Note 10 - Recent Accounting Pronouncements

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2016

Notes to Financial Statements

New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Text Block]

10. RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

In February 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) ASU 2015-02,

“Consolidation—Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis (Topic 810)”

(“ASU 2015-02”), which requires reporting entities to reevaluate whether certain legal entities should be consolidated under the revised consolidation model. This ASU modifies the evaluation of whether limited partnerships and similar legal entities are variable interest entities (VIEs), eliminates the presumption that a general partner should consolidate a limited partnership, and affects the consolidation analysis of reporting entities that are involved with VIEs, especially those that have fee arrangements and related party relationships. The Company’s adoption of the standard effective January 1, 2016 did not significantly impact its consolidated financial statements.

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-05, “

Intangibles - Goodwill and Other - Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer's Accounting for Fees Paid in a Cloud Computing Arrangement”

("ASU 2015-05"). The amendments in this update provide guidance to customers about whether a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license. If a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license, the update specifies that the customer should account for the software license element of the arrangement consistent with the acquisition of other software licenses. The update further specifies that the customer should account for a cloud computing arrangement as a service contract if the arrangement does not include a software license. The Company prospectively adopted ASU 2015-05 effective January 1, 2016. Based on the ability and feasibility for the Company to download software in its cloud computing arrangements it entered in 2016, all are accounted for as service contracts, which are expensed to direct expenses or selling, general and administrative expenses during the service period.

In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-17,

“Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes

” (“ASU 2015-17”). ASU 2015-17 amends the current requirement for organizations to present deferred tax liabilities and assets as current and noncurrent in a classified balance sheet. Instead, organizations will now be required to classify all deferred tax assets and liabilities as noncurrent. The current requirement that deferred tax liabilities and assets of a tax-paying component of an entity be offset and presented as a single amount is not affected by the amendments in this update. The Company adopted ASU 2015-17 retrospectively effective January 1, 2016 and reclassified $1.1 million of current deferred tax assets to noncurrent, which was netted with deferred tax liabilities on the December 31, 2015 consolidated balance sheet.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09,

“Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)”

(“ASU 2014-09”).  ASU 2014-09 requires an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. The ASU will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance in accounting principles generally accepted in the United States when it becomes effective. The standard is effective for annual and interim reporting periods in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption allowed for years beginning after December 15, 2016. An entity may choose to adopt this ASU either retrospectively or through a cumulative effect adjustment as of the start of the first period for which it applies the standard.  The Company is currently in the process of evaluating the impact that this new guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements and expects to adopt the guidance through the retrospective transition method. We are in the process of developing and testing changes to our processes and systems. The Company currently expects the most significant changes to result from deferring commissions and recognizing the expense over the estimated life of the client relationship rather than expensing as incurred, which is the Company’s current practice, and estimating variable consideration at the outset of the contract. 

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02,

Leases

(Topic 842). This ASU requires lessees to recognize a lease liability and a right-to-use asset for all leases, including operating leases, with a term greater than twelve months on its balance sheet. This ASU is effective in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted, and requires a modified retrospective transition method. The Company is currently in the process of evaluating the impact that this new guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09,

Compensation – Stock Compensation (Topic 718)

(“ASU 2016-09”). This ASU simplifies accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, an option to recognize gross stock compensation expense with actual forfeitures recognized as they occur, as well as certain classifications on the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-09 is effective in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016.  Early adoption is permitted in any interim or annual period.  If the Company elects early adoption, all adjustments should be reflected as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption.

The Company is currently assessing the impact that this new guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.