Background Basis of Accounting (Policies)

3 Months Ended

May 31, 2018

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Background

Business. CarMax, Inc. (“we,” “our,” “us,” “CarMax” and “the company”), including its wholly owned subsidiaries, is the largest retailer of used vehicles in the United States. We operate in two reportable segments:  CarMax Sales Operations and CarMax Auto Finance (“CAF”).  Our CarMax Sales Operations segment consists of all aspects of our auto merchandising and service operations, excluding financing provided by CAF.  Our CAF segment consists solely of our own finance operation that provides financing to customers buying retail vehicles from CarMax.

We deliver an unrivaled customer experience by offering a broad selection of high quality used vehicles and related products and services at low, no-haggle prices using a customer-friendly sales process in an attractive, modern sales facility, as well as through carmax.com and our mobile apps.  We provide customers with a range of related products and services, including the appraisal and purchase of vehicles directly from consumers; the financing of retail vehicle purchases through CAF and third-party finance providers; the sale of extended protection plan (“EPP”) products, which include extended service plans (“ESPs”) and guaranteed asset protection (“GAP”); and vehicle repair service.  Vehicles purchased through the appraisal process that do not meet our retail standards are sold to licensed dealers through on-site wholesale auctions.

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation and Use of Estimates. The accompanying interim unaudited consolidated financial statements include the accounts of CarMax and our wholly owned subsidiaries.  All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.  These consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial information.  Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements.  In the opinion of management, such interim consolidated financial statements reflect all normal recurring adjustments considered necessary to present fairly the financial position and the results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods presented.  The results of operations for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full fiscal year.  

The accounting policies followed in the presentation of our interim financial results are consistent with those included in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 28, 2018 (the “2018 Annual Report”), with the exception of those related to recent accounting pronouncements adopted in the current period included herein. These consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and footnotes included in our 2018 Annual Report.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities.  Actual results could differ from those estimates.  Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year’s presentation.  Amounts and percentages may not total due to rounding.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Recent Accounting Pronouncements.

Adopted in the Current Period.

In May 2014, the FASB issued an accounting pronouncement (FASB ASU 2014-09) related to revenue recognition. This ASU, along with subsequent ASUs issued to clarify certain provisions of ASU 2014-09, provides a single, comprehensive revenue recognition model for all contracts with customers. The standard contains principles that an entity applies to determine the measurement of revenue and the timing of when it is recognized. The entity recognizes revenue to reflect the transfer of goods or services to customers at an amount that the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services.

We adopted this pronouncement for our fiscal year beginning March 1, 2018, using the modified retrospective transition method for all contracts. Results for reporting periods beginning after March 1, 2018, are presented under ASU 2014-09, while comparative period amounts have not been restated and continue to be presented under the previous accounting standard.

We recognize revenue when control of the good or service has been transferred to the customer, generally either at the time of sale or upon delivery to a customer. Our performance obligations are clearly identifiable and therefore adoption of this pronouncement did not result in any significant changes to the assessment of such performance obligations, conclusions related to revenue that is currently recognized on a net basis, or the timing of our revenue recognition, with the exception of profit-sharing revenues earned on the ESP contracts we sell. See Note 2 for our revenue recognition policies. In connection with the adoption of the standard, as of March 1, 2018, we recorded a net after-tax cumulative-effect adjustment to increase beginning retained earnings by $12.9 million to recognize profit-sharing revenues on ESP contracts sold on or before February 28, 2018, with corresponding adjustments to other assets and deferred income taxes. The adoption also resulted in $4.0 million recorded in other sales and revenues on our consolidated statement of earnings for the three months ended May 31, 2018, relating to additional profit-sharing revenues to which we expect to be entitled. Lastly, the adoption resulted in a $13.8 million increase to other current assets and accrued expenses and other current liabilities related to estimated vehicle sales returns, which were previously shown on a net basis. The adoption of this pronouncement did not result in significant changes to our processes, internal controls or systems.

In January 2016, the FASB issued an accounting pronouncement (FASB ASU 2016-01) related to financial instruments (FASB ASC Subtopic 825-10). This pronouncement, along with ASU 2018-03 issued in February 2018, requires that most equity investments be measured at fair value, with subsequent changes in fair value recognized in net earnings. The pronouncements also impact financial liabilities under the fair value option and the presentation and disclosure requirements for financial instruments. We adopted this pronouncement for our fiscal year beginning March 1, 2018, and it did not have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements.

In August 2016, the FASB issued an accounting pronouncement (FASB ASU 2016-15) related to the classification of certain cash receipts and cash payments on the statement of cash flows. The pronouncement provides clarification guidance on eight specific cash flow presentation issues that have developed due to diversity in practice. The issues include, but are not limited to, debt prepayment or extinguishment costs, settlement of zero-coupon debt, proceeds from the settlement of insurance claims, and cash receipts from payments on beneficial interests in securitization transactions. We adopted this pronouncement for our fiscal year beginning March 1, 2018, and it did not have an effect on our consolidated financial statements.

In October 2016, the FASB issued an accounting pronouncement (FASB ASU 2016-16) related to the income tax effects of intra-entity transfers of assets other than inventory. The pronouncement requires that entities recognize the income tax effects of intra-entity transfers of assets other than inventory when the transfer occurs. Previous U.S. GAAP prohibited the recognition of those tax effects until the asset had been sold to an outside party. We adopted this pronouncement for our fiscal year beginning March 1, 2018, and it did not have an effect on our consolidated financial statements.

In November 2016, the FASB issued an accounting pronouncement (FASB ASU 2016-18) related to the presentation of restricted cash in the statement of cash flows. The pronouncement requires that a statement of cash flows explain the change during the period in cash, cash equivalents, and amounts generally described as restricted cash. Amounts generally described as restricted cash should be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the statement of cash flows. We adopted this pronouncement for our fiscal year beginning March 1, 2018. Restricted cash is now included with cash and cash equivalents in the reconciliation of beginning of year and end of period total amounts in the consolidated statements of cash flows for all periods presented, resulting in a decrease in cash used by investing activities of $10.1 million for the three months ended May 31, 2017.

In March 2017, the FASB issued an accounting pronouncement (FASB ASU 2017-07) related to net periodic pension cost and net periodic postretirement benefit cost. The standard provides guidance on the presentation of net benefit cost in an employer’s income statement and on the components eligible for capitalization. This pronouncement requires that an employer report the service cost component in the same line item(s) as other employee compensation costs arising from services rendered during the period, and report the other components of net benefit cost separately from the service cost component and outside a subtotal of operating income. Only the service cost component will be eligible for capitalization. We adopted this pronouncement for our fiscal year beginning March 1, 2018, and it did not have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements.

In May 2017, the FASB issued an accounting pronouncement (FASB ASU 2017-09) to provide guidance on determining which changes to the terms or conditions of share-based payment awards require an entity to apply modification accounting under Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 718. We adopted this pronouncement for our fiscal year beginning March 1, 2018, and it did not have an effect on our consolidated financial statements.

Effective in Future Periods.

In February 2016, the FASB issued an accounting pronouncement (FASB ASU 2016-02) related to the accounting for leases. This pronouncement, along with subsequent ASUs issued to clarify certain provisions of ASU 2016-02, requires lessees to record most leases on their balance sheet while also disclosing key information about those lease arrangements. Under the new guidance, lease classification as either a finance lease or an operating lease will affect the pattern and classification of expense recognition in the income statement. The classification criteria to distinguish between finance and operating leases are generally consistent with the classification criteria to distinguish between capital and operating leases under existing lease accounting guidance. This pronouncement is effective for fiscal years, and for interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018. We plan to adopt the new standard for our fiscal year beginning March 1, 2019, using the modified retrospective transition approach.

We expect to record a $400 million to $430 million increase in both assets and liabilities on our opening consolidated balance sheets as a result of recognizing new right-of-use assets and lease liabilities as of March 1, 2019. This estimate is based on our lease portfolio as of February 28, 2018, and it does not include the potential impacts of remeasurement due to changes in our assessment of the lease term subsequent to our adoption of the standard. The ultimate impact of adopting this pronouncement will depend on our lease portfolio and other factors as of the transition date. We do not expect this standard to have a material impact on our sale-leaseback transactions currently accounted for as direct financings, and we believe most of our leases will maintain their current lease classification under the new standard. As a result, we do not expect the new standard to have a material effect on our expense recognition pattern or, in turn, our consolidated statements of operations. We are continuing to evaluate the full impact of the new standard, as well as its impacts on our business processes, systems, and internal controls.

In June 2016, the FASB issued an accounting pronouncement (FASB ASU 2016-13) related to the measurement of credit losses on financial instruments. The pronouncement changes the impairment model for most financial assets and will require the use of an “expected loss” model for instruments measured at amortized cost. Under this model, entities will be required to estimate the lifetime expected credit loss on such instruments and record an allowance to offset the amortized cost basis of the financial asset, resulting in a net presentation of the amount expected to be collected on the financial asset. This pronouncement is effective for fiscal years, and for interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019. We plan to adopt this pronouncement for our fiscal year beginning March 1, 2020. We are currently evaluating the effect on our consolidated financial statements, as well as the impacts on our business processes, systems and internal controls, and expect that the standard will have a material impact on our calculation of the allowance for loan losses.

In June 2018, the FASB issued an accounting pronouncement (FASB ASU 2018-07) to expand the scope of ASC Topic 718, Compensation - Stock Compensation, to include share-based payment transactions for acquiring goods and services from nonemployees. The pronouncement is effective for fiscal years, and for interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. We are currently in the process of evaluating the effects of this pronouncement on our consolidated financial statements, including potential early adoption.