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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies) | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Basis of Presentation | Basis of Presentation – The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements of Sonic Automotive, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries (“Sonic,” the “Company,” “we,” “us” and “our”) for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, are unaudited and have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information and applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements reflect, in the opinion of management, all material normal recurring adjustments necessary to fairly state the financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented. The operating results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the entire fiscal year or future interim periods, because the first quarter normally contributes less operating profit than the second, third and fourth quarters. These interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto included in Sonic’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements | Recent Accounting Pronouncements – In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-09 to amend the accounting guidance on revenue recognition. The amendments in this ASU are intended to provide a more robust framework for addressing revenue issues, improve comparability of revenue recognition practices and improve disclosure requirements. The amendments in this ASU must be applied using either of the following transition methods: (i) a full retrospective approach reflecting the application of the standard in each prior reporting period with the option to elect certain practical expedients, or (ii) a modified retrospective approach with the cumulative effect of initially adopting the standard recognized at the date of adoption (which requires additional footnote disclosures). This ASU is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. Earlier application is permitted only as of reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Sonic plans to adopt this ASU effective January 1, 2018 and anticipates adopting a full retrospective transition approach. While management is still evaluating the specific financial statement impact and quantitative and qualitative disclosure impact of the provisions of this ASU, based on preliminary analysis, management expects similar performance obligations to result under this update as compared with deliverables and separate units of accounting currently identified. As a result, management expects the amounts and timing of revenue recognition to generally remain the same. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02 to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. The amendments in this ASU require that leases are classified as either finance or operating leases, a right-of-use asset and lease liability is recognized in the statement of financial position, and repayments are classified within operating activities in the statement of cash flows. The amendments in this ASU are to be applied using a modified retrospective approach and are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018 (early adoption is permitted). Sonic plans to adopt this ASU effective January 1, 2019. While management is still evaluating the impact of adopting the provisions of this ASU, management expects that upon adoption of this ASU, the presentation of certain items in Sonic’s consolidated financial position, cash flows and other disclosures will be materially impacted, primarily due to the recognition of a right-of-use asset and an associated liability and a change in the timing and classification of certain items in Sonic’s results of operations as a result of the derecognition of the lease liability. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09 to simplify several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions. For public companies, this ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2016 (early adoption is permitted). Sonic adopted this ASU effective January 1, 2017. Upon adoption of this ASU, interim period and annual period income tax expense is affected by stock option exercises and restricted stock and restricted stock unit vesting activity, potentially creating volatility in Sonic’s effective income tax rate from period to period. See the heading “Income Tax Expense” below for further discussion of the impact of the adoption of this ASU on Sonic’s effective income tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2017. In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15 related to the classification of certain cash receipts and cash payments on the statement of cash flows. For public companies, this ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2017 (early adoption is permitted). Sonic plans to adopt this ASU effective January 1, 2018. Upon adoption of this ASU, the presentation of certain items in Sonic’s cash flows and other disclosures may be impacted.
Principles of Consolidation | Principles of Consolidation – All of Sonic’s subsidiaries are wholly owned and consolidated in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements, except for one 50%-owned dealership that is accounted for under the equity method. All material intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements.
Lease Exit Accruals | Lease Exit Accruals – Lease exit accruals relate to facilities Sonic has ceased using in its operations that remain subject to a current lease agreement. The accruals represent the present value of the lease payments, net of estimated or actual sublease proceeds, for the remaining life of the operating leases and other accruals necessary to satisfy the lease commitment to the landlord. These situations could include the relocation of an existing facility or the sale of a dealership where the buyer will not be subleasing the property for either the remaining term of the lease or for an amount of rent equal to Sonic’s obligation under the lease, or situations where a store is closed as a result of the associated franchise being terminated by Sonic or the manufacturer and no other operations continue on the leased property. See Note 12, “Commitments and Contingencies,” to the consolidated financial statements in Sonic’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 for further discussion. A summary of the activity of these operating lease exit accruals consists of the following:
|  | (In thousands) |
Balance at December 31, 2016 |  | $ | 9,790 |
Lease exit expense (1) |  |  | 614 |
Payments (2) |  |  | (1,189 | )
Other (3) |  |  | (885 | )
Balance at March 31, 2017 |  | $ | 8,330 |
(1) | Expense of approximately $0.6 million is recorded in income (loss) from discontinued operations before taxes, in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of income.
(2) | Amount is recorded as an offset to rent expense, with approximately $0.2 million recorded in selling, general and administrative expenses and approximately $1.0 million recorded in income (loss) from discontinued operations before taxes, in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of income.
(3) | Amount represents the cash settlement of accruals related to certain deferred maintenance costs and other liabilities related to lease termination.
Income Tax Expense | Income Tax Expense – The overall effective tax rate from continuing operations was 113.3% and 38.8% for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Sonic’s effective tax rate varies from year to year based on the distribution of taxable income between states in which Sonic operates and other tax adjustments. The effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2017 was impacted by lower levels of income from continuing operations before taxes and the effect of a discrete charge related to uncertain tax positions in the three months ended March 31, 2017, offset partially by a discrete benefit related to the adoption of ASU 2016-09. Sonic expects the effective tax rate in future periods to fall within a range of 38.0% to 40.0% before the impact, if any, of changes in valuation allowances related to deferred income tax assets or discrete tax adjustments.

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- Definition Disclosure of accounting policy regarding (1) the principles it follows in consolidating or combining the separate financial statements, including the principles followed in determining the inclusion or exclusion of subsidiaries or other entities in the consolidated or combined financial statements and (2) its treatment of interests (for example, common stock, a partnership interest or other means of exerting influence) in other entities, for example consolidation or use of the equity or cost methods of accounting. The accounting policy may also address the accounting treatment for intercompany accounts and transactions, noncontrolling interest, and the income statement treatment in consolidation for issuances of stock by a subsidiary. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68058157&loc=d3e18780-107790 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 810 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64809438&loc=d3e5614-111684 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 810 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 3 -Subparagraph (SX 210.3A-03) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27015204&loc=d3e355100-122828 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 810 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (SX 210.3A-02) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27015204&loc=d3e355033-122828 + Details
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