NOTE 1 — ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Accounting Principles

We prepare our unaudited interim consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). In the opinion of management, the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments of a normal recurring nature that are necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the interim periods presented. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of results for a full year. The information included in this Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with information included in the Microsoft Corporation 2015 Form 10-K and Form 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on July 31, 2015 and October 27, 2015, respectively.

We have recast certain prior period amounts to conform to the current period presentation, with no impact on consolidated net income or cash flows.

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Microsoft Corporation and its subsidiaries. Intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated. Equity investments through which we are able to exercise significant influence over but do not control the investee and are not the primary beneficiary of the investee’s activities are accounted for using the equity method. Investments through which we are not able to exercise significant influence over the investee and which do not have readily determinable fair values are accounted for under the cost method.

Recasting of Certain Prior Period Information

In June 2015, we announced a change in organizational structure as part of our transformation in the mobile-first, cloud-first world. During the first quarter of fiscal year 2016, the Company’s chief operating decision maker, who is also our Chief Executive Officer, requested changes in the information that he regularly reviews for purposes of allocating resources and assessing performance. As a result, beginning in fiscal year 2016, we report our financial performance based on our new segments described in Note 18 – Segment Information. We have recast certain prior period amounts to conform to the way we internally manage and monitor segment performance during fiscal year 2016. This change primarily impacted Note 9 – Goodwill, Note 14 – Unearned Revenue, and Note 18 – Segment Information, with no impact on consolidated net income or cash flows.

Estimates and Assumptions

Preparing financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue, and expenses. Examples of estimates include: loss contingencies; product warranties; the fair value of, and/or potential impairment of goodwill and intangibles assets, for our reporting units; product life cycles; useful lives of our tangible and intangible assets; allowances for doubtful accounts; allowances for product returns; the market value of our inventory; and stock-based compensation forfeiture rates. Examples of assumptions include: the elements comprising a software arrangement, including the distinction between upgrades or enhancements and new products; when technological feasibility is achieved for our products; the potential outcome of future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in our consolidated financial statements or tax returns; and determining when investment impairments are other-than-temporary. Actual results and outcomes may differ from management’s estimates and assumptions.

Revenue Recognition for Windows 10 Licenses

Customers purchasing a Windows 10 license will receive unspecified updates and upgrades over the life of their Windows 10 device at no additional cost. As these updates and upgrades will not be sold on a stand-alone basis, we are unable to establish vendor-specific objective evidence of fair value. Accordingly, revenue from licenses of Windows 10 is recognized ratably over the estimated life of the related device, which ranges between two to four years.

Recent Accounting Guidance

Recently adopted accounting guidance

In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued a new standard that changes the accounting for certain aspects of share-based payments to employees. The new guidance requires excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies to be recorded in the income statement when the awards vest or are settled. In addition, cash flows related to excess tax benefits will no longer be separately classified as a financing activity apart from other income tax cash flows. The standard also allows us to repurchase more of an employee’s shares for tax withholding purposes without triggering liability accounting, clarifies that all cash payments made on an employee’s behalf for withheld shares should be presented as a financing activity on our cash flows statement, and provides an accounting policy election to account for forfeitures as they occur. The new standard is effective for us beginning July 1, 2017, with early adoption permitted.

We elected to early adopt the new guidance in the third quarter of fiscal year 2016 which requires us to reflect any adjustments as of July 1, 2015, the beginning of the annual period that includes the interim period of adoption. The primary impact of adoption was the recognition of excess tax benefits in our provision for income taxes rather than paid-in capital for all periods in fiscal year 2016. Additional amendments to the accounting for income taxes and minimum statutory withholding tax requirements had no impact to retained earnings as of July 1, 2015, where the cumulative effect of these changes are required to be recorded. We have elected to continue to estimate forfeitures expected to occur to determine the amount of compensation cost to be recognized in each period.

We elected to apply the presentation requirements for cash flows related to excess tax benefits retrospectively to all periods presented which resulted in an increase to both net cash from operations and net cash used in financing of $31 million and $555 million for the three months and nine months ended March 31, 2015, respectively. The presentation requirements for cash flows related to employee taxes paid for withheld shares had no impact to any of the periods presented in our consolidated cash flows statements since such cash flows have historically been presented as a financing activity.

Adoption of the new standard resulted in the recognition of excess tax benefits in our provision for income taxes rather than paid-in capital of $74 million and $376 million for the three and nine months ended March 31, 2016, respectively, and impacted our previously reported quarterly results for fiscal year 2016 as follows:


(In millions, except earnings per share)	Three Months Ended September 30, 2015						Three Months Ended December 31, 2015


	As reported			As adjusted			As reported			As adjusted

Income statements:

Provision for income taxes	$	893		$	611		$	857		$	837
Net income	$	4,620		$	4,902		$	4,998		$	5,018
Basic earnings per share	$	0.58		$	0.61		$	0.63		$	0.63
Diluted earnings per share	$	0.57		$	0.61		$	0.62		$	0.62
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding		8,066			8,084			8,028			8,051

Cash flows statements:

Net cash from operations	$	8,594		$	8,876		$	5,598		$	5,618
Net cash used in financing	$	(3,648	)	$	(3,930	)	$	(498	)	$	(518	)


(In millions)	September 30, 2015				December 31, 2015


	As reported		As adjusted		As reported		As adjusted

Balance sheets:

Common stock and paid-in capital	$	68,093	$	67,811	$	68,279	$	67,977
Retained earnings	$	7,614	$	7,896	$	6,728	$	7,030

Recent accounting guidance not yet adopted

In May 2014, the FASB issued a new standard related to revenue recognition. Under the new standard, recognition of revenue occurs when a customer obtains control of promised goods or services in an amount that reflects the consideration which the entity expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. In addition, the standard requires disclosure of the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. The new standard will be effective for us beginning July 1, 2018, and adoption as of the original effective date of July 1, 2017 is permitted. We anticipate this standard will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements, and we are currently evaluating its impact.

In January 2016, the FASB issued a new standard to amend certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure of financial instruments. Most prominent among the amendments is the requirement for changes in the fair value of our equity investments, with certain exceptions, to be recognized through net income rather than other comprehensive income (“OCI”). The new standard will be effective for us beginning July 1, 2018. The application of the amendments will result in a cumulative-effect adjustment to our consolidated balance sheet as of the effective date. We are currently evaluating the impact of this standard on our consolidated financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued a new standard related to leases to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by requiring the recognition of lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet. Most prominent among the amendments is the recognition of assets and liabilities by lessees for those leases classified as operating leases under previous U.S. GAAP. Under the new standard, disclosures are required to meet the objective of enabling users of financial statements to assess the amount, timing, and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. The new standard will be effective for us beginning July 1, 2019, with early adoption permitted. We anticipate this standard will have a material impact on our consolidated balance sheets, and we are currently evaluating its impact.