Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Apr. 03, 2021

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of CRA International, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (collectively the “Company”), which require consolidation after the elimination of intercompany accounts and transactions. These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Accordingly, these financial statements do not include all the information and note disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for annual financial statements. In the opinion of management, these financial statements reflect all adjustments of a normal, recurring nature necessary for the fair presentation of CRA’s results of operations, financial position, cash flows, and shareholders’ equity for the interim periods presented in conformity with GAAP. Results of operations for the interim periods presented herein are not necessarily indicative of results of operations for a full year. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the fiscal year ended January 2, 2021 included in CRA’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 4, 2021 (the “2020 Form 10-K”).

Estimates

Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make significant estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, as well as the related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities, at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of consolidated revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Estimates in these condensed consolidated financial statements include, but are not limited to, allowances for accounts receivable and unbilled services, revenue recognition on fixed price contracts, variable consideration to be included in the transaction price of revenue contracts, depreciation of property and equipment, measurement of operating lease right-of-use (“ROU”) assets and liabilities, share-based compensation, valuation of contingent consideration liabilities, valuation of acquired intangible assets, impairment of long-lived assets, goodwill, accrued and deferred income taxes, valuation allowances on deferred tax assets, accrued incentive compensation, and certain other accrued expenses. These items are monitored and analyzed by CRA for changes in facts and circumstances, and material changes in these estimates could occur in the future. Changes in estimates are recorded in the period in which they become known. CRA bases its estimates on historical experience and various other assumptions that CRA believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may differ from those estimates if CRA’s assumptions based on past experience or other assumptions do not turn out to be substantially accurate.

Common Stock and Equity

Common Stock and Equity

Equity transactions consist primarily of the repurchase by CRA of its common stock under its share repurchase program and the recognition of compensation expense and issuance of common stock under CRA’s 2006 Equity Incentive Plan. The Company repurchases its common stock under its share repurchase program in open market purchases (including through any Rule 10b5-1 plan adopted by CRA) or in privately negotiated transactions in accordance with applicable insider trading and other securities laws and regulations. On March 8, 2021, CRA commenced a modified "Dutch auction" self-tender offer to purchase up to $25.0 million in value of shares of its common stock, as further described in Note 11. The purchase price of repurchases is first charged against available paid-in capital (“PIC”) until PIC is exhausted, wherein purchases will be charged

to retained earnings. As of April 3, 2021, PIC was exhausted. CRA’s common stock has no par value. All shares repurchased have been retired.

Recent Accounting Standards Adopted and Not Yet Adopted

Recent Accounting Standards Adopted

Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes

CRA adopted Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes (“ASU 2019-12”) on the first day of fiscal 2021. ASU 2019-12 simplifies or clarifies accounting for income taxes by changing prior guidance related to accounting for year-to-date losses in interim periods, accounting for tax law changes in interim periods, determining when a deferred tax liability is recognized for foreign subsidiaries that transition to or from being accounted for as equity method investments, application of income tax guidance to franchise taxes that are partially based on income, and making an intra-period allocation in situations where there is a loss in continuing operations and income or gain from other items. ASU 2019-12 also introduces new guidance to evaluate whether a step up in the tax basis of goodwill relates to a business combination or a separate transaction and provides a policy election to not allocate consolidated income taxes when a member of a consolidated tax return is not subject to income tax. The adoption of the new standard did not have a material impact on CRA's financial position, results of operations, cash flows, or disclosures on the date of transition.