| SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES | 1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Description of Business and Foreign Export Sales - IKONICS Corporation’s (the Company or IKONICS) traditional business has been the development and manufacturing of high-quality photochemical imaging systems for sale primarily to a wide range of printers and decorators of surfaces. Customers’ applications are primarily screen printing and abrasive etching. These sales have been augmented with inkjet receptive films, ancillary chemicals and related equipment to provide a full line of products and services to its customers. Leveraging these technologies the Company is also diversifying and expanding its business to industrial markets. These efforts now include the Company’s Advanced Material Solutions (AMS) business unit which uses the Company’s proprietary process and photoresist film for the abrasive etching of composite materials, industrial ceramics, silicon wafers, and glass wafers. The customer base for AMS is primarily the aerospace and electronics industries. Based on its expertise in ultraviolet curable fluids and inkjet receptive substrates, the Company has also developed a patented digital texturing technology (DTX) for putting patterns and textures into steel molds for the plastic injection molding industry. The original equipment manufacturer (“OEM”) for the Company’s DTX technology is primarily the automotive industry. Industrial inkjet printers, which are integral to the DTX system, are manufactured and sold by a strategic partner. The Company’s business plan is to sell a suite of products including consumable fluids and transfer films. For most markets these sales are direct to the mold maker. The DTX technology is being expanded to prototyping where the Company’s technology offers a unique combination of high definition and large format prints. The Company’s principal markets are throughout the United States. In addition, the Company sells to Europe, Latin America, Asia, and other parts of the world. The Company extends credit to its customers, all on an unsecured basis, on terms that it establishes for individual customers.
Foreign export sales approximated 25.7% of net sales in 2016 and 27.9% of net sales in 2015. The Company’s trade receivables at December 31, 2016 and 2015 due from foreign customers were 23.6% and 21.4% of total trade receivables, respectively. The foreign export receivables are comprised primarily of open credit arrangements with terms ranging from 30 to 90 days. No single customer or foreign country represented greater than 10% of net sales in 2016 or in 2015.
The Company considers events or transactions that occur after the balance sheet date but before the financial statements are issued to provide additional evidence relative to certain estimates or to identify matters that require additional disclosure.
A summary of the Company’s significant accounting policies follows:
Cash Equivalents - The Company considers all highly liquid debt instruments purchased with a maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents consist of money market funds in which the carrying value approximates fair value because of the short maturity of these instruments. The money market fund invests in United States dollar denominated securities that present minimal credit risk and consist of investments in debt securities issued or guaranteed by the United States government or by United States government agencies or instrumentalities, repurchase agreements fully collateralized by the United States Treasury, and United States government securities.
Short-Term Investments - Short-term investments consist of fully insured certificates of deposit with original maturities ranging from six to twelve months as of December 31, 2016. There were no short-term investments as of December 31, 2015.
Trade Receivables — Trade receivables are carried at original invoice amount less an estimate made for doubtful receivables based on a review of all outstanding amounts on an on-going basis. Management determines the allowance for doubtful accounts by regularly evaluating individual customer receivables and considering a customer’s financial condition, credit history, and current economic conditions. Trade receivables are written off when deemed uncollectible. Recoveries of trade receivables previously written off are recorded when received. Accounts are considered past due if payment is not received according to agreed-upon terms.
A small percentage of the trade receivables balance is denominated in a foreign currency with no concentration in any given country. At the end of each reporting period, the Company analyzes the receivable balance for customers paying in a foreign currency. These balances are adjusted to each quarter or year-end spot rate in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standard Codification (“ASC”) No. 830, Foreign Currency Matters. Foreign currency transactions and translation adjustments did not have a significant effect on the Balance Sheets or the Statements of Operations, Stockholders’ Equity and Cash Flows for 2016 and 2015.
Inventories - Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market using the last-in, first-out (LIFO) method. If the first-in, first-out (FIFO) cost method had been used, inventories would have been approximately $1,127,000 and $1,232,000 higher than reported at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The inventory reserve for obsolescence was $5,000 and $7,000 at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The major components of inventories are as follows:
Dec 31, 2016
Dec 31, 2015
Raw materials
$
$
Work-in-progress
Finished goods
Reduction to LIFO cost
Total Inventories
$
$
Property, Plant and Equipment - Major expenditures extending the life of the property, plant and equipment are capitalized. Repair and maintenance costs are expensed in the period in which they are incurred. Depreciation of property, plant and equipment is computed using the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives:
Years
Buildings
15-40
Machinery and equipment
5-10
Office equipment
3-10
Vehicles
3
Intangible Assets — Intangible assets consist of patents and licenses. Intangible assets are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives or agreement terms.
As of December 31, 2016, the remaining estimated weighted average useful lives of intangible assets are as follows:
Years
Patents
Licenses
Impairment of Long-lived Assets — The Company reviews its long-lived assets, including property, plant and equipment and intangible assets, for impairment when indicators of impairment are present and the undiscounted cash flows estimated to be generated by those assets are less than the assets’ carrying amount. Any impairment loss recorded is measured as the amount by which the carrying value of the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets. The Company recognized a loss on abandonment of patents applied for of $46,000 in 2015. To date, the Company has determined that no other loss of long-lived assets exists.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments — The carrying amounts of financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, trade receivables, accounts payable, and accrued liabilities approximate fair value due to the short maturities of these instruments. T he fair value of long-term debt approximates carrying value and has been estimated based on interest rates being offered for similar debt having the same or similar remaining maturities and collateral requirements .
Revenue Recognition - The Company recognizes revenue on sales of products when title passes which can occur at the time of shipment or when the goods arrive at the customer location depending on the agreement with the customer. The Company sells its products to both distributors and end-users. Sales to distributors and end-users are recorded based upon the criteria governed by the sales, delivery, and payment terms stated on the invoices from the Company to the purchaser. In addition to transfer of title / risk of loss, all revenue is recorded in accordance with the criteria outlined:
(a)
persuasive evidence of an arrangement (principally in the form of customer sales orders and the Company’s sales invoices, as generally there is no other formal agreement underlying the sale transactions);
(b)
delivery and performance (evidenced by proof of delivery, e.g. the shipment of film and substrates with bill of lading used for proof of delivery for FOB shipping point terms, and the carrier booking confirmation report used for FOB destination terms. Once the finished product is shipped and physically delivered under the terms of the invoice and sales order, the Company has no additional performance or service obligations to complete);
(c)
a fixed and determinable sales price (the Company’s pricing is established and is not based on variable terms, as evidenced in either the Company’s invoices or the limited number of distribution agreements; the Company rarely grants extended payment terms and has no history of concessions); and
(d)
a reasonable likelihood of payment (the Company’s terms are standard, and the Company does not have a history of significant customer defaults or non-payment).
Sales are reported on a net basis by deducting credits, estimated normal returns and discounts. The Company’s return policy does not vary by geography. The customer has no rotation or price protection rights and the Company is not under a warranty obligation. Freight billed to customers is included in sales. Shipping costs are included in cost of goods sold.
Deferred Taxes - Deferred taxes are provided on a liability method whereby deferred tax assets are recognized for deductible temporary differences and operating loss and tax credit carryforwards and deferred tax liabilities are recognized for taxable temporary differences. Temporary differences are the differences between the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and their tax bases. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when, in the opinion of management, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The Company classifies deferred tax assets and liabilities as noncurrent. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are adjusted for the effects of changes in tax laws and rates on the date of enactment. The Company follows the accounting standard on accounting for uncertainty in income taxes, which addresses the determination of whether tax benefits claimed or expected to be claimed on a tax return should be recorded in the financial statements. Under this guidance, the Company may recognize the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such a position are measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50 percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. The guidance on accounting for uncertainty in income taxes also addresses derecognition, classification, interest and penalties on income taxes, and accounting in interim periods.
Earnings Per Common Share (EPS) - Basic EPS is calculated using net income (loss) divided by the weighted average of common shares outstanding. Diluted EPS is similar to Basic EPS except that the weighted average number of common shares outstanding is increased to include the number of additional common shares, when dilutive, that would have been outstanding if the potential dilutive common shares, such as those shares subject to options, had been issued.
Shares used in the calculation of diluted EPS are summarized below:
2016
2015
Weighted average common shares outstanding
Dilutive effect of stock options
-
Weighted average common and common equivalent shares outstanding
At December 31, 2015, options to purchase 8,500 shares of common stock with a weighted average exercise price of $17.16 were outstanding, but were excluded from the computation of common share equivalents because they were anti-dilutive.
If the Company was in a net income position at December 31, 2016, 4,750 options with a weighted average exercise price of $10.58 would have been included as part of the weighted average common and common equivalent shares outstanding as the options would have been dilutive, while 11,418 options with a weighted average exercise price of $15.99 would have remained excluded as the options were anti-dilutive.
Employee Stock Plan - The Company accounts for employee stock options under the provision of ASC 718, Compensation — Stock Compensation.
Reclassification – For comparability, certain 2015 amounts related to deferred tax assets and liabilities have been reclassified to conform with classifications adopted in 2016. The reclassification had no impact on net income or stockholders’ equity.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements - In 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-15, Presentation of Financial Statements—Going Concern (Subtopic 205-40): Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern , intended to define management’s responsibility to evaluate whether there is substantial doubt about an organization’s ability to continue as a going concern and to provide related footnote disclosures. ASU 2014-15 is effective for the Company in the year ended December 31, 2016, and interim periods beginning March 31, 2017, with early application permitted. The adoption of ASU 2014-15 did not have a material impact to the financial statements when implemented.
In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. ASU 2014‑09 supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in Revenue Recognition (Topic 605 ), and requires entities to recognize revenue in a way that depicts the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Deferral of the Effective Date, which defers the adoption of ASU 2014-09 to annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim reporting periods within that reporting period. Earlier application is permitted only as of annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim reporting periods within that reporting period. The standard permits two methods of adoption: retrospectively to each prior reporting period presented (full retrospective method), or retrospectively with the cumulative effect of initially applying the guidance recognized at the date of initial application (the cumulative catch-up transition method). The standard also requires expanded disclosures relating to the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. Additionally, qualitative and quantitative disclosures are required about customer contracts, significant judgments and changes in judgments, and assets recognized from the costs to obtain or fulfill a contract. While the Company is still in the process of evaluating the effect of adoption on its financial statements and is currently assessing its contracts with customers, the Company anticipates that it will expand its financial statement disclosures in order to comply with the new standard. The Company has established a timeline and process to evaluate the impact, transition and disclosure requirements of the ASU and believes the timeline is sufficient to allow the Company to effectively implement the new standard. The Company has not yet concluded on a transition method upon adoption, but plans to select a transition method by the fourth quarter of 2017.
In 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-17, Income Taxes (Topic 740) Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes , now requiring that deferred tax assets and liabilities be classified as noncurrent in a classified balance sheet. The amendment takes effect for public entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, with early adoption available. The Company adopted this guidance for the quarter ended March 31, 2016 with retrospective application and reclassified comparative periods for consistency. For 2015, a long-term deferred tax liability of $580,000 has been netted with the current deferred tax asset of $195,000 for a net deferred tax liability of $385,000.
In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03 , Interest-Imputation of Interest: Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs. ASU 2015-03 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 rather than as an asset. The standard is effective for fiscal periods beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods therein and early application is permitted. Companies are required to adopt the standard retrospectively. The standard will result in all deferred financing costs, excluding transaction costs incurred in connection with securing revolving credit facilities, being deducted from long-term debt obligations in the Company’s balance sheets. The Company adopted the provisions of ASU No. 2015-03 during 2016. The effect of the adoption did not result in a change to equity or net income.
During February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases . ASU No. 2016-02 was issued to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing all lease transactions (with terms in excess of 12 months) on the balance sheet as a lease liability and a right-of-use asset (as defined). ASU No. 2016-02 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years, with earlier application permitted. Upon adoption, the lessee will apply the new standard retrospectively to all periods presented or retrospectively using a cumulative effect adjustment in the year of adoption. The Company is currently assessing the effect that ASU No. 2016-02 will have on its financial statements.
In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09, Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718) . This standard makes several modifications to Topic 718 related to the accounting for forfeitures, employer tax withholding on share-based compensation and the financial statement presentation of excess tax benefits or deficiencies. ASU 2016-09 also clarifies the statement of cash flows presentation for certain components of share-based awards. The standard is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, although early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently assessing the effect that ASU No. 2016-09 will have on its financial statements.
Use of Estimates - The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Significant estimates include the allowance for doubtful trade receivables, the reserve for inventory obsolescence, and the valuation allowance for deferred tax assets. |
