Verizon Communications (VZ)

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

On January 1, 2009 we adopted Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 160, Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Financial Statements – an amendment of ARB No. 51 (SFAS No. 160), which establishes accounting and reporting standards for the noncontrolling interest in a subsidiary and for the retained interest and gain or loss when a subsidiary is deconsolidated. As required by SFAS No. 160, we retrospectively changed the classification and presentation of noncontrolling interest in our financial statements for all prior periods, which we previously referred to as minority interest. SFAS No. 160 also resulted in a lower effective income tax rate for the Company due to the inclusion of income attributable to noncontrolling interest in income before the provision for income taxes. However, the income tax provision was not adjusted as a result of adopting SFAS No. 160.

SFAS No. 141(R), Business Combinations, (SFAS No. 141(R)), replaced SFAS No. 141, Business Combinations. Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Staff Position (FSP) FAS No. 141 (R)-1, Accounting for Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed in a Business Combination That Arise from Contingencies, (FSP 141 (R)-1), was adopted concurrently. SFAS No. 141(R) requires the use of the acquisition method of accounting, defines the acquirer, establishes the acquisition date and broadens the scope to all transactions and other events in which one entity obtains control over one or more other businesses. FSP 141 (R)-1 amends the accounting and disclosure requirements for assets and liabilities in a business combination that arise from contingencies. Upon our adoption of SFAS No. 141(R) on January 1, 2009 we were required to expense certain transaction costs and related fees associated with business combinations that were previously capitalized. In addition, with the adoption of SFAS No. 141(R), changes to valuation allowances for deferred income tax assets and adjustments to unrecognized tax benefits generally are to be recognized as adjustments to income tax expense rather than goodwill. The adoption of SFAS No. 141(R) and FSP 141 (R)-1 did not result in a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements.

SFAS No. 161, Disclosures about Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities – an amendment of FASB Statement No. 133, (SFAS No. 161), requires additional disclosures for derivative instruments and hedging activities that include how and why an entity uses derivatives, how these instruments and the related hedged items are accounted for under SFAS No. 133, Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities (SFAS No. 133), and related interpretations, and how derivative instruments and related hedged items affect the entity’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows. We adopted SFAS No. 161 on January 1, 2009 which did not result in a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements (see Note 4).

FSP FAS No. 142-3, Determination of the Useful Life of Intangible Assets (FSP 142-3), removes the requirement under SFAS No. 142, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, to consider whether an intangible asset can be renewed without substantial cost or material modifications to the existing terms and conditions, and replaces it with a requirement that an entity consider its own historical experience in renewing similar arrangements, or a consideration of market participant assumptions in the absence of historical experience. FSP 142-3 also requires entities to disclose information that enables users of financial statements to assess the extent to which the expected future cash flows associated with the asset are affected by the entity’s intent and/or ability to renew or extend the arrangement. We adopted FSP 142-3 on January 1, 2009 which did not result in a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements (see Notes 2 and 3).