1.	ORGANIZATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS — Our company was founded in 1990 and is a Delaware corporation. ePlus inc. is sometimes referred to in this Annual Report on Form 10-K as “we,” “our,” “us,” “ourselves,” or “ePlus.” ePlus inc. is a holding company that through its subsidiaries provides information technology solutions which enable organizations to optimize their IT environment and supply chain processes. We also provide consulting, professional and managed services and complete lifecycle management services including flexible financing solutions. We focus on middle market and large enterprise customers in North America and the UK.

BASIS OF PRESENTATION — The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of ePlus inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The accounts of businesses acquired during fiscal year 2019, 2018 and 2017 are included in the consolidated financial statements from the dates of acquisition.

USE OF ESTIMATES — The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the US requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Estimates are used when accounting for items and matters including, but not limited to, revenue recognition, residual values, vendor consideration, lease classification, goodwill and intangibles, reserves for credit losses, inventory obsolescence, and the recognition and measurement of income tax assets and other provisions and contingencies. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

REVENUE RECOGNITION — We recognize our revenues from the sales of third-party products, third-party software, third-party services such as maintenance and software support, ePlus professional and managed services, and hosting ePlus proprietary software. We recognize revenue from these sales under the guidance in Accounting Standards Codification (“Codification”) Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“Codification Topic 606”).

The core principle of Codification Topic 606 is that an entity should recognize revenue for the transfer of goods and services equal to an amount it expects to be entitled to receive for those goods and services. We account for a contract under Codification Topic 606 when it has approval and commitment from both parties, the rights of the parties are identified, payment terms are established, the contract has commercial substance, and collectability of consideration is probable.

Revenues are reported net of sales refunds, including an estimate of future returns based on an evaluation of historical sales returns, current economic conditions, volume, and other relevant factors.

Our contracts with customers may include multiple promises that are distinct performance obligations. For such arrangements, we allocate the transaction price to each performance obligation based on its relative standalone selling price. We determine standalone selling prices using expected cost-plus margin.

We recognize revenue when (or as) we satisfy a performance obligation by transferring a promised good or service to a customer. A good or service is transferred when (or as) the customer obtains control of that good or service. Depending on the nature of each performance obligation, this may be at a point in time or over time, as further described below.

We typically invoice our customers for third-party products upon shipment, unless our customers lease the equipment through our financing segment, in which case the arrangement is accounted for as a lease in accordance with Codification Topic 840, Leases ("Codification Topic 840"). We typically invoice our customers for third-party software upon delivery and third-party services at the point of sale, unless our customers finance these assets equipment through our financing segment, in which case we record a financing receivable based on the terms of the arrangement.

Product Revenue

Sales of third-party products

We are the principal in sales of third-party products. As such, we recognize sales on a gross basis with the selling price to the customer recorded as sales and the acquisition cost of the product recognized as cost of sales. We recognize revenue from these sales at the point in time that control passes to the customer, which is typically upon delivery of the product to the customer.

In some instances, our customers may request that we bill them for a product but retain physical possession of the product until later delivery, commonly known as “bill-and-hold” arrangements. In these transactions, we recognize revenue when the customer has signed a bill-and-hold agreement with us, the product is identified separately as belonging to the customer and, when orders include configuration, such configuration is complete, and the product is ready for delivery to the customer.

We recognize sales of leased equipment within our financing segment when control passes to the customer, which is typically the date of sale.

Sales of third-party software

We are typically the principal in sales of third-party software. Sales are recognized on a gross basis with the selling price to the customer recorded as sales and the acquisition cost of the product recognized as cost of sales. We recognize revenue from these sales at the point in time that control passes to the customer, which is typically upon delivery of the software to the customer.

We often sell third-party support accompanying third-party software. When the third-party software benefits the customer only in conjunction with the accompanying support, such as in sales of anti-virus software and support, we consider the third-party software and support as inputs to a single performance obligation. The third-party controls the service as it is transferred to the customer and therefore we are acting as an agent in these transactions. We recognize revenue from these sales on a net basis when our customer and vendor accept the terms and conditions of the arrangement.

Sales of third-party maintenance, software support, and services

We are the agent in sales of third-party maintenance, software support, and services as the third-party controls the service until it is transferred to the customer. We recognize sales on a net basis equal to the selling price to the customer less the acquisition cost. We recognize revenue from these sales when our customer and vendor accept the terms and conditions of the arrangement.

Freight and sales tax

We present freight billed to our customers within sales and the related freight charged to us within cost of sales. We present sales tax collected from customers and remittances to governmental authorities on a net basis.

Financing revenue and other

We account for leases to customers in accordance with Codification Topic 840. Our accounting for leases is different depending on the type of lease. Each lease is classified as either a direct financing lease, sales-type lease, or operating lease, as appropriate.

We consider whether a lease meets any of the following four criteria as part of classifying the lease at its inception:

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the lease transfers ownership of the property to the lessee by the end of the lease term;

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the lease contains a bargain purchase option;

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the lease term is equal to 75 percent or more of the estimated economic life of the leased property; or

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the present value at the beginning of the lease term of the minimum lease payments equals or exceeds 90 percent of the fair value of the leased property at the inception of the lease.

If a lease meets any of the four lease classification criteria and gives rise to dealer’s profit, we classify the lease as a sales-type lease. For sales-type leases, we recognize sales equal to the present value of the minimum lease payments discounted using the implicit interest rate in the lease and cost of sales equal to carrying amount of the asset being leased and any initial direct costs incurred, less the present value of the unguaranteed residual. Interest income from the lease is recognized in sales over the lease term in our financing segment.

If a lease meets any of the four lease classification criteria, and does not give rise to dealer’s profit, we classify the lease as a direct financing lease. For direct financing leases, the difference between our gross investment in the lease and the cost of the leased property is deferred as unearned income and recognized as sales over the lease term.

If a lease meets none of the four lease classification criteria, we classify the lease as an operating lease. For operating leases, we recognize the rent charged on the lease as sales on a straight-line basis ratably over the term of the lease agreement.

We may also finance third-party software and third-party services for our customers, which are classified as notes receivable. We recognize interest on notes receivable in net sales.

Codification Topic 860, Transfers and Servicing establishes criteria for determining whether a transfer of financial assets in exchange for cash or other consideration should be accounted for as a sale or as secured borrowing. Certain assignments of notes receivable and direct finance and sales-type leases we make on a non-recourse basis meet the requirements for sale accounting set forth by this topic and have therefore been treated in our financial results as sales, where we recognize a net gain or loss on these transactions in sales.

Service Revenue

Sales of ePlus professional and managed services

Our ePlus professional services offerings include assessments, project management, and staging, configuration, and integration. Our ePlus managed service offerings range from monitoring and notification to a fully outsourced network management solution. In these arrangements, we satisfy our performance obligation and recognize revenue over time.

We provide ePlus professional services under both time and materials and fixed price contracts. When services are provided on a time and materials basis, we recognize sales at agreed-upon billing rates as services are performed. When services are provided on a fixed fee basis, we recognize sales over time in proportion to our progress toward complete satisfaction of the performance obligation. We measure progress based on costs incurred in proportion to total estimated costs, commonly referred to as the “cost-to-cost” method.

In arrangements for ePlus managed services, our arrangement is typically a single performance obligation comprised of a series of distinct services that are substantially the same and that have the same pattern of transfer (i.e., distinct days of service). We typically recognize sales from these services on a straight-line basis over the period services are provided.

CONTRACT BALANCES — We recognize contract liabilities when cash payments are received or due in advance of our performance.

COSTS OF OBTAINING A CONTRACT — We capitalize costs that are incremental to obtaining customer contracts, predominately sales commissions, and expense them in proportion to each completed contract performance obligation.

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS — We consider all highly liquid investments, including those with an original maturity of three months or less at the date of acquisition, to be cash equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents consist primarily of interest-bearing accounts and money market funds that consist of short-term US treasury securities. There were no restrictions on the withdrawal of funds from our money market funds as of March 31, 2019 and March 31, 2018.

FINANCING RECEIVABLES AND OPERATING LEASES — Financing receivables and operating leases consists of notes receivable, direct financing, sales-type leases and operating leases. The terms of lease and financing arrangements are typically between 3 to 7 years, with most terms ranging between 42 to 48 months.

Notes receivables consist of software and services that we finance for our customers. Interest income is recognized using the effective interest method and reported within net sales in our consolidated statement of operations.

At the inception of our direct financing and sales-type leases, we record the net investment in leases, which consists of the sum of the minimum lease payments, initial direct costs (direct financing leases only), and unguaranteed residual value (gross investment) less the unearned income. For direct financing leases, unearned income equals the difference between the gross investment in the lease and the cost of the leased equipment. For sales type leases, unearned income equals the difference between the gross investment in the lease and the sum of the present values of the individual components of the gross investment in the lease. We recognize contingent rental income, if any, when the changes in the factors on which the contingent lease payments are based actually occur.

At the inception of an operating lease, equipment under operating leases is recorded at cost and depreciated on a straight-line basis over its useful life to the estimated residual value. The estimated useful lives for equipment under operating leases ranges based on the nature of the equipment. The estimated useful life for information technology equipment is 36 to 84 months, while that of medical equipment is between 48 and 60 months.

RESIDUAL VALUES — Residual values, representing the unguaranteed estimated value of equipment at the termination of a lease, are recorded at the inception of each lease. The estimated residual values vary, both in amount and as a percentage of the original equipment cost, and depend upon several factors, including the equipment type, vendor’s discount, market conditions, term of the lease, equipment supply and demand and by new product announcements by vendors.

Unguaranteed residual values for direct financing and sales-type leases are recorded at their net present value and the unearned income is amortized over the life of the lease using the interest method. The residual values for operating leases are included in the leased equipment’s net book value.

Residual values are evaluated on a quarterly basis and any impairment, other than temporary, is recorded in the period in which the impairment is determined. No upward revision of residual values is made subsequent to lease inception.

RESERVES FOR CREDIT LOSSES — Our receivables consist of trade and other accounts receivable and financing receivables. We maintain our reserves for credit losses at a level believed to be adequate to absorb potential losses inherent in the respective balances. The reserve for credit losses is increased by provisions for potential credit losses, which increases expenses, and decreased by subsequent recoveries. The reserve for credit losses is decreased by write-offs and reductions to the provision for potential credit losses. Accounts are either written off or written down when the loss is both probable and determinable.

Management’s determination of the adequacy of the reserves for credit losses for accounts receivable is based on the age of the receivable balance, the customer’s credit quality rating, an evaluation of historical credit losses, current economic conditions, and other relevant factors. Management’s determination of the adequacy of the reserve for credit losses for financing receivables may be based on the following factors: an internally assigned credit quality rating, historical credit loss experience, current economic conditions, volume, growth, the composition of the lease portfolio, the fair value of the underlying collateral, and the funding status (i.e. not funded, funded on a recourse or partial recourse basis, or funded on non-recourse basis). We assign an internal credit quality rating to each customer at the inception of the lease based on the customer’s financial status, rating agency reports and other financial information. We update the internal credit quality rating at least annually or when an indicator of a change in credit quality arises, such as a delinquency or bankruptcy. Also, management regularly reviews financing receivables to assess whether any balances should be impaired or placed on nonaccrual status.

CONCENTRATIONS OF RISK — Financial instruments that potentially subject us to concentrations of credit risk include cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, accounts receivable, notes receivable and investments in direct financing and sales-type leases. Cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments are maintained principally with financial institutions in the US, which have high credit ratings. Risk on accounts receivable, notes receivable and investments in direct financing and sales-type leases is reduced by the large number of diverse industries comprising our customer base and through the ongoing evaluation of collectability of our portfolio. Our credit risk is further mitigated through the underlying collateral and whether the lease is funded with recourse or non-recourse notes payable.

A substantial portion of our sales are products from Cisco Systems, which represented approximately 42%, 42%, and 47%, of our technology segment net sales for the years ended March 31, 2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively.

INVENTORIES — Inventories are stated at the lower of cost and net realizable value. Cost is determined using a weighted average cost method. Net realizable value is the estimated selling prices in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal, and transportation. Inventories are shown net of allowance for obsolescence of $259 thousand and $247 thousand as of March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

DEFERRED COSTS AND DEFERRED REVENUES — Deferred costs include internal and third-party costs associated with deferred revenue arrangements. Deferred revenue relates to professional, managed and hosting services.

GOODWILL — We test goodwill for impairment on an annual basis, as of October 1, and between annual tests if an event occurs, or circumstances change, that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying amount.

In a qualitative assessment, we assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not (that is, a likelihood of more than 50 percent) that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, including goodwill. If, after assessing the totality of events or circumstances, we determine that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, then the quantitative goodwill impairment test is unnecessary.

If, after assessing the totality of events or circumstances, we determine that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, then we perform the quantitative goodwill impairment test. We may also elect the unconditional option to bypass the qualitative assessment for any reporting unit in any period and proceed directly to performing the quantitative goodwill impairment test.

In the quantitative impairment test, we compare the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill. If the fair value of a reporting unit exceeds its carrying amount, goodwill of the reporting unit is considered not impaired. Conversely, if the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss shall be recognized in an amount equal to that excess, limited to the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit.

CAPITALIZATION OF COSTS OF SOFTWARE FOR INTERNAL USE — We capitalize costs for the development of internal use software under the Codification Topic 350-40 Intangibles—Goodwill and Other Intangibles, Subtopic Internal-Use Software. Software capitalized for internal use was $2.5 million and $2.1 million during the years ended March 31, 2019 and March 31, 2018, respectively, and is included in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets as a component of goodwill and other intangible assets. We had capitalized costs, net of amortization, of approximately $5.4 million and $3.3 million at March 31, 2019 and March 31, 2018, respectively.

PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT — Property and equipment are stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization. Property and equipment obtained through an acquisition are stated at the fair market value as of the acquisition date. Depreciation and amortization are computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the related assets, which range from three to ten years. Information technology equipment is depreciated over three years. Perpetual software licenses are depreciated over five years. Furniture and certain fixtures are depreciated over five to ten years. Telecommunications equipment is depreciated over seven years.

TREASURY STOCK — We account for treasury stock under the cost method and include treasury stock as a component of stockholders’ equity on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

VENDOR CONSIDERATION — We receive payments and credits from vendors pursuant to volume incentive programs and shared marketing expense programs. Many of these programs extend over one or more quarters’ sales activities. Different programs have different vendor/program specific milestones to achieve. Amounts due from vendors as of March 31, 2019 and 2018 were $13.1 million and $12.8 million, respectively, which were included within accounts receivable-other, net in the accompanying balance sheets.

Vendor consideration received pursuant to volume purchase incentive programs is allocated to inventory based on the applicable incentives from each vendor and is recorded in cost of sales, as the inventory is sold. If a rebate is probable and reasonably estimable, it is recognized based on a systematic and rational allocation of the cash consideration offered to the underlying transactions that result in our progress toward earning the rebate. If a rebate is not probable and reasonably estimable, it is recognized as the milestones are achieved.

Vendor consideration received pursuant to shared marketing expense programs is recorded as a reduction of the related selling and administrative expenses in the period the program takes place only if the consideration represents a reimbursement of specific, incremental, identifiable costs. Consideration that exceeds the specific, incremental, identifiable costs is classified as a reduction of cost of sales.

SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION — We account for share-based compensation in accordance with Codification Topic 718 Compensation—Stock Compensation. We recognize compensation cost for awards of restricted stock with graded vesting on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. We account for forfeitures when they occur. There are no additional conditions for vesting other than service conditions.

INCOME TAXES — Deferred income taxes are accounted for in accordance with Codification Topic 740 Income Taxes (“Codification Topic 740”). Under this method, deferred income tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the temporary differences between the financial statement reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities, using tax rates currently in effect. Future tax benefits, such as net operating loss carry-forwards, are recognized to the extent that realization of these benefits is considered to be more likely than not. We review our deferred tax assets at least annually and make necessary valuation adjustments.

In addition, we account for uncertain tax positions in accordance with Codification Topic 740. Specifically, the Topic prescribes a recognition threshold and a measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. The interpretation also provides guidance on the related de-recognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting for interim periods, disclosure and transition of uncertain tax positions. In accordance with our accounting policy, we recognize accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as a component of tax expense.

BUSINESS COMBINATIONS — We account for business combinations using the acquisition method in accordance with Codification Topic 805 Business Combinations, which requires that the total purchase price of each of the acquired entities be allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their fair values at the acquisition date. The allocation process requires an analysis of intangible assets, such as customer relationships, trade names, acquired contractual rights and assumed contractual commitments and legal contingencies to identify and record all assets acquired and liabilities assumed at their fair value.

Any premium paid over the fair value of the net tangible and intangible assets of the acquired business is recorded as goodwill. We recognize a gain in our income statement to the extent the purchase price is less than the fair value of assets acquired, and liabilities assumed. The results of operations for an acquired company are included in our financial statements from the date of acquisition.

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENT — We follow the guidance in Codification Topic 820 Fair Value Measurements (“Codification Topic 820”) which governs fair value accounting for financial assets and liabilities and non-financial assets and liabilities that are recognized or disclosed at fair value in the financial statements. The Company defines fair value as the price that would be received from selling an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date under current market conditions. When determining the fair value measurements for assets and liabilities, which are required to be disclosed at fair value, the Company considers the principal or most advantageous market in which the Company would transact and the market-based risk measurements or assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, such as risk inherent in valuation techniques, transfer restrictions and credit risk.

Codification Topic 820 establishes a three-tier value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value and bases the categorization within the hierarchy upon the lowest level of input that is available and significant to the fair value measurement as follows:

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Level 1 – Observable inputs such as quoted prices for identical assets and liabilities in active markets;

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Level 2 – Inputs other than quoted prices, such as quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets and liabilities in markets that are not active, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data.

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Level 3 – Unobservable inputs reflecting the Company’s own assumptions, consistent with reasonably available assumptions made by other market participants.

This hierarchy requires us to use observable market data, when available, and to minimize the use of unobservable inputs when determining fair value. As of March 31, 2019, we measure money market funds and contingent consideration at fair value on a recurring basis, which is based on quoted net asset values.

FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS — For financial instruments such as cash, short-term investments, accounts receivables, accounts payable and other current liabilities, we consider the recorded value of the financial instruments to approximate the fair value due to their short maturities.

At March 31, 2019, the carrying amount of notes receivables and non-recourse payables were $40.4 million and $48.6 million, respectively and the fair value of notes receivables and non-recourse payables were $40.5 million and $48.7 million, respectively. The carrying amount and fair value of our recourse notes payable at March 31, 2019 were insignificant. At March 31, 2018, the carrying amount of notes receivables, recourse and non-recourse payables were $62.9 million, $1.3 million and $50.9 million, respectively, and the fair value of notes receivables, recourse and non-recourse payables were $63.0 million, $1.3 million and $51.1 million.

FOREIGN CURRENCY TRANSLATION — The Company’s functional currency is the US dollar. The functional currency of the Company’s international operating subsidiaries is generally the same as the corresponding local currency. Assets and liabilities of the international operating subsidiaries are translated at the spot rate in effect at the applicable reporting date. Revenues and expenses of the international operating subsidiaries are translated at the average exchange rates in effect during the applicable period. The resulting foreign currency translation adjustment is recorded as accumulated other comprehensive loss, which is reflected as a separate component of stockholders’ equity. All transaction gains or losses are recorded in operating expenses on our consolidated statement of operations. We recognized a gain of $0.4 million for the years ended March 31, 2019, and losses of $0.8 million and $0.7 million for the years ended March 31, 2018, and 2017, respectively.

EARNINGS PER SHARE — Basic earnings per share is calculated by dividing net earnings attributable to common stockholders by the basic weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during each period. Diluted earnings per share reflects the potential dilution of securities that could participate in our earnings, including incremental shares issuable upon the assumed exercise of “in-the-money” stock options and other common stock equivalents during each period.