| Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | 1 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Basis of Presentation and Description of Business Copart, Inc. was incorporated under the laws of the State of California in 1982. In January 2012, the Company changed the state in which it is incorporated (the “Reincorporation”), and is now incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware. All references to “we,” “us,” “our,” or “the Company” herein refer to the California corporation prior to the date of the Reincorporation, and to the Delaware corporation on and after the date of the Reincorporation. On March 23, 2017, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a two-for-one common stock split effected in the form of a stock dividend. The additional shares resulting from the stock split were distributed after the closing of trading on April 10, 2017 to stockholders of record on April 3, 2017. The stock dividend increased the number of shares of common stock outstanding and all share and per share amounts have been adjusted for the stock dividend, as of the date earliest presented in these financial statements. Certain prior year amounts have been adjusted to conform to current year presentation. The consolidated financial statements of the Company include the accounts of the parent company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, including its foreign wholly-owned subsidiaries. The Company also has a 59.5% voting interest in a company, which was acquired as part of the Cycle Express, LLC acquisition (“majority-owned subsidiary”), which provides various repossession services for the powersports auction industry. Noncontrolling interest consists of a 40.5% outside voting interest in the majority-owned subsidiary. Net income or loss of the majority-owned subsidiary is allocated to the members’ interests in accordance with the operating agreement. The accounts and balances of the majority-owned subsidiary have been consolidated with those of the Company. Significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. The Company provides vehicle sellers with a full range of services to process and sell vehicles over the Internet through the Company’s Virtual Bidding Third Generation (VB3) Internet auction-style sales technology. Sellers are primarily insurance companies but also include banks, finance companies, charities, fleet operators, dealers and vehicles sourced directly from individual owners . The Company sells principally to licensed vehicle dismantlers, rebuilders, repair licensees, used vehicle dealers and exporters; however, at certain locations, the Company sells directly to the general public. The majority of vehicles sold on behalf of insurance companies are either damaged vehicles deemed a total loss or not economically repairable by the insurance companies or are recovered stolen vehicles for which an insurance settlement with the vehicle owner has already been made. The Company offers vehicle sellers a full range of services that expedite each stage of the vehicle sales process, minimize administrative and processing costs and maximize the ultimate sales price. In the United States (U.S.), Canada, the Republic of Ireland, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), Oman, Bahrain, India, and Spain, the Company sells vehicles primarily as an agent and derives revenue primarily from fees paid by vehicle sellers and vehicle buyers as well as related fees for services, such as towing and storage. In the United Kingdom (U.K.), the Company operates both as an agent and on a principal basis, purchasing the salvage vehicles outright from the insurance company and reselling the vehicles for its own account. In Germany and Spain, the Company also derives revenue from sales listing fees for listing vehicles on behalf of insurance companies. Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, 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. Estimates include but are not limited to, vehicle pooling costs; self-insured reserves; allowance for doubtful accounts; income taxes; revenue recognition; stock-based payment compensation; purchase price allocations; long-lived asset and goodwill impairment calculations; and contingencies. Actual results could differ from these estimates. Revenue Recognition The Company provides a portfolio of services to its sellers and buyers that facilitate the sale and delivery of a vehicle from seller to buyer. These services include the ability to use the Company’s Internet sales technology and vehicle delivery, loading, title processing, preparation and storage. The Company evaluates multiple-element arrangements relative to its member and seller agreements. The services provided to the seller of a vehicle involve disposing of a vehicle on the seller’s behalf and, under most of the Company’s current contracts, collecting the proceeds from the member. The Company applies Accounting Standard Update 2009-13, Revenue Recognition (Topic 605): Multiple-Deliverable Revenue Arrangements (ASU 2009-13) for revenue recognition. Pre-sale services, including towing, title processing, preparation and storage, as well as sale fees and other enhancement services meet the criteria for separate units of accounting. Revenue associated with each service is recognized upon completion of the respective service, net of applicable rebates or allowances. For certain sellers who are charged a proportionate fee based on the high bid of the vehicle, the revenue associated with the pre-sale services is recognized upon completion of the sale when the total arrangement is fixed and determinable. The estimated selling price of each service is determined based on management’s best estimate and allotted based on the relative selling price method. Vehicle sales, where vehicles are purchased and remarketed on the Company’s own behalf, are recognized on the sale date, which is typically the point of high bid acceptance. Upon high bid acceptance, a legally binding contract is formed with the member, and the gross sales price is recorded as revenue. The Company also provides a number of services to the buyer of the vehicle, charging a separate fee for each service. Each of these services has been assessed to determine whether the requirements have been met to separate them into units of accounting within a multiple-element arrangement. The Company has concluded that the sale and the post-sale services are separate units of accounting. The fees for sale services are recognized upon completion of the sale, and the fees for the post-sale services are recognized upon successful completion of those services using the relative selling price method. The Company also charges members an annual registration fee for the right to participate in its vehicle sales program, which is recognized ratably over the term of the arrangement, and relist and late-payment fees, which are recognized upon receipt of payment by the member. No provision for returns has been established, as all sales are final with no right of return, although the Company provides for bad debt expense in the case of non-performance by its members or sellers. The Company allocates arrangement consideration based upon management’s best estimate of the selling price of the separate units of accounting contained within arrangements including multiple deliverables. Significant inputs in the Company’s estimates of the selling price of separate units of accounting include market and pricing trends, pricing customization and practices, and profit objectives for the services. Vehicle Pooling Costs The Company defers in vehicle pooling costs certain yard operation expenses associated with vehicles consigned to and received by the Company, but not sold as of the end of the period. The Company quantifies the deferred costs using a calculation that includes the number of vehicles at its facilities at the beginning and end of the period, the number of vehicles sold during the period and an allocation of certain yard operation costs of the period. The primary expenses allocated and deferred are certain facility costs, labor, transportation, and vehicle processing. If the allocation factors change, then yard operation expenses could increase or decrease correspondingly in the future. These costs are expensed as vehicles are sold in subsequent periods on an average cost basis. Given the fixed cost nature of the Company’s business, there are no direct correlations for increases in expenses or units processed on vehicle pooling costs. The Company applies the provisions of accounting guidance for subsequent measurement of inventory to its vehicle pooling costs. The provision requires that items such as idle facility expenses, double freight and rehandling costs be recognized as current period charges regardless of whether they meet the criteria of “abnormal” as provided in the guidance. In addition, the guidance requires that the allocation of fixed production overhead to the costs of conversion be based on the normal capacity of production facilities. Foreign Currency Translation The Company records foreign currency translation adjustments from the process of translating the functional currency of the financial statements of its foreign subsidiaries into the U.S. dollar reporting currency. The Canadian dollar, British pound, U.A.E. dirham, Bahraini dinar, Omani rial, Brazilian real, Indian rupee, Chinese renminbi and European Union Euro are the functional currencies of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries as they are the primary currencies within the economic environment in which each subsidiary operates. The original equity investment in the respective subsidiaries is translated at historical rates. Assets and liabilities of the respective subsidiary’s operations are translated into U.S. dollars at period-end exchange rates, and revenues and expenses are translated into U.S. dollars at average exchange rates in effect during each reporting period. Adjustments resulting from the translation of each subsidiary’s financial statements are reported in other comprehensive income. The cumulative effects of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations were as follows (in thousands): Cumulative loss on foreign currency translation as of July 31, 2015 $ (68,510 ) Loss on foreign currency translation (40,684 ) Cumulative loss on foreign currency translation as of July 31, 2016 $ (109,194 ) Gain on foreign currency translation 8,518 Cumulative loss on foreign currency translation as of July 31, 2017 $ (100,676 ) Fair Value of Financial Instruments The Company records its financial assets and liabilities at fair value in accordance with the framework for measuring fair value in U.S. GAAP. In accordance with ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures , as amended by Accounting Standards Update 2011-04, the Company considers fair value as an exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants under current market conditions. This framework establishes a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value: Level I Observable inputs that reflect unadjusted quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities traded in active markets. Level II Inputs other than quoted prices included within Level I that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. Level III Inputs that are generally unobservable. These inputs may be used with internally developed methodologies that result in management’s best estimate. The amounts recorded for financial instruments in the Company’s consolidated financial statements, which included cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable, accrued liabilities and Revolving Loan Facility approximated their fair values as of July 31, 2017 and 2016 , due to the short-term nature of those instruments, and are classified within Level II of the fair value hierarchy. Cash equivalents are classified within Level II of the fair value hierarchy because they are valued using quoted market prices of the underlying investments. See Note 8 — Long-Term Debt , Note 10 – Fair Value Measures , and Note 10 – Fair Value Measures . Cost of Vehicle Sales Cost of vehicle sales includes the purchase price of vehicles sold for the Company’s own account. Yard Operations Yard operations consists primarily of operating personnel (which includes yard management, clerical and yard employees), rent, contract vehicle towing, insurance, fuel and equipment maintenance and repair. The Company recognizes the costs of pre-sale services, including towing, title processing, and preparation and storage within yard operation expenses at the time the related services are provided. General and Administrative Expenses General and administrative expenses consist primarily of executive, accounting and data processing, sales personnel, professional services, system maintenance and enhancements and marketing expenses. Advertising All advertising costs are expensed as incurred and are included in general and administrative expenses on the consolidated statements of income. Advertising expenses were $5.6 million , $6.8 million , and $4.9 million for the years ended July 31, 2017 , 2016 and 2015 , respectively. Other (Expense) Income Other (expense) income consists primarily of interest expense, interest income, gains and losses from the disposal of fixed assets, rental income, earnings from unconsolidated affiliates, and currency related gains and losses. Income Taxes and Deferred Tax Assets Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities, their respective tax basis, and operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. Excess tax benefits and deficiencies related to exercises of stock options are recognized as expense or benefit in the income statement as discrete items in the reporting period in which they occur. In accordance with the provisions of ASC 740, Income Taxes , a two-step approach is applied to the recognition and measurement of uncertain tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. The first step is to determine if the weight of available evidence indicates that it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained in an audit, including resolution of any related appeals or litigation processes. The second step is to measure the tax position as the largest amount that is more than 50% likely to be realized upon ultimate settlement. The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in the provision for income taxes on its consolidated statements of income. Net Income Per Share Basic net income per share amounts were computed by dividing consolidated net income by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted net income per share amounts were computed by dividing consolidated net income by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding plus dilutive potential common shares calculated for stock options outstanding during the period using the treasury stock method. Cash and Cash Equivalents The Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with original maturities of three months or less at the time of purchase to be cash equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents include cash held in checking, domestic certificates of deposit, and money market accounts. The Company periodically invests its excess cash in money market funds and U.S. Treasury Bills. The Company’s cash and cash equivalents are placed with high credit quality financial institutions. Marketable Securities Marketable securities consist of marketable equity securities and are classified as available-for-sale and stated at fair value. The cost basis of the marketable securities is based on the specific identification method. Unrealized gains or losses relating to available-for-sale securities are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income, net of income taxes. Reclassification adjustments out of accumulated other comprehensive income resulting from realized gains or losses from the sale of available-for-sale securities are included in other income. During the year ended July 31, 2016, the Company sold all of its marketable securities. The cost basis of the marketable securities was $21.1 million and proceeds from the sale of the marketable securities were $21.5 million resulting in a realized gain of $0.4 million recorded in other income. Inventory Inventories of purchased vehicles are stated at the lower of cost or estimated realizable value. Cost includes the Company’s cost of acquiring ownership of the vehicle. The cost of vehicles sold is charged to cost of vehicle sales as sold on a specific identification basis. Accounts Receivable Accounts receivable, which consist primarily of advance charges due from insurance companies and the gross sales price of the vehicle due from members, are recorded when billed, advanced or accrued and represent claims against third parties that will be settled in cash. Allowance for Doubtful Accounts The Company maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts in order to provide for estimated losses resulting from disputed amounts billed to sellers or members and the inability of sellers or members to make required payments. If billing disputes exceed expectations and/or if the financial condition of sellers or members were to deteriorate, additional allowances may be required. The allowance is calculated by considering both seller and member accounts receivables written off during the previous twelve-month period as a percentage of the total accounts receivable balance. Concentration of Credit Risk Financial instruments, which subject the Company to potential credit risk, consist of its cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments and accounts receivable. The Company adheres to its investment policy when placing investments. The investment policy has established guidelines to limit the Company’s exposure to credit risk by placing investments with high credit quality financial institutions, diversifying its investment portfolio, limiting investments in any one issuer or pooled fund and placing investments with maturities that maintain safety and liquidity. The Company places its cash and cash equivalents with high credit quality financial institutions. Deposits with these financial institutions may exceed the amount of insurance provided; however, these deposits typically are redeemable upon demand and, therefore, the Company believes that the financial risks associated with these financial instruments are minimal. The Company generally does not require collateral on its accounts receivable. The Company estimates its allowances for doubtful accounts based on historical collection trends, the age of outstanding receivables and existing economic conditions. If events or changes in circumstances indicate that specific receivable balances may be impaired, further consideration is given to the collectability of those balances and the allowance is adjusted accordingly. Past-due account balances are written off when the Company’s internal collection efforts have been unsuccessful in collecting the amounts due. The Company does not have off-balance sheet credit exposure related to its customers and to date, the Company has not experienced significant credit-related losses. No single customer accounted for more than 10 % of total revenues for the years ended July 31, 2017 , 2016 and 2015 . As of July 31, 2017 , no customer accounted for more than 10% of the Company’s accounts receivable. As of July 31, 2016 , one customer accounted for more than 10 % of the Company’s accounts receivable. Property and Equipment Property and equipment is stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Leasehold improvements are amortized on a straight-line basis over the shorter of the lease term or the estimated useful lives of the respective improvements, which is between five and ten years . Significant improvements which substantially extend the useful lives of assets are capitalized. Expenditures for maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred. Depreciation and amortization are computed on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives: three to seven years for internally developed or purchased software; three to twenty years for transportation and other equipment; three to ten years for office furniture and equipment; and 5 to 40 years or the lease term, whichever is shorter , for buildings and improvements. Amortization of equipment under capital leases is included in depreciation expense. Long-Lived Asset Valuation The Company evaluates long-lived assets, including property and equipment, for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. In accordance with ASC 360, Property, Plant, and Equipment , a long-lived asset is initially measured at the lower of its carrying amount or fair value. An impairment loss is recognized when the estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to be generated from the use of the asset are less than the carrying amount of the asset. The impairment loss is then calculated by comparing the carrying amount with its fair value, which is usually estimated using discounted cash flows expected to be generated from the use of the asset. Goodwill In accordance with ASC 350-30-35, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other , goodwill is not amortized but is tested for potential impairment, at a minimum on an annual basis, or when indications of potential impairment exist. The Company assesses goodwill for impairment at the reporting unit level, which is defined as an operating segment or one level below an operating segment, referred to as a reporting unit. The Company has identified two reporting units, which are consistent with its two operating and reportable segments, U.S. and International. The Company has historically evaluated goodwill for impairment annually as of the end of the fourth quarter, or when an indicator of impairment exists. During the year ended July 31, 2017, the Company voluntarily changed the date of its annual goodwill impairment assessment for its reporting units from the end of fiscal fourth quarter, July 31, to the beginning of fiscal fourth quarter, May 1. This voluntary change in the annual goodwill assessment date is a change in accounting principle, which the Company believes is preferable as it more closely aligns the timing of the annual goodwill impairment assessment date with the most current information from the Company’s planning and forecasting process and also provides management with additional time to complete the annual assessment in advance of the Company’s year-end reporting. This change in the annual assessment date does not delay, accelerate, or avoid an impairment charge. This change was not applied retrospectively as it was impracticable to do so because retrospective application would require application of significant estimates and assumptions with the use of hindsight. Accordingly, the change has been applied prospectively. The Company’s annual goodwill impairment analysis, which was performed qualitatively during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017 , did not result in an impairment charge. This qualitative analysis, which is referred to as step zero under ASC 350, considered all relevant factors specific to the reporting units, including macroeconomic conditions; industry and market considerations; overall financial performance and relevant entity-specific events. In the fourth quarters of fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2015, we performed quantitative assessments for our annual goodwill impairment analyses, which did not result in any impairment charge. Segments and Other Geographic Reporting The Company’s U.S. and International regions are considered two separate operating segments and are disclosed as two reportable segments. The segments represent geographic areas and reflect how the chief operating decision maker allocates resources and measures results, including total revenues, operating income and income before income taxes. The segments continue to share similar business models, services and economic characteristics. Capitalized Software Costs The Company capitalizes system development costs and website development costs related to the enterprise computing services during the application development stage. Costs related to preliminary project activities and post implementation activities are expensed as incurred. Internal-use software is amortized on a straight-line basis over its estimated useful life, generally three years. The Company evaluates the useful lives of these assets on an annual basis and tests for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances occur that impact the recoverability of these assets. Total gross capitalized software as of July 31, 2017 and 2016 was $38.5 million and $49.4 million , respectively. Accumulated amortization expense related to software as of July 31, 2017 and 2016 totaled $25.7 million and $20.9 million , respectively. During the year ended July 31, 2016, the Company retired fully amortized capitalized software of $29.8 million , which were no longer being utilized. Additionally, during the year ended July 31, 2017, the Company recognized a $19.4 million charge primarily related to fully impairing costs previously capitalized in connection with the development of business operating software. Stock-Based Payment Compensation The Company accounts for stock-based awards to employees and non-employees using the fair value method as required by ASC 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation (ASC 718), which requires the measurement and recognition of compensation expense for all stock-based payment awards made to employees, consultants and directors based on estimated fair value. ASC 718 requires companies to estimate the fair value of stock-based payment awards on the measurement date using an option-pricing model. The value of the portion of the award that is ultimately expected to vest is recognized in expense over the requisite service periods. ASC 718 requires forfeitures to be estimated at the time of grant and revised, if necessary, in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates. Option valuation models require the input of highly subjective assumptions including the expected stock price volatility. Because the Company’s employee stock options have characteristics significantly different from those of traded options and because changes in the input assumptions can materially affect their fair value estimate, it is the Company’s opinion that the existing models do not necessarily provide a reliable single measure of the fair value of the employee stock options. The fair value of each option was estimated on the measurement date using the Black-Scholes Merton (BSM) option-pricing model utilizing the following assumptions: July 31, 2017 2016 2015 Expected life (in years) 5.5 – 7.4 5.3 – 7.2 5.3 – 7.2 Risk-free interest rate 1.20 – 2.07 1.16 – 2.06 1.58 – 2.26 Estimated volatility 20 – 23 21 – 26 22 – 28 Expected dividends — % — % — % Weighted average fair value at measurement date $ 7.05 $ 5.04 $ 5.09 Expected life—The Company’s expected life represents the period that the Company’s stock-based payment awards are expected to be outstanding and was determined based on historical experience of similar awards, giving consideration to the contractual terms of the stock-based payment awards, vesting schedules and expectations of future employee behavior as influenced by changes to the terms of its stock-based payment awards. Estimated volatility—The Company uses the trading history of its common stock in determining an estimated volatility factor when using the BSM option-pricing model to determine the fair value of options granted. Expected dividend—The Company has not declared dividends. Therefore, the Company uses a zero value for the expected dividend value factor when using the BSM option-pricing model to determine the fair value of options granted. Risk-free interest rate—The Company bases the risk-free interest rate used in the BSM option-pricing model on the implied yield currently available on U.S. Treasury zero-coupon issues with the same or substantially equivalent expected life. Estimated forfeitures—When estimating forfeitures, the Company considers voluntary and involuntary termination behavior as well as analysis of actual option forfeitures. During the year ended July 31, 2016, the Company adopted ASU No. 2016-09, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting , which impacted the accounting for share-based payments, including income tax consequences, classification of awards and the classification on the consolidated statements of cash flows. As a result of the adoption, the Company recognized excess tax benefits of $14.7 million as a reduction to tax expense in the consolidated statements of income, as though ASU 2016-09 had been in effect since the beginning of fiscal 2016, instead of reflected in stockholders’ equity. Net cash proceeds from the exercise of stock options were $31.2 million , $13.2 million and $3.6 million for the years ended July 31, 2017 , 2016 and 2015 , respectively. In accordance with ASC 718, the Company presents excess tax benefits from disqualifying dispositions of the exercise of incentive stock options, vested prior to August 1, 2005, if any, as financing cash flows rather than operating cash flows. Retained Insurance Liabilities The Company is partially self-insured for certain losses related to medical, general liability, workers’ compensation and auto liability. The Company’s insurance policies are subject to a $250,000 deductible per claim, with the exception of its medical policy which has a $500,000 stop loss per person. Our liability represents an estimate of the ultimate cost of claims incurred as of the balance sheet date, including an estimate for reported and unreported claims. The estimated liability is not discounted and is established based upon analysis of historical data and actuarial estimates. The primary estimates used in the actuarial analysis include total payroll and revenue. The Company’s estimates have not materially fluctuated from actual results. While the Company believes these estimates are reasonable based on the information currently available, if actual trends, including the severity of claims and medical cost inflation, differ from the Company’s estimates, the Company’s consolidated results of operations, financial position or cash flows could be impacted. The process of determining the Company’s insurance reserves requires estimates with various assumptions, each of which can positively or negatively impact those balances. As of July 31, 2017 and 2016 , the total amount reserved for related self-insured claims was $5.3 million . Comprehensive Income Comprehensive income includes all changes in stockholders’ equity during a period from non-stockholder sources. For the years ended July 31, 2017 , 2016 and 2015 , accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) was the effect of foreign currency translation adjustments and the effective portion of the interest rate swaps’ change in fair value. Deferred taxes are not provided on cumulative translation adjustments where the Company expects earnings of a foreign subsidiary to be indefinitely reinvested. Acquisitions The Company recognizes and measures identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed in acquired entities in accordance with ASC 805, Business Combinations . The accounting for acquisitions involves significant judgments and estimates, including the fair value of certain forms of consideration, the fair value of acquired intangible assets, which involve projections of futu |
