Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Our significant accounting policies are discussed in “Note 2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” in our audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2015, included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K that was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on February 22, 2016. Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) and applicable rules and regulations of the SEC regarding interim financial statements that permit reduced disclosure for interim periods. In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements include all adjustments necessary to fairly present our consolidated balance sheets as of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, our consolidated statements of income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015 and our consolidated statements of cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015. Such adjustments are of a normal recurring nature. The information in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with our Annual Report on Form 10-K that was filed with the SEC on February 22, 2016. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of the results expected for the full year. Adoption of New Pronouncements In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-09 (“ASU 2016-09”), which simplified the accounting related to certain aspects of share-based payments to employees. The new guidance requires excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies to be recognized within the income statement when restricted stock awards vest or are settled. In addition, cash flows related to excess tax benefits are not separately classified as a financing activity apart from other income tax cash flows in the statement of cash flows. This guidance allows us to repurchase more of an employee’s vesting shares for tax withholding purposes without triggering liability accounting, clarifies that all cash payments made to taxing authorities on an employee’s behalf for withheld shares be presented as a financing activity in the statement of cash flows, and provides an accounting policy election to account for award forfeitures as they occur or continue to estimate forfeitures. The new guidance is effective for us beginning January 1, 2017, with early adoption permitted. We elected to early adopt the new guidance in the third quarter of 2016. As such, we are required to present any adjustments as of January 1, 2016, the beginning of the annual period that includes the interim period of adoption, although there were no such adjustments necessary in our consolidated financial statements until the three months ended September 30, 2016. The primary impact of adoption was the recognition of excess tax benefits in our provision for income taxes of $6.8 million for both the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, which otherwise would have been recognized as paid-in capital. Early adoption had no impact on retained earnings as of January 1, 2016. We elected to continue to estimate expected forfeitures to determine the amount of stock compensation cost to be recognized in each period. The presentation requirements for cash flows related to excess benefits and for cash flows related to employee taxes paid for withheld shares had no impact on any of the periods previously presented in our consolidated statements of cash flows. We adopted on a retrospective basis the recently issued guidance by the FASB Accounting Standards Update No. 2015-03, “Interest – Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30) Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs” (“ASU 2015-03”). ASU 2015-03 requires companies with debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability to present such issuance costs in the consolidated balance sheets as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the debt liability. Our adoption of ASU 2015-03 resulted in a reclassification that decreased deposits and other assets by $0.1 million and decreased net long-term debt, less current portion by $0.1 million on our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2015. The adoption of ASU 2015-03 had no impact on our stockholders’ equity or the results of our operations. Use of Estimates The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Significant estimates include income taxes, contingencies, the useful life of property and equipment and intangible assets, the life of our client relationships, the fair value of our stock-based awards and the fair value of our financial instruments, intangible assets and goodwill. These estimates are based on historical experience where applicable and other assumptions that management believes are reasonable under the circumstances. As such, actual results could materially differ from these estimates. Employee Stock Purchase Plan An award issued under the Paycom Software, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “ESPP”) is classified as a share-based liability and recorded at the fair value of the award. Expense is recognized, net of estimated forfeitures, on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. Funds Held for Clients and Client Funds Obligation As part of our payroll and tax filing application, we (i) collect client funds to satisfy their respective federal, state and local employment tax obligations, (ii) remit such funds to the appropriate taxing authorities and accounts designated by our clients, and (iii) manage client tax filings and any related correspondence with taxing authorities. Amounts collected by us from clients for their federal, state and local employment taxes earn interest during the interval between receipt and disbursement, as we invest these funds in demand deposits, money market funds, certificates of deposit and commercial paper. These investments are shown in the consolidated balance sheets as funds held for clients, and the offsetting liability for the tax filings is shown as client funds obligation. The liability is recorded in the accompanying balance sheets at the time we obtain the funds from clients. The client funds obligation represents liabilities that will be repaid within one year of the balance sheet date. As of April 1, 2016, the interest income earned on funds held for clients is recorded in recurring revenues. Prior to April 1, 2016, the interest income earned on these funds was recorded in other income, net in the consolidated income statements. As of September 30, 2016, the funds held for clients were invested in demand deposits, certificates of deposit, money market funds and commercial paper and classified as a current asset in the accompanying balance sheets as these funds are held solely to satisfy the client funds obligation. As of December 31, 2015, the funds held for clients funds were invested in the same investments, other than commercial paper. Stock Repurchase Plan On May 26, 2016, we announced that our Board of Directors approved a stock repurchase plan under which we are authorized to purchase (in the aggregate) up to $50.0 million of our issued and outstanding common stock, par value $0.01 per share, over a 24-month period. Shares may be repurchased from time-to-time in open market transactions at prevailing market prices, in privately negotiated transactions or by other means in accordance with federal securities laws, including Rule 10b5-1 programs, and the repurchase plan may be suspended or discontinued at any time. The actual timing, number and value of shares repurchased depends on a number of factors, including the market price of our common stock, general market and economic conditions and other corporate considerations. During the nine months ended September 30, 2016, we repurchased an aggregate of 487,755 shares of our common stock under our repurchase plan at an average cost of $46.69 per share, including 302,424 shares withheld to satisfy tax withholding obligations for certain employees upon the vesting of restricted common stock. Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements In May 2014, the FASB issued authoritative guidance which included a comprehensive new revenue recognition model that requires revenue to be recognized in a manner to depict the transfer of goods or services to a customer at an amount that reflects the consideration expected to be received in exchange for those goods or services and has since issued additional amendments to this guidance. This guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2016. In April 2015, the FASB proposed a one year deferral of the effective date of the new revenue recognition standard for public and non-public entities reporting under U.S. GAAP and on July 9, 2015, the FASB approved the one year deferral. The effective date of the amended standard will begin in periods beginning after December 15, 2017. We are currently evaluating the impact that the standard will have on our consolidated financial statements. In July 2015, the FASB issued authoritative guidance which simplifies the measurement of inventory. Under the new guidance, an entity should measure inventory (as defined within the scope of the guidance) at the lower of cost or net realizable value. The new guidance applies to all inventory except inventory measured using last-in, first-out (LIFO) or the retail inventory method. Net realizable value is defined as the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predicable costs of completion, disposal and transportation. The new guidance is effective for public companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Accordingly, the standard is effective for us on January 1, 2017. We do not anticipate that the adoption of this standard will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. In January 2016, the FASB issued authoritative guidance for the accounting for financial instruments. The amendments in this guidance require all equity investments to be measured at fair value with changes in the fair value recognized through net income (other than those accounted for under equity method of accounting or those that result in consolidation of the investee). The amendments in this guidance also require an entity to present separately in other comprehensive income the portion of the total change in the fair value of a liability resulting from a change in the instrument-specific credit risk when the entity has elected to measure the liability at fair value in accordance with the fair value option for financial instruments. In addition, the amendments in this guidance eliminate the requirement to disclose the method(s) and significant assumptions used to estimate the fair value that is required to be disclosed for financial instruments measured at amortized cost on the balance sheet for public business entities. The new guidance is effective for us for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2017 and early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact that the standard will have on our consolidated financial statements. In February 2016, the FASB issued authoritative guidance for the accounting for leases. The purpose of the update is to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet as well as providing additional disclosure requirements related to leasing arrangements. The new guidance is effective for us for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2018, though early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact that the standard will have on our consolidated financial statements. |