REPOST: IBM stands behind cloud-computing account amid SEC probe

Many companies believe that cloud-computing is the future, and IBM is no exception. This AccountingToday.com article reports that the company is standing behind its cloud-computing accounting methods despite the SEC probe.

*****

(Bloomberg) International Business Machines Corp., facing a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation into how it reports revenue from offsite cloud services, said it stands by its accounting methods.

IBM is cooperating with the SEC in the probe, which it learned about in May, it said today in a filing. The company books its revenue from cloud services, such as storing customers’ data and software applications remotely, under generally accepted accounting principles, said Ed Barbini, a spokesman for Armonk, New York-based IBM.

“IBM’s reporting of cloud revenue is the result of a rigorous and disciplined process, and we are confident that the information we have provided has been consistently accurate,” Barbini said.

Chief Executive Officer Ginni Rometty has identified cloud computing as one of IBM’s chief sources of growth amid a slowdown in demand for hardware and for consulting services. The investigation at the company, known for consistently meeting analysts’ earnings estimates, underscores confusion about how cloud revenue should be booked, said Michael Cusumano, a management professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management.

“This is a murky area where the rules aren’t really established,” Cusumano said. “Companies treat cloud-computing revenue in different ways.”

About half of publicly traded software companies since 1990 have had to restate revenue because of misclassification of sales and product returns, or because they categorized ongoing payments for tech-support services as a sale of a product license, Cusumano said.

‘Disciplined Process’
While IBM doesn’t disclose its revenue from cloud services, it said the sales rose 70 percent in the first half of 2013 from a year earlier. In its filing today, the company didn’t provide details on what information the SEC was seeking.

“IBM has robust systems and controls to identify and validate what products and services count as cloud revenue,” Barbini said. “IBM accounts for cloud transactions exactly the same way as it would account for those transactions if they were not cloud—in accordance with GAAP.”

Florence Harmon, an SEC spokeswoman, declined to comment.

IBM has beat analysts’ earnings expectations in 32 of the past 33 quarters, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. On the other hand, it has missed sales estimates in seven of the past eight quarters.

More Probes?
The investigation may be the first in a series of probes into companies in the same industry as the SEC tries to clear up confusion and differences in standards, said Jack Ciesielski, owner of investment firm R.G. Associates Inc. in Baltimore and the publisher of the Analyst’s Accounting Observer.

The company has a goal of reaching $7 billion in cloud revenue by 2015, with about $3 billion from new business and the rest from current contracts shifting over to the cloud category.

IBM’s 70 percent growth rate for cloud-computing services in the first six months of 2013 was a slowdown from 80 percent last year. IBM has also said cloud revenue, which is spread across several divisions, tripled in 2011 from 2010.

IBM shares fell 1 percent to $195.04 at the close in New York. The stock has gained 1.8 percent this year.

The disclosure of the probe comes days after IBM won court approval for a $10 million settlement with the SEC for accusations of bribery in China and South Korea. IBM said earlier this year it’s the subject of a U.S. Justice Department bribery investigation related to contracts in Poland, Argentina, Bangladesh and Ukraine.

Autonomy Writedown
Hewlett-Packard Co., IBM’s archrival in the computer-services business, took an $8.8 billion charge last year to write down the value of Autonomy, a software company it acquired, amid allegations of accounting improprieties within the unit. Autonomy, whose products organize corporate customers’ data, had used aggressive tactics to inflate its results, a former executive told Bloomberg News last year.

Earlier this month, IBM acquired SoftLayer Technologies Inc., a cloud-computing storage provider. IBM paid almost $2 billion for Dallas-based SoftLayer, according to a person familiar with the deal.

Market researcher IDC estimates the cloud-computing market may more than double to $105 billion by 2016 from last year. SoftLayer specializes in public clouds—data-center networks that manage computing and software for businesses remotely. IBM is pairing those capabilities with private-cloud operations, building dedicated systems for individual customers.


More news and tidbits about accounting and taxation can be found by following this Isidor Hefter Twitter page.

Tax Planning Basics: 3 Ways to Reduce Taxes

Still new to tax planning? This article from Taxes.About.com provides three invaluable ways by which you can cut back on your taxes.

The goal of tax planning is to arrange your financial affairs so as to minimize your taxes. There are three basic ways to reduce your taxes, and each basic method might have several variations. You can reduce your income, increase your deductions, and take advantage of tax credits. 

Reducing Income

Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) is a key element in determining your taxes. Lots of other things depend on your AGI (or modifications to your AGI)-- such as your tax rate and various tax credits. AGI even impacts your financial life outside of taxes: banks, mortgage lenders, and college financial aid programs all routinely ask for your adjusted gross income. This is a key measure of your finances.

Because your adjusted gross income is so important, you may want to begin your tax planning here. What goes into your adjusted gross income? AGI is your income from all sources minus any adjustments to your income. The higher your total income, the higher your adjusted gross income. As you can guess, the more money you make, the more taxes you will pay. Conversely, the less money you make, the less taxes you will pay. The number one way to reduce taxes is to reduce your income. And the best way to reduce your income is to contribute money to a 401(k) or similar retirement plan at work. Your contribution reduces your wages, and lowers your tax bill.

You can also reduce your Adjusted Gross Income through various adjustments to income. Adjustments are deductions, but you don't have to itemize them on the Schedule A. Instead, you take them on page 1 of your 1040 and they reduce your Adjusted Gross Income. Adjustments include contributions to a traditional IRA, student loan interest paid, alimony paid, and classroom related expenses. A full list of adjustments are found on Form 1040, page 1, lines 23 through 34. The best way to boost your adjustments is to contribute to a traditional IRA.

As you can see, two of the best ways to reduce your taxes is to save for retirement, either through a 401(k) at work or through a traditional IRA plan. Contributions to these retirement plans will lower your taxable income, and lower your taxes.

Increase Your Tax Deductions

Taxable income is another key element in your overall tax situation. Taxable income is what's left over after you have reduced your AGI by your deductions and exemptions. Almost everyone can take a standard deduction, and some people are able to itemize their deductions. Itemized deductions include expenses for health care, state and local taxes, personal property taxes (such as car registration fees), mortgage interest, gifts to charity, job-related expenses, tax preparation fees, and investment-related expenses. One key tax planning strategy is to keep track of your itemized expenses throughout the year using a spreadsheet or personal finance program. You can then quickly compare your itemized expenses with your standard deduction. You should always take the higher of your standard deduction or your itemized deduction.

Your standard deduction and personal exemptions depends on your filing status and how many dependents you have. You can increase your standard deduction and personal exemptions by getting married or having more dependents.

The best strategies for reducing your taxable income is to itemize your deductions, and the three biggest deductions are mortgage interest, state taxes, and gifts to charity.

Take Advantage of Tax Credits

Once we've tweaked our taxable income, we are ready to focus our attention on various tax credits. Tax credits reduce your tax. There are tax credits for college expenses, for saving for retirement, and for adopting children. The best tax credits are for adoption and college expenses. Not everyone is in a position to adopt a child, but everyone could take some college classes. There are two education-related tax credits. The Hope Credit is for students in their first two years of college. The Lifetime Learning Credit is for anyone taking college classes. The classes do not have to be related to your career.

You may also want to avoid additional taxes. If at all possible, avoid early withdrawals from an IRA or 401(k) retirement plan. The amount you withdraw will become part of your taxable income, and on top of that there will be additional taxes to pay on the early withdrawal.

One of the best, and most abused, tax credit is the Earned Income Credit (EIC). Unlike other tax credits, the EIC is credited to your account as a payment. And that means the EIC often results in a tax refund even if the total tax has been reduced to zero. You may be eligible to claim the earned income credit if you earn less than a certain amount.

Increase Your Withholding

You can avoid owing at the end of the year by increasing your withholding. More money will be taken out of your paycheck throughout the year, but you will get bigger refund when you file your taxes.  

Source: http://taxes.about.com/od/taxplanning/a/taxplanning.htm