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Accounting Policies (Policies)
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2020
Accounting Policies  
Basis of Presentation

The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements and footnotes of the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM or the company) have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP). The financial statements and footnotes are unaudited. In the opinion of the company’s management, these statements include all adjustments, which are only of a normal recurring nature, necessary to present a fair statement of the company’s results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amount of assets, liabilities, revenue, costs, expenses and other comprehensive income/(loss) that are reported in the Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying disclosures. These estimates are based on management’s best knowledge of current events, historical experience, actions that the company may undertake in the future and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. As a result, actual results may be different from these estimates.

In the first quarter of 2020, the company realigned offerings and the related management system to reflect divestitures completed in the second half of 2019 and tighter integration of certain industry-related consulting services. These changes impacted a few of the company’s reportable segments, but did not impact the Consolidated Financial Statements. Refer to note 4, “Segments,” for additional information on the company’s reportable segments. The periods presented in this Form 10-Q are reported on a comparable basis. On April 6, 2020, Arvind Krishna became Chief Executive Officer of IBM and announced a number of management changes which did not impact the company’s reportable segments.

For the three months ended March 31, 2020, the company recorded a benefit from income taxes of $1,226 million. The tax benefit was primarily related to the tax impacts of an intra-entity sale of certain of the company’s intellectual property, which required the recognition of a $3,442 million deferred tax asset. The recognition of this deferred tax asset and the related impacts, resulted in a net one-time benefit in the quarter of $939 million. The company also recorded other discrete tax benefits in the quarter primarily related to changes in tax law. In the first quarter of 2019, the company reported a provision for income taxes of $289 million.

On July 9, 2019, the company completed the acquisition of all of the outstanding shares of Red Hat, Inc. (Red Hat). Refer to note 5, “Acquisitions & Divestitures,” and note 10, “Intangible Assets Including Goodwill,” for additional information.

Noncontrolling interest amounts of $4.5 million and $7.0 million, net of tax, for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, are included as a reduction within other (income) and expense in the Consolidated Income Statement.

Interim results are not necessarily indicative of financial results for a full year. The information included in this Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the company’s 2019 Annual Report.

Within the financial statements and tables presented, certain columns and rows may not add due to the use of rounded numbers for disclosure purposes. Percentages presented are calculated from the underlying whole-dollar amounts. Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation. Specifically, beginning in the third-quarter 2019, revenues and related costs for post-contract support provided for perpetual (one-time charge) software licenses have been reclassified from Services Revenue to Sales Revenue and Services Cost to Sales Cost within the Consolidated Income Statement. The revenue and cost amounts reclassified were $0.5 billion and $0.1 billion, respectively, for the three months ended March 31, 2019. This reclassification had no impact on total revenue, total cost, net income, financial position or cash flows for any periods presented. Other immaterial reclassifications have been annotated where applicable.

Accounting Changes

New Standards to be Implemented

Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes

Standard/Description–Issuance date: December 2019. This guidance simplifies various aspects of income tax accounting by removing certain exceptions to the general principle of the guidance and also clarifies and amends existing guidance to improve consistency in application.

Effective Date and Adoption Considerations–The guidance is effective January 1, 2021 and early adoption is permitted.

Effect on Financial Statements or Other Significant Matters–The company is evaluating the impact of the guidance and adoption date.

Standards Implemented

Reference Rate Reform

Standard/Description–Issuance date: March 2020. This guidance provides optional expedients and exceptions for applying GAAP to contract modifications, hedging relationships, and other transactions that reference London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) or another reference rate expected to be discontinued, subject to meeting certain criteria.

Effective Date and Adoption Considerations–The guidance is effective as of March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022.

Effect on Financial Statements or Other Significant Matters–The company made a policy election in the first quarter of 2020 to adopt the practical expedient which allows for the continuation of fair value hedge accounting for interest rate derivative contracts upon the transition from LIBOR to Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) or another reference rate alternative, without any impact to the Consolidated Income Statement. However, it is still uncertain when the transition from LIBOR to another reference rate will occur or whether SOFR will become the accepted market alternative to LIBOR. The company is continuing to evaluate the potential impact of the replacement of the LIBOR benchmark on its interest rate risk management activities.

Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment

Standard/Description–Issuance date: January 2017. This guidance simplifies the goodwill impairment test by removing Step 2. It also requires disclosure of any reporting units that have zero or negative carrying amounts if they have goodwill allocated to them.

Effective Date and Adoption Considerations–The guidance was effective January 1, 2020 and early adoption was permitted. The company adopted the guidance on a prospective basis as of the effective date.

Effect on Financial Statements or Other Significant Matters–The guidance did not have a material impact in the consolidated financial results.

Financial Instruments–Credit Losses

Standard/Description–Issuance date: June 2016, with amendments in 2018, 2019 and 2020. This changes the guidance for credit losses based on an expected loss model rather than an incurred loss model. It requires the consideration of all available relevant information when estimating expected credit losses, including past events, current conditions and forecasts and their implications for expected credit losses. It also expands the scope of financial instruments subject to impairment, including off-balance sheet commitments and residual value.

Effective Date and Adoption Considerations–The guidance was effective January 1, 2020 with one-year early adoption permitted. The company adopted the guidance as of the effective date, using the transition option whereby prior comparative periods were not retrospectively presented in the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Effect on Financial Statements or Other Significant Matters–At January 1, 2020, an increase in the allowance for credit losses of $81 million was recorded for accounts receivable–trade and financing receivables (inclusive of its related off-balance sheet commitments). Additionally, net deferred taxes were reduced by $14 million in the Consolidated Balance Sheet, resulting in a cumulative-effect net decrease to retained earnings of $66 million. Refer to note 8, “Financing Receivables,” and note 12, “Commitments,” for additional information.

Leases

Standard/Description–Issuance date: February 2016, with amendments in 2018 and 2019. This guidance requires lessees to recognize right-of-use (ROU) assets and lease liabilities for most leases in the Consolidated Balance Sheet. For lessors, it also eliminated the use of third-party residual value guarantee insurance in the lease classification test, and overall aligns with revenue recognition guidance. Due to changes in lease termination guidance, when equipment is returned to the company prior to the end of the lease term, the carrying amounts of lease receivables are reclassified to loan receivables. The guidance also requires qualitative and quantitative disclosures to assess the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases.

Effective Date and Adoption Considerations–The company adopted the guidance on its effective date of January 1, 2019, using the transition option whereby prior comparative periods were not retrospectively presented in the Consolidated Financial Statements. The company elected the package of practical expedients not to reassess prior conclusions related to contracts containing leases, lease classification and initial direct costs and the lessee practical expedient to combine lease and non-lease components for all asset classes. The company made a policy election to not recognize ROU assets and lease liabilities for short-term leases for all asset classes.

Effect on Financial Statements or Other Significant Matters–The guidance had a material impact on the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of the effective date. As a lessee, at adoption, the company recognized operating and financing ROU assets of $4.8 billion and $0.2 billion, respectively, and operating and financing lease liabilities of $5.1 billion and $0.2 billion, respectively. The transition adjustment recognized in retained earnings on January 1, 2019 was not material. None of the other changes to the guidance had a material impact in the company’s consolidated financial results at the effective date.

For all other standards that the company adopted in 2019, there was no material impact in the consolidated financial results.

Revenue Recognition For Remaining Performance Obligations

Remaining Performance Obligations

The remaining performance obligations (RPO) disclosure provides the aggregate amount of the transaction price yet to be recognized as of the end of the reporting period and an explanation as to when the company expects to recognize these amounts in revenue. It is intended to be a statement of overall work under contract that has not yet been performed and does not include contracts in which the customer is not committed, such as certain as-a-Service, governmental, term software license and services offerings. The customer is not considered committed when they are able to terminate for convenience without payment of a substantive penalty. The disclosure includes estimates of variable consideration, except when the variable consideration is a sales-based or usage-based royalty promised in exchange for a license of intellectual property. Additionally, as a practical expedient, the company does not include contracts that have an original duration of one year or less. RPO estimates are subject to change and are affected by several factors, including

terminations, changes in the scope of contracts, periodic revalidations, adjustments for revenue that has not materialized and adjustments for currency.

Segments During the first quarter of 2020, the company realigned offerings and the related management system to reflect divestitures completed in the second half of 2019 and tighter integration of certain industry-related consulting services. Accordingly, the company updated its Cloud & Cognitive Software segment, Global Business Services segment and the Other – divested businesses category in the first quarter of 2020 and recast the related historical information for consistency with the go-forward performance. Total recast revenue for full-year 2019 was approximately $0.3 billion of IBM’s total $77 billion. There was no change to the Global Technology Services, Systems or Global Financing segments, and there was no impact to IBM’s consolidated results
Financial Assets and Liabilities Measured At Fair Value

Fair Value Measurements

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The company classifies certain assets and liabilities based on the following fair value hierarchy:

Level 1—Quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that can be accessed at the measurement date;

Level 2—Inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly; and

Level 3—Unobservable inputs for the asset or liability.

When available, the company uses unadjusted quoted market prices in active markets to measure the fair value and classifies such items as Level 1. If quoted market prices are not available, fair value is based upon internally developed models that use current market-based or independently sourced market parameters such as interest rates and currency rates. Items valued using internally generated models are classified according to the lowest level input or value driver that is significant to the valuation.

The determination of fair value considers various factors including interest rate yield curves and time value underlying the financial instruments. For derivatives and debt securities, the company uses a discounted cash flow analysis using discount rates commensurate with the duration of the instrument.

In determining the fair value of financial instruments, the company considers certain market valuation adjustments to the “base valuations” calculated using the methodologies described below for several parameters that market participants would consider in determining fair value:

Counterparty credit risk adjustments are applied to financial instruments, taking into account the actual credit risk of a counterparty as observed in the credit default swap market to determine the true fair value of such an instrument.

Credit risk adjustments are applied to reflect the company’s own credit risk when valuing all liabilities measured at fair value. The methodology is consistent with that applied in developing counterparty credit risk adjustments, but incorporates the company’s own credit risk as observed in the credit default swap market.

The company holds investments in time deposits, certificates of deposit, U.S. government and agency debt, and corporate debt securities that are designated as available-for-sale. The primary objective of the company’s debt investment portfolio is to maintain principal by investing in short-term highly liquid securities with a credit rating of investment grade Aa2 or higher.

Available-for-sale securities are measured for impairment on a recurring basis by comparing the security’s fair value with its amortized cost basis. Effective January 1, 2020 with the adoption of the new standard on credit losses, if the fair value of the security falls below its amortized cost basis, the change in fair value is recognized in the period the impairment is identified when the loss is due to credit factors. The change in fair value due to non-credit factors is recorded in other comprehensive income when the company does not intend to sell and has the ability to hold the investment. The company’s standard practice is to hold all of its debt security investments classified as available-for-sale until maturity. No impairment for credit losses and no material non-credit impairment was recorded for the three months ended March 31, 2020. Prior to the adoption of the new standard, available-for-sale securities were measured for

impairment using an other-than-temporary impairment model. No impairment was recorded for the three months ended March 31, 2019.

Certain non-financial assets such as property, plant and equipment, operating right-of-use assets, land, goodwill and intangible assets are also subject to nonrecurring fair value measurements if they are deemed to be impaired. The impairment models used for non-financial assets depend on the type of asset. There were no material impairments of non-financial assets for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

Financial Assets and Liabilities Not Measured At Fair Value

Financial Assets and Liabilities Not Measured at Fair Value

Short-Term Receivables and Payables

Notes and other accounts receivable and other investments are financial assets with carrying values that approximate fair value. Accounts payable, other accrued expenses and short-term debt (excluding the current portion of long-term debt and including short-term finance lease liabilities) are financial liabilities with carrying values that approximate fair value. If measured at fair value in the financial statements, these financial instruments would be classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy, except for short-term debt which would be classified as Level 2.

Loans and Long-Term Receivables

Fair values are based on discounted future cash flows using current interest rates offered for similar loans to clients with similar credit ratings for the same remaining maturities. At March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the difference between the carrying amount and estimated fair value for loans and long-term receivables was immaterial. If measured at fair value in the financial statements, these financial instruments would be classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

Long-Term Debt

Fair value of publicly-traded long-term debt is based on quoted market prices for the identical liability when traded as an asset in an active market. For other long-term debt (including long-term finance lease liabilities) for which a quoted market price is not available, an expected present value technique that uses rates currently available to the company for debt with similar terms and remaining maturities is used to estimate fair value. The carrying amount of long-term debt was $52,685 million and $54,102 million, and the estimated fair value was $56,760 million and $58,431 million at March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively. If measured at fair value in the financial statements, long-term debt (including the current portion) would be classified as Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy.

Financing Receivables Effective January 1, 2020, the company adopted the new accounting standard related to credit losses, using the transition option whereby prior comparative periods were not retrospectively presented in the Consolidated Financial Statements. Refer to note 2, “Accounting Changes,” for additional information. Under this new guidance, the amortized cost basis of a financial asset represents the original amount of the financing receivable (including residual value) adjusted for unearned income, deferred initial direct costs, cash collected, write-offs and any foreign exchange adjustments. The allowance for credit losses represents future expected credit losses over the life of the receivables based on past experience, current information and forward-looking economic considerations. Prior to the effective date, financing receivables were measured at recorded investment, which does not include residual value. As a result of the company’s transition option, all prior periods are presented at recorded investment, while current period information is presented at amortized cost.
Allowance for Credit Losses - Financing Receivables

Allowance for Credit Losses – Financing Receivables

Refer to note A, “Significant Accounting Policies,” in the company’s 2019 Annual Report for a full description of its accounting policies for trade and financing receivables, contract assets and related allowances. The descriptions below include any changes to those policies due to the new standard.

Effective with the adoption of the new credit losses standard, the company’s estimates of its allowances for expected credit losses include consideration of: past events, including any historical default, historical concessions and resulting troubled debt restructurings, current economic conditions, taking into account any non-freestanding mitigating credit enhancements and certain forward-looking information, including reasonable and supportable forecasts.

Collectively Evaluated Financing Receivables

The company determines its allowance for credit losses based on two portfolio segments: client financing receivables and commercial financing receivables, and further segments the portfolio into three classes: Americas, Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA) and Asia Pacific.

For client financing receivables, the company uses a credit loss model to calculate allowances based on its internal loss experience and current conditions and forecasts, by class of financing receivable. The company records an unallocated reserve that is calculated by applying a reserve rate to its portfolio, excluding accounts that have been individually evaluated and specifically reserved. This reserve rate is based upon credit rating, probability of default, term and loss history. The allowance is adjusted quarterly for expected recoveries of amounts that were previously written off or are expected to be written off. Recoveries cannot exceed the aggregated amount of the previous write-off or expected write-off.

Macroeconomic variables attributed to the expected credit losses for client financing receivables may vary by class of financing receivables based on historical experiences, portfolio composition and current environment. In addition to a qualitative review of credit risk factors across the portfolio, the company considers forward-looking macroeconomic variables such as gross domestic product, unemployment rates, equity prices and corporate profits when quantifying the impact of economic forecasts on its client financing receivables expected allowance for credit losses. The company also considers the impact of current conditions and economic forecasts relating to specific industries, geographical areas, and client-specific exposures on the portfolio. Under this approach, forecasts of these variables over two years are considered reasonable and supportable. Beyond two years, the company reverts to long-term average loss experience. Forward-looking estimates require the use of judgment, particularly in times of economic uncertainty. With evolving global impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, external economic models have been revised with increased frequency and with alternative scenarios. The company’s allowances at March 31, 2020, reflect the qualitative process described above. Any changes to economic models that occurred after the balance sheet date will be reflected in future periods.

The allowance for commercial financing receivables is estimated based on a combination of write-off history and current economic conditions, excluding any individually evaluated accounts.

Client Financing Receivables

Client Financing Receivables

The following tables present the amortized cost basis or recorded investment for the client financing receivables portfolio segment at March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, further segmented by three classes: Americas, Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA) and Asia Pacific. The commercial financing receivables portfolio segment is excluded from this presentation, as it is short term in nature and the current estimated risk of loss and resulting impact to the company’s financing results is not material.

Past Due Financing Receivables

Past Due Financing Receivables

The company considers a client’s financing receivable balance past due when any installment is aged over 90 days. The following tables summarize information about the amortized cost basis or recorded investment in lease and loan financing receivables, including amortized cost or recorded investment aged over 90 days and still accruing, billed invoices aged over 90 days and still accruing, and amortized cost or recorded investment not accruing.

Commitments Effective January 1, 2020, the company adopted the new standard on credit losses, which resulted in the recognition of a related allowance for non-cancellable off-balance sheet commitments. Refer to note 2, “Accounting Changes,” for additional information. The allowance for these commitments is recorded in other liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheet and was not material at March 31, 2020. The company collectively evaluates the allowance for these arrangements using a provision methodology consistent with the portfolio of the commitments. Refer to note 8, “Financing Receivables,” for additional information.The company has applied the guidance requiring a guarantor to disclose certain types of guarantees, even if the likelihood of requiring the guarantor’s performance is remote.
Contingencies

The company records a provision with respect to a claim, suit, investigation or proceeding when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. Any recorded liabilities, including any changes to such liabilities for the quarter ended March 31, 2020 were not material to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

In accordance with the relevant accounting guidance, the company provides disclosures of matters for which the likelihood of material loss is at least reasonably possible. In addition, the company also discloses matters based on its consideration of other matters and qualitative factors, including the experience of other companies in the industry, and investor, customer and employee relations considerations.

With respect to certain of the claims, suits, investigations and proceedings discussed herein, the company believes at this time that the likelihood of any material loss is remote, given, for example, the procedural status, court rulings, and/or the strength of the company’s defenses in those matters. With respect to the remaining claims, suits, investigations and proceedings discussed in this note, except as specifically discussed herein, the company is unable to provide estimates of reasonably possible losses or range of losses, including losses in excess of amounts accrued, if any, for the following reasons. Claims, suits, investigations and proceedings are inherently uncertain, and it is not possible to predict the ultimate outcome of these matters. It is the company’s experience that damage amounts claimed in litigation against it are unreliable and unrelated to possible outcomes, and as such are not meaningful indicators of the company’s potential liability. Further, the company is unable to provide such an estimate due to a number of other factors with respect to these claims, suits, investigations and proceedings, including considerations of the procedural status of the matter in question, the presence of complex or novel legal theories, and/or the ongoing discovery and development of information

important to the matters. The company reviews claims, suits, investigations and proceedings at least quarterly, and decisions are made with respect to recording or adjusting provisions and disclosing reasonably possible losses or range of losses (individually or in the aggregate), to reflect the impact and status of settlement discussions, discovery, procedural and substantive rulings, reviews by counsel and other information pertinent to a particular matter.

Derivative Financial Instruments

The company operates in multiple functional currencies and is a significant lender and borrower in the global markets. In the normal course of business, the company is exposed to the impact of interest rate changes and foreign currency fluctuations, and to a lesser extent equity and commodity price changes and client credit risk. The company limits these risks by following established risk management policies and procedures, including the use of derivatives, and, where cost effective, financing with debt in the currencies in which assets are denominated. For interest rate exposures, derivatives are used to better align rate movements between the interest rates associated with the company’s lease and other financial assets and the interest rates associated with its financing debt. Derivatives are also used to manage the related cost of debt. For foreign currency exposures, derivatives are used to better manage the cash flow volatility arising from foreign exchange rate fluctuations.

In the Consolidated Balance Sheet, the company does not offset derivative assets against liabilities in master netting arrangements nor does it offset receivables or payables recognized upon payment or receipt of cash collateral against the fair values of the related derivative instruments. The amount recognized in accounts payable for the obligation to return cash collateral at March 31, 2020 was $2 million and no amount was recognized at December 31, 2019. No amount was recognized in other accounts receivable for the right to reclaim cash collateral at March 31, 2020 and $26 million was recognized at December 31, 2019. The company restricts the use of cash collateral received to rehypothecation, and therefore reports it in restricted cash in the Consolidated Balance Sheet. No amount was rehypothecated at March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019. Additionally, if derivative exposures covered by a qualifying master netting agreement had been netted in the Consolidated Balance Sheet at March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the total derivative asset and liability positions each would have been reduced by $249 million and $194 million, respectively.

In its hedging programs, the company may use forward contracts, futures contracts, interest-rate swaps, cross-currency swaps, equity swaps, and options depending upon the underlying exposure. The company is not a party to leveraged derivative instruments.

Derivatives, Methods of Accounting, Hedge Effectiveness
(3)The company’s policy is to recognize all fair value changes in amounts excluded from effectiveness testing in net income each period.
Stock-Based Compensation Stock-based compensation cost is measured at grant date, based on the fair value of the award, and is recognized over the employee requisite service period.