Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2021

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and applicable rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and Article 10-1 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, some information and footnote disclosures required by GAAP for complete financial statements have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. In the opinion of the Company’s management, the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and notes have been prepared on the same basis as the audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2020, and include all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair statement of the interim periods presented. As a result of the ALG divestiture as discussed in Note 3, the ALG business met the criteria to be reported as discontinued operations. Therefore, the Company is reporting the historical results of ALG, including the results of operations, cash flows, and related assets and liabilities, as discontinued operations for all periods presented herein through the date of disposition. Unless otherwise noted, the accompanying Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have all been revised to reflect continuing operations only.

The condensed consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2020 has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date, but does not include all of the disclosures required by GAAP. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto contained in the Company’s Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 5, 2021.

Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of TrueCar and its wholly owned subsidiaries. Business acquisitions are included in the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements from the date of the acquisition. The Company’s purchase accounting resulted in all assets and liabilities of acquired businesses being recorded at their estimated fair values on the acquisition dates. Equity investments through which the Company is able to exercise significant influence over but does not control the investee and is not the primary beneficiary of the investee’s activities are accounted for using the equity method. The Company’s share of the income or loss from equity method investments is recognized on a one-quarter lag due to the timing and availability of financial information. Divestitures are included in the Company’s consolidated statements through the date of disposition. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the dates of the consolidated financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Assets and liabilities that are subject to judgment and use of estimates include sales allowances and allowances for doubtful accounts, contract assets, the fair value of assets and liabilities assumed in business combinations, the fair value of equity method investments, the recoverability and related impairment of goodwill and long-lived assets, valuation allowances with respect to deferred tax assets, useful lives associated with property and equipment and intangible assets, right-of-use assets and operating lease liabilities, contingencies, and the valuation and assumptions underlying stock-based compensation and other equity instruments. On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates its estimates compared to historical experience and trends, which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities. In addition, the Company engaged valuation specialists to assist with management’s determination of the fair values of its single reporting unit related to goodwill impairment, right-of-use assets and lease liabilities, assets and liabilities assumed in business combinations, assets and liabilities of its equity method investment and performance-based stock units.

Segments

The Company has one operating segment. From January 1, 2021 through January 26, 2021, the Company’s chief operating decision maker (“CODM”) was solely comprised of the President and Chief Executive Officer who managed the Company’s operations based on consolidated financial information for purposes of evaluating financial performance and allocating resources. Upon the hiring of the Company’s Chief Financial Officer on January 27, 2021 and through June 30, 2021, the CODM was comprised of both the President and Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer, who jointly managed the Company’s operations based on consolidated financial information for purposes of evaluating financial performance and allocating resources.

The CODM reviews financial information on a consolidated basis, accompanied by information about dealer revenue, OEM incentive revenue, and other revenue (Note 13). All of the Company’s principal operations, decision-making functions and assets are located in the United States.

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

The Company determines its allowance for doubtful accounts based on historical write-off experience and specific circumstances that make it likely that recovery will not occur. The Company reviews the allowance for doubtful accounts periodically and assesses the aging of account balances, with an emphasis on those that are past due over ninety days. Account balances are charged off against the allowance when the Company determines that it is probable the receivable will not be recovered.

The Company considers the need to adjust historical information to reflect the extent to which the Company expects current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts to differ from the conditions that existed for the period over which historical information was evaluated. The primary current and future economic indicators that the Company uses to develop its current estimate of expected credit losses include the current and forecast U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The Company calculates the expected credit losses on a pool basis for those trade receivables that have similar risk characteristics. For those trade receivables that do not share similar risk characteristics, the allowance for doubtful accounts is calculated on an individual basis. Risk characteristics relevant to the Company’s accounts receivable include revenue billing model and aging status.

The following table summarizes the changes in the allowance for doubtful accounts and sales allowances (in thousands):


	Three Months Ended June 30,				Six Months Ended June 30,
	2021		2020		2021		2020
Allowances, at beginning of period	$	6,149	$	7,887	$	7,147	$	6,591
Charged as a reduction of revenue	1,287		2,959		2,566		5,357
Charged to bad debt expense in general and administrative expenses	236		1,260		468		3,485
Write-offs, net of recoveries	(1,883)		(1,802)		(4,392)		(5,129)
Allowances, at end of period	$	5,789	$	10,304	$	5,789	$	10,304

The Company’s assessment considered business and market disruptions caused by COVID-19 and estimates of expected emerging credit and collectability trends. The continued volatility in market conditions and evolving shifts in credit trends are difficult to predict causing variability and volatility that may have a material impact on our allowance for credit losses in future periods.