Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Basis of Presentation
This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q presents information for Sirius XM Holdings Inc. (“Holdings”).  Holdings has no operations independent of its wholly-owned subsidiary Sirius XM.
The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of Holdings and its subsidiaries have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for interim financial reporting.  Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in the financial statements presented in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations.
Certain numbers in our prior period consolidated financial statements have been reclassified to conform to our current period presentation. All significant intercompany transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. In the opinion of our management, all normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of our unaudited consolidated financial statements as of September 30, 2016 and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015 have been made.
Interim results are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for a full year. This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q should be read together with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, which was filed with the SEC on February 2, 2016.
Public companies are required to disclose certain information about their reportable operating segments.  Operating segments are defined as significant components of an enterprise for which separate financial information is available and is evaluated on a regular basis by the chief operating decision makers in deciding how to allocate resources to an individual segment and in assessing performance of the segment. We have determined that we have one reportable segment as our chief operating decision maker, our Chief Executive Officer, assesses performance and allocates resources based on the consolidated results of operations of our business.
We have evaluated events subsequent to the balance sheet date and prior to the filing of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 and have determined that no events have occurred that would require adjustment to our unaudited consolidated financial statements.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and footnotes.  Estimates, by their nature, are based on judgment and available information.  Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.  Significant estimates inherent in the preparation of the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements include asset impairment, depreciable lives of our satellites, share-based payment expense, and income taxes.
Fair Value Measurements
For assets and liabilities required to be reported at fair value, GAAP provides a hierarchy that prioritizes inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value into three broad levels. Level 1 inputs are based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical instruments. Level 2 inputs are inputs, other than quoted market prices included within Level 1, that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs for the asset or liability.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-09, Compensation-Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting. The areas for simplification in this ASU involve several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, forfeiture calculations, and classification on the statement of cash flows. The amendments in this ASU are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016 and interim periods within those fiscal years, and early adoption is permitted. An entity that elects early adoption must adopt all of the amendments in the same period.
We elected to early adopt ASU 2016-09 in the third quarter of 2016, which required that any adjustments be reflected as of January 1, 2016, the beginning of the annual period that includes the interim period of adoption. The primary impact of adoption of ASU 2016-09 was the recognition of excess tax benefits in our provision for income taxes of $1,101 and $1,950 for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and June 30, 2016, respectively. The adoption of this ASU impacted our previously reported quarterly results during fiscal year 2016 as follows:
 
For the Three Months Ended

For the Six Months Ended
 
March 31, 2016

June 30, 2016

June 30, 2016
Income statements:
As reported
 
As adjusted
 
As reported
 
As adjusted
 
As reported

As adjusted
Income tax expense
$
(109,343
)
 
$
(108,242
)
 
$
(108,260
)

$
(106,310
)

$
(217,603
)

$
(214,552
)
Net income
$
171,339


$
172,440


$
173,015


$
174,965


$
344,354


$
347,405

Net income per common share - basic
$
0.03

 
$
0.03

 
$
0.04

 
$
0.04

 
$
0.07

 
$
0.07

Net income per common share - diluted
$
0.03

 
$
0.03

 
$
0.03

 
$
0.04

 
$
0.07

 
$
0.07


Additionally, we recognized net operating losses related to excess share-based compensation tax return deductions that were previously tracked off balance sheet but not recorded in our financial statements. As of January 1, 2016, the cumulative effect in the amount of $293,896, net of a $1,946 reserve for an uncertain tax position, was recorded as an increase to our Deferred tax assets and decrease to our Accumulated deficit in our unaudited consolidated balance sheets as a result of this cumulative effect of change in accounting principle.
Additional amendments to this ASU related to income taxes and minimum statutory withholding tax requirements had no impact to accumulated deficit, where the cumulative effect of these changes are required to be recorded. Further, there was no impact to our classification of awards as either equity or liabilities. We also elected to true-up forfeitures in the period of adoption and in the future will recognize forfeitures as they occur.
This ASU also required excess tax benefits to be separated from other income tax cash flows and classified as an operating activity, however there was no impact to the consolidated statement of cash flows as we have not had any excess tax benefits (windfalls) recorded for book purposes. The presentation requirements for cash flows related to employee taxes paid for withheld shares had no impact to any of the periods presented in our consolidated statement of cash flows as such cash flows have historically been presented as a financing activity.
In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842).  This ASU requires a company to recognize lease assets and liabilities arising from operating leases in the statement of financial position. This ASU does not significantly change the previous lease guidance for how a lessee should recognize the recognition, measurement, and presentation of expenses and cash flows arising from a lease. Additionally, the criteria for classifying a finance lease versus an operating lease are substantially the same as the previous guidance. The amendments in this ASU are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years, and early adoption is permitted. This ASU must be adopted using a modified retrospective approach. We plan to adopt this ASU on January 1, 2019. We are currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this ASU on our consolidated financial statements.
In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606).  This ASU is a comprehensive new revenue recognition model that requires a company to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to a customer at an amount that reflects the consideration it expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services.  This ASU also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments and assets recognized from costs incurred to obtain or fulfill a contract.  In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-14 which amended the effective date of this ASU to fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and early adoption is permitted only for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016.  We plan to adopt this ASU on January 1, 2018.  In 2016, the FASB issued additional guidance which clarified principal versus agent considerations, identification of performance obligations and the implementation guidance for licensing. In addition, the FASB issued guidance regarding practical expedients related to disclosures of remaining performance obligations, as well as other amendments to guidance on transition, collectibility, non-cash consideration and the presentation of sales and other similar taxes. Companies may use either a full retrospective or a modified retrospective approach to adopt this ASU.  We are currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this ASU on our consolidated financial statements.

Earnings per Share
Basic net income per common share is calculated by dividing the income available to common stockholders by the weighted average common shares outstanding during each reporting period.  Diluted net income per common share adjusts the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the potential dilution that could occur if common stock equivalents (stock options and restricted stock units) were exercised or converted into common stock, calculated using the treasury stock method.
Receivables, net
Receivables, net, includes customer accounts receivable, receivables from distributors and other receivables.
Customer accounts receivable, net, includes receivables from our subscribers and advertising customers and is stated at amounts due, net of an allowance for doubtful accounts. Our allowance for doubtful accounts is based upon our assessment of various factors.  We consider historical experience, the age of the receivable balances, current economic conditions and other factors that may affect the counterparty’s ability to pay.  Bad debt expense is included in Customer service and billing expense in our unaudited consolidated statements of comprehensive income.
Receivables from distributors primarily include billed and unbilled amounts due from OEMs for services included in the sale or lease price of vehicles, as well as billed amounts due from wholesale distributors of our satellite radios.  Other receivables primarily include amounts due from manufacturers of our radios, modules and chipsets where we are entitled to subsidies and royalties based on the number of units produced.  We have not established an allowance for doubtful accounts for our receivables from distributors or other receivables as we have historically not experienced any significant collection issues with OEMs or other third parties.
Inventory, net
Inventory consists of finished goods, refurbished goods, chipsets and other raw material components used in manufacturing radios. Inventory is stated at the lower of cost or market.  We record an estimated allowance for inventory that is considered slow moving or obsolete or whose carrying value is in excess of net realizable value.  The provision related to products purchased for resale in our direct to consumer distribution channel and components held for resale by us is reported as a component of Cost of equipment in our unaudited consolidated statements of comprehensive income.  The provision related to inventory consumed in our OEM and retail distribution channel is reported as a component of Subscriber acquisition costs in our unaudited consolidated statements of comprehensive income.
Goodwill
Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the estimated fair value of the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired in business combinations.  Our annual impairment assessment of our single reporting unit is performed as of the fourth quarter of each year, and an assessment is performed at other times if an event occurs or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying amount.  If the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss is recognized.
Indefinite Life Intangible Assets
Our annual impairment assessment of our identifiable indefinite lived intangible assets is performed as of the fourth quarter of each year. An assessment is performed at other times if an event occurs or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of the asset below its carrying value. If the carrying value of the intangible assets exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss is recognized.
Legal Costs
We record a liability when we believe that it is both probable that a liability will be incurred, and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. We evaluate developments in legal matters that could affect the amount of liability that has been previously accrued and make adjustments as appropriate.  Significant judgment is required to determine both probability and the estimated amount of a loss or potential loss.  We may be unable to reasonably estimate the reasonably possible loss or range of loss for a particular legal contingency for various reasons, including, among others, because: (i) the damages sought are indeterminate; (ii) the proceedings are in the relative early stages; (iii) there is uncertainty as to the outcome of pending proceedings (including motions and appeals); (iv) there is uncertainty as to the likelihood of settlement and the outcome of any negotiations with respect thereto; (v) there remain significant factual issues to be determined or resolved; (vi) the relevant law is unsettled; or (vii) the proceedings involve novel or untested legal theories.  In such instances, there may be considerable uncertainty regarding the ultimate resolution of such matters, including a possible eventual loss, if any.