Note A. Summary of Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation: The consolidated financial statements of The TJX Companies, Inc. (referred to as “TJX” or “we”) include the financial statements of all of TJX’s subsidiaries, all of which are wholly owned. All of its activities are conducted by TJX or its subsidiaries and are consolidated in these financial statements. All intercompany transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Fiscal Year: TJX’s fiscal year ends on the Saturday nearest to the last day of January of each year. The fiscal years ended January 31, 2015 (fiscal 2015) and February 1, 2014 (fiscal 2014) each included 52 weeks. The fiscal year ended February 2, 2013 (fiscal 2013) included 53 weeks.

Earnings Per Share: All earnings per share amounts refer to diluted earnings per share, unless otherwise indicated.

Use of Estimates: Preparation of the TJX 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 liabilities at the date of the financial statements as well as the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. TJX considers its accounting policies relating to inventory valuation, impairments of long-lived assets, goodwill and tradenames, retirement obligations, share-based compensation, casualty insurance, reserves for uncertain tax positions, reserves for former operations and loss contingencies to be the most significant accounting policies that involve management estimates and judgments. Actual amounts could differ from those estimates, and such differences could be material.

Revenue Recognition: TJX records revenue at the time of sale and receipt of merchandise by the customer, net of a reserve for estimated returns. We estimate returns based upon our historical experience. We defer recognition of a layaway sale and its related profit to the accounting period when the customer receives the layaway merchandise. Proceeds from the sale of gift cards as well as the value of store cards issued to customers as a result of a return or exchange are deferred until the customers use the cards to acquire merchandise. Based on historical experience, we estimate the amount of gift cards and store cards that will not be redeemed (“breakage”) and, to the extent allowed by local law, these amounts are amortized into income over the redemption period. Revenue recognized from breakage was $17.8 million in fiscal 2015, $17.5 million in fiscal 2014 and $13.9 million in fiscal 2013. We estimate the date of receipt by the customer when recognizing revenue from sales by our e-commerce operations and shipping and handling costs charged to the customer are included in revenue. The shipping and handling costs incurred by TJX are included in cost of sales, including buying and occupancy costs.

Consolidated Statements of Income Classifications: Cost of sales, including buying and occupancy costs, includes the cost of merchandise sold including foreign currency gains and losses on merchandise purchases denominated in other currencies: gains and losses on inventory and fuel-related derivative contracts; store occupancy costs (including real estate taxes, utility and maintenance costs and fixed asset depreciation); the costs of operating distribution centers; payroll, benefits and travel costs directly associated with buying inventory; and systems costs related to the buying and tracking of inventory.

Selling, general and administrative expenses include store payroll and benefit costs; communication costs; credit and check expenses; advertising; administrative and field management payroll, benefits and travel costs; corporate administrative costs and depreciation; gains and losses on non-inventory related foreign currency exchange contracts; and other miscellaneous income and expense items.

Cash and Cash Equivalents: TJX generally considers highly liquid investments with a maturity of 90 days or less at the date of purchase to be cash equivalents. Investments with maturities greater than 90 days but less than one year at the date of purchase are included in short-term investments. These investments are classified as trading securities and are stated at fair value. Investments are classified as either short- or long-term based on their original maturities. TJX’s investments are primarily high-grade commercial paper, institutional money market funds and time deposits with major banks.

As of January 31, 2015, TJX’s cash and cash equivalents held outside the U.S. were $1.2 billion, of which $413.9 million was held in countries where TJX has the intention to reinvest any undistributed earnings indefinitely.

Merchandise Inventories: Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market. TJX uses the retail method for valuing inventories at all of its divisions, except STP. TJX utilizes a permanent markdown strategy and lowers the cost value of the inventory that is subject to markdown at the time the retail prices are lowered in the stores. TJX accrues for inventory obligations at the time inventory is shipped. As a result, merchandise inventories on TJX’s balance sheet include an accrual for in-transit inventory of $495.2 million at January 31, 2015 and $451.6 million at February 1, 2014. Comparable amounts were reflected in accounts payable at those dates.

Common Stock and Equity: Equity transactions consist primarily of the repurchase by TJX of its common stock under its stock repurchase programs and the recognition of compensation expense and issuance of common stock under TJX’s Stock Incentive Plan. Under TJX’s stock repurchase programs the Company repurchases its common stock on the open market. The par value of the shares repurchased is charged to common stock with the excess of the purchase price over par first charged against any available additional paid-in capital (“APIC”) and the balance charged to retained earnings. Due to the high volume of repurchases over the past several years, TJX has no remaining balance in APIC at the end of any of the years presented. All shares repurchased have been retired.

Shares issued under TJX’s Stock Incentive Plan are issued from authorized but unissued shares, and proceeds received are recorded by increasing common stock for the par value of the shares with the excess over par added to APIC. Income tax benefits upon the expensing of options result in the creation of a deferred tax asset, while income tax benefits due to the exercise of stock options reduce deferred tax assets up to the amount that an asset for the related grant has been created. Any tax benefits greater than the deferred tax assets created at the time of expensing the options are credited to APIC; any deficiencies in the tax benefits are debited to APIC to the extent a pool for such deficiencies exists. In the absence of a pool, any deficiencies are realized in the related periods’ statements of income through the provision for income taxes. Any excess income tax benefits are included in cash flows from financing activities in the statements of cash flows. The par value of restricted stock awards is also added to common stock when the stock is issued, generally at grant date. The fair value of the restricted stock awards in excess of par value is added to APIC as the awards are amortized into earnings over the related requisite service periods.

Share-Based Compensation: TJX accounts for share-based compensation by estimating the fair value of each award on the date of grant. TJX uses the Black-Scholes option pricing model for options awarded and the market price on the grant date for performance-based restricted stock awards. See Note I for a detailed discussion of share-based compensation.

Interest: TJX’s interest expense is presented as a net amount. The following is a summary of net interest expense:


	Fiscal Year Ended
Dollars in thousands	January 31, 2015			February 1, 2014			February 2, 2013
	(53 weeks)
Interest expense	$	64,783		$	57,084		$	48,582
Capitalized interest		(9,403	)		(10,993	)		(7,750)
Interest (income)		(15,593	)		(15,010	)		(11,657)
Interest expense, net	$	39,787		$	31,081		$	29,175

TJX capitalizes interest during the active construction period of major capital projects. Capitalized interest is added to the cost of the related assets. Capitalized interest in fiscal 2015, 2014 and 2013 relates to costs on active owned real estate projects and development costs on a merchandising system.

Depreciation and Amortization: For financial reporting purposes, TJX provides for depreciation and amortization of property using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Buildings are depreciated over 33 years. Leasehold costs and improvements are generally amortized over their useful life or the committed lease term (typically 10 years), whichever is shorter. Furniture, fixtures and equipment are depreciated over 3 to 10 years. Depreciation and amortization expense for property was $595.6 million in fiscal 2015, $555.8 million in fiscal 2014 and $515.9 million in fiscal 2013. Amortization expense for property held under a capital lease was $1.7 million in fiscal 2013. TJX had no property held under capital lease during fiscal 2015 or fiscal 2014. Maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred. Significant costs incurred for internally developed software are capitalized and amortized over 3 to 10 years. Upon retirement or sale, the cost of disposed assets and the related accumulated depreciation are eliminated and any gain or loss is included in income. Pre-opening costs, including rent, are expensed as incurred.

Lease Accounting: TJX begins to record rent expense when it takes possession of a store, which is typically 30 to 60 days prior to the opening of the store and generally occurs before the commencement of the lease term, as specified in the lease. All lease agreements involving property built to our specifications are reviewed to determine if our involvement in the construction project requires that we account for the project costs as if we were the owner for accounting purposes.

Long-Lived Assets: Information related to carrying values of TJX’s long-lived assets by geographic location is presented below:


	Fiscal Year Ended
Dollars in thousands	January 31, 2015		February 1, 2014		February 2, 2013
United States	$	2,927,297	$	2,693,670	$	2,350,539
Canada		266,332		214,459		237,232
Europe		674,736		686,372		635,471
Total long-lived assets	$	3,868,365	$	3,594,501	$	3,223,242

Goodwill and Tradenames: Goodwill includes the excess of the purchase price paid over the carrying value of the minority interest acquired in fiscal 1990 in TJX’s former 83%-owned subsidiary and represents goodwill associated with the T.J. Maxx chain, as well as the excess of cost over the estimated fair market value of the net assets acquired by TJX in the purchase of Winners in fiscal 1991 and the purchase of Sierra Trading Post in fiscal 2013 (See Note B).

Goodwill totaled $169.0 million as of January 31, 2015, $169.3 million as of February 1, 2014 and $170.3 million as of February 2, 2013. Goodwill is considered to have an indefinite life and accordingly is not amortized.

Tradenames are the value assigned to the name “Marshalls,” acquired by TJX in fiscal 1996 as part of the acquisition of the Marshalls chain and the value assigned to the name “Sierra Trading Post,” acquired by TJX in fiscal 2013. The tradenames were valued by calculating the discounted present value of assumed after-tax royalty payments. The Marshalls tradename is carried at a value of $107.7 million and is considered to have an indefinite life. The Sierra Trading Post tradename is being amortized over 15 years and is carried at a value of $33.2 million in fiscal 2015, $35.7 million in fiscal 2014 and $38.3 million in fiscal 2013 net of amortization of $5.3 million, $2.8 million and $0.2 million, respectively.

TJX occasionally acquires or licenses other trademarks to be used in connection with private label merchandise. Such trademarks are included in other assets and are amortized to cost of sales, including buying and occupancy costs, over their useful life, generally from 7 to 10 years.

Goodwill, tradenames and trademarks, and the related accumulated amortization if any, are included in the respective operating segment to which they relate.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets, Goodwill and Tradenames: TJX evaluates its long-lived assets, goodwill and tradenames for indicators of impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that their carrying amounts may not be recoverable, and at least annually in the fourth quarter of each fiscal year. An impairment exists when the undiscounted cash flow of an asset or asset group is less than the carrying cost of that asset or asset group.

The evaluation for long-lived assets is performed at the lowest level of identifiable cash flows which are largely independent of other groups of assets, which is generally at the individual store level. If indicators of impairment are identified, an undiscounted cash flow analysis is performed to determine if an impairment exists. The store-by-store evaluations did not indicate any recoverability issues in each of the past three fiscal years.

Goodwill is tested for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that an impairment may have occurred and at least annually in the fourth quarter of each fiscal year, using a quantitative assessment by comparing the carrying value of the related reporting unit to its fair value. An impairment exists when this analysis, using typical valuation models such as the discounted cash flow method, shows that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than the carrying cost of the reporting unit. We may assess qualitative factors to determine if it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, including goodwill. The assessment of qualitative factors is optional and at the Company’s discretion. In fiscal 2015 and fiscal 2014, we bypassed the qualitative assessment and performed the first step of the quantitative goodwill impairment test.

Tradenames are also tested for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the tradename may exceed its fair value and at least annually in the fourth quarter of each fiscal year. Testing is performed by comparing the discounted present value of assumed after-tax royalty payments to the carrying value of the tradename.

There was no impairment related to our goodwill or tradenames in fiscal 2015, 2014 or 2013.

Advertising Costs: TJX expenses advertising costs as incurred. Advertising expense was $371.3 million for fiscal 2015, $333.5 million for fiscal 2014 and $298.6 million for fiscal 2013.

Foreign Currency Translation: TJX’s foreign assets and liabilities are translated into U.S. dollars at fiscal year-end exchange rates with resulting translation gains and losses included in shareholders’ equity as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). Activity of the foreign operations that affect the statements of income and cash flows is translated at average exchange rates prevailing during the fiscal year.

Loss Contingencies: TJX records a reserve for loss contingencies when it is both probable that a loss will be incurred and the amount of the loss is reasonably estimable. TJX evaluates pending litigation and other contingencies at least quarterly and adjusts the reserve for such contingencies for changes in probable and reasonably estimable losses. TJX includes an estimate for related legal costs at the time such costs are both probable and reasonably estimable.

New Accounting Standards: In May 2014, a pronouncement was issued that creates common revenue recognition guidance for U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards. The new guidance supersedes most preexisting revenue recognition guidance. The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of 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. The new standard will be effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within that reporting period, and early adoption is not permitted. The standard is to be applied either retrospectively to each period presented or as a cumulative-effect adjustment as of the date of adoption. For TJX, the standard will be effective in the first quarter of fiscal 2018. TJX is currently evaluating the impact of the new pronouncement on its consolidated financial statements.

Revisions: The cash flow impact of purchases and sales of investments designed to meet obligations under TJX’s Executive Savings Plan of approximately $10.0 million in both fiscal 2014 and 2013 has been adjusted to correct the presentation from ‘other’, in operating activity, to ‘Purchases of investments’ or ‘Sales and maturities of investments’ in cash flows from investing activity. These revisions to the statement of cash flows represent errors that are not deemed to be material, individually or in the aggregate, to the prior period financial statements.