Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Procedures and Recent Accounting Pronouncements (Policies)	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Procedures and Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Principles of Consolidation	A. The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Realty Income and other entities for which we make operating and financial decisions (i.e., control), after elimination of all material intercompany balances and transactions. We consolidate entities that we control and record a noncontrolling interest for the portion that we do not own. Noncontrolling interest that was created or assumed as part of a business combination was recognized at fair value as of the date of the transaction (see note 9). We have no unconsolidated investments.
Federal Income Taxes	B. 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 net income, we generally will not be required to pay federal corporate income taxes on such income. Accordingly, no provision has been made for federal income taxes in the accompanying consolidated financial statements, except for federal income taxes of our taxable REIT subsidiaries. The income taxes recorded on our consolidated statements of income represent amounts paid by Realty Income for city and state income and franchise taxes.
Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts	C. We recognize an allowance for doubtful accounts relating to accounts receivable for amounts deemed uncollectible. We consider tenant specific issues, such as financial stability and ability to pay rent, when determining collectability of accounts receivable and appropriate allowances to record. The allowance for doubtful accounts was $409,000 at March 31, 2015 and $765,000 at December 31, 2014.
Goodwill	D. We assign a portion of goodwill to our applicable property sales, which results in a reduction of the carrying amount of our goodwill. In order to allocate goodwill to the carrying amount of properties that we sell, we utilize a relative fair value approach based on the original methodology for assigning goodwill. As we sell properties, our goodwill will likely continue to gradually decrease over time.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	E. In April 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, issued ASU 2015-03, which amends Topic 835, Other Presentation Matters. The amendments in the ASU require that debt issuance costs be reported on the balance sheet as a direct reduction of the face amount of the debt instrument they relate to, and should not be classified as a deferred charge, as was previously required under the Accounting Standards Codification. ASU 2015-03 is effective, on a retrospective basis, for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015; early adoption is permitted. We do not expect the adoption of this ASU to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Procedures and Recent Accounting Pronouncements (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2015

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Procedures and Recent Accounting Pronouncements

A. The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Realty Income and other entities for which we make operating and financial decisions (i.e., control), after elimination of all material intercompany balances and transactions. We consolidate entities that we control and record a noncontrolling interest for the portion that we do not own. Noncontrolling interest that was created or assumed as part of a business combination was recognized at fair value as of the date of the transaction (see note 9). We have no unconsolidated investments.

Federal Income Taxes

B. 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 net income, we generally will not be required to pay federal corporate income taxes on such income. Accordingly, no provision has been made for federal income taxes in the accompanying consolidated financial statements, except for federal income taxes of our taxable REIT subsidiaries. The income taxes recorded on our consolidated statements of income represent amounts paid by Realty Income for city and state income and franchise taxes.

Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

C. We recognize an allowance for doubtful accounts relating to accounts receivable for amounts deemed uncollectible. We consider tenant specific issues, such as financial stability and ability to pay rent, when determining collectability of accounts receivable and appropriate allowances to record. The allowance for doubtful accounts was $409,000 at March 31, 2015 and $765,000 at December 31, 2014.

Goodwill

D. We assign a portion of goodwill to our applicable property sales, which results in a reduction of the carrying amount of our goodwill. In order to allocate goodwill to the carrying amount of properties that we sell, we utilize a relative fair value approach based on the original methodology for assigning goodwill. As we sell properties, our goodwill will likely continue to gradually decrease over time.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

E. In April 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, issued ASU 2015-03, which amends Topic 835, Other Presentation Matters. The amendments in the ASU require that debt issuance costs be reported on the balance sheet as a direct reduction of the face amount of the debt instrument they relate to, and should not be classified as a deferred charge, as was previously required under the Accounting Standards Codification. ASU 2015-03 is effective, on a retrospective basis, for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015; early adoption is permitted. We do not expect the adoption of this ASU to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

- Definition

Disclosure of accounting policy regarding (1) the principles it follows in consolidating or combining the separate financial statements, including the principles followed in determining the inclusion or exclusion of subsidiaries or other entities in the consolidated or combined financial statements and (2) its treatment of interests (for example, common stock, a partnership interest or other means of exerting influence) in other entities, for example consolidation or use of the equity or cost methods of accounting. The accounting policy may also address the accounting treatment for intercompany accounts and transactions, noncontrolling interest, and the income statement treatment in consolidation for issuances of stock by a subsidiary.

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- Definition

Disclosure of accounting policy for income taxes, which may include its accounting policies for recognizing and measuring deferred tax assets and liabilities and related valuation allowances, recognizing investment tax credits, operating loss carryforwards, tax credit carryforwards, and other carryforwards, methodologies for determining its effective income tax rate and the characterization of interest and penalties in the financial statements.

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