COMTECH TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP /DE/

We consider certain accounting policies to be critical due to the estimation process involved in each.

Revenue Recognition. In accordance with FASB ASC 606 - Revenue from Contracts with Customers ("ASC 606"), we record revenue in an amount that reflects the consideration to which we expect to be entitled in exchange for goods or services promised to customers. See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Note (1)(d) - Revenue Recognition included in Part II - Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data (which discussion is incorporated herein by reference) and Part II - Item 9A. Controls and Procedures, included in this Form 10-K, for further information.

A cost-to-cost measure of progress is principally used to account for contracts in our Satellite and Space Communications segment and, to a lesser extent, certain location-based and messaging infrastructure contracts in our public safety and location technologies product line within our Allerium segment.

For over time contracts using a cost-to-cost measure of progress, we have an estimate at completion ("EAC") process in which management reviews the progress and execution of our performance obligations and calculates an estimated contract profit based on total estimated contract revenue and cost. Since certain contracts extend over a long period of time, the impact of revisions in revenue and/or cost estimates during the progress of work may impact current period earnings through a cumulative adjustment. Additionally, if the EAC process indicates a loss, a provision is made for the total anticipated loss in the period that it becomes evident. Contract revenue and cost estimates for significant contracts are generally reviewed and reassessed at least quarterly.

We perform on a broad range of contracts whose revenue is recognized over time, including the development of complex and advanced customized solutions which often require the application of new technologies. Cost estimates on fixed-price development contracts and early stage/low-rate production contracts are inherently more uncertain as to future events than on mature, full-rate production contracts. As a result, for fixed-price development contracts and early stage/low-rate production contracts, there is typically more variability in those estimates and greater financial risk associated with unanticipated cost growth. Risks include, but are not limited to: technical engineering risks related to the underlying technologies being developed; schedule risks related to completing performance obligations timely; and customer risks related to changing specifications.

The estimation of contract revenue, cost and progress toward completion requires the use of judgment, which can be affected by any number of factors over time and which may cause our actual results to differ materially from those estimates, as facts and circumstances change or become known to us. Changes in estimates can occur for a variety of reasons including, but not limited to: changes in the availability, productivity and cost of labor; the effect of change orders on contract scope; the resolution of engineering risks at lower or higher costs than anticipated; the availability and cost of material components and subcontracts, as well as the performance of our subcontractors or suppliers; the impact of unanticipated changes in our customers' schedules; and changes in indirect cost allocations, such as overhead.

The impact of gross favorable and unfavorable changes in contract estimates on reported gross margin is presented in the table below:

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets, Including Goodwill. As of July 31, 2025, total goodwill recorded on our Consolidated Balance Sheet aggregated $204.6 million (of which $30.5 million relates to our Satellite and Space Communications segment and $174.1 million relates to our Allerium segment). Additionally, as of July 31, 2025, net intangibles recorded on our Consolidated Balance Sheet aggregated $173.1 million (of which $41.2 million relates to our Satellite and Space Communications segment and $131.9 million relates to our Allerium segment). For purposes of reviewing impairment and the recoverability of goodwill and other intangible assets, our segments each constitute a reporting unit and we must make various assumptions in determining their estimated fair values. See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Note (15) - Long-lived Assets, including Goodwilland Note (16) - Intangible Assets included in Part II - Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data (which discussion is incorporated herein by reference), included in this Form 10-K, for further information. Ongoing and future actions supporting our transformation strategy could result in a material impairment of our goodwill and/or intangible assets.

Provision for Warranty Obligations. We provide warranty coverage for most of our products, including products under long-term contracts, for a period of at least one year from the date of shipment. We record a liability for estimated warranty expense based on historical claims, product failure rates and other factors. Costs associated with some of our warranties that are provided under long-term contracts are incorporated into our estimates of total contract costs. There exist inherent risks and uncertainties in estimating warranty expenses, particularly on larger or longer-term contracts. If we do not accurately estimate our warranty costs, any changes to our original estimates could be material to our results of operations and financial condition.

Accounting for Income Taxes. Our deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on temporary differences between financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities and applying enacted tax rates expected to be in effect for the year in which we expect the differences to reverse. Our provision for income taxes is based on domestic (including federal, state and local) and international statutory income tax rates in the tax jurisdictions where we operate, permanent differences between financial reporting and tax reporting and available credits and incentives. The U.S. federal government is our most significant income tax jurisdiction.

For tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return, we account for unrecognized tax benefits using a “more-likely-than-not” threshold for financial statement recognition and measurement. We may be challenged upon review by the applicable taxing authority and positions taken by us may not be sustained. We recognize all or a portion of the benefit of income tax positions in our GAAP results only when we have made a determination that it is "more-likely-than-not" that the tax position will be sustained upon examination, based upon the technical merits of the position and other factors. For tax positions that are determined as "more-likely-than-not" to be sustained upon examination, the tax benefit recognized is the largest amount of benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement. We recognize potential interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in income tax expense. In assessing the need for a valuation allowance for deferred tax assets, we consider all positive and negative evidence, including past financial performance, timing and judgments about future taxable income and tax planning strategies. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce net deferred tax assets to the amount "more-likely-than-not" expected to be realized. We continuously evaluate additional facts representing positive and negative evidence in determining our ability to realize these deferred tax assets. Significant judgment is required in determining income tax provisions and tax positions. The ultimate outcome of tax exposures and risks involves significant uncertainties. If actual outcomes differ materially from these estimates, they could have a material impact on our results of operations and financial condition.

Our U.S. federal income tax returns for fiscal 2022 through 2025 are subject to potential future Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") audit. None of our state and foreign income tax returns prior to fiscal 2021 are subject to audit. Future tax assessments or settlements could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated results of operations and financial condition.

Capitalized Engineering Costs. We generally expense all research and development costs. Research and development expenses include payroll, employee benefits, stock-based compensation expense, and other personnel-related expenses associated with product development. Research and development expenses also include third-party development and programming costs. Costs incurred internally in researching and developing software to be sold are charged to expense until technological feasibility has been established for the software. Judgment is required in determining when technological feasibility of a product is established. Technological feasibility for our advanced communication software solutions is generally reached after all high-risk development issues have been resolved through coding and testing. Generally, this occurs shortly before the products are released to customers and when we are able to validate the marketability of such product. Once technological feasibility is established, all software costs are capitalized until the product is available for general release to customers. To date, costs capitalized related to software developed for the purpose of selling to third parties was not material, but could increase in the future.

As it relates to software developed for the purpose of internal-use (e.g., hosted "SaaS" applications within our Allerium segment), costs capitalized primarily consist of direct labor and third-party vendor costs associated with creating the software. Software development projects generally include three stages: the preliminary project stage (all costs are expensed as incurred), the application development stage (certain costs are capitalized and certain costs are expensed as incurred) and the post-implementation/operation stage (all costs are expensed as incurred). Costs capitalized in the application development stage include costs related to the design and implementation of the selected software components, software build and configuration infrastructure, and software interfaces. Capitalization of costs requires judgment in determining when a project has reached the application development stage, the proportion of time spent in the application development stage, and the period over which we expect to benefit from the use of that software. During fiscal 2025 and 2024, internal-use software costs capitalized were $3.9 million and $3.8 million, respectively. Capitalized internal use software costs are amortized once the software is placed in service on the straight-line method over the estimated useful life of the software, which is generally three years.

Provisions for Excess and Obsolete Inventory. We record a provision for excess and obsolete inventory based on historical and projected usage trends. Other factors may also influence our provision, including decisions to restructure or exit a product line, technological change and new product development. These factors could result in a change in the amount of excess and obsolete inventory on hand. Additionally, our estimates of future product demand may prove to be inaccurate, in which case we may have understated or overstated the provision required for excess and obsolete inventory. In the future, if we determine that our inventory was overvalued, we would be required to recognize such costs in our financial statements at the time of such determination. Any such charge could be material to our results of operations and financial condition. See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Note (1)(f) - Inventories included in Part II - Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data (which discussion is incorporated herein by reference) and Part II - Item 9A. Controls and Procedures, included in this Form 10-K, for further information (including a discussion of provisions recorded in our first quarter of fiscal 2025 associated with certain discontinued products and operations within our Satellite and Space Communications segment).

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts. We perform credit evaluations of our customers and adjust credit limits based upon customer payment history and current creditworthiness, as determined by our review of our customers’ current credit information. Generally, we will require cash in advance or payment secured by irrevocable letters of credit before an order is accepted from an international customer that we do not do business with regularly. In addition, we seek to obtain insurance for certain domestic and international customers.

We monitor billing events, collections and payments from our customers and maintain an allowance for doubtful accounts based upon our historical experience and any specific customer collection issues that we have identified. In light of ongoing tight credit market conditions and high interest rates, we continue to see requests from our customers for higher credit limits and longer payment terms. We have, on a limited basis, approved certain customer requests. Also, we can from time to time experience significant increases in the overall level of contract assets (i.e., unbilled receivables) related to large, long-term contracts with certain U.S. government, domestic and international customers. We continuously monitor our accounts receivable credit portfolio.

Except as discussed in Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Note (4) - Accounts Receivable included in Part II - Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data (which discussion is incorporated herein by reference), included in this Form 10-K, our overall credit losses have historically been within the allowances we established. However, we may not be able to accurately predict our future credit loss experience. Measurement of credit losses requires consideration of historical loss experience, including the need to adjust for changing business conditions, and judgments about the probable effects of relevant observable data, including present economic conditions such as delinquency rates and the financial health of specific customers. Future changes to the estimated allowance for doubtful accounts could be material to our results of operations and financial condition.

Derivative Instruments and Warrant Liabilities. We evaluate our financial instruments, including our Credit Facility, Subordinated Credit Facility, Convertible Preferred Stock and warrants to issue our common stock pursuant to the terms of such instruments, to determine if such instruments are derivatives or contain features that qualify as embedded derivatives. Such evaluation considers a qualitative and quantitative assessment of whether the host instrument is more debt or equity-like, and if embedded derivatives should be bifurcated from the host instrument and/or combined for accounting purposes. For derivatives that are accounted for as liabilities, the derivative is initially recorded at its estimated fair value and is then re-valued at each reporting date, with changes in its estimated fair value reported in our Consolidated Financial Statements. To estimate such fair values, with the assistance of a third party valuation expert, we primarily use Monte Carlo simulation models, on a with and without basis, or Black-Scholes option pricing models, each adjusted for instrument-specific terms. Due to the nature of our derivative instruments and warrant liabilities, we must use Level 3 inputs for estimating fair value, which are unobservable inputs developed using the best available information under the circumstances. Level 3 inputs are supported by little or no market activity, are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities and reflect our assumptions related to how market participants would use similar inputs to price the asset or liability. Accordingly, our estimates and assumptions could prove to be inaccurate. Also, changes in such estimates and assumptions from period to period could be material to our results of operations and financial condition. See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Note (1)(j) - Fair Value Measurements and Financial Instruments included in Part II - Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data (which discussion is incorporated herein by reference), for further information.