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SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES | SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES BASIS OF PRESENTATION. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. and our subsidiaries (“the company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) are a global provider of transportation services and logistics solutions through a network of offices operating in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and South America. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. and our majority owned and controlled subsidiaries. Our minority interests in subsidiaries are not significant. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in the consolidated financial statements. Prior to 2015 we reported payment services revenues separately from transportation revenues. Amounts prior to 2015 have been combined to conform to the current period presentation. This change in presentation had no effect on our prior year consolidated results of operations, financial condition, or cash flows. USE OF ESTIMATES. The preparation of financial statements, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities. We are also required to disclose contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Estimates have been prepared on the basis of the most current and best information, and our actual results could differ materially from those estimates. REVENUE RECOGNITION. Total revenues consist of the total dollar value of goods and services purchased from us by customers. Our net revenues are our total revenues less purchased transportation and related services, including contracted motor carrier, rail, ocean, air, and other costs, and the purchase price and services related to the products we source. We act principally as the service provider for these transactions and recognize revenue as these services are rendered or goods are delivered. At that time, our obligations to the transactions are completed and collection of receivables is reasonably assured. Most transactions in our transportation and sourcing businesses are recorded at the gross amount we charge our customers for the service we provide and goods we sell. In these transactions, we are the primary obligor, we have credit risk, we have discretion to select the supplier, and we have latitude in pricing decisions. Additionally, in our sourcing business, we take loss of inventory risk during shipment and have general inventory risk. Certain transactions in customs brokerage, managed services, freight forwarding, and sourcing are recorded at the net amount we charge our customers for the service we provide because many of the factors stated above are not present. ALLOWANCE FOR DOUBTFUL ACCOUNTS. Accounts receivable are reduced by an allowance for amounts that may become uncollectible in the future. We continuously monitor payments from our customers and maintain a provision for uncollectible accounts based upon our customer aging trends, historical loss experience, and any specific customer collection issues that we have identified. FOREIGN CURRENCY. Most balance sheet accounts of foreign subsidiaries are translated or remeasured at the current exchange rate as of the end of the year. Statement of operations items are translated at average exchange rates during the year. The resulting translation adjustment is recorded net of tax as a separate component of comprehensive income in our statements of operations and comprehensive income in 2014 and 2015. In 2016, we asserted that we will indefinitely reinvest earnings of foreign subsidiaries to support expansion of our international businesses and now the translation adjustment is recorded gross of related income tax benefits. CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS. Cash and cash equivalents consist of bank deposits. PREPAID EXPENSES AND OTHER. Prepaid expenses and other include such items as prepaid rent, software maintenance contracts, insurance premiums, other prepaid operating expenses, and inventories, consisting primarily of produce and related products held for resale. PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT. Property and equipment are recorded at cost. Maintenance and repair expenditures are charged to expense as incurred. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated lives of the assets. Amortization of leasehold improvements is computed over the shorter of the lease term or the estimated useful lives of the improvements. We recognized the following depreciation expense (in thousands):
2016 | $ | 36,212 |
2015 | 32,412 |
2014 | 29,340 |
A summary of our property and equipment as of December 31 is as follows (in thousands):
| Useful Lives (in years) |  | 2016 |  | 2015
Furniture, fixtures, and equipment | 3 to 12 |  | $ | 236,180 |  |  | $ | 200,215 |
Buildings | 3 to 30 |  | 130,050 |  |  | 110,056 |
Corporate aircraft | 10 |  | 11,334 |  |  | 11,334 |
Leasehold improvements | 3 to 15 |  | 40,312 |  |  | 28,178 |
Land |  |  | 23,635 |  |  | 23,759 |
Construction in progress |  |  | 8,534 |  |  | 5,597 |
Less accumulated depreciation |  |  | (217,092 | ) |  | (188,265 | )
Net property and equipment |  |  | $ | 232,953 |  |  | $ | 190,874 |
GOODWILL. Goodwill represents the excess of the cost of acquired businesses over the net of the fair value of identifiable tangible net assets and identifiable intangible assets purchased and liabilities assumed. Goodwill is tested for impairment at the reporting unit level (operating segment or one level below an operating segment) on an annual basis (November 30 for us) and between annual tests if an event occurs or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying value. See Note 2. OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS. Other intangible assets include definite-lived customer lists, non-competition agreements, and indefinite-lived trademarks. The definite-lived intangible assets are being amortized using the straight-line method over their estimated lives, ranging from 5 to 8 years. Definite-lived intangible assets are evaluated for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. The indefinite-lived trademarks are not amortized. Indefinite-lived intangible assets are evaluated for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable, or annually, at a minimum. See Note 2. OTHER ASSETS. Other assets include such items as purchased and internally developed software, and the investments related to our nonqualified deferred compensation plan. We amortize software using the straight-line method over 3 years. We recognized the following amortization expense of purchased and internally developed software (in thousands):
2016 |  | $ | 11,404 |
2015 |  | 9,624 |
2014 |  | 8,921 |
A summary of our purchased and internally developed software as of December 31 is as follows (in thousands):
| 2016 |  | 2015
Purchased software | $ | 23,753 |  |  | $ | 23,569 |
Internally developed software | 51,507 |  |  | 40,796 |
Less accumulated amortization | (47,957 | ) |  | (42,930 | )
Net software | $ | 27,303 |  |  | $ | 21,435 |
INCOME TAXES. Income taxes are accounted for using the asset and liability method. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences of temporary differences between the carrying amounts and tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted rates. Annual tax provisions include amounts considered sufficient to pay assessments that may result from examination of prior year tax returns; however, the amount ultimately paid upon resolution of issues raised may differ from the amounts accrued. The financial statement benefits of an uncertain income tax position are recognized when more likely than not, based on the technical merits, the position will be sustained upon examination. Unrecognized tax benefits are, more likely than not, owed to a taxing authority, and the amount of the contingency can be reasonably estimated. Uncertain income tax positions are included in “Noncurrent income taxes payable” in the consolidated balance sheets. COMPREHENSIVE INCOME. Comprehensive income includes any changes in the equity of an enterprise from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-owner sources. Our only component of other comprehensive income is foreign currency translation adjustment. It is presented on our consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income gross of related income tax effects for 2016, net of related income tax effects for 2015 and 2014. See Note 5. STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION. We issue stock awards, including stock options, performance shares, and restricted stock units, to key employees and outside directors. In general, the awards vest over five years, either based on the company’s earnings growth or the passage of time. The related compensation expense for each award is recognized over the appropriate vesting period. The fair value of each share-based payment award is established on the date of grant. For grants of performance shares and restricted stock units, the fair value is established based on the market price on the date of the grant, discounted for post-vesting holding restrictions. The discounts on outstanding grants vary from 15 percent to 22 percent and are calculated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. Changes in measured stock volatility and interest rates are the primary reason for changes in the discount. For grants of options, we use the Black-Scholes option pricing model to estimate the fair value of share-based payment awards. The determination of the fair value of share-based awards is affected by our stock price and a number of assumptions, including expected volatility, expected life, risk-free interest rate, and expected dividends.

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