Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2021

Significant 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, including the macroeconomic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, actual results may be different from these estimates.

On November 3, 2021, the company completed the previously announced separation of its managed infrastructure services unit into a new public company with the distribution of 80.1 percent of the outstanding common stock of Kyndryl Holdings, Inc. (Kyndryl) to IBM stockholders on a pro rata basis. To effect the separation, IBM stockholders received one share of Kyndryl common stock for every five shares of IBM common stock held at the close of business on October 25, 2021, the record date for the distribution. The company retained 19.9 percent of the shares of Kyndryl common stock immediately following the separation with the intent to dispose of such shares within twelve months after the distribution. The company’s financial results for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2021 include Kyndryl. With the completion of the separation, the historical results of Kyndryl will be presented as discontinued operations in the company’s Consolidated Financial Statements beginning in the fourth quarter of 2021.

Effective immediately prior to the separation of Kyndryl, the company made a number of changes to its organizational structure and management system. These changes will impact the company’s reportable segments beginning in the fourth quarter of 2021 but will not impact the company’s Consolidated Financial Statements. Since these organizational changes did not occur until the fourth quarter of 2021, the periods presented in this Form 10-Q are reported under the historical segments. See note 4, "Segments" for additional information.

The continuing operations provision for income taxes for the third quarter of 2021 was $188 million, compared to $128 million in the third quarter of 2020. The increase primarily relates to higher discrete tax benefits in the prior year. The provision for income taxes for the third quarter of 2021 includes tax charges related to the Kyndryl separation, partially offset by tax benefits associated with third quarter events that resulted in the expected utilization of U.S. foreign tax credits. The continuing operations provision for income taxes for the first nine months of 2021 was $365 million, compared to a benefit from income taxes of $888 million for the first nine months of 2020. The benefit from income taxes for the first nine months of 2020 was primarily related to the tax impacts of an intra-entity sale of certain of the company’s intellectual property.

Noncontrolling interest amounts of $8.3 million and $3.4 million, net of tax, for the three months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively, and $22.4 million and $14.7 million, net of tax, for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, 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 2020 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. This is annotated where applicable.

Accounting Changes

New Standards to be Implemented

Revenue Contracts with Customers Acquired in a Business Combination

Standard/Description–Issuance date: October 2021. This guidance requires that an acquirer recognize and measure contract assets and contract liabilities acquired in a business combination in accordance with ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, as if it had originated the contracts. Deferred revenue acquired in a business combination is no longer required to be measured at its fair value, which had historically resulted in a deferred revenue impairment at the date of acquisition.

Effective Date and Adoption Considerations–The amendment is effective January 1, 2023 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.

Lessors-Certain Leases with Variable Lease Payments

Standard/Description–Issuance date: July 2021. This guidance modifies a lessor’s accounting for certain leases with variable lease payments that resulted in the recognition of a day-one loss even if the lessor expected the arrangement to be profitable overall. The amendment requires these types of lease contracts to be classified as operating leases which eliminates any recognition of a day-one loss.

Effective Date and Adoption Considerations–The amendment is effective January 1, 2022 and early adoption is permitted. The company will adopt the guidance on a prospective basis as of the effective date.

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

Standards 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 was effective January 1, 2021 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.

Reference Rate Reform

Standard/Description–Issuance date: March 2020, with amendments in 2021. 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. The company has evaluated the replacement of the LIBOR benchmark on its interest rate risk management activities and does not expect it to have a material impact in the consolidated financial results.

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 methodology 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.

Revenue

Remaining Performance Obligations

The remaining performance obligation (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, adjustment for revenue that has not materialized and adjustments for currency.

Segments

Performance measurement is based on pre-tax income from continuing operations. These results are used, in part, by the chief operating decision maker, both in evaluating the performance of, and in allocating resources to, each of the segments.

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 primarily in time deposits, certificates of deposit, and U.S. government debt that are designated as available-for-sale. The primary objective of the company’s cash and debt investment portfolio is to maintain principal by investing in very liquid and highly rated investment grade securities.

The company’s standard practice is to hold all of its debt security investments classified as available-for-sale until maturity. No impairments for credit losses and no material non-credit impairments were recorded for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

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 and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, 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 September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, 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 $46,926 million and $54,355 million, and the estimated fair value was $52,150 million and $61,598 million at September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, 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

Financing receivables primarily consist of client loan and installment payment receivables (loans) and investment in sales-type and direct financing leases (collectively referred to as client financing receivables) and commercial financing receivables. Loans are provided primarily to clients to finance the purchase of hardware, software and services. Payment terms on these financing arrangements are generally for terms up to seven years. Investment in sales-type and direct financing leases relate principally to the company’s Systems products and are for terms ranging generally from two to six years. Commercial financing receivables relate primarily to working capital financing for dealers and remarketers of IBM products. Payment terms for working capital financing generally range from 30 to 90 days.

Financing Receivables by Portfolio Segment

The following tables present the amortized cost basis of client financing receivables at September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, further segmented by three classes: Americas, Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA) and Asia Pacific. The commercial financing receivables portfolio segment is excluded from the tables in the sections below as the receivables are short term in nature and the current estimated risk of loss and resulting impact to the company’s financial results are not material.

Allowance for Credit Losses - Financing Receivables

IBM continues to monitor the global impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic as well as its impact on external economic models. The company’s allowance for credit losses at September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 reflects the qualitative process which is described further in note A, “Significant Accounting Policies” in the company’s 2020 Annual Report. Any changes to economic models that occurred after the balance sheet date will be reflected in future periods.

Impairment

At the date of issuance of the financial statements, the company's annual goodwill impairment analysis which is performed during the fourth quarter is not yet complete. In anticipation of the separation of Kyndryl that occurred on November 3, 2021 and the segment changes immediately prior to the separation, the company began performing the quantitative tests of goodwill impairment for all affected reporting units. Preliminary analysis indicates the fair value of the Infrastructure Services reporting unit which includes Kyndryl and is part of the GTS segment, approximates its carrying amount. This reporting unit had goodwill of $5.8 billion as of September 30, 2021. The final goodwill impairment analysis may differ significantly from the company's preliminary result.

Commitments

The company collectively evaluates the allowance for these arrangements using a provision methodology consistent with the portfolio of the commitments. Refer to note A, “Significant Accounting Policies” in the company’s 2020 Annual Report 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. The following is a description of arrangements in which the company is the guarantor.

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 September 30, 2021 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.

Offsetting Derivatives

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 company restricts the use of cash collateral received to rehypothecation, and therefore reports it in restricted cash in the Consolidated Balance Sheet.

Derivative Contracts, Swaps and Options

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. In connection with the separation of Kyndryl, as required by the company’s stock-based incentive award plans, the number of shares underlying remaining unvested stock awards will be adjusted. The company will also adjust the exercise price and number of shares underlying outstanding stock options. All adjustments are made with the intent to preserve the intrinsic value of each award immediately before and after the separation