Basis of Presentation	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2020
Basis of Presentation
Basis of Presentation	1. Basis of Presentation: The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements and footnotes of the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM or the company) have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP). The financial statements and footnotes are unaudited. In the opinion of the company’s management, these statements include all adjustments, which are only of a normal recurring nature, necessary to present a fair statement of the company’s results of operations, financial position and cash flows. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amount of assets, liabilities, revenue, costs, expenses and other comprehensive income/(loss) that are reported in the Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying disclosures. These estimates are based on management’s best knowledge of current events, historical experience, actions that the company may undertake in the future and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. As a result, actual results may be different from these estimates. On October 8, 2020, the company announced that it will separate its managed infrastructure services unit of its Global Technology Services (GTS) segment into a new public company (NewCo). The separation is expected to be achieved through a U.S. federal tax-free spin-off to IBM shareholders and completed by the end of 2021. It will be subject to customary market, regulatory and other closing conditions, including final IBM Board of Directors’ approval. The announcement did not have any classification impact to the company’s consolidated financial statements or segment reporting. The company expects the managed infrastructure services unit to meet the criteria to be classified as discontinued operations upon separation. In the first quarter of 2020, the company realigned offerings and the related management system to reflect divestitures completed in the second half of 2019 and tighter integration of certain industry-related consulting services. These changes impacted a few of the company’s reportable segments, but did not impact the Consolidated Financial Statements. Refer to note 4, “Segments,” for additional information on the company’s reportable segments. The periods presented in this Form 10-Q are reported on a comparable basis. For the three months ended September 30, 2020, the company reported a provision for income taxes of $128 million. For the nine months ended September 30, 2020, the company reported a benefit from income taxes of $888 million. The tax benefit was primarily related to the tax impacts of an intra-entity sale of certain of the company’s intellectual property in the first quarter, which required the recognition of a $3,442 million deferred tax asset. The recognition of this deferred tax asset and the related impacts resulted in a net one-time benefit in the first quarter of $939 million. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, the company reported a benefit from income taxes of $151 million and a provision for income taxes of $407 million, respectively. On July 9, 2019, the company completed the acquisition of all of the outstanding shares of Red Hat, Inc. (Red Hat). Refer to note 5, “Acquisitions & Divestitures,” and note 10, “Intangible Assets Including Goodwill,” for additional information. Noncontrolling interest amounts of $3.4 million and $7.1 million, net of tax, for the three months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, and $14.7 million and $19.0 million, net of tax, for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, are included as a reduction within other (income) and expense in the Consolidated Income Statement. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of financial results for a full year. The information included in this Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the company’s 2019 Annual Report. Within the financial statements and tables presented, certain columns and rows may not add due to the use of rounded numbers for disclosure purposes. Percentages presented are calculated from the underlying whole-dollar amounts. Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation. This is annotated where applicable.

Basis of Presentation

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

1. Basis of Presentation:

The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements and footnotes of the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM or the company) have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP). The financial statements and footnotes are unaudited. In the opinion of the company’s management, these statements include all adjustments, which are only of a normal recurring nature, necessary to present a fair statement of the company’s results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amount of assets, liabilities, revenue, costs, expenses and other comprehensive income/(loss) that are reported in the Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying disclosures. These estimates are based on management’s best knowledge of current events, historical experience, actions that the company may undertake in the future and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. As a result, actual results may be different from these estimates.

On October 8, 2020, the company announced that it will separate its managed infrastructure services unit of its Global Technology Services (GTS) segment into a new public company (NewCo). The separation is expected to be achieved through a U.S. federal tax-free spin-off to IBM shareholders and completed by the end of 2021. It will be subject to customary market, regulatory and other closing conditions, including final IBM Board of Directors’ approval. The announcement did not have any classification impact to the company’s consolidated financial statements or segment reporting. The company expects the managed infrastructure services unit to meet the criteria to be classified as discontinued operations upon separation.

In the first quarter of 2020, the company realigned offerings and the related management system to reflect divestitures completed in the second half of 2019 and tighter integration of certain industry-related consulting services. These changes impacted a few of the company’s reportable segments, but did not impact the Consolidated Financial Statements. Refer to note 4, “Segments,” for additional information on the company’s reportable segments. The periods presented in this Form 10-Q are reported on a comparable basis.

For the three months ended September 30, 2020, the company reported a provision for income taxes of $128 million. For the nine months ended September 30, 2020, the company reported a benefit from income taxes of $888 million. The tax benefit was primarily related to the tax impacts of an intra-entity sale of certain of the company’s intellectual property in the first quarter, which required the recognition of a $3,442 million deferred tax asset. The recognition of this deferred tax asset and the related impacts resulted in a net one-time benefit in the first quarter of $939 million. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, the company reported a benefit from income taxes of $151 million and a provision for income taxes of $407 million, respectively.

On July 9, 2019, the company completed the acquisition of all of the outstanding shares of Red Hat, Inc. (Red Hat). Refer to note 5, “Acquisitions & Divestitures,” and note 10, “Intangible Assets Including Goodwill,” for additional information.

Noncontrolling interest amounts of $3.4 million and $7.1 million, net of tax, for the three months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, and $14.7 million and $19.0 million, net of tax, for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, are included as a reduction within other (income) and expense in the Consolidated Income Statement.

Interim results are not necessarily indicative of financial results for a full year. The information included in this Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the company’s 2019 Annual Report.

Within the financial statements and tables presented, certain columns and rows may not add due to the use of rounded numbers for disclosure purposes. Percentages presented are calculated from the underlying whole-dollar

amounts. Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation. This is annotated where applicable.