1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements (the “financial statements”) are unaudited. However, the condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2019 was derived from audited financial statements. In the opinion of management, the accompanying financial statements include all necessary adjustments to present fairly the condensed consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows of Zoom Telephonics, Inc. (the “Company” or “Zoom”). The adjustments are of a normal, recurring nature.

The results of operations for the periods presented are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the entire year. 

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern and contemplates continuity of operations, realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities and commitments in the normal course of business. The Company’s ability to continue as a going concern is contingent upon, among other factors, the Company’s ability to generate sufficient cash flow from operations, decrease operating costs, obtain additional equity or debt financing and comply with the financial and other covenants contained in the Company’s Financing Agreement, as amended, with Rosenthal & Rosenthal, Inc. as described in Note 7. These financial statements do not include any adjustments to the recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts and classification of liabilities that might be necessary should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern.

The financial statements of the Company presented herein have been prepared pursuant to the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission for quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and do not include all of the information and disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2019 included in the Company's 2019 Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019.

Subsequent Events

Due to requirements of the United States Department of Homeland Security, and resulting from the continued 25% tariff on imports from China, the Company was required to commit to a $250 thousand letter of credit in April 2020.

The Company applied for and received approval for a SBA Paycheck Protection Plan Loan with Primary Bank under the CARES Act. The loan from the US government in the amount of $0.6 million was approved in mid-April and funded in late April 2020.

On May 11, 2020, Joseph L. Wytanis notified the Company of his decision to step down from the positions of President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Mr. Wytanis will serve as an advisor to the Company’s Board of Directors. The Company’s Board of Directors has formed a search committee to fill the position.

The Company has evaluated subsequent events from March 31, 2020 through the date of this filing and other than above events, has determined that there are no other such events requiring recognition or disclosure in the financial statements.

Sales Tax

The Company has a state sales tax liability stemming from the Company’s ‘Fulfilled By Amazon’ sales agreement which allows Amazon to warehouse the Company’s inventory throughout a number of states. Sales tax is collected in states where the Company is required to collect and the Company is registered in each of these states. Sales and Use Tax filings are completed and filed and tax remitted back to the states is consistent with the individual state filing requirements. Changes to state sales tax regulations are monitored to stay current with the law. As of March 31, 2020, approximately $51 thousand of the original state sales tax liability remains open. The additional liability of approximately $36 thousand relates to sales tax that has been collected and not yet remitted to the respective states.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue recognition is evaluated through the following five steps: (i) identification of the contract, or contracts, with a customer; (ii) identification of the performance obligations in the contract; (iii) determination of the transaction price; (iv) allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and (v) recognition of revenue when or as a performance obligation is satisfied.

● Identification of the contract, or contracts, with a customer — a contract with a customer exists when the Company enters into an enforceable contract with a customer, typically a purchase order initiated by the customer, that defines each party’s rights regarding the goods to be transferred, identifies the payment terms related to these goods, and that the customer has both the ability and intent to pay.

● Identification of the performance obligations in the contract — performance obligations promised in a contract are identified based on the goods that will be transferred to the customer that are distinct, whereby the customer can benefit from the goods on their own or together with other resources that are readily available from third parties or from us.

● Determination of the transaction price —the transaction price is determined based on the consideration to which the Company will be entitled in exchange for transferring goods to the customer. This would be the agreed upon quantity and price per product type in accordance with the customer purchase order, which is aligned with the Company’s internally approved pricing guidelines.

● Allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract — if the contract contains a single performance obligation, the entire transaction price is allocated to the single performance obligation. This applies to the Company as there is only one performance obligation, which is to provide the goods.

● Recognition of revenue when, or as, the Company satisfies a performance obligation — the Company satisfies performance obligations at a point in time when control of the goods transfers to the customer. Determining the point in time when control transfers requires judgment. Indicators considered in determining whether the customer has obtained control of a good include:

● The Company has a present right to payment

● The customer has legal title to the goods

● The Company has transferred physical possession of the goods

● The customer has the significant risks and rewards of ownership of the goods

● The customer has accepted the goods

The Company has concluded that transfer of control substantively transfers to the customer upon shipment or delivery, depending on the delivery terms of the purchase agreement.

Other considerations of Topic 606 include the following:

● Warranties - the Company does not offer customers the option to purchase a warranty separately. Therefore, there is not a separate performance obligation. The Company does account for warranties as a cost accrual and the warranties do not include any additional distinct services other than the assurance that the goods comply with agreed-upon specifications. Warranties are variable and under Topic 606 are estimated and recognized as a reduction of revenue as performance obligations are satisfied (e.g., upon shipment of goods). The estimates due to warranties are historically not material.

● Returned Goods - analyses of actual returned product are compared to that of the product return estimates and historically have resulted in no material difference between the two. The Company has concluded that the current process of estimating the return reserve represents a fair measure with which to adjust revenue. Returned goods are variable and under Topic 606 are estimated and recognized as a reduction of revenue as performance obligations are satisfied (e.g., upon shipment of goods). Under implementation of Topic 606, the Company will monitor pending authorized returns of goods and, if deemed appropriate, record the right of return asset accordingly.

● Price protection - price protection provides that if the Company reduces the price on any products sold to the customer for eventual resale to an end-user, the Company will guarantee an account credit for the price difference for all quantities of that product that the customer still holds. Price protection is variable and under Topic 606 are estimated and recognized as a reduction of revenue as performance obligations are satisfied (e.g., upon shipment of goods). The estimates due to price protection are historically not material.

● Volume Rebates and Promotion Programs - volume rebates are variable dependent upon the volume of goods sold-through the Company’s customers to end-users variable and under Topic 606 are estimated and recognized as a reduction of revenue as performance obligations are satisfied (e.g., upon shipment of goods). The estimates due to rebates and promotions are historically not material.

Accounts receivable, net:

	March 31, 2020			December 31, 2019
Gross accounts receivable	$	6,218,898		$	4,346,810
Allowance for doubtful accounts		(272,031	)		(276,234	)
Total accounts receivable, net	$	5,946,867		$	4,070,576

Accrued other expenses:

	March 31, 2020		December 31, 2019
Audit, legal, payroll	$	242,219	$	256,966
Royalty costs		1,275,000		1,125,000
Sales and use tax		86,796		148,836
Sales allowances *		879,916		901,196
Other		236,770		234,473
Total accrued other expenses	$	2,720,701	$	2,666,471

* A related inventory contract asset stemming from the sales return reserve of $399 thousand and $376 thousand is included within inventories on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets as of March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively.

Company revenues are primarily from the selling of products that are shipped and billed. Consistent with the revenue recognition accounting standard, revenues are recognized when control is transferred to customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods and services. Sales are earned at a point in time through ship-and-bill performance obligations.

Regarding disaggregated revenue disclosures, as previously noted, the Company’s business is controlled as a single operating segment that consists of the manufacture and sale of Internet access and other communications-related products. Most of the Company’s transactions are very similar in nature, contract, terms, timing, and transfer of control of goods.

Disaggregated revenue by distribution channel for three months ended:

Through :	March 31, 2020		March 31, 2019
Retailers	$	10,974,290	$	7,227,364
Distributors		597,529		529,391
Other		383,784		253,334
Total	$	11,955,603	$	8,010,089

Disaggregated revenue by product for three months ended:

	March 31, 2020		March 31, 2019
Cable Modems & gateways	$	11,170,010	$	7,073,277
Other		785,593		936,812
Total	$	11,955,603	$	8,010,089

Revenue is recognized when obligations under the terms of a contract with customers are satisfied. Revenue is measured as the amount of consideration the Company expects to receive in exchange for transferring the products. Based on the nature of the Company’s products and customer contracts, the Company has not recorded any deferred revenue. Any agreements with customers that could impact revenue such as rebates or promotions are recognized in the period of agreement.

Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation

On July 25, 2019, the Company filed a Certificate of Amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company which increased the number of authorized common shares from 25,000,000 to 40,000,000.

Recently Accounting Standards

In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-13, "Financial Instruments Credit Losses —Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments." ASU 2016-13 requires a financial asset (or group of financial assets) measured at amortized cost basis to be presented at the net amount expected to be collected, which includes the Company’s accounts receivable. This ASU is effective for the Company for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2022. The Company is currently assessing the potential impact that the adoption of this ASU will have on its condensed consolidated financial statements.

In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12 “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes”, which is intended to improve consistent application and simplify the accounting for income taxes. This ASU removes certain exceptions to the general principals in Topic 740 and clarifies and amends existing guidance. This standard is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2020, including interim reporting periods within those annual reporting periods, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently assessing the potential impact that the adoption of this ASU and does not expect the adoption of this new standard will have a material impact on its condensed consolidated financial statements.