Recent Accounting Guidance

Accounting Standards Adopted in 2016

Accounting Standards Update 2015-16, Business Combinations: Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement-Period Adjustments--In September 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2015-16, "Business Combinations (Topic 805): Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement-Period Adjustments." ASU 2015-16 simplifies the reporting of adjustments to the provisional amounts recorded for a business combination during the measurement period by eliminating the requirement to retrospectively account for those adjustments. Companies are required to present separately, on the face of the income statement, or disclose in the notes to the financial statements, the impact on current period earnings by line item that would have been recorded in previous periods if the adjustment to the provisional amounts were recognized as of the acquisition date. The amendments in ASU 2015-16 became effective January 1, 2016 and requires prospective application to qualifying business combinations.

Accounting Standards Update 2015-03, Imputation of Interest: Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs--In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-03, “Imputation of Interest (Sub-Topic 835.30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs.” ASU 2015-03 requires debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. During the first quarter of 2016, we retrospectively adopted this standard, which resulted in a reduction of other noncurrent assets and long-term debt of $471 as of December 31, 2015 in the consolidated balance sheet.

Accounting Standards Update 2014-15, Disclosure of Uncertainties About an Entity's Ability to Continue as a Going Concern--In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-15, "Disclosure of Uncertainties About an Entity's Ability to Continue as a Going Concern" to provide guidance about management's responsibility to evaluate whether there is substantial doubt about an entity's ability to continue as a going concern and to provide related note disclosures. As of December 31, 2016, the Company adopted ASU 2014-15, which had no impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted

Accounting Standards Update 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments (a consensus of the Emerging Issues Task Force)--In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, “Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments,” which provides guidance on how cash receipts and cash payments related to eight specific cash flow issues are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows, with the objective of reducing the existing diversity in practice. The update is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, which for Davey Tree would be January 1, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. We do not expect the adoption of ASU 2016-15 to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Accounting Standards Update 2016-09, Compensation-Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting--In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, “Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting,” with the objective to simplify several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including: the income tax consequences; classification of awards as either equity or liabilities; classification of certain items on the statement of cash flows; and, accounting for forfeitures. ASU 2016-09 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, which for Davey Tree would be January 1, 2017. Early adoption is permitted. Management is currently in the process of evaluating the impact the new standard will have on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.


C.	Recent Accounting Guidance (continued)

Accounting Standards Update 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)--In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606),” which will replace all current U.S. GAAP guidance on revenue recognition and eliminate all industry-specific guidance.

The new revenue recognition guidance provides a unified model to determine when and how revenue is recognized. The underlying principle is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods and services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration for which the entity expects in exchange for those goods and services. The guidance provides a five-step analysis of transactions to determine when and how revenue is recognized. Other major provisions include capitalization of certain contract costs, consideration of the time value of money in the transaction price, and allowing estimates of variable consideration to be recognized before contingencies are resolved in certain circumstances. The guidance also requires enhanced information to be presented in the financial statements regarding the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from an entity’s contracts with customers.

Subsequent to the issuance of ASU 2014-09, the FASB has provided additional implementation guidance updates related to ASU 2014-09, including:


a.	ASU 2015-14, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Deferral of the Effective Date (‘Update 2015-14’),” which responded to stakeholders’ requests to defer the effective date of the guidance in ASU 2014-09.


b.	ASU 2016-08, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net ) (‘Update 2016-08’),” which clarifies the implementation guidance on principal versus agent considerations.


c.	ASU 2016-10, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing (‘Update 2016-10’),” which clarifies multiple aspects of Topic 606.


d.	ASU 2016-12, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients (‘Update 2016-12’),” which provides clarifying guidance in a few narrow areas and adds some practical expedients to the guidance.

The effective date and the transition requirements for the Updates are the same as the effective date of Topic 606 ASU 2015-14, which becomes effective for Davey Tree beginning with the first quarter 2018 and can be adopted either retrospectively to each prior reporting period presented or as a cumulative-effect adjustment as of the date of adoption. The FASB also affirmed its proposal to permit all entities to apply the new revenue standard early, but not before the original effective date, which for Davey Tree would be first quarter 2017. The new revenue guidance will supersede existing revenue guidance affecting our Company, and may also affect our business processes and our information technology systems.

Management has assembled an internal project team and is reviewing our contracts and agreements with our customers under the provisions of the new standard. The Company currently expects revenue recognition for many of its services to remain unchanged, except for the interim recognition of certain variable, incentive-based components of contracts due to the timing of revenue recognition. The Company is also in the process of evaluating the disclosure requirements under the standard and any necessary changes to our systems, policies and controls as a result. We plan to adopt ASU 2014-09 using the modified retrospective approach effective January 1, 2018.

Accounting Standards Update 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842)--In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842).” ASU 2016-02 establishes a comprehensive new lease accounting model. The new standard: (a) clarifies the definition of a lease; (b) requires a dual approach to lease classification similar to current lease classifications; and, (c) causes lessees to recognize leases on the balance sheet as a lease liability with a corresponding right-of-use asset for leases with a lease-term of more than twelve months. The new standard is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018, which for Davey Tree would be January 1, 2019. Early adoption is permitted. The new standard requires a modified retrospective transition for capital or operating leases existing at or entered into after the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements, but it does not require transition accounting for leases that expire


C.	Recent Accounting Guidance (continued)

prior to the date of initial application. We are currently evaluating the impact of the new standard on our consolidated financial statements.