9.6 Nonemployee Awards Exchanged in a Business Combination

ASC 805-30

55-9A The portion of a nonemployee replacement award attributable to precombination vesting is based on the fair-value-based measure of the acquiree award multiplied by the percentage that would have been recognized had the grantor paid cash for the goods or services instead of paying with a nonemployee award. For this calculation, the percentage that would have been recognized is the lower of:

The percentage that would have been recognized calculated on the basis of the original vesting requirements of the nonemployee award
The percentage that would have been recognized calculated on the basis of the effective vesting requirements. Effective vesting requirements are equal to the services or goods provided before the acquisition date plus any additional postcombination services or goods required by the replacement award.

55-10 The portion of a nonvested replacement award (for employee and nonemployee) attributable to postcombination vesting, and therefore recognized as compensation cost in the postcombination financial statements, equals the total fair-value-based measure of the replacement award less the amount attributed to precombination vesting. Therefore, the acquirer attributes any excess of the fair-value-based measure of the replacement award over the fair value of the acquiree award to postcombination vesting and recognizes that excess as compensation cost in the postcombination financial statements.

55-11 Regardless of the accounting policy elected in accordance with paragraph 718-10-35-1D or 718-10-35-3, the portion of a nonvested replacement award included in consideration transferred shall reflect the acquirer’s estimate of the number of replacement awards for which the service is expected to be rendered or the goods are expected to be delivered (that is, an acquirer that has elected an accounting policy to recognize forfeitures as they occur in accordance with paragraph 718-10-35-1D or 718-10-35-3 should estimate the number of replacement awards for which the service is expected to be rendered or the goods are expected to be delivered when determining the portion of a nonvested replacement award included in consideration transferred). For example, if the fair-value-based measure of the portion of a replacement award attributed to precombination vesting is $100 and the acquirer expects that the service will be rendered for only 95 percent of the instruments awarded, the amount included in consideration transferred in the business combination is $95. Changes in the number of replacement awards for which the service is expected to be rendered or the goods are expected to be delivered are reflected in compensation cost for the periods in which the changes or forfeitures occur — not as adjustments to the consideration transferred in the business combination. If an acquirer’s accounting policy is to account for forfeitures as they occur, the amount excluded from consideration transferred (because the service is not expected to be rendered or the goods are not expected to be delivered) should be attributed to the postcombination vesting and recognized in compensation cost over the employee’s requisite service period or the nonemployee’s vesting period. Recognition of compensation cost for nonemployees should consider the recognition guidance provided in paragraph 718-10-25-2C. That is, recognition of the fair value of the nonemployee share-based payment award should be recognized in the same manner as if the grantor had paid cash for the goods or services instead of paying with or using the share-based payment awards.

When nonemployee awards are exchanged in a business combination, it is important for an entity to determine what portion of the replacement awards is attributed to “precombination vesting” (and therefore included in the consideration transferred) and what portion is attributed to “postcombination vesting” (and therefore recognized in the postcombination period). Unlike the computation of ratably recognized employee awards, the computation of the portion of the replacement awards attributed to the consideration transferred and the portion attributed to the postcombination period is based on the percentage of the cost of the awards that would have been recognized in each period if the grantor had paid cash. Below are examples from ASC 805 illustrating how an acquirer that has provided replacement awards to nonemployees of an acquiree would attribute such replacement awards to precombination vesting and postcombination vesting.

ASC 805-30

Example 3: Acquirer Replacement of Nonemployee Awards

55-25 The following Cases illustrate the guidance referred to in paragraph 805-30-55-6 for replacement awards that the acquirer was obligated to issue and the attribution guidance for a nonemployee replacement award to precombination and postcombination vesting referenced in paragraph 805-30-55-9A.

55-26 In these Cases, the acquiring entity is referred to as Acquirer and the acquiree is referred to as Target:

Awards that require no postcombination vesting that are exchanged for acquiree awards for which grantees:
1. Have met the vesting condition as of the acquisition date (Case A)
2. Have not met the vesting condition as of the acquisition date (Case D).
Awards that require postcombination vesting that are exchanged for acquiree awards for which grantees:
1. Have met the vesting condition as of the acquisition date (Case B)
2. Have not met the vesting condition as of the acquisition date (Case C).

55-27 The Cases assume the following:

All awards are classified as equity.
The only vesting condition included in the awards, if any, involves the delivery of engines.
Target and Acquirer typically pay cash as each engine is delivered to their suppliers.

Case A: No Required Postcombination Vesting and the Vesting Condition for Acquiree Awards Has Been Met as of Acquisition Date

55-28 Acquirer issues replacement awards of $110 (fair-value-based measure) at the acquisition date for Target awards of $100 (fair-value-based measure) at the acquisition date. No postcombination vesting is required for the replacement awards, and Target’s grantee has delivered all the engines necessary for the acquiree awards as of the acquisition date.

55-29 The amount attributable to precombination vesting is the fair-value-based measure of Target’s awards ($100) at the acquisition date; that amount is included in the consideration transferred in the business combination. The amount attributable to postcombination vesting is $10, which is the difference between the total value of the replacement awards ($110) and the portion attributable to precombination vesting ($100). Because no postcombination vesting is required for the replacement awards, Acquirer immediately recognizes $10 as compensation cost in its postcombination financial statements.

Case B: Postcombination Vesting Required and the Vesting Condition for Acquiree Awards Has Been Met as of Acquisition Date

55-30 Acquirer exchanges replacement awards that require the delivery of another 10 engines postcombination for share-based payment awards of Target for which the grantee had met the necessary vesting condition to deliver 40 engines before the business combination. The fair-value-based measure of both awards is $100 at the acquisition date. Even though the grantee already had met the vesting condition for the acquiree’s award, Acquirer attributes a portion of the replacement award to postcombination compensation cost in accordance with paragraphs 805-30-30-12 through 30-13 because the replacement awards require the delivery of an additional 10 engines.

55-31 The portion attributable to precombination vesting equals the fair-value-based measure of the acquiree award ($100) multiplied by the percentage that would have been recognized for the award. The percentage that would have been recognized is the lower of the calculation on the basis of the original vesting requirements and the percentage that would have been recognized on the basis of the effective vesting requirements as described in paragraph 805-30-55-9A. The percentage that would have been recognized on the basis of the original vesting requirements equals 100 percent, which is calculated as 40 engines delivered divided by 40 engines required to be delivered. The percentage that would have been recognized on the basis of the effective vesting requirements equals 80 percent, which is calculated as 40 engines delivered divided by 50 engines (the sum of 40 engines delivered plus 10 engines required postcombination). Thus, $80 ($100 × 80%) is attributed to the precombination vesting period and therefore is included in the consideration transferred in the business combination. The remaining $20 is attributed to the postcombination vesting period and therefore is recognized as compensation cost in Acquirer’s postcombination financial statements in accordance with Topic 718.

Case C: Postcombination Vesting Required and the Vesting Condition for Acquiree Awards Has Not Been Met as of Acquisition Date

55-32 Acquirer exchanges replacement awards that require the delivery of 10 engines postcombination for share-based payment awards of Target for which the grantee had not met the necessary vesting condition to deliver 40 engines before the business combination. The fair-value-based measure of both awards is $100 at the acquisition date. As of the acquisition date, Target grantee has delivered 20 engines, and Target grantee would have been required to deliver an additional 20 engines after the acquisition date for its awards to vest. Accordingly, only a portion of Target’s awards is attributable to precombination vesting.

55-33 The portion attributable to precombination vesting equals the fair-value-based measure of the acquiree award ($100) multiplied by the percentage that would have been recognized on the award. The percentage that would have been recognized is the lower of the percentage that would have been recognized on the basis of the original vesting requirements and the percentage that would have been recognized on the basis of the effective vesting requirements as described in paragraph 805-30-55-9A. The percentage that would have been recognized on the basis of the original vesting requirements equals 50 percent, which is calculated as 20 engines delivered divided by 40 engines required to be delivered. The percentage that would have been recognized on the basis of the effective vesting requirements equals 66.67 percent, which is calculated as 20 engines delivered divided by 30 engines (the sum of 20 engines delivered plus 10 engines required postcombination). Thus, $50 ($100 × 50%) is attributed to precombination vesting and therefore is included in the consideration transferred in the business combination. The remaining $50 is attributed to the postcombination vesting and therefore is recognized as compensation cost in Acquirer’s postcombination financial statements in accordance with Topic 718.

Case D: No Postcombination Vesting Required and the Vesting Condition for Acquiree Awards Has Not Been Met as of Acquisition Date

55-34 Assume the same facts as in Case C, except that Acquirer exchanges replacement awards that require no postcombination vesting for share-based payment awards of Target for which the grantee had not met the necessary vesting condition to deliver 40 engines before the business combination. The terms of the replaced Target awards did not eliminate the vesting condition upon a change in control. (If the Target awards had included a provision that eliminated the vesting condition upon a change in control, the guidance in Case A [see paragraph 805-30-55-28] would apply.) The fair-value-based measure of both awards is $100.

55-35 The portion attributable to precombination vesting equals the fair-value-based measure of the acquiree award ($100) multiplied by the percentage that would have been recognized on the award. The percentage that would have been recognized is the lower of the percentage that would have been recognized on the basis of the original vesting requirements and the percentage that would have been recognized on the basis of the effective vesting requirements as described in paragraph 805-30-55-9A. The percentage that would have been recognized on the basis of the original vesting requirements equals 50 percent, which is calculated as 20 engines delivered divided by 40 engines required to be delivered. The percentage that would have been recognized on the basis of the effective vesting requirements equals 100 percent, which is calculated as 20 engines delivered divided by 20 engines (the sum of 20 engines delivered plus zero engines required postcombination). Thus, $50 ($100 × 50%) is attributed to the precombination vesting and is therefore included in the consideration transferred in the business combination. The remaining $50 is attributed to the postcombination vesting. Because no postcombination vesting is required to vest in the replacement award, Acquirer recognizes the entire $50 immediately as compensation cost in the postcombination financial statements.

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This publication provides comprehensive guidance; however, it does not address all possible fact patterns, and the guidance is subject to change. Consult a Deloitte & Touche LLP professional regarding your specific issues and questions.