Improvements to employee share-based payment accounting. In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued an Accounting Standards Update (ASU) as part of its simplification initiative. The ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is permitted. The Company early adopted the accounting standard update in the first quarter of 2016. The ASU includes multiple provisions intended to simplify various aspects of the accounting for share-based payments. The main provisions of the ASU are as follows:


•	Excess tax benefits and deficiencies for share-based payments are recorded as an adjustment of income taxes and reflected in operating cash flows after adoption of this ASU. Excess tax benefits and deficiencies were previously recorded in equity and as financing cash flows prior to adoption of this ASU.


•	The guidance allows the employer to withhold up to the maximum statutory tax rates in the applicable jurisdictions without triggering liability accounting. The Company's accounting treatment of outstanding equity awards was not impacted by its adoption of this provision of the ASU.


•	The guidance allows for a policy election to account for forfeitures as they occur rather than on an estimated basis. The Company is not making this election, and will continue to account for forfeitures on an estimated basis.

Balance sheet classification of deferred taxes. In November 2015, the FASB issued an ASU to simplify the presentation of deferred income taxes. The ASU requires that deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent in a classified statement of financial position. The ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2016. Entities should apply the new guidance either prospectively to all deferred tax liabilities and assets or retrospectively to all periods presented. Early adoption is permitted. The Company early adopted the updated standard in the first quarter of 2016, on a prospective basis. The year-end 2015 balances for current deferred tax assets and current deferred liabilities was $227 million and $9 million, respectively. Prior period balances have not been adjusted.

Simplifying the presentation of debt issuance costs. In April 2015, the FASB issued an ASU to simplify the presentation of debt issuance costs. The ASU requires that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. The recognition and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs are not affected by the amendments in this ASU. The ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2015. Early adoption was permitted. Entities should apply the new guidance on a retrospective basis. The Company adopted the updated standard in the first quarter of 2016 with no significant impact on its financial statements.

Simplifying the accounting for measurement-period adjustments. In September 2015, the FASB issued an ASU to simplify the accounting for measurement-period adjustments for items in a business combination. The ASU requires that an acquirer recognize adjustments to provisional amounts that are identified during the measurement period in the reporting period in which the adjustment amounts are determined. The ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2015. Entities should apply the new guidance prospectively to adjustments to provisional amounts that occur after the effective date of the ASU with earlier application permitted for financial statements that have not been issued. The Company adopted the updated standard in the first quarter of 2016 with no significant impact on its financial statements.

Customer's accounting for fees paid in a cloud computing arrangement. In April 2015, the FASB issued an ASU to help entities evaluate the accounting for fees paid by a customer in a cloud computing arrangement. The ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2015. Early adoption is permitted. Entities should apply the new guidance either; 1) prospectively to all arrangements entered into or materially modified after the effective date or 2) retrospectively. The Company adopted the updated standard prospectively in the first quarter of 2016 with no significant impact on its financial statements.

Accounting standards to be adopted in future periods

Leases. In February 2016, the FASB issued an ASU which will require the recognition of lease assets and lease liabilities by lessees for all leases with terms greater than 12 months. The distinction between finance leases and operating leases will remain, with similar classification criteria as current GAAP to distinguish between capital and operating leases. The principal difference from current guidance is that the lease assets and lease liabilities arising from operating leases will be recognized on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. Lessor accounting remains substantially similar to current GAAP. The ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that implementing this ASU will have on its financial statements and disclosures, as well as timing of implementation.

Recognition and measurement of financial assets and liabilities. In January 2016, the FASB issued an ASU which primarily affects the accounting for equity investments, financial liabilities under the fair value option, and the presentation and disclosure requirements for financial instruments. The ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption can be elected for all financial statements of fiscal years and interim periods that have not yet been issued or that have not yet been made available for issuance. Entities should apply the update by means of a cumulative-effect adjustment to the balance sheet as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. The Company will adopt the updated standard in the first quarter of 2018. The Company does not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a significant impact on its financial statements.

Revenue from contracts with customers. In May 2014, the FASB issued an ASU which provides guidance for accounting for revenue from contracts with customers. The core principle of this ASU is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. To achieve that core principle, an entity would be required to apply the following five steps: 1) identify the contract(s) with a customer; 2) identify the performance obligations in the contract; 3) determine the transaction price; 4) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract and 5) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. When the ASU was originally issued it was effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2016, and early adoption was not permitted. On July 9, 2015, the FASB decided to delay the effective date of the new revenue standard by one year. The updated standard will be effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2017. Entities will be permitted to adopt the new revenue standard early, but not before the original effective date. Entities will have the option to apply the final standard retrospectively or use a modified retrospective method, recognizing the cumulative effect of the ASU in retained earnings at the date of initial application. An entity will not restate prior periods if it uses the modified retrospective method, but will be required to disclose the amount by which each financial statement line item is affected in the current reporting period by the application of the ASU as compared to the guidance in effect prior to the change, as well as reasons for significant changes. The Company will adopt the updated standard in the first quarter of 2018. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that implementing this ASU will have on its financial statements and disclosures, as well as whether it will use the retrospective or modified retrospective method of adoption.