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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2018
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | Summary of Significant Accounting Policies On January 1, 2018, the Company adopted ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, and subsequent amendments (ASC 606 or new guidance), using the modified retrospective method. Merck applied the new guidance to all contracts with customers within the scope of the standard that were in effect on January 1, 2018 and recognized the cumulative effect of initially applying the new guidance as an adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings (see Note 1). Comparative information for prior periods has not been restated and continues to be reported under the accounting standards in effect for those periods. The new guidance provides principles that an entity applies to report useful information about the amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from its contracts to provide goods or services to customers. The core principle requires an entity to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that it expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. The new guidance introduces a 5-step model to recognize revenue when or as control is transferred: identify the contract with a customer, identify the performance obligations in the contract, determine the transaction price, allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract, and recognize revenue when or as the performance obligations are satisfied. The Company’s significant accounting policies are detailed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements included in Merck’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017. Changes to the Company’s revenue recognition policy as a result of adopting ASC 606 are described below. See Note 16 for disaggregated revenue disclosures. Revenue Recognition — Recognition of revenue requires evidence of a contract, probable collection of sales proceeds and completion of substantially all performance obligations. Merck acts as the principal in substantially all of its customer arrangements and therefore records revenue on a gross basis. The majority of the Company’s contracts related to the Pharmaceutical and Animal Health segments have a single performance obligation - the promise to transfer goods. Shipping is considered immaterial in the context of the overall customer arrangement and damages or loss of goods in transit are rare. Therefore, shipping is not deemed a separately recognized performance obligation. The vast majority of revenues from sales of products are recognized at a point in time when control of the goods is transferred to the customer, which the Company has determined is when title and risks and rewards of ownership transfer to the customer and the Company is entitled to payment. Certain Merck entities, including U.S. entities, have contract terms under which control of the goods passes to the customer upon shipment; however, either pursuant to the terms of the contract or as a business practice, Merck retains responsibility for goods lost or damaged in transit. Prior to the adoption of the new standard, Merck would recognize revenue for these entities upon delivery of the goods. Under the new guidance, the Company is now recognizing revenue at time of shipment for these entities. For businesses within the Company’s Healthcare Services segment and certain services in the Animal Health segment, revenue is recognized over time, generally ratably over the contract term as services are provided. Merck’s payment terms for U.S. customers are typically net 36 days from receipt of invoice; however, certain products have longer payment terms up to 90 days. Outside of the United States, payment terms are typically 30 days to 90 days although certain markets have longer payment terms. The nature of the Company’s business gives rise to several types of variable consideration including discounts and returns, which are estimated at the time of sale generally using the expected value method, although the most likely amount method is also used for certain types of variable consideration. In the United States, sales discounts are issued to customers at the point-of-sale, through an intermediary wholesaler (known as chargebacks), or in the form of rebates. Additionally, sales are generally made with a limited right of return under certain conditions. Revenues are recorded net of provisions for sales discounts and returns, which are established at the time of sale. In addition, revenues are recorded net of time value of money discounts if collection of accounts receivable is expected to be in excess of one year. The provision for aggregate customer discounts covers chargebacks and rebates. Chargebacks are discounts that occur when a contracted customer purchases directly through an intermediary wholesaler. The contracted customer generally purchases product from the wholesaler at its contracted price plus a mark-up. The wholesaler, in turn, charges the Company back for the difference between the price initially paid by the wholesaler and the contract price paid to the wholesaler by the customer. The provision for chargebacks is based on expected sell-through levels by the Company’s wholesale customers to contracted customers, as well as estimated wholesaler inventory levels. Rebates are amounts owed based upon definitive contractual agreements or legal requirements with private sector and public sector (Medicaid and Medicare Part D) benefit providers, after the final dispensing of the product by a pharmacy to a benefit plan participant. The provision for rebates is based on expected patient usage, as well as inventory levels in the distribution channel to determine the contractual obligation to the benefit providers. The Company uses historical customer segment utilization mix, sales forecasts, changes to product mix and price, inventory levels in the distribution channel, government pricing calculations and prior payment history in order to estimate the expected provision. Amounts accrued for aggregate customer discounts are evaluated on a quarterly basis through comparison of information provided by the wholesalers, health maintenance organizations, pharmacy benefit managers, federal and state agencies, and other customers to the amounts accrued. These discounts, in the aggregate, reduced U.S. sales by $2.4 billion and $2.5 billion in the first quarter of 2018 and 2017, respectively. Outside of the United States, variable consideration in the form of discounts and rebates are a combination of commercially-driven discounts in highly competitive product classes, discounts required to gain or maintain reimbursement, or legislatively mandated rebates. In certain European countries, legislatively mandated rebates are calculated based on an estimate of the government’s total unbudgeted spending and the Company’s specific payback obligation. Rebates may also be required based on specific product sales thresholds. In all cases, the Company applies an estimated factor against its actual invoiced sales to represent the expected level of future discount or rebate obligation associated with the sale. The Company maintains a returns policy that allows its U.S. pharmaceutical customers to return product within a specified period prior to and subsequent to the expiration date (generally, three to six months before and 12 months after product expiration). The estimate of the provision for returns is based upon historical experience with actual returns. Additionally, the Company considers factors such as levels of inventory in the distribution channel, product dating and expiration period, whether products have been discontinued, entrance in the market of generic competition, changes in formularies or launch of over-the-counter products, among others. Outside of the United States, returns are only allowed on a limited basis in certain countries. The following table provides the effects of adopting ASC 606 on the Consolidated Statement of Income in the first quarter of 2018:
| Three Months Ended March 31, 2018
($ in millions) | As Reported |  | Effects of Adopting ASC 606 |  | Amounts Without Adoption of ASC 606
Sales | $ | 10,037 |  |  | $ | (24 | ) |  | $ | 10,013 |
Materials and production | 3,184 |  |  | (11 | ) |  | 3,173 |
Income before taxes | 1,345 |  |  | (13 | ) |  | 1,332 |
Taxes on income | 604 |  |  | (2 | ) |  | 602 |
Net income attributable to Merck & Co., Inc. | 736 |  |  | (11 | ) |  | 725 |
The following table provides the effects of adopting ASC 606 on the consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2018:
| March 31, 2018
($ in millions) | As Reported |  | Effects of Adopting ASC 606 |  | Amounts Without Adoption of ASC 606
Assets |  |  |  |  |
Accounts receivable | $ | 7,245 |  |  | $ | (36 | ) |  | $ | 7,209 |
Inventories | 5,382 |  |  | 13 |  |  | 5,395 |
Liabilities |  |  |  |  |  |
Accrued and other current liabilities | 9,709 |  |  | (3 | ) |  | 9,706 |
Income taxes payable | 717 |  |  | (4 | ) |  | 713 |
Equity |  |  |  |  |  |
Retained earnings | 41,107 |  |  | (16 | ) |  | 41,091 |

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- Definition The entire disclosure for all significant accounting policies of the reporting entity. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/topic&trid=2122369 + Details
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