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SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
A summary of significant accounting policies used in the preparation of the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements is as follows:

Use of Estimates. The preparation of the Consolidated Financial Statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements as well as the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Estimates are based on several factors including the facts and circumstances available at the time the estimates are made, historical experience and various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Currency Translation. Assets and liabilities of non-U.S. subsidiaries, where the functional currency is not the U.S. dollar, have been translated at year-end exchange rates, and income and expense accounts have been translated using average exchange rates throughout the year. Adjustments resulting from the process of translating an entity’s financial statements into the U.S. dollar have been recorded in the equity section of the Consolidated Balance Sheet within Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). Transactions that are denominated in a currency other than an entity’s functional currency are subject to changes in exchange rates with the resulting gains and losses recorded in Net income from operations.

Cash and Cash Equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand, demand deposits and short-term cash investments that are highly liquid in nature and have original maturities of three months or less. On occasion, the Company is
required to maintain restricted cash deposits with certain banks due to contractual or other legal obligations. Restricted cash of $39 million and $4 million is included in Other assets, current as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

Accounts Receivable. Accounts receivable consist of billed amounts owed for products shipped to or services performed for customers. Amounts are recorded net of an allowance for expected credit losses which represents the best estimate of probable loss inherent in the Company's accounts receivable portfolio. The allowance is determined using a combination of factors including a reserve based on the aging of the outstanding accounts receivable portfolio and the Company's historical credit loss experience with its end markets, customer base and products. In addition, the Company considers knowledge of specific customers, current market conditions as well as reasonable and supportable forecasts of future events and economic conditions. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the allowance for expected credit losses was $88 million and $89 million, respectively. These estimates and assumptions are reviewed periodically with the effects of changes, if any, reflected in the Consolidated Statement of Operations in the period that they are determined.

Fixed Assets. Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Assets placed in service are recorded at cost and depreciated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful life of the asset. Assets acquired in a business combination are recorded at fair value at the date of acquisition. Major expenditures for replacements and significant improvements that increase asset values and extend useful lives are capitalized. Repairs and maintenance expenditures that do not extend the useful life of an asset are charged to expense as incurred.

Per ASC 360, the Company assesses the recoverability of the carrying value of its property, plant and equipment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset group may not be recoverable. Recoverability is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset group to the future net undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by the asset group. If the undiscounted cash flows are less than the carrying amount of the asset group, an impairment loss is recognized for the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset group exceeds the fair value of the asset group.

Equity Method Investments. Investments in which the Company has the ability to exercise significant influence, but does not control, are accounted for under the equity method of accounting and are presented on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. Under this method of accounting, the Company’s share of the net earnings or losses of the investee is presented within Operating profit on the Consolidated Statement of Operations since the activities of the investee are closely aligned with the operations of the Company. The Company evaluates its equity method investments whenever events or changes in circumstance indicate that the carrying amounts of such investments may be impaired. If a decline in the value of an equity method investment is determined to be other than temporary, a loss is recorded in earnings in the current period. Distributions received from equity method investees are presented in the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows based on the cumulative earnings approach.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets. The Company records goodwill as the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net assets acquired in a business combination. In accordance with ASC 350, goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangibles are tested and reviewed annually for impairment on July 1 or whenever there is a material change in events or circumstances that indicate that the fair value of the asset is more likely than not less than the carrying amount of the asset.

Impairment of goodwill is assessed at the reporting unit level and begins with a qualitative assessment to determine if it is more likely than not that the fair value of each reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the goodwill impairment test under ASC 350. For those reporting units that bypass or fail the qualitative assessment, the test compares the carrying amount of the reporting unit to its estimated fair value. If the estimated fair value of a reporting unit exceeds its carrying amount, goodwill of the reporting unit is not impaired. To the extent that the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeds its estimated fair value, an impairment loss will be recognized for the amount by which the reporting unit's carrying amount exceeds its fair value, not to exceed the carrying amount of goodwill in that reporting unit.

Intangible assets such as patents, service contracts, monitoring lines and customer relationships with finite useful lives are amortized based on the pattern in which the economic benefits of the intangible assets are consumed. If a pattern of economic benefit cannot be reliably determined or if straight-line amortization approximates the pattern of economic benefit, a straight-line amortization may be used.
The weighted-average useful lives approximate the following (in years):

Customer relationships
1 to 30
Patents and trademarks
5 to 30
Monitoring lines
7 to 10
Service portfolio and other
1 to 23

The Company assesses the recoverability of the carrying amount of its intangible assets with finite useful lives whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the asset group may not be recoverable. Recoverability is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset group to the future net undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by the asset group. If the undiscounted cash flows are less than the carrying amount of the asset group, an impairment loss is recognized for the amount by which the carrying value of the asset group exceeds the fair value of the asset group.

Leases. The Company accounts for leases in accordance with ASC 842: Leases, which requires a lessee to record a right-of-use ("ROU") asset and a lease liability on the Consolidated Balance Sheet for all leases with terms longer than 12 months. ROU assets and liabilities are recognized at the commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. The Company generally uses its incremental borrowing rate, which is based on information available at the lease commencement date, to determine the present value of lease payments except when an implicit interest rate is readily determinable. The lease term may include options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise that option. The Company has elected not to recognize ROU assets and lease obligations for its short-term leases, which are defined as leases with an initial term of 12 months or less.

Income Taxes. The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with ASC 740. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on temporary differences between financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities, applying enacted tax rates expected to be in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. The Company recognizes future tax benefits to the extent that realizing these benefits is considered in its judgment to be more likely than not. For those jurisdictions where the expiration date of tax carryforwards or the projected operating results indicate that realization is not likely, a valuation allowance is provided. The Company reviews the realizability of its deferred tax asset valuation allowances on a quarterly basis, or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that a review is required and will adjust its estimate if significant events so dictate. To the extent that the ultimate results differ from the Company's original or adjusted estimates, the effect will be recorded in the provision for income taxes in the period that the matter is finally resolved.

In the ordinary course of business, there is inherent uncertainty in quantifying the Company's income tax positions. The Company assesses its income tax positions and records tax benefits for all years subject to examination based upon management’s evaluation of the facts, circumstances and information available at the reporting date. For those tax positions where it is more likely than not that a tax benefit will be sustained, the Company has recorded the largest amount of tax benefit with a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement with a taxing authority that has full knowledge of all relevant information. For those income tax positions where it is not more likely than not that a tax benefit will be sustained, no tax benefit has been recognized in the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Prior to the Separation, the Company’s income tax provision was prepared following the separate return methodology. The separate return method applies ASC 740 to the financial statements of each member of a consolidated group as if the group members were separate taxpayers. As a result, certain operations of the Company were included in a consolidated return with other UTC entities. The calculation of the Company's income taxes on a separate return basis requires a considerable amount of judgment and use of both estimates and allocations. See Note 17 – Income Taxes for additional information.

Pension and Post-retirement Obligations. The Company provides a range of benefit plans to eligible current and former employees. The Company accounts for its benefit plans in accordance with ASC 715 which requires balance sheet recognition of the overfunded or underfunded status of pension and post-retirement benefit plans. Determining the amounts associated with these benefits are performed by actuaries and dependent on various actuarial assumptions including discount rates, expected return on plan assets, compensation increases, mortality and health care cost trends. Actual results may differ from the actuarial assumptions and are generally accumulated into Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) and amortized into Net income from operations over future periods. The Company reviews its actuarial assumptions at each measurement date and makes modifications to the assumptions based on current rates and trends, if appropriate. See Note 10 – Employee Benefit Plans for additional information.
Asset Retirement Obligations. The Company records the fair value of legal obligations associated with the retirement of tangible long-lived assets in the period in which a liability is determined to exist, if a reasonable estimate of fair value can be made. Upon initial recognition of a liability, the Company capitalizes the cost of the asset retirement obligation by increasing the carrying amount of the related long-lived asset. Over time, the liability is increased for changes in its present value and the capitalized cost is depreciated over the useful life of the related asset.

Research and Development. The Company conducts research and development activities with a focus on new product development and technology innovation. These costs are charged to expense as incurred. For the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, these costs amounted to $503 million, $419 million and $401 million, respectively.

Recent Pronouncements

The FASB ASC is the sole source of authoritative GAAP other than SEC issued rules and regulations that apply only to SEC registrants. The FASB issues Accounting Standards Updates ("ASU") to communicate changes to the codification. The Company considers the applicability and impact of all ASUs. ASUs not referenced below were assessed and determined to be either not applicable or are not expected to have a material impact on the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements and SEC Rules

In October 2021, the FASB issued ASU 2021-08, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Accounting for Contract Assets and Contract Liabilities from Contracts with Customers, which updates the current guidance to require that an entity recognize and measure contract asset and contract liabilities acquired in a business combination consistent with those recorded by the acquiree immediately before the acquisition. The guidance eliminates the complexity of determining the fair value of contract liabilities and will likely increase the balance of contract liabilities acquired in a business combination with a corresponding increase in post-combination revenue recognized by the acquirer. The update is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022 and interim periods therein, with early adoption permitted. In October 2021, the Company early adopted ASU 2021-08 and the adoption did not have a material impact on the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements.

In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes. The amendments in this update remove certain exceptions allowed by Topic 740 including exceptions to the incremental approach for intra-period tax allocation when there is a loss from continuing operations and income or gain from other items, the requirement to recognize a deferred tax liability for equity method investments when a foreign subsidiary becomes an equity method investment, the ability not to recognize a deferred tax liability for a foreign subsidiary when a foreign equity method investment becomes a subsidiary and the general methodology for calculating income taxes in an interim period when a year-to-date loss exceeds the anticipated loss for the year. There are also additional areas of guidance in regards to franchise and other taxes partially based on income and the interim recognition of enactment of tax laws and rate changes. The provisions of this ASU were effective for years beginning after December 15, 2020, with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted ASU 2019-12 in the first quarter of 2021 and the adoption did not have a material impact on the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements.

In May 2020, the SEC issued Final Rule Release No. 33-10786, which amends the financial statement requirements for acquisitions and dispositions of businesses and related pro forma financial information required under SEC Regulation S-X, Rule 3-05. The final rule modifies the significance test required in SEC Regulation S-X, Rule 1-02(w) by raising the significance threshold for reporting dispositions of a business from 10% to 20% and by modifying the calculation of the investment and income tests. In accordance with Rules 3-09 or 4-08(g), the revised income test will apply to the evaluation of equity method investments for significance. The Company adopted these modifications, which were effective for fiscal years beginning after December 31, 2020. The adoption of these amendments did not have a material impact on the Consolidated Financial Statements.

In November 2020, the SEC issued Final Rule Release No. 33-10980, which amends the requirements for providing selected quarterly financial data, contractual obligations and management discussion and analysis. These modifications were required after August 9, 2021. The Company applied the requirements of this release for this Annual Report on Form 10-K.