Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2023

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Basis of Preparation

Basis of Preparation. The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements and footnotes thereto of Automatic Data Processing, Inc., its subsidiaries and variable interest entity (“ADP” or the “Company”) have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

The Company has a grantor trust, which holds the majority of the funds provided by its clients pending remittance to employees of those clients, tax authorities, and other payees. The Company is the sole beneficial owner of the trust. The trust meets the criteria in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 810, “Consolidation” to be characterized as a variable interest entity (“VIE”). The Company has determined that it has a controlling financial interest in the trust because it has both (1) the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of the trust (including the power to make all investment decisions for the trust) and (2) the right to receive benefits that could potentially be significant to the trust (in the form of investment returns) and therefore, consolidates the trust. Further information on these funds and the Company’s obligations to remit to its clients’ employees, tax authorities, and other payees is provided in Note 4, “Corporate Investments and Funds Held for Clients.”

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses, and other comprehensive income that are reported in the Consolidated Financial Statements and footnotes thereto. Actual results may differ from those estimates.

Description of Business

Description of Business. The Company is a provider of cloud-based Human Capital Management (“HCM”) solutions. The Company classifies its operations into the following two reportable segments: Employer Services and Professional Employer Organization (“PEO”) Services. The primary components of the “Other” segment are certain corporate overhead charges and expenses that have not been allocated to the reportable segments, including corporate functions, costs related to our transformation office, legal settlements, severance costs, non-recurring gains and losses, the elimination of intercompany transactions, and interest expense.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue Recognition. Revenues are primarily attributable to fees for providing services (e.g., Employer Services' payroll processing fees), investment income on payroll funds, payroll tax filing funds, other Employer Services' client-related funds, and fees charged to implement clients on the Company's solutions. The Company enters into agreements for a fixed fee per transaction (e.g., number of payees or number of payrolls processed).

The Company enters into service agreements with clients that include anywhere from one service to a full suite of services. The Company’s agreements vary in duration having a legally enforceable term of 30 days to 5 years. The performance obligations in the agreements are generally combined into one performance obligation, as they are considered a series of distinct services, and are satisfied over time because the client simultaneously receives and consumes the benefits provided as the Company performs the services. The Company uses the output method based on a fixed fee per employee serviced to recognize revenue, as the value to the client of the goods or services transferred to date (e.g. number of payees or number of payrolls processed) appropriately depicts our performance towards complete satisfaction of the performance obligation. The fees are typically billed in the period in which services are performed.

PEO, a component of the HR Outsourcing (“HRO”) business pillar, provides a comprehensive human resources outsourcing solution, including offering benefits, providing workers’ compensation insurance, and administering state unemployment insurance, among other human resources functions. Amounts collected from PEO worksite employers include payroll, fees for benefits, and an administrative fee that also includes payroll taxes, fees for workers’ compensation and state unemployment taxes.

The payroll and payroll taxes collected from the worksite employers are presented in revenue net, as the Company does not retain risk and acts as an agent with respect to this aspect of the PEO arrangement. With respect to the payroll and payroll taxes, the worksite employer is primarily responsible for providing the service and has discretion in establishing wages.

The fees collected from the worksite employers for benefits (i.e., PEO zero-margin benefits pass-throughs), workers’ compensation and state unemployment taxes are presented in revenues and the associated costs of benefits, workers’ compensation and state unemployment taxes are included in operating expenses, as the Company does retain risk and acts as a principal with respect to this aspect of the arrangement. With respect to these fees, the Company is primarily responsible for fulfilling the service and has discretion in establishing price.

We recognize client fund interest income on collected but not yet remitted funds held for clients in revenues as earned, as the collection, holding and remittance of these funds are critical components of providing these services.

Set up fees received from certain clients to implement the Company's solutions are considered a material right. Therefore, the Company defers revenue associated with these set up fees and records them over the period in which such clients are expected to benefit from the material right, which is approximately five to seven years.

Collection of consideration the Company expects to receive typically occurs within 30 to 60 days of billing. We assess the collectability of revenues based primarily on the creditworthiness of the customer as determined by credit checks and analysis, as well as the customer's payment history and their intention to pay the consideration.

D. Deferred Costs.

Incremental Costs of Obtaining a Contract

Incremental costs of obtaining a contract (e.g., sales commissions) that are expected to be recovered are capitalized and amortized on a straight-line basis over a period of three to eight years, depending on the business unit. Incremental costs of obtaining a contract include only those costs the Company incurs to obtain a contract that it would not have incurred if the contract had not been obtained. These costs are included in selling, general and administrative expenses.

Costs to fulfill a Contract

The Company capitalizes costs incurred to fulfill its contracts that i) relate directly to the contract ii) are expected to generate resources that will be used to satisfy the Company's performance obligations under the contract and iii) are expected to be recovered through revenue generated under the contract. Costs incurred to implement clients on our solutions (e.g., direct labor) are capitalized and amortized on a straight-line basis over the expected client relationship period if the Company expects to recover those costs. The expected client relationship period ranges from three to eight years. These costs are included in operating expenses.

The Company has estimated the amortization periods for the deferred costs by using its historical retention by business units to estimate the pattern during which the service transfers.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and Cash Equivalents. Highly liquid investment securities with a maturity of ninety days or less at the time of purchase are considered cash equivalents. The fair value of our cash and cash equivalents approximates carrying value.

Corporate Investments and Funds Held for Clients

Corporate Investments and Funds Held for Clients. All of the Company's marketable securities are considered to be “available-for-sale” and, accordingly, are carried on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at fair value. Unrealized gains and losses, net of the related tax effect, are excluded from earnings and are reported as a separate component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) on the Consolidated Balance Sheets until realized. Realized gains and losses from the sale of available-for-sale securities are determined on an aggregate approach basis and are included in other (income)/expense, net on the Statements of Consolidated Earnings.If the fair value of an available-for-sale debt security is below its amortized cost, the Company assesses whether it intends to sell the security or if it is more likely than not the Company will be required to sell the security before recovery. If either of those two conditions is met, the Company would recognize a charge in earnings equal to the entire difference between the security's amortized cost basis and its fair value. If the Company does not intend to sell a security or it is not more likely than not that it will be required to sell the security before recovery, the unrealized loss is separated into an amount representing the credit loss, which is recognized in earnings, and the amount related to all other factors, which is recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). Premiums and discounts are amortized or accreted over the life of the related available-for-sale security as an adjustment to yield using the effective-interest method. Dividend and interest income are recognized when earned.

Fair Value Measurements

Fair Value Measurements. Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date and is based upon the Company’s principal, or most advantageous, market for a specific asset or liability.

U.S. GAAP provides for a three-level hierarchy of inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value, defined as follows:

Level 1 Fair value is determined based upon quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities that are traded in active markets.

Level 2 Fair value is determined based upon inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the asset or liability, including:

· quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets;

· quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active;

· inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability; or

· inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data by correlation or other means.

Level 3 Fair value is determined based upon inputs that are unobservable and reflect the Company’s own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based upon the best information available in the circumstances (e.g., internally derived assumptions surrounding the timing and amount of expected cash flows).

The Company's corporate investments and funds held for clients (see Note 4) are measured at fair value on a recurring basis as described below. Over 99% of the Company's available-for-sale securities included in Level 2 are valued based on prices obtained from an independent pricing service. To determine the fair value of the Company's Level 2 investments, the independent pricing service uses pricing models for each asset class that are consistent with what other market participants would use, including the market approach. Inputs and assumptions to the pricing model used by the independent pricing service are derived from market observable sources including: benchmark yields, reported trades, broker/dealer quotes, issuer spreads, benchmark securities, bids, offers and other market-related data. Since many fixed income securities do not trade on a daily basis, the independent pricing service applies available information, as applicable, through processes such as benchmark curves, benchmarking of like securities, sector groupings and matrix pricing to prepare valuations. For the purposes of valuing the Company’s asset-backed securities and mortgage-backed securities (that are included within Other securities in Note 4), the independent pricing service includes additional inputs to the model such as monthly payment information, new issue data, and collateral performance. For the purposes of valuing the Company’s Municipal bonds, the independent pricing service includes quoted prices for similar assets, benchmark yield curves, and market corroborated inputs. While the Company is not provided access to the proprietary models of the third party pricing service, each quarterly reporting period, the Company reviews the inputs utilized by the independent pricing service and compares the valuations received from the independent pricing service to valuations from at least one other observable source for reasonableness. The Company has not adjusted the prices obtained from the independent pricing service and the Company believes the prices received from the independent pricing service are representative of the prices that would be received to sell the assets at the measurement date (exit price). The Company had no available-for-sale securities included in Level 1 and Level 3 at June 30, 2023.

The Company issued three series of fixed-rate notes with staggered maturities of 7 and 10-years totaling $3.0 billion (collectively the “Notes”). The fair value of the Notes are estimated in Note 9 utilizing a variety of inputs obtained from an independent pricing service, including benchmark yields, reported trades, non-binding broker/dealer quotes, issuer spreads, two-sided markets, benchmark securities, bids, offers, and reference data. The Notes are senior unsecured obligations, and interest is payable in arrears, semi-annually. The Company reviews the values generated by the independent pricing service for reasonableness by comparing the valuations received from the independent pricing service to valuations from at least one other observable source. The Company has not adjusted the prices obtained from the independent pricing service.

The Company's assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement requires judgment and may affect the classification of assets and liabilities within the fair value hierarchy. In certain instances, the inputs used to measure fair value may meet the definition of more than one level of the fair value hierarchy. The significant input with the lowest level priority is used to determine the applicable level in the fair value hierarchy.

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, Plant and Equipment. Property, plant and equipment is stated at cost less accumulated depreciation on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Depreciation is recognized over the estimated useful lives of the assets using the straight-line method. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the term of the lease or the estimated useful lives of the improvements. The estimated useful lives of assets are primarily as follows:

Data processing equipment	5 to 10 years
Buildings	20 to 40 years
Furniture and fixtures	4 to 7 years

Leases

Leases. Operating lease right-of-use (“ROU”) assets and operating lease liabilities are recognized at the lease commencement date based on the present value of the lease payments over the lease term. The lease liabilities are measured by discounting future lease payments at the Company’s collateralized incremental borrowing rate for financing instruments of a similar term, unless the implicit rate is readily determinable. ROU assets also include adjustments related to prepaid or deferred lease payments and lease incentives. Lease ROU assets are amortized over the life of the lease and tested for impairment in the same manner as long-lived assets as described below.

Goodwill

Goodwill. Goodwill represents the excess of purchase price over the value assigned to the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets of businesses acquired. Goodwill is tested annually for impairment or more frequently when an event or circumstance indicates that goodwill might be impaired. The Company's annual goodwill impairment assessment as of June 30, 2023 was performed for all reporting units using a quantitative approach by comparing the fair value of each reporting unit to its carrying value.  We estimated the fair value of each reporting unit using, as appropriate, the income approach, which is derived using the present value of future cash flows discounted at a risk-adjusted weighted-average cost of capital, and the market approach, which is based upon using market multiples of companies in similar lines of business.  Significant assumptions used in determining the fair value of our reporting units include projected revenue growth rates, profitability projections, working capital assumptions, the weighted average cost of capital, the determination of appropriate market comparison companies, and terminal growth rates.  Several of these assumptions, including projected revenue growth rates and profitability projections are dependent on our ability to upgrade, enhance, and expand our technology and services to meet client needs and preferences.  As such, the determination of fair value requires management to make significant estimates and assumptions related to forecasts of future revenue and operating margins.  Based upon the quantitative assessment, the Company has concluded that goodwill is not impaired.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets. Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If the carrying amount of an asset exceeds its estimated future cash flows, an impairment charge is recognized for the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the fair value of the asset.

Foreign Currency

Foreign Currency. The net assets of the Company's foreign subsidiaries are translated into U.S. dollars based on exchange rates in effect for each period, and revenues and expenses are translated at average exchange rates in the periods. Gains or losses from balance sheet translation are included in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Currency transaction gains or losses, which are included in the results of operations, are not significant for all periods presented.

Foreign Currency Risk Management Programs and Derivative Financial Instruments

Foreign Currency Risk Management Programs and Derivative Financial Instruments. The Company transacts business in various foreign jurisdictions and is therefore exposed to market risk from changes in foreign currency exchange rates that could impact its consolidated results of operations, financial position, or cash flows.  The Company manages its exposure to these market risks through its regular operating and financing activities and, when deemed appropriate, through the use of derivative financial instruments.  The Company does not use derivative financial instruments for trading purposes.

Earnings Per Share (EPS)

Earnings per Share (“EPS”). The Company computes EPS in accordance with ASC 260. The calculations of basic and diluted EPS are as follows:

Years ended June 30,	Basic		Effect of Employee Stock Option Shares	Effect of Employee Restricted Stock Shares	Diluted
2023
Net earnings	$	3,412.0			$	3,412.0
Weighted average shares (in millions)	413.7		0.9	1.1	415.7
EPS	$	8.25			$	8.21
2022
Net earnings	$	2,948.9			$	2,948.9
Weighted average shares (in millions)	418.8		1.1	1.2	421.1
EPS	$	7.04			$	7.00
2021
Net earnings	$	2,598.5			$	2,598.5
Weighted average shares (in millions)	426.3		0.8	1.0	428.1
EPS	$	6.10			$	6.07

Options to purchase 0.2 million, 0.6 million, and 1.1 million shares of common stock for fiscal 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively, were excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per share because their inclusion would have been anti-dilutive.

Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-Based Compensation. The Company recognizes stock-based compensation expense in net earnings based on the fair value of the award on the date of the grant, and in the case of international units settled in cash, adjusts this fair value based on changes in the Company's stock price during the vesting period. Time-based restricted stock units are valued based on the closing price of the Company's common stock on the date of the grant and, in the case of performance based restricted stock units, are valued based on the grant date fair value of such awards and are adjusted for changes to probabilities of achieving performance targets. See Note 10 for additional information on the Company's stock-based compensation programs.

Internal Use Software

Internal Use Software. Expenditures for major software purchases and software developed or obtained for internal use are capitalized and amortized generally over a three to five-year period on a straight-line basis. Software developed as part of the Company's next-generation platforms are depreciated over ten years. The Company begins to capitalize costs incurred for computer software developed for internal use when the preliminary development efforts are successfully completed, management has authorized and committed to funding the project, and it is probable that the project will be completed and the software will be used as intended. Capitalization ceases when a computer software project is substantially complete and ready for its intended use.

The Company's policy provides for the capitalization of external direct costs of materials and services associated with developing or obtaining internal use computer software. In addition, the Company also capitalizes certain payroll and payroll-related costs for employees who are directly associated with internal use computer software projects. The amount of capitalizable payroll costs with respect to these employees is limited to the time directly spent on such projects. Costs associated with preliminary project stage activities, training, maintenance, and all other post-implementation stage activities are expensed as incurred. The Company also expenses internal costs related to minor upgrades and enhancements, as it is impractical to separate these costs from normal maintenance activities.

Fees related to cloud-based subscriptions for which the Company has the right to take possession of the software at any time during the hosting period (without significant penalty) and can run the software on internal hardware, or through contract with a third party vendor to host the software, is recognized as an intangible asset and capitalized following the Internal Use Software guidance under ASC 350-40. Subscriptions where the Company accesses the software through the cloud but cannot take

possession of the software during the hosting period is treated as a service contract, and as such hosting fees are treated as expense.

Acquisitions

Acquisitions. Assets acquired and liabilities assumed in business combinations are recorded on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets as of the respective acquisition dates based upon their estimated fair values at such dates. The results of operations of businesses acquired by the Company are included in the Statements of Consolidated Earnings since their respective dates of acquisition. The excess of the purchase price over the estimated fair values of the underlying assets acquired and liabilities assumed is allocated to goodwill. In certain circumstances, the allocations of the excess purchase price are based upon preliminary estimates and assumptions and subject to revision when the Company receives final information, including appraisals and other analysis. Accordingly, the measurement period for such purchase price allocations will end when the information, or the facts and circumstances, becomes available, but will not exceed twelve months.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes. The objectives of accounting for income taxes are to recognize the amount of taxes payable or refundable for the current year and deferred tax liabilities and assets for the future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in an entity's financial statements or tax returns. Judgment is required in addressing the future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in our Consolidated Financial Statements or tax returns (e.g., realization of deferred tax assets, changes in tax laws or interpretations thereof). A change in the assessment of the outcomes of such matters could materially impact our Consolidated Financial Statements. There is a financial statement recognition threshold and measurement attribute for tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. Specifically, the likelihood of an entity's tax benefits being sustained must be “more likely than not,” assuming that these positions will be examined by taxing authorities with full knowledge of all relevant information prior to recording the related tax benefit in the financial statements. If a tax position drops below the “more likely than not” standard, the benefit can no longer be recognized. Assumptions, judgment, and the use of estimates are required in determining if the “more likely than not” standard has been met when developing the provision for income taxes. As of June 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company's liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits, which include interest and penalties, were $116.9 million and $98.1 million, respectively.

Workers' Compensation Costs

Workers' Compensation Costs. The Company employs a third-party actuary to assist in determining the estimated claim liability related to workers' compensation and employer's liability coverage for PEO Services worksite employees. In estimating ultimate loss rates, we utilize historical loss experience, exposure data, and actuarial judgment, together with a range of inputs which are primarily based upon the worksite employee's job responsibilities, their location, the historical frequency and severity of workers' compensation claims, and an estimate of future cost trends. For each reporting period, changes in the actuarial assumptions resulting from changes in actual claims experience and other trends are incorporated into our workers' compensation claims cost estimates. PEO Services has secured a workers’ compensation and employer’s liability insurance policy that caps the exposure for each claim at $1 million per occurrence and has also secured aggregate stop loss insurance that caps aggregate losses at a certain level in fiscal years 2012 and prior from an admitted and licensed insurance company of AIG. The Company has obtained approximately $327 million of irrevocable standby letters of credit in favor of licensed insurance companies of AIG to secure TotalSource workers’ compensation obligations if ADP were to fail to reimburse AIG for workers’ compensation payments. The Company had no drawdowns during June 30, 2023 and 2022 under the letters of credit. Additionally, starting in fiscal 2013, ADP Indemnity paid premiums to enter into reinsurance arrangements with ACE American Insurance Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chubb Limited, to cover substantially all losses incurred by the Company up to the $1 million per occurrence related to workers' compensation and employer's liability deductible reimbursement insurance protection for PEO services worksite employees. Each of these reinsurance arrangements limit our overall exposure incurred up to a certain limit. The Company believes the likelihood of ultimate losses exceeding this limit is remote. ADP Indemnity paid a premium of $284 million to enter into a reinsurance arrangement with Chubb Limited to cover substantially all losses incurred by ADP Indemnity for the fiscal 2023 policy year up to $1 million per occurrence. ADP Indemnity paid a premium of $269 million in July 2023 to enter into a reinsurance arrangement to cover substantially all losses for the fiscal 2024 policy year on terms substantially similar to the fiscal 2023 policy.

Contingencies

Contingencies. In the normal course of business, the Company is subject to loss contingencies, such as claims and assessments arising from litigation and other legal proceedings, contractual indemnities, and tax matters. Accruals for loss contingencies are recorded when the Company determines that it is both probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. If the estimate of the amount of the loss is a range and some amount within the range appears to be a better estimate than any other amount within the range, that amount is accrued as a liability. If no amount within the range is a better estimate than any other amount, the minimum amount of the range is accrued as a liability. These accruals are adjusted periodically as assessments change or additional information becomes available. The loss contingencies are included in Selling, general and administrative expenses.

If no accrual is made for a loss contingency because the amount of loss cannot be reasonably estimated, the Company will disclose material contingent liabilities when there is at least a reasonable possibility that a loss or an additional loss may have been incurred.

Legal fees and other costs related to litigation and other legal proceedings or services are expensed as incurred and are included in Selling, general and administrative expenses.

Any claim for insurance recovery is recognized only when realization becomes probable.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements.

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

None.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

None.