Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

The consolidated financial statements of Tesla, Inc. (“Tesla”, the “Company”, “we”, “us” or “our”), including the consolidated balance sheet as of September 30, 2023, the consolidated statements of operations, the consolidated statements of comprehensive income, the consolidated statements of redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, and the consolidated statements of cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, as well as other information disclosed in the accompanying notes, are unaudited. The consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2022 was derived from the audited consolidated financial statements as of that date. The interim consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes should be read in conjunction with the annual consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022.

The interim consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes have been prepared on the same basis as the annual consolidated financial statements and, in the opinion of management, reflect all adjustments, which include only normal recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair statement of the results of operations for the periods presented. The consolidated results of operations for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year or for any other future years or interim periods.

Reclassifications

ReclassificationsCertain prior period balances have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation in the accompanying notes.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue by source

The following table disaggregates our revenue by major source (in millions):


	Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2023		2022		2023		2022
Automotive sales	$	18,582	$	17,785	$	57,879	$	46,969
Automotive regulatory credits	554		286		1,357		1,309
Energy generation and storage sales	1,416		966		4,188		2,186
Services and other	2,166		1,645		6,153		4,390
Total revenues from sales and services	22,718		20,682		69,577		54,854
Automotive leasing	489		621		1,620		1,877
Energy generation and storage leasing	143		151		409		413
Total revenues	$	23,350	$	21,454	$	71,606	$	57,144

Automotive Segment

Automotive Sales Revenue

Deferred revenue is related to the access to our Full Self Driving (“FSD”) features and ongoing maintenance, internet connectivity, free Supercharging programs and over-the-air software updates primarily on automotive sales, which amounted to $3.27 billion and $2.91 billion as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively.

Deferred revenue is equivalent to the total transaction price allocated to the performance obligations that are unsatisfied, or partially unsatisfied, as of the balance sheet date. Revenue recognized from the deferred revenue balance as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 was $360 million and $169 million for nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Of the total deferred revenue balance as of September 30, 2023, we expect to recognize $815 million of revenue in the next 12 months. The remaining balance will be recognized at the time of transfer of control of the product or over the performance period.

We have been providing loans for financing our automotive deliveries in volume since fiscal year 2022. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, we have recorded net financing receivables on the consolidated balance sheets, of which $239 million and $128 million, respectively, is recorded within Accounts receivable, net, for the current portion and $1.11 billion and $665 million, respectively, is recorded within Other non-current assets for the long-term portion.

Automotive Regulatory Credits

During the nine months ended September 30, 2022, we had also recognized $288 million in revenue due to changes in regulation which entitled us to additional consideration for credits sold previously.

Automotive Leasing Revenue

Direct Sales-Type Leasing Program

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, we recognized $20 million and $197 million, respectively, of sales-type leasing revenue and $16 million and $149 million, respectively, of sales-type leasing cost of revenue. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, we recognized $161 million and $559 million, respectively, of sales-type leasing revenue and $97 million and $343 million, respectively, of sales-type leasing cost of revenue.

Lease receivables relating to sales-type leases are presented on the consolidated balance sheets as follows (in millions):


	September 30, 2023		December 31, 2022
Gross lease receivables	$	803	$	837
Unearned interest income	(84)		(95)
Allowance for expected credit losses	(6)		(4)
Net investment in sales-type leases	$	713	$	738

Reported as:
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	$	178	$	164
Other non-current assets	535		574
Net investment in sales-type leases	$	713	$	738

Energy Generation and Storage Segment

Energy Generation and Storage Sales

We record as deferred revenue any non-refundable amounts that are collected from customers related to fees charged for prepayments, which is recognized as revenue ratably over the respective customer contract term. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, deferred revenue related to such customer payments amounted to $1.05 billion and $863 million, respectively, mainly due to billings for milestone payments. Revenue recognized from the deferred revenue balance as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 was $511 million and $132 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively. As of September 30, 2023, total transaction price allocated to performance obligations that were unsatisfied or partially unsatisfied for contracts with an original expected length of more than one year was $1.91 billion. Of this amount, we expect to recognize $709 million in the next 12 months and the rest over the remaining performance obligation period.

We have been providing loans for financing our energy generation products in volume since fiscal year 2022. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, we have recorded net financing receivables on the consolidated balance sheets, of which $29 million and $24 million, respectively, is recorded within Accounts receivable, net, for the current portion and $541 million and $387 million, respectively, is recorded within Other non-current assets for the long-term portion.

Income Taxes

We are subject to income taxes in the U.S. and in many foreign jurisdictions. Significant judgment is required in determining our provision for income taxes, our deferred tax assets and liabilities and any valuation allowance recorded against our net deferred tax assets that are not more likely than not to be realized. The determination of the realizability of deferred tax assets requires significant judgment in assessing the likelihood of future tax consequences. In completing our assessment of realizability of our deferred tax assets, we consider our history of losses measured at pre-tax income (loss) adjusted for permanent book-tax differences on a jurisdictional basis, volatility in actual earnings, excess tax benefits related to stock-based compensation in recent prior years, and impacts of the timing of reversal of existing temporary differences. We also rely on our assessment of the Company’s projected future results of business operations, including uncertainty in future operating results relative to historical results, volatility in the market price of our common stock and its performance over time, variable macroeconomic conditions impacting our ability to forecast future taxable income, and changes in business that may affect the existence and magnitude of future taxable income. Our valuation allowance assessment is based on our best estimate of future results considering all available information.

We monitor the realizability of the U.S. deferred tax assets taking into account all relevant factors. As of September 30, 2023, we continued to maintain a full valuation allowance on our U.S. deferred tax assets. We will release the valuation allowance when there is sufficient positive evidence to support a conclusion that it is more likely than not the deferred tax assets will be realized. Depending on our operating results and the amount of stock-based compensation tax deductions available in the future, we may release the valuation allowance associated with the U.S. deferred tax assets within the next year. The timing and amount of the valuation allowance release could vary based on our assessment of all available evidence. Release of all, or a portion, of the valuation allowance would result in the recognition of certain deferred tax assets and may result in a material decrease to income tax expense for the period the release is recorded.

There are transactions that occur during the ordinary course of business for which the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the aggregate balances of our gross unrecognized tax benefits were $1.04 billion and $870 million, respectively, of which $616 million and $572 million, respectively, would not give rise to changes in our effective tax rate since these tax benefits would increase a deferred tax asset that is currently fully offset by a valuation allowance.

We file income tax returns in the U.S. and various state and foreign jurisdictions. We are currently under examination by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) for the years 2015 to 2018. Additional tax years within the periods 2004 to 2014 and 2019 to 2022 remain subject to examination for federal income tax purposes. All net operating losses and tax credits generated to date are subject to adjustment for U.S. federal and state income tax purposes. Our returns for 2004 and subsequent tax years remain subject to examination in U.S. state and foreign jurisdictions.

Given the uncertainty in timing and outcome of our tax examinations, an estimate of the range of the reasonably possible change in gross unrecognized tax benefits within twelve months cannot be made at this time.

Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful AccountsDepending on the day of the week on which the end of a fiscal quarter falls, our accounts receivable balance may fluctuate as we are waiting for certain customer payments to clear through our banking institutions and receipts of payments from our financing partners, which can take up to approximately two weeks based on the contractual payment terms with such partners. Our accounts receivable balances associated with our sales of regulatory credits, which are typically transferred to other manufacturers during the last few days of the quarter, is dependent on contractual payment terms. Additionally, government rebates can take up to a year or more to be collected depending on the customary processing timelines of the specific jurisdictions issuing them. These various factors may have a significant impact on our accounts receivable balance from period to period.

Concentration of Risk

Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject us to a concentration of credit risk consist of cash, cash equivalents, investments, restricted cash, accounts receivable and financing receivables. Our cash and investments balances are primarily comprised of deposits which are diversified among high credit quality financial institutions or invested in U.S. government securities. These deposits are typically in excess of insured limits. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, no entity represented 10% or more of our total receivables balance.

Supply Risk

We are dependent on our suppliers, including single source suppliers, and the inability of these suppliers to deliver necessary components of our products in a timely manner at prices, quality levels and volumes acceptable to us, or our inability to efficiently manage these components from these suppliers, could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.

Operating Lease Vehicles

The gross cost of operating lease vehicles as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022 was $7.40 billion and $6.08 billion, respectively. Operating lease vehicles on the consolidated balance sheets are presented net of accumulated depreciation of $1.28 billion and $1.04 billion as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Recently adopted accounting pronouncements

In October 2021, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2021-08, Accounting for Contract Assets and Contract Liabilities from Contracts with Customers (Topic 805). This ASU requires an acquirer in a business combination to recognize and measure contract assets and contract liabilities (deferred revenue) from acquired contracts using the revenue recognition guidance in Topic 606. At the acquisition date, the acquirer applies the revenue model as if it had originated the acquired contracts. The ASU is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2022, including interim periods within those fiscal years. We adopted this ASU prospectively on January 1, 2023. This ASU has not and is currently not expected to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In March 2022, the FASB issued ASU 2022-02, Troubled Debt Restructurings and Vintage Disclosures. This ASU eliminates the accounting guidance for troubled debt restructurings by creditors that have adopted ASU 2016-13, Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, which we adopted on January 1, 2020. This ASU also enhances the disclosure requirements for certain loan refinancing and restructurings by creditors when a borrower is experiencing financial difficulty. In addition, the ASU amends the guidance on vintage disclosures to require entities to disclose current period gross write-offs by year of origination for financing receivables and net investments in leases within the scope of ASC 326-20. The ASU is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2022, including interim periods within those fiscal years. We adopted the ASU prospectively on January 1, 2023. This ASU has not and is currently not expected to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

On August 16, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (“IRA”) was enacted into law and is effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2022. The IRA includes multiple incentives to promote clean energy, electric vehicles, battery and energy storage manufacture or purchase, in addition to a new corporate alternative minimum tax of 15% on adjusted financial statement income of corporations with profits greater than $1 billion. Some of these measures are expected to materially affect our consolidated financial statements. For the nine months ended September 30, 2023, the impact was primarily a reduction of our material costs. We will continue to evaluate the effects of the IRA as more guidance is issued and the relevant implications to our consolidated financial statements.

- Definition

Disclosure of accounting policy for income taxes, which may include its accounting policies for recognizing and measuring deferred tax assets and liabilities and related valuation allowances, recognizing investment tax credits, operating loss carryforwards, tax credit carryforwards, and other carryforwards, methodologies for determining its effective income tax rate and the characterization of interest and penalties in the financial statements.

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