The Company has a 52/53 week fiscal year that ends on the Sunday nearest to December 31 of each year. In a 52-week fiscal year, each fiscal quarter contains 13 weeks, comprised of two, four-week fiscal months followed by a five-week fiscal month. In a 53-week fiscal year, the last month of the fourth fiscal quarter contains six weeks. For convenience, the Company refers to its fiscal years as ending on December 31 and its fiscal quarters as ending on March 31, June 30 and September 30. The December 31, 2020 fiscal year ended January 3, 2021 and contained 53 weeks. The 2019 and 2018 fiscal years ended December 29, 2019 and December 30, 2018, respectively, and each contained 52 weeks.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) requires the Company's management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities, if any, at the date of the consolidated financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Significant estimates are made in the calculation and assessment of the following: impairment of tangible and intangible assets and goodwill; income taxes; allowance for doubtful accounts and notes receivables; lease accounting estimates; contingencies; and stock-based compensation. On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates its estimates based on historical experience, current conditions and various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. The Company adjusts such estimates and assumptions when facts and circumstances dictate. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

The Company was subject to risks and uncertainties as a result of the outbreak of a novel strain of coronavirus, designated “COVID-19” and declared to be a pandemic in March 2020. The Company first began to experience impacts from COVID-19 in March 2020, as federal, state and local governments reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic by encouraging or requiring social distancing, instituting shelter-in-place orders, and requiring, in varying degrees, reduced operating hours, restaurant dine-in and/or indoor dining limitations, capacity limitations or other restrictions that largely limited restaurants to off-premise sales (take-out and delivery) in the early stages of the pandemic. Most of the Company's international restaurants were impacted as well as

a result of restrictions put in place in various countries similar to those in the United States. Over the course of 2020, certain of these restrictions were relaxed as incidents of infection from the initial outbreak declined, but many of the restrictions were reinstituted as incidents of infection surged. The degree and duration of restriction varied by individual geographic area. The extent of the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company's business remains highly uncertain and difficult to predict, as the operating status of our restaurants remains fluid and subject to change as government authorities modify existing restrictions or implement new restrictions on restaurant operations in response to changes in the number of COVID-19 infections and the availability and acceptance of vaccines in their respective jurisdictions. Additionally, economies worldwide have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which possibly could cause a domestic and/or global economic recession.

The Company has taken several actions to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on its operations and its franchisees, as follows: (i) drew down $220 million from its revolving credit facility, leaving available remaining borrowing under the facility of approximately $2 million; (ii) terminated repurchases of common stock for the foreseeable future; (iii) the Company's Board of Directors decided not to declare a dividend for the second, third and fourth quarters of 2020; (iv) voluntarily increased the interest reserve for securitized debt from the required $16.4 million (one quarter of estimated interest) to $32.8 million; (v) reduced discretionary costs, limited new hiring and reduced the use of independent contractors; (vi) temporarily furloughed certain team members across various functional groups at its restaurant support centers during 2020; (vii) deferred franchisee payment of royalty, advertising and other fees, and lease obligations for up to two months on a case-by-case basis; (viii) deferred franchisee development obligations for up to 15 months and franchisee remodel obligation until the end of 2022; (ix) engaged a national real estate firm to assist franchisees with landlord discussions regarding rent deferrals, abatements and other modifications to lease agreements; (x) negotiated deferrals and abatements for properties on which the Company was lessee and (xi) hired external consultants to work with franchisees in assessing their financial health and to better understand performance variability.

The severity of the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company's business will depend on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, how long the pandemic will last, whether/when recurrences of the virus may arise, what restrictions on in-restaurant dining may be enacted or re-enacted, the availability and acceptance of vaccines, the timing and extent of customer re-engagement with the Company's brands and, in general, what the short- and long-term impact on consumer discretionary spending the COVID-19 pandemic might have on the Company and the restaurant industry as a whole, all of which are uncertain and cannot be predicted. The Company's future results of operations and liquidity could be impacted adversely by the length of time dine-in restrictions are in place and the success of any initiatives or programs that the Company may undertake to address financial and operational challenges faced by itself and its franchisees. As such, the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic may continue to materially impact the Company's financial condition, liquidity, or results of operations remains highly uncertain.

The Company's cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and accounts receivable are potentially subject to concentration of credit risk. Cash and cash equivalents are placed with financial institutions that management believes are creditworthy. The Company does not believe that it is exposed to any significant credit risk on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash. At times, cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash balances may be in excess of FDIC insurance limits.

Accounts receivable are derived from revenues earned from franchisees and area licensees located primarily in the United States. Financing receivables arise from the financing of restaurant equipment, leases or franchise fees with the Company by IHOP franchisees. The Company is subject to a concentration of credit risk with respect to receivables from franchisees that own a large number of Applebee's or IHOP restaurants. As of December 31, 2020, two franchisees (one Applebee's franchisee and one franchisee with cross-brand ownership) operated a combined total of 830 Applebee's and IHOP restaurants in the United States, which comprised 26.0% of the total Applebee's and IHOP franchise and area license restaurants in the United States. Revenues from these two franchisees represented 17.1%, 17.4%, and 19.8% of total consolidated revenue for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. One franchisee represented 11.0%, 10.6% and 11.9% of total consolidated revenue for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Receivables from these franchisees totaled $20.4 million and $14.4 million at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

The Company considers all highly liquid investment securities with remaining maturities at the date of purchase of three months or less to be cash equivalents. These cash equivalents are stated at cost which approximates market value. Cash held related to IHOP advertising funds and the Company's gift card programs is not considered to be restricted cash as there are no restrictions on the use of these funds. The components of cash and cash equivalents were as follows:

Current restricted cash primarily consisted of funds required to be held in trust in connection with the Company's securitized debt and funds from Applebee's franchisees pursuant to franchise agreements, usage of which was restricted to advertising activities. The components of current restricted cash were as follows:

Non-current restricted cash of $32.8 million and $15.7 million at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, represents interest reserves set aside for the duration of the securitized debt. The required reserve is approximately one quarter's interest payment on the Company's securitized. The Company voluntarily increased the amount held in non-current cash to twice the required amount during the year ended December 31, 2020.

Property and equipment are stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation. Properties under finance leases are stated at the present value of the minimum lease payments. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets or remaining useful lives. Leasehold improvements and properties under finance leases are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives or the lease term, if less. The general ranges of depreciable and amortizable lives are as follows:


Category						Depreciable Life
Buildings and improvements						25 to 40 years
Leaseholds and improvements						Shorter of primary lease term or between three to 40 years
Equipment and fixtures						Three to five years
Internal-use software						Three to 10 years
Properties under finance leases						Primary lease term or remaining primary lease term

On a regular basis, the Company assesses whether events or changes in circumstances have occurred that potentially indicate the carrying value of long-lived assets (primarily assets related to property and equipment leased or subleased to franchisees) may not be recoverable. The Company tests impairment using historical cash flows and other relevant facts and circumstances as the primary basis for estimates of future cash flows. The Company considers factors such as the number of years the franchisee's restaurant has been in operation, sales trends, cash flow trends, remaining lease life and other factors which apply on a case-by-case basis. The analysis is performed at the restaurant level for indicators of permanent impairment.

Recoverability of the Company's assets is measured by comparing the assets' carrying value to the undiscounted future cash flows expected to be generated over the assets' remaining useful life or remaining lease term, whichever is less. Total expected undiscounted future cash flows that are less than the carrying amount of the assets is an indicator of impairment. If it is decided that there has been an impairment, the carrying amount of the asset is written down to the estimated fair value as determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP governing fair value measurements. The primary method of estimating fair value is based on a discounted cash flow analysis. Any loss resulting from impairment is recognized as a charge against operations.

Goodwill is recorded when the aggregate purchase price of an acquisition exceeds the estimated fair value of the net identified tangible and intangible assets acquired. Intangible assets resulting from an acquisition are accounted for using the purchase method of accounting and are estimated by management based on the fair value of the assets received. The Company's identifiable intangible assets are comprised primarily of the Applebee's tradename and Applebee's franchise agreements. Identifiable intangible assets with finite lives (franchise agreements) are amortized over the period of estimated benefit using the straight-line method and estimated useful lives. Goodwill and intangible assets considered to have an indefinite life (primarily the Applebee's tradename) are not subject to amortization. The determination of indefinite life is subject to reassessment if changes in facts and circumstances indicate the period of benefit has become finite.

Goodwill has been allocated to three reporting units. The significant majority of the Company's goodwill resulted from the November 29, 2007 acquisition of Applebee's and was allocated to the Applebee's franchised restaurants unit (“Applebee's franchise unit”). Smaller amounts of goodwill arising from other business combinations have been allocated to the IHOP franchised restaurants unit (“IHOP franchise unit”) and the Applebee's company restaurants unit (“Applebee's company unit”). See Note 6 - Goodwill, of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

The Company evaluates the goodwill of the Applebee's franchise and company units and the indefinite-lived Applebee's tradename for impairment as of October 31 of each year. The Company evaluates the goodwill of the IHOP franchise unit for impairment as of December 31 of each year. In addition to the annual evaluation for impairment, goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are evaluated more frequently if the Company believes indicators of impairment exist.

When evaluating goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment, under U.S. GAAP, the Company may first perform an assessment of qualitative factors to determine if the fair value of the reporting unit or the intangible asset is more-likely-than-not greater than the carrying amount. Such qualitative factors include, but are not limited to, macro-economic conditions, market and industry conditions, cost considerations, the competitive environment, share price fluctuations, overall financial performance and results of past impairment tests. If, based on a review of the qualitative factors, the Company determines it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value is greater than the carrying value, the Company may bypass a quantitative test for impairment.

In performing the quantitative test for impairment of goodwill, the Company primarily uses the income approach method of valuation that includes the discounted cash flow method and the market approach that includes the guideline public company method. Significant assumptions used to determine fair value under the discounted cash flow method include expected future trends in sales, operating expenses, overhead expenses, capital expenditures and changes in working capital, along with an appropriate discount rate based on the Company's estimated cost of equity capital and after-tax cost of debt. Significant assumptions used to determine fair value under the guideline public company method include the selection of guideline companies and the valuation multiples applied. The Company measures impairment as the excess of a reporting unit's carrying amount over its fair value as determined by the quantitative test described above.

In the process of performing its quantitative impairment review of intangible assets considered to have an indefinite life, the Company primarily uses the relief of royalty method under the income approach method of valuation. Significant assumptions used to determine fair value under the relief of royalty method include future trends in sales, a royalty rate and an appropriate discount rate based on the Company's estimated cost of equity capital and after-tax cost of debt to be applied to the forecast revenue stream.

The Company's revenues are recorded in four categories: franchise operations, company restaurant operations, rental operations and financing operations. Franchise revenue (which comprises most of the Company's revenues) and revenue from company-operated restaurants are recognized in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification 606 - Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”). Under ASC 606, revenue is recognized upon transfer of control of promised services or goods to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to receive for those services or goods. The Company's rental and financing revenues are recognized in accordance with other U.S. GAAP accounting standards and are not subject to ASC 606.

The Company owns and franchises the Applebee’s and IHOP restaurant concepts. The franchise arrangement for both brands is documented in the form of a franchise agreement and, in most cases, a development agreement. The franchise arrangement between the Company as the franchisor and the franchisee as the customer requires the Company to perform various activities to support the brand that do not directly transfer goods and services to the franchisee, but instead represent a single performance obligation, which is the transfer of the franchise license. The intellectual property subject to the franchise license is symbolic intellectual property as it does not have significant standalone functionality, and substantially all the utility is derived from its association with the Company’s past or ongoing activities. The nature of the Company’s promise in granting the franchise license is to provide the franchisee with access to the brand’s symbolic intellectual property over the term of the license. The services provided by the Company are highly interrelated with the franchise license and as such are considered to represent a single performance obligation.

The transaction price in a standard franchise arrangement for both brands primarily consists of (a) initial franchise/development fees; (b) continuing franchise fees (royalties); and (c) advertising fees. Since the Company considers the licensing of the franchising right to be a single performance obligation, no allocation of the transaction price is required. Additionally, all domestic IHOP franchise agreements require franchisees to purchase proprietary pancake and waffle dry mix from the Company.

•Franchise and development fees are recognized as revenues ratably on a straight-line basis over the term of the franchise agreement commencing with the restaurant opening date. As these fees are typically received in cash at or near the beginning of the franchise term, the cash received is initially recorded as a contract liability until recognized as revenue over time;

•The Company is entitled to royalties and advertising fees based on a percentage of the franchisee's gross sales as defined in the franchise agreement. Royalty and advertising revenues are recognized when the franchisee's reported sales occur. Depending on timing within a fiscal period, the recognition of revenue results in either a contract asset (unbilled receivable) or, once billed, accounts receivable, on the balance sheet;

In determining the amount and timing of revenue from contracts with customers, the Company exercises significant judgment with respect to collectibility of the amount; however, the timing of recognition does not require significant judgment as it is based on either the franchise term, the month of sale as reported by the franchisee or the date of product shipment, none of which require estimation.

Any excess or deficiency of advertising fee revenue compared to advertising expenditures, is recognized in the fourth quarter of the Company's fiscal year. Any excess of revenue over expenditures is recognized only to the extent of previously recognized deficits. When advertising revenues exceed the related advertising expenses and there is no recovery of a previously recognized deficit of advertising revenues, advertising costs are accrued up to the amount of revenues.

Company restaurant revenues comprise retail sales at company-operated restaurants. Sales by company-operated restaurants are recognized when food and beverage items are sold. Company restaurant sales are reported net of sales taxes collected from guests that are remitted to the appropriate taxing authorities, with no significant judgments required.

The Company administers gift card programs for Applebee's and IHOP. The Company records a liability in the period in which a gift card is sold and recognizes costs associated with its administration of the gift card programs as prepaid assets when the costs are incurred. The liability and prepaid asset recorded on the Company's books are relieved when gift cards are redeemed. If redemption occurs at a franchisee-operated restaurant, the gift card revenue, net of costs, is remitted to the franchisee. The Company receives gift card breakage revenue only from gift cards redeemed at company-operated restaurants. Breakage revenue for gift cards redeemed at company-operated restaurants for the year ended December 31, 2020 was not material. Breakage revenue was not recorded for the years ended 2019 and 2018 as the Company did not have sufficient history from operating the restaurants on which to base an estimate for breakage.

The allowance for credit losses is the Company's best estimate of the amount of probable credit losses incurred on existing receivables; however, changes in circumstances relating to receivables may result in changes to the allowance in the future. The Company determines the allowance based on historical losses, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts used in assessing the franchisee's or area licensee's ability to pay outstanding balances. The primary indicator of credit quality is delinquency, which is considered to be a receivable balance greater than 90 days past due. The Company continually reviews the allowance for credit losses. Past due balances and future obligations are reviewed individually for collectability. Account balances are charged against the allowance after all collection efforts have been exhausted and the potential for recovery is considered remote. Credit losses historically have been within management's estimates.

The Company accounts for its leasing activities in accordance with accounting guidance for leases, as codified in Accounting Standards Topic 842 (“ASC 842”), adopted as of the beginning of its 2019 fiscal year. In adopting ASC 842, the Company utilized expedients that allowed it to retain the classification, as either an operating lease or a finance lease, that was previously determined under prior accounting guidance for leases. The Company reassesses this classification upon renewal, extension or the modification of an existing lease agreement. The Company determines the appropriate classification upon entering into a new contract determined to contain a lease.

Operating lease assets and liabilities are recognized at the lease commencement date, or were recognized upon adoption of ASC 842. Operating lease liabilities represent the present value of lease payments not yet paid. Operating lease assets represent the Company's right to use an underlying asset and are based upon the operating lease liabilities adjusted for prepayments or accrued lease payments, initial direct costs, lease incentives, and impairment of operating lease assets.

The Company's lease agreements generally do not provide information to determine the implicit interest rate in the agreements. This requires the Company to make significant judgments in determining the incremental borrowing rate to be used in calculating operating lease liabilities as of the adoption or commencement date. The Company estimates the incremental borrowing rate primarily by reference to (i) yield rates on debt issuances by companies of a similar credit rating as the Company; (ii) U.S. Treasury rates as of the adoption or commencement date; and (iii) adjustments for differences between these rates and the lease term.

The cost of an operating lease is recognized over the lease term on a straight-line basis. The lease term commences on the date the Company has the right to control the use of the leased property. Certain leases may contain provisions for rent holidays and fixed-step escalations in payments over the base lease term, as well as renewal periods. The effects of the holidays and fixed-step escalations are reflected in rent expense on a straight-line basis over the expected lease term. Differences between amounts paid and amounts expensed are recorded as deferred rent. Certain leases may include rent escalations based on inflation indexes and fair market value adjustments. Certain leases may contain contingent rental provisions that include a fixed base rent plus an additional percentage of the restaurant’s sales. Subsequent escalations subject to such an index and contingent rental payments are recognized as variable lease expense.

The rental payments or receipts on those property leases that meet the finance lease criteria result in the recognition of interest expense or interest income and a reduction of finance lease obligation or financing lease receivable, respectively. Finance lease obligations are amortized based on the Company's incremental borrowing rate and direct financing lease receivables are amortized using the implicit interest rate.

Advertising expense reflected in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive (Loss) Income includes contributions to the national advertising fund made by Applebee's and IHOP, local marketing advertising costs incurred by company-operated restaurants, and certain advertising costs incurred by the Company to benefit future franchise operations. Costs of advertising typically are expensed either as incurred or the first time the advertising takes place. Advertising expense included in company restaurant operations for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 was $5.2 million, $6.1 million, and $0.3 million, respectively.

The Company determines the fair market values of its financial assets and liabilities, as well as non-financial assets and liabilities that are recognized or disclosed at fair value on a recurring basis, based on the fair value hierarchy established in U.S. GAAP. As necessary, the Company measures its financial assets and liabilities using inputs from the following three levels of the fair value hierarchy:

The Company does not have a material amount of financial assets or liabilities that are required under U.S. GAAP to be measured at fair value on a recurring basis. None of the Company's non-financial assets or non-financial liabilities is required to be measured at fair value on a recurring basis. Assets recognized or disclosed at fair value in the consolidated financial statements on a nonrecurring basis include items such as property and equipment, operating lease assets, goodwill and other intangible assets, which are measured at fair value if determined to be impaired. The Company has not elected to use fair value measurement for any assets or liabilities for which fair value measurement is not presently required.

The Company utilizes the liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under the liability method, deferred taxes are determined based on the temporary differences between the financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates. A valuation allowance is recorded when it is more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The Company records estimated tax liabilities to the extent the contingencies are probable and can be reasonably estimated. The Company recognizes interest accrued related to unrecognizable tax benefits and penalties as a component of the income tax provision recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive (Loss) Income.

The Company recognizes the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities based on its technical merits, including all appeals or litigation processes. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such a position are measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than fifty percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate resolution. For each reporting period, management applies a consistent methodology to measure and adjust all uncertain tax positions based on the available information.

Members of the Board of Directors and certain employees are eligible to receive stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units and performance units pursuant to the Dine Brands Global, Inc. 2019 Stock Incentive Plan. Shares of unvested restricted stock are subject to restrictions on transfer and forfeiture under certain circumstances. The holder of unvested restricted stock has the right to vote and receive regular cash dividends with respect to the shares of unvested restricted stock.

The Company accounts for all stock-based payments to employees and non-employee directors, including grants of stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units and performance units to be recognized in the financial statements, based on their respective grant date fair values. The value of the portion of the award that is ultimately expected to vest is recognized as expense ratably over the requisite service periods.

The grant date fair value of restricted stock and stock-settled restricted stock units is determined based on the Company's stock price on the grant date. The Company estimates the grant date fair value of stock option awards using the Black-Scholes option pricing model, which considers, among other factors, a risk-free interest rate, the expected life of the award and the historical volatility of the Company's stock price. The Company estimates the grant date fair value of awards with performance-based market conditions using a Monte Carlo simulation method which considers, among other factors, the performance-based market condition, a risk-free interest rate, the expected life of the award and the historical volatility of the Company's stock price. Awards of cash-settled restricted stock units are classified as liabilities with the liability and compensation expense related to cash-settled awards adjusted to fair value at each balance sheet date.

Net (loss) income per share is calculated using the two-class method prescribed in U.S. GAAP. Basic net (loss) income per share is computed by dividing the net (loss) income available to common stockholders for the period by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted net (loss) income per share is computed by dividing the net (loss) income available to common stockholders for the period by the weighted average number of common shares and potential shares of common stock outstanding during the period if their effect is dilutive. The Company uses the treasury stock method to calculate the weighted average shares used in the diluted earnings per share calculation. Potentially dilutive common shares include the assumed exercise of stock options and assumed vesting of restricted stock.

Dividends declared on common stock are recorded as a reduction of retained earnings to the extent retained earnings are available at the close of the period prior to the date of the declared dividend. Dividends declared in excess of retained earnings are recorded as a reduction of additional paid-in capital.

The Company identifies its reporting segments based on the organizational units used by management to monitor performance and make operating decisions. The Company has five operating segments: Applebee's franchise operations, IHOP franchise operations, rental operations, financing operations and company-operated restaurant operations. The Company has four reporting segments: franchise operations, (an aggregation of Applebee's and IHOP franchise operations), rental operations, financing operations and company-operated restaurant operations. The Company considers these to be its reportable segments, regardless of whether any segment exceeds 10% of consolidated revenues, income before income tax provision or total assets.

As of December 31, 2020, the franchise operations reportable segment consisted of 1,642 restaurants operated by Applebee's franchisees in the United States, two United States territories and 11 countries outside the United States and 1,769 restaurants operated by IHOP franchisees and area licensees in the United States, two United States territories and 9 countries outside the United States. Franchise operations revenue consists primarily of royalties and advertising fees based on a percentage of the franchisee's gross sales, sales of proprietary products (primarily IHOP pancake and waffle dry mixes) and other franchise fees.

Rental operations revenue includes revenue from operating leases and interest income from direct financing leases. Rental operations expenses are costs of operating leases and interest expense of finance leases on franchisee-operated restaurants. The rental operations revenue and expenses are primarily generated by IHOP. Applebee's has an insignificant amount of rental activity.

As of December 31, 2020, the Company operated 69 Applebee's restaurants that were acquired from a former franchisee in December 2018. The company segment presented in these financial statements consists of these 69 Applebee's restaurants in 2020 and 2019 and for three weeks in December of 2018. All company-operated restaurants were located in the United States. Company restaurant sales are retail sales at company-operated restaurants. Company restaurant expenses are operating expenses at company-operated restaurants and include food, beverage, labor, benefits, utilities, rent and other operating costs.

In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued new guidance on the measurement of current expected credit losses (“CECL”) on financial instruments. The new guidance has replaced the incurred loss methodology of recognizing credit losses on financial instruments with a methodology that estimates the expected credit loss on financial instruments and reflects the net amount expected to be collected on the financial instrument. The Company adopted this change in accounting principle as of the first day of the first fiscal quarter of 2020 using the modified retrospective method. Accordingly, financial information for periods prior to the date of initial application has not been adjusted.

In December 2019, the FASB issued new guidance intended to simplify the accounting for income taxes, change the accounting for certain income tax transactions, and make other minor changes. The Company will be required to adopt the new guidance beginning with its first fiscal quarter of 2021; early adoption in any interim period after issuance of the new guidance is permitted. The Company is currently assessing the impact this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements but does not expect this standard to have a material effect on its financial statements. The Company did not adopt the standard early.

In March 2020 with an update in January 2021, the FASB issued guidance which provides optional expedients and exceptions for applying current U.S. GAAP to contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions affected by the discontinuation of the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) or by another reference rate expected to be discontinued. The guidance can be adopted immediately and is applicable to contracts entered into on or before December 31, 2022. The Company is currently evaluating our contracts that reference LIBOR and the potential effects of adopting this new guidance. The Company is currently assessing the impact this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements but does not expect this standard to have a material effect on its financial statements. The Company does not intend to adopt the standard early.