Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
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12 Months Ended | ||||||||||||||||||
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Nov. 30, 2012
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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies |
NOTE 2— SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Principles of Consolidation: The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of CCA and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (collectively the “Company”). All significant inter-company accounts and transactions have been eliminated. Estimates and Assumptions: The consolidated financial statements include the use of estimates, which management believes are reasonable. The process of preparing financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”), requires management to make estimates and assumptions regarding certain types of assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses. Such estimates primarily relate to unsettled transactions and events as of the date of the financial statements. Accounting estimates and assumptions are those that management considers to be most critical to the financial statements because they inherently involve significant judgment and uncertainties. All of these estimates and assumptions reflect management’s best judgment about current economic and market conditions and their effects on the information available as of the date of the consolidated financial statements. Accordingly, upon settlement, actual results may differ from estimated amounts. Comprehensive Income (Loss): Comprehensive Income (loss) includes changes in equity that are excluded from the consolidated statements of operations and are recorded directly into a separate section of consolidated statements of comprehensive income (loss). The Company’s accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income shown on the consolidated balance sheets consist of unrealized gains and losses on investment holdings, net of deferred tax expense or benefit. Cash and Cash Equivalents: For purposes of the statement of cash flows, the Company considers all highly liquid instruments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents.
Short-Term Investments and Marketable Securities: Short-term investments and marketable securities consist of certificates of deposits, corporate and government bonds, and equity securities. The Company has classified its investments as Available-for-Sale securities. Accordingly, such investments are reported at fair value, with the resultant unrealized gains and losses reported as a separate component of shareholders’ equity. Fair value for Available-for-Sale securities is determined by reference to quoted market prices or other relevant information. Accounts Receivable (see also Cooperative Advertising) Accounts receivable consist of trade receivables recorded at original invoice amount, less an estimated allowance for uncollectible amounts. The accounts receivable balance is further reduced by allowances for cooperative advertising and reserves for returns which are anticipated to be taken as credits against the balances as of November 30th. The allowances and reserves which are anticipated to be deducted from future invoices are included in accrued liabilities. Trade credit is generally extended on a short term basis; thus trade receivables do not bear interest, although a finance charge may be applied to receivables that are past due. Trade receivables are periodically evaluated for collectability based on past credit history with customers and their current financial condition. Changes in the estimated collectability of trade receivables are recorded in the results of operations for the period in which the estimate is revised. Trade receivables that are deemed uncollectible are offset against the allowance for uncollectible accounts. The Company generally does not require collateral for trade receivables. Inventories: Inventories are stated at the lower of cost (weighted average) or market. Product returns are recorded in inventory when they are received at the lower of their original cost or market, as appropriate. Obsolete inventory is written off and its value is removed from inventory at the time its obsolescence is determined. Property and Equipment and Depreciation and Amortization Property and equipment are stated at cost. The Company charges to expense repairs and maintenance items, while major improvements and betterments are capitalized.
When the Company sells or otherwise disposes of property and equipment, the cost and related accumulated depreciation are removed from the respective accounts and any gain or loss is included in earnings. Depreciation and amortization are provided on the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives or lease terms of the assets:
Intangible Assets: Intangible assets, which consist of patents and trademarks, are stated at cost. Patents are amortized on the straight-line method over a period of 17 years. Such intangible assets are reviewed for potential impairment on a quarterly basis. Long-Lived Assets: Long-lived assets are assets in which the Company has an economic benefit for longer than twelve months from the date of the financial statement. Long-lived assets include property and equipment, intangible assets and other assets. Marketable securities that have a maturity of more than twelve months and security deposits are included in other assets. The Company evaluates impairment losses on long-lived assets used in operations when events and circumstances indicate that the asset might be impaired. If the review indicates that the carrying value of an asset will not be recoverable, based on a comparison of the carrying value of the asset to the undiscounted future cash flows, the impairment will be measured by comparing the carrying value of the asset to its fair value. Fair value will be determined based on quoted market values, discounted cash flows or appraisals. Impairments are recorded in the statement of operations as part of selling, general and administrative expenses. Financial Instruments: The carrying value of assets and liabilities considered financial instruments due to their short-term nature approximate their respective fair value.
The Company recognizes sales in accordance with ASC Topic 605 “Revenue Recognition”. Revenue is recognized upon shipment of merchandise. Net sales comprise gross revenues less expected returns, trade discounts, customer allowances and various sales incentives. Included in sales incentives are coupons that the Company issues that are redeemed by its customers. Redemptions are handled by a coupon national clearing house. The Company also has estimated that there is an approximate six week lag in coupon redemptions, with the estimated cost recorded as an accrued liability. Although no legal right of return exists between the customer and the Company, returns are accepted if it is in the best interests of the Company’s relationship with the customer. The Company, therefore, records a reserve for returns based on the historical returns as a percentage of sales in the five preceding months, adjusting for returns that can be put back into inventory, and a specific reserve based on customer circumstances. Those returns which are anticipated to be taken as credits against the balances as of November 30th are offset against the accounts receivable. The reserves which are anticipated to be deducted from future invoices are included in accrued liabilities. Changes in the estimated coupon reserve and sales return reserve are recorded to Sales of Health and Beauty Aid Products, net in the Consolidated Statement of Operations. Cooperative Advertising Cooperative advertising is accrued based on a combination of new contracts given to the customers in the current fiscal year, along with what is left open from prior years. Specific new contracts in the current fiscal year are identified as sales incentives (see sales incentives) and those contracts reduce revenues for the current period. The open balances for all years open are reduced throughout the year by either the customer advertising and submitting the proof according to the contract or by customer post audit adjustments that finalize any amount due. Any item open more than four years is closed unless management believes that a deduction may still be taken by the customer. The balance of open cooperative advertising is then allocated between accrued liabilities and the allowance for cooperative advertising. Open cooperative advertising for the fiscal year ended November 30, 2012 that was accrued for in previous year was decreased by $640,000 as the result of completion of customer post audit adjustments. There were no adjustments for the fiscal year ended November 30, 2011. For the fiscal year ended November 30, 2010, the reserve for open cooperative advertising was increased by $192,690. Sales Incentives: (See Cooperative Advertising) In accordance with ASC Topic 605-10-S99, “Revenue Recognition”, the Company has accounted for certain sales incentives offered to customers by charging them directly to sales as opposed to advertising and promotional expense. These accounting adjustments under ASC Topic 605-10-S99 do not affect net income (loss). Shipping Costs: The Company’s policy for financial reporting is to charge shipping costs as part of selling, general and administrative expense as incurred. For the years ended November 30, 2012, 2011 and 2010, included in selling, general and administrative expenses are shipping costs amounting to $3,272,759, $2,912,474, and $2,706,883, respectively. Advertising Costs: The Company’s policy for financial reporting is to charge advertising costs to expense as incurred. Advertising, cooperative and promotional expense for the years ended November 30, 2012, 2011 and 2010 were $7,142,284, $5,436,565 and $7,493,282, respectively. Research and Development Costs: The Company’s policy for financial reporting is to charge research and development costs to expense as incurred. Research and development costs for the years ended November 30, 2012, 2011 and 2010 were $769,637, $714,565 and $619,147, respectively. Income Taxes: Income taxes are accounted for under ASC Topic 740, “Income Taxes”, which utilizes the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for future tax consequences attributable to the temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities as recorded on the Company’s financial statements and the carrying amounts as reflected on the Company’s income tax return. In addition, the portion of charitable contributions that cannot be deducted in the current period and are carried forward to future periods are also reflected in the deferred tax assets. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are valued using the tax rates expected to apply in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when, in the opinion of management, it is more likely than not that some portion, or all of the deferred tax asset will not be realized. The Company previously adopted the provisions of ASC Subtopic 740-10-25, “Uncertain Tax Positions”. Management believes that there were no unrecognized tax benefits, or tax positions that would result in uncertainty regarding the deductions taken, as of November 30, 2012 and November 30, 2011. ASC Subtopic 740-10-25 prescribes a recognition threshold and a measurement attribute for the financial
statement recognition and measurement of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, a tax position must be more-likely-than-not to be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities. Tax Credits: Tax credits, when present, are accounted for using the flow-through method as a reduction of income taxes in the years utilized. Earnings (Loss) Per Common Share: Basic earnings (loss) per share are calculated in accordance with ASC Topic 260, “Earnings Per Share”, which requires using the average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the year. Diluted earnings (loss) per share is computed on the basis of the average number of common shares outstanding plus the dilutive effect of any common stock equivalents using the “treasury stock method”. Common stock equivalents consist of stock options. Stock Options: In December 2004, the FASB issued ASC Topic 718, “Stock Compensation”. ASC Topic 718 requires stock grants to employees to be recognized in the consolidated statement of operations based on their fair values. The Company does not have any outstanding stock options. Reclassifications: Certain prior years amounts have been reclassified to conform with the current year’s presentation. |