Basis of Presentation (Notes)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2011

Basis of Presentation [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

The unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared by The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. and subsidiaries (the “Company,” “IPG,” “we,” “us” or “our”) in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP") and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for reporting interim financial information on Form 10-Q. Accordingly, they do not include certain information and disclosures required for complete financial statements. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires us to make judgments, assumptions and estimates that affect the amounts reported and disclosed. Actual results could differ from these estimates and assumptions. The consolidated results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results for the full year and should be read in conjunction with our 2010 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

In the opinion of management, these unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements include all adjustments of a normal and recurring nature necessary for a fair statement of the information for each period contained therein. Certain reclassifications have been made to prior period financial statements to conform to the current period presentation.

During the third quarter of 2011, we combined media and production liabilities that were previously reflected in accrued liabilities with accounts payable in our Consolidated Balance Sheets to better reflect all media and production related liabilities in one caption.  As a result of this change, which was applied retrospectively, accounts payable includes all media and production liabilities. As of September 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, accounts payable increased and accrued liabilities decreased by $2,316.2 and $2,332.2, respectively.  This change does not impact net working capital movements, operating cash flows or total current liabilities.

During the first quarter of 2011, we changed the classification of taxes assessed by governmental authorities that are directly imposed on our revenue-producing transactions from a gross to a net basis in a country. This change, which was applied retrospectively and does not change previously reported operating income or net income, decreased revenue and office and general expense by $7.4 for the three months endedSeptember 30, 2010, and by $17.8 for the nine months endedSeptember 30, 2010. A comparable amount is included as a reduction to revenue and office and general expense for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011. We believe this presentation better aligns the Company’s internal financial and operational management reporting as well as increases consistency in our external reporting across the countries in which we operate.