Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Description of business— Illinois Tool Works Inc. (the "Company" or "ITW") is a global manufacturer of a diversified range of industrial products and equipment with approximately 84 divisions in 53 countries. The Company primarily serves the automotive OEM/tiers, commercial food equipment, construction, general industrial, and automotive aftermarket end markets.

Consolidation and translation— The financial statements include the Company and its majority-owned subsidiaries. The Company follows the equity method of accounting for investments where the Company has a significant influence but not a controlling interest. Intercompany transactions are eliminated from the financial statements. Foreign subsidiaries’ assets and liabilities are translated to U.S. dollars at end-of-period exchange rates. Revenues and expenses are translated at average rates for the period. Translation adjustments are reported as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in stockholders’ equity.

Reclassifications— Certain reclassifications of prior year data have been made to conform to current year reporting.

Use of estimates— The preparation of the Company’s financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and the notes to financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Acquisitions— The Company accounts for acquisitions under the acquisition method, in which assets acquired and liabilities assumed are recorded at fair value as of the date of acquisition. The operating results of the acquired companies are included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements from the date of acquisition.

Operating revenue— Prior to 2018, the Company recognized revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement existed, product had shipped and the risks and rewards of ownership had transferred or services had been rendered, the price to the customer was fixed or determinable, and collectability was reasonably assured, which generally occurred at the time of product shipment. Effective January 1, 2018, the Company adopted new revenue recognition guidance. Under this new guidance, operating revenue is recognized at the time a good or service is transferred to a customer and the customer obtains control of that good or receives the service performed. The Company's sales arrangements with customers are predominantly short-term in nature involving a single performance obligation related to the delivery of products and generally provide for transfer of control at the time of shipment. In limited circumstances, arrangements may include service performed over time, or there may be significant obligations to the customer that are unfulfilled at the time of shipment, typically involving installation of equipment and customer acceptance. In these circumstances, operating revenue may be recognized over time as the service is provided to the customer or deferred until all significant obligations have been completed. The amount of operating revenue recorded reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled in exchange for goods or services and may include adjustments for customer allowances and rebates. Customer allowances and rebates consist primarily of volume discounts and other short-term incentive programs, which are estimated at the time of sale based on historical experience and anticipated trends. Shipping and handling charges billed to customers are included in revenue and are recognized along with the related product revenue as they are considered a fulfillment cost. Sales commissions are expensed when incurred, which is generally at the time of revenue recognition. Contract liabilities associated with sales arrangements primarily relate to deferred revenue on equipment sales and prepaid service contracts. Total deferred revenue and customer deposits were $188 million and $215 million as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively, and are short-term in nature. For additional information regarding the Company's operating revenue, see New Accounting Pronouncements below and Note 3. Operating Revenue.

Research and development expenses— Research and development expenses are recorded as expense in the year incurred. These costs were $221 million, $233 million and $225 million for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Advertising expenses— Advertising expenses are recorded as expense in the year incurred. These costs were $48 million, $50 million and $53 million for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Income taxes— The Company utilizes the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes. Deferred income taxes are determined based on the estimated future tax effects of differences between the financial and tax bases of assets and

liabilities given the provisions of the enacted tax laws. Valuation allowances are established when it is estimated that it is more likely than not that the tax benefit of the deferred tax asset will not be realized.

Cash and equivalents— Cash and equivalents include cash on hand and instruments having original maturities of three months or less. Cash and equivalents are stated at cost, which approximates fair value.

Trade receivables— Trade receivables are net of allowances for doubtful accounts. Prior to 2018, the allowance for doubtful accounts included reserves for uncollectible accounts and customer credits. Under the new revenue guidance adopted on January 1, 2018, the reserve for customer credits is reported as a liability and included in Accrued expenses in the Statement of Financial Position. Accordingly, after January 1, 2018, the allowance for doubtful accounts was comprised of reserves for uncollectible accounts. The changes in the allowance for doubtful accounts for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017 were as follows:



In millions	2019			2018			2017
Beginning balance	$	21		$	43		$	43
Adoption of new revenue recognition guidance	—			(23		)	—
Provision charged to expense	6			5			3
Write-offs, net of recoveries	(4		)	(3		)	(6		)
Transfer to assets held for sale	(2		)	—			—
Foreign currency translation	(1		)	(1		)	3
Ending balance	$	20		$	21		$	43

Inventories— Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value and include material, labor and factory overhead. The last-in, first-out ("LIFO") method is used to determine the cost of inventories at certain U.S. businesses. The first-in, first-out ("FIFO") method, which approximates current cost, is used for all other inventories. Inventories priced at LIFO were approximately 23% of total inventories as of December 31, 2019 and 2018. If the FIFO method was used for all inventories, total inventories would have been approximately $89 million and $97 million higher than reported at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. The major classes of inventory at December 31, 2019 and 2018 were as follows:



In millions	2019			2018
Raw material	$	452		$	523
Work-in-process	131			161
Finished goods	670			731
LIFO reserve	(89		)	(97		)
Total inventories	$	1,164		$	1,318

Net plant and equipment— Net plant and equipment are stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation. Renewals and improvements that increase the useful life of plant and equipment are capitalized. Maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred. Net plant and equipment consisted of the following at December 31, 2019 and 2018:



In millions	2019			2018
Land	$	186		$	194
Buildings and improvements	1,357			1,368
Machinery and equipment	3,551			3,517
Construction in progress	133			154
Gross plant and equipment	5,227			5,233
Accumulated depreciation	(3,498		)	(3,442		)
Net plant and equipment	$	1,729		$	1,791

The Company’s U.S. businesses primarily compute depreciation on an accelerated basis. The majority of the Company's international businesses compute depreciation on a straight-line basis. The ranges of useful lives used to depreciate plant and equipment are as follows:



Buildings and improvements	5—50 years
Machinery and equipment	3—12 years

Depreciation was $267 million, $272 million and $256 million for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Goodwill and intangible assets— Goodwill represents the excess cost over fair value of the net assets of acquired businesses. The Company does not amortize goodwill and intangible assets that have indefinite lives. Amortizable intangible assets are being amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives of 3 to 20 years.

The Company performs an impairment assessment of goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite lives annually, or more frequently if triggering events occur, based on the estimated fair value of the related reporting unit or intangible asset. Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants.

When performing its annual impairment assessment, the Company evaluates the goodwill assigned to each of its reporting units for potential impairment by comparing the estimated fair value of the relevant reporting unit to the carrying value. The Company uses various Level 2 and Level 3 valuation techniques to determine the fair value of its reporting units, including discounting estimated future cash flows based on a detailed cash flow forecast prepared by the relevant reporting unit and market multiples of relevant public companies. If the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, an impairment loss, if any, is recorded for the difference between the implied fair value and the carrying value of the reporting unit's goodwill.

The Company's indefinite-lived intangible assets consist of trademarks and brands. The estimated fair values of these intangible assets are determined based on a Level 3 valuation method using a relief-from-royalty income approach derived from internally forecasted revenues of the related products. If the fair value of the trademark or brand is less than its carrying value, an impairment loss is recorded for the difference between the estimated fair value and carrying value of the intangible asset.

Accrued warranties— The Company accrues for product warranties based on historical experience. The changes in accrued warranties for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017 were as follows:



In millions	2019			2018			2017
Beginning balance	$	45		$	45		$	45
Charges	(44		)	(49		)	(45		)
Provision charged to expense	44			50			43
Foreign currency translation	—			(1		)	2
Ending balance	$	45		$	45		$	45

New Accounting Pronouncements

Effective January 1, 2018

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the "FASB") issued authoritative guidance to change the criteria for revenue recognition. The core principle of the new guidance is that revenue should be recognized to depict the transfer of control of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. In addition, expanded revenue disclosures are required. The Company's sales arrangements with customers are predominantly short-term in nature and generally provide for transfer of control and risks and rewards of ownership at the time of product shipment or delivery of service. As such, the timing of revenue recognition under both the prior and new guidance is the same for the majority of the Company’s transactions. Effective January 1, 2018, the Company adopted the new revenue recognition guidance under the modified retrospective method and recorded a cumulative-effect adjustment reducing retained earnings by $9 million as of January 1, 2018. Under the modified

retrospective method of adoption, prior periods are not restated and the new guidance is applied prospectively to revenue transactions completed on or after January 1, 2018. Given the nature of the Company’s revenue transactions, the new guidance had an immaterial impact on the Company's operating revenue, results of operations, and financial position for the year ended December 31, 2018. The Company updated its revenue recognition accounting policy to reflect the requirements of the new guidance and included additional disclosures regarding the Company's revenue transactions. Refer to the Company’s operating revenue accounting policy above and Note 3. Operating Revenue for additional information.

In October 2016, the FASB issued authoritative guidance requiring the recognition of the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset, other than inventory, when the transfer occurs rather than when transferred to a third party as required under the prior guidance. The provisions of the new guidance are being applied prospectively to intra-entity asset transfers on or after January 1, 2018 and may result in future tax rate volatility. Upon adoption of the new guidance on January 1, 2018, the Company recorded a cumulative-effect adjustment reducing deferred tax assets and retained earnings by $406 million. For the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, the impact of the new guidance on the Company's effective income tax rate was not material.

In February 2018, the FASB issued authoritative guidance which allows for an optional one-time reclassification of the stranded tax effects resulting from the change in the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate under the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" (the "Act") from accumulated other comprehensive income ("AOCI") to retained earnings. The guidance was effective January 1, 2019, with early adoption permitted. The Company elected to early adopt this guidance as of January 1, 2018 and to reclassify the stranded tax effects related to the Act, which resulted in an increase of $45 million to both retained earnings and accumulated other comprehensive loss. Refer to Note 13. Stockholders' Equity for additional information.

Effective January 1, 2019

In February 2016, the FASB issued authoritative guidance to change the criteria for recognizing leasing transactions. The primary change under the new guidance is that a lessee is required to recognize a lease liability and corresponding right-of-use asset for its operating leases. The new guidance also requires additional disclosures. Effective January 1, 2019, the Company adopted the new guidance prospectively for all operating lease transactions as of and after the effective date with a noncancellable lease term greater than one year. Upon adoption, the Company recorded a lease liability of $205 million and a corresponding right-of-use asset. The new guidance did not have a material impact on the results of operations or cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2019. Refer to Note 9. Leases for additional information regarding the Company’s lease transactions.

In August 2017, the FASB issued authoritative guidance which included targeted improvements to simplify the application of hedge accounting and improve financial reporting of hedging activities. Effective January 1, 2019, the Company adopted the new guidance which did not have a material impact on the Company's results of operations, financial position or cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2019.

Effective January 1, 2020

In June 2016, the FASB issued authoritative guidance which changes the methodology used to measure credit losses for certain financial instruments. Under current guidance, credit loss reserves are estimated based on historical information. The new guidance requires credit loss reserves to reflect the estimated credit losses expected to be incurred over the life of the financial asset. This new guidance is effective for the Company prospectively beginning January 1, 2020 and is not expected to have a material impact on the Company's results of operations or financial position.

In January 2017, the FASB issued authoritative guidance which simplifies the assessment of goodwill for impairment. Under current guidance, when the estimated fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, the fair value of the goodwill must be determined by valuing the other assets and liabilities of the reporting unit. Under the new guidance, the requirement to determine the fair value of goodwill has been eliminated, and an impairment charge is recognized for the amount that the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value. This new guidance is effective for the Company prospectively beginning January 1, 2020 and will be applied by the Company during its annual assessment of goodwill in the third quarter, or earlier if a triggering event occurs. The adoption of this new accounting guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the Company's results of operations or financial position.