For fiscal year 2008, the Company will continue to grant stock options to employees. The Company has also evaluated the use of other forms of long-term stock-based compensation arrangements. The Board of Directors has approved a policy for compensation of non-employee directors effective in calendar year 2008 that, subject to stockholder approval, includes the award of restricted stock units. As with all compensation arrangements, the award of stock-based compensation is subject to periodic review.
Readers are also directed to refer to Note 10 - Stock-based Compensation, included in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements under Part IV - Item 15.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The Companys results of operations and financial condition, as reflected in the Companys consolidated financial statements, have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Preparation of financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions affecting the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and the disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities. Management uses historical experience and other relevant factors when developing estimates and assumptions. These estimates and assumptions are continually evaluated. Note 1 to the Companys consolidated financial statements includes a discussion of significant accounting policies. The accounting policies discussed below are the ones management considers critical to an understanding of the Companys consolidated financial statements because their application places the most significant demands on our judgment. The Companys financial results may have been different if different assumptions had been used or other conditions had prevailed. The Companys critical accounting policies have been reviewed with the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors.
Revenue Recognition
Sales are recognized as revenue at the time of delivery to the customer when risk of loss and title pass. Management must make judgments and certain assumptions in the determination of when delivery occurs. Through an analysis of end-of-period shipments, the Company determines an average time of transit that is used to estimate the time of delivery. Differences in judgments or estimates, such as the lengthening or shortening of the estimated delivery time used, could result in material differences in the timing of revenue recognition. Sales are recorded net of allowances for damaged goods and other sales returns, sales incentives, trade promotions and cash discounts.
Accounting for Sales Incentives
The Company records sales incentives as a reduction of sales in its consolidated statements of operations. The Company offers on-going trade promotion programs with customers, and consumer coupon programs that require the Company to estimate and accrue the expected costs of such programs. Programs include cooperative marketing programs, shelf price reductions, coupons, rebates, consideration and allowances given to retailers for space in their stores, consideration and allowances given to obtain favorable display positions in the retailers stores and other promotional activity. Costs related to rebates, co-operative advertising and other promotional activity are recorded upon delivery of products to customers. Costs related to coupon offers are based upon historical redemption rates and are recorded as incurred, when coupons are circulated.
Estimated sales incentives are calculated and recorded at the time related sales are made and are based primarily on historical rates and consideration of recent promotional activities. The determination of sales incentive liabilities requires the Company to use judgment for estimates that include current and past trade-promotion spending patterns, status of trade-promotional activities and the interpretation of historical spending trends by customer and category. We review our assumptions and adjust our reserves quarterly. Our financial statements could be materially impacted if the actual promotion rates fluctuate from the estimated rate. If the Companys accrual estimates for sales incentives at August 31, 2007 were to differ by 10%, the impact on net sales would be approximately $0.5 million.
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
The preparation of financial statements requires our management to make estimates and assumptions relating to the collectibility of our accounts receivable. Management specifically analyzes historical bad debts, customer credit worthiness, current economic trends and changes in our customer payment terms when evaluating the adequacy of the allowance for doubtful accounts.
Accounting for Income Taxes
Current income tax expense is the amount of income taxes expected to be payable for the current year. A deferred income tax liability or asset is established for the expected future tax consequences resulting from the differences in financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities. A valuation allowance is provided if it is more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized.
The Company establishes accruals for certain tax contingencies when, despite the belief that the Companys tax return positions are fully supported, the Company believes that certain positions may not be fully sustained upon challenge by relevant tax authorities. The tax contingency accruals are adjusted in light of changing facts and circumstances, such as the progress of tax audits, case law and emerging legislation. The Companys tax contingency accruals are reflected as a component of income taxes payable.
U.S. income tax expense is provided on remittances of foreign earnings and on unremitted foreign earnings that are not indefinitely reinvested. U.S. income taxes and foreign withholding taxes are not provided when foreign earnings are indefinitely reinvested in accordance with APB Opinion No. 23, Accounting for Income Taxes, Special Areas. The Company determines whether its foreign subsidiaries will invest their undistributed earnings indefinitely and reassesses this determination on a periodic basis. Change to the Companys determination may be warranted based on the Companys experience as well as plans regarding future international operations and expected remittances.
Valuation of Long-lived Assets, Intangible Assets and Goodwill
The Company assesses the potential impairment of long-lived assets, identifiable intangibles and related goodwill whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. For goodwill and intangibles determined to have indefinite lives, impairment is tested at least annually under the guidance of SFAS No. 142, during our second fiscal quarter of each year unless there are indicators during an interim period that assets may have become impaired. The Companys impairment test is based on a discounted cash flow approach that requires significant management judgment and estimates, such as forecasted revenue, advertising and promotional expenses, cost of products sold, gross margins, operating margins, the success of product innovations and introductions, customer retention and the selection of appropriate discount and royalty rates. Management judgments and estimates are based on assumptions that are most reasonably likely to occur. For goodwill, impairment occurs when the carrying value of a reporting unit exceeds the fair value of that reporting unit. For intangible assets, impairment occurs when the carrying value of an asset exceeds its fair value. In addition, intangible assets with indefinite lives are evaluated quarterly to determine whether events and circumstances continue to support an indefinite useful life.
Events and circumstances that we consider important which could trigger impairment include the following:
- Significant underperformance relative to historical or projected future operating results
- Significant changes in the manner of our use of the acquired assets or the strategy for our overall business
- Significant negative industry or economic trends
- Significant decline in our stock price for a sustained period
- Decreased market capitalization relative to net book value
- Unanticipated technological change or competitive activities
- Loss of key distribution
- Loss of key personnel
- Acts by government and courts