BASIS OF REPORTING AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]

NOTE 3 – BASIS OF REPORTING AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of Applied Minerals, Inc. have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Accordingly, they do not include all the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements.

In the opinion of management, these interim unaudited consolidated financial statements contain all of the adjustments of a normal and recurring nature, which are considered necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position of the Company and the results of its operations and cash flows for the periods presented. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2021 are not necessarily indicative of the operating results for the entire year. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and related disclosures for the year ended December 31, 2020, included in the Annual Report of Applied Minerals, Inc. on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on April 15, 2021.

The accompanying interim unaudited consolidated financial statements reflect the application of certain significant accounting policies as described below and elsewhere in these notes. As of May 2

, 2021, the Company’s significant accounting policies and estimates remain unchanged from those detailed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the Company’s Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements and accompanying notes. Actual results may differ materially from those estimates. As of March 31, 2021, the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will impact our business going forward depends on numerous dynamic factors which we cannot reliably predict. As a result, many of our estimates and assumptions required increased judgment and carry a higher degree of variability and volatility. As the events continue to evolve with respect to the pandemic, our estimates may materially change in future periods.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Cash balances, accounts receivable and derivative financial instruments are financial instruments potentially subject to credit risk. Cash and cash equivalents are maintained in bank deposit accounts, which, at times, may exceed the federally insured limits. Management periodically reviews and assesses the financial condition of the banks to mitigate the risk of loss.

For the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, revenues from the Company’s largest customer accounted for

56%

and 34% of total revenues, respectively. As of March 31, 2021 and 2020, amounts owed from these customers comprised

42%

and 63% of accounts receivable, respectively.

Receivables

Trade receivables are reported at outstanding principal amounts, net of an allowance for doubtful accounts.

Management evaluates the collectability of receivable account balances to determine the allowance, if any. Management considers the other party’s credit risk and financial condition, as well as current and projected economic and market conditions, in determining the amount of the allowance. Receivable balances are written off when management determines that the balance is uncollectable. No allowance was required at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are carried at cost net of accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization is computed on the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets, or the life of the lease, whichever is shorter, as follows:

	Estimated
	Useful Life (years)
Building and Building Improvements		5 – 40
Mining equipment		2 – 7
Office and shop furniture and equipment		3 – 7
Vehicles		5

Impairment of Long-lived Assets

The Company periodically reviews the carrying amounts of long-lived assets to determine whether current events or circumstances warrant adjustment to such carrying amounts. Long-li

ed assets are tested for recoverability whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that its carrying amount may not be recoverable. When such events occur, the Company compares the sum of the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the asset to its carrying amount. If this comparison indicates that there is an impairment, the amount of the impairment is typically calculated using discounted expected future cash flows where observable fair values are not readily determinable. Considerable management judgment is necessary to estimate the fair value of assets. Assets to be disposed of are carried at the lower of their financial statement carrying amount or fair value, less cost to sell. The Company has determined that there was no impairment of its long-lived assets as of March 31, 2021 and 2020.

Stock Options and Warrants

The Company follows ASC 718 (Stock Compensation) and ASU 2018-07 (Compensation – Stock Compensation), which provide guidance in accounting for share-based awards exchanged for services rendered and requires companies to expense the estimated fair value of these awards over the requisite service period. The Company instituted a formal long-term and short-term incentive plan on November 20, 2012, which was approved by its shareholders. Prior to that date, we did not have a formal equity plan, but all equity grants, including stock options and warrants, were approved by our Board of Directors. We determine the fair value of the stock-based compensation awards granted to non-employees as either the fair value of the consideration received or the fair value of the equity instruments issued, whichever is more reliably measurable. If the fair value of the equity instruments issued is used, it is measured using the stock price and other measurement assumptions as of the earlier of either of (1) the date at which a commitment for performance by the counterparty to earn the equity instruments is reached, or (2) the date at which the counterparty’s performance is complete. Beginning in the quarter ended June 30, 2013 the Company began using the simplified method to determine the expected term for any options granted because the Company did not have sufficient historical exercise data to provide a reasonable basis upon which to estimate expected term. The Company previously utilized the contractual term as the expected term.

Environmental Matters

Expenditures for ongoing compliance with environmental regulations that relate to current operations are expensed or capitalized as appropriate. Expenditures resulting from the remediation of existing conditions caused by past operations that do not contribute to future revenue generations are expensed. Liabilities are recognized when environmental assessments indicate that remediation efforts are probable, and the costs can be reasonably estimated.

Estimates of such liabilities are based upon currently available facts, existing technology and presently enacted laws and regulations taking into consideration the likely effects of inflation and other societal and economic factors and include estimates of associated legal costs. These amounts also reflect prior experience in remediating contaminated sites, other companies’ clean-up experience and data released by The Environmental Protection Agency or other organizations. Such estimates are by their nature imprecise and can be expected to be revised over time because of changes in government regulations, operations, technology, and inflation. Recoveries are evaluated separately from the liability and, when recovery is assured, the Company records and reports an asset separately from the associated liability.

The Company has posted a cash bond in the amount of 297,000 required by the Utah Department of Oil, Gas and Minerals to cover estimated reclamation costs related the Company large mining permit for its Dragon Mine property.

Note Payable - Convertible

The Company follows ASC 480-10,

Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity

(“ASC 480-10”) in its evaluation of the accounting for a hybrid instrument. A financial instrument that embodies an unconditional obligation, or a financial instrument other than an outstanding share that embodies a conditional obligation, that the issuer must or may settle by issuing a variable number of its equity shares shall be classified as a liability (or an asset in some circumstances) if, at inception, the monetary value of the obligation is based solely or predominantly on any one of the following: (a) a fixed monetary amount known at inception; (b) variations in something other than the fair value of the issuer’s equity shares; or (c) variations inversely related to changes in the fair value of the issuer’s equity shares. Hybrid instruments meeting these criteria are not further evaluated for any embedded derivatives, and are carried as a liability at fair value at each balance sheet date with remeasurements reported in interest expense in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes, as part of its initiative to reduce complexity in accounting standards. The amendments in this update simplify the accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions to the general principles in Topic 740. The amendments also improve consistent application of and simplify GAAP for other areas of Topic 740 by clarifying and amending existing guidance. The amendments within ASU No. 2019-12 are effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2020, and early adoption is permitted. The adoption of ASU 2019-12 had no material impact on the Company’s financial results.