Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Description of Business, Basis of Presentation, and Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

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Description of Business, Basis of Presentation, and Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
3 Months Ended
Aug. 31, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Description of business
Description of business: Paychex, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company” or “Paychex”) is a leading provider of integrated human capital management solutions for payroll, human resource, retirement, and insurance services for small- to medium-sized businesses in the United States (“U.S.”). The Company also has operations in Germany.
Paychex, a Delaware corporation formed in 1979, reports as one segment. Substantially all of the Company’s revenue is generated within the U.S. The Company also generates revenue within Germany, which represented less than one percent of the Company's total revenue for the three months ended August 31, 2015 and 2014. Long-lived assets in Germany are insignificant in relation to total long-lived assets of the Company as of August 31, 2015 and May 31, 2015. In addition, the Company has an equity method investment for a joint-venture in Brazil and a minority investment in a Canadian entity, neither of which is significant.
Basis of presentation
Basis of presentation: The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statement presentation. The consolidated financial statements include the consolidated accounts of the Company with all intercompany transactions eliminated. In the opinion of management, the information furnished herein reflects all adjustments (consisting of items of a normal recurring nature), which are necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the interim period. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s consolidated financial statements and related Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements presented in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K (“Form 10-K”) as of and for the year ended May 31, 2015 (“fiscal 2015”). Operating results and cash flows for the three months ended August 31, 2015 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for other interim periods or the full fiscal year ending May 31, 2016 (“fiscal 2016”). The Company has evaluated subsequent events for potential recognition and/or disclosure through the date of issuance of these financial statements.
PEO insurance reserves
PEO insurance reserves: As part of the professional employer organization (“PEO”), the Company offers workers' compensation insurance and health insurance to client companies for the benefit of client employees. For workers' compensation insurance, reserves are established to provide for the estimated costs of paying claims underwritten by the Company. The Company’s maximum individual claims liability is $1.3 million and $1.0 million under its fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2015 policies, respectively.
Under the minimum premium plan health insurance offering within the PEO, the Company's health benefits insurance reserves are established to provide for the payment of claims liability charges in accordance with its service contract with the carrier. The Company's maximum individual claims liability is $0.3 million under both its calendar 2015 and 2014 policies.
Estimating the ultimate cost of future claims is an uncertain and complex process based upon historical loss experience and actuarial loss projections, and is subject to change due to multiple factors, including economic trends, changes in legal liability law, and damage awards, all of which could materially impact the reserves as reported in the consolidated financial statements. Accordingly, final claim settlements may vary from the present estimates, particularly with workers' compensation insurance where those payments may not occur until well into the future. The Company regularly reviews the adequacy of its estimated insurance reserves. Adjustments to previously established reserves are reflected in the results of operations for the period in which the adjustment is identified. Such adjustments could be significant, reflecting any combination of new and adverse or favorable trends.
Stock-based compensation costs
Stock-based compensation costs: The Company has issued stock-based awards to employees and directors consisting of stock options, restricted stock awards, restricted stock units, performance shares, and performance stock options. The Company accounts for all stock-based awards to employees and directors as compensation costs in the consolidated financial statements based on the fair value measured as of the date of grant. These costs are recognized over the requisite service period. Stock-based compensation costs recognized were $8.8 million for the three months ended August 31, 2015 as compared with $7.5 million for the three months ended August 31, 2014. The methods and assumptions used in the determination of the fair value of stock-based awards are consistent with those described in the Company’s fiscal 2015 Form 10-K.
Recently adopted and recently issued accounting pronouncements
Recently adopted accounting pronouncements: There were no recently adopted accounting pronouncements during the three months ended August 31, 2015.
Recently issued accounting pronouncements: In July 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2015-12 “Plan Accounting: Defined Benefit Pension Plans (Topic 960), Defined Contribution Pension Plans (Topic 962), Health and Welfare Benefit Plans (Topic 965) – (Part I) Fully Benefit-Responsive Investment Contracts, (Part II) Plan Investment Disclosures, (Part III) Measurement Date Practical Expedient. Consensuses of the Emerging Issues Task Force.” ASU No. 2015-12 designates contract value as the only required measure for fully benefit-responsive investment contracts; simplifies and makes more effective the investment disclosure requirements under Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) topic 820 for fair value, and topics 960, 962 and 965 for employee benefit plans; and provides a similar measurement date practical expedient for employee benefit plans. ASU No. 2015-12 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and is applicable to the Company's financial reporting for its defined contribution employee benefit plans as of January 1, 2016. This guidance will not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.
Other recent authoritative guidance issued by the FASB (including technical corrections to the ASC, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the Securities and Exchange Commission) did not, or are not expected to, have a material effect on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.