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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Procedures and New Accounting Standards
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2022
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Procedures and New Accounting Standards Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Procedures and New Accounting Standards
Principles of Consolidation. These consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Realty Income and all other entities in which we have a controlling financial interest. We evaluate whether we have a controlling financial interest in an entity in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 810, Consolidation.

Voting interest entities are entities considered to have sufficient equity at risk and which the equity holders have the obligation to absorb losses, the right to receive residual returns and the right to make decisions about the entity’s activities. We consolidate voting interest entities in which we have a controlling financial interest, which we typically have through holding of a majority of the entity’s voting equity interests.

Variable interest entities (“VIEs”) are entities that lack sufficient equity at risk or where the equity holders either do not have the obligation to absorb losses, do not have the right to receive residual returns, do not have the right to make decisions about the entity’s activities, or some combination of the above. A controlling financial interest in a VIE is present when an entity has a variable interest, or a combination of variable interests, that provides the entity with (i) the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance and (ii) the obligation to absorb losses of the VIE or the right to receive benefits from the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE. An entity that meets both conditions above is deemed the primary beneficiary and consolidates the VIE. We reassess our initial evaluation of whether an entity is a VIE when certain reconsideration events occur. We reassess our determination of whether we are the primary beneficiary of a VIE on an ongoing basis based on current facts and circumstances.

The portion of a consolidated entity not owned by us is recorded as a noncontrolling interest. Noncontrolling interests are reflected on our consolidated balance sheets as a component of equity. Noncontrolling interest that was created or assumed as part of a business combination or asset acquisition was recognized at fair value as of the date of the transaction (see note 11, Noncontrolling Interests).
Income Taxes. We have elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust, or REIT, under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. We believe we have qualified and continue to qualify as a REIT. Under the REIT operating structure, we are permitted to deduct dividends paid to our stockholders in determining our taxable income. Assuming our dividends equal or exceed our taxable net income in the US, we generally will not be required to pay U.S. income taxes on such income. However, we are liable for taxes in the United Kingdom and Spain. Accordingly, a provision has been made for U.K. and Spain income taxes, as well as U.S. income taxes on our taxable REIT subsidiaries, but no provision was made for U.S. income taxes for our U.S. REIT parent.
Lease Revenue Recognition and Accounts Receivable. The COVID-19 pandemic and the measures taken to limit its spread have negatively impacted the economy across many industries, including the industries in which some of our clients operate. We continue to assess the probability of collecting substantially all of the lease payments to which we are entitled under the original lease contract as required under Topic 842, Leases. We assess the collectability of our future lease payments based on an analysis of creditworthiness, economic trends (including trends arising from the COVID-19 pandemic) and other facts and circumstances related to the applicable clients. If we conclude the collection of substantially all lease payments under a lease is less than probable, rental revenue recognized for that lease is limited to cash received going forward, existing operating lease receivables, including those related to straight-line rental revenue, must be written off as an adjustment to rental revenue, and no further operating lease receivables are recorded for that lease until such future determination is made that substantially all lease payments under that lease are now considered probable. If we subsequently conclude that the collection of substantially all lease payments under a lease is probable, a reversal of lease receivables previously written off is recognized.

The majority of concessions granted to our clients as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic have been rent deferrals with the original lease term unchanged. In accordance with the guidance provided by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) staff, we have elected to account for these leases as if the right of deferral existed in the lease contract and therefore continue to recognize lease revenue in accordance with the lease contract in effect. In limited circumstances, the undiscounted cash flows resulting from deferrals granted increased significantly from original lease terms, which required us to account for these as lease modifications and resulted in an insignificant impact to consolidated rental revenue. Similarly, rent abatements granted, which are also accounted for as lease modifications, have impacted our rental revenue by an insignificant amount.

As of September 30, 2022, other than the information related to the reserves recorded to date, we do not have any further client specific information that would change our assessment that collection of substantially all of the future lease payments under our existing leases is probable. However, since the conversations regarding rent collections for our clients affected by the COVID-19 pandemic are ongoing and we do not currently know the types of future concessions, if any, that will ultimately be granted, there may be impacts in future periods that could change this assessment as the situation continues to evolve and as more information becomes available.
Investment in Unconsolidated Entities. During the three months ended September 30, 2022, all seven properties owned by our industrial partnerships and accounted for under the equity method were sold. For further details, see note 5. Investments in Real Estate.
We accounted for our investment in unconsolidated entity arrangements using the equity method of accounting as we had the ability to exercise significant influence, but not control, over operating and financing policies of these investments. We had determined that none of the unconsolidated entities would be considered VIEs under the applicable accounting guidance. Our equity method investments were acquired in our merger with VEREIT. As a result, the investments were recorded at fair value and subsequently would be adjusted for our share of equity in the entities' earnings and distributions received. The step-up in fair value was allocated to the individual investment assets and liabilities and is being amortized over the estimated useful life of the respective underlying tangible real estate assets, the lease term of the intangible real estate assets, and the remaining term of the assumed debt. The carrying value of our investment was included in 'Investment in unconsolidated entities' in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. We recorded our proportionate share of net income from the unconsolidated entities in 'Equity in income and impairment of investment in unconsolidated entities' in the consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income.
Segment Reporting. During the second quarter of 2022, a re-evaluation of our business and management structure led to a change in identification of operating and reportable segments. As we have grown in size and scale over recent years, including through the acquisition of VEREIT in November 2021, management has shifted its focus from managing primarily through identification of concentrations of risk from exposure to client industries or
geographies, to now focused on seeking investments with attractive yields and risk adjusted returns regardless of client industry or geography. As a result, we reorganized our business activities into one operating and reportable segment. ASC Topic 280, Segment Reporting, establishes standards for the manner in which enterprises report information about operating segments. We are engaged in a single business activity, which is the leasing of property to clients, generally on a net basis (whereby clients are responsible for property taxes, insurance and maintenance costs). That business activity spans various geographic boundaries and includes property types and clients engaged in various industries, but ultimately all business activity involves similar economic characteristics of owning and leasing commercial properties under long-term, net lease agreements. Therefore, we aggregate these business activities for reporting purposes and operate in one operating and reportable segment. This segmental presentation is consistent with the information provided to our chief operating decision maker to make decisions about allocating resources and assessing our performance.
Newly Issued Accounting Standards In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04 establishing Topic 848, Reference Rate Reform. ASU 2020-04 contains practical expedients for reference rate reform related activities that impact debt, leases, derivatives and other contracts. The guidance is optional and is effective between March 12, 2020, and December 31, 2022. The guidance may be elected over time as reference rate reform activities occur. As of September 30, 2022, all of our debt and derivative instruments have been converted from LIBOR to SOFR. The interest rate swap on our term loan, which was converted to a SOFR benchmark from LIBOR during June 2022, continues to be accounted for as a cash flow hedge. The adoption of this guidance had no impact on our consolidated financial statements.