Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2019
Notes to Financial Statements
Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]	NOTE 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Consolidation Policy The financial statements of Boston Omaha Corporation include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries, as follows: Link Media Holdings, LLC which we refer to as “LMH” Link Media Alabama, LLC which we refer to as “LMA” Link Media Florida, LLC which we refer to as “LMF” Link Media Wisconsin, LLC which we refer to as “LMW” Link Media Georgia, LLC which we refer to as “LMG” Link Media Midwest, LLC which we refer to as “LMM” Link Media Omaha, LLC which we refer to as “LMO” Link Media Southeast, LLC which we refer to as “LMSE” Link Media Services, LLC which we refer to as “LMS” General Indemnity Group, LLC which we refer to as “GIG” General Indemnity Direct Insurance Services, LLC which we refer to as “GIDIS” The Warnock Agency, Inc. which we refer to as “Warnock” United Casualty and Surety Insurance Company which we refer to as “UCS” Surety Support Services, Inc. which we refer to as “SSS” South Coast Surety Insurance Services, LLC which we refer to as “SCS” Boston Omaha Investments, LLC which we refer to as “BOIC” Boston Omaha Asset Management, LLC which we refer to as “BOAM” BOC DFH, LLC which we refer to as “BOC DFH” All significant intercompany profits, losses, transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. Reclassifications Certain accounts in the prior year financial statements have been reclassified for comparative purposes to conform to the presentation in the current year financial statements. Revenue s A majority of our billboard contracts had been accounted for under Financial Accounting Standards Board, which we refer to as the “FASB,” Accounting Standards Codification, which we refer to as “ASC,” 840. Contracts which began prior to January 1, 2019 and are accounted for under ASC 840 will continue to be accounted for as a lease until the contract ends or is modified. Contracts beginning or modified on or after January 1, 2019 which do not meet the criteria of a lease under ASC 842 are accounted for under ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers . The majority of our advertising space contracts do not meet the definition of a lease under ASC 842. Revenue Recognition Billboard Rentals We generate revenue from outdoor advertising through the leasing of advertising space on billboards. The terms of the operating leases generally range from less than one month to three years and are generally billed monthly. Revenue for advertising space rental is recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the contract. Advertising revenue is reported net of agency commissions. Agency commissions are calculated based on a stated percentage applied to gross billing revenue for operations. Payments received in advance of being earned are recorded as deferred revenue. Another component of billboard rentals consists of production services which include creating and printing advertising copy. Contract revenues for production services are accounted for under ASC 606. Revenues are recognized at a point in time upon satisfaction of the contract, which is typically less than one week. Production services revenue recognized for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 was $1,015,392 and $301,627, respectively. Deferred Revenues We record deferred revenues when cash payments are received in advance of being earned. The term between invoicing and when a payment is due is generally not significant. For certain services we require payment before the product or services are delivered to the customer. The balance of deferred revenue is considered short-term and will be recognized in revenue within twelve months. Barter Transactions We engage in barter transactions wherein we trade advertising space for goods and services. We recognize revenues and expenses from barter transactions at fair value, which is determined based on our own historical practice of receiving cash for similar advertising space from buyers unrelated to the party in the barter transaction. Revenues and expenses for barter transactions are generally insignificant. Premiums and Unearned Premium Reserves Premiums written are recognized as revenues based on a pro-rata daily calculation over the respective terms of the policies in-force. The cost of reinsurance ceded is initially written as prepaid reinsurance premiums and is amortized over the reinsurance contract period in proportion to the amount of insurance protection provided. Premiums ceded are netted against premiums written. Commissions We generate revenue from commissions on surety bond sales through third party carriers and account for commissions under ASC 606. Insurance commissions are earned from various insurance companies based upon our agency agreements with them. We arrange with various insurance companies for the provision of a surety bond for entities that require a surety bond. The insurance company sets the price of the bond. The contract with the insurance company is fulfilled when the bond is issued by the insurance agency on behalf of the insurance company. The insurance commissions are calculated based upon a stated percentage applied to the gross premiums on bonds. Commissions are recognized at a point in time, on a bond-by-bond basis as of the policy effective date and are generally nonrefundable. Practical Expedients and Exemptions In connection with our transition to ASC 606 from ASC 840, we utilized the following practical expedients and exemptions from ASC 606. We expense sales commissions when incurred because the amortization period is one year or less. These costs are recorded within cost of billboard revenues (exclusive of depreciation and amortization). We do not disclose the value of unsatisfied performance obligations as the majority of our contracts with customers have an original expected length of less than one year. We have used the practical expedient and not adjusted the amount of consideration for the effects of a significant financing component for deferred revenues where the period between our performance and our customers’ payments is less than one year. For contracts with customers which exceed one year the future amount to be invoiced to the customer corresponds directly with the value to be received by the customer. Recent Accounting Pronouncements In February 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016 - 02 (Topic 842 ), Leases , which we refer to as “Topic 842.” Topic 842 supersedes the lease requirements in ASC Topic 840, Leases , which we refer to as “Topic 840.” Under Topic 842, lessees are required to recognize assets and liabilities on the balance sheet for most leases and provide enhanced disclosures. Leases will continue to be classified as either finance or operating. We adopted Topic 842 effective January 1, 2019, using the modified retrospective transition approach. Additionally, we adopted the package of practical expedients, which permitted us not to reassess under the new standard our prior conclusions about lease identification, lease classification, and initial direct costs. We also adopted the use of hindsight and the practical expedient pertaining to land easements. The most significant effects of Topic 842 were the recognition of $49,066,289 of operating lease assets and liabilities and the de-recognition of $811,709 of favorable lease assets, $1,945,820 of prepaid land lease assets and $1,316,000 of accrued rent liabilities. We applied Topic 842 to all leases as of January 1, 2019 with comparative periods continuing to be reported under Topic 840. In the adoption of Topic 842, we carried forward the assessment from Topic 840 of whether our contracts contain or are leases, the classification of our leases, and remaining lease terms. We do not have any finance leases. The standard does not have a significant effect on our consolidated results of operations or cash flows. Note 13 contains further details.

NOTE

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Consolidation Policy

The financial statements of Boston Omaha Corporation include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries, as follows:

Link Media Holdings, LLC which we refer to as “LMH”

Link Media Alabama, LLC which we refer to as “LMA”

Link Media Florida, LLC which we refer to as “LMF”

Link Media Wisconsin, LLC which we refer to as “LMW”

Link Media Georgia, LLC which we refer to as “LMG”

Link Media Midwest, LLC which we refer to as “LMM”

Link Media Omaha, LLC which we refer to as “LMO”

Link Media Southeast, LLC which we refer to as “LMSE”

Link Media Services, LLC which we refer to as “LMS”

General Indemnity Group, LLC which we refer to as “GIG”

General Indemnity Direct Insurance Services, LLC which we refer to as “GIDIS”

The Warnock Agency, Inc. which we refer to as “Warnock”

United Casualty and Surety Insurance Company which we refer to as “UCS”

Surety Support Services, Inc. which we refer to as “SSS”

South Coast Surety Insurance Services, LLC which we refer to as “SCS”

Boston Omaha Investments, LLC which we refer to as “BOIC”

Boston Omaha Asset Management, LLC which we refer to as “BOAM”

BOC DFH, LLC which we refer to as “BOC DFH”

All significant intercompany profits, losses, transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

Reclassifications

Certain accounts in the prior year financial statements have been reclassified for comparative purposes to conform to the presentation in the current year financial statements.

Revenue

A majority of our billboard contracts had been accounted for under Financial Accounting Standards Board, which we refer to as the “FASB,” Accounting Standards Codification, which we refer to as “ASC,”

840.

Contracts which began prior to

January 1, 2019

and are accounted for under ASC

840

will continue to be accounted for as a lease until the contract ends or is modified. Contracts beginning or modified on or after

January 1, 2019

which do

not

meet the criteria of a lease under ASC

842

are accounted for under ASC

606,

Revenue

from Contracts with Customers

. The majority of our advertising space contracts do

not

meet the definition of a lease under ASC

842.

Revenue Recognition

Billboard Rentals

We generate revenue from outdoor advertising through the leasing of advertising space on billboards. The terms of the operating leases generally range from less than

one

month to

three

years and are generally billed monthly. Revenue for advertising space rental is recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the contract. Advertising revenue is reported net of agency commissions. Agency commissions are calculated based on a stated percentage applied to gross billing revenue for operations. Payments received in advance of being earned are recorded as deferred revenue. Another component of billboard rentals consists of production services which include creating and printing advertising copy. Contract revenues for production services are accounted for under ASC

606.

Revenues are recognized at a point in time upon satisfaction of the contract, which is typically less than

one

week. Production services revenue recognized for the

nine

months ended

September 30, 2019

and

2018

was

$1,015,392

and

$301,627,

respectively.

Deferred Revenues

We record deferred revenues when cash payments are received in advance of being earned. The term between invoicing and when a payment is due is generally

not

significant. For certain services we require payment before the product or services are delivered to the customer. The balance of deferred revenue is considered short-term and will be recognized in revenue within

twelve

months.

Barter Transactions

We engage in barter transactions wherein we trade advertising space for goods and services. We recognize revenues and expenses from barter transactions at fair value, which is determined based on our own historical practice of receiving cash for similar advertising space from buyers unrelated to the party in the barter transaction. Revenues and expenses for barter transactions are generally insignificant.

Premiums and Unearned Premium Reserves

Premiums written are recognized as revenues based on a pro-rata daily calculation over the respective terms of the policies in-force. The cost of reinsurance ceded is initially written as prepaid reinsurance premiums and is amortized over the reinsurance contract period in proportion to the amount of insurance protection provided. Premiums ceded are netted against premiums written.

Commissions

We generate revenue from commissions on surety bond sales through

third

party carriers and account for commissions under ASC

606.

Insurance commissions are earned from various insurance companies based upon our agency agreements with them. We arrange with various insurance companies for the provision of a surety bond for entities that require a surety bond. The insurance company sets the price of the bond. The contract with the insurance company is fulfilled when the bond is issued by the insurance agency on behalf of the insurance company. The insurance commissions are calculated based upon a stated percentage applied to the gross premiums on bonds. Commissions are recognized at a point in time, on a bond-by-bond basis as of the policy effective date and are generally nonrefundable.

Practical Expedients and Exemptions

In connection with our transition to ASC

606

from ASC

840,

we utilized the following practical expedients and exemptions from ASC

606.

We expense sales commissions when incurred because the amortization period is

one

year or less. These costs are recorded within cost of billboard revenues (exclusive of depreciation and amortization). We do

not

disclose the value of unsatisfied performance obligations as the majority of our contracts with customers have an original expected length of less than

one

year. We have used the practical expedient and

not

adjusted the amount of consideration for the effects of a significant financing component for deferred revenues where the period between our performance and our customers’ payments is less than

one

year. For contracts with customers which exceed

one

year the future amount to be invoiced to the customer corresponds directly with the value to be received by the customer.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

February 2016,

the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update

No.

2016

(Topic

842

Leases

, which we refer to as “Topic

842.”

Topic

842

supersedes the lease requirements in ASC Topic

840,

Leases

, which we refer to as “Topic

840.”

Under Topic

842,

lessees are required to recognize assets and liabilities on the balance sheet for most leases and provide enhanced disclosures. Leases will continue to be classified as either finance or operating.

We adopted Topic

842

effective

January 1, 2019,

using the modified retrospective transition approach. Additionally, we adopted the package of practical expedients, which permitted us

not

to reassess under the new standard our prior conclusions about lease identification, lease classification, and initial direct costs. We also adopted the use of hindsight and the practical expedient pertaining to land easements. The most significant effects of Topic

842

were the recognition of

$49,066,289

of operating lease assets and liabilities and the de-recognition of

$811,709

of favorable lease assets,

$1,945,820

of prepaid land lease assets and

$1,316,000

of accrued rent liabilities. We applied Topic

842

to all leases as of

January 1, 2019

with comparative periods continuing to be reported under Topic

840.

In the adoption of Topic

842,

we carried forward the assessment from Topic

840

of whether our contracts contain or are leases, the classification of our leases, and remaining lease terms. We do

not

have any finance leases. The standard does

not

have a significant effect on our consolidated results of operations or cash flows. Note

contains further details.