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Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

USG, through its subsidiaries, is a leading manufacturer and distributor of building materials. We produce a wide range of products for use in new residential, new nonresidential, and residential and nonresidential repair and remodel construction as well as products used in certain industrial processes. Our products also are distributed through building materials dealers, home improvement centers and other retailers, specialty wallboard distributors, and contractors.

Segments

Effective April 1, 2014, we changed the composition of our reportable segments to reflect the change in management over our businesses in Mexico and Latin America. Additionally, with the contribution of our businesses in the Asia-Pacific region, India and Oman into our investments with Boral Limited, Boral, in the 50/50 joint ventures, USG Boral Building Products or UBBP, we have determined UBBP to be our fourth reportable segment. Accordingly, our segments are now structured around our key products and business units: (1) Gypsum, (2) Ceilings, (3) Distribution and (4) UBBP. As a result of these changes, our Mexico and Latin America businesses have been combined, and their Gypsum results have been included within our Gypsum segment, previously referred to as North American Gypsum, and their Ceiling results have been included within our Ceilings segment, previously referred to as Worldwide Ceilings. Our prior period results have been recast to reflect these changes and present comparative year over year results. See Note 3, Equity Method Investments, and Note 16, Segments.

Our Gypsum reportable segment is an aggregation of the operating segments of the gypsum businesses in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Latin America, mining operation in Little Narrows, Nova Scotia, Canada, and our shipping company. Our Ceilings reportable segment is an aggregation of the operating segments of the ceilings businesses in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Latin America and through February 27, 2014, the businesses in the Asia-Pacific region. Gypsum manufactures USG Sheetrock^® brand gypsum wallboard and related products. Ceilings manufactures ceiling tile in the United States and ceiling grid in the United States, Canada and the Asia-Pacific region. Distribution distributes gypsum wallboard, drywall metal, ceilings products, joint compound and other building products throughout the United States. UBBP manufactures, distributes and sells certain building products, mines raw gypsum and sells natural and synthetic gypsum throughout Asia, Australasia and the Middle East.

Consolidation and Presentation

Our consolidated financial statements include the accounts of USG Corporation, its majority-owned subsidiaries and variable interest entities. Entities in which we have more than a 20% but not more than 50% ownership interest are accounted for using the equity method of accounting. All intercompany balances and transactions are eliminated in consolidation. On our consolidated statements of operations for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, income from equity method investments, which was previously included in "Other income, net," is reflected as "Income from equity method investments" and long-lived asset impairment charges, which was previously included in "Restructuring and long-lived asset impairment charges," are reflected as "Long-lived asset impairment charges" to conform to the current year presentation. On our consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2013, equity method investments, which was previously included in "Other assets" is reflected as "Equity method investments" to conform to the current year presentation. On our consolidated statements of cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, income from equity method investments previously included in "Other, net" has been reclassified to "Income from equity method investments."

Our investments with Boral in the 50/50 joint ventures, UBBP, commenced on February 27, 2014, and as a result, ten months of results of UBBP were recorded in our accompanying consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2014. See Note 3 for further description of our investments in UBBP.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of our consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions. These estimates and assumptions affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

Revenue Recognition

We recognize revenue when substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership transfer to the customer. We record provisions for discounts to customers based on the terms of sale in the same period in which the related sales are recorded. We record estimated reductions to revenue for customer programs and incentive offerings, including promotions and other volume-based incentives, in the period in which the sale occurs.

Shipping and Handling Costs

Shipping and handling costs are included in cost of products sold.

Advertising

Advertising expenses consist of media advertising and related production costs and sponsorships. We charge advertising expenses to earnings as incurred.

Research and Development

We charge research and development expenditures to earnings as incurred. These expenditures amounted to $23 million, $21 million and $18 million for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

Litigation Costs

We expense litigation costs as incurred.

Income Taxes

We record income tax expense (benefit) under the asset and liability method. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized based on the future tax consequences to temporary differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and attributable to net operating loss, or NOL, and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply in the years in which the temporary differences are expected to be recovered or paid. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in earnings in the period when the change is enacted. Valuation allowances are recorded to reduce deferred tax assets when it is more likely than not that a tax benefit will not be realized.

Inventory Valuation

All of our inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market. Virtually all of our inventories are valued under the average cost method with the remainder valued under the first-in, first-out cost method. Inventories include materials, labor and applicable factory overhead costs. Depreciation associated with manufacturing assets is excluded from inventory cost, but is included in cost of products sold.

Earnings (Loss) Per Share

Earnings (Loss) per Share

Basic earnings (loss) per share is based on the weighted average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted earnings per share is based on the weighted average number of common shares outstanding plus the dilutive effect, if any, of market share units, or MSUs, restricted stock units, or RSUs, and performance shares, and the potential exercise of outstanding stock options. Prior to the conversion of our 10% convertible senior notes (see Note 7), the dilutive effect of the potential conversion of the 10% convertible senior notes was included for the appropriate time periods when these instruments were outstanding.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include highly liquid investments, primarily money market funds, with maturities of three months or less at the time of purchase.

Marketable Securities

Marketable securities are classified as available-for-sale securities and reported at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses excluded from earnings and reported in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), or AOCI. If it is deemed that marketable securities have unrealized losses that are other than temporary, these losses will be recorded in earnings immediately. Situations in which losses may be considered other than temporary include when we have decided to sell a security or when it is more likely than not that we will be required to sell the security before we recover its amortized cost basis. Cost basis for securities sold are determined on a first-in-first-out basis.

Receivables

We include trade receivables in receivables on our consolidated balance sheets. Trade receivables are recorded at net realizable value, which includes allowances for cash discounts and doubtful accounts, and are reflected net of customer incentives. We review the collectability of trade receivables on an ongoing basis. We reserve for trade receivables determined to be uncollectible. This determination is based on the delinquency of the account, the financial condition of the customer and our collection experience.

We include short-term financing receivables in receivables and long-term financing receivables in other assets on our consolidated balance sheets. Financing receivables are recorded at net realizable value which includes an allowance for credit losses. We review the collectability of financing receivables on an ongoing basis. We reserve for financing receivables determined to be uncollectible. This determination is based on the delinquency of the account and the financial condition of the other party. As of December 31, 2014, the allowance for credit losses was immaterial.

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment is recorded at cost. We record depreciation of property, plant and equipment on a straight-line basis over the expected useful lives of the assets. We have determined estimated useful lives to be 50 years for buildings and improvements, a range of 10 to 25 years for machinery and equipment, and a range of 5 to 7 years for computer software and systems development costs. Leasehold improvements are capitalized and amortized over the shorter of the remaining lease term or remaining economic useful life. We capitalize interest during the active construction period of major capital projects. Capitalized interest is added to the cost of the underlying assets and is depreciated over the useful lives of those assets. We recorded $3 million of capitalized interest in both 2014 and in 2013 and none in 2012. Facility start-up costs that cannot be capitalized are expensed as incurred and recorded in cost of products sold. We compute depletion on a basis calculated to spread the cost of gypsum and other applicable resources over the estimated quantities of material recoverable. We review property, plant and equipment for impairment when indicators of a potential impairment are present by comparing the carrying values of the assets with their estimated future undiscounted cash flows. If we determine an impairment exists, the asset is written down to estimated fair value. As of December 31, 2013, we had $1 million of assets classified as held for sale on our consolidated balance sheet. We recognized a gain on sale of these assets of approximately $12 million in 2014. Both these assets and the gain on sale were included in our Gypsum segment. As of December 31, 2014, we had no assets classified as held for sale.

Intangible Assets

We perform impairment tests for intangible assets with indefinite useful lives as of October 31 of each year, or more frequently if events occur or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of an intangible asset below its carrying value. The impairment test consists of a comparison of the fair value of the asset with its carrying amount. If the carrying amount of an intangible asset exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss is recognized in an amount equal to that excess. Intangible assets determined to have indefinite useful lives, primarily comprised of trade names, are not amortized. An income approach is used for valuing trade names. Assumptions used in the income approach include projected revenues and assumed royalty, long-term growth and discount rates. We perform impairment tests on definite lived intangible assets, such as customer relationships, upon identification of events or circumstances that may indicate the carrying amount of the assets might be unrecoverable by comparing their undiscounted cash flows with their carrying value. If we determine impairment exists, the assets are written down to estimated fair value. As of December 31, 2014, we had $5 million of intangible assets in other current assets on the consolidated balance sheet classified as assets held for sale.

Share-Based Compensation

We award share-based compensation to employees in the form of stock options, restricted stock units, market share units, and performance shares and to directors in the form of shares of our common stock. All grants under share-based payment programs are accounted for at fair value at the date of grant. We recognize expense on all share-based awards to employees expected to vest over the service period, which is the shorter of the period until the employees’ retirement eligibility dates or the service period of the award.

Derivative Instruments

We use derivative instruments to manage selected commodity price and foreign currency exposures. We do not use derivative instruments for speculative trading purposes, and we typically do not hedge beyond three years. All derivative instruments must be recorded on the balance sheet at fair value. For derivatives designated as fair value hedges, the changes in the fair values of both the derivative instrument and the hedged item are recognized in earnings in the current period. For derivatives designated as cash flow hedges, the effective portion of changes in the fair value of the derivative is recorded to AOCI, and is reclassified to earnings when the underlying forecasted transaction affects earnings. The ineffective portion of changes in the fair value of the derivative is reported in cost of products sold in the current period. We periodically reassess the probability of the underlying forecasted transaction occurring. For derivatives designated as net investment hedges, we record changes in fair value to AOCI. For derivatives not designated as hedging instruments, all changes in fair value are recorded to earnings in the current period.

Currently, we are using swaps to hedge a significant portion of our anticipated purchases of natural gas to be used in our manufacturing operations. Generally, we hedge the cost of a majority of our anticipated purchases of natural gas over the next 12 months. However, we review our positions regularly and make adjustments as market conditions warrant. The majority of contracts currently in place are designated as cash flow hedges, and the remainder are not designated as hedging instruments.

We have operations in a number of countries and use forward contracts from time-to-time to hedge the risk of changes in cash flows resulting from selected forecasted intercompany and third-party sales or purchases, as well as intercompany loans, denominated in non-U.S. currencies, or to hedge the risk of selected changes in our net investment in foreign subsidiaries. These contracts are designated as either cash flow hedges or net investment hedges or are not designated as hedging instruments.

Foreign Currency Translation

We translate foreign-currency-denominated assets and liabilities into U.S. dollars at the exchange rates existing as of the respective balance sheet dates. We translate income and expense items at the average exchange rates during the respective periods. We record translation adjustments resulting from fluctuations in exchange rates to AOCI on our consolidated balance sheets. We also record our share of the translation adjustments recorded by our equity method investments to AOCI. We record transaction gains and losses to earnings. The total transaction loss was $6 million in 2014, $4 million in 2013 and none in 2012.

Fair Value Measurements

Certain assets and liabilities are required to be recorded at fair value. The estimated fair values of those assets and liabilities have been determined using market information and valuation methodologies. Changes in assumptions or estimation methods could affect the fair value estimates. However, we do not believe any such changes would have a material impact on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. There are three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value:


•	Level 1 – Quoted prices for identical assets and liabilities in active markets;


•	Level 2 – Quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar assets and liabilities in markets that are not active; and model-derived valuations in which all significant inputs and significant value drivers are observable in active markets; and


•	Level 3 – Valuations derived from valuation techniques in which one or more significant inputs or significant value drivers are unobservable.

Certain assets and liabilities are measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis rather than on an ongoing basis, but are subject to fair value adjustments in certain circumstances, such as when there is evidence of impairment or when a new liability is being established that requires fair value measurement.