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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2024
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies |
Summary of allowance for doubtful accounts | The following table reflects the activity in our allowance for doubtful accounts of trade receivables for the year ended December 31 (in millions):
​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​
​ |  | 2024 |  | 2023
Balance as of January 1 | ​ | $ | 30 | ​ | $ | 26
Additions charged to expense | ​ |  | 65 | ​ |  | 53
Accounts written-off, net of recoveries | ​ |  | (55) | ​ |  | (58)
Acquisitions, divestitures and other, net | ​ |  | 125 | ​ |  | 9
Balance as of December 31 | ​ | $ | 165 | ​ | $ | 30
Schedule of estimated useful lives | The estimated useful lives for significant property and equipment categories are as follows (in years):
​ | ​ | ​
​ |  | Useful Lives
Vehicles — excluding rail haul cars |  | 3 to 10
Vehicles — rail haul cars |  | 10 to 30
Machinery and equipment (a) |  | 3 to 30
Buildings and improvements |  | 5 to 40
Furniture, fixtures and office equipment |  | 3 to 10
(a) | Includes recycling and renewable natural gas (“RNG”) facilities and WM Healthcare Solutions autoclaves and incinerators as well as containers.
Summary of investments in unconsolidated entities | ​
​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​
​ |  | 2024 |  | 2023
Equity method investments | ​ | $ | 86 | ​ | $ | 538
Investments qualifying for proportional amortization method (a) | ​ | ​ | 707 | ​ | ​ | —
Investments without readily determinable fair values | ​ |  | 53 | ​ | ​ | 68
Investments in unconsolidated entities | ​ | $ | 846 | ​ | $ | 606
(a) | As discussed above, our low-income housing investments are accounted for using the proportional amortization method. Prior to 2024, these investments were included as equity method investments.
Schedule of Supplemental Cash Flow Information | ​
​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​
​ |  | 2024 |  | 2023 |  | 2022
Interest, net of capitalized interest | ​ | $ | 530 | ​ | $ | 447 | ​ | $ | 348
Income taxes | ​ |  | 656 | ​ |  | 636 | ​ |  | 736
Accrued capital expenditures | ​ |  | 620 | ​ |  | 508 | ​ |  | 564
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- Definition Tabular disclosure of allowance for credit loss on accounts receivable. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef -Topic 326 -SubTopic 20 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section 50 -Paragraph 13 -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479319/326-20-50-13 + Details
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- Definition A tabular presentation of the information summarizing investments in and advances to majority-owned subsidiaries, other controlled companies, and other affiliates, as prescribed by the SEC. It reflects specified information about ownership, financial results from, and financial position in such entities. Includes the tabular presentations that disaggregate investments in and advances to majority-owned subsidiaries, other controlled companies, and other affiliates. + References No definition available. + Details
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