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SUMMARY OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

NOTE 3: SUMMARY OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation:

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared pursuant to the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the financial statements of Atossa Genetics Inc. and its formerly wholly-owned subsidiary, NRLBH. The Company sold a majority of its interest in the NRLBH in December 2015 and all of its activities are reported as discontinued operations in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. All significant intercompany account balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Certain amounts from prior years have been reclassified to conform with the 2016 presentation.

On August 26, 2016, the Company completed a 1-for-15 reverse stock split of the shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Reverse Stock Split”). As a result of the Reverse Stock Split, every 15 shares of issued and outstanding common stock were combined into one issued and outstanding share of Common Stock, and the par value per share was changed to $.015 per share. No fractional shares were issued because of the Reverse Stock Split and any fractional shares that would otherwise have resulted from the Reverse Stock Split were paid in cash. As a result of the Reverse Stock Split, as of November 11, 2016, there are 3,786,913 shares of common stock outstanding and fractional shares totaling approximately 1,054 shares of common stock were rounded down and paid in cash. The number of authorized shares of common stock was not reduced as a result of the Reverse Stock Split. The Company’s common stock began trading on a reverse stock split-adjusted basis on August 26, 2016. All share and per share data included in this report has been retroactively restated to reflect the Reverse Stock Split.

Use of Estimates:

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements:

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Topic 606 (“ASU 2014-09”), to supersede nearly all existing revenue recognition guidance under U.S. GAAP. The core principle of ASU 2014-09 is to recognize revenues when promised goods or services are transferred to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that is expected to be received for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 defines a five step process to achieve this core principle and, in doing so, it is possible more judgment and estimates may be required within the revenue recognition process than required under existing GAAP including identifying performance obligations in the contract, estimating the amount of variable consideration to include in the transaction price and allocating the transaction price to each separate performance obligation. ASU 2014-09 is effective for the Company in the first quarter of 2017 using either of two methods: (i) retrospective to each prior reporting period presented with the option to elect certain practical expedients as defined within ASU 2014-09; or (ii) retrospective with the cumulative effect of initially applying ASU 2014-09 recognized at the date of initial application and providing certain additional disclosures as defined per ASU 2014-09. Given that the Company is not currently generating revenue and most likely will not be generating revenue at the date of adoption, the adoption of this guidance will not materially impact our consolidated financial statements.

In February 2016, FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Lease Accounting Topic 842. This ASU requires a lessee to recognize lease assets and liabilities on the balance sheet for all arrangements with terms longer than 12 months, The new standard applies a right-of-use (ROU) model that requires a lessee to record, for all leases with a lease term of more than 12 months, an asset representing its right to use the underlying asset for the lease term and a liability to make lease payments. The lease term is the non-cancellable period of the lease, and includes both periods covered by an option to extend the lease, if the lessee is reasonably certain to exercise that option, and periods covered by an option to terminate the lease, if the lessee is reasonably certain not to exercise that termination option. For leases with a lease term of 12 months or less, a practical expedient is available whereby a lessee may elect, by class of underlying asset, not to recognize an ROU asset or lease liability. A lessee making this accounting policy election would recognize lease expense over the term of the lease, generally in a straight-line pattern. The Lessor accounting remains largely consistent with existing U.S. GAAP. The new standard takes effect in 2019 for public business entities and 2020 for all other entities. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of our pending adoption of ASU 2016-02 on our consolidated financial statements.

In April 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09, Stock Compensation Topic 718: Improvements to Employee Share-based Payment Accounting. This ASU simplifies the accounting for stock compensation on income tax accounting, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, estimating forfeitures, and cash flow presentation. Based on this ASU, an entity should recognize all excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies, including tax benefits of dividends on share-based payment awards, as income tax expense or benefit in the income statement; they do not need to include the effects of windfalls and shortfalls in the annual effective tax rate estimate from continuing operations used for interim reporting purposes. As a result of including income tax effects from windfalls and shortfalls in income tax expense, the calculation of both basic and diluted EPS will be affected. The ASU also provides an accounting policy election for awards with service conditions to either estimate the number of awards that are expected to vest (consistent with existing U.S. GAAP) or account for forfeitures when they occur. The ASU increases the allowable statutory tax withholding threshold to qualify for equity classification from the minimum statutory withholding requirements up to the maximum statutory tax rate in the applicable jurisdiction(s). The ASU clarifies that cash paid to a taxing authority by an employer when directly withholding equivalent shares for tax withholding purposes should be considered similar to a share repurchase, and thus classified as a financing activity. All other employer withholding taxes on compensation transactions and other events that enter into the determination of net income continue to be presented within operating activities. The new standard takes effect in 2017 for public business entities and 2018 for all other entities. The Company has not adopted the provisions of ASU No. 2016-09. The Company does not anticipate the impact of adopting ASU 2016-09 will be material to its consolidated financial statements.

Revenue Recognition

The Company is not currently recognizing any revenue and all the revenue recognized in 2015 was from testing services performed by the NRLBH. The Company sold approximately 81% of the capital stock in the NRLBH on December 16, 2015 and as a result all of the revenue is included in discontinued operations for 2015.

Cost of Revenue

Cost of revenue consists of the costs of laboratory testing services and costs of product sales. Costs of testing services primarily include direct costs of material, direct labor, equipment, and shipping to process the patient samples (including pathology, quality control analysis, and shipping charges to transport tissue sample) in the NRLBH. Costs associated with performing the Company's tests were recorded as tests are processed. Costs recorded for sample processing and shipping charges represent the cost of all the tests processed during the period regardless of whether revenue was recognized with respect to that test. The cost of service from laboratory testing is included in discontinued operations for 2015.

Research and Development

All research and development costs are expensed as incurred.

Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes under the asset and liability method. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on differences between financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities and are measured using enacted tax rates and laws that are expected to be in effect when the differences are expected to be recovered or settled. Realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon future taxable income. A valuation allowance is recognized if it is more likely than not that some portion or all of a deferred tax asset will not be realized based on the weight of available evidence, including expected future earnings. The Company recognizes an uncertain tax position in its financial statements when it concludes that a tax position is more likely than not to be sustained upon examination based solely on its technical merits. Only after a tax position passes the first step of recognition will measurement be required. Under the measurement step, the tax benefit is measured as the largest amount of benefit that is more likely than not to be realized upon effective settlement. This is determined on a cumulative probability basis. The full impact of any change in recognition or measurement is reflected in the period in which such change occurs. The Company elects to accrue any interest or penalties related to income taxes as part of its income tax expense.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash and all highly liquid instruments with original maturities of three months or less.

Furniture and Equipment

Furniture and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Expenditures for maintenance and repairs are charged to earnings as incurred; additions, renewals and betterments are capitalized. When furniture and equipment are retired or otherwise disposed of, the related cost and accumulated depreciation are removed from the respective accounts, and any gain or loss is included in operations.

Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets as follows:

	Useful Life (in years)
Machinery and equipment		3 - 5
Leasehold improvements		lease term

The Company applies the provisions of FASB ASC Topic 360 (ASC 360), “Property, Plant, and Equipment” which addresses financial accounting and reporting for the impairment or disposal of long-lived assets. The Company periodically evaluates the carrying value of long-lived assets to be held and used in accordance with ASC 360, at least on an annual basis. ASC 360 requires the impairment losses to be recorded on long-lived assets used in operations when indicators of impairment are present and the undiscounted cash flows estimated to be generated by those assets are less than the assets’ carrying amounts. In that event, a loss is recognized based on the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the fair market value of the long-lived assets. Loss on long-lived assets to be disposed of is determined in a similar manner, except that fair market values are reduced for the cost of disposal. For the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, no impairment of property and equipment was recorded.

Fair Value Measurements

The Company records recurring and non-recurring financial assets and liabilities as well as all non-financial assets and liabilities subject to fair value measurement at the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. These fair value principles prioritize valuation inputs across three broad levels. Level 1 inputs are quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 inputs are quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets or inputs that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly through market corroboration, for substantially the full term of the financial instrument. Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs based on the Company's assumptions used to measure assets and liabilities at fair value. An asset or liability's classification within the various levels is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

Intangible Assets

Intangible assets consist of intellectual property and software acquired. Intangibles are reviewed at least annually for impairment or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the assets might not be recoverable. An impairment loss is recognized when estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to result from the use of the asset and its eventual disposition are less than its carrying amount. Estimating future cash flows related to an intangible asset involves significant estimates and assumptions. If our assumptions are not correct, there could be an impairment loss or, in the case of a change in the estimated useful life of the asset, a change in amortization expense.

We continuously evaluate and reprioritize our research and development pipeline based on the most recent business strategies, and as a result, have changed our plans to develop and invest further in the Acueity patents and technologies. Because of these changed business plans related to the Acueity assets, we have re-evaluated the assets for potential impairment. We have concluded that these assets are partially impaired and have recorded asset impairment charges of $718,970 for the year ended December 31, 2016 to adjust the carrying value of these intangible assets to their estimated fair values as of December 31, 2016.

We determined the fair values of the Acueity intangibles using an income approach (Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy). For purposes of the income approach, fair value was determined based on the present value of estimated future cash flows that a market participant could expect to generate from the development of products using the patented technology acquired in the Acueity transaction, discounted at an appropriate risk-adjusted rate reflecting the weighted average cost of capital for a potential market participant. The discount rate used in valuation for these intangible assets was 20%. The estimated future cash flows, including an estimate of long-term future growth rates, reflect our own assumptions of what market participants would utilize to price the assets pursuant to ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements.

Amortization is computed using the straight-line method over the estimate useful lives of the assets as follows:

	Useful Life (in years)
Patents		7 - 12
Software		3

Share-Based Payments

The Company follows the provisions of ASC Topic 718, Compensation - Stock Compensation (“ASC 718”), which requires the measurement and recognition of compensation expense for all share-based payment awards made to employees, non-employee directors, and consultants, including employee stock options. Stock compensation expense based on the grant date fair value estimated in accordance with the provisions of ASC 718 is recognized as an expense over the requisite service period.

The fair value of each option grant is estimated using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, which requires assumptions regarding the expected volatility of the stock options, the expected life of the options, an expectation regarding future dividends on the Company’s common stock, and estimation of an appropriate risk-free interest rate. The Company’s expected common stock price volatility assumption is based upon the historical volatility of our stock price. The expected life assumption for stock options grants was based upon the simplified method provided for under ASC 718-10, which averages the contractual term of the options of ten years with the average vesting term of four years. The dividend yield assumption of zero is based upon the fact that the Company has never paid cash dividends and presently has no intention of paying cash dividends in the future. The risk-free interest rate used for each grant was based upon prevailing short-term interest rates over the expected life of the options.

The Company has estimated an annualized forfeiture rate of 10.0% for options granted. The Company will record additional expense if the actual forfeitures are lower than estimated and will record a recovery of prior expense if the actual forfeiture rates are higher than estimated.