Accounting Policies (Policy)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2014

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

We prepare our unaudited interim consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP"). We consistently applied the accounting policies described in our 2013 Annual Report on Form 10-K ("2013 Form 10-K") in preparing these unaudited financial statements. In our opinion, the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments of a normal recurring nature that are necessary for a fair statement of the results for the interim periods presented. Results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results for a full year. You should read these unaudited interim consolidated financial statements in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements contained in our 2013 Form 10-K. When used in this report, the terms "Avon," "Company," "we" or "us" mean Avon Products, Inc.

For interim consolidated financial statement purposes, our tax provision is determined using an estimate of our annual effective tax rate, adjusted for discrete items, if any, that are taken into account in the relevant period. We also provide for accruals under our various employee benefit plans for each quarter based on one quarter of the estimated annual expense.

Reclassifications

During the first quarter of 2014, we revised our consolidated financial statements to reflect tooling balances in other assets, while they had been previously reported in inventories, as we believe that this is a better presentation of our tooling assets. Tooling assets are the plates and molds used in the manufacturing process of our beauty products. This revision did not impact cash flows from operating activities, our Consolidated Statements of Income or our Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. We determined that the effect of this revision was not material to any of our previously issued financial statements.

Venezuela Currency

Venezuela Currency

We account for Venezuela as a highly inflationary economy. In February 2014, the Venezuelan government announced a new foreign exchange system ("SICAD II") which began operating on March 24, 2014. There are multiple legal mechanisms in Venezuela to exchange currency. As SICAD II represents the rate which better reflects the economics of Avon Venezuela's business activity, we concluded that we should utilize the SICAD II exchange rate to remeasure our Venezuelan operations as of March 31, 2014. As a result of the change to the SICAD II rate, which caused the recognition of a devaluation of approximately 88% compared to the official exchange rate we used previously, we recorded an after-tax loss of $42 ($54 in other expense, net and a benefit of $12 in income taxes) in the first quarter of 2014, primarily reflecting the write-down of monetary assets and liabilities. In addition, as a result of using the U.S. historic dollar cost basis of non-monetary assets, such as inventories, these assets continue to be remeasured at the applicable rate at the time of acquisition. As a result, we determined that an adjustment of $116 to cost of sales was needed to reflect certain non-monetary assets at their net realizable value, which was recorded in the first quarter of 2014. In addition, at March 31, 2014, we reviewed Avon Venezuela's long-lived assets to determine whether the carrying amount of the assets were recoverable, and determined that they were. As such, no impairment of Avon Venezuela's long-lived assets was required.

Effective February 13, 2013, the Venezuelan government devalued its currency by approximately 32% and as such we recorded an after-tax loss of $51 ($34 in other expense, net and $17 in income taxes) in the first quarter of 2013, primarily reflecting the write-down of monetary assets and liabilities and deferred tax benefits. In addition, as a result of using the U.S. historic dollar cost basis of non-monetary assets, such as inventories, acquired prior to the devaluation, operating profit and net income during the three months ending March 31, 2013 were negatively impacted.