Basis Of Presentation

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2013

Disclosure Text Block

Basis of Presentation Disclosure

1. Basis of Presentation

The accounting policies of Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (“TDS”) conform to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) as set forth in the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”). The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of TDS and its majority-owned subsidiaries, including TDS' 85%-owned wireless telephone subsidiary, United States Cellular Corporation (“U.S. Cellular”) and TDS' wholly-owned wireline telephone subsidiary, TDS Telecommunications Corporation (“TDS Telecom”).In addition, the consolidated financial statements include certain entities in which TDS has a variable interest that require consolidation under GAAP. All material intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.

The consolidated financial statements included herein have been prepared by TDS, without audit, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).  Certain information and disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. However, TDS believes that the disclosures included herein are adequate to make the information presented not misleading.  These consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in TDS' Annual Report on Form 10-K (“Form 10-K”) for the year ended December 31, 2012.

TDS' business segments reflected in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2013, are U.S. Cellular, TDS Telecom's incumbent local exchange carriers, (“ILEC”), its competitive local exchange carrier (“CLEC”),its Hosted and Managed Services (“HMS”) operations,and the Non-Reportable Segment which includes TDS' majority-owned printing and distribution company, Suttle-Straus, Inc. (“Suttle-Straus”) and TDS' wholly-owned wireless telephone subsidiary, Airadigm Communications, Inc. (“Airadigm”).All of TDS' segments operate only in the United States, except for HMS, which includes an insignificant foreign operation.

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments (consisting of only normal recurring items, unless otherwise disclosed) necessary for a fair statement of the financial position as of March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, and the results of operations, cash flows,changes in comprehensive income and equity for the threemonths ended March 31, 2013 and 2012. These resultsare not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

As of March 31, 2013, there are no recent accounting pronouncements that are expected to have a material impact on TDS' financial position or results of operations.

Agent Liabilities

U.S. Cellular has relationships with agents, which are independent businesses that obtain customers for U.S. Cellular. At March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, U.S. Cellular had accrued $63.9million and $88.2 million, respectively, for amounts due to agents, including rebates and commissions. These amounts are included in Other current liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheet.

Amounts Collected from Customers and Remitted to Governmental Authorities

If a tax is assessed upon the customer and TDS merely acts as an agent in collecting the tax on behalf of the imposing governmental authority, then amounts collected from customers and remitted to governmental authorities are recorded on a net basis within a tax liability account in the Consolidated Balance Sheet. If the tax is assessed upon TDS, then amounts collected from customers as recovery of the tax are recorded in Operating revenues and amounts remitted to governmental authorities are recorded in Selling, general and administrative expenses in the Consolidated Statement of Operations. The amounts recorded gross in revenues that are billed to customers and remitted to governmental authorities totaled $36.1 millionfor the three months ended March 31, 2013 and $39.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2012.