Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiaries (the Company). Intercompany accounts and transactions are eliminated.

Description of the Company And Business Segments

Description of the Company and Business Segments

The Company has approximately 134,000 employees worldwide engaged in the research and development, manufacture and sale of a broad range of products in the health care field. The Company conducts business in virtually all countries of the world and its primary focus is on products related to human health and well-being.

The Company is organized into three business segments: Consumer, Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices. The Consumer segment includes a broad range of products used in the baby care, oral care, beauty, over-the-counter pharmaceutical, women’s health and wound care markets. These products are marketed to the general public and sold both to retail outlets and distributors throughout the world. The Pharmaceutical segment is focused on six therapeutic areas, including immunology, infectious diseases, neuroscience, oncology, pulmonary hypertension, and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Products in this segment are distributed directly to retailers, wholesalers, hospitals and health care professionals for prescription use. The Medical Devices segment includes a broad range of products used in the orthopaedic, surgery, cardiovascular, diabetes care and vision care fields, which are distributed to wholesalers, hospitals and retailers, and used principally in the professional fields by physicians, nurses, hospitals, eye care professionals and clinics.

New Accounting Pronouncements

Accounting Standard adopted in 2016

During the fiscal second quarter of 2016, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-09 Compensation - Stock Compensation: Improvements to Employee Share Based Payment Accounting for the reporting of additional tax benefits on share-based compensation that vested or were exercised during the fiscal year. The update requires all excess tax benefits and deficiencies to be recognized as a reduction or an increase to the provision for taxes on income. Previously, the Company recorded these benefits directly to Retained Earnings. The tax benefit for the Company was $353 million for the fiscal year 2016. The standard does not permit retroactive presentation of this benefit to prior fiscal years on the Consolidated Statement of Earnings.

New Accounting Standards

Recently Adopted Accounting Standards

ASU 2016-07: Simplifying the Transition to the Equity Method of Accounting

The amendments in the update eliminate the requirement that when an investment qualifies for the use of the equity method as a result of an increase in the level of ownership interest or degree of influence, an investor must adjust the investment, results of operations, and retained earnings retroactively on a step by step basis as if the equity method had been in effect during all previous periods that the investment had been held. The amendments in this update are effective for all entities for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2016. The amendments should be applied prospectively upon their effective date to increases in the level of ownership interest or degree of influence that result in the application of the equity method. The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on the presentation of the Company's consolidated financial statements.

ASU 2015-11: Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory

This update requires inventory to be measured at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Net realizable value is the estimated selling prices in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal and transportation. This update is effective for the Company for all annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2016. The amendments in this update should be applied prospectively. This update did not have any material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

Not Adopted as of December 31, 2017

ASU 2018-02: Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income

This update allows a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Cuts and Job Act enacted in December 2017. This update will be effective for the Company for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. The Company does not expect this standard to have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

ASU 2017-12: Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities

This update makes more financial and nonfinancial hedging strategies eligible for hedge accounting. It also amends the presentation and disclosure requirements and changes how companies assess effectiveness. This update will be effective for the Company for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted upon its issuance. The Company is currently assessing the impact of the future adoption of this standard on its financial statements.

ASU 2017-07: Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost

This update requires that an employer disaggregate the service cost component from the other components of net periodic benefit cost (“NPBC”). In addition, only the service cost component will be eligible for capitalization. This update is effective for the Company for all annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted as of the beginning of an annual period for which financial statements (interim or annual) have not been issued or made available for issuance. The amendments in this Update should be applied retrospectively for the presentation of the service cost component and the other components of NPBC in the income statement and prospectively, on and after the effective date, for the capitalization of the service cost component of NPBC in assets. The Company is assessing the retroactive restatement methodology and impact to the individual line items on Consolidated Statement of Earnings. The Company does not expect there to be a material impact to net earnings.

ASU 2017-01: Clarifying the Definition of a Business

This update narrows the definition of a business by providing a screen to determine when an integrated set of assets and activities is not a business. The screen specifies that an integrated set of assets and activities is not a business if substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired or disposed of is concentrated in a single or a group of similar identifiable assets. This update will be effective for the Company for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those annual periods. Early adoption is permitted. This update should be applied prospectively. The Company does not expect this standard to have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

ASU 2016-16: Income Taxes: Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory

This update removes the current exception in US GAAP prohibiting entities from recognizing current and deferred income tax expenses or benefits related to transfer of assets, other than inventory, within the consolidated entity. The current exception to defer the recognition of any tax impact on the transfer of inventory within the consolidated entity until it is sold to a third party remains unaffected. The amendments in this update are effective for public entities for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The results from a preliminary assessment indicate that the adoption of the standard will not have a significant impact on the Company’s financial results. The Company expects to record net adjustments to deferred taxes of approximately $2.0 billion, a decrease to Other Assets of approximately $0.7 billion and an increase to retained earnings of approximately $1.3 billion.

ASU 2016-02: Leases

This update requires the recognition of lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet for all lease obligations and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. This update requires the recognition of lease assets and lease liabilities by lessees for those leases classified as operating leases under current generally accepted accounting principles. This update will be effective for the Company for all annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early application is permitted. The Company anticipates that most of its operating leases will result in the recognition of additional assets and the corresponding liabilities on its Consolidated Balance Sheets, however does not expect the standard to have a material impact on the financial position. The actual impact will depend on the Company's lease portfolio at the time of adoption. The Company continues to assess all implications of the standard and related financial disclosures.

ASU 2016-01: Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities

The amendments in this update supersede the guidance to classify equity securities with readily determinable fair values into different categories (that is, trading or available-for-sale) and require equity securities to be measured at fair value with changes in the fair value recognized through net income. The standard amends financial reporting by providing relevant information about an entity’s equity investments and reducing the number of items that are recognized in other comprehensive income. This update will be effective for the Company for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those annual periods. The adoption of this standard will not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

ASU 2014-09: Revenue from Contracts with Customers

The amendments replace substantially all current U.S. GAAP guidance on this topic and eliminate industry-specific guidance. Early adoption of this standard is permitted but not before the original effective date for all annual periods and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company will adopt the standard using the modified retrospective method. The adoption of this standard will not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements including the additional disclosure requirements.

Cash Equivalents

The Company classifies all highly liquid investments with stated maturities of three months or less from date of purchase as cash equivalents and all highly liquid investments with stated maturities of greater than three months from the date of purchase as current marketable securities. The Company has a policy of making investments only with commercial institutions that have at least an investment grade credit rating. The Company invests its cash primarily in government securities and obligations, corporate debt securities, money market funds and reverse repurchase agreements (RRAs).

RRAs are collateralized by deposits in the form of Government Securities and Obligations for an amount not less than 102% of their value. The Company does not record an asset or liability as the Company is not permitted to sell or repledge the associated collateral. The Company has a policy that the collateral has at least an A (or equivalent) credit rating. The Company utilizes a third party custodian to manage the exchange of funds and ensure that collateral received is maintained at 102% of the value of the RRAs on a daily basis. RRAs with stated maturities of greater than three months from the date of purchase are classified as marketable securities.

Investments

Investments classified as held to maturity investments are reported at amortized cost and realized gains or losses are reported in earnings. Investments classified as available-for-sale are carried at estimated fair value with unrealized gains and losses recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income. Available-for-sale securities available for current operations are classified as current assets otherwise, they are classified as long term. Management determines the appropriate classification of its investment in debt and equity securities at the time of purchase and re-evaluates such determination at each balance sheet date. The Company periodically reviews its investments in equity securities for impairment and adjusts these investments to their fair value when a decline in market value is deemed to be other than temporary. If losses on these securities are considered to be other than temporary, the loss is recognized in earnings.

Property, Plant and Equipment and Depreciation

Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost. The Company utilizes the straight-line method of depreciation over the estimated useful lives of the assets:



Building and building equipment	20 - 30 years
Land and leasehold improvements	10 - 20 years
Machinery and equipment	2 - 13 years

The Company capitalizes certain computer software and development costs, included in machinery and equipment, when incurred in connection with developing or obtaining computer software for internal use. Capitalized software costs are amortized over the estimated useful lives of the software, which generally range from 3 to 8 years.

The Company reviews long-lived assets to assess recoverability using undiscounted cash flows. When certain events or changes in operating or economic conditions occur, an impairment assessment may be performed on the recoverability of the carrying value of these assets. If the asset is determined to be impaired, the loss is measured based on the difference between the asset’s fair value and its carrying value. If quoted market prices are not available, the Company will estimate fair value using a discounted value of estimated future cash flows.

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes revenue from product sales when the goods are shipped or delivered and title and risk of loss pass to the customer. Provisions for certain rebates, sales incentives, trade promotions, coupons, product returns and discounts to customers are accounted for as reductions in sales in the same period the related sales are recorded.

Product discounts granted are based on the terms of arrangements with direct, indirect and other market participants, as well as market conditions, including prices charged by competitors. Rebates, which include Medicaid, are estimated based on contractual terms, historical experience, patient outcomes, trend analysis and projected market conditions in the various markets served. The Company evaluates market conditions for products or groups of products primarily through the analysis of wholesaler and other third-party sell-through and market research data, as well as internally generated information.

Sales returns are generally estimated and recorded based on historical sales and returns information. Products that exhibit unusual sales or return patterns due to dating, competition or other marketing matters are specifically investigated and analyzed as part of the accounting for sales returns accruals.

Sales returns allowances represent a reserve for products that may be returned due to expiration, destruction in the field, or in specific areas, product recall. The returns reserve is based on historical return trends by product and by market as a percent to gross sales. In accordance with the Company’s accounting policies, the Company generally issues credit to customers for returned goods. The Company’s sales returns reserves are accounted for in accordance with U.S. GAAP guidance for revenue recognition when right of return exists. Sales returns reserves are recorded at full sales value. Sales returns in the Consumer and Pharmaceutical segments are almost exclusively not resalable. Sales returns for certain franchises in the Medical Devices segment are typically resalable but are not material. The Company infrequently exchanges products from inventory for returned products. The sales returns reserve for the total Company has been approximately 1.0% of annual sales to customers during the fiscal reporting years 2017, 2016 and 2015.

Promotional programs, such as product listing allowances and cooperative advertising arrangements, are recorded in the year incurred. Continuing promotional programs include coupons and volume-based sales incentive programs. The redemption cost of consumer coupons is based on historical redemption experience by product and value. Volume-based incentive programs are based on the estimated sales volumes for the incentive period and are recorded as products are sold. The Company also earns service revenue for co-promotion of certain products and includes it in sales to customers. These arrangements are evaluated to determine the appropriate amounts to be deferred or recorded as a reduction of revenue.

Shipping and Handling

Shipping and handling costs incurred were $1,042 million, $974 million and $996 million in 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively, and are included in selling, marketing and administrative expense. The amount of revenue received for shipping and handling is less than 0.5% of sales to customers for all periods presented.

Inventories

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value determined by the first-in, first-out method.

Intangible Assets and Goodwill

The authoritative literature on U.S. GAAP requires that goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite lives be assessed annually for impairment. The Company completed the annual impairment test for 2017 in the fiscal fourth quarter. Future impairment tests will be performed annually in the fiscal fourth quarter, or sooner if warranted. Purchased in-process research and development is accounted for as an indefinite lived intangible asset until the underlying project is completed, at which point the intangible asset will be accounted for as a definite lived intangible asset, or abandoned, at which point the intangible asset will be written off or partially impaired.

Intangible assets that have finite useful lives continue to be amortized over their useful lives, and are reviewed for impairment when warranted by economic conditions. See Note 5 for further details on Intangible Assets and Goodwill.

Financial Instruments

As required by U.S. GAAP, all derivative instruments are recorded on the balance sheet at fair value. Fair value is the exit price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability. Fair value is a market-based measurement determined using assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability. The authoritative literature establishes a three-level hierarchy to prioritize the inputs used in measuring fair value, with Level 1 having the highest priority and Level 3 having the lowest. Changes in the fair value of derivatives are recorded each period in current earnings or other comprehensive income, depending on whether the derivative is designated as part of a hedge transaction, and if so, the type of hedge transaction.

The Company documents all relationships between hedged items and derivatives. The overall risk management strategy includes reasons for undertaking hedge transactions and entering into derivatives. The objectives of this strategy are: (1) minimize foreign currency exposure’s impact on the Company’s financial performance; (2) protect the Company’s cash flow from adverse movements in foreign exchange rates; (3) ensure the appropriateness of financial instruments; and (4) manage the enterprise risk associated with financial institutions. See Note 6 for additional information on Financial Instruments.

Product Liability

Accruals for product liability claims are recorded, on an undiscounted basis, when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the liability can be reasonably estimated based on existing information and actuarially determined estimates where applicable. The accruals are adjusted periodically as additional information becomes available. The Company accrues an estimate of the legal defense costs needed to defend each matter when those costs are probable and can be reasonably estimated.

As a result of cost and availability factors, effective November 1, 2005, the Company ceased purchasing third-party product liability insurance. The Company has self insurance through a wholly-owned captive insurance company. In addition to accruals in the self insurance program, claims that exceed the insurance coverage are accrued when losses are probable and amounts can be reasonably estimated.

Research and Development

Research and development expenses are expensed as incurred. Upfront and milestone payments made to third parties in connection with research and development collaborations are expensed as incurred up to the point of regulatory approval. Payments made to third parties subsequent to regulatory approval are capitalized and amortized over the remaining useful life of the related product. Amounts capitalized for such payments are included in other intangibles, net of accumulated amortization.

The Company enters into collaborative arrangements, typically with other pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies, to develop and commercialize drug candidates or intellectual property. These arrangements typically involve two (or more) parties who are active participants in the collaboration and are exposed to significant risks and rewards dependent on the commercial success of the activities. These collaborations usually involve various activities by one or more parties, including research and development, marketing and selling and distribution. Often, these collaborations require upfront, milestone and royalty or profit share payments, contingent upon the occurrence of certain future events linked to the success of the asset in development. Amounts due from collaborative partners related to development activities are generally reflected as a reduction of research and development expense because the performance of contract development services is not central to the Company’s operations. In general, the income statement presentation for these collaborations is as follows:



Nature/Type of Collaboration		Statement of Earnings Presentation
Third-party sale of product		Sales to customers
Royalties/milestones paid to collaborative partner (post-regulatory approval)*		Cost of products sold
Royalties received from collaborative partner		Other income (expense), net
Upfront payments & milestones paid to collaborative partner (pre-regulatory approval)		Research and development expense
Research and development payments to collaborative partner		Research and development expense
Research and development payments received from collaborative partner		Reduction of Research and development expense



*	Milestones are capitalized as intangible assets and amortized to cost of products sold over the useful life.

For all years presented, there was no individual project that represented greater than 5% of the total annual consolidated research and development expense.

Advertising

Costs associated with advertising are expensed in the year incurred and are included in selling, marketing and administrative expenses.

Income Taxes

Income taxes are recorded based on amounts refundable or payable for the current year and include the results of any difference between U.S. GAAP accounting and tax reporting, recorded as deferred tax assets or liabilities. The Company estimates deferred tax assets and liabilities based on enacted tax regulations and rates. Future changes in tax laws and rates may affect recorded deferred tax assets and liabilities in the future.

The Company has unrecognized tax benefits for uncertain tax positions. The Company follows U.S. GAAP which prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. Management believes that changes in these estimates would not have a material effect on the Company's results of operations, cash flows or financial position.

In the fourth quarter of 2017, the United States enacted the TCJA, which includes provisions for a tax on all previously undistributed earnings in foreign jurisdictions. The Company has provisionally booked a $10.1 billion charge on these undistributed earnings in 2017. Additionally, the Company has provisionally recorded a $4.5 billion deferred tax liability for foreign local and withholding taxes, offset by a $1.1 billion deferred tax asset for U.S. foreign tax credits, for repatriation of substantially all undistributed foreign earnings. The Company is currently evaluating the remaining undistributed foreign earnings for which it has not provided deferred taxes for foreign local and withholding tax, as these earnings are considered to be indefinitely reinvested. The amount of these unrecorded deferred taxes is not expected to be material.

Net Earnings Per Share

Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing net earnings available to common shareholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted earnings per share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if securities were exercised or converted into common stock using the treasury stock method.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported. Estimates are used when accounting for sales discounts, rebates, allowances and incentives, product liabilities, income taxes, withholding taxes, depreciation, amortization, employee benefits, contingencies and intangible asset and liability valuations. Actual results may or may not differ from those estimates.

The Company follows the provisions of U.S. GAAP when recording litigation related contingencies. A liability is recorded when a loss is probable and can be reasonably estimated. The best estimate of a loss within a range is accrued; however, if no estimate in the range is better than any other, the minimum amount is accrued.

Annual Closing Date

The Company follows the concept of a fiscal year, which ends on the Sunday nearest to the end of the month of December. Normally each fiscal year consists of 52 weeks, but every five or six years the fiscal year consists of 53 weeks, and therefore includes additional shipping days, as was the case in 2015, and will be the case again in 2020.

Reclassification

Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to current year presentation.