Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Basis of Presentation (Policies)

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Basis of Presentation (Policies)
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2017
Basis of Presentation [Abstract]  
New accounting pronouncements policy
On May 28, 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the "FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which requires an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. This new guidance also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments, changes in judgments and assets recognized from costs incurred to obtain or fulfill a contract. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-08, Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net), which clarifies principal versus agent considerations, in April 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-10, Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing, which clarifies the identification of performance obligations and the implementation guidance for licensing, and in May 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-12, Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients, which clarifies assessing collectibility, presentation of sales taxes, noncash consideration, and completed contracts and contract modifications at transition. The updated guidance will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance in U.S. GAAP when it becomes effective and permits the use of either a full retrospective or modified retrospective transition method. This guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2017, and early adoption is permitted only for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. The Company has reviewed the applicable ASU and has selected the modified retrospective transition method. In addition, the Company expects to elect the practical expedient to not adjust the promised amount of consideration for the effects of a significant financing component when its payment terms are less than one year, as well as the practical expedient to exclude from the measurement of the transaction price sales and similar taxes collected from customers. To date, the Company has concluded it will recognize revenue at the time of shipment to its customers consistent with when title passes. This is a change from the current practice whereby the Company recognizes revenue at the time of delivery to the customers and deferred revenue is recorded to account for the shipments in-transit. At the current time, the Company is continuing to evaluate the impact of the standard including its determination of whether the Company acts as principal or agent in certain vendor arrangements. The Company is also evaluating the impact of the standard on the presentation and timing of credit card income for its QVC-branded credit card and its financial statement disclosures, among other areas. The Company has not quantified the effects of this pronouncement, but it is working through the relevant aspects to evaluate the quantitative effects of the new guidance. The Company plans to be able to quantify the effects of these ASU's no later than the fourth quarter of 2017 in its annual report for the year ending December 31, 2017.
In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-11, Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory, which changes the measurement principle for inventory from the lower of cost or market to lower of cost and net realizable value. The new principle is part of the FASB’s simplification initiative and applies to entities that measure inventory using a method other than last-in, first-out (LIFO) or the retail inventory method. The Company adopted this guidance as of January 1, 2017, and there was no significant effect of the standard on its financial reporting.
In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-01, Financial Statements - Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities, which requires equity investments with readily determinable fair values (except those accounted for under the equity method of accounting or those that result in consolidation) to be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income and simplifies the impairment assessment of equity investments without readily determinable fair values by requiring a qualitative assessment to identify impairment. The new standard is effective for the Company for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The adoption of this standard is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s ongoing financial reporting.
In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which revises the accounting treatment related to lessee accounting. Under the new guidance, lessees will be required to recognize a lease liability and a right-of-use asset for all leases. The new lease guidance also simplifies the accounting for sale and leaseback transactions primarily because lessees must recognize lease assets and lease liabilities. The amendments in this ASU are effective for the Company beginning on January 1, 2019 and should be applied through a modified retrospective transition approach for leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that the updated standard will have on its ongoing financial reporting.
In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting, which simplifies several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. The Company adopted this guidance in the third quarter of 2016. In accordance with the new guidance, excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies are recognized as income tax benefit or expense rather than as additional paid-in capital. The Company has elected to recognize forfeitures as they occur rather than continue to estimate expected forfeitures. In addition, pursuant to the new guidance, excess tax benefits are classified as an operating activity on the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows. The recognition of excess tax benefits and deficiencies are applied prospectively from January 1, 2016.
In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments, which addresses eight specific cash flow issues to reduce the diversity in practice for appropriate classification on the statement of cash flows. The amendments in this ASU are effective for annual periods, and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2017 with early adoption permitted. The Company does not expect the adoption will have a material effect on its condensed consolidated financial statements.
In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-16, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory, which requires an entity to recognize at the transaction date the income tax consequences of intercompany asset transfers other than inventory. The guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that the updated standard will have on its condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.
In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash, which requires entities to show the changes in the total of cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents in the statement of cash flows. The guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted. The Company does not expect the adoption will have a material effect on its condensed consolidated financial statements.
In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment, which simplifies the measurement for impairment by calculating the difference between the carrying amount and the fair value of the reporting unit. The guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted. The Company does not expect the adoption will have a material effect on its condensed consolidated financial statements.
In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Scope of Modification Accounting, to provide clarity to which changes to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award require an entity to apply modification accounting in Topic 718. The amendments in this update are effective for all entities for annual periods, and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2017 with early adoption permitted. The Company does not expect the adoption will have a material effect on its condensed consolidated financial statements.