TELOS CORP

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported. In preparing these financial statements, management has made its best estimates and judgments of certain amounts included in the consolidated financial statements, giving due consideration to materiality. Management evaluates these estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis. Our estimates and assumptions have been prepared on the basis of the most current reasonably available information, and may change in the future as more current information is available.

Management believes that our critical accounting policies are those that are both material to the presentation of our financial condition and results of operations and require management's most difficult, subjective and complex judgments. Typically, the circumstances that make these judgments difficult, subjective and complex have to do with making estimates about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain; as a result, actual results could differ from those estimates.

The critical accounting policies requiring estimates, assumptions, and judgments that we believe have the most significant impact on our consolidated financial statements in fiscal year 2024 are described below. This is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all significant accounting policies that are more fully described in the notes to consolidated financial statements contained within this report.

Revenue Recognition

Although most of our revenue is recognized concurrently with billing or with the passage of time, some of our revenue requires us to make estimates. The timing of the satisfaction of performance obligations varies across our businesses due to our diverse product and service mix, customer base, and contractual terms. Significant judgment can be required in determining certain performance obligations, and these determinations could change the amount of revenue and profit recorded in a given period. Our contracts may have a single performance obligation or multiple performance obligations. When there are multiple performance obligations within a contract, we allocate the transaction price, net of any discounts, to each performance obligation based on the standalone selling price of the product or service underlying each performance obligation. The standalone selling price is either based on estimated or actual costs plus a reasonable profit margin or the observable price of a good or service when Telos sells that good or service separately in similar circumstances and to similar customers. The transaction price for our contracts represents our best estimate of the consideration we will receive and includes assumptions regarding variable consideration, as applicable. The transaction price is allocated to each distinct performance obligation within the contract and recognized as revenue when, or as, the performance obligation is satisfied.

Our contracts may also include various types of variable considerations such as claims (i.e., indirect rate or other equitable adjustments) or incentive fees and we include estimated amounts in the transaction price to the extent it is probable that a significant reversal of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur. The estimated amounts are based on an assessment of our anticipated performance and all other information that is reasonably available to us.

For contracts where revenue is recognized over time, we recognize revenue based on progress towards completion of the performance obligation, using costs incurred to date relative to the total estimated cost at completion to measure progress on a proportional performance basis for our contracts. Due to the nature of the work required to be performed on certain contracts, the estimation of total revenue and cost at completion is complex, subject to many variables and requires significant judgment. Contract estimates are based on various assumptions, including labor and subcontractor costs, materials and other direct costs and the complexity of the work to be performed. A significant change in one or more of these estimates could affect the profitability of our contracts. We review and update our contract-related estimates regularly and recognize adjustments in estimated profit on contracts on a cumulative catch-up basis, which may result in an adjustment increasing or decreasing revenue to date on a contract in a particular period that the adjustment is identified. Revenue and profit in future periods of contract performance are recognized using the adjusted estimate. As a result of the changes in contract estimates, we recorded immaterial catch-up revenue adjustments during the year ended December 31, 2024, and 2023.

Goodwill and Other Long-Lived Assets

We evaluate the impairment of goodwill and other long-lived assets in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 350, "Intangibles – Goodwill and Other." Management annually reviews goodwill and other long-lived assets for impairment or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount may not be recoverable. If we determine that the carrying value of the goodwill and other long-lived assets may not be recoverable, we will record an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying value of the goodwill and other long-lived assets exceeds its fair value.

Goodwill is not amortized, but rather tested for potential impairment as of December 31 each year. The goodwill impairment test is performed at the reporting unit level. Accounting requirements provide that a reporting entity may perform an optional qualitative assessment on an annual basis to determine whether events occurred or circumstances changed that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying amount. If an initial qualitative assessment identifies that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, or the optional qualitative assessment is not performed, a quantitative analysis is performed.

In testing goodwill for impairment, we first assess the qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances leads to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value. If, after the assessment, we determine that an impairment indicator exists, we perform the quantitative goodwill impairment test. The Company performs the quantitative goodwill impairment test by calculating the fair value of the reporting unit and comparing it to its respective carrying value including goodwill. If the fair value is less than the carrying value, the amount of impairment expense is equal to the difference between the reporting unit's fair value and the reporting unit's carrying value.

Determining the fair value of a reporting unit requires management's judgment and involves the use of significant estimates and assumptions, including forecasted revenue, operating margins, capital expenditures, and selection and use of an appropriate discount rate commensurate with the risk inherent in each of our reporting units' current business models. We utilize the weighted average cost of capital as derived by certain assumptions specific to our facts and circumstances as the discount rate. Our estimate of cash flows and discount rate are subject to change due to the economic environment. A relatively small change in the underlying assumptions, including if the financial performance of the reporting unit does not meet expectations in future years, may cause a change in the results of the impairment assessment in future periods and, as such, could result in goodwill impairment.

For fiscal year 2024, we performed a qualitative assessment of our reporting units and determined that it is more likely than not that the estimated fair value of the reporting units exceeds their carrying value and thus, we did not proceed to the two-step goodwill impairment test.

Due to the nature of our business and other factors described in Item 1A, "Risk Factors," of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the profitability of our individual reporting units may periodically be affected by downturns in customer demand, operational challenges, and other factors. If material adverse conditions occur that impact one or all of our reporting units, our determination of future fair value might not support the carrying amount of our reporting units, and the related goodwill may be impaired. We will continue to monitor any changes to our assumptions and will evaluate goodwill as deemed warranted during future periods.

We amortize intangible assets over their respective estimated useful lives, and review them for impairment whenever events or changes in business circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable.

We evaluated our intangible assets for potential impairment. As a result of the assessment, we identified conditions demonstrating an impairment of certain software development costs. An impairment charge of $11.7 million and $0.5 million was recorded in the consolidated statements of operations for the years ended December 31, 2024, and 2023, respectively.

For further discussion of the methods used and factors considered in our estimates as part of the impairment testing for goodwill and intangible assets, see Note 2 - Significant Accounting Policies on Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Note 7 - Goodwill and Note 8 - Intangible Assets, Net to the consolidated financial statements contained within this Annual Report.

Income Taxes

We account for income taxes in accordance with ASC 740, "Income Taxes." Our income tax expense, deferred tax assets and liabilities, and liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits reflect our best estimate of current and future taxes to be paid. We record net deferred assets to the extent we believe these assets will more likely than not be realized. The realizability of net deferred tax assets is based on all available evidence, including future taxable income projections, tax planning strategies, and reversal of taxable temporary differences. We regularly review our deferred tax assets for recoverability and establish a valuation allowance when management believes it is more likely than not that such asset will not be recovered, taking into consideration historical operating results, expectations of future earnings, tax planning strategies and the expected timing of the reversals of existing temporary differences.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

See Note 2 - Significant Accounting Policies of the consolidated financial statements contained within this Annual Report for a discussion of recently issued accounting pronouncements.