2.Significant Accounting Policies

Noncontrolling Interests

Papa John’s has five joint venture arrangements in which there are noncontrolling interests held by third parties. These joint ventures include 222 restaurants at September 24, 2017 and 215 restaurants at September 25, 2016. Subsequent to the end of the third quarter, on September 25, 2017, the Company sold 25 Company-owned restaurants to a current 70% owned joint venture.

We are required to report the consolidated net income at amounts attributable to the Company and the noncontrolling interests. Additionally, disclosures are required to clearly identify and distinguish between the interests of the Company and the interests of the noncontrolling owners, including a disclosure on the face of the condensed consolidated statements of income attributable to the noncontrolling interest holder.

The income before income taxes attributable to these joint ventures for the three and nine months ended September 24, 2017 and September 25, 2016 was as follows (in thousands):



	Three Months Ended				Nine Months Ended
	September 24,		September 25,		September 24,		September 25,
	2017		2016		2017		2016

Papa John’s International, Inc.	$	1,469	$	1,879	$	6,172	$	7,168
Noncontrolling interests		852		1,183		3,767		4,623
Total income before income taxes	$	2,321	$	3,062	$	9,939	$	11,791

The following summarizes the redemption feature, location and related accounting within the condensed consolidated balance sheets for these joint venture arrangements:



Type of Joint Venture Arrangement	Location within the Balance Sheets	Recorded Value

Joint venture with no redemption feature	Permanent equity	Carrying value
Option to require the Company to purchase the noncontrolling interest - currently redeemable	Temporary equity	Redemption value*
Option to require the Company to purchase the noncontrolling interest - not currently redeemable	Temporary equity	Carrying value

*The change in redemption value is recorded as an adjustment to “Redeemable noncontrolling interests” and “Retained earnings” in the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

Deferred Income Tax Accounts and Tax Reserves

We are subject to income taxes in the United States and several foreign jurisdictions. Significant judgment is required in determining our provision for income taxes and the related assets and liabilities. The provision for income taxes includes income taxes paid, currently payable or receivable and those deferred. We use an estimated annual effective rate based on expected annual income to determine our quarterly provision for income taxes. Discrete items are recorded in the quarter in which they occur.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on differences between financial reporting and tax basis of assets and liabilities and are measured using enacted tax rates and laws that are expected to be in effect when the differences reverse. Deferred tax assets are also recognized for the estimated future effects of tax loss carryforwards. The effect on deferred taxes of changes in tax rates is recognized in the period in which the new tax rate is enacted. As a result, our effective tax rate may fluctuate. Valuation allowances are established when necessary on a jurisdictional basis to reduce deferred tax assets to the amounts we expect to realize.

Tax authorities periodically audit the Company. We record reserves and related interest and penalties for identified exposures as income tax expense. We evaluate these issues on a quarterly basis to adjust for events, such as statute of limitations expirations, court or state rulings or audit settlements, which may impact our ultimate payment for such exposures.

Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures

The Company is required to determine the fair value of financial assets and liabilities based on the price that would be received to sell the asset or paid to transfer the liability to a market participant. Fair value is a market-based measurement, not an entity specific measurement. The fair value of certain assets and liabilities approximates carrying value because of the short-term nature of the accounts, including cash, accounts receivable and accounts payable. The carrying value of our notes receivable net of allowances also approximates fair value. The fair value of the amount outstanding under our Credit Agreement and previous Credit Facility approximates its carrying value due to its variable market-based interest rate. These assets and liabilities are categorized as Level 1 as defined below.

Certain assets and liabilities are measured at fair value on a recurring basis and are required to be classified and disclosed in one of the following categories:

Level 1: Quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

Level 2: Observable market-based inputs or unobservable inputs that are corroborated by market data.

Level 3: Unobservable inputs that are not corroborated by market data.

Our financial assets and liabilities that were measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of September 24, 2017 and December 25, 2016 are as follows (in thousands):


	Carrying		Fair Value Measurements
	Value		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
September 24, 2017
Financial assets:
Cash surrender value of life insurance policies (a)	$	27,254	$	27,254	$	—	$	—

Financial liabilities:
Interest rate swaps (b)		2,454		—		2,454		—

December 25, 2016
Financial assets:
Cash surrender value of life insurance policies (a)	$	21,690	$	21,690	$	—	$	—

Financial liabilities:
Interest rate swaps (b)		770		—		770		—

(a)

Represents life insurance policies held in our non-qualified deferred compensation plan.

(b)

The fair value of our interest rate swaps are based on the sum of all future net present value cash flows. The future cash flows are derived based on the terms of our interest rate swaps, as well as considering published discount factors, and projected London Interbank Offered Rates (“LIBOR”).

Our assets and liabilities that were measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis as of September 24, 2017 and December 25, 2016 include assets and liabilities held for sale. The fair value was determined using a discounted cash flow model with unobservable inputs (Level 3) less any estimated selling costs.

There were no transfers among levels within the fair value hierarchy during the nine months ended September 24, 2017.

Variable Interest Entity

Papa John’s domestic restaurants, both Company-owned and franchised, participate in Papa John’s Marketing Fund, Inc. (“PJMF”), a nonstock corporation designed to operate at break-even for the purpose of designing and administering advertising and promotional programs for all participating domestic restaurants. PJMF is a variable interest entity as it does not have sufficient equity to fund its operations without ongoing financial support and contributions from its members. Based on the ownership and governance structure and operating procedures of PJMF, we have determined that we do not have the power to direct the most significant activities of PJMF and therefore are not the primary beneficiary. Accordingly, consolidation of PJMF is not appropriate.

Accounting Standards Adopted

Employee Share-Based Payments

In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-09, “Compensation – Stock Compensation: Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting” (“ASU 2016-09”). The guidance simplified the accounting and financial reporting of the income tax impact of stock-based compensation arrangements. This guidance requires excess tax benefits to be recorded as a discrete item within income tax expense rather than additional paid-in capital. In addition, excess tax benefits are required to be classified as cash from operating activities rather than cash from financing activities.

The Company adopted this guidance as of the beginning of fiscal 2017. The Company elected to apply the cash flow guidance of ASU 2016-09 retrospectively to all prior periods. The impact of retrospectively applying this guidance to the consolidated statement of cash flows for the nine months ended September 25, 2016 was a $5.5 million increase in net cash provided by operating activities and a corresponding increase in net cash used in financing activities. The Company elected to continue to estimate forfeitures, as permitted by ASU 2016-09, rather than electing to account for forfeitures as they occur.

Accounting Standards to be Adopted in Future Periods

Leases

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, “Leases,” (“ASU 2016-02”), which amends leasing guidance by requiring companies to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all operating and capital leases (financing) with lease terms greater than twelve months. The lease liability will be equal to the present value of lease payments. The lease asset will be based on the lease liability, subject to adjustment, such as for initial direct costs. For income statement purposes, leases will continue to be classified as operating or capital (financing) with lease expense in both cases calculated substantially the same as under the prior leasing guidance. ASU 2016-02 is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018 (fiscal 2019 for the Company), and early adoption is permitted. The Company has not yet determined the effect of the adoption on its condensed consolidated financial statements.

Revenue from Contracts with Customers

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09 “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” (“ASU 2014-09”), a comprehensive new revenue recognition standard that will supersede nearly all existing revenue recognition guidance under GAAP. This update requires companies to recognize revenue at amounts that reflect the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services at the time of transfer. In doing so, companies will need to use more judgment and make more estimates than under existing guidance. Such areas may include identifying performance obligations in the contract, estimating the amount of variable consideration to include in the transaction price and allocating the transaction price to each separate performance obligation. Companies can either apply a full retrospective adoption or a modified retrospective adoption. In March and April 2016, the FASB issued the following amendments to clarify the implementation guidance: ASU 2016-08, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net)” and ASU 2016-10, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing”.

We are required to adopt ASU 2014-09 in the first quarter of 2018. We do not expect the adoption will significantly impact our recognition of revenue from Company-owned restaurants, commissary sales or our continuing royalties or other fees from franchisees that are based on a percentage of the franchise sales. We are continuing to evaluate the impact on other transactions including our loyalty program (including a change to a deferred revenue approach from the incremental cost accrual model), the impact on local cooperative advertising funds (including a change to gross revenue and expense presentation from net presentation), and the timing of recognizing franchise and development fees. We expect to use the modified retrospective method of adoption.

Hedging

In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815) Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities (“ASU 2017-12”) which intends to better align an entity's risk management activities and financial reporting for hedging relationships through changes to both the designation and measurement guidance for qualifying hedging relationships and the presentation of hedge results. The amendment attempts to simplify the application of hedge accounting guidance. The pronouncement is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. We plan to early adopt this guidance in the fourth quarter of 2017; we do not anticipate the impact will be material to our consolidated financial statements.