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Note 1 - Nature of Business and Significant Accounting Policies | 12 Months Ended
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Aug. 31, 2012
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure [Text Block] | 1. NATURE OF BUSINESS AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Nature of Business – Northern Technologies International Corporation and Subsidiaries (the Company) develops and markets proprietary environmentally beneficial products and services in over 55 countries either directly or via a network of joint ventures, independent distributors and agents. The Company’s primary business is corrosion prevention marketed mainly under the ZERUST® brand. The Company has been selling its proprietary ZERUST® rust and corrosion inhibiting products and services to the automotive, electronics, electrical, mechanical, military and retail consumer markets for over 35 years, and more recently, has targeted and expanded into the oil and gas industry. The Company also sells a portfolio of bio-based and biodegradable (compostable) polymer resin compounds and finished products marketed under the Natur-Tec® brand. These products are intended to reduce the Company’s customers’ carbon footprint and provide environmentally sound disposal options. The Company participates, either directly or indirectly, in 23 active joint venture arrangements in North America, Europe, and Asia. Each of these joint ventures generally manufactures and markets products in the geographic territory to which it is assigned. While most of the Company’s joint ventures exclusively sell rust and corrosion inhibiting products, some of the joint ventures sell the Company’s Natur-Tec® resin compounds and finished products. The profits of joint ventures are shared by the respective joint venture owners in accordance with their respective ownership percentages. The Company typically owns 50% or less of its joint venture entities and does not control the decisions of these entities, including dividend declaration or amount in any given year. The Company has evaluated events occurring after the date of the consolidated financial statements for events requiring recording or disclosure in the financial statements. Principles of Consolidation - The Company evaluates its voting and variable interests in entities on a qualitative and quantitative basis. The Company consolidates entities in which it concludes it has the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact an entity’s economic success and has the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits that could be significant to the entity. All such relationships are evaluated on an ongoing basis. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Northern Technologies International Corporation, its wholly owned subsidiaries, NTI Facilities, Inc. and Northern Technologies Holding Company, LLC, and its majority owned Brazilian subsidiary, Zerust Prevenção de Corrosão S.A. (Zerust Brazil). All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. The consolidated financial statements do not include the accounts of any of the Company’s joint ventures. Noncontrolling interest – The Company owns 85% of Zerust Brazil. The remaining 15% is accounted for as a noncontrolling interest and reported as part of equity in the consolidated financial statements. The Company allocates gains and losses to the noncontrolling interest even when such allocation might result in a deficit balance, reducing the losses attributed to the controlling interest, changes in ownership interests would be treated as equity transactions if control is maintained. Net Sales –The Company includes net sales to its joint ventures and net sales to unaffiliated customers as separate line items on its consolidated statements of operations. There are no sales originating from the Company’s joint ventures included in the amount, as the Company’s investments in its joint ventures are accounted for using the equity method. Revenue Recognition – The Company recognizes revenue from the sale of its products when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, the product has been delivered, the price is fixed and determinable and collection of the resulting receivable is reasonably assured. These criteria are met when risk of loss and title pass to the customer, distributor or joint venture entity. Deferred Joint Venture Revenue – The Company periodically sponsors a worldwide joint venture conference, in which all of its joint ventures are invited to participate. It defers a portion of its service fees received from its joint ventures in each accounting period leading up to the next conference, reflecting that the Company has not earned portions of the payments received. The next joint venture conference is scheduled to be held in the summer of 2013. At both August 31, 2012 and 2011, the Company had deferred $288,000 of joint venture fees for services related to this future conference, which represents the amount that the Company expects to spend to hold the conference. This amount is based on the historical experience of the Company, current conditions, and the intentions of the Company’s management. The Company does not anticipate deferring any additional service fees until after the next conference. Accounts Receivable – Payment terms for the Company’s unaffiliated customers are determined based on credit risk and vary by customer. The Company typically offers standard payments terms to unaffiliated customers of net 30 days. The Company does not accrue interest on past due accounts receivable. The Company reviews the credit histories of its customers before extending unsecured credit. The Company presents accounts and notes receivable, net of an allowance for doubtful accounts. Each quarter, the Company prepares an analysis of its ability to collect outstanding receivables that provides a basis for an allowance estimate for doubtful accounts. In doing so, the Company evaluates the age of its receivables, past collection history, current financial conditions of key customers and its joint ventures, and economic conditions. Based on this evaluation, the Company establishes a reserve for specific accounts and notes receivable that it believes are uncollectible, as well as an estimate of uncollectible receivables not specifically known. Deterioration in the financial condition of any key customer or a significant slowdown in the economy could have a material negative impact on the Company’s ability to collect a portion or all of the accounts and notes receivable. The Company believes that an analysis of historical trends and its current knowledge of potential collection problems provide the Company with sufficient information to establish a reasonable estimate for an allowance for doubtful accounts. In the event the Company determined that a smaller or larger uncollectible accounts reserve is appropriate, the Company would record a credit or charge to selling expense in the period that it made such a determination. Accounts receivable have been reduced by an allowance for uncollectible accounts of $20,000 at August 31, 2012 and 2011. Accounts are considered past due based on terms agreed upon between the Company and the customer. Accounts receivable are written-off only after all collection attempts have failed and are based on individual credit evaluation and specific circumstances of the customer. Receivables from Joint Ventures – Trade receivables from joint ventures arise from sales the Company makes to its joint ventures of products. Receivables for services to the Company’s joint ventures are based primarily on a contractual percentage of the sales of the joint ventures and are intended to compensate the Company for services the Company provides to its joint ventures, including consulting, legal, travel, insurance, technical and marketing services. Payment terms for the Company’s joint ventures also are determined based on credit risk; however, additional consideration also is given to the individual joint venture due to the transportation time associated with ocean delivery of most products and certain other factors. Generally, accounts receivable from the Company’s joint ventures unpaid after 90 days are considered past due. The Company does not accrue interest on past due accounts receivable. The Company periodically reviews amounts due from its joint ventures for collectability, and based on past experience and continuous review of the balances due, has determined an allowance for doubtful accounts related to its joint venture receivables is not necessary. Fees for Services Provided to Joint Ventures – The Company provides certain services to its joint ventures including consulting, legal, travel, insurance, technical and marketing services. The Company receives fees for the services it provides to its joint ventures. The fees for services received by the Company from its joint ventures are generally based on either a flat fee or a percentage of net sales by the Company’s joint ventures depending on local laws and tax regulations. The Company recognizes revenues related to fees for services provided to its joint ventures when earned, amounts are determinable and collectability is reasonably assured. Under the Company’s agreements with its joint ventures, amounts are earned when product is shipped from joint venture facilities. The Company reviews the financial situation of each of its joint ventures to assist in the likelihood of collections on amounts earned. The Company elects to account for these fees on a cash basis for certain joint ventures if uncertainty exists surrounding the collection of such fees. Cash and Cash Equivalents - The Company includes as cash and cash equivalents highly liquid, short-term investments with maturity of three months or less when purchased, which are readily convertible into known amounts of cash. The Company maintains its cash in high quality financial institutions. The balances, at times, may exceed federally insured limits. Inventories - Inventories are recorded at the lower of cost (first-in, first-out basis) or market. Property and Depreciation - Property and equipment are stated at cost. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method based on the estimated service lives of the various assets as follows:
| Buildings and improvements | 5-30 years |
| Machinery and equipment | 3-10 years |
Investments in Joint Ventures - Investments in the Company’s joint ventures are accounted for using the equity method. Under the equity method, investments are initially recorded at cost and are adjusted for dividends, distributed and undistributed earnings and losses, changes in foreign currency exchange rates and additional investments. In the event the Company’s share of joint venture’s cumulative losses exceed the Company’s investment balance, the balance is reported at zero value until proportionate income exceeds the losses. The Company assesses its joint ventures for impairment on an annual basis as of August 31 of each year as part of its fiscal year end analysis. In addition to the annual review for impairment, the Company reviews the operating results of each joint venture on a quarterly basis in comparison to its historical operating results and its accrual of fees for services provided to joint ventures. If the operating results of a joint venture do not meet financial performance expectations, an additional evaluation is performed on the joint venture. If an investment were determined to be impaired, then a reserve is created to reflect the impairment on the financial results of the Company. The Company’s evaluation of its investments in joint ventures requires the Company to make assumptions about future cash flows of its joint ventures. These assumptions require significant judgment and actual results may differ from assumed or estimated amounts. Recoverability of Long-Lived Assets - The Company reviews its long-lived assets whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount of the assets may not be recoverable. The Company determines potential impairment by comparing the carrying value of the assets with expected net cash flows expected to be provided by operating activities of the business or related products. If the sum of the expected undiscounted future net cash flows is less than the carrying value, the Company evaluates if an impairment loss should be recognized. An impairment loss is measured by comparing the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the asset. Income Taxes - The Company utilizes the liability method of accounting for income taxes which requires an asset and liability approach to financial accounting and reporting for income taxes. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the differences between the financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. The effect of a change in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. The Company records net deferred tax assets to the extent the Company believes these assets will more likely than not be realized. In making such a determination, the Company considers all available positive and negative evidence, including future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, projected future taxable income, tax-planning strategies, and results of recent operations. In the event the Company determines that it would be able to realize its deferred income tax assets in the future in excess of their net recorded amount, the Company would make an adjustment to the deferred tax asset valuation allowance, which would reduce the provision for income taxes. The Company records uncertain tax positions on the basis of a two-step process whereby (1) the Company determines whether it is more likely than not that the tax positions will be sustained based on the technical merits of the position and (2) those tax positions that meet the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold. The Company recognizes the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50 percent likely to be realized upon ultimate settlement with the related tax authority. Foreign Currency Translation (Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income) - The functional currency of Zerust Brazil and each unconsolidated international joint venture is the applicable local currency. The translation of the applicable foreign currencies into U.S. dollars is performed for balance sheet accounts using exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date and for revenue and expense accounts using an average monthly exchange rate. Translation gains or losses are reported as an element of other comprehensive income. The Company (excluding Zerust Brazil and its joint ventures) conducts all foreign transactions based on the U.S. dollar. Since investments in joint ventures are accounted for using the equity method, any changes in foreign currency exchange rates are reflected as a foreign currency translation adjustment and does not change the equity in income of joint ventures reflected in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. Fair Value of Financial Instruments – The carrying value of cash, short-term accounts and notes receivable, notes payable, trade accounts payables, and other accrued expenses approximate fair value because of the short maturity of those instruments. The fair value of the Company’s long-term debt approximates the carrying values based upon current market rates of interest. Shipping and Handling - The Company records all amounts billed to customers in a sales transaction related to shipping and handling as sales. The Company records costs related to shipping and handling in cost of goods sold. Government Grants - The Company accrues proceeds received under the grants when earned based on the terms of the contracts and offsets research and development expenses incurred in equal installments over the timelines associated with completion of the grant specific objectives and milestones. Research and Development - The Company expenses all costs related to product research and development as incurred. The costs related to product research and development are the net amount after being reduced by reimbursements related to certain research and development contracts of $365,940 and $219,175 for fiscal 2012 and fiscal 2011, respectively. The Company accrues proceeds received under such contracts and offsets research and development expenses incurred in equal installments over the timelines associated with completion of the contracts’ specific objectives and milestones. At August 31, 2012 and 2011, the Company had $96,861 and $0, respectively, of deferred amounts in other accrued liabilities as the Company had not yet performed under the obligations of the contract at that time. Stock-Based Compensation – The Company recognizes compensation cost relating to share-based payment transactions, including grants of employee stock options and transactions under the Company’s employee stock purchase plan, in its consolidated financial statements. That cost is measured based on the fair value of the equity or liability instruments issued. The Company measures the cost of employee services received in exchange for stock options and other stock-based awards based on the grant-date fair value of the award, and recognizes the cost over the period the employee is required to provide services for the award. Use of Estimates - The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

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