New Accounting Pronouncements

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2015

New Accounting Pronouncements

New Accounting Pronouncements

4.  New Accounting Pronouncements

In February 2016, the FASB issued its new lease accounting guidance.  Under the new guidance, ASU 2016-02, Leases, lessor accounting is largely unchanged.  The new lease guidance simplifies the accounting for sale and leaseback transactions primarily because lessees must recognize lease assets and lease liabilities.  Under the new guidance, lessees will be required to recognize a lease liability, which is a lessor’s obligation to make lease payments arising from a lease, measured on a discounted basis; and a right-of-use asset, which is an asset that represents the lessee’s right to use, or control use of, a specified asset for the lease term for all leases (with the exception of short-term leases) at the adoption date.  The new guidance is effective for fiscal years, and for interim periods within those fiscal years, ending after December 15, 2018.  Early adoption is permitted for any interim or annual financial statements net yet issued.  Lessees (for capital and operating leases) and lessors (for sales-type, direct financing and operating leases) must apply a modified retrospective approach for all leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements.  Management is currently assessing the impact the new lease guidance will have on the consolidated financial statements.

In November 2015, the FASB issued guidance that requires entities to present deferred tax assets (DTAs) and deferred tax liabilities (DTLs) as noncurrent in a classified balance sheet. The amended guidance simplifies the current guidance, which requires entities to separately present DTAs and DTLs as current and noncurrent in a classified balance sheet.  For public entities, the amendments are effective after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those years with early adoption permitted for any interim or annual financial statements not yet issued.  Entities are permitted to apply the amendment either prospectively or retrospectively.  The Company plans to early adopt FASB accounting standard ASU 2015-17 on a retrospective basis as of December 31, 2015 in order to simplify the presentation of deferred taxes.

In April 2015, the FASB issued revised guidance to simplify the presentation of debt issuance costs in the balance sheet.  The revised guidance requires debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with the existing presentation of debt discounts.  The recognition and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs are not affected by this revised guidance, and therefore there is no impact to the statement of income.  The revised guidance is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption of this revised guidance is permitted for financial statements that have not been previously issued. An entity should apply the revised guidance on a retrospective basis, wherein the balance sheet of each individual period presented should be adjusted to reflect the period-specific effects of applying the revised guidance. The Company has elected to early adopt the revised guidance and as such debt issuance costs are now presented as a direct reduction of long-term debt on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheets.  See Note 7 for further information regarding debt issuance costs.

In February 2015, the FASB issued new consolidation guidance to modify the analysis that a reporting entity must perform to determine whether it should consolidate certain types of legal entities. The main provisions of the new guidance include modifying the evaluation of whether limited partnerships and similar legal entities are VIEs or voting interest entities, the evaluation of fees paid to a decision maker or a service provider as a variable interest, and the effect of fee arrangements and related parties on the primary beneficiary determination, as well as provides a scope exception for certain investment funds. The new guidance is effective for fiscal years, and for interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2015. Early adoption is permitted, including adoption in an interim period.  A reporting entity may apply the new guidance using a modified retrospective approach by recording a cumulative-effect adjustment to equity as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. A reporting entity also may apply the new guidance retrospectively.  Management is in the process of assessing the impact of the new guidance on existing consolidation conclusions and equity method investments, but does not anticipate any change.

In May 2014, the FASB issued new revenue recognition guidance, which will supersede nearly all existing revenue recognition guidance. The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. To achieve the core principle, the new guidance implements a five-step process for customer contract revenue recognition. The guidance also requires enhanced disclosures regarding the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenues and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. This new guidance was originally to be effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within that reporting period, and early adoption is prohibited. In April 2015, the FASB issued a one-year deferral of the effective date of this new guidance resulting in it now being effective for the Company beginning in fiscal year 2018.  Entities can transition to the new guidance either retrospectively or as a cumulative-effect adjustment as of the date of adoption. Management is currently assessing the impact the new revenue recognition guidance will have on the consolidated financial statements.