Get Started for Free Contexxia identifies hard-to-find pieces of information in SEC filings. No more highlighters, no more redlining, no more poring over huge documents. NIKE INC (320187) 10-K published on Jul 23, 2019 at 4:13 pm
Reporting Period: May 30, 2019
Portions of our operations are subject to a reduced tax rate or are free of tax under various tax holidays and rulings. We also utilize tax rulings and other agreements to obtain certainty in treatment of certain tax matters. These holidays and rulings expire in whole or in part from time to time and may be extended when certain conditions are met, or terminated if certain conditions are not met. The impact of any changes in conditions would be the loss of certainty in treatment thus potentially impacting our effective income tax rate. For example, in January 2019, the European Commission opened a formal investigation to examine whether the Netherlands has breached State Aid rules when granting certain tax rulings to the Company. If this matter is adversely resolved, the Netherlands may be required to assess additional amounts with respect to current and prior periods and the Company's Netherlands income taxes in the future could increase.
Income before income taxes increased 11% for fiscal 2019, as revenue growth and gross margin expansion were partially offset by higher selling and administrative expense. NIKE, Inc. gross margin increased 90 basis points primarily due to higher full-price average selling price (ASP), on a wholesale equivalent basis, favorable changes in foreign currency exchange rates and growth in NIKE Direct. These benefits were partially offset by higher product costs. Selling and administrative expense was higher as a percent of revenues, reflecting investments in data and analytics capabilities, digital commerce platforms and an initial investment in a new enterprise resource planning tool to accelerate our end-to-end digital transformation. Additionally, we prioritized investments in global brand campaigns aimed at deepening our connection with consumers.
As part of our revenue recognition policy, consideration promised in our contracts with customers is variable due to anticipated reductions such as sales returns, discounts and miscellaneous claims from customers. We estimate the most likely amount we will be entitled to receive and record an anticipated reduction against Revenues, with an offsetting increase to Accrued liabilities at the time revenues are recognized. The estimated cost of inventory for product returns is recorded in Prepaid expenses and other current assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Prior to June 1, 2018, the Company's reserve balances were reported net of the estimated cost of inventory for product returns and recognized within Accounts receivable, net for wholesale transactions and Accrued liabilities for our direct to consumer business, on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment, which simplified the accounting for goodwill impairment by eliminating the requirement to calculate the implied fair value of goodwill in measuring an impairment charge, previously Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test. Under the new standard, an impairment charge is recorded based on the excess of a reporting unit's carrying amount over its fair value, previously Step 1 of the goodwill impairment test. The guidance still allows companies to perform the optional qualitative assessment before determining whether to proceed to Step 1. The Company adopted the ASU in the first quarter of fiscal 2019 and the adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on the Consolidated Financial Statements.
The Tax Act was signed into law on December 22, 2017 and significantly changed previous U.S. tax laws, including a reduction in the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% and a one-time transition tax on deemed repatriation of undistributed foreign earnings. For fiscal 2018, the change in the corporate tax rate resulted in a blended U.S. federal statutory rate for the Company of approximately 29%. Certain provisions of the Tax Act, including a provision to tax global intangible low-taxed income (GILTI) of foreign subsidiaries, were not effective for the Company until fiscal 2019. In accordance with U.S. GAAP, the Company has made an accounting policy election to treat taxes due under the GILTI provision as a current period expense. Implementation of the Tax Act required the Company to record incremental provisional tax expense in fiscal 2018, which increased its effective tax rate in fiscal 2018. The Company completed its analysis of the Tax Act in the second quarter of fiscal 2019 and no adjustments were made to the provisional amounts recorded. As of May 31, 2019 and 2018, long-term income taxes payable were $902 million and $993 million, respectively, and were included within Deferred income taxes and other liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.