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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | 12 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies: The Company Geospace Technologies Corporation (“Geospace”) designs and manufactures instruments and equipment used by the oil and gas industry to acquire seismic data in order to locate, characterize and monitor hydrocarbon producing reservoirs. Geospace also designs and manufactures non-seismic products, including industrial products and imaging equipment. Geospace and its subsidiaries are referred to collectively as the “Company”. Basis of Presentation The accompanying financial statements present the consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows of the Company in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated. Reclassifications Certain amounts previously presented in the consolidated financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation. Such reclassifications had no effect on previously reported net loss, stockholders’ equity or cash flows. Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires the use of estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. The Company considers many factors in selecting appropriate operational and financial accounting policies and controls, and in developing the estimates and assumptions that are used in the preparation of these financial statements. The Company continually evaluates its estimates, including those related to bad debt reserves, inventory obsolescence reserves, self-insurance reserves, product warranty reserves, impairment of long-lived assets and deferred income tax assets. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and various other factors that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different conditions or assumptions. Cash and Cash Equivalents The Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with an original or remaining maturity at the time of purchase of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Short-term Investments The Company classifies its short-term investments consisting of corporate bonds, government bonds and other such similar investments as available-for-sale securities. Available-for-sale securities are carried at fair market value with net unrealized holding gains and losses reported each period as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss in stockholders’ equity. See Note 2 for additional information. Concentrations of Credit Risk The Company maintains its cash in bank deposit accounts that, at times, exceed federally insured limits. Management of the Company believes that the financial strength of the financial institutions holding such deposits minimizes the credit risk of such deposits. The Company sells products to customers throughout the United States and various foreign countries. The Company’s normal credit terms for trade receivables are 30 days. In certain situations, credit terms may be extended to 60 days or longer. The Company performs ongoing credit evaluations of its customers and generally does not require collateral for its trade receivables. Additionally, the Company provides long-term financing in the form of promissory notes and sales-type leases when competitive conditions require such financing. In such cases, the Company may require collateral. Allowances are recognized for potential credit losses. One customer comprised 17.8% of the Company’s revenue during fiscal year 2017. At September 30, 2017, the Company had a financing receivable from this customer of $8.1 million. One customer comprised 18.5% of the Company’s revenues during fiscal year 2016. At September 30, 2016, the Company had an account receivable from this customer of $9.1 million. No customers comprised 10% of the Company’s revenue during fiscal year 2015. Inventories The Company records a write-down of its inventories when the cost basis of any manufactured product, including any estimated future costs to complete the manufacturing process, exceeds its net realizable value. Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market value. Cost is determined on the first-in, first-out method, except that certain of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries use an average cost method to value their inventories. The Company periodically reviews the composition of its inventories to determine if market demand, product modifications, technology changes, excessive quantities on-hand and other factors hinder our ability to recover its investment in such inventories. The Company’s assessment is based upon historical product demand, estimated future product demand and various other judgments and estimates. Inventory obsolescence reserves are recorded when such assessments reveal that portions or components of the Company’s inventory investment will not be realized in its operating activities. The Company reviews it inventories for classification purposes. The value of inventories not expected to be realized in cash, sold or consumed during its next operating cycle are classified as noncurrent assets. Property, Plant and Equipment and Rental Equipment Property, plant and equipment and rental equipment are stated at cost. Depreciation expense is calculated using the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives:
|  | Years
Rental Equipment |  | 2-5
Property, plant and equipment: |  |
Machinery and equipment |  | 3-15
Buildings and building improvements |  | 10-50
Other |  | 5-10
Expenditures for renewals and betterments are capitalized. Repairs and maintenance expenditures are charged to expense as incurred. The cost and accumulated depreciation of assets sold or otherwise disposed of are removed from the accounts and any gain or loss thereon is reflected in the statements of operations. Impairment of Long-lived Assets The Company’s long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment whenever an event or change in circumstances indicates the carrying amount of an asset or group of assets may not be recoverable. The impairment review, if necessary, includes a comparison of expected future cash flows (undiscounted and without interest charges) to be generated by an asset group with the associated carrying value of the related assets. If the carrying value of the asset group exceeds the expected future cash flows, an impairment loss is recognized to the extent that the carrying value of the asset group exceeds its fair value. At September 30, 2017, management reviewed the recoverability of the carrying value of certain of manufacturing cabling equipment based on future undiscounted cash flows and determined that the carrying value of the equipment exceeded the expected future cash flows. As a result, the Company compared the fair value of these assets to their carrying value and determined that the fair value was less than their carrying value. In estimating the fair value of the equipment, the Company utilized a combination of both the market and cost approach methods, with a weighted emphasis toward the market approach method. The market approach method assumes the most probable selling price for an asset. The cost approach method assumes what a prudent investor would pay to replace or reproduce an asset. As a result of the fair value analysis, impairment charges of $5.3 million were recorded for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2017. Impairment charges of $1.8 million were recorded on certain rental assets for the fiscal ended September 30, 2016. The impairment charges are included as a component of cost of revenue in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. Revenue Recognition – Products and Services The Company primarily derives revenue from the sale of its manufactured products, including revenue derived from the sale of its manufactured rental equipment. In addition, the Company generates revenue from the short-term rental under operating leases of its manufactured products. The Company recognizes revenue from product sales, including the sale of used rental equipment, when all of the following have occurred: (i) title passes to the customer, (ii) the customer assumes the risks and rewards of ownership, (iii) the product sales price has been determined, (iv) collectability of the sales price is reasonably assured, and (v) product delivery occurs as directed by the customer. Although infrequent, in cases where collectability is not reasonably assured, the installment or cost recovery method is used. Except for certain of the Company’s reservoir characterization products, the Company’s products are generally sold without any customer acceptance provisions, and the Company’s standard terms of sale do not allow customers to return products for credit. The Company recognizes rental revenue as earned over the rental period. Rentals of the Company’s equipment generally range from daily rentals to rental periods of up to six months or longer. Revenue from engineering services is recognized as services are rendered over the duration of a project, or as billed on a per hour basis. Field service revenue is recognized when services are rendered and is generally priced on a per day rate. Deferred Revenue The Company records deferred revenue when customer funds are received prior to the recognition of the associated revenue. Research and Development Costs The Company expenses research and development costs as incurred. Research and development costs include salaries, employee benefit costs, department supplies, direct project costs and other related costs. Product Warranties Most of the Company’s products do not require installation assistance or sophisticated instructions. The Company offers a standard product warranty obligating it to repair or replace equipment with manufacturing defects. The Company maintains a reserve for future warranty costs based on historical experience or, in the absence of historical product experience, management’s estimates. Reserves for future warranty costs are included within accrued expenses and other current liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. Changes in the product warranty reserve are reflected in the following table (in thousands):
Balance at October 1, 2014 |  | $ | 951 |
Accruals for warranties issued during the year |  |  | 4,984 |
Settlements made (in cash or in kind) during the year |  |  | (3,609 | )
Balance at September 30, 2015 |  |  | 2,326 |
Accruals for warranties issued during the year |  |  | 595 |
Settlements made (in cash or in kind) during the year |  |  | (2,529 | )
Balance at September 30, 2016 |  |  | 392 |
Accruals for warranties issued during the year |  |  | 770 |
Settlements made (in cash or in kind) during the year |  |  | (654 | )
Balance at September 30, 2017 |  | $ | 508 |
Stock-Based Compensation The Company accounts for stock-based compensation, including grants of restricted awards and unqualified stock options in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718, which requires that all share-based payments (to the extent that they are compensatory) be recognized as an expense in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations based on their fair values on the award date and the estimated number of shares it ultimately expects to vest. The Company recognizes stock-based compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the award. The Company’s stock-based compensation plan and awards are more fully described in Note 13. Foreign Currency Gains and Losses The assets and liabilities of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries that have a foreign currency as their functional currency have been translated into U.S. dollars using the exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date. Results of operations have been translated using the average exchange rates during the year. Resulting translation adjustments have been recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss in stockholders’ equity. Foreign currency transaction gains and losses are included in the statements of operations as they occur. Transaction gains and losses on intra-entity foreign currency transactions and balances including advances and demand notes payable, on which settlement is not planned or anticipated in the foreseeable future, are recorded in “accumulated other comprehensive loss” on our consolidated balance sheets. Shipping and Handling Costs Amounts billed to a customer in a sales transaction related to reimbursable shipping and handling costs are included in revenue and the associated costs incurred by the Company for reimbursable shipping and handling expenses are reported in cost of sales. The Company had shipping and handling expenses of $0.3 million, $0.4 million and $0.6 million for each of the fiscal years ended September 30, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Fair Value Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or the amount paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants (an exit price) at the measurement date. GAAP has established a fair value hierarchy which prioritizes the inputs to the valuation techniques used to measure fair value into three levels. These levels are determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement. Level 1 represents unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities. Level 2 represents quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets (other than those included in Level 1) which are observable, either directly or indirectly. Level 3 represents valuations derived from valuation techniques in which one or more significant inputs or significant value drivers are unobservable. Income Taxes Income taxes are presented in accordance with the Accounting Standards Codification Topic 740 (“Topic 740”) guidance for accounting for income taxes. The estimated future tax effects of temporary differences between the tax basis of assets and liabilities and amounts reported in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets, as well as operating loss and tax credit carrybacks and carryforwards are recorded. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on differences between financial reporting and tax basis of assets and liabilities (temporary differences) and are measured using the enacted tax rates and laws that will be in effect when the differences are expected to reverse. The Company periodically reviews the recoverability of tax assets recorded on the balance sheet and provides valuation allowances if it is more likely than not that such assets will not be realized. The Company follows the guidance of Topic 740 to analyze all tax positions that are less than certain. Topic 740 prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. In accordance with Topic 740, the Company recognizes in its financial statements the impact of a tax position if that position is “more likely than not” to be sustained on audit, based on the technical merits of the position. The Company’s estimate of the potential outcome of any uncertain tax issue is subject to management’s assessment of relevant risks, facts, and circumstances existing at that time. The Company classifies interest and penalties associated with the payment of income taxes in the Other Income (Expense) section of its consolidated statements of operations. Recent Accounting Pronouncements In November 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued guidance which requires that a statement of cash flows explain the change during the period in the total of cash, cash equivalents, and amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents. Therefore, amounts generally described as restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents should be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the statement of cash flows. This guidance must be adopted by the Company no later than its first quarter of fiscal year 2019 and should be applied on a retrospective transition basis. The Company has historically not held restricted cash balances and, therefore, does not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a material effect on its consolidated financial statements. However, upon adoption of this guidance, the Company will make any necessary changes to present restricted cash balances in accordance with the guidance. In October 2016, the FASB issued guidance which eliminates the exception of recognizing, at the time of transfer, current and deferred income taxes for intercompany profits on intra-entity asset transfers other than inventory. This guidance must be adopted by the Company no later than its first quarter of fiscal year 2019 and applied on a modified retrospective transition basis. Since early adoption is permitted, the Company is planning to adopt this guidance in its first quarter of its fiscal year ending September 30, 2018. Upon the adoption of the guidance, the Company will record a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings of $0.1 million. Under current guidance, the Company maintains a non-current prepaid income tax asset on its consolidated balance sheets representing income taxes paid in the U.S. on profits realized from the sale of rental equipment to its foreign subsidiaries. As this rental equipment is depreciated, the prepaid tax is recognized as a current income tax expense in the Company’s consolidated statement of operations. Upon adoption of the new guidance, the Company will be required to recognize a deferred tax asset related to the intercompany profits realized on the sale of assets to its subsidiaries; however, profits realized from the intercompany sale of inventories will continue to be accounted for as a prepaid income tax asset similar to the current guidance. The deferred tax asset resulting from the sale of non-inventory assets will be recognized at the jurisdictional tax rate of the subsidiary purchasing the asset. Any differences between the subsidiary’s jurisdictional tax rate and the seller’s tax rate pertaining to the intercompany profit will be charged to seller’s current income tax expense at the time of the sale. Since the current U.S. income tax rate is substantially higher than the current income tax rates applicable to each of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries, adoption of the new guidance could have a significant impact on the Company’s provision for income taxes in future periods if significant amounts of rental equipment are sold by the Company’s U.S. subsidiaries to its foreign subsidiaries. In June 2016, the FASB issued guidance surrounding credit losses for financial instruments that replaces the incurred loss impairment methodology in current U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). The new impairment model requires immediate recognition of estimated credit losses expected to occur for most financial assets and certain other financial instruments. For available-for-sale debt securities with unrealized losses, credit losses will be recognized as allowances rather than reductions in the amortized cost of the securities. The standard is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019 and interim periods within those annual periods. Early adoption for a fiscal year beginning after December 15, 2018 is permitted. Entities will apply the standard’s provisions as a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the beginning of the first effective reporting period. The Company expects to adopt this standard during the first quarter of its fiscal year ending September 30, 2021 and is currently evaluating the impact of this new guidance on its consolidated financial statements. In March 2016, the FASB issued guidance to simplify key components of employee share-based payment accounting. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within that reporting period. The new guidance simplifies several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including: (a) income tax consequences; (b) classification of awards as either equity or liabilities; and (c) classification of excess tax benefits from share-based payments on the statement of cash flows. The Company will adopt this guidance in the first quarter of its fiscal year ending September 30, 2018. No cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings will be needed upon adoption as the Company has no unrecorded excess tax benefits residing in additional paid-in-capital account. Under the current standard, the Company is required to track and record as a component of additional paid-in capital the tax impact of cumulative windfalls, net of any shortfalls, which result from excess tax benefits from share-based payments. As a result, the impact of net windfalls has not historically affected the Company’s provision for income taxes or its effective income tax rate. In addition, the Company will no longer track windfalls or shortfalls resulting from share-based payments since all future windfalls and shortfalls will be recorded as a component of the Company’s current provision for income taxes. Depending on the magnitude of future windfalls or shortfalls, this change could significantly affect the Company’s provision for income taxes in a positive or negative direction. In February 2016, the FASB issued guidance requiring a lessee to recognize assets and liabilities for leases with lease terms of more than 12 months. Consistent with current GAAP, the recognition, measurement and presentation of expense and cash flows arising from a lease by a lessee primarily will depend on its classification of the lease as a finance or operating lease. However, unlike current GAAP, which requires only capital leases to be recognized on the balance sheet, the new guidance will also require operating leases of the lessee to be recognized on the balance sheet if the operating lease term is more than 12 months. The guidance also requires disclosures to help investors and other financial statement users to better understand the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. These disclosures include qualitative and quantitative requirements, providing additional information about the amounts recorded in the financial statements. The guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim reporting periods therein, beginning after December 15, 2018 and is to be applied using the modified retrospective approach. The Company expects to adopt this standard in its first quarter of its fiscal year ending September 30, 2020. The Company currently is not a lessee under any lease agreements with a term longer than one year. The Company is routinely a lessor in its rental contracts with customers; however, these rental agreements are generally short-term in nature and we believe would be treated as operating leases under the new guidance; however, we have not completed a detailed review of our lease arrangements and these conclusions are subject to change. In July 2015, the FASB issued guidance requiring management to measure inventory at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Under the new guidance, net realizable value is defined as the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal, and transportation. The new guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within that reporting period and should be applied retrospectively, with early application permitted. The Company will adopt this standard in its first quarter of its fiscal year ending September 30, 2018. Since the Company is a manufacturer and the nature of its inventory is generally unique to its designs and applications thus preventing the gathering of relevant external market data, its practice for calculating net realizable value under the current standard is consistent with the practice prescribed by the new guidance. Therefore, the Company does not expect the adoption of the new guidance to have a material effect upon its consolidated financial statements. In May 2014, the FASB issued guidance requiring entities to recognize revenue from contracts with customers by applying a five-step model in accordance with the core principle to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. In addition, this guidance specifies the accounting for some costs to obtain or fulfill a contract with a customer and expands disclosure requirements for revenue recognition. In August 2015, the FASB issued guidance deferring the effective date of this guidance to annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim reporting periods therein. Entities have the option to adopt this guidance either retrospectively or through a modified retrospective transition method. This new standard will supersede existing revenue guidance and affect the Company's revenue recognition process and the presentations or disclosures of the Company's consolidated financial statements and footnotes. The Company recognizes revenue through three primary transactions types: (i) the immediate recognition of revenue through the routine delivery of products to its customers, (ii) the rental of equipment to its customers through short-term operating leases, and (iii) the recognition of revenue utilizing the percentage of completion method for the delivery of complex products requiring long manufacturing times and substantial engineering resources. The Company expects to adopt this standard in the first quarter of its fiscal year ending September 30, 2019 and is in the early stages of evaluating the standard, including the method of adoption to determine the impact on its consolidated financial statements. Further disclosures around policy changes or quantitative effects will be made as the Company moves closer to the adoption of this standard.

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