Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2022

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]

Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]

1.  Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Trans-Lux Corporation is a leading designer and manufacturer of digital signage display solutions.  The Company sells and leases its digital signage display solutions.

Principles of consolidation:  The Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of Trans-Lux Corporation, a Delaware corporation, and all wholly-owned subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”).  Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of estimates:  The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period.  Actual results could differ from those estimates.  Estimates and assumptions are reviewed periodically and the effects of revisions are reflected in the financial statements in the period in which the change is determined.  Estimates are used when accounting for such items as costs of long-term sales contracts, allowance for uncollectible accounts, inventory valuation allowances, depreciation and amortization, valuation of pension obligations, valuation of warrants, income taxes, warranty reserve, management’s assessment of going concern, contingencies, impairment of long-lived assets and litigation.

Cash and cash equivalents:  The Company considers all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents.  The Company has deposits in United States financial institutions that maintain Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) deposit insurance on all interest and non-interest-bearing accounts, collectively, with an aggregate coverage up to $250,000 per depositor per financial institution.  At times, the amount of the deposits exceeds the FDIC limits.  The portion of the deposits in excess of FDIC limits represents a credit risk of the Company. The Company has no cash equivalents at December 31, 2022 and 2021.

Accounts receivable, net:  Accounts receivable are carried at net realizable value.  Credit is extended based on an evaluation of each customer’s financial condition; collateral is generally not required.  Reserves for uncollectible accounts receivable are provided based on historical experience and current trends.  The Company evaluates the adequacy of these reserves regularly.

The following is a summary of the allowance for uncollectible accounts at December 31:

In thousands	2022		2021
Balance at beginning of year	$	423	$	660
Provisions		(113)		64
Write-offs		(19)		(301)
Balance at end of year	$	291	$	423

Concentrations of credit risk with respect to accounts receivable are limited due to the large number of customers, the relatively small account balances within the majority of the Company’s customer base and their dispersion across different businesses. At December 31, 2022, two customers accounted for 26.9% of the balance in Accounts receivable, net. At December 31, 2021, two customers accounted for 36.0% of the balance in Accounts receivable, net. In 2022, one customer accounted for 13.3% of our total revenues. In 2021, no customers accounted for at least 10% of our total revenues.

Inventories:  Inventories are stated at the lower of cost (first-in, first-out method) or net realizable value.  Valuation allowances for slow-moving and obsolete inventories are provided based on historical experience and demand for servicing of the displays.  The Company evaluates the adequacy of these valuation allowances regularly.

Rental equipment and property, plant and equipment, net:  Rental equipment and property, plant and equipment are stated at cost and depreciated over their respective useful lives using the straight-line method.  Leaseholds and improvements are amortized over the lesser of the useful lives or term of the lease.  Repairs and maintenance costs related to rental equipment and property, plant and equipment are expensed in the period incurred.

The estimated useful lives are as follows:

	Years
Indoor rental equipment	10
Outdoor rental equipment	15
Machinery, fixtures and equipment	5 – 15
Leaseholds and improvements	7

When rental equipment and property, plant and equipment are fully depreciated, retired or otherwise disposed of, the cost and accumulated depreciation are eliminated from the accounts.  Any gains or losses on disposals are recorded in the period incurred.

Impairment or disposal of long-lived assets:  The Company evaluates whether there has been an impairment in value of its long-lived assets if certain circumstances indicate that a possible impairment may exist.  An impairment in value may exist when the carrying value of a long-lived asset exceeds its undiscounted cash flows.  If it is determined that an impairment in value has occurred, the carrying value is written down to its fair value as determined by a discounted cash flow model.  There were no impairments of long-lived assets in 2022 or 2021.

Shipping Costs:  The costs of shipping product to our customers of $677,000 and $391,000 in 2022 and 2021, respectively, are included in Cost of digital product sales.

Advertising/Marketing Costs: The Company expenses the costs of advertising and marketing at the time that the related advertising takes place.  Advertising and marketing costs of $25,000 and $24,000 in 2022 and 2021, respectively, are included in General and administrative expenses.

Revenue recognition:  See Note 3 – Revenue Recognition.

Warranty reserve:  The Company provides for the estimated cost of product warranties at the time revenue is recognized.  While the Company engages in product quality programs and processes, including evaluating the quality of the component suppliers, the warranty obligation is affected by product failure rates.  Should actual product failure rates differ from the Company’s estimates, revisions to increase or decrease the estimated warranty liability may be required.

Taxes on income: Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are established for temporary differences between the financial reporting basis and the tax basis of the Company’s assets and liabilities at tax rates expected to be in effect when such temporary differences are expected to reverse and for operating loss carryforwards. The temporary differences are primarily attributable to operating loss carryforwards, depreciation and the actuarial differences between the calculations of expenses compared to the calculations of contribution requirements of the pension plan. The Company records a valuation allowance against net deferred income tax assets if, based upon the available evidence, it is more-likely-than-not that the deferred income tax assets will not be realized.

The Company considers whether it is more-likely-than-not that a tax position will be sustained upon examination, including resolution of any related appeals or litigation processes, based on the technical merits of the position.  Once it is determined that a position meets the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold, the position is measured to determine the amount of benefit to recognize in the financial statements.  The Company’s policy is to classify interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in income tax expense.  To date, there have been no interest or penalties charged to the Company in relation to the underpayment of income taxes.  The Company’s determinations regarding uncertain income tax positions may be subject to review and adjustment at a later date based upon factors including, but not limited to, an ongoing analysis of tax laws, regulations and interpretations thereof.

Foreign currency:  The functional currency of the Company’s Canadian business operation is the Canadian dollar.  The assets and liabilities of such operation are translated into U.S. dollars at the year-end rate of exchange, and the operating and cash flow statements are converted at the average annual rate of exchange.  The resulting translation adjustment is recorded in Accumulated other comprehensive loss in the Consolidated Balance Sheets and as a separate item in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss.  In relation to intercompany balances, these have been classified as short-term in nature and therefore the changes in the foreign currency remeasurement adjustment for intercompany balances are recorded as Gain (loss) on foreign currency remeasurement in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Share-based compensation:  The Company measures share-based payments to employees, directors and non-employees at the grant date fair value of the instrument.  The fair value is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes valuation model, which requires various assumptions including estimating stock price volatility, expected life of the instrument, estimated forfeiture rate and risk free interest rate.  For details on the accounting effect of share-based compensation, see Note 16 – Share-Based Compensation.

The following new accounting pronouncements were adopted in 2022:

There were no new accounting pronouncements that were adopted in 2022.

The following new accounting pronouncements, and related impacts on adoption, are being evaluated by the Company:

There were no new accounting pronouncements that will have a material impact on the financial statements based on the determination of management.