Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies

9 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2021

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies

BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared by Valvoline Inc. (“Valvoline” or the “Company”) in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) and Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) regulations for interim financial reporting, which do not include all information and footnote disclosures normally included in annual financial statements. Therefore, these condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with Valvoline’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020. Certain prior period amounts disclosed herein have been reclassified to conform to the current presentation.

The preparation of condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make use of estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts and disclosures. Actual results may vary from these estimates. In the opinion of management, the assumptions underlying the condensed consolidated financial statements for these interim periods are reasonable, and all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation have been made and are of a normal recurring nature unless otherwise disclosed herein. The results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of those to be expected for the entire year, particularly in light of the novel coronavirus ("COVID-19") global pandemic and its effects.

Valvoline has substantially maintained its operations throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to-date and has continued precautionary measures to protect the Company's employees and customers and manage through the currently known impacts on its business. Given the unprecedented nature of the pandemic, the extent of future impacts cannot be reasonably estimated at this time due to numerous uncertainties, including the duration and severity of the pandemic.

Recent accounting pronouncements

The following standards relevant to Valvoline were either issued or adopted in the current year, or are expected to have a meaningful impact on Valvoline in future periods upon adoption. The Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued other accounting guidance during the period that is not currently applicable or expected to have a material impact on Valvoline’s condensed consolidated financial statements, and therefore, is not described below.

Recently adopted

In June 2016, the FASB issued updated guidance that changes the recognition of credit losses from an incurred or probable loss methodology to a current expected credit loss model that results in the immediate recognition of credit losses that are expected to occur over the life of the financial instruments that are within the scope of the guidance, principally trade and other receivables for Valvoline. The new credit loss guidance was adopted on October 1, 2020 using the required modified retrospective approach. Under this approach, the new accounting guidance was applied prospectively from the date of adoption through a cumulative effect adjustment in retained deficit, while prior period financial statements continue to be reported in accordance with the previous guidance. Adoption did not have a material impact on the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements and resulted in a $2 million cumulative effect of accounting change, net of tax, that increased retained deficit and allowances for credit losses.

In connection with and following the adoption of this guidance, Valvoline maintains allowances to estimate expected lifetime credit losses that are based on a broad range of reasonable and supportable information and factors, including the length of time receivables are past due, the financial health of its customers, macroeconomic conditions, and historical collection experience. Refer to Note 11 for additional information regarding the Company's trade and other receivables and its allowances for credit losses.

Issued but not yet adopted

In March 2020, the FASB issued guidance regarding the effects of reference rate reform intended to ease financial reporting burdens as the market transitions from the London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR") and other interbank reference rates to alternative reference rates. The Company has interest rate swap hedging arrangements and long-term debt as described in Notes 2 and 5, respectively, for which existing payments are based on LIBOR. This guidance is available to be adopted through the end of calendar 2022 to simplify the accounting for arrangements

modified for the transition to alternative reference rates. The Company expects to adopt this guidance to the extent its arrangements are modified for the underlying reference rate prior to the end of calendar 2022 and does not expect adoption will have a material impact on its condensed consolidated financial statements.