New accounting pronouncements

3 Months Ended

Nov. 30, 2021

Accounting Standards Update and Change in Accounting Principle [Abstract]

New accounting pronouncements

Accounting policies

Basis of presentation

The Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (“Walgreens Boots Alliance” or the “Company”) included herein have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") regarding interim financial reporting. The Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements include all subsidiaries in which the Company holds a controlling interest. The Company uses the equity method of accounting for equity investments in less than majority-owned companies if the investment provides the ability to exercise significant influence. All intercompany transactions have been eliminated.

The Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements included herein are unaudited. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations, although the Company believes that the disclosures are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. These unaudited Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and the notes thereto included in the Walgreens Boots Alliance Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2021, as amended by Form 10-K/A for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2021 filed on November 24, 2021.

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to use judgment in the application of accounting policies, including making estimates and assumptions. The Company bases its estimates on the information available at the time, its experiences and various other assumptions believed to be reasonable under the circumstances including estimates of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic (“COVID-19”). The extent to which COVID-19 impacts the Company’s business and financial results will depend on numerous factors discussed throughout this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q including, but not limited to, the severity and duration of COVID-19, the extent to which it will impact our customers, team members, suppliers, vendors, business partners and distribution channels. The Company assessed certain accounting matters that require consideration of estimates and assumptions in context with the information reasonably available to the Company and the unknown future impacts of COVID-19 as of November 30, 2021 and through the date of this report. The accounting matters assessed included, but were not limited to, the Company’s carrying value of goodwill, intangible and other long-lived assets including operating lease right-of-use assets. The Company’s future assessment of the magnitude and duration of COVID-19, as well as other factors, could result in material impacts to the Company’s consolidated financial statements in future reporting periods. Adjustments may be made in subsequent periods to reflect more current estimates and assumptions about matters that are inherently uncertain. Actual results may differ.

In the opinion of management, the unaudited Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements for the interim periods presented include all adjustments necessary to present a fair statement of the results for such interim periods. The impact of COVID-19, the influence of certain holidays, seasonality, foreign currency rates, changes in vendor, payer and customer relationships and terms, strategic transactions including acquisitions, dispositions, changes in laws and general economic conditions in the markets in which the Company operates and other factors on the Company’s operations and net earnings for any period may not be comparable to the same period in previous years.

On June 1, 2021, the Company completed the sale of the majority of the Company's Alliance Healthcare business as well as a portion of the Company’s retail pharmacy international businesses in Europe (“Disposal Group”) to AmerisourceBergen Corporation (“AmerisourceBergen”). The Disposal Group met the criteria to be reported as discontinued operations. Therefore, the operating results of the Disposal Group are reported as discontinued operations for all prior periods.

Effective as of the first quarter of fiscal year 2022, the Company is aligned into three reportable segments: United States, International and Walgreens Health. Unless otherwise specified, disclosures in these Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements reflect continuing operations only. Certain prior period data, related to discontinued operations has been reclassified in the Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements and accompanying notes to conform to the current period presentation. See Note 2 Discontinued operations and Note 15 Segment reporting for further information.

Certain amounts in the Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements and associated notes may not add due to rounding. Percentages have been calculated using unrounded amounts for all periods presented.

New accounting pronouncements

Adoption of new accounting pronouncements

Receivables - nonrefundable fees and others

In October 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-08, Codification Improvements to Subtopic 310-20, Receivables—Nonrefundable Fees and Other. This ASU clarifies the accounting for the amortization period for certain purchased callable debt securities held at a premium by giving consideration to securities which have multiple call dates. The Company adopted the new standard effective September 1, 2021, and the adoption did not have any impact on the Company’s results of operations, cash flows or financial position.

Investments — equity securities; Investments — equity method and joint ventures; Derivatives and hedging

In January 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-01, Investments—Equity Securities (Topic 321), Investments—Equity Method and Joint Ventures (Topic 323), and Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815). The amendments in this ASU clarify the interaction between the accounting for investments in equity securities, investment in equity method and certain derivatives instruments. The ASU is expected to reduce diversity in practice and increase comparability of the accounting for these interactions. The Company adopted the new standard effective September 1, 2021, and the adoption did not have any impact on the Company’s results of operations, cash flows or financial position.

Income taxes - simplifying the accounting for income taxes

In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12: Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes (Topic 740), which removes certain exceptions to the general principles in Topic 740 and improves consistent application of and simplifies GAAP for other areas of Topic 740 by clarifying and amending existing guidance. The Company adopted the new standard effective September 1, 2021, and the adoption did not have any impact on the Company’s results of operations, cash flows or financial position.

Effects of reference rate reform on financial reporting

In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting. This ASU provides optional expedient and exceptions for applying generally accepted accounting principles to contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions affected by reference rate reform if certain criteria are met. In response to the concerns about structural risks of interbank offered rates (“IBORs”) and, particularly, the risk of cessation of the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”), regulators in several jurisdictions around the world have undertaken reference rate reform initiatives to identify alternative reference rates that are more observable, or transaction based and less susceptible to manipulation. The ASU provides companies with optional guidance to ease the potential accounting burden associated with transitioning away from reference rates that are expected to be discontinued. In January 2021, the FASB issued ASU 2021-01, which adds implementation guidance to the above the ASU to clarify certain optional expedients in Topic 848. The Company adopted the new standard effective September 1, 2021, and the adoption did not have a material impact on the Company’s results of operations, cash flows or financial position.

New accounting pronouncements not yet adopted

Acquired contract assets and contract liabilities in a business combination

In October 2021, the FASB issued ASU 2021-08, Business Combinations (Topic 805) - Accounting for Contract Assets and Contract Liabilities from Contracts with Customers. This ASU requires an entity to recognize and measure contract assets and contract liabilities acquired in a business combination in accordance with Topic 606 (Revenue from Contracts with Customers). This ASU is expected to reduce diversity in practice and increase comparability for both the recognition and measurement of acquired revenue contracts with customers at the date of and after a business combination. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022 (fiscal 2024). The Company is evaluating the effect of adopting this new accounting guidance.

Disclosures by business entities about government assistance

In November 2021, the FASB issued ASU 2021-10, Government Assistance (Topic 832) – Disclosures by Business Entities about Government Assistance. This ASU requires disclosures that are expected to increase the transparency of transactions with a government accounted for by applying a grant or contribution accounting model by analogy, including (1) the types of transactions, (2) the accounting for those transactions, and (3) the effect of those transactions on an entity’s financial statements. This ASU is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2021 (fiscal 2023). The Company is evaluating the effect of adopting this new accounting guidance.