Verizon Wireless 2012 Annual Report Download - page 59

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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS continued
Fair Value Measurements
Fair value of financial and non-financial assets and liabilities is defined
as an exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell
an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between
market participants. The three-tier hierarchy for inputs used in measuring
fair value, which prioritizes the inputs used in the methodologies of mea-
suring fair value for assets and liabilities, is as follows:
Level 1 – Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities
Level 2 – Observable inputs other than quoted prices in active markets
for identical assets and liabilities
Level 3 – No observable pricing inputs in the market
Financial assets and financial liabilities are classified in their entirety based
on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measure-
ments. Our assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair
value measurements requires judgment, and may affect the valuation of
the assets and liabilities being measured and their placement within the
fair value hierarchy.
Income Taxes
Our effective tax rate is based on pre-tax income, statutory tax rates, tax
laws and regulations and tax planning strategies available to us in the
various jurisdictions in which we operate.
Deferred income taxes are provided for temporary differences in the
bases between financial statement and income tax assets and liabili-
ties. Deferred income taxes are recalculated annually at tax rates then in
effect. We record valuation allowances to reduce our deferred tax assets
to the amount that is more likely than not to be realized.
We use a two-step approach for recognizing and measuring tax benefits
taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. The first step is recognition:
we determine whether it is more likely than not that a tax position will be
sustained upon examination, including resolution of any related appeals
or litigation processes, based on the technical merits of the position. In
evaluating whether a tax position has met the more-likely-than-not rec-
ognition threshold, we presume that the position will be examined by
the appropriate taxing authority that has full knowledge of all relevant
information. The second step is measurement: a tax position that meets
the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold is measured to determine
the amount of benefit to recognize in the financial statements. The tax
position is measured at the largest amount of benefit that is greater than
50 percent likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement. Differences
between tax positions taken in a tax return and amounts recognized in
the financial statements will generally result in one or more of the fol-
lowing: an increase in a liability for income taxes payable, a reduction of
an income tax refund receivable, a reduction in a deferred tax asset, or an
increase in a deferred tax liability.
The accounting standard relating to income taxes generated by lever-
aged lease transactions requires that changes in the projected timing of
income tax cash flows generated by a leveraged lease transaction be rec-
ognized as a gain or loss in the year in which the change occurs.
Significant management judgment is required in evaluating our tax posi-
tions and in determining our effective tax rate.
Stock-Based Compensation
We measure and recognize compensation expense for all stock-based
compensation awards made to employees and directors based on esti-
mated fair values. See Note 10 for further details.
segments since that is the lowest level at which discrete, reliable finan-
cial and cash flow information is available. Step one compares the fair
value of the reporting unit (calculated using a market approach and/or a
discounted cash flow method) to its carrying value. If the carrying value
exceeds the fair value, there is a potential impairment and step two must
be performed. Step two compares the carrying value of the reporting
unit’s goodwill to its implied fair value (i.e., fair value of reporting unit
less the fair value of the unit’s assets and liabilities, including identifiable
intangible assets). If the implied fair value of goodwill is less than the car-
rying amount of goodwill, an impairment is recognized.
Intangible Assets Not Subject to Amortization
A significant portion of our intangible assets are wireless licenses that
provide our wireless operations with the exclusive right to utilize des-
ignated radio frequency spectrum to provide wireless communication
services. While licenses are issued for only a fixed time, generally ten years,
such licenses are subject to renewal by the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC). Renewals of licenses have occurred routinely and at
nominal cost. Moreover, we have determined that there are currently no
legal, regulatory, contractual, competitive, economic or other factors that
limit the useful life of our wireless licenses. As a result, we treat the wireless
licenses as an indefinite-lived intangible asset. We reevaluate the useful
life determination for wireless licenses each year to determine whether
events and circumstances continue to support an indefinite useful life.
We test our wireless licenses for potential impairment annually. We eval-
uate our licenses on an aggregate basis using a direct value approach.
The direct value approach estimates fair value using a discounted cash
flow analysis to estimate what a marketplace participant would be willing
to pay to purchase the aggregated wireless licenses as of the valuation
date. If the fair value of the aggregated wireless licenses is less than the
aggregated carrying amount of the licenses, an impairment is recognized.
Interest expense incurred while qualifying activities are performed to
ready wireless licenses for their intended use is capitalized as part of
wireless licenses. The capitalization period ends when the development
is discontinued or substantially complete and the license is ready for its
intended use.
Intangible Assets Subject to Amortization and Long-Lived Assets
Our intangible assets that do not have indefinite lives (primarily customer
lists and non-network internal-use software) are amortized over their
useful lives. All of our intangible assets subject to amortization and long-
lived assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in
circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the asset may not be
recoverable. If any indications were present, we would test for recover-
ability by comparing the carrying amount of the asset group to the net
undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated from the asset group.
If those net undiscounted cash flows do not exceed the carrying amount,
we would perform the next step, which is to determine the fair value
of the asset and record an impairment, if any. We reevaluate the useful
life determinations for these intangible assets each year to determine
whether events and circumstances warrant a revision in their remaining
useful lives.
For information related to the carrying amount of goodwill by segment,
wireless licenses and other intangible assets, as well as the major com-
ponents and average useful lives of our other acquired intangible assets,
see Note 3.