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Accounting Standards and Significant Accounting Policies
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2022
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Accounting Standards and Significant Accounting Policies Accounting Standards and Significant Accounting Policies
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Except for the January 1, 2022, adoption of ASU 2021-08 - Accounting for Contract Assets and Contract Liabilities from Contracts with Customers (ASC 805)(“ASU 2021-08”), there have been no changes to our significant accounting policies described in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the SEC on February 23, 2022, that have had a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes. See Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements below.
REVENUE RECOGNITION
Nature of Products and Services
We earn revenues from software licenses, royalties, subscription-based services, professional services, post-contract customer support (“PCS” or “maintenance”), hardware, and appraisal services. Revenue is recognized upon transfer of control of promised products or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to receive in exchange for those products or services. We determine revenue recognition through the following steps:
Identification of the contract, or contracts, with a customer
Identification of the performance obligations in the contract
Determination of the transaction price
Allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract
Recognition of revenue when, or as, we satisfy a performance obligation
Most of our software arrangements with customers contain multiple performance obligations that range from software licenses, installation, training, and consulting to software modification and customization to meet specific customer needs (services), hosting, and PCS. For these contracts, we account for individual performance obligations separately when they are distinct. We evaluate whether separate performance obligations can be distinct or should be accounted for as one performance obligation. Arrangements that include professional services, such as training or installation, are evaluated to determine whether those services are highly interdependent or interrelated to the product’s functionality. The transaction price is allocated to the distinct performance obligations on a relative standalone selling price (“SSP”) basis.
Significant Judgments:
Our contracts with customers often include multiple performance obligations to a customer. When a software arrangement (license or subscription) includes both software licenses and professional services, judgment is required to determine whether the software license is considered distinct and accounted for separately, or not distinct and accounted for together with the professional services and recognized over time.
The transaction price is allocated to the separate performance obligations on a relative SSP basis. We determine the SSP based on our overall pricing objectives, taking into consideration market conditions and other factors, including the value of our contracts, the applications sold, customer demographics, and the number and types of users within our contracts. We use a range of amounts to estimate SSP when we sell each of the products and services separately and need to determine whether there is a discount to be allocated based on the relative SSP of the various products and services. In instances where SSP is not directly observable, such as when we do not sell the product or service separately, we determine SSP using the expected cost-plus margin approach.
For arrangements that involve significant production, modification, or customization of the software, or where professional services otherwise cannot be considered distinct, we recognize revenue as control is transferred to the customer over time using progress-to-completion methods. Depending on the contract, we measure progress-to-completion primarily using labor hours incurred, or value added. The progress-to-completion method generally results in the recognition of reasonably consistent profit margins over the life of a contract because we can provide reasonably dependable estimates of contract billings and contract costs. We use the level of profit margin that is most likely to occur on a contract. If the most likely profit margin cannot be precisely determined, the lowest probable level of profit margin in the range of estimates is used until the results can be estimated more precisely. These arrangements are often implemented over an extended time period and occasionally require us to revise total cost estimates. Amounts recognized in revenue are calculated using the progress-to-completion measurement after giving effect to any changes in our cost estimates. Changes to total estimated contract costs, if any, are recorded in the period they are determined. Estimated losses on uncompleted contracts are recorded in the period in which we first determine that a loss is apparent.
Subscriptions revenue primarily consists of revenue derived from our SaaS arrangements. Other sources of subscription-based revenues are derived from transaction-based fees primarily related to digital government services and payment processing. We also provide electronic document filing solutions (“e-filing”) that simplify the filing and management of court related documents for courts and law offices. E-filing revenue is derived from transaction fees and fixed fee arrangements. For transaction-based revenues from digital government services, payments, and e-filing transaction fees, we have the right to charge the customer an amount that directly corresponds with the value to the customer of our performance to date. Therefore, we recognize revenue for these services over time based on the amount billable to the customer in accordance with the 'as invoiced' practical expedient in ASC 606-10-55-18. In some cases, we are paid on a fixed fee basis and recognize the revenue ratably over the contractual period. Typically, the structure of our arrangements does not give rise to variable consideration. However, in those instances whereby variable consideration exists, we include in our estimates, additional revenues for variable consideration when we believe we have an enforceable right, the amount can be estimated reliably, and its realization is probable.
Refer to Note 15 - “Disaggregation of Revenue” for further information, including the economic factors that affect the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows of our various revenue categories.
Contract Balances:
Accounts receivable and allowance for losses and sales adjustments
Timing of revenue recognition may differ from the timing of invoicing to customers. We record an unbilled receivable when revenue is recognized prior to invoicing, or deferred revenue when invoicing occurs prior to revenue recognition. For multi-year agreements, we generally invoice customers annually at the beginning of each annual coverage period. We record an unbilled receivable related to revenue recognized for on-premises licenses as we have an unconditional right to invoice and receive payment in the future related to those licenses.
At September 30, 2022, and December 31, 2021, total current and long-term accounts receivable, net of allowance for losses and sales adjustments, was $571.0 million and $535.0 million, respectively. We have recorded unbilled receivables of $137.7 million and $140.3 million at September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively. Included in unbilled receivables are retention receivables of $7.6 million and $7.7 million at September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively, which become payable upon the completion of the contract or completion of our appraisal fieldwork and formal hearings. Unbilled receivables expected to be collected within one year have been included with accounts receivable, current portion in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. Unbilled receivables and retention receivables expected to be collected past one year have been included with accounts receivable, long-term portion in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets.
We maintain allowances for losses and sales adjustments, which losses are recorded against revenue at the time the loss is incurred. Since most of our clients are domestic governmental entities, we rarely incur a credit loss resulting from the inability of a client to make required payments. Events or changes in circumstances that indicate the carrying amount for the allowances for losses and sales adjustments may require revision, include, but are not limited to, managing our client’s expectations regarding the scope of the services to be delivered and defects or errors in new versions or enhancements of our software products. Our allowance for losses and sales adjustments of $14.1 million and $12.1 million at September 30, 2022, and December 31, 2021, respectively, does not include provisions for credit losses. Because we rarely experience credit losses with our clients, we have not recorded a material reserve for credit losses.
RECENTLY ADOPTED ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
In October 2021, the FASB issued ASU 2021-08 - Accounting for Contract Assets and Contract Liabilities from Contracts with Customers (ASC 805)(“ASU 2021-08”). ASU 2021-08 requires an acquirer in a business combination to recognize and measure contract assets and contract liabilities (deferred revenue) from acquired contracts using the revenue recognition guidance in Topic 606. Under this "Topic 606 approach," the acquirer applies the revenue model as if it had originated the contracts. This is a departure from the current requirement to measure contract assets and contract liabilities at fair value. ASU 2021-08 is effective for all public business entities in annual and interim periods starting after December 15, 2022, and early adoption is permitted. An entity that early adopts should apply the amendments (1) retrospectively to all business combinations for which the acquisition date occurs on or after the beginning of the fiscal year that includes the interim period of early application and (2) prospectively to all business combinations that occur on or after the date of initial application. We early adopted as of January 1, 2022. The adoption of ASU 2021-08 resulted in no adjustments to the fair value of the deferred revenue balances assumed in our US eDirect acquisition, completed on February 8, 2022. See Note 3, “Acquisitions,” for further discussion.