What is the impact of ASU to ASC 606 on Chocolate Bash's revenue recognition?
Chocolate_Bash Franchise · 2024 FDDAnswer from 2024 FDD Document
FICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (cont.)
Revenue Recognition
Revenues are primarily derived from franchise fees (one-time and recurring monthly fees). In accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 606, Revenue will be recognized when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred, or services have been rendered, the seller's price to the buyer is fixed or determinable, and collectability is reasonable assured. The determination of whether fees and fixed or determinable and collection is reasonable assured involves the use of assumptions. Arrangement terms and customer information are evaluated to ensure that these criteria are met prior to recognition of revenue.
Specifically for franchisors, The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) has issued an Accounting Standards Update (ASU) to ASC 606, Franchisors—'Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Subtopic 952-606): Practical Expedient' in 2021 which provides a new practical expedient that permits private company franchisors to account for preopening services provided to a franchisee as distinct from the franchise license if the services are consistent with those included in a predefined list within the guidance. The Company has elected to adopt this new standard.
Unearned Revenue
The Company's primarily performance obligation under the franchise agreement mainly includes granting certain rights to access the Company's intellectual property and a variety of activities relating to opening a franchise unit, including initial training and other such activities commonly referred to collectively as "pre-opening activities", which are recognized as a single performance obligation. The Company expects that certain pre-opening activities provided to the franchisee will not be brand specific and will provide the franchisee with relevant general business information that is separate and distinct from the operation of a company-branded franchise unit. The portion of pre-opening activities that will be provided that is not brand specific is expected to be distinct as it will provide a benefit to the franchisee and is expected not to be highly interrelated or interdependent to the access of the Company's intellectual property, and therefore will be accounted for as a separate distinct performance obligation. All other pre-opening activities are expected to be highly interrelated and interdependent to the access of the Company's intellectual property and therefore will be accounted for as a single performance obligation, which is satisfied by granting certain rights to access the Company's intellectual property over the term of each franchise agreement.
The Company estimates the stand-alone selling price of pre-opening activities using an adjusted market assessment approach. The Company will first allocate the initial franchise fees and the fixed consideration, under the franchise agreement to the standalone selling price of the training services that are not brand specific and the residual, if any, to the right to access the Company's intellectual property. Consideration allocated to pre-opening activities, which are not brand specific are recognized ratably as those services are rendered. Consideration allocated to pre-opening activities included under Accounting Standards Update (ASU) to ASC 606, Franchisors—'Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Subtopic 952-606): Practical Expedient' is recognized when the related services have been rendered.
The remaining franchisee fee not allocated to pre-opening activities are recorded as Unearned Revenue and will be recognized over the term of the franchise agreement.
NOTE B – SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (cont.)
Commitments and Contingencies
The Company may be subject to pending legal proceedings and regulatory actions in the ordinary course of business.
Source: Item 21 — FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (FDD page 38)
What This Means (2024 FDD)
According to Chocolate Bash's 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued an Accounting Standards Update (ASU) to ASC 606 in 2021. This update, titled 'Franchisors—Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Subtopic 952-606): Practical Expedient,' provides a practical way for private company franchisors to account for pre-opening services provided to a franchisee. This is applicable if the services are consistent with those included in a predefined list within the guidance. Chocolate Bash has elected to adopt this new standard.
This means that Chocolate Bash can treat pre-opening services as distinct from the franchise license under certain conditions. The company's primary performance obligation under the franchise agreement includes granting rights to access their intellectual property and activities related to opening a franchise unit, such as initial training, collectively known as "pre-opening activities," which are recognized as a single performance obligation. However, Chocolate Bash expects that some pre-opening activities will not be brand-specific and will provide franchisees with general business information separate from the Chocolate Bash brand.
The portion of pre-opening activities that are not brand-specific will be accounted for as a separate distinct performance obligation because it benefits the franchisee and is not highly interrelated with access to Chocolate Bash's intellectual property. All other pre-opening activities that are highly interrelated with access to the company's intellectual property will be accounted for as a single performance obligation, satisfied by granting rights to access the intellectual property over the franchise agreement term. Chocolate Bash estimates the stand-alone selling price of pre-opening activities using an adjusted market assessment approach, allocating initial franchise fees and fixed consideration to training services that are not brand-specific, with any residual amount allocated to the right to access the company's intellectual property. Consideration allocated to pre-opening activities that are not brand-specific is recognized as those services are rendered, while consideration allocated to pre-opening activities under ASU to ASC 606 is recognized when the related services have been rendered. The remaining franchisee fee not allocated to pre-opening activities is recorded as Unearned Revenue and will be recognized over the term of the franchise agreement.