include commissions, tenant improvements, and other direct costs and are estimated based on management’s consideration of current market costs to execute a similar lease. These direct lease origination costs are included in deferred lease costs in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets and are amortized to expense over the remaining terms of the respective leases. The value of opportunity costs is calculated using the contractual amounts to be paid pursuant to the in-place leases over a market absorption period for a similar lease. These lease intangibles are included in intangible lease assets in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets and are amortized to expense over the remaining terms of the respective leases.

Gross intangible assets and liabilities, inclusive of amounts classified as real estate assets held for sale, recorded at acquisition as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, are as follows (in thousands):

December 31, 2021December 31, 2020
Intangible Lease Assets:
Above-Market In-Place Lease Assets$1,882 $2,167 
In-Place Lease Valuation$176,275 $156,277 
Intangible Lease Origination Costs (included as component of Deferred Lease Costs)$266,575 $250,367 
Intangible Lease Liabilities (Below-Market In-Place Leases)$75,221 $62,784 

For the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019, respectively, Piedmont recognized amortization of intangible lease costs in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations, as follows (in thousands):

202120202019
Amortization of Intangible Lease Origination Costs and In-Place Lease Valuation included in Amortization$69,388 $77,000 $62,413 
Amortization of Above-Market and Below-Market In-Place Lease Intangibles as a net increase to Rental and Tenant Reimbursement Revenue$11,180 $12,191 $8,322 

Net intangible assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2021 will be amortized as follows (in thousands):

Intangible Lease Assets
Above-Market
In-place
Lease Assets
In-Place Lease Valuation
Intangible Lease
Origination Costs (1)
Below-Market
In-place Lease
Liabilities
For the year ending December 31:
2022$323 $28,725 $37,612 $11,806 
2023126 20,569 27,044 8,291 
202493 14,819 19,828 6,139 
202527 10,388 14,753 4,645 
202615 7,158 11,531 3,159 
Thereafter12 12,125 23,050 5,301 
$596 $93,784 $133,818 $39,341 
Weighted-Average Amortization Period (in years)3555

(1)Included as a component of Deferred Lease Costs in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Piedmont considers all highly-liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents include cash and short-term investments. The majority of Piedmont’s cash and cash equivalents are held at major commercial banks and at times may exceed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation limit of $250,000. Short-term investments consist of investments in money market accounts stated at cost, which approximates estimated fair
value, and available-for-sale securities associated with Piedmont's non-qualified deferred compensation program carried at estimated fair value.

Tenant Receivables and Straight-line Rent Receivables

Tenant receivables are comprised of rental and reimbursement billings due from tenants, and straight-line rent receivables representing the cumulative amount of future adjustments necessary to present rental income on a straight-line basis. Piedmont evaluates the collectibility of its operating lease receivables on a tenant/lease-specific basis and recognizes changes in the collectibility assessment of its operating lease receivables as a reduction of rental and tenant reimbursement revenues.

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

As detailed above, Piedmont records contra-revenue adjustments for tenant/lease-specific changes in the collectibility assessments of its operating lease receivables as a reduction of rental and tenant reimbursement revenues. These charges reduce tenant and straight-line rent receivable to net realizable value upon recognition. In addition, during the year ended December 31, 2020, Piedmont also established an allowance for doubtful accounts for amounts that may become uncollectible in the future. Details of Piedmont's allowance for doubtful accounts for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019 are as follows:

Balance at Beginning of PeriodAdditions Charged as Reduction of RevenueDeductions and Write-offsBalance at End of Period
Year Ended December 31,
2021$4,553 $35 $(588)$4,000 
2020$— $8,734 $(4,181)$4,553 

Restricted Cash and Escrows

Restricted cash and escrows principally relate to the following types of items:

escrow accounts held by lenders to pay future real estate taxes, insurance, debt service, and tenant improvements;
net sales proceeds from property sales held by qualified intermediary for potential Section 1031 exchange;
earnest money paid in connection with future acquisitions; and
security and utility deposits paid by tenants per the terms of their respective leases.

Restricted cash and escrows are generally reclassified to other asset or liability accounts upon being used to purchase assets, satisfy obligations, or settle tenant obligations.

Prepaid Expenses and Other Assets

Prepaid expenses and other assets are primarily comprised of the following items:

prepaid property taxes, insurance and operating costs;
receivables which are unrelated to tenants, for example, insurance proceeds receivable from insurers related to casualty losses; and
equipment, furniture and fixtures, and tenant improvements for Piedmont’s corporate office and property management office space, net of accumulated depreciation.

Prepaid expenses and other assets will be expensed as utilized or depreciated in the case of Piedmont's corporate assets. Balances without a future economic benefit are expensed as they are identified.
Goodwill

Goodwill is the excess of cost of an acquired entity over the amounts specifically assigned to assets acquired and liabilities assumed in purchase accounting for business combinations, and is allocated to each of Piedmont's seven reporting units. Piedmont tests the carrying value of the goodwill assigned to each of its seven reporting units for impairment on an annual basis, or on an interim basis if an event occurs or circumstances change that would indicate that a material indicator of impairment exists. Such interim circumstances may include, but are not limited to, significant adverse changes in legal factors or in the general business climate, adverse action or assessment by a regulator, unanticipated competition, the loss of key personnel, or persistent declines in an entity’s stock price below carrying value of the entity. Piedmont first assesses qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances leads to a determination that a material indicator of impairment exists. If Piedmont concludes, after assessing the totality of events and circumstances during the qualitative analysis, that a material indicator does exist and that it is more likely than not that the goodwill balance in one or more reporting units is impaired, then Piedmont will recognize a goodwill impairment loss equal to the excess of the reporting unit’s carrying amount over its estimated fair value (not to exceed the total goodwill allocated to that reporting unit). There were no changes in the carrying amount of Piedmont's goodwill during the year ended December 31, 2021.

Interest Rate Derivatives

Piedmont periodically enters into interest rate derivative agreements to hedge its exposure to changing interest rates. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, all of Piedmont's interest rate derivatives were designated as effective cash flow hedges and carried on the balance sheet at estimated fair value. Piedmont reassesses the effectiveness of its derivatives designated as cash flow hedges on a regular basis to determine if they continue to be highly effective and if the forecasted transactions remain highly probable. Piedmont does not use derivatives for trading or speculative purposes.

The changes in estimated fair value of interest rate swap agreements designated as effective cash flow hedges are recorded in other comprehensive income (“OCI”), and subsequently reclassified to earnings when the hedged transactions occur. The estimated fair value of the interest rate derivative agreement is recorded as interest rate derivative asset or as interest rate derivative liability in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Amounts received or paid under interest rate derivative agreements are recorded as reductions or additions to interest expense in the consolidated statements of operations as incurred. Additionally, when Piedmont settles forward starting swap agreements, any gain or loss is recorded as accumulated other comprehensive income and is amortized to interest expense over the term of the respective notes on a straight line basis (which approximates the effective interest method). Further, Piedmont classifies cash flows from the settlement of hedging derivative instruments in the same category as the underlying exposure which is being hedged. Settlements resulting from the hedge of Piedmont's exposure to interest rate changes are classified as operating cash flows in the accompanying consolidated statements of cash flows.

Deferred Lease Costs

Deferred lease costs are comprised of costs and incentives incurred to acquire operating leases. In addition to direct costs, deferred lease costs also include intangible lease origination costs related to in-place leases acquired as part of a property acquisition.

Deferred lease costs are amortized on a straight-line basis over the terms of the related underlying leases in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations as follows:

Approximately $56.4 million, $60.2 million, and $50.3 million of deferred lease costs are included in amortization expense for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019, respectively; and
Approximately $3.9 million, $3.4 million, and $3.2 million, of deferred lease costs related to lease incentives granted to tenants are included as an offset to rental and tenant reimbursement revenue for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019, respectively.

Upon receipt of an early lease termination notice, Piedmont recognizes any unamortized deferred lease costs ratably over the revised remaining term of the lease after giving effect to the termination notice. If there is no remaining lease term and no other obligation to provide the tenant space in the property, then any unamortized tenant-specific costs are recognized immediately.
Debt

When mortgage debt is assumed upon the acquisition of real property, Piedmont adjusts the loan to relative fair value with a corresponding adjustment to building and other intangible assets assumed as part of the purchase. The fair value adjustment is amortized to interest expense over the term of the loan using the effective interest method. Amortization of such fair value adjustments was approximately $0.3 million, $0.5 million, and $0.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019, respectively.

Piedmont records premiums and discounts on debt issuances as an increase/decrease to the principal amount of the loan in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets, and amortizes such premiums or discounts as a component of interest expense over the life of the underlying loan facility using the effective interest method. Piedmont recorded discount amortization of approximately $0.5 million, $0.3 million and $0.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019, respectively.

Piedmont presents all debt issuance costs as an offset to the principal amount of debt in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Piedmont amortizes these costs to interest expense on a straight-line basis (which approximates the effective interest rate method) over the terms of the related financing arrangements. Piedmont recognized amortization of such costs for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019 of approximately $2.7 million, $3.0 million, and $2.4 million, respectively.

Deferred income

Deferred income is primarily comprised of the following items:

prepaid rent from tenants;
tenant reimbursements related to operating expense or property tax expenses which may be due to tenants as part of an annual operating expense reconciliation; and
tenant improvement allowance overages or improvements funded by the tenant where Piedmont owns the underlying improvements.

Deferred income related to prepaid rents from tenants will be recognized as rental income in the period it is earned. Amounts related to operating expense reconciliations or property tax expense are relieved when the tenant's reconciliation is completed in accordance with the underlying lease, and payment is issued to the tenant. Tenant improvement allowance overages or improvements paid for by the tenant, where Piedmont owns all of the underlying improvements, are recorded as deferred income and amortized on a straight-line basis into rental and tenant reimbursement revenue over the term of the respective leases.

Shares-in-trust

To date, Piedmont has not issued any shares-in-trust; however, under Piedmont’s charter, it has authority to issue a total of 150,000,000 shares-in-trust, which would be issued only in the event that there is a purported transfer of, or other change in or affecting the ownership of, Piedmont’s capital stock that would result in a violation of the ownership limits that are included in Piedmont’s charter to protect its REIT status.

Preferred Stock

To date, Piedmont has not issued any shares of preferred stock; however, Piedmont is authorized to issue up to 100,000,000 shares of one or more classes or series of preferred stock. Piedmont’s board of directors may determine the relative rights, preferences, and privileges of any class or series of preferred stock that may be issued, and can be more beneficial than the rights, preferences, and privileges attributable to Piedmont’s common stock.
Common Stock

Under Piedmont’s charter, it has authority to issue a total of 750,000,000 shares of common stock with a par value of $0.01 per share. Each share of common stock is entitled to one vote and participates in distributions equally. In February 2020, the board of directors re-authorized the stock repurchase program for up to $200 million in share repurchases under which Piedmont may repurchase its own shares from time to time, in accordance with applicable securities laws, in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions. The timing of repurchases is dependent upon market conditions and other factors, and repurchases may be commenced or suspended from time to time in Piedmont's discretion, without prior notice. As of December 31, 2021, Piedmont had approximately $150.5 million of remaining capacity under the program which may be used for share repurchases through February 2022. On February 17, 2022, Piedmont's board of directors extended the existing stock repurchase authorization through February 2024.

Equity Securities Issued At-The-Market

Under Piedmont's at-the-market stock offering program ("ATM program"), Piedmont may offer and sell shares of its common stock from time to time in “at-the-market” offerings with an aggregate gross sales price of up to $250 million. In connection with the ATM Program, Piedmont may, at its discretion, enter into forward equity sale agreements. The use of a forward equity sale agreement would allow Piedmont to lock in a share price on the sale of shares of its common stock at the time the agreement is executed, but defer receiving the proceeds from the sale of shares until a later date, allowing Piedmont to better align such funding with its capital needs. Sales of shares of Piedmont’s common stock through its banking relationships, if any, will be made in amounts and at times to be determined by Piedmont from time to time, but Piedmont has no obligation to sell any of the shares in the offering and may suspend sales in connection with the offering at any time. Sales of Piedmont's common stock under forward equity sale agreements, if undertaken, meet the derivatives and hedging guidance scope exception to be accounted for as equity instruments based on the following assessments: (i) none of the agreements’ exercise contingencies were based on observable markets or indices besides those related to the market for Piedmont's own stock price and operations; and (ii) none of the settlement provisions precluded the agreements from being indexed to Piedmont's own stock.

Underwriting commissions and offering costs incurred in connection with all common equity offerings, including any potential issuances under Piedmont's ATM Program, are reflected as a reduction of additional paid-in capital.

Dividends

As a REIT, Piedmont is required by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), to make distributions to stockholders each taxable year equal to at least 90% of its annual taxable income, computed without regard to the dividends-paid deduction and by excluding net capital gains attributable to stockholders (“REIT taxable income”). Piedmont previously sponsored a dividend reinvestment plan ("DRP") pursuant to which common stockholders could elect (if their brokerage agreements allowed) to reinvest an amount equal to the dividends declared on their common shares into additional shares of Piedmont’s common stock in lieu of receiving cash dividends. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the board of directors terminated the company-funded DRP offered through its transfer agent.

Noncontrolling Interest

Noncontrolling interest is the equity interest of consolidated entities that is not owned by Piedmont. Noncontrolling interest is adjusted for the noncontrolling partners' share of contributions, distributions, and earnings (losses) in accordance with the respective partnership agreement. Earnings allocated to such noncontrolling partners are recorded as income applicable to noncontrolling interest in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.

Revenue Recognition

Piedmont's revenues consist of the following:

Rental and tenant reimbursement income - consists of revenue from leases with Piedmont's tenants, as well as reimbursements for services prescribed by such leases. Piedmont evaluates contracts at commencement to determine if the contract contains a lease. If a contract is determined to contain a lease, the lease is evaluated to determine whether it is an operating, sales-type, or a direct financing lease. All of Piedmont's leases where Piedmont is the lessor are for the lessee's use of space in Piedmont's commercial office properties and are classified as operating leases.

In most lease arrangements, Piedmont finances improvements to leased space and is deemed the owner of the tenant improvements. The determination of who owns the improvements, whether payments to tenants constitute lease incentives or
tenant improvements, and the timing of revenue recognition requires the exercise of significant judgment based on the facts and circumstances of the specific lease arrangement and is not based on any one factor. When evaluating whether Piedmont or its tenant owns the improvements, management considers a number of factors, including, among other things:

whether the tenant is obligated by the terms of the lease agreement to construct or install the leasehold improvements as a condition of the lease;
whether the landlord can require the lessee to make specified improvements or otherwise enforce its economic rights to those assets;
whether the tenant is required to provide the landlord with documentation supporting the cost of tenant improvements prior to reimbursement by the landlord;
whether the landlord is obligated to fund cost overruns for the construction of leasehold improvements;
whether the leasehold improvements are unique to the tenant or could reasonably be used by other parties; and
whether the estimated economic life of the leasehold improvements is long enough to allow for a significant residual value that could benefit the landlord at the end of the lease term.

These tenant improvements are recorded as capital assets by Piedmont and depreciated, typically over the lease term. Payments made by tenants for tenant improvements owned by Piedmont are treated as deferred revenues and amortized into rental and tenant reimbursement revenue over the lease term.

The timing of rental revenue recognition is largely dependent on our conclusion as to whether Piedmont, or its tenant, is the owner of tenant improvements at the leased property. When Piedmont owns the tenant improvements, rental revenue recognition begins when the tenant takes possession of or controls the finished space, which is typically when the improvements being recorded as Piedmont's asset are substantially complete. In some instances, Piedmont may cede control of the leased space to the tenant to be responsible for tenant-owned improvements for the space. In such arrangements, payments made by Piedmont to its tenant are treated as lease incentives and amortized as a reduction to rental and tenant reimbursement revenue over the lease term, which typically begins once the tenant takes possession of the unimproved space.

Lease payments are typically comprised of both fixed base rental payments and separately billed variable lease payments for reimbursement of services performed by Piedmont for the tenant as prescribed by the lease. Fixed base rental payments, as well as any fixed portion of reimbursement income, are recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Tenant reimbursements are recognized as revenue in the period that the related operating cost is incurred. Rents and tenant reimbursements collected in advance are recorded as deferred income in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

Property management fee revenue - consists of revenue earned by Piedmont related to operating and managing office properties owned by other third-parties. Such income is within the scope of ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers ("ASC 606"). Because property management services represent a performance obligation that are satisfied over the length of the contract, not at any specific point in time, and have the same measure of transfer (time elapsed), property management fee revenue is recognized over time. Any variable consideration transferred as part of these management agreements is recognized in the quarter that the underlying cash receipts are collected, consistent with the allocation objective of allocating the transaction price in an amount that depicts the amount of consideration to which Piedmont expects to be entitled in exchange for transferring the promised service to the customer.

Other property related income - consists of all other property related income from Piedmont's customers (tenants) that is not derived from a contract meeting the definition of a lease and is therefore also within the scope of ASC 606. Examples of such income include parking revenue and income from licenses with unrelated third-parties to place antennae and/or fiber optic cables in or on Piedmont's buildings. These services also represent a performance obligation that is satisfied over the length of the contract, not at any specific point in time, and has the same measure of transfer (time elapsed); therefore, revenue related to these licenses is also recognized over time.

Gains on the sale of real estate assets, like all non-lease related revenue, are subject to a five-step model requiring that Piedmont identify the contract with the customer, identify the performance obligations in the contract, determine the transaction price, allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract, and recognize revenue upon satisfaction of the performance obligations. In circumstances where Piedmont contracts to sell a property with material post-sale involvement, such involvement must be accounted for as a separate performance obligation in the contract and a portion of the sales price allocated to each performance obligation. When the post-sale involvement performance obligation is satisfied, the portion of the sales price allocated to it will be recognized as gain on sale of real estate assets. Property dispositions with no continuing involvement will continue to be recognized upon closing of the sale. In circumstances where Piedmont extends seller financing as part of a sale of real estate assets, Piedmont assesses the collectibility of the notes receivable as of each reporting period end.
Notes receivable that are deemed to be uncollectible or fully in default are reduced to their net realizable value, which approximates their fair value.

Stock-based Compensation

Piedmont has issued stock-based compensation in the form of restricted stock to its employees and board of directors. For employees, such compensation has been issued pursuant to Piedmont's Long-term Incentive Compensation ("LTIC") program. The LTIC program is comprised of an annual restricted stock grant component (the "Restricted Stock Award" program) and a multi-year performance share component (the "Performance Share" program). Awards granted pursuant to the Restricted Stock Award and Performance Share programs, as well as director's awards, are classified as equity awards or liability awards based on the underlying terms of the program agreement. Awards classified as equity awards are expensed straight-line over the vesting period, with issuances recorded as a reduction to additional paid in capital. Forfeitures are recorded when they occur. Awards classified as liability awards are remeasured at each reporting period over the service period, with issuances recorded as a reduction to accrued expense. The compensation expense recognized related to both of these award types is recorded as property operating costs for those employees whose job is related to property operations and as general and administrative expense for all other employees and board of directors in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.

Non-qualified Deferred Compensation Plan

Piedmont previously offered a non-qualified deferred compensation plan ("NQDC Plan") to certain employees which allowed the employee to elect to defer receipt of compensation, including both cash and stock-based compensation, until future taxable years. As of December 31, 2019, Piedmont suspended the NQDC Plan so that no additional amounts may be deferred. Amounts deferred prior to the suspension of the NQDC Plan are invested in trading securities held in a "rabbi trust" and are measured using quoted market prices as of the reporting date, with changes in fair value recognized in net income/(loss). As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, Piedmont held approximately $0.9 million and $0.8 million, respectively, of these trading securities. Such investments are included in cash equivalents due to their short-term, liquid nature, with the corresponding liability included in accounts payable, accrued expenses, and accrued capital expenditures in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

Net Income/(Loss) Available to Common Stockholders Per Share

Net income/(loss) per share-basic is calculated as net income/(loss) available to common stockholders divided by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Net income/(loss) per share-diluted is calculated as net income/(loss) available to common stockholders divided by the diluted weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period, including the dilutive effect of nonvested restricted stock. The dilutive effect of nonvested restricted stock is calculated using the treasury stock method to determine the number of additional common shares that would become outstanding if the remaining unvested restricted stock awards vested. Further, Piedmont has elected to use the "end of the reporting period" convention when using the treasury stock method to calculate the dilutive effect of any shares issued pursuant to forward equity sale agreements in connection with Piedmont's ATM Program described above. Under this methodology, the assumed sale proceeds are calculated using the closing price of Piedmont's stock as of the end of the respective reporting period.

Income Taxes

Piedmont has elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Code, and has operated as such, beginning with its taxable year ended December 31, 1998. To qualify as a REIT, Piedmont must meet certain organizational and operational requirements, including a requirement to distribute at least 90% of its annual REIT taxable income. As a REIT, Piedmont is generally not subject to federal income taxes, subject to fulfilling, among other things, its taxable income distribution requirement. However, Piedmont is subject to federal income taxes related to the operations conducted by its taxable REIT subsidiary which have been provided for in the financial statements. These operations resulted in approximately $(379,000), $4,000, and $160,000 in income tax expense/(recoveries) for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019, respectively, as a component of other income/(expense) in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. Further, Piedmont is subject to certain state and local taxes related to the operations of properties in certain locations, which have been provided for in property operating costs in the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

Reclassifications
Certain prior period amounts presented in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets related to the 225 and 235 Presidential Way buildings, which were classified as held for sale as of June 30, 2021 and sold in January 2022 (see Note 13) have been reclassified as of December 31, 2020 to conform to the current period financial statement presentation.