ASURE SOFTWARE INC (ASUR) FY 2023 MD&A
This page reproduces the company's own Item 7 MD&A text from the linked SEC filing. It is filer text, not grepcent analysis, scoring, or investment advice.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Certain statements in this Report represent forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include but are not limited to statements regarding our strategy, future operations, financial condition, results of operations, projected costs, and plans and objectives of management. Actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements due to, among others, the risks and uncertainties described in this Report and in our other SEC filings.
We have attempted to identify these forward-looking statements with the words “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “projects,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “should,” “plan,” and similar expressions. Examples of “forward-looking statements” include statements we make regarding our operating performance, future results of operations and financial position, revenue growth, earnings or other projections. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, short-term and long-term business operations and objectives, and financial needs. The achievement or success of the matters covered by such forward-looking statements involves risks, uncertainties and assumptions, over many of which we have no control. If any such risks or uncertainties materialize or if any of the assumptions prove incorrect, our results could differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements we make. Additionally, we are under no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K or to conform such statements to actual results.
OVERVIEW
We are a provider of cloud-based Human Capital Management (“HCM”) software solutions delivered as Software-as-a-Service (“SaaS”) for small and medium-sized businesses (“SMBs”). We offer human resources (“HR”) tools necessary to build a thriving workforce, provide the resources to stay compliant with dynamic federal, state, and local tax jurisdictions and their respective labor laws, freeing cash flows so SMBs can spend their financial capital on growing their businesses rather than administrative overhead that can impede growth. Our solutions also provide new ways for employers to connect with and to differentiate themselves with their employees in order to enhance their relationships with their talent. Asure’s HCM suite (“Asure HCM”) includes Payroll & Tax solutions, HR compliance and services, Time & Attendance software and data integrations that enable employers and their employees to enhance efficiencies and take advantage of value-added solutions, which we refer to as AsureMarketplace™. AsureMarketplace™ automates interactions between our HCM systems with third-party providers to enhance efficiency, improve accuracy and to extend the range of services offered to employers and their employees. Our approach to HR compliance services incorporates artificial intelligence technology to enhance scalability and efficiency while prioritizing client interactions. We offer our services directly and indirectly through our network of Reseller Partners.
We strive to be the most trusted HCM resource to SMBs and are focused on less densely populated U.S. metropolitan cities where fewer of our competitors have a presence. We sell our solutions through both direct and partner channels. We supplement our direct sales efforts with partner programs that afford us access to opportunities in various geographic and industry niches. Asure has two types of partners: Reseller Partners that white label our products while providing value-added services to their clients (our indirect clients) and Referral Partners that provide us with SMB leads but do not resell our solutions.
As of December 31, 2023, Asure had more than 100,000 clients, with approximately 15% direct and the remaining clients indirect who have contracts with Reseller Partners.
We plan to continue to enhance our products and technologies by leveraging the latest technology stack, Robotic Process Automation (“RPA”), artificial intelligence (“AI”), and development partnerships. We expect that our expanded investment in product, engineering, SaaS hosting, mobile and hardware technologies will lay the groundwork for broader market opportunities and represent a key aspect of our competitive differentiation. We also plan to expand our technological resources through organic improvements and acquired intellectual property. We expect to continue to expand the breadth of integration between our solutions, allowing direct clients and resellers the ability to easily add and implement components across our entire solution set. Our initiatives include providing our customers with more accurate and efficient automation powered by an informed knowledge base. Consistent with that effort, our engineering team utilizes an AI development Copilot to increase their productivity and efficiency. Our operations team utilizes a digital assistant to allow for a more efficient and accurate way to automate repetitive tasks, which we believe will free up our time for more strategic work and reducing the risk of errors. We are committed to providing the best-in-class solutions.
27
Table of Contents
Our development efforts for future releases and enhancements are driven by feedback received from our existing and potential customers and by gauging market trends. We believe we have the appropriate development team to design and enhance our solution suite and integrated platform. We have also made significant investments outside of core R&D into compliance and certifications, including SOC I Type 2 and SOC II Type 2 certifications, BIPA, CCPA, and other initiatives.
Asure has several forms of revenue that result from our business model:
Software-as-a-service revenue is generated when clients utilize our product suite for their recurring human resource needs—primarily payroll, tax, HR compliance, time and attendance, and AsureMarketplace™. This also contains revenue generated from quarterly and annual reporting requirements to local, state and federal regulatory agencies. Examples include Form W-2 and reporting mandated by the Affordable Care Act (the “ACA”).
Hardware-as-a-service revenue is generated when clients choose not to purchase our hardware, but rather rent the devices. This hardware includes a variety of clocks used to track time and attendance. Hardware revenue is generated when our clients buy our devices outright.
Maintenance and support revenue is generated from servicing our hardware on our clients’ behalf and providing training on how to operate both our hardware and software products.
Professional services revenue is generated from our clients’ needs that would normally be fulfilled by an internal payroll system or human resources department.
Our tax management solutions revenue is derived from providing clients with innovative payroll tax processing software and service solutions.
Interest from client funds is generated when we gain possession of funds intended to be disbursed based on the clients’ needs. We invest the monies in short and long-term securities that may be held to maturity before disbursement.
2023 Highlights
•Consolidated revenue of $119,082 for 2023, representing a 24% increase over revenue in 2022.
•Recurring revenue of $99,734 for 2023, representing a 16% increase over recurring revenue in 2022.
•Net loss of $9,214 for 2023, an improvement of $5,252 from prior year loss of $14,466.
•Gross profit of $85,537 for 2023 versus $62,510 in 2022.
OPERATING SEGMENT
We operate as one operating segment. Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise for which the chief operating decision maker, who in our case is the Chief Executive Officer, in deciding how to allocate resources and assess performance, evaluates separate financial information regularly. Over the last eight years, we have completed a number of acquisitions. These acquisitions have allowed us to expand our offerings, presence and reach in various market segments of the human capital management market. Our business operates in one operating segment because our chief operating decision maker evaluates our financial information and resources and assesses the performance of these resources on a consolidated basis. Because we operate as one operating segment, all required financial segment information can be found in the Consolidated Financial Statements.
28
Table of Contents
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (in thousands)
The following table sets forth, for the fiscal periods indicated, the percentage of total revenues represented by certain items in our Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | ||||
| Revenues | 100 | % | 100 | % | |
| Gross profit | 72 | % | 65 | % | |
| Sales and marketing | 24 | % | 21 | % | |
| General and administrative | 33 | % | 35 | % | |
| Research and development | 6 | % | 6 | % | |
| Amortization of intangible assets | 11 | % | 14 | % | |
| Total operating expenses | 74 | % | 77 | % | |
| Interest expense, net | (4) | % | (5) | % | |
| Loss on extinguishment of debt | (1) | % | — | % | |
| Other (expense) income, net | — | % | 1 | % | |
| Loss from operations before income taxes | (8) | % | (15) | % | |
| Net loss | (8) | % | (15) | % |
Revenue
Revenues are comprised of recurring revenues, professional services, hardware, and other revenues. We expect our revenues to increase as we introduce new applications, expand our client base and renew and expand relationships with existing clients. As a percentage of total revenues, we expect our mix of recurring revenues, and professional services, hardware and other revenues to remain relatively constant. While revenue mix varies by product, recurring revenue represented over 84% of total revenue in the year ended 2023, compared to 90% in 2022.
Our revenue was derived from the following sources (in thousands):
| Year Ended December 31, | Variance | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | $ | % | |||||||||||
| Recurring | $ | 99,734 | $ | 86,222 | $ | 13,512 | 16 | % | ||||||
| Professional services, hardware and other | 19,348 | 9,606 | 9,742 | 101 | % | |||||||||
| Total | $ | 119,082 | $ | 95,828 | $ | 23,254 | 24 | % |
Recurring Revenues
Recurring revenues include fees for our payroll, payroll tax, tax management, time and labor management, HR compliance services, AsureMarketplace™ and other Asure solutions as well as fees charged for form filings and delivery of client payroll checks and reports. These revenues are derived from fixed amounts charged per billing period and sometimes an additional fee per employee or transaction processed. We do not require clients to enter into long-term contractual commitments for our services. Our billing period varies by client based on when each client pays its employees, which may be weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly or monthly. We also generate recurring revenues from our Reseller Partners that license our solutions. Because recurring revenues are based, in part, on fees for use of our applications and the delivery of checks and reports that are levied on a per-employee basis, our recurring revenues increase as our clients hire more employees. Recurring revenues are recognized in the period services are rendered.
Recurring revenues include revenues relating to the annual processing of payroll forms, such as Form W-2 and Form 1099, and revenues from processing unscheduled payroll runs (such as bonuses) for our clients. Because payroll forms are typically processed in the first quarter of the year and many of our clients are subject to form filing requirements mandated by the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”), first quarter revenues and margins are generally higher than in subsequent quarters. We anticipate our revenues will continue to exhibit this seasonal pattern related to ACA form filings for so long as the ACA (or replacement legislation) includes employer reporting requirements. In addition, we often experience increased revenues during the fourth quarter due to unscheduled payroll runs for our clients that occur before the end of the year. We expect the seasonality of our revenue cycle to decrease to the extent clients utilize more of our non-payroll applications.
29
Table of Contents
This revenue line also includes interest earned on funds held for clients as well as revenues generated via fixed fee arrangements for provisioning and filing for Employee Retention Tax Credit (“ERTC”) credits. Interest earned is generated from funds we collect from clients in advance of either the applicable due date for payroll tax submissions or the applicable disbursement date for employee payment services. These collections from clients are typically disbursed from one to 30 days after receipt, with some funds being held for up to 120 days. We typically invest funds held for clients in money market funds, demand deposit accounts, commercial paper, fixed income securities and certificates of deposit until they are paid to the applicable tax or regulatory agencies or to client employees. The amount of interest we earn from the investment of client funds is also impacted by changes in interest rates. Asure also generates revenues from provisioning and filing for ERTC. Revenue generated for such activity is based on multi-year contracts with volume commitments and is recorded as recurring revenues. Refer to “Risk Factors” in Part I, 1A. for more information about risks related to our ERTC business.
Recurring revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $99,734, an increase of $13,512, or 16%, from $86,222 for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase is primarily due to an increase of approximately $7,200 in HR compliance revenue, an increase of $6,500 in interest earned on funds held for clients, and an increase of $3,300 in revenue from AsureMarketplace™, offset by a decrease of $2,300 in ERTC revenue.
Professional Services, Hardware and Other Revenues
Professional Services, Hardware and Other Revenues represents implementation fees, one-time consulting projects, on-premise maintenance, hardware devices to enhance our software products as well as ERTC revenues that are transactional in nature.
Professional services, hardware and other revenue increased $9,742, or 101%, for the year ended December 31, 2023 from the similar period in 2022, primarily due to growth in non-recurring ERTC revenues. ERTC revenues were originally expected to expire during 2024 and 2025; however, it is possible that the government could make changes to or revoke the program prior to its scheduled expiration. For example, in January 2024, the United States House of Representatives passed the Tax Relief for American Families Act of 2024, which sets an expiration date of January 31, 2024, on additional claims for ERTC that can potentially apply retroactively. If approved by other branches of the government, this will have an effect on our ERTC revenues and cash collections. Additionally, in September 2023, the IRS announced a moratorium through the end of the year on processing new ERTC claims due to concerns over questionable or fraudulent claims. The moratorium may potentially delay the processing and collections of previously filed ERTC claims. Refer to “Risk Factors” in Part I, 1A. for more information about risks related to our ERTC business.
Although our total customer base is widely spread across industries, our sales are concentrated in small and medium-sized businesses (“SMBs”). We continue to target SMBs across industries as prospective customers. Geographically, we sell our products primarily in the United States.
In addition to continuing to develop our workforce solutions and release of new software updates and enhancements, we continue to actively explore other opportunities to acquire additional products or technologies to complement our current software and services.
Gross Profit and Gross Margin
Consolidated gross profit for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $85,537, an increase of $23,027, or 37%, from $62,510 for the year ended December 31, 2022. Gross margin as a percentage of revenue was 72% for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to 65% for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase is primarily attributable to the increase in revenue in higher margin revenue streams and more efficient operations driven by consolidation and standardization efforts across the Company.
Our cost of sales relates primarily to direct product costs, compensation for operations and related consulting expenses, hardware expenses, facilities and related expenses and the amortization of our purchased software development costs. We include intangible amortization related to developed and acquired technology within cost of sales.
Sales and Marketing Expenses
Sales and marketing expenses primarily consist of salaries and related expenses for sales and marketing staff, including stock-based expenses, commissions, as well as marketing programs, which include events, corporate communications and product marketing activities.
30
Table of Contents
Sales and marketing expenses for the year ended December 31, 2023 were $28,734, an increase of $8,474, or 42%, from $20,260 for the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily due to an increase in direct sales personnel, higher sales commissions owing to increased revenues, and an increase in marketing initiatives. Sales and marketing expenses as a percentage of revenue increased to 24% for the year ended December 31, 2023 from 21% for the same period in 2022.
We expect to continue to expand and increase selling costs as we focus on hiring direct sales personnel, expanding recognition of our brand, and lead generation.
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses primarily consist of salaries and related expenses, including stock-based expenses for finance and accounting, legal, internal audit, human resources and management information systems personnel, legal costs, professional fees, and other corporate expenses such as transaction costs for acquisitions.
General and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2023 were $39,333, an increase of $5,409, or 16%, from $33,924 for the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily attributable to increased personnel, share-based compensation, and contracting costs. General and administrative expenses as a percentage of revenue decreased to 33% for the year ended December 31, 2023 from 35% for the same period in 2022.
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development (“R&D”) expenses consist primarily of salaries and related expenses, including stock-based expenses for employees supporting our R&D activities.
R&D expenses for the year ended December 31, 2023 were $6,846, an increase of $699, or 11%, from $6,147 for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in R&D expense is primarily attributable to an increase in personnel costs, partially offset by an increase in capitalized software expenses driven by continued investments in development of our products. R&D expenses as a percentage of revenues remained flat at 6% for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.
Amortization of Intangible Assets
Amortization expense in operating expenses for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $13,623, an increase of $137, or 1%, from $13,486 for the year ended December 31, 2022. Amortization expense as a percentage of revenue was 11% for the year ended December 31, 2023 from 14% for the same period in 2022.
Interest Expense, Net
Interest expense, net for the year ended December 31, 2023 was an expense of $4,297 compared to an expense of $4,438 for the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease in interest expense, net relative to the prior year is primarily attributable to our payoff of the outstanding debt under the credit facility with Structural Capital Investments II LP in 2023. Interest expense, net as a percentage of revenue was an expense of 4% and 5% for the years ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively. Interest expenses for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 are composed primarily of interest expense on notes payable.
Loss on Extinguishment of Debt
Loss on extinguishment of debt for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $1,517 compared to no loss for the year ended December 31, 2022. Loss on extinguishment of debt as a percentage of revenue was 1% for the year ended December 31, 2023. For the year ended December 31, 2023, the amount in loss on extinguishment of debt consisted of loss recognized as a result of the termination of our credit facility with Structural Capital.
31
Table of Contents
Other (Expense) Income, Net
Other (expense) income, net for the year ended December 31, 2023 was an expense of $292 compared to income of $1,391 for the year ended December 31, 2022. Other (expense) income, net as a percentage of revenue was negligible for the year ended December 31, 2023, and 1% for the year ended December 31, 2022. For the year ended December 31, 2023, the amounts in other (expense) income, net primarily consisted of losses on disposal of assets. For the year ended December 31, 2022, the amounts in other (expense) income, net primarily consisted of a fair value adjustment on contingent purchase consideration in connection with the acquisition of a payroll business in September 2021.
Income Taxes
For the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, we recorded an income tax expense attributable to continuing operations of $109 and $112, respectively, a decrease of $3 or 3%.
Loss From Operations
We incurred a loss from operations of $9,214, or $(0.42) per share, during the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to a loss from operations of $14,466, or $(0.72) per share, during the year ended December 31, 2022. Loss from operations as a percentage of total revenues was 8% and 15% for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES (in thousands)
| December 31, 2023 | December 31, 2022 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash and cash equivalents(1) | $ | 30,317 | $ | 17,010 |
(1)This balance excludes cash equivalents in funds held for clients
Working Capital. We had working capital of $25,880 at December 31, 2023, an increase of $17,787 from working capital of $8,093 at December 31, 2022. Working capital as of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022 includes $6,853 and $8,461 of short-term deferred revenue, respectively. Deferred revenue is an obligation to perform future services. We expect that deferred revenue will convert to future revenue as we perform our services, but this does not represent future payments. Deferred revenue can vary based on seasonality, expiration of initial multi-year contracts and deals that are billed after implementation rather than in advance of service delivery.
Operating Activities. Net cash provided by operating activities of $18,900 for the year ended December 31, 2023 was driven by non-cash adjustments to our net loss of approximately $29,530, primarily due to depreciation and amortization. Net cash provided by operating activities of $13,674 for the year ended December 31, 2022 was driven by non-cash adjustments to our net loss of approximately $22,875, primarily due to depreciation and amortization, offset by our net loss of $14,466. For the year ended December 31, 2022, changes in operating assets and liabilities resulted in cash provided of $5,265.
Investing Activities. Net cash used in investing activities of $29,525 for the year ended December 31, 2023 is primarily due to purchases of available-for-sale securities of $27,647, partially offset by proceeds from sales and maturities of available-for-sale securities of $14,385. Net cash used in investing activities of $35,999 for the year ended December 31, 2022 is primarily due to the purchase of available-for-sale securities of $37,232.
Financing Activities. Net cash provided by financing activities was $24,205 for the year ended December 31, 2023, which primarily consisted of net proceeds from the issuance of common stock of $46,800, a net increase in client fund obligations of $13,931, offset by payments of notes payable of $35,627. Net cash used in financing activities was $12,376 for the year ended December 31, 2022, which primarily consisted of a net decrease in client fund obligations of $11,055.
On August 16, 2023, we entered into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated and Craig-Hallum Capital Group LLC, as representatives of the several underwriters named therein (collectively, the “Underwriters”), relating to a firm commitment offering of 3,333 newly issued shares of our common stock at a public offering price of $12.00 per share (the “2023 Offering”). On August 21, 2023, we completed the 2023 Offering, and realized net proceeds of $37,395, after deducting underwriting discounts and offering expenses of $2,605. Additionally, on August 30, 2023, the Underwriters exercised their option to purchase an additional 500 shares of our common stock, and we realized net proceeds of $5,507, after deducting underwriting discounts and offering expenses of $493.
32
Table of Contents
On September 12, 2023, we terminated the Loan and Security Agreement (the “Loan Agreement”) dated September 10, 2021, with Structural, and Ocean II PLO LLC, as administrative and collateral agent for the Lenders (“Agent”), and repaid the secured promissory note (the “Note”) with Agent evidencing our obligations under the Loan Agreement. In connection with the termination, we paid an aggregate amount of $30,927 (the “Payoff Amount”) in full payment of the outstanding obligations under the Loan Agreement and Note. The Payoff Amount represented $30,617 of outstanding principal and interest on the unpaid principal balance, a prepayment fee in the amount of $306 and an immaterial amount of fees and other expenses due to Agent.
We have an outstanding promissory note in connection with a payroll business acquired in September 2021 in the amount of $4,200 as of December 31, 2023. The outstanding promissory note matures on September 30, 2026.
We also have an outstanding promissory note in connection with a payroll business acquired in October 2023 in the amount of $1,500 as of December 31, 2023. The outstanding promissory note matures on October 1, 2025.
Sources of Liquidity. As of December 31, 2023, our principal sources of liquidity consisted of approximately $30,317 of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, and cash generated from operations of our business over twelve months.
We cannot assure that we can grow our cash balances or limit our cash consumption and thus maintain sufficient cash balances for our planned operations or future acquisitions. Future business demands may lead to cash utilization at levels greater than recently experienced. However, we believe to have sufficient liquidity as of December 31, 2023 to support our business operations for the next 12 months. We may need to raise additional capital in the future in order to grow our existing software operations and to seem additional strategic acquisitions in the near future. However, we cannot ensure that we will be able to raise additional capital on acceptable terms, or at all.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES
We have prepared our Consolidated Financial Statements in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and included the accounts of our wholly owned subsidiaries. We have eliminated all significant intercompany transactions and balances in the consolidation. Preparation of the Consolidated Financial Statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of the assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. These estimates are subjective in nature and involve judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at fiscal year-end and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the fiscal year. The more significant estimates made by management include the valuation allowance for our gross deferred tax asset, the determination of the fair value of our long-lived assets and the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed during acquisitions. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that management believes are reasonable under the given circumstances. These estimates could be materially different under different conditions and assumptions. Additionally, the actual amounts could differ from the estimates made. Management periodically evaluates estimates used in the preparation of our financial statements for continued reasonableness. We prospectively apply appropriate adjustments, if any, to our estimates based upon our periodic evaluation.
Revenue Recognition
Our revenue consists of software-as-a-service (“SaaS”) offerings and time-based software subscription license agreements that also, typically include hardware, maintenance/support, and professional services elements. We recognize revenue on an output basis when control of the promised goods or services is transferred to our customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. Our contracts with customers may include multiple performance obligations. For such arrangements, we allocate revenue to each performance obligation based on its relative standalone selling price. We determine standalone selling prices based on the amount that we believe the market is willing to pay determined through historical analysis of sales data as well as through use of the residual approach when we can estimate the standalone selling price for one or more, but not all, of the promised goods or services.
33
Table of Contents
Effective January 1, 2018, we adopted the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), and ASU 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Deferral of Effective Date, which deferred the effective date of ASU 2014-09 by one year. ASU 2014-09 (“Topic 606”) “Revenue from Contracts with Customers) supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 605, Revenue Recognition, and is based on the principle that revenue is recognized to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. It also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue, cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments, and assets recognized from costs incurred to obtain or fulfill a contract. The adoption of ASU 2014-09, using the modified retrospective approach, had no significant impact on our results of operations, cash flows, or financial position. The initial application was applied to all contracts at the date of initial application. We recognized the cumulative effect of initially applying the new revenue standard as an adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings.
The primary impact of adopting Topic 606 is to sales commissions related to onboarding new clients that were previously expensed. Under the new standard, these costs are now capitalized as deferred commissions and amortized over the estimated customer life of five to ten years.
The terms of our contracts with customers range from month-to-month for some Asure HCM direct clients to longer terms ranging from one to three years, some of which are renewable for successive terms. A SaaS/software subscription arrangement may also include hardware, setup and implementation services. Revenue allocated to the SaaS/software subscription performance obligations are recognized on an output basis ratably as the service is provided over the non-cancellable term of the SaaS/subscription service and are reported as recurring revenue on the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss. Revenues generated via fixed fee arrangements for provisioning and filing for Employee Retention Tax Credits with referral partners are also recorded as recurring revenue. Revenue allocated to other performance obligations included in the arrangement is recognized as outlined in the paragraphs below.
Hardware devices sold to customers are sold as either a standard product sell arrangement where title to the hardware passes to the customer or under a hardware-as-a-service (“HaaS”) arrangement where the title to the hardware remains with Asure. Revenue allocated to hardware sold as a standard product are recognized on an output basis when title passes to the customer, typically the date we ship the hardware. Revenue allocated to hardware under a HaaS arrangement are recognized on an output basis, recorded ratably as the service is provided over the non-cancellable term of the HaaS arrangement, typically one year. Revenue recognized from hardware devices sold to customers via either of the two above types of arrangements are reported as Hardware revenue on the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss.
Our professional services offerings typically include data migration, set up, training, and implementation services. Set up and implementation services typically occur at the start of the software arrangement while certain other professional services, depending on the nature of the services and customer requirements, may occur several months later. We can reasonably estimate professional services performed for a fixed fee and we recognize allocated revenue on an output basis on a proportional performance basis as the service is provided. We recognize allocated revenue on an output basis for professional services engagements billed on a time and materials basis as the service is provided. We recognize allocated revenue on an output basis on all other professional services engagements upon the earlier of the completion of the service’s deliverable or the expiration of the customer’s right to receive the service. Revenues generated for provisioning and filing for ERTC credits that are based on percentage of recovery are recorded as professional services revenues. Revenue recognized from professional services offerings are reported as Professional service revenue on the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss.
We recognize allocated revenue for maintenance and support on an output basis ratably over the non-cancellable term of the support agreement. Initial maintenance and support terms are typically one to three years and are renewable on an annual basis. Revenue recognized from maintenance and support are reported as Maintenance and support revenue on the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss.
We do not recognize revenue for agreements with rights of return, refundable fees, cancellation rights or substantive acceptance clauses until these return, refund or cancellation rights have expired or acceptance has occurred. Our arrangements with Reseller Partners do not allow for any rights of return.
Our payment terms vary by the type of customer and the customer’s payment history and the products or services offered. The term between invoicing and when payment is due is not significant and as such our contracts do not include a significant financing component. The transaction prices of our contracts do not include consideration amounts that are variable and do not include noncash consideration.
34
Table of Contents
Deferred revenue includes amounts invoiced to customers in excess of revenue we recognize and is comprised of deferred SaaS/software, HaaS, maintenance and support, and professional services revenue. We recognize deferred revenue when we complete the service and over the terms of the arrangements, primarily ranging from one to three years.
Intangible Assets and Goodwill
We record the assets acquired and liabilities assumed in business combinations at their respective fair values at the date of acquisition, with any excess purchase price recorded as goodwill. Valuation of intangible assets and in-process research and development entails significant estimates and assumptions including, but not limited to, estimating future cash flows from product sales, developing appropriate discount rates, estimating probability rates for the continuation of customer relationships and renewal of customer contracts. U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) require that we not amortize intangible assets other than goodwill with an indefinite life until we determine their life as finite. We must amortize all other intangible assets over their useful lives. We currently amortize our acquired intangible assets with definite lives over periods ranging from two to fifteen years. We have assessed the fair value of our customer relationship intangible assets as of December 31, 2023, and we do not believe these to be impaired, as the carrying value of the customer relationship intangible assets are recoverable through the associated projected cash flows.
Impairment of Intangible Assets and Long-Lived Assets
In accordance with FASB ASC 350, we review and evaluate our long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that we may not recover their net book value. When such factors and circumstances exist, including those noted above, we compare the assets’ carrying amounts against the estimated undiscounted cash flows we expect to generate with those assets over their estimated useful lives. If the carrying amounts are greater than the undiscounted cash flows, we estimate the fair values of those assets by discounting the projected cash flows. We record any excess of the carrying amounts over the fair values as impairments in that fiscal period.
Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price in a business combination over the fair value of net tangible and intangible assets acquired in a business combination. We test goodwill for impairment on an annual basis in the fourth fiscal quarter of each year, and between annual tests if indicators of potential impairment exist, using a fair-value-based approach. There was no impairment of goodwill in either 2023 or 2022.
Income Taxes
We account for income taxes using the liability method under ASC 740, Accounting for Income Taxes, which requires recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events included in the financial statements. Under the liability method, we determine deferred tax assets and liabilities based on the difference between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect in the years in which we expect the differences to reverse. We reduce deferred tax assets by a valuation allowance when it is more likely than not that we will not realize some component or all of the deferred tax assets.