10-K 2019 AMazon
10-K 2019 AMazon
10-K 2019 AMazon
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U ITED STATES
SECURITIES A D EXCHA GE COMMISSIO
Washington, D.C. 20549
____________________________________
FORM 10-K
____________________________________
(Mark One)
☒ A UAL REPORT PURSUA T TO SECTIO 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHA GE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019
or
☐ TRA SITIO REPORT PURSUA T TO SECTIO 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHA GE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from to .
Commission File o. 000-22513
____________________________________
AMAZO .COM, I C.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware 91-1646860
(State or other jurisdiction of (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization) Identification o.)
410 Terry Avenue orth
Seattle, Washington 98109-5210
(206) 266-1000
(Addre ss and telephone number, including area code, of re gistrant’s principal exe cutive offices)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of Each Class Trading Symbol(s) ame of Each Exchange on Which Registered
Common Stock, par value $.01 per share AMZN Nasdaq Global Select Market
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
one
____________________________________
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act. Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the
preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past
90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of
Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging
growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the
Exchange Act.
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AMAZO .COM, I C.
FORM 10-K
For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2019
I DEX
Page
PART I
Item 1. Business 3
Item 1A. Risk Factors 6
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments 15
Item 2. Properties 16
Item 3. Legal Proceedings 16
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures 16
PART II
Item 5. Market for the Registrant’s Common Stock, Related Shareholder Matters, and Issuer Purchases of Equity 17
Securities
Item 6. Selected Consolidated Financial Data 18
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations 19
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 32
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 34
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure 71
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures 71
Item 9B. Other Information 73
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers, and Corporate Governance 73
Item 11. Executive Compensation 73
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Shareholder Matters 73
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence 73
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services 73
PART IV
Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules 74
Item 16. Form 10-K Summary 74
Signatures 76
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AMAZO .COM, I C.
PART I
Item 1. Business
This Annual Report on Form 10-K and the documents incorporated herein by reference contain forward-looking
statements based on expectations, estimates, and projections as of the date of this filing. Actual results may differ materially
from those expressed in forward-looking statements. See Item 1A of Part I — “Risk Factors.”
Amazon.com, Inc. was incorporated in 1994 in the state of Washington and reincorporated in 1996 in the state of
Delaware. Our principal corporate offices are located in Seattle, Washington. We completed our initial public offering in May
1997 and our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “AMZN.”
As used herein, “Amazon.com,” “we,” “our,” and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc. and its subsidiaries, unless the
context indicates otherwise.
General
We seek to be Earth’s most customer-centric company. We are guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than
competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. In each of our segments,
we serve our primary customer sets, consisting of consumers, sellers, developers, enterprises, and content creators. In addition,
we provide services, such as advertising to sellers, vendors, publishers, and authors, through programs such as sponsored ads,
display, and video advertising.
We have organized our operations into three segments: North America, International, and Amazon Web Services (“AWS”).
These segments reflect the way the Company evaluates its business performance and manages its operations. Information on our
net sales is contained in Item 8 of Part II, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data — Note 10 — Segment Information.”
The financial results of Whole Foods Market, Inc. (“Whole Foods Market”) have been included in our consolidated financial
statements from the date of acquisition on August 28, 2017.
Consumers
We serve consumers through our online and physical stores and focus on selection, price, and convenience. We design our
stores to enable hundreds of millions of unique products to be sold by us and by third parties across dozens of product
categories. Customers access our offerings through our websites, mobile apps, Alexa, devices, streaming, and physically visiting
our stores. We also manufacture and sell electronic devices, including Kindle, Fire tablet, Fire TV, Echo, Ring, and other
devices, and we develop and produce media content. We seek to offer our customers low prices, fast and free delivery,
easy-to-use functionality, and timely customer service. In addition, we offer Amazon Prime, a membership program that includes
unlimited free shipping on over 100 million items, access to unlimited streaming of tens of thousands of movies and TV episodes,
including Amazon Original content, and other benefits.
We fulfill customer orders in a number of ways, including through: North America and International fulfillment and
delivery networks that we operate; co-sourced and outsourced arrangements in certain countries; digital delivery; and through our
physical stores. We operate customer service centers globally, which are supplemented by co-sourced arrangements. See Item 2
of Part I, “Properties.”
Sellers
We offer programs that enable sellers to grow their businesses, sell their products in our stores, and fulfill orders through
us. We are not the seller of record in these transactions. We earn fixed fees, a percentage of sales, per-unit activity fees, interest,
or some combination thereof, for our seller programs.
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Content Creators
We serve authors and independent publishers with Kindle Direct Publishing, an online service that lets independent authors
and publishers choose a royalty option and make their books available in the Kindle Store, along with Amazon’s own publishing
arm, Amazon Publishing. We also offer programs that allow authors, musicians, filmmakers, skill and app developers, and others
to publish and sell content.
Competition
Our businesses encompass a large variety of product types, service offerings, and delivery channels. The worldwide
marketplace in which we compete is evolving rapidly and intensely competitive, and we face a broad array of competitors from
many different industry sectors around the world. Our current and potential competitors include: (1) physical, e-commerce, and
omnichannel retailers, publishers, vendors, distributors, manufacturers, and producers of the products we offer and sell to
consumers and businesses; (2) publishers, producers, and distributors of physical, digital, and interactive media of all types and
all distribution channels; (3) web search engines, comparison shopping websites, social networks, web portals, and other online
and app-based means of discovering, using, or acquiring goods and services, either directly or in collaboration with other
retailers; (4) companies that provide e-commerce services, including website development and hosting, omnichannel sales,
inventory, and supply chain management, advertising, fulfillment, customer service, and payment processing; (5) companies that
provide fulfillment and logistics services for themselves or for third parties, whether online or offline; (6) companies that
provide information technology services or products, including on-premises or cloud-based infrastructure and other services;
(7) companies that design, manufacture, market, or sell consumer electronics, telecommunication, and electronic devices; and (8)
companies that sell grocery products online and in physical stores. We believe that the principal competitive factors in our retail
businesses include selection, price, and convenience, including fast and reliable fulfillment. Additional competitive factors for
our seller and enterprise services include the quality, speed, and reliability of our services and tools, as well as customers’
ability and willingness to change business practices. Some of our current and potential competitors have greater resources,
longer histories, more customers, greater brand recognition, and greater control over inputs critical to our various businesses.
They may secure better terms from suppliers, adopt more aggressive pricing, pursue restrictive distribution agreements that
restrict our access to supply, direct consumers to their own offerings instead of ours, lock-in potential customers with restrictive
terms, and devote more resources to technology, infrastructure, fulfillment, and marketing. The Internet facilitates competitive
entry and comparison shopping, which enhances the ability of new, smaller, or lesser-known businesses to compete against us.
Each of our businesses is also subject to rapid change and the development of new business models and the entry of new and
well-funded competitors. Other companies also may enter into business combinations or alliances that strengthen their
competitive positions.
Intellectual Property
We regard our trademarks, service marks, copyrights, patents, domain names, trade dress, trade secrets, proprietary
technologies, and similar intellectual property as critical to our success, and we rely on trademark, copyright, and patent law,
trade-secret protection, and confidentiality and/or license agreements with our employees, customers, partners, and others to
protect our proprietary rights. We have registered, or applied for the registration of, a number of U.S. and international domain
names, trademarks, service marks, and copyrights. Additionally, we have filed U.S. and international patent applications
covering certain of our proprietary technology. We have licensed in the past, and expect that we may license in the future, certain
of our proprietary rights to third parties.
Seasonality
Our business is affected by seasonality, which historically has resulted in higher sales volume during our fourth quarter,
which ends December 31. We recognized 34%, 31%, and 31% of our annual revenue during the fourth quarter of 2017, 2018,
and 2019. Fourth quarter 2017 results include revenue attributable to Whole Foods Market, which we acquired on August 28,
2017.
Employees
We employed approximately 798,000 full-time and part-time employees as of December 31, 2019. However, employment
levels fluctuate due to seasonal factors affecting our business. Additionally, we utilize independent contractors and temporary
personnel to supplement our workforce. We have works councils, statutory employee representation obligations, and union
agreements in certain countries outside the United States and at certain of our studio operations within the United States. We
consider our employee relations to be good. Competition for qualified personnel has historically been intense, particularly for
software engineers, computer scientists, and other technical staff.
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Available Information
Our investor relations website is amazon.com/ir and we encourage investors to use it as a way of easily finding
information about us. We promptly make available on this website, free of charge, the reports that we file or furnish with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), corporate governance information (including our Code of Business Conduct and
Ethics), and select press releases.
Jeffrey P. Bezos. Mr. Bezos has been Chairman of the Board of Amazon.com since founding it in 1994 and Chief
Executive Officer since May 1996. Mr. Bezos served as President of the Company from founding until June 1999 and again from
October 2000 to the present.
Jeffrey M. Blackburn. Mr. Blackburn has served as Senior Vice President, Business Development, since April 2006.
Andrew R. Jassy. Mr. Jassy has served as CEO Amazon Web Services since April 2016, and Senior Vice President,
Amazon Web Services, from April 2006 until April 2016.
Brian T. Olsavsky. Mr. Olsavsky has served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since June 2015, Vice
President, Finance for the Global Consumer Business from December 2011 to June 2015, and numerous financial leadership
roles across Amazon with global responsibility since April 2002.
Shelley L. Reynolds. Ms. Reynolds has served as Vice President, Worldwide Controller, and Principal Accounting
Officer since April 2007.
Jeffrey A. Wilke. Mr. Wilke has served as CEO Worldwide Consumer since April 2016, Senior Vice President,
Consumer Business, from February 2012 until April 2016, and as Senior Vice President, North America Retail, from January
2007 until February 2012.
David A. Zapolsky. Mr. Zapolsky has served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary since May 2014,
Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary from September 2012 to May 2014, and as Vice President and Associate
General Counsel for Litigation and Regulatory matters from April 2002 until September 2012.
Board of Directors
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Our Expansion Places a Significant Strain on our Management, Operational, Financial, and Other Resources
We are continuing to rapidly and significantly expand our global operations, including increasing our product and service
offerings and scaling our infrastructure to support our retail and services businesses. The complexity of the current scale of our
business can place significant strain on our management, personnel, operations, systems, technical performance, financial
resources, and internal financial control and reporting functions, and our expansion increases these factors. Failure to manage
growth effectively could damage our reputation, limit our growth, and negatively affect our operating results.
Our Expansion into !ew Products, Services, Technologies, and Geographic Regions Subjects Us to Additional Risks
We may have limited or no experience in our newer market segments, and our customers may not adopt our product or
service offerings. These offerings, which can present new and difficult technology challenges, may subject us to claims if
customers of these offerings experience service disruptions or failures or other quality issues. In addition, profitability, if any, in
our newer activities may not meet our expectations, and we may not be successful enough in these newer activities to recoup our
investments in them. Failure to realize the benefits of amounts we invest in new technologies, products, or services could result
in the value of those investments being written down or written off.
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We Face Risks Related to Successfully Optimizing and Operating Our Fulfillment !etwork and Data Centers
Failures to adequately predict customer demand or otherwise optimize and operate our fulfillment network and data centers
successfully from time to time result in excess or insufficient fulfillment or data center capacity, increased costs, and impairment
charges, any of which could materially harm our business. As we continue to add fulfillment and data center capability or add
new businesses with different requirements, our fulfillment and data center networks become increasingly complex and operating
them becomes more challenging. There can be no assurance that we will be able to operate our networks effectively.
In addition, failure to optimize inventory in our fulfillment network increases our net shipping cost by requiring long-zone
or partial shipments. We and our co-sourcers may be unable to adequately staff our fulfillment network and customer service
centers. Under some of our commercial agreements, we maintain the inventory of other companies, thereby increasing the
complexity of tracking inventory and operating our fulfillment network. Our failure to properly handle such inventory or the
inability of the other businesses on whose behalf we perform inventory fulfillment services to accurately forecast product
demand may result in us being unable to secure sufficient storage space or to optimize our fulfillment network or cause other
unexpected costs and other harm to our business and reputation.
We rely on a limited number of shipping companies to deliver inventory to us and completed orders to our customers. The
inability to negotiate acceptable terms with these companies or performance problems or other difficulties experienced by these
companies or by our own transportation systems could negatively impact our operating results and customer experience. In
addition, our ability to receive inbound inventory efficiently and ship completed orders to customers also may be negatively
affected by natural or man-made disasters, extreme weather, geopolitical events and security issues, labor or trade disputes, and
similar events.
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The Seasonality of Our Retail Business Places Increased Strain on Our Operations
We expect a disproportionate amount of our retail sales to occur during our fourth quarter. Our failure to stock or restock
popular products in sufficient amounts such that we fail to meet customer demand could significantly affect our revenue and our
future growth. When we overstock products, we may be required to take significant inventory markdowns or write-offs and incur
commitment costs, which could materially reduce profitability. We regularly experience increases in our net shipping cost due to
complimentary upgrades, split-shipments, and additional long-zone shipments necessary to ensure timely delivery for the holiday
season. If too many customers access our websites within a short period of time due to increased demand, we may experience
system interruptions that make our websites unavailable or prevent us from efficiently fulfilling orders, which may reduce the
volume of goods we offer or sell and the attractiveness of our products and services. In addition, we may be unable to adequately
staff our fulfillment network and customer service centers during these peak periods and delivery and other fulfillment companies
and customer service co-sourcers may be unable to meet the seasonal demand. Risks described elsewhere in this Item 1A
relating to fulfillment network optimization and inventory are magnified during periods of high demand.
We generally have payment terms with our retail vendors that extend beyond the amount of time necessary to collect
proceeds from our consumer customers. As a result of holiday sales, as of December 31 of each year, our cash, cash equivalents,
and marketable securities balances typically reach their highest level (other than as a result of cash flows provided by or used in
investing and financing activities). This operating cycle results in a corresponding increase in accounts payable as of
December 31. Our accounts payable balance generally declines during the first three months of the year, resulting in a
corresponding decline in our cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities balances.
Our Commercial Agreements, Strategic Alliances, and Other Business Relationships Expose Us to Risks
We provide physical, e-commerce, and omnichannel retail and other services to businesses through commercial
agreements, strategic alliances, and business relationships. Under these agreements, we provide web services, technology,
fulfillment, computing, digital storage, and other services, as well as enable sellers to offer products or services through our
stores. These arrangements are complex and require substantial infrastructure capacity, personnel, and other resource
commitments, which may limit the amount of business we can service. We may not be able to implement, maintain, and develop
the components of these commercial relationships, which may include web services, fulfillment, customer service, inventory
management, tax collection, payment processing, hardware, content, and third-party software, and engaging third parties to
perform services. The amount of compensation we receive under certain of our commercial agreements is partially dependent on
the volume of the other company’s sales. Therefore, when the other company’s offerings are not successful, the compensation we
receive may be lower than expected or the agreement may be terminated. Moreover, we may not be able to enter into additional
or alternative commercial relationships and strategic alliances on favorable terms. We also may be subject to claims from
businesses to which we provide these services if we are unsuccessful in implementing, maintaining, or developing these
services.
As our agreements terminate, we may be unable to renew or replace these agreements on comparable terms, or at all. We
may in the future enter into amendments on less favorable terms or encounter parties that have difficulty meeting their contractual
obligations to us, which could adversely affect our operating results.
Our present and future e-commerce services agreements, other commercial agreements, and strategic alliances create
additional risks such as:
• disruption of our ongoing business, including loss of management focus on existing businesses;
• impairment of other relationships;
• variability in revenue and income from entering into, amending, or terminating such agreements or relationships; and
• difficulty integrating under the commercial agreements.
Our Business Suffers When We Are Unsuccessful in Making, Integrating, and Maintaining Acquisitions and
Investments
We have acquired and invested in a number of companies, and we may in the future acquire or invest in or enter into joint
ventures with additional companies. These transactions create risks such as:
• disruption of our ongoing business, including loss of management focus on existing businesses;
• problems retaining key personnel;
• additional operating losses and expenses of the businesses we acquired or in which we invested;
• the potential impairment of tangible and intangible assets and goodwill, including as a result of acquisitions;
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• the potential impairment of customer and other relationships of the company we acquired or in which we invested or
our own customers as a result of any integration of operations;
• the difficulty of completing such transactions and achieving anticipated benefits within expected timeframes, or at all;
• the difficulty of incorporating acquired operations, technology, and rights into our offerings, and unanticipated
expenses related to such integration;
• the difficulty of integrating a new company’s accounting, financial reporting, management, information and information
security, human resource, and other administrative systems to permit effective management, and the lack of control if
such integration is delayed or not successfully implemented;
• losses we may incur as a result of declines in the value of an investment or as a result of incorporating an investee’s
financial performance into our financial results;
• for investments in which an investee’s financial performance is incorporated into our financial results, either in full or
in part, the dependence on the investee’s accounting, financial reporting, and similar systems, controls, and processes;
• the difficulty of implementing at companies we acquire the controls, procedures, and policies appropriate for a larger
public company;
• the risks associated with businesses we acquire or invest in, which may differ from or be more significant than the
risks our other businesses face;
• potential unknown liabilities associated with a company we acquire or in which we invest; and
• for foreign transactions, additional risks related to the integration of operations across different cultures and languages,
and the economic, political, and regulatory risks associated with specific countries.
As a result of future acquisitions or mergers, we might need to issue additional equity securities, spend our cash, or incur
debt, contingent liabilities, or amortization expenses related to intangible assets, any of which could reduce our profitability and
harm our business or only be available on unfavorable terms, if at all. In addition, valuations supporting our acquisitions and
strategic investments could change rapidly. We could determine that such valuations have experienced impairments or other-
than-temporary declines in fair value which could adversely impact our financial results.
The Loss of Key Senior Management Personnel or the Failure to Hire and Retain Highly Skilled and Other Key
Personnel Could !egatively Affect Our Business
We depend on our senior management and other key personnel, particularly Jeffrey P. Bezos, our President, CEO, and
Chairman. We do not have “key person” life insurance policies. We also rely on other highly skilled personnel. Competition for
qualified personnel in the technology industry has historically been intense, particularly for software engineers, computer
scientists, and other technical staff. The loss of any of our executive officers or other key employees or the inability to hire, train,
retain, and manage qualified personnel, could harm our business.
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although they did not have a material adverse effect on our operating results, there can be no assurance of a similar result in the
future. Although we have developed systems and processes that are designed to protect customer information and prevent such
incidents, including systems and processes designed to reduce the impact of a security breach at a third-party vendor or customer,
such measures cannot provide absolute security and may fail to operate as intended or be circumvented.
We Face Risks Related to Adequately Protecting Our Intellectual Property Rights and Being Accused of Infringing
Intellectual Property Rights of Third Parties
We regard our trademarks, service marks, copyrights, patents, trade dress, trade secrets, proprietary technology, and
similar intellectual property as critical to our success, and we rely on trademark, copyright, and patent law, trade secret
protection, and confidentiality and/or license agreements with our employees, customers, and others to protect our proprietary
rights. Effective intellectual property protection is not available in every country in which our products and services are made
available. We also may not be able to acquire or maintain appropriate domain names in all countries in which we do business.
Furthermore, regulations governing domain names may not protect our trademarks and similar proprietary rights. We may be
unable to prevent third parties from acquiring domain names that are similar to, infringe upon, or diminish the value of our
trademarks and other proprietary rights.
We are not always able to discover or determine the extent of any unauthorized use of our proprietary rights. Actions taken
by third parties that license our proprietary rights may materially diminish the value of our proprietary rights or reputation. The
protection of our intellectual property requires the expenditure of significant financial and managerial resources. Moreover, the
steps we take to protect our intellectual property do not always adequately protect our rights or prevent third parties from
infringing or misappropriating our proprietary rights. We also cannot be certain that others will not independently develop or
otherwise acquire equivalent or superior technology or other intellectual property rights.
We have been subject to, and expect to continue to be subject to, claims and legal proceedings regarding alleged
infringement by us of the intellectual property rights of third parties. Such claims, whether or not meritorious, have in the past,
and may in the future, result in the expenditure of significant financial and managerial resources, injunctions against us, or
significant payments for damages, including to satisfy indemnification obligations or to obtain licenses from third parties who
allege that we have infringed their rights. Such licenses may not be available on terms acceptable to us or at all. These risks have
been amplified by the increase in third parties whose sole or primary business is to assert such claims.
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Our digital content offerings depend in part on effective digital rights management technology to control access to digital
content. Breach or malfunctioning of the digital rights management technology that we use could subject us to claims, and content
providers may be unwilling to include their content in our service.
We Have a Rapidly Evolving Business Model and Our Stock Price Is Highly Volatile
We have a rapidly evolving business model. The trading price of our common stock fluctuates significantly in response to,
among other risks, the risks described elsewhere in this Item 1A, as well as:
• changes in interest rates;
• conditions or trends in the Internet and the industry segments we operate in;
• quarterly variations in operating results;
• fluctuations in the stock market in general and market prices for Internet-related companies in particular;
• changes in financial estimates by us or decisions to increase or decrease future spending or investment levels;
• changes in financial estimates and recommendations by securities analysts;
• changes in our capital structure, including issuance of additional debt or equity to the public;
• changes in the valuation methodology of, or performance by, other e-commerce or technology companies; and
• transactions in our common stock by major investors and certain analyst reports, news, and speculation.
Volatility in our stock price could adversely affect our business and financing opportunities and force us to increase our
cash compensation to employees or grant larger stock awards than we have historically, which could hurt our operating results or
reduce the percentage ownership of our existing stockholders, or both.
Government Regulation Is Evolving and Unfavorable Changes Could Harm Our Business
We are subject to general business regulations and laws, as well as regulations and laws specifically governing the
Internet, physical, e-commerce, and omnichannel retail, digital content, web services, electronic devices, artificial intelligence
technologies and services, and other products and services that we offer or sell. These regulations and laws cover taxation,
privacy, data protection, pricing, content, copyrights, distribution, transportation, mobile communications, electronic device
certification, electronic waste, energy consumption, environmental regulation, electronic contracts and other communications,
competition, consumer protection, employment, trade and protectionist measures, web services, the provision of online payment
services, registration, licensing, and information reporting requirements, unencumbered Internet access to our services or access
to our facilities, the design and operation of websites, health, safety, and sanitation standards, the characteristics, legality, and
quality of products and services, product labeling, the commercial operation of unmanned aircraft systems, and other matters. It is
not clear how existing laws governing issues such as property ownership, libel, data protection, and personal privacy apply to
aspects of our operations such as the Internet, e-commerce, digital content, web services, electronic devices, and artificial
intelligence technologies and services. A large number of jurisdictions regulate our operations, and the extent, nature, and scope
of such regulations is evolving and expanding as the scope of our businesses expand. We are regularly subject to formal and
informal reviews and investigations by governments and regulatory authorities under existing laws, regulations, or interpretations
or pursuing new and novel approaches to regulate our operations. For example, the European Commission announced that it has
opened an investigation to assess whether aspects of our operations with marketplace sellers violate EU competition rules.
Unfavorable regulations, laws, decisions, or interpretations by government or regulatory authorities applying those laws and
regulations, or inquiries, investigations, or enforcement actions threatened or initiated by them, could cause us to incur substantial
costs, expose us to unanticipated civil and criminal liability or penalties (including substantial monetary fines), diminish the
demand for, or availability of, our products and services, increase our cost of doing business, require us to change our business
practices in a manner materially adverse to our business, damage our reputation, impede our growth, or otherwise have a
material effect on our operations.
Claims, Litigation, Government Investigations, and Other Proceedings May Adversely Affect Our Business and Results
of Operations
As an innovative company offering a wide range of consumer and business products and services around the world, we are
regularly subject to actual and threatened claims, litigation, reviews, investigations, and other proceedings, including
proceedings by governments and regulatory authorities, involving a wide range of issues, including patent and other intellectual
property matters, taxes, labor and employment, competition and antitrust, privacy and data protection, consumer protection,
commercial disputes, goods and services offered by us and by third parties, and other matters. The number and scale of these
proceedings have increased over time as our businesses have expanded in scope and geographic reach and our products,
services, and operations have become more complex and available to, and used by, more people. Any of these types of
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proceedings can have an adverse effect on us because of legal costs, disruption of our operations, diversion of management
resources, negative publicity, and other factors. The outcomes of these matters are inherently unpredictable and subject to
significant uncertainties. Determining legal reserves or possible losses from such matters involves judgment and may not reflect
the full range of uncertainties and unpredictable outcomes. Until the final resolution of such matters, we may be exposed to losses
in excess of the amount recorded, and such amounts could be material. Should any of our estimates and assumptions change or
prove to have been incorrect, it could have a material effect on our business, consolidated financial position, results of
operations, or cash flows. In addition, it is possible that a resolution of one or more such proceedings, including as a result of a
settlement, could involve licenses, sanctions, consent decrees, or orders requiring us to make substantial future payments,
preventing us from offering certain products or services, requiring us to change our business practices in a manner materially
adverse to our business, requiring development of non-infringing or otherwise altered products or technologies, damaging our
reputation, or otherwise having a material effect on our operations.
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terms, intellectual property rights of others, or our Supply Chain Standards, as well as products or practices regarded as
unethical, unsafe, or hazardous, could expose us to claims, damage our reputation, limit our growth, and negatively affect our
operating results.
We Are Subject to Risks Related to Government Contracts and Related Procurement Regulations
Our contracts with U.S., as well as state, local, and foreign, government entities are subject to various procurement
regulations and other requirements relating to their formation, administration, and performance. We are subject to audits and
investigations relating to our government contracts, and any violations could result in various civil and criminal penalties and
administrative sanctions, including termination of contract, refunding or suspending of payments, forfeiture of profits, payment of
fines, and suspension or debarment from future government business. In addition, some of these contracts provide for termination
by the government at any time, without cause.
We Are Subject to Product Liability Claims When People or Property Are Harmed by the Products We Sell or
Manufacture
Some of the products we sell or manufacture expose us to product liability or food safety claims relating to personal injury
or illness, death, or environmental or property damage, and can require product recalls or other actions. Third parties who sell
products using our services and stores increase our exposure to product liability claims, such as when these sellers do not have
sufficient protection from such claims. Although we maintain liability insurance, we cannot be certain that our coverage will be
adequate for liabilities actually incurred or that insurance will continue to be available to us on economically reasonable terms,
or at all. Although we impose contractual terms on sellers that are intended to prohibit sales of certain type of products, we may
not be able to detect, enforce, or collect sufficient damages for breaches of such agreements. In addition, some of our agreements
with our vendors and sellers do not indemnify us from product liability.
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goods in an unlawful or unethical manner, violating the proprietary rights of others, or otherwise violating our policies. When
these policies and processes are circumvented or fail to operate sufficiently, it can harm our business or damage our reputation
and we could face civil or criminal liability for unlawful activities by our sellers. Under our A2Z Guarantee, we reimburse
buyers for payments up to certain limits in these situations, and as our third-party seller sales grow, the cost of this program will
increase and could negatively affect our operating results.
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Item 2. Properties
As of December 31, 2019, we operated the following facilities (in thousands):
We own and lease our corporate headquarters in Seattle, Washington and Arlington, Virginia.
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PART II
Item 5. Market for the Registrant’s Common Stock, Related Shareholder Matters, and Issuer Purchases of Equity
Securities
Market Information
Our common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “AMZN.”
Holders
As of January 22, 2020, there were 3,169 shareholders of record of our common stock, although there is a much larger
number of beneficial owners.
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December 31,
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 (4)
(in millions)
Balance Sheets:
Total assets $ 64,747 $ 83,402 $ 131,310 $ 162,648 $ 225,248
Total long-term obligations $ 17,477 $ 20,301 $ 45,718 $ 50,708 $ 75,376
___________________
(1) We acquired Whole Foods Market on August 28, 2017. The results of Whole Foods Market have been included in our
results of operation from the date of acquisition.
(2) For further discussion of earnings per share, see Item 8 of Part II, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data — Note 1
— Description of Business and Accounting Policies.”
(3) As a result of the adoption of new accounting guidance, we retrospectively adjusted our consolidated statements of cash
flows to add restricted cash to cash and cash equivalents, which restated cash provided by operating activities by $(130)
million, $(69) million, and $(69) million in 2015, 2016, and 2017. See Item 8 of Part II, “Financial Statements and
Supplementary Data — Note 1 — Description of Business and Accounting Policies” for additional information.
(4) As a result of the adoption of new accounting guidance on January 1, 2019, we recognized lease assets and liabilities for
operating leases with terms of more than twelve months. Prior period amounts were not adjusted and continue to be reported
in accordance with our historic accounting policies. See Item 8 of Part II, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data —
Note 1 — Description of Business and Accounting Policies” for additional information.
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Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Forward-Looking Statements
This Annual Report on Form 10-K includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact, including statements regarding guidance,
industry prospects, or future results of operations or financial position, made in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are forward-
looking. We use words such as anticipates, believes, expects, future, intends, and similar expressions to identify forward-looking
statements. Forward-looking statements reflect management’s current expectations and are inherently uncertain. Actual results
could differ materially for a variety of reasons, including, among others, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, changes in global
economic conditions and customer spending, world events, the rate of growth of the Internet, online commerce, and cloud
services, the amount that Amazon.com invests in new business opportunities and the timing of those investments, the mix of
products and services sold to customers, the mix of net sales derived from products as compared with services, the extent to
which we owe income or other taxes, competition, management of growth, potential fluctuations in operating results, international
growth and expansion, the outcomes of claims, litigation, government investigations, and other proceedings, fulfillment, sortation,
delivery, and data center optimization, risks of inventory management, seasonality, the degree to which we enter into, maintain,
and develop commercial agreements, proposed and completed acquisitions and strategic transactions, payments risks, and risks
of fulfillment throughput and productivity. In addition, the global economic climate amplifies many of these risks. These risks and
uncertainties, as well as other risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ significantly from management’s
expectations, are described in greater detail in Item 1A of Part I, “Risk Factors.”
Overview
Our primary source of revenue is the sale of a wide range of products and services to customers. The products offered
through our stores include merchandise and content we have purchased for resale and products offered by third-party sellers, and
we also manufacture and sell electronic devices and produce media content. Generally, we recognize gross revenue from items
we sell from our inventory as product sales and recognize our net share of revenue of items sold by third-party sellers as service
sales. We seek to increase unit sales across our stores, through increased product selection, across numerous product categories.
We also offer other services such as compute, storage, and database offerings, fulfillment, advertising, publishing, and digital
content subscriptions.
Our financial focus is on long-term, sustainable growth in free cash flows1. Free cash flows are driven primarily by
increasing operating income and efficiently managing working capital2 and cash capital expenditures, including our decision to
purchase or lease property and equipment. Increases in operating income primarily result from increases in sales of products and
services and efficiently managing our operating costs, partially offset by investments we make in longer-term strategic initiatives,
including capital expenditures focused on improving the customer experience. To increase sales of products and services, we
focus on improving all aspects of the customer experience, including lowering prices, improving availability, offering faster
delivery and performance times, increasing selection, producing original content, increasing product categories and service
offerings, expanding product information, improving ease of use, improving reliability, and earning customer trust.
We seek to reduce our variable costs per unit and work to leverage our fixed costs. Our variable costs include product
and content costs, payment processing and related transaction costs, picking, packaging, and preparing orders for shipment,
transportation, customer service support, costs necessary to run AWS, and a portion of our marketing costs. Our fixed costs
include the costs necessary to build and run our technology infrastructure; to build, enhance, and add features to our online stores,
web services, electronic devices, and digital offerings; and to build and optimize our fulfillment and delivery networks and
related facilities. Variable costs generally change directly with sales volume, while fixed costs generally are dependent on the
timing of capacity needs, geographic expansion, category expansion, and other factors. To decrease our variable costs on a per
unit basis and enable us to lower prices for customers, we seek to increase our direct sourcing, increase discounts from
suppliers, and reduce defects in our processes. To minimize unnecessary growth in fixed costs, we seek to improve process
efficiencies and maintain a lean culture.
_______________________
(1) See “Results of Operations — Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below for additional information on our non-GAAP free
cash flows financial measures.
(2) Working capital consists of accounts receivable, inventory, and accounts payable.
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Because of our model we are able to turn our inventory quickly and have a cash-generating operating cycle3. On
average, our high inventory velocity means we generally collect from consumers before our payments to suppliers come due. We
expect variability in inventory turnover over time since it is affected by numerous factors, including our product mix, the mix of
sales by us and by third-party sellers, our continuing focus on in-stock inventory availability and selection of product offerings,
our investment in new geographies and product lines, and the extent to which we choose to utilize third-party fulfillment
providers. We also expect some variability in accounts payable days over time since they are affected by several factors,
including the mix of product sales, the mix of sales by third-party sellers, the mix of suppliers, seasonality, and changes in
payment terms over time, including the effect of balancing pricing and timing of payment terms with suppliers.
We expect spending in technology and content will increase over time as we add computer scientists, designers,
software and hardware engineers, and merchandising employees. Our technology and content investment and capital
spending projects often support a variety of product and service offerings due to geographic expansion and the cross-
functionality of our systems and operations. We seek to invest efficiently in several areas of technology and content,
including AWS, and expansion of new and existing product categories and service offerings, as well as in technology
infrastructure to enhance the customer experience and improve our process efficiencies. We believe that advances in
technology, specifically the speed and reduced cost of processing power, the advances of wireless connectivity, and the practical
applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning, will continue to improve the consumer experience on the Internet and
increase its ubiquity in people’s lives. To best take advantage of these continued advances in technology, we are investing in
initiatives to build and deploy innovative and efficient software and electronic devices. We are also investing in AWS, which
offers a broad set of global compute, storage, database, and other service offerings to developers and enterprises of all sizes.
We seek to efficiently manage shareholder dilution while maintaining the flexibility to issue shares for strategic
purposes, such as financings, acquisitions, and aligning employee compensation with shareholders’ interests. We utilize
restricted stock units as our primary vehicle for equity compensation because we believe this compensation model aligns the
long-term interests of our shareholders and employees. In measuring shareholder dilution, we include all vested and unvested
stock awards outstanding, without regard to estimated forfeitures. Total shares outstanding plus outstanding stock awards were
507 million and 512 million as of December 31, 2018 and 2019.
Our financial reporting currency is the U.S. Dollar and changes in foreign exchange rates significantly affect our
reported results and consolidated trends. For example, if the U.S. Dollar weakens year-over-year relative to currencies in our
international locations, our consolidated net sales and operating expenses will be higher than if currencies had remained
constant. Likewise, if the U.S. Dollar strengthens year-over-year relative to currencies in our international locations, our
consolidated net sales and operating expenses will be lower than if currencies had remained constant. We believe that our
increasing diversification beyond the U.S. economy through our growing international businesses benefits our shareholders over
the long-term. We also believe it is useful to evaluate our operating results and growth rates before and after the effect of
currency changes.
In addition, the remeasurement of our intercompany balances can result in significant gains and losses associated with the
effect of movements in foreign currency exchange rates. Currency volatilities may continue, which may significantly impact
(either positively or negatively) our reported results and consolidated trends and comparisons.
For additional information about each line item addressed above, refer to Item 8 of Part II, “Financial Statements and
Supplementary Data — Note 1 — Description of Business and Accounting Policies.”
Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 includes a discussion and analysis of our
financial condition and results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2017 in Item 7 of Part II, “Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”
_______________________
(3) The operating cycle is the number of days of sales in inventory plus the number of days of sales in accounts receivable minus
accounts payable days.
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Inventories
Inventories, consisting of products available for sale, are primarily accounted for using the first-in first-out method, and are
valued at the lower of cost and net realizable value. This valuation requires us to make judgments, based on currently available
information, about the likely method of disposition, such as through sales to individual customers, returns to product vendors, or
liquidations, and expected recoverable values of each disposition category. These assumptions about future disposition of
inventory are inherently uncertain and changes in our estimates and assumptions may cause us to realize material write-downs in
the future. As a measure of sensitivity, for every 1% of additional inventory valuation allowance as of December 31, 2019, we
would have recorded an additional cost of sales of approximately $230 million.
In addition, we enter into supplier commitments for certain electronic device components and certain products. These
commitments are based on forecasted customer demand. If we reduce these commitments, we may incur additional costs.
Income Taxes
We are subject to income taxes in the U.S. (federal and state) and numerous foreign jurisdictions. Tax laws, regulations,
administrative practices, principles, and interpretations in various jurisdictions may be subject to significant change, with or
without notice, due to economic, political, and other conditions, and significant judgment is required in evaluating and estimating
our provision and accruals for these taxes. There are many transactions that occur during the ordinary course of business for
which the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. Our effective tax rates could be affected by numerous factors, such as changes
in our business operations, acquisitions, investments, entry into new businesses and geographies, intercompany transactions, the
relative amount of our foreign earnings, including earnings being lower than anticipated in jurisdictions where we have lower
statutory rates and higher than anticipated in jurisdictions where we have higher statutory rates, losses incurred in jurisdictions
for which we are not able to realize related tax benefits, the applicability of special tax regimes, changes in foreign currency
exchange rates, changes in our stock price, changes in our deferred tax assets and liabilities and their valuation, changes in the
laws, regulations, administrative practices, principles, and interpretations related to tax, including changes to the global tax
framework, competition, and other laws and accounting rules in various jurisdictions. In addition, a number of countries are
actively pursuing changes to their tax laws applicable to corporate multinationals, such as the U.S. tax reform legislation
commonly known as the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the “U.S. Tax Act”). Finally, foreign governments may enact tax
laws in response to the U.S. Tax Act that could result in further changes to global taxation and materially affect our financial
position and results of operations.
The U.S. Tax Act significantly changed how the U.S. taxes corporations. The U.S. Tax Act requires complex computations
to be performed that were not previously required by U.S. tax law, significant judgments to be made in interpretation of the
provisions of the U.S. Tax Act, significant estimates in calculations, and the preparation and analysis of information not
previously relevant or regularly produced. The U.S. Treasury Department, the IRS, and other standard-setting bodies will
continue to interpret or issue guidance on how provisions of the U.S. Tax Act will be applied or otherwise administered. As
future guidance is issued, we may make adjustments to amounts that we have previously recorded that may materially impact our
provision for income taxes in the period in which the adjustments are made.
We are also currently subject to tax controversies in various jurisdictions, and these jurisdictions may assess additional
income tax liabilities against us. Developments in an audit, investigation, or other tax controversy could have a material effect on
our operating results or cash flows in the period or periods for which that development occurs, as well as for prior and
subsequent periods. We regularly assess the likelihood of an adverse outcome resulting from these proceedings to determine the
adequacy of our tax accruals. Although we believe our tax estimates are reasonable, the final outcome of audits, investigations,
and any other tax controversies could be materially different from our historical income tax provisions and accruals.
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Our principal sources of liquidity are cash flows generated from operations and our cash, cash equivalents, and marketable
securities balances, which, at fair value, were $41.3 billion and $55.0 billion as of December 31, 2018 and 2019. Amounts held
in foreign currencies were $13.8 billion and $15.3 billion as of December 31, 2018 and 2019, and were primarily Euros, British
Pounds, and Japanese Yen.
Cash provided by (used in) operating activities was $30.7 billion and $38.5 billion in 2018 and 2019. Our operating cash
flows result primarily from cash received from our consumer, seller, developer, enterprise, and content creator customers, and
advertisers, offset by cash payments we make for products and services, employee compensation, payment processing and
related transaction costs, operating leases, and interest payments on our long-term obligations. Cash received from our customers
and other activities generally corresponds to our net sales. Because consumers primarily use credit cards to buy from us, our
receivables from consumers settle quickly. The increase in operating cash flow in 2019, compared to the prior year, is primarily
due to the increase in net income, excluding non-cash charges such as depreciation, amortization, and stock-based compensation.
Cash provided by (used in) operating activities is also subject to changes in working capital. Working capital at any specific
point in time is subject to many variables, including seasonality, inventory management and category expansion, the timing of
cash receipts and payments, vendor payment terms, and fluctuations in foreign exchange rates.
Cash provided by (used in) investing activities corresponds with cash capital expenditures, including leasehold
improvements, incentives received from property and equipment vendors, proceeds from asset sales, cash outlays for
acquisitions, investments in other companies and intellectual property rights, and purchases, sales, and maturities of marketable
securities. Cash provided by (used in) investing activities was $(12.4) billion and $(24.3) billion in 2018 and 2019, with the
variability caused primarily by our decision to purchase or lease property and equipment and purchases, maturities, and sales of
marketable securities. Cash capital expenditures were $11.3 billion, and $12.7 billion in 2018 and 2019, which primarily reflect
additional capacity to support our fulfillment operations and additional investments in support of continued business growth in
technology infrastructure (the majority of which is to support AWS). We made cash payments, net of acquired cash, related to
acquisition and other investment activity of $2.2 billion and $2.5 billion in 2018 and 2019.
Cash provided by (used in) financing activities was $(7.7) billion and $(10.1) billion in 2018 and 2019. Cash outflows
from financing activities result from principal repayments of finance leases and financing obligations and repayments of
long-term debt and other, and were $8.5 billion and $12.3 billion in 2018 and 2019. Property and equipment acquired under
finance leases was $10.6 billion and $13.7 billion in 2018 and 2019, with the increase reflecting investments in support of
continued business growth primarily due to investments in technology infrastructure for AWS, which investments we expect to
continue over time.
We had no borrowings outstanding under the commercial paper program (the “Commercial Paper Program”) or unsecured
revolving credit facility (the “Credit Agreement”) and $740 million of borrowings outstanding under our $740 million secured
revolving credit facility (the “Credit Facility”) as of December 31, 2019. See Item 8 of Part II, “Financial Statements and
Supplementary Data — Note 6 — Debt” for additional information.
In 2018 and 2019, we recorded net tax provisions of $1.2 billion and $2.4 billion. Certain foreign subsidiary earnings are
subject to U.S. taxation under the U.S. Tax Act, which also repeals U.S. taxation on the subsequent repatriation of those earnings.
We intend to invest substantially all of our foreign subsidiary earnings, as well as our capital in our foreign
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subsidiaries, indefinitely outside of the U.S. in those jurisdictions in which we would incur significant, additional costs upon
repatriation of such amounts. As of December 31, 2019, cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities held by foreign
subsidiaries was $13.4 billion.
Tax benefits relating to excess stock-based compensation deductions and accelerated depreciation deductions are reducing
our U.S. taxable income. The U.S. Tax Act enhanced and extended accelerated depreciation deductions by allowing full
expensing of qualified property, primarily equipment, through 2022. Cash taxes paid (net of refunds) were $1.2 billion and $881
million for 2018 and 2019. As of December 31, 2019, we had approximately $1.7 billion of federal tax credits potentially
available to offset future tax liabilities. Our federal tax credits are primarily related to the U.S. federal research and development
credit. As we utilize our federal tax credits we expect cash paid for taxes to increase. We endeavor to manage our global taxes
on a cash basis, rather than on a financial reporting basis. In connection with the European Commission’s October 2017 decision
against us on state aid, Luxembourg tax authorities computed an initial recovery amount, consistent with the European
Commission’s decision, of approximately €250 million, that we deposited into escrow in March 2018, subject to adjustment
pending conclusion of all appeals.
Our liquidity is also affected by restricted cash balances that are pledged as collateral for real estate leases, amounts due
to third-party sellers in certain jurisdictions, debt, and standby and trade letters of credit. To the extent we process payments for
third-party sellers or offer certain types of stored value to our customers, some jurisdictions may restrict our use of those funds.
These restrictions would result in the reclassification of a portion of our cash and cash equivalents from “Cash and cash
equivalents” to restricted cash, which is classified within “Accounts receivable, net and other” and “Other assets” on our
consolidated balance sheets. As of December 31, 2018 and 2019, restricted cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities
were $426 million and $321 million. See Item 8 of Part II, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data — Note 7 —
Commitments and Contingencies” for additional discussion of our principal contractual commitments, as well as our pledged
assets. Additionally, purchase obligations and open purchase orders, consisting of inventory and significant non-inventory
commitments, were $15.7 billion as of December 31, 2019. These purchase obligations and open purchase orders are generally
cancellable in full or in part through the contractual provisions.
We believe that cash flows generated from operations and our cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities balances,
as well as our borrowing arrangements, will be sufficient to meet our anticipated operating cash needs for at least the next twelve
months. However, any projections of future cash needs and cash flows are subject to substantial uncertainty. See Item 1A of Part
I, “Risk Factors.” We continually evaluate opportunities to sell additional equity or debt securities, obtain credit facilities,
obtain finance and operating lease arrangements, enter into financing obligations, repurchase common stock, pay dividends, or
repurchase, refinance, or otherwise restructure our debt for strategic reasons or to further strengthen our financial position.
The sale of additional equity or convertible debt securities would likely be dilutive to our shareholders. In addition, we
will, from time to time, consider the acquisition of, or investment in, complementary businesses, products, services, capital
infrastructure, and technologies, which might affect our liquidity requirements or cause us to secure additional financing, or issue
additional equity or debt securities. There can be no assurance that additional credit lines or financing instruments will be
available in amounts or on terms acceptable to us, if at all.
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Results of Operations
We have organized our operations into three segments: North America, International, and AWS. These segments reflect the
way the Company evaluates its business performance and manages its operations. See Item 8 of Part II, “Financial Statements and
Supplementary Data — Note 10 — Segment Information.”
2et Sales
Net sales include product and service sales. Product sales represent revenue from the sale of products and related shipping
fees and digital media content where we record revenue gross. Service sales primarily represent third-party seller fees, which
includes commissions and any related fulfillment and shipping fees, AWS sales, Amazon Prime membership fees, advertising
services, and certain digital content subscriptions. Net sales information is as follows (in millions):
Sales increased 20% in 2019, compared to the prior year. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates impacted net sales
by $1.3 billion and $(2.6) billion for 2018 and 2019. For a discussion of the effect on sales growth of foreign exchange rates, see
“Effect of Foreign Exchange Rates” below.
North America sales increased 21% in 2019, compared to the prior year. The sales growth primarily reflects increased
unit sales, including sales by third-party sellers. Increased unit sales were driven largely by our continued efforts to reduce
prices for our customers, including from our shipping offers, increased in-stock inventory availability, and increased selection.
International sales increased 13% in 2019, compared to the prior year. The sales growth primarily reflects increased unit
sales, including sales by third-party sellers. Increased unit sales were driven largely by our continued efforts to reduce prices for
our customers, including from our shipping offers, increased in-stock inventory availability, and increased selection. Changes in
foreign currency exchange rates impacted International net sales by $1.3 billion and $(2.4) billion in 2018 and 2019.
AWS sales increased 37% in 2019, compared to the prior year. The sales growth primarily reflects increased customer
usage, partially offset by pricing changes. Pricing changes were driven largely by our continued efforts to reduce prices for our
customers.
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Operating income was $12.4 billion and $14.5 billion for 2018 and 2019. We believe that operating income (loss) is a
more meaningful measure than gross profit and gross margin due to the diversity of our product categories and services.
The decrease in North America operating income in absolute dollars in 2019, compared to the prior year, is primarily due
to increased shipping costs and marketing expense, partially offset by increased unit sales, including sales by third-party sellers,
and advertising sales and slower growth in certain operating expenses. Changes in foreign exchange rates impacted operating
income by $17 million and $23 million for 2018 and 2019.
The decrease in International operating loss in absolute dollars in 2019, compared to the prior year, is primarily due to
increased unit sales, including sales by third-party sellers, and advertising sales, and slower growth in certain operating
expenses, partially offset by increased marketing expense. Changes in foreign exchange rates impacted operating loss by $258
million and $(116) million for 2018 and 2019.
The increase in AWS operating income in absolute dollars in 2019, compared to the prior year, is primarily due to
increased customer usage and cost structure productivity, partially offset by pricing changes and increased spending on
technology infrastructure and payroll and related expenses, which was primarily driven by additional investments to support the
business growth. Changes in foreign exchange rates impacted operating income by $(49) million and $273 million for 2018 and
2019.
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Operating Expenses
Information about operating expenses is as follows (in millions):
Cost of Sales
Cost of sales primarily consists of the purchase price of consumer products, inbound and outbound shipping costs,
including costs related to sortation and delivery centers and where we are the transportation service provider, and digital media
content costs where we record revenue gross, including video and music.
The increase in cost of sales in absolute dollars in 2019, compared to the prior year, is primarily due to increased product
and shipping costs resulting from increased sales.
Shipping costs to receive products from our suppliers are included in our inventory and recognized as cost of sales upon
sale of products to our customers. Shipping costs, which include sortation and delivery centers and transportation costs, were
$27.7 billion and $37.9 billion in 2018 and 2019. We expect our cost of shipping to continue to increase to the extent our
customers accept and use our shipping offers at an increasing rate, we reduce shipping rates, we use more expensive shipping
methods, including faster delivery, and we offer additional services. We seek to mitigate costs of shipping over time in part
through achieving higher sales volumes, optimizing our fulfillment network, negotiating better terms with our suppliers, and
achieving better operating efficiencies. We believe that offering low prices to our customers is fundamental to our future success,
and one way we offer lower prices is through shipping offers.
Costs to operate our AWS segment are primarily classified as “Technology and content” as we leverage a shared
infrastructure that supports both our internal technology requirements and external sales to AWS customers.
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Fulfillment
Fulfillment costs primarily consist of those costs incurred in operating and staffing our North America and International
fulfillment centers, physical stores, and customer service centers and payment processing costs. While AWS payment processing
and related transaction costs are included in fulfillment, AWS costs are primarily classified as “Technology and content.”
Fulfillment costs as a percentage of net sales may vary due to several factors, such as payment processing and related transaction
costs, our level of productivity and accuracy, changes in volume, size, and weight of units received and fulfilled, the extent to
which third party sellers utilize Fulfillment by Amazon services, timing of fulfillment network and physical store expansion, the
extent we utilize fulfillment services provided by third parties, mix of products and services sold, and our ability to affect
customer service contacts per unit by implementing improvements in our operations and enhancements to our customer
self-service features. Additionally, because payment processing costs associated with seller transactions are based on the gross
purchase price of underlying transactions, and payment processing and related transaction costs are higher as a percentage of
sales versus our retail sales, sales by our sellers have higher payment processing costs as a percent of net sales.
The increase in fulfillment costs in absolute dollars in 2019, compared to the prior year, is primarily due to variable costs
corresponding with increased product and service sales volume and inventory levels and costs from expanding our fulfillment
network, which includes physical stores.
We seek to expand our fulfillment network to accommodate a greater selection and in-stock inventory levels and to meet
anticipated shipment volumes from sales of our own products as well as sales by third parties for which we provide the
fulfillment services. We regularly evaluate our facility requirements.
Marketing
Marketing costs include advertising and payroll and related expenses for personnel engaged in marketing and selling
activities, including sales commissions related to AWS. We direct customers to our stores primarily through a number of
marketing channels, such as our sponsored search, third party customer referrals, social and online advertising, television
advertising, and other initiatives. Our marketing costs are largely variable, based on growth in sales and changes in rates. To the
extent there is increased or decreased competition for these traffic sources, or to the extent our mix of these channels shifts, we
would expect to see a corresponding change in our marketing costs.
The increase in marketing costs in absolute dollars in 2019, compared to the prior year, is primarily due to increased
spending on marketing channels, as well as payroll and related expenses for personnel engaged in marketing and selling
activities.
While costs associated with Amazon Prime memberships and other shipping offers are not included in marketing expense,
we view these offers as effective worldwide marketing tools, and intend to continue offering them indefinitely.
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Income Taxes
Our effective tax rate is subject to significant variation due to several factors, including variability in our pre-tax and
taxable income and loss and the mix of jurisdictions to which they relate, intercompany transactions, the applicability of special
tax regimes, changes in how we do business, acquisitions, investments, audit-related developments, changes in our stock price,
changes in our deferred tax assets and liabilities and their valuation, foreign currency gains (losses), changes in statutes,
regulations, case law, and administrative practices, principles, and interpretations related to tax, including changes to the global
tax framework, competition, and other laws and accounting rules in various jurisdictions, and relative changes of expenses or
losses for which tax benefits are not recognized. Additionally, our effective tax rate can be more or less volatile based on the
amount of pre-tax income or loss. For example, the impact of discrete items and non-deductible expenses on our effective tax rate
is greater when our pre-tax income is lower.
We recorded a provision for income taxes of $1.2 billion and $2.4 billion in 2018 and 2019. Our provision for income
taxes in 2019 was higher than in 2018 primarily due to an increase in U.S. pre-tax income, a decline in excess tax benefits from
stock-based compensation, and the one-time provisional tax benefit of the U.S. Tax Act recognized in 2018.
Tax benefits relating to excess stock-based compensation deductions and accelerated depreciation deductions are reducing
our U.S. taxable income. The U.S. Tax Act enhanced and extended accelerated depreciation deductions by allowing full
expensing of qualified property, primarily equipment, through 2022. As of December 31, 2019, we had approximately $1.7
billion of federal tax credits potentially available to offset future tax liabilities. Our federal tax credits are primarily related to
the U.S. federal research and development credit.
See Item 8 of Part II, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data — Note 9 — Income Taxes” for additional
information.
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Free Cash Flow Less Principal Repayments of Finance Leases and Financing Obligations
Free cash flow less principal repayments of finance leases and financing obligations is free cash flow reduced by
“Principal repayments of finance leases” and “Principal repayments of financing obligations.” Principal repayments of finance
leases and financing obligations approximates the actual payments of cash for our finance leases and financing obligations. The
following is a reconciliation of free cash flow less principal repayments of finance leases and financing obligations to the most
comparable GAAP cash flow measure, “Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities,” for 2018 and 2019 (in millions):
Year Ended December 31,
2018 2019
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities $ 30,723 $ 38,514
Purchases of property and equipment, net of proceeds from sales and incentives (11,323) (12,689)
Free cash flow 19,400 25,825
Principal repayments of finance leases (1) (7,449) (9,628)
Principal repayments of financing obligations (1) (337) (27)
Free cash flow less principal repayments of finance leases and financing obligations $ 11,614 $ 16,170
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Free Cash Flow Less Equipment Finance Leases and Principal Repayments of All Other Finance Leases and Financing
Obligations
Free cash flow less equipment finance leases and principal repayments of all other finance leases and financing obligations
is free cash flow reduced by equipment acquired under finance leases, which is included in “Property and equipment acquired
under finance leases,” principal repayments of all other finance lease liabilities, which is included in “Principal repayments of
finance leases,” and “Principal repayments of financing obligations.” All other finance lease liabilities and financing obligations
consists of property. In this measure, equipment acquired under finance leases is reflected as if these assets had been purchased
with cash, which is not the case as these assets have been leased. The following is a reconciliation of free cash flow less
equipment finance leases and principal repayments of all other finance leases and financing obligations to the most comparable
GAAP cash flow measure, “Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities,” for 2018 and 2019 (in millions):
Year Ended December 31,
2018 2019
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities $ 30,723 $ 38,514
Purchases of property and equipment, net of proceeds from sales and incentives (11,323) (12,689)
Free cash flow 19,400 25,825
Equipment acquired under finance leases (1) (10,615) (12,916)
Principal repayments of all other finance leases (2) — (392)
Principal repayments of financing obligations (337) (27)
Free cash flow less equipment finance leases and principal repayments of all other finance
leases and financing obligations $ 8,448 $ 12,490
All of these free cash flows measures have limitations as they omit certain components of the overall cash flow statement
and do not represent the residual cash flow available for discretionary expenditures. For example, these measures of free cash
flows do not incorporate the portion of payments representing principal reductions of debt or cash payments for business
acquisitions. Additionally, our mix of property and equipment acquisitions with cash or other financing options may change over
time. Therefore, we believe it is important to view free cash flows measures only as a complement to our entire consolidated
statements of cash flows.
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Year Ended December 31, 2018 Year Ended December 31, 2019
Exchange At Prior Exchange At Prior
As Rate Year As Rate Year
Reported Effect (1) Rates (2) Reported Effect (1) Rates (2)
Net sales $ 232,887 $ (1,253) $231,634 $ 280,522 $ 2,560 $ 283,082
Operating expenses 220,466 (1,027) 219,439 265,981 2,740 268,721
Operating income 12,421 (226) 12,195 14,541 (180) 14,361
___________________
(1) Represents the change in reported amounts resulting from changes in foreign exchange rates from those in effect in the
comparable prior year period for operating results.
(2) Represents the outcome that would have resulted had foreign exchange rates in the reported period been the same as those in
effect in the comparable prior year period for operating results.
Guidance
We provided guidance on January 30, 2020, in our earnings release furnished on Form 8-K as set forth below. These
forward-looking statements reflect Amazon.com’s expectations as of January 30, 2020, and are subject to substantial uncertainty.
Our results are inherently unpredictable and may be materially affected by many factors, such as fluctuations in foreign exchange
rates, changes in global economic conditions and customer spending, world events, the rate of growth of the Internet, online
commerce, and cloud services, as well as those outlined in Item 1A of Part I, “Risk Factors.”
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Estimated
Fair Value as
of December
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Thereafter Total 31, 2019
Money market funds $ 18,850 $ — $ — $ — $ — $ — $ 18,850 $ 18,850
Weighted average
interest rate 1.09% —% —% —% —% —% 1.09%
Corporate debt securities 7,629 2,988 1,052 152 8 — 11,829 11,881
Weighted average
interest rate 2.29% 2.63% 2.57% 2.38% 2.90% —% 2.41%
U.S. government and agency
securities 4,893 1,634 486 43 16 — 7,072 7,080
Weighted average
interest rate 1.64% 2.09% 2.01% 2.29% 2.03% —% 1.77%
Asset-backed securities 1,492 546 180 95 38 — 2,351 2,360
Weighted average
interest rate 2.57% 2.52% 2.53% 2.29% 2.52% —% 2.54%
Foreign government and
agency securities 4,630 168 4 — 2 — 4,804 4,794
Weighted average
interest rate 1.90% 2.57% 2.08% —% 2.30% —% 1.92%
Other fixed income securities 93 94 129 75 — — 391 394
Weighted average
interest rate 2.39% 2.32% 2.10% 1.92% —% —% 2.19%
$ 37,587 $ 5,430 $ 1,851 $ 365 $ 64 $ — $ 45,297
Cash equivalents and
marketable fixed income
securities $ 45,359
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As of December 31, 2019, we had $24.8 billion of debt, including the current portion, primarily consisting of the following
fixed rate unsecured debt (in millions):
Based upon quoted market prices and Level 2 inputs, the fair value of our total debt was $27.8 billion as of December 31,
2019.
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Page
Report of Ernst & Young LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm 35
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows 37
Consolidated Statements of Operations 38
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income 39
Consolidated Balance Sheets 40
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity 41
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 42
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Auditing the measurement of the Company’s tax contingencies was challenging because the evaluation of
whether a tax position is more likely than not to be sustained and the measurement of the benefit of various
tax positions can be complex, involves significant judgment, and is based on interpretations of tax laws and
legal rulings.
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How We Addressed We tested controls over the Company’s process to assess the technical merits of its tax contingencies,
the Matter in Our including controls over the assessment as to whether a tax position is more likely than not to be sustained,
Audit management’s process to measure the benefit of its tax positions, and the development of the related
disclosures.
We involved our international tax, transfer pricing, and research and development tax professionals in
assessing the technical merits of certain of the Company’s tax positions. Depending on the nature of the
specific tax position and, as applicable, developments with the relevant tax authorities relating thereto, our
procedures included obtaining and examining the Company’s analysis including the Company’s
correspondence with such tax authorities and evaluating the underlying facts upon which the tax positions
are based. We used our knowledge of, and experience with, international, transfer pricing, and other
income tax laws by the relevant income tax authorities to evaluate the Company’s accounting for its tax
contingencies. We evaluated developments in the applicable regulatory environments to assess potential
effects on the Company’s positions. We analyzed the Company’s assumptions and data used to determine
the amount of tax benefits to recognize and tested the accuracy of the Company’s calculations. We have also
evaluated the Company’s income tax disclosures included in Note 9 in relation to these matters.
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AMAZO .COM, I C.
CO SOLIDATED STATEME TS OF CASH FLOWS
(in millions)
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AMAZO .COM, I C.
CO SOLIDATED STATEME TS OF OPERATIO S
(in millions, except per share data)
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AMAZO .COM, I C.
CO SOLIDATED STATEME TS OF COMPREHE SIVE I COME
(in millions)
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AMAZO .COM, I C.
CO SOLIDATED BALA CE SHEETS
(in millions, except per share data)
December 31,
2018 2019
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents $ 31,750 $ 36,092
Marketable securities 9,500 18,929
Inventories 17,174 20,497
Accounts receivable, net and other 16,677 20,816
Total current assets 75,101 96,334
Property and equipment, net 61,797 72,705
Operating leases — 25,141
Goodwill 14,548 14,754
Other assets 11,202 16,314
Total assets $ 162,648 $ 225,248
LIABILITIES A D STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable $ 38,192 $ 47,183
Accrued expenses and other 23,663 32,439
Unearned revenue 6,536 8,190
Total current liabilities 68,391 87,812
Long-term lease liabilities 9,650 39,791
Long-term debt 23,495 23,414
Other long-term liabilities 17,563 12,171
Commitments and contingencies (Note 7)
Stockholders’ equity:
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value:
Authorized shares — 500
Issued and outstanding shares — none — —
Common stock, $0.01 par value:
Authorized shares — 5,000
Issued shares — 514 and 521
Outstanding shares — 491 and 498 5 5
Treasury stock, at cost (1,837) (1,837)
Additional paid-in capital 26,791 33,658
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (1,035) (986)
Retained earnings 19,625 31,220
Total stockholders’ equity 43,549 62,060
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 162,648 $ 225,248
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AMAZO .COM, I C.
CO SOLIDATED STATEME TS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
(in millions)
Common Stock
Accumulated
Additional Other Total
Treasury Paid-In Comprehensive Retained Stockholders’
Shares Amount Stock Capital Income (Loss) Earnings Equity
Balance as of January 1, 2017 477 $ 5 $ (1,837) $ 17,186 $ (985) $ 4,916 $ 19,285
Cumulative effect of a change in
accounting principle related to
stock-based compensation — — — — — 687 687
Net income — — — — — 3,033 3,033
Other comprehensive income (loss) — — — — 501 — 501
Exercise of common stock options 7 — — 1 — — 1
Stock-based compensation and
issuance of employee benefit plan
stock — — — 4,202 — — 4,202
Balance as of December 31, 2017 484 5 (1,837) 21,389 (484) 8,636 27,709
Cumulative effect of change in
accounting principles related to
revenue recognition, income taxes,
and financial instruments — — — — (4) 916 912
Net income — — — — — 10,073 10,073
Other comprehensive income (loss) — — — — (547) — (547)
Exercise of common stock options 7 — — — — — —
Stock-based compensation and
issuance of employee benefit plan
stock — — — 5,402 — — 5,402
Balance as of December 31, 2018 491 5 (1,837) 26,791 (1,035) 19,625 43,549
Cumulative effect of change in
accounting principle related to leases — — — — — 7 7
Net income — — — — — 11,588 11,588
Other comprehensive income (loss) — — — — 49 — 49
Exercise of common stock options 7 — — — — — —
Stock-based compensation and
issuance of employee benefit plan
stock — — — 6,867 — — 6,867
Balance as of December 31, 2019 498 $ 5 $ (1,837) $ 33,658 $ (986) $ 31,220 $ 62,060
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AMAZO .COM, I C.
OTES TO CO SOLIDATED FI A CIAL STATEME TS
Principles of Consolidation
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Amazon.com, Inc. and its consolidated entities (collectively,
the “Company”), consisting of its wholly-owned subsidiaries and those entities in which we have a variable interest and of
which we are the primary beneficiary, including certain entities in India and certain entities that support our seller lending
financing activities. Intercompany balances and transactions between consolidated entities are eliminated. The financial results
of Whole Foods Market, Inc. (“Whole Foods Market”) have been included in our consolidated financial statements from the date
of acquisition on August 28, 2017.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires estimates and assumptions that affect the
reported amounts of assets and liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosures of contingent liabilities in the
consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Estimates are used for, but not limited to, income taxes, useful lives of
equipment, commitments and contingencies, valuation of acquired intangibles and goodwill, stock-based compensation forfeiture
rates, vendor funding, and inventory valuation. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates. For example, in Q4
2019 we completed a useful life study for our servers and are increasing the useful life from three years to four years for servers
in January 2020, which, based on servers that are included in “Property and equipment, net” as of December 31, 2019, will have
an anticipated impact to our 2020 operating income of $2.3 billion.
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The following table shows the calculation of diluted shares (in millions):
Revenue
Revenue is measured based on the amount of consideration that we expect to receive, reduced by estimates for return
allowances, promotional discounts, and rebates. Revenue also excludes any amounts collected on behalf of third parties,
including sales and indirect taxes. In arrangements where we have multiple performance obligations, the transaction price is
allocated to each performance obligation using the relative stand-alone selling price. We generally determine stand-alone selling
prices based on the prices charged to customers or using expected cost plus a margin.
A description of our principal revenue generating activities is as follows:
Retail sales - We offer consumer products through our online and physical stores. Revenue is recognized when control of
the goods is transferred to the customer, which generally occurs upon our delivery to a third-party carrier or, in the case of an
Amazon delivery, to the customer.
Third-party seller services - We offer programs that enable sellers to sell their products in our stores, and fulfill orders
through us. We are not the seller of record in these transactions. The commissions and any related fulfillment and shipping fees
we earn from these arrangements are recognized when the services are rendered, which generally occurs upon delivery of the
related products to a third-party carrier or, in the case of an Amazon delivery, to the customer.
Subscription services - Our subscription sales include fees associated with Amazon Prime memberships and access to
content including audiobooks, digital video, digital music, e-books, and other non-AWS subscription services. Prime
memberships provide our customers with access to an evolving suite of benefits that represent a single stand-ready obligation.
Subscriptions are paid for at the time of or in advance of delivering the services. Revenue from such arrangements is recognized
over the subscription period.
AWS - Our AWS arrangements include global sales of compute, storage, database, and other services. Revenue is allocated
to services using stand-alone selling prices and is primarily recognized when the customer uses these services, based on the
quantity of services rendered, such as compute or storage capacity delivered on-demand. Certain services, including compute
and database, are also offered as a fixed quantity over a specified term, for which revenue is recognized ratably. Sales
commissions we pay in connection with contracts that exceed one year are capitalized and amortized over the contract term.
Other - Other revenue primarily includes sales of advertising services, which are recognized as ads are delivered based on
the number of clicks or impressions.
Return Allowances
Return allowances, which reduce revenue and cost of sales, are estimated using historical experience. Liabilities for return
allowances are included in “Accrued expenses and other” and were $468 million, $623 million, and $712 million as of
December 31, 2017, 2018, and 2019. Additions to the allowance were $1.8 billion, $2.3 billion, and $2.5 billion and deductions
from the allowance were $1.9 billion, $2.3 billion, and $2.5 billion in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Included in “Inventories” on our
consolidated balance sheets are assets totaling $406 million, $519 million, and $629 million as of December 31, 2017, 2018,
and 2019, for the rights to recover products from customers associated with our liabilities for return allowances.
Cost of Sales
Cost of sales primarily consists of the purchase price of consumer products, inbound and outbound shipping costs,
including costs related to sortation and delivery centers and where we are the transportation service provider, and digital media
content costs where we record revenue gross, including video and music. Shipping costs to receive products from our suppliers
are included in our inventory, and recognized as cost of sales upon sale of products to our customers. Payment processing and
related transaction costs, including those associated with seller transactions, are classified in “Fulfillment” on our consolidated
statements of operations.
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Vendor Agreements
We have agreements with our vendors to receive funds primarily for cooperative marketing efforts, promotions, incentives,
and volume rebates. We generally consider these amounts received from vendors to be a reduction of the prices we pay for their
goods, including property and equipment, or services, and are recorded as a reduction of the cost of inventory, cost of services,
or cost of property and equipment. Volume rebates typically depend on reaching minimum purchase thresholds. We evaluate the
likelihood of reaching purchase thresholds using past experience and current year forecasts. When volume rebates can be
reasonably estimated, we record a portion of the rebate as we make progress towards the purchase threshold.
Fulfillment
Fulfillment costs primarily consist of those costs incurred in operating and staffing our North America and International
segments’ fulfillment centers, physical stores, and customer service centers, including costs attributable to buying, receiving,
inspecting, and warehousing inventories; picking, packaging, and preparing customer orders for shipment; payment processing
and related transaction costs, including costs associated with our guarantee for certain seller transactions; responding to inquiries
from customers; and supply chain management for our manufactured electronic devices. Fulfillment costs also include amounts
paid to third parties that assist us in fulfillment and customer service operations.
Marketing
Marketing costs primarily consist of advertising and payroll and related expenses for personnel engaged in marketing and
selling activities, including sales commissions related to AWS. We pay commissions to third parties when their customer
referrals result in sales. We also participate in cooperative advertising arrangements with certain of our vendors, and other third
parties.
Advertising and other promotional costs to market our products and services are expensed as incurred and were $6.3
billion, $8.2 billion, and $11.0 billion in 2017, 2018, and 2019.
Stock-Based Compensation
Compensation cost for all stock awards expected to vest is measured at fair value on the date of grant and recognized over
the service period. The fair value of restricted stock units is determined based on the number of shares granted and the quoted
price of our common stock. Such value is recognized as expense over the service period, net of estimated forfeitures, using the
accelerated method. The estimated number of stock awards that will ultimately vest requires judgment, and to the extent actual
results or updated estimates differ from our current estimates, such amounts will be recorded as a cumulative adjustment in the
period estimates are revised. We consider many factors when estimating expected forfeitures, including historical forfeiture
experience and employee level.
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Income Taxes
Income tax expense includes U.S. (federal and state) and foreign income taxes. Certain foreign subsidiary earnings are
subject to U.S. taxation under the U.S. Tax Act, which also repeals U.S. taxation on the subsequent repatriation of those earnings.
We intend to invest substantially all of our foreign subsidiary earnings, as well as our capital in our foreign subsidiaries,
indefinitely outside of the U.S. in those jurisdictions in which we would incur significant, additional costs upon repatriation of
such amounts.
Deferred income tax balances reflect the effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and
liabilities and their tax bases and are stated at enacted tax rates expected to be in effect when taxes are actually paid or
recovered.
Deferred tax assets are evaluated for future realization and reduced by a valuation allowance to the extent we believe they
will not be realized. We consider many factors when assessing the likelihood of future realization of our deferred tax assets,
including our recent cumulative loss experience and expectations of future earnings, capital gains and investment in such
jurisdiction, the carry-forward periods available to us for tax reporting purposes, and other relevant factors.
We utilize a two-step approach to recognizing and measuring uncertain income tax positions (tax contingencies). The first
step is to evaluate the tax position for recognition by determining if the weight of available evidence indicates it is more likely
than not the position will be sustained on audit, including resolution of related appeals or litigation processes. The second step is
to measure the tax benefit as the largest amount which is more than 50% likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement. We
consider many factors when evaluating our tax positions and estimating our tax benefits, which may require periodic adjustments
and which may not accurately forecast actual outcomes. We include interest and penalties related to our tax contingencies in
income tax expense.
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Inventories
Inventories, consisting of products available for sale, are primarily accounted for using the first-in, first-out method, and
are valued at the lower of cost and net realizable value. This valuation requires us to make judgments, based on currently
available information, about the likely method of disposition, such as through sales to individual customers, returns to product
vendors, or liquidations, and expected recoverable values of each disposition category.
We provide Fulfillment by Amazon services in connection with certain of our sellers’ programs. Third-party sellers
maintain ownership of their inventory, regardless of whether fulfillment is provided by us or the third-party sellers, and therefore
these products are not included in our inventories.
We also purchase electronic device components from a variety of suppliers and use several contract manufacturers to
provide manufacturing services for our products. During the normal course of business, in order to manage manufacturing lead
times and help ensure adequate supply, we enter into agreements with contract manufacturers and suppliers for certain electronic
device components. A portion of our reported purchase commitments arising from these agreements consists of firm,
non-cancellable commitments. These commitments are based on forecasted customer demand. If we reduce these commitments,
we may incur additional costs. We also have firm, non-cancellable commitments for certain products offered in our Whole Foods
Market stores.
Leases
We categorize leases with contractual terms longer than twelve months as either operating or finance. Finance leases are
generally those leases that allow us to substantially utilize or pay for the entire asset over its estimated life. Assets acquired
under finance leases are recorded in property and equipment, net. All other leases are categorized as operating leases. Our leases
generally have terms that range from one to ten years for equipment and one to twenty years for property.
Certain lease contracts include obligations to pay for other services, such as operations and maintenance. For leases of
property, we account for these other services as a component of the lease. For substantially all other leases, the services are
accounted for separately and we allocate payments to the lease and other services components based on estimated stand-alone
prices.
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Lease liabilities are recognized at the present value of the fixed lease payments, reduced by landlord incentives using a
discount rate based on similarly secured borrowings available to us. Lease assets are recognized based on the initial present
value of the fixed lease payments, reduced by landlord incentives, plus any direct costs from executing the leases or lease
prepayments reclassified from “Other assets” upon lease commencement. Leasehold improvements are capitalized at cost and
amortized over the lesser of their expected useful life or the lease term.
When we have the option to extend the lease term, terminate the lease before the contractual expiration date, or purchase
the leased asset, and it is reasonably certain that we will exercise the option, we consider these options in determining the
classification and measurement of the lease. Our leases may include variable payments based on measures that include changes in
price indices, market interest rates, or the level of sales at a physical store, which are expensed as incurred.
Costs associated with operating lease assets are recognized on a straight-line basis within operating expenses over the
term of the lease. Finance lease assets are amortized within operating expenses on a straight-line basis over the shorter of the
estimated useful lives of the assets or, in the instance where title does not transfer at the end of the lease term, the lease term. The
interest component of a finance lease is included in interest expense and recognized using the effective interest method over the
lease term.
We establish assets and liabilities for the present value of estimated future costs to retire long-lived assets at the
termination or expiration of a lease. Such assets are depreciated over the lease period into operating expense, and the recorded
liabilities are accreted to the future value of the estimated retirement costs.
Financing Obligations
We record assets and liabilities for estimated construction costs under build-to-suit lease arrangements when we have
control over the building during the construction period. If we continue to control the building after the construction period, the
arrangement is classified as a financing obligation instead of a lease. The building is depreciated over the shorter of its useful
life or the term of the obligation.
If we do not control the building after the construction period ends, the assets and liabilities for construction costs are
derecognized, and we classify the lease as either operating or finance.
Goodwill
We evaluate goodwill for impairment annually or more frequently when an event occurs or circumstances change that
indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. In testing goodwill for impairment, we may elect to utilize a qualitative
assessment to evaluate whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If
our qualitative assessment indicates that goodwill impairment is more likely than not, we perform a two-step impairment test. We
test goodwill for impairment under the two-step impairment test by first comparing the book value of net assets to the fair value
of the reporting units. If the fair value is determined to be less than the book value or qualitative factors indicate that it is more
likely than not that goodwill is impaired, a second step is performed to compute the amount of impairment as the difference
between the estimated fair value of goodwill and the carrying value. We estimate the fair value of the reporting units using
discounted cash flows. Forecasts of future cash flows are based on our best estimate of future net sales and operating expenses,
based primarily on expected category expansion, pricing, market segment share, and general economic conditions.
We completed the required annual testing of goodwill for impairment for all reporting units as of April 1, 2019, and
determined that goodwill is not impaired as the fair value of our reporting units substantially exceeded their book value. There
were no events that caused us to update our annual impairment test. See “Note 5 — Acquisitions, Goodwill, and Acquired
Intangible Assets.”
Other Assets
Included in “Other assets” on our consolidated balance sheets are amounts primarily related to acquired intangible assets,
net of accumulated amortization; video and music content, net of accumulated amortization; long-term deferred tax assets; certain
equity investments; marketable securities restricted for longer than one year, the majority of which are attributable to
collateralization of bank guarantees and debt related to our international operations; lease prepayments made prior to lease
commencement; and equity warrant assets.
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amortize the asset to “Cost of sales” on an accelerated basis, based on estimated usage or viewing patterns, or on a straight-line
basis. If the licensing fee is not determinable or reasonably estimable, no asset or liability is recorded and licensing costs are
expensed as incurred. We also develop original video content for which the production costs are capitalized and amortized to
“Cost of sales” predominantly on an accelerated basis that follows the viewing patterns associated with the content. The
weighted average remaining life of our capitalized video content is 2.7 years.
Our produced and licensed video content is primarily monetized together as a unit, referred to as a film group, in each
major geography where we offer Amazon Prime memberships. These film groups are evaluated for impairment whenever an
event occurs or circumstances change indicating the fair value is less than the carrying value. The total capitalized costs of video,
which is primarily released content, and music as of December 31, 2018 and 2019 were $3.8 billion and $5.8 billion. Total
video and music expense was $6.7 billion and $7.8 billion for the year ended December 31, 2018 and 2019. Total video and
music expense includes licensing and production costs associated with content offered within Amazon Prime memberships, and
costs associated with digital subscriptions and sold or rented content.
Investments
We generally invest our excess cash in AAA-rated money market funds and investment grade short- to intermediate-term
fixed income securities. Such investments are included in “Cash and cash equivalents” or “Marketable securities” on the
accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Marketable debt securities are classified as available-for-sale and reported at fair
value with unrealized gains and losses included in “Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss).”
Equity investments are accounted for using the equity method of accounting if the investment gives us the ability to exercise
significant influence, but not control, over an investee. Equity-method investments are included within “Other assets” on our
consolidated balance sheets. Our share of the earnings or losses as reported by equity-method investees, amortization of basis
differences, and related gains or losses, if any, are classified as “Equity-method investment activity, net of tax” on our
consolidated statements of operations.
Equity investments without readily determinable fair values and for which we do not have the ability to exercise significant
influence are accounted for at cost with adjustments for observable changes in prices or impairments and are classified as “Other
assets” on our consolidated balance sheets with adjustments recognized in “Other income (expense), net” on our consolidated
statements of operations. As of December 31, 2018 and 2019, these investments had a carrying value of $282 million and $1.5
billion.
Equity investments that have readily determinable fair values are included in “Marketable securities” on our consolidated
balance sheets and measured at fair value with changes recognized in “Other income (expense), net” on our consolidated
statement of operations.
We periodically evaluate whether declines in fair values of our investments indicate impairment. For debt securities and
equity-method investments, we also evaluate whether declines in fair value of our investments below their book value are other-
than-temporary. This evaluation consists of several qualitative and quantitative factors regarding the severity and duration of the
unrealized loss as well as our ability and intent to hold the investment until a forecasted recovery occurs. Additionally, we
assess whether we have plans to sell the security or it is more likely than not we will be required to sell any investment before
recovery of its amortized cost basis. Factors considered include: quoted market prices; recent financial results and operating
trends; implied values from any recent transactions or offers of investee securities; credit quality of debt instrument issuers; other
publicly available information that may affect the value of our investments; duration and severity of the decline in value; and our
strategy and intentions for holding the investment.
Long-Lived Assets
Long-lived assets, other than goodwill, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate
that the carrying amount of the assets might not be recoverable. Conditions that would necessitate an impairment assessment
include a significant decline in the observable market value of an asset, a significant change in the extent or manner in which an
asset is used, or any other significant adverse change that would indicate that the carrying amount of an asset or group of assets
may not be recoverable.
For long-lived assets used in operations, including lease assets, impairment losses are only recorded if the asset’s carrying
amount is not recoverable through its undiscounted, probability-weighted future cash flows. We measure the impairment loss
based on the difference between the carrying amount and estimated fair value. Long-lived assets are considered held for sale
when certain criteria are met, including when management has committed to a plan to sell the asset, the asset is available for sale
in its immediate condition, and the sale is probable within one year of the reporting date. Assets held for sale are reported at the
lower of cost or fair value less costs to sell. Assets held for sale were not significant as of December 31, 2018 and 2019.
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Unearned Revenue
Unearned revenue is recorded when payments are received or due in advance of performing our service obligations and is
recognized over the service period. Unearned revenue primarily relates to prepayments of AWS services and Amazon Prime
memberships. Our total unearned revenue as of December 31, 2018 was $7.9 billion, of which $6.3 billion was recognized as
revenue during the year ended December 31, 2019 and our total unearned revenue as of December 31, 2019 was $10.2 billion.
Included in “Other long-term liabilities” on our consolidated balance sheets was $1.4 billion and $2.0 billion of unearned
revenue as of December 31, 2018 and 2019.
Additionally, we have performance obligations, primarily related to AWS, associated with commitments in customer
contracts for future services that have not yet been recognized in our financial statements. For contracts with original terms that
exceed one year, those commitments not yet recognized were $29.8 billion as of December 31, 2019. The weighted average
remaining life of our long-term contracts is 3.3 years. However, the amount and timing of revenue recognition is largely driven
by customer usage, which can extend beyond the original contractual term.
Foreign Currency
We have internationally-focused stores for which the net sales generated, as well as most of the related expenses directly
incurred from those operations, are denominated in local functional currencies. The functional currency of our subsidiaries that
either operate or support these stores is generally the same as the local currency. Assets and liabilities of these subsidiaries are
translated into U.S. Dollars at period-end foreign exchange rates, and revenues and expenses are translated at average rates
prevailing throughout the period. Translation adjustments are included in “Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss),” a
separate component of stockholders’ equity, and in the “Foreign currency effect on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash,”
on our consolidated statements of cash flows. Transaction gains and losses including intercompany transactions denominated in a
currency other than the functional currency of the entity involved are included in “Other income (expense), net” on our
consolidated statements of operations. In connection with the settlement and remeasurement of intercompany balances, we
recorded gains (losses) of $202 million, $(186) million, and $95 million in 2017, 2018, and 2019.
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In January 2016, the FASB issued an ASU that updates certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation, and
disclosure of financial instruments. Under this ASU, certain equity investments are measured at fair value with changes
recognized in net income. We adopted this ASU in Q1 2018 with no material impact to our consolidated financial statements.
In February 2016, the FASB issued an ASU amending the accounting for leases, primarily requiring the recognition of lease
assets and liabilities for operating leases with terms of more than twelve months on our consolidated balance sheets. Under the
new guidance, leases previously described as capital lease obligations and finance lease obligations are now referred to as
finance leases and financing obligations, respectively. We adopted this ASU on January 1, 2019 by recording an immaterial
cumulative adjustment to retained earnings rather than retrospectively adjusting prior periods. Prior period amounts were not
adjusted and continue to be reported in accordance with our historic accounting policies resulting in a balance sheet presentation
that is not comparable to the prior period in the first year of adoption. The adoption of this ASU resulted in the recognition of
operating lease assets and liabilities of approximately $21 billion, which included the reclassification of finance lease
obligations to operating leases of $1.2 billion. As of December 31, 2018, amounts related to finance lease obligations and
construction liabilities totaled $9.6 billion, of which $1.5 billion was derecognized for buildings that we do not control during
the construction period and $5.4 billion and $1.5 billion were reclassified to finance leases and operating leases, respectively.
In October 2016, the FASB issued an ASU amending the accounting for income taxes. The new guidance requires the
recognition of the income tax consequences of an intercompany asset transfer, other than transfers of inventory, when the transfer
occurs. For intercompany transfers of inventory, the income tax effects will continue to be deferred until the inventory has been
sold to a third party. We adopted this ASU in Q1 2018 with an increase of approximately $250 million to retained earnings and
deferred tax assets net of valuation allowances.
In November 2016, the FASB issued an ASU amending the presentation of restricted cash within the consolidated
statements of cash flows. The new guidance requires that restricted cash be added to cash and cash equivalents on the
consolidated statements of cash flows. We adopted this ASU in Q1 2018 on a retrospective basis with the following impacts to
our consolidated statements of cash flows (in millions):
In March 2019, the FASB issued an ASU amending the accounting for film costs, inclusive of episodic television and
movie costs. The new guidance aligns the accounting for production costs of episodic television with that of movies by requiring
production costs to be capitalized. Previously, we only capitalized a portion of the production costs related to our produced
episodic television content. We adopted this ASU as of January 1, 2019 and began capitalizing substantially all of our production
costs. Adoption of this ASU resulted in approximately $1.0 billion of incremental capitalized film costs classified in “Other
Assets” as of December 31, 2019.
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The following table summarizes gross gains and gross losses realized on sales of available-for-sale fixed income
marketable securities (in millions):
The following table summarizes the remaining contractual maturities of our cash equivalents and marketable fixed income
securities as of December 31, 2019 (in millions):
Amortized Estimated
Cost Fair Value
Due within one year $ 35,064 $ 35,071
Due after one year through five years 9,262 9,304
Due after five years through ten years 301 302
Due after ten years 680 682
Total $ 45,307 $ 45,359
Actual maturities may differ from the contractual maturities because borrowers may have certain prepayment conditions.
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December 31,
2018 2019
Gross property and equipment (1):
Land and buildings $ 31,741 $ 39,223
Equipment 54,591 71,310
Other assets 2,577 3,111
Construction in progress 6,861 6,036
Gross property and equipment 95,770 119,680
Total accumulated depreciation and amortization (1) 33,973 46,975
Total property and equipment, net $ 61,797 $ 72,705
__________________
(1) Includes the original cost and accumulated depreciation of fully-depreciated assets.
Depreciation and amortization expense on property and equipment was $8.8 billion, $12.1 billion, and $15.1 billion which
includes amortization of property and equipment acquired under finance leases of $5.4 billion, $7.3 billion, and $10.1 billion for
2017, 2018, and 2019.
ote 4 — LEASES
Gross assets acquired under finance leases, inclusive of those where title transfers at the end of the lease, are recorded in
“Property and equipment, net” and were $36.1 billion and $57.4 billion as of December 31, 2018 and 2019. Accumulated
amortization associated with finance leases was $19.8 billion and $30.0 billion as of December 31, 2018 and 2019.
Lease cost recognized in our consolidated statements of operations is summarized as follows (in millions):
Year Ended
December 31, 2019
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Other information about lease amounts recognized in our consolidated financial statements is summarized as follows:
As of December 31, 2019, our lease liabilities were as follows (in millions):
Operating
Leases Finance Leases Total
Pro forma results of operations have not been presented because the effects of 2019 acquisitions, individually and in the
aggregate, were not material to our consolidated results of operations.
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December 31,
2017 2018 2019
Purchase Price
Cash paid, net of cash acquired $ 13,859 $ 1,618 $ 276
Indemnification holdback 104 31 39
$ 13,963 $ 1,649 $ 315
Allocation
Goodwill $ 9,501 $ 1,228 $ 189
Intangible assets (1):
Marketing-related 1,987 186 8
Contract-based 440 13 —
Technology-based 166 285 139
Customer-related 54 193 14
2,647 677 161
Property and equipment 3,810 11 3
Deferred tax assets 117 174 29
Other assets acquired 1,858 282 41
Long-term debt (1,165) (176) (31)
Deferred tax liabilities (961) (159) (34)
Other liabilities assumed (1,844) (388) (43)
$ 13,963 $ 1,649 $ 315
___________________
(1) Intangible assets acquired in 2017, 2018, and 2019 have estimated useful lives of between one and twenty-five years, two
and seven years, and two and seven years, with weighted-average amortization periods of twenty-one years, six years, and
five years.
We determined the estimated fair value of identifiable intangible assets acquired primarily by using the income approach.
These assets are included within “Other assets” on our consolidated balance sheets and are being amortized to operating
expenses on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives.
Goodwill
The goodwill of the acquired companies is primarily related to expected improvements in technology performance and
functionality, as well as sales growth from future product and service offerings and new customers, together with certain
intangible assets that do not qualify for separate recognition. The goodwill of the acquired companies is generally not deductible
for tax purposes. The following summarizes our goodwill activity in 2018 and 2019 by segment (in millions):
orth
America International AWS Consolidated
Goodwill - January 1, 2018 $ 11,165 $ 1,108 $ 1,077 $ 13,350
New acquisitions (1) 1,031 177 20 1,228
Other adjustments (2) (5) (15) (10) (30)
Goodwill - December 31, 2018 12,191 1,270 1,087 14,548
New acquisitions 71 29 89 189
Other adjustments (2) 2 1 14 17
Goodwill - December 31, 2019 $ 12,264 $ 1,300 $ 1,190 $ 14,754
___________________
(1) Primarily includes the acquisitions of Ring and PillPack in the North America segment.
(2) Primarily includes changes in foreign exchange rates.
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Intangible Assets
Acquired intangible assets, included within “Other assets” on our consolidated balance sheets, consist of the following (in
millions):
December 31,
2018 2019
Acquired Acquired Acquired Acquired Weighted
Intangibles, Accumulated Intangibles, Intangibles, Accumulated Intangibles, Average Life
Gross (1) Amortization (1) et Gross (1) Amortization (1) et Remaining
Marketing-related $ 2,542 $ (431) $ 2,111 $ 2,303 $ (340) $ 1,963 20.7
Contract-based 1,430 (224) 1,206 1,702 (302) 1,400 10.5
Technology- and
content-based 941 (377) 564 1,011 (477) 534 3.6
Customer-related 437 (208) 229 282 (130) 152 4.3
Acquired
intangibles (2) $ 5,350 $ (1,240) $ 4,110 $ 5,298 $ (1,249) $ 4,049 14.3
___________________
(1) Excludes the original cost and accumulated amortization of fully-amortized intangibles.
(2) Intangible assets have estimated useful lives of between one and twenty-five years.
Amortization expense for acquired intangibles was $366 million, $475 million, and $565 million in 2017, 2018, and 2019.
Expected future amortization expense of acquired intangible assets as of December 31, 2019 is as follows (in millions):
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ote 6 — DEBT
As of December 31, 2019, we had $23.3 billion of unsecured senior notes outstanding (the “Notes”). As of December 31,
2018 and 2019, the net unamortized discount and debt issuance costs on the Notes was $101 million. We also have other
long-term debt with a carrying amount, including the current portion and borrowings under our credit facility, of $715 million and
$1.6 billion as of December 31, 2018 and 2019. The face value of our total long-term debt obligations is as follows (in
millions):
December 31,
2018 2019
2.600% Notes due on December 5, 2019 1,000 —
1.900% Notes due on August 21, 2020 (3) 1,000 1,000
3.300% Notes due on December 5, 2021 (2) 1,000 1,000
2.500% Notes due on November 29, 2022 (1) 1,250 1,250
2.400% Notes due on February 22, 2023 (3) 1,000 1,000
2.800% Notes due on August 22, 2024 (3) 2,000 2,000
3.800% Notes due on December 5, 2024 (2) 1,250 1,250
5.200% Notes due on December 3, 2025 (4) 1,000 1,000
3.150% Notes due on August 22, 2027 (3) 3,500 3,500
4.800% Notes due on December 5, 2034 (2) 1,250 1,250
3.875% Notes due on August 22, 2037 (3) 2,750 2,750
4.950% Notes due on December 5, 2044 (2) 1,500 1,500
4.050% Notes due on August 22, 2047 (3) 3,500 3,500
4.250% Notes due on August 22, 2057 (3) 2,250 2,250
Credit Facility 594 740
Other long-term debt 121 830
Total debt 24,965 24,820
Less current portion of long-term debt (1,371) (1,307)
Face value of long-term debt $ 23,594 $ 23,513
_____________________________
(1) Issued in November 2012, effective interest rate of the 2022 Notes was 2.66%.
(2) Issued in December 2014, effective interest rates of the 2021, 2024, 2034, and 2044 Notes were 3.43%, 3.90%, 4.92%, and
5.11%.
(3) Issued in August 2017, effective interest rates of the 2020, 2023, 2024, 2027, 2037, 2047, and 2057 Notes were 2.16%,
2.56%, 2.95%, 3.25%, 3.94%, 4.13%, and 4.33%.
(4) Consists of $872 million of 2025 Notes issued in December 2017 in exchange for notes assumed in connection with the
acquisition of Whole Foods Market and $128 million of 2025 Notes issued by Whole Foods Market that did not participate
in our December 2017 exchange offer. The effective interest rate of the 2025 Notes was 3.02%.
Interest on the Notes issued in 2012 is payable semi-annually in arrears in May and November. Interest on the Notes issued
in 2014 is payable semi-annually in arrears in June and December. Interest on the Notes issued in 2017 is payable semi-annually
in arrears in February and August. Interest on the 2025 Notes is payable semi-annually in arrears in June and December. We may
redeem the Notes at any time in whole, or from time to time, in part at specified redemption prices. We are not subject to any
financial covenants under the Notes. The proceeds from the November 2012 and the December 2014 Notes were used for general
corporate purposes. The proceeds from the August 2017 Notes were used to fund the consideration for the acquisition of Whole
Foods Market, to repay notes due in 2017, and for general corporate purposes. The estimated fair value of the Notes was
approximately $24.3 billion and $26.2 billion as of December 31, 2018 and 2019, which is based on quoted prices for our debt
as of those dates.
In October 2016, we entered into a $500 million secured revolving credit facility with a lender that is secured by certain
seller receivables, which we subsequently increased to $740 million and may from time to time increase in the future subject to
lender approval (the “Credit Facility”). The Credit Facility is available until October 2022, bears interest at the London
interbank offered rate (“LIBOR”) plus 1.40%, and has a commitment fee of 0.50% on the undrawn portion. There were $594
million and $740 million of borrowings outstanding under the Credit Facility as of December 31, 2018 and 2019, which had a
weighted-average interest rate of 3.2% and 3.4% as of December 31, 2018 and 2019. As of December 31, 2018 and 2019, we
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have pledged $686 million and $852 million of our cash and seller receivables as collateral for debt related to our Credit
Facility. The estimated fair value of the Credit Facility, which is based on Level 2 inputs, approximated its carrying value as of
December 31, 2018 and 2019.
The other debt, including the current portion, had a weighted-average interest rate of 6.0% and 4.1% as of December 31,
2018 and 2019. We used the net proceeds from the issuance of this debt primarily to fund certain business operations. The
estimated fair value of the other long-term debt, which is based on Level 2 inputs, approximated its carrying value as of
December 31, 2018 and 2019.
As of December 31, 2019, future principal payments for our total debt were as follows (in millions):
In April 2018, we established a commercial paper program (the “Commercial Paper Program”) under which we may from
time to time issue unsecured commercial paper up to a total of $7.0 billion at any time, with individual maturities that may vary
but will not exceed 397 days from the date of issue. There were no borrowings outstanding under the Commercial Paper Program
as of December 31, 2018 and 2019.
In April 2018, in connection with our Commercial Paper Program, we amended and restated our unsecured revolving credit
facility (the “Credit Agreement”) with a syndicate of lenders to increase our borrowing capacity thereunder to $7.0 billion. As
amended and restated, the Credit Agreement has a term of three years, but it may be extended for up to three additional one-year
terms if approved by the lenders. The interest rate applicable to outstanding balances under the amended and restated Credit
Agreement is LIBOR plus 0.50%, with a commitment fee of 0.04% on the undrawn portion of the credit facility. There were no
borrowings outstanding under the Credit Agreement as of December 31, 2018 and 2019.
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Pledged Assets
As of December 31, 2018 and 2019, we have pledged or otherwise restricted $575 million and $994 million of our cash,
cash equivalents, and marketable securities, and certain property and equipment as collateral for real estate leases, amounts due
to third-party sellers in certain jurisdictions, debt, and standby and trade letters of credit. Additionally, we have pledged our
cash and seller receivables for debt related to our Credit Facility. See “Note 6 — Debt.”
Suppliers
During 2019, no vendor accounted for 10% or more of our purchases. We generally do not have long-term contracts or
arrangements with our vendors to guarantee the availability of merchandise, particular payment terms, or the extension of credit
limits.
Other Contingencies
In 2016, we determined that we processed and delivered orders of consumer products for certain individuals and entities
located outside Iran covered by the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act or other United States sanctions and
export control laws. The consumer products included books, music, other media, apparel, home and kitchen, health and beauty,
jewelry, office, consumer electronics, software, lawn and patio, grocery, and automotive products. Our review is ongoing and
we have voluntarily reported these orders to the United States Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control and the
United States Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security. We intend to cooperate fully with OFAC and BIS with
respect to their review, which may result in the imposition of penalties. For additional information, see Item 9B of Part II, “Other
Information — Disclosure Pursuant to Section 13(r) of the Exchange Act.”
We are subject to claims related to various indirect taxes (such as sales, value added, consumption, service, and similar
taxes), including in jurisdictions in which we already collect and remit such taxes. If the relevant taxing authorities were
successfully to pursue these claims, we could be subject to significant additional tax liabilities. For example, in June 2017, the
State of South Carolina issued an assessment for uncollected sales and use taxes for the period from January 2016 to March
2016, including interest and penalties. South Carolina is alleging that we should have collected sales and use taxes on
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transactions by our third-party sellers. In September 2019, the South Carolina Administrative Law Court ruled in favor of the
Department of Revenue and we have appealed the decision to the state Court of Appeals. We believe the assessment is without
merit and intend to defend ourselves vigorously in this matter. If other tax authorities were successfully to seek additional
adjustments of a similar nature, we could be subject to significant additional tax liabilities.
Legal Proceedings
The Company is involved from time to time in claims, proceedings, and litigation, including the following:
Beginning in August 2013, a number of complaints were filed alleging, among other things, that Amazon.com, Inc. and
several of its subsidiaries failed to compensate hourly workers for time spent waiting in security lines and otherwise violated
federal and state wage and hour statutes and common law. In August 2013, Busk v. Integrity Staffing Solutions, Inc. and
Amazon.com, Inc. was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada, and Vance v. Amazon.com, Inc.,
Zappos.com Inc., another affiliate of Amazon.com, Inc., and Kelly Services, Inc. was filed in the United States District Court for
the Western District of Kentucky. In September 2013, Allison v. Amazon.com, Inc. and Integrity Staffing Solutions, Inc. was filed
in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, and Johnson v. Amazon.com, Inc. and an affiliate of
Amazon.com, Inc. was filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. In October 2013, Davis v.
Amazon.com, Inc., an affiliate of Amazon.com, Inc., and Integrity Staffing Solutions, Inc. was filed in the United States District
Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. The plaintiffs variously purport to represent a nationwide class of certain current and
former employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act and/or state-law-based subclasses for certain current and former
employees in states including Arizona, California, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Kentucky, Washington, and Nevada, and one
complaint asserts nationwide breach of contract and unjust enrichment claims. The complaints seek an unspecified amount of
damages, interest, injunctive relief, and attorneys’ fees. We have been named in several other similar cases. In December 2014,
the Supreme Court ruled in Busk that time spent waiting for and undergoing security screening is not compensable working time
under the federal wage and hour statute. In February 2015, the courts in those actions alleging only federal law claims entered
stipulated orders dismissing those actions without prejudice. In March 2016, the United States District Court for the Western
District of Kentucky dismissed the Vance case with prejudice. In April 2016, the plaintiffs appealed the district court’s judgment
to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. In March 2017, the court of appeals affirmed the district court’s
decision. In June 2017, the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky dismissed the Busk and Saldana
cases with prejudice. We dispute any remaining allegations of wrongdoing and intend to defend ourselves vigorously in these
matters.
In March 2015, Zitovault, LLC filed a complaint against Amazon.com, Inc., Amazon.com, LLC, Amazon Web Services,
Inc., and Amazon Web Services, LLC for patent infringement in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.
The complaint alleges that Elastic Compute Cloud, Virtual Private Cloud, Elastic Load Balancing, Auto-Scaling, and Elastic
Beanstalk infringe U.S. Patent No. 6,484,257, entitled “System and Method for Maintaining N Number of Simultaneous
Cryptographic Sessions Using a Distributed Computing Environment.” The complaint seeks injunctive relief, an unspecified
amount of damages, enhanced damages, attorneys’ fees, costs, and interest. In January 2016, the case was transferred to the
United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. In June 2016, the case was stayed pending resolution of a
review petition we filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. In January 2019, the stay of the case was lifted
following resolution of the review petition. We dispute the allegations of wrongdoing and intend to defend ourselves vigorously
in this matter.
In November 2015, Eolas Technologies, Inc. filed a complaint against Amazon.com, Inc. in the United States District Court
for the Eastern District of Texas. The complaint alleges, among other things, that the use of “interactive features” on
www.amazon.com, including “search suggestions and search results,” infringes U.S. Patent No. 9,195,507, entitled “Distributed
Hypermedia Method and System for Automatically Invoking External Application Providing Interaction and Display of
Embedded Objects Within A Hypermedia Document.” The complaint sought a judgment of infringement together with costs and
attorneys’ fees. In February 2016, Eolas filed an amended complaint seeking, among other things, an unspecified amount of
damages. In February 2017, Eolas alleged in its damages report that in the event of a finding of liability Amazon could be subject
to $130-$250 million in damages. In April 2017, the case was transferred to the United States District Court for the Northern
District of California. We dispute the allegations of wrongdoing and intend to defend ourselves vigorously in this matter.
In October 2017, SRC Labs, LLC and Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe filed a complaint for patent infringement against Amazon
Web Services, Inc., Amazon.com, Inc., and VADATA, Inc. in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The complaint alleges, among other things, that certain AWS EC2 Instances infringe U.S. Patent Nos. 6,434,687, entitled “System
and method for accelerating web site access and processing utilizing a computer system incorporating reconfigurable processors
operating under a single operating system image”; 7,149,867, entitled “System and method of enhancing efficiency and utilization
of memory bandwidth in reconfigurable hardware”; 7,225,324 and 7,620,800, both entitled “Multi-adaptive processing systems
and techniques for enhancing parallelism and performance of computational functions”;
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and 9,153,311, entitled “System and method for retaining DRAM data when reprogramming reconfigurable devices with DRAM
memory controllers.” The complaint seeks an unspecified amount of damages, enhanced damages, interest, and a compulsory
on-going royalty. In February 2018, the Virginia district court transferred the case to the United States District Court for the
Western District of Washington. In November 2018, the case was stayed pending resolution of eight review petitions filed with
the United States Patent and Trademark Office relating to the ‘324, ‘867, and ‘311 patents. We dispute the allegations of
wrongdoing and intend to defend ourselves vigorously in this matter.
In May 2018, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and CF Dynamic Advances LLC filed a complaint against Amazon.com, Inc.
in the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York. The complaint alleges, among other things, that “Alexa
Voice Software and Alexa enabled devices” infringe U.S. Patent No. 7,177,798, entitled “Natural Language Interface Using
Constrained Intermediate Dictionary of Results.” The complaint seeks an injunction, an unspecified amount of damages, enhanced
damages, an ongoing royalty, pre- and post-judgment interest, attorneys’ fees, and costs. We dispute the allegations of
wrongdoing and intend to defend ourselves vigorously in this matter.
In June 2018, VoIP-Pal.com, Inc. filed a complaint against Amazon Technologies, Inc. and Amazon.com, Inc. in the United
States District Court for the District of Nevada. The complaint alleges, among other things, that the Alexa calling and messaging
system, the Alexa app, and Echo, Tap, and Fire devices with Alexa support infringe U.S. Patent Nos. 9,537,762; 9,813,330;
9,826,002; and 9,948,549, all entitled “Producing Routing Messages For Voice Over IP Communications.” The complaint seeks
an unspecified amount of damages, enhanced damages, attorneys’ fees, costs, and interest. In November 2018, the case was
transferred to the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. In November 2019, the District Court
entered judgment invalidating all asserted claims of U.S. Patent Nos. 9,537,762; 9,813,330; 9,826,002; and 9,948,549. We
dispute the allegations of wrongdoing and intend to defend ourselves vigorously in this matter.
In December 2018, Kove IO, Inc. filed a complaint against Amazon Web Services, Inc. in the United States District Court
for the Northern District of Illinois. The complaint alleges, among other things, that Amazon S3 and DynamoDB infringe U.S.
Patent Nos. 7,814,170 and 7,103,640, both entitled “Network Distributed Tracking Wire Transfer Protocol,” and 7,233,978,
entitled “Method And Apparatus For Managing Location Information In A Network Separate From The Data To Which The
Location Information Pertains.” The complaint seeks an unspecified amount of damages, enhanced damages, attorneys’ fees,
costs, interest, and injunctive relief. We dispute the allegations of wrongdoing and intend to defend ourselves vigorously in this
matter.
In January 2019, Saint Lawrence Communications, LLC filed a complaint against Amazon.com, Inc. and Amazon.com LLC
in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The complaint alleges, among other things, that voice
encoding functionality in Amazon devices infringes U.S. Patent Nos. 6,795,805, entitled “Periodicity Enhancement In Decoding
Wideband Signals”; 6,807,524, entitled “Perceptual Weighting Device And Method For Efficient Coding Of Wideband Signals”;
7,151,802, entitled “High Frequency Content Recovering Method And Device For Over-Sampled Synthesized Wideband
Signal”; 7,191,123, entitled “Gain-Smoothing In Wideband Speech And Audio Signal Decoder”; and 7,260,521, entitled
“Method And Device For Adaptive Bandwidth Pitch Search In Coding Wideband Signals.” The complaint seeks an unspecified
amount of damages, enhanced damages, attorneys’ fees, costs, and interest. We dispute the allegations of wrongdoing and intend
to defend ourselves vigorously in this matter.
In April 2019, Vocalife LLC filed a complaint against Amazon.com, Inc. and Amazon.com LLC in the United States District
Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The complaint alleges, among other things, that Amazon Echo devices infringe U.S. Patent
No. RE47,049, entitled “Microphone Array System.” The complaint seeks injunctive relief, an unspecified amount of damages,
attorneys’ fees, costs, and interest. We dispute the allegations of wrongdoing and intend to defend ourselves vigorously in this
matter.
In May 2019, Neodron Ltd. filed a petition with the United States International Trade Commission requesting that the
International Trade Commission commence an investigation into the sale of Amazon Fire HD 10 tablets and certain Dell, Hewlett
Packard, Lenovo, Microsoft, Motorola, and Samsung devices (the “accused devices”). Neodron’s petition alleges that the
accused devices infringe at least one of U.S. Patent Nos. 8,422,173, entitled “Capacitive Position Sensor”; 8,791,910, entitled
“Capacitive Keyboard With Position-Dependent Reduced Keying Ambiguity”; 9,024,790, entitled “Capacitive Keyboard With
Non-Locking Reduced Keying Ambiguity”; and 9,372,580, entitled “Enhanced Touch Detection Methods.” Neodron is seeking a
limited exclusion order preventing the importation of the accused devices into the United States. In December 2019, Neodron
withdrew its infringement allegations against Amazon with regard to U.S. Patent No. 9,372,580. In May 2019, Neodron also filed
a complaint against Amazon.com, Inc. in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas. The complaint
alleges, among other things, that Amazon’s Fire HD 10 tablet infringes U.S. Patent Nos. 8,422,173, entitled “Capacitive Position
Sensor,” and 9,372,580, entitled “Enhanced Touch Detection Methods.” The May 2019 complaint seeks an unspecified amount of
damages and interest, a permanent injunction, and enhanced damages. In June 2019, Neodron filed a second complaint against
Amazon.com, Inc. in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas. The complaint alleges, among other
things, that Amazon’s Fire HD 10 tablet infringes U.S. Patent Nos. 9,823,784, entitled “Capacitive Touch Screen With Noise
Suppression”; 9,489,072, entitled “Noise Reduction In Capacitive Touch Sensors”; and
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8,502,547, entitled “Capacitive Sensor.” The June 2019 complaint seeks an unspecified amount of damages and interest, a
permanent injunction, and enhanced damages. We dispute the allegations of wrongdoing and intend to defend ourselves
vigorously in these matters.
The outcomes of our legal proceedings and other contingencies are inherently unpredictable, subject to significant
uncertainties, and could be material to our operating results and cash flows for a particular period. In addition, for the matters
disclosed above that do not include an estimate of the amount of loss or range of losses, such an estimate is not possible or is
immaterial, and we may be unable to estimate the possible loss or range of losses that could potentially result from the
application of non-monetary remedies.
See also “Note 9 — Income Taxes.”
Common Stock
Common shares outstanding plus shares underlying outstanding stock awards totaled 504 million, 507 million, and 512
million, as of December 31, 2017, 2018, and 2019. These totals include all vested and unvested stock awards outstanding,
including those awards we estimate will be forfeited.
___________________
(1) The related tax benefits were $860 million, $1.1 billion, and $1.4 billion for 2017, 2018, and 2019.
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The following table summarizes our restricted stock unit activity (in millions):
Weighted Average
Grant-Date
umber of Units Fair Value
Outstanding as of January 1, 2017 19.8 $ 506
Units granted 8.9 946
Units vested (6.8) 400
Units forfeited (1.8) 649
Outstanding as of December 31, 2017 20.1 725
Units granted 5.0 1,522
Units vested (7.1) 578
Units forfeited (2.1) 862
Outstanding as of December 31, 2018 15.9 1,024
Units granted 6.7 1,808
Units vested (6.6) 827
Units forfeited (1.7) 1,223
Outstanding as of December 31, 2019 14.3 1,458
Scheduled vesting for outstanding restricted stock units as of December 31, 2019, is as follows (in millions):
Year Ended
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Thereafter Total
Scheduled vesting — restricted stock units 6.0 5.1 2.1 1.0 — 0.1 14.3
As of December 31, 2019, there was $8.8 billion of net unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested stock-based
compensation arrangements. This compensation is recognized on an accelerated basis with approximately half of the
compensation expected to be expensed in the next twelve months, and has a weighted-average recognition period of 1.1 years.
The estimated forfeiture rate as of December 31, 2017, 2018, and 2019 was 28%, 27%, and 27%. Changes in our estimates and
assumptions relating to forfeitures may cause us to realize material changes in stock-based compensation expense in the future.
During 2017, 2018, and 2019, the fair value of restricted stock units that vested was $6.8 billion, $11.4 billion, and $11.7
billion.
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The components of the provision for income taxes, net are as follows (in millions):
Year Ended December 31,
2017 2018 2019
U.S. Federal:
Current $ (137) $ (129) $ 162
Deferred (202) 565 914
Total (339) 436 1,076
U.S. State:
Current 211 322 276
Deferred (26) 5 8
Total 185 327 284
International:
Current 724 563 1,140
Deferred 199 (129) (126)
Total 923 434 1,014
Provision for income taxes, net $ 769 $ 1,197 $ 2,374
U.S. and international components of income before income taxes are as follows (in millions):
Year Ended December 31,
2017 2018 2019
U.S. $ 5,630 $ 11,157 $ 13,285
International (1,824) 104 691
Income before income taxes $ 3,806 $ 11,261 $ 13,976
The items accounting for differences between income taxes computed at the federal statutory rate and the provision
recorded for income taxes are as follows (in millions):
Year Ended December 31,
2017 2018 2019
Income taxes computed at the federal statutory rate (1) $ 1,332 $ 2,365 $ 2,935
Effect of:
Tax impact of foreign earnings 1,178 119 381
State taxes, net of federal benefits 114 263 221
Tax credits (220) (419) (466)
Stock-based compensation (2) (917) (1,086) (850)
2017 Impact of U.S. Tax Act (789) (157) —
Other, net 71 112 153
Total $ 769 $ 1,197 $ 2,374
___________________
(1) The U.S. Tax Act reduced the U.S. federal statutory rate from 35% to 21% beginning in 2018.
(2) Includes non-deductible stock-based compensation and excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation. Our tax
provision includes $1.3 billion, $1.6 billion, and $1.4 billion of excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation for
2017, 2018, and 2019.
Our provision for income taxes in 2018 was higher than in 2017 primarily due to an increase in U.S. pre-tax income and
the one-time provisional tax benefit of the U.S. Tax Act recognized in 2017. This was partially offset by the reduction to the U.S.
federal statutory tax rate in 2018, a decline in the proportion of foreign losses for which we may not realize a tax benefit and an
increase in excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation.
We regularly assess whether it is more likely than not that we will realize our deferred tax assets in each taxing
jurisdiction in which we operate. In performing this assessment with respect to each jurisdiction, we review all available
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evidence, including recent cumulative loss experience and expectations of future earnings, capital gains, and investment in such
jurisdiction, the carry-forward periods available to us for tax reporting purposes, and other relevant factors. In Q2 2017, we
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recognized an estimated charge to tax expense of $600 million to record a valuation allowance against the net deferred tax assets
in Luxembourg.
Our provision for income taxes in 2019 was higher than in 2018 primarily due to an increase in U.S. pre-tax income, a
decline in excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation, and the one-time provisional tax benefit of the U.S. Tax Act
recognized in 2018.
Certain foreign subsidiary earnings are subject to U.S. taxation under the U.S. Tax Act, which also repeals U.S. taxation on
the subsequent repatriation of those earnings. We intend to invest substantially all of our foreign subsidiary earnings, as well as
our capital in our foreign subsidiaries, indefinitely outside of the U.S. in those jurisdictions in which we would incur significant,
additional costs upon repatriation of such amounts.
Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are as follows (in millions):
December 31,
2018 2019
Deferred tax assets (1):
Loss carryforwards U.S. - Federal/States 222 188
Loss carryforwards - Foreign 2,551 3,232
Accrued liabilities, reserves, and other expenses 1,064 1,373
Stock-based compensation 1,293 1,585
Depreciation and amortization 2,386 2,385
Operating lease liabilities — 6,648
Other items 484 728
Tax credits 734 772
Total gross deferred tax assets 8,734 16,911
Less valuation allowances (2) (4,950) (5,754)
Deferred tax assets, net of valuation allowances 3,784 11,157
Deferred tax liabilities:
Depreciation and amortization (3,579) (5,507)
Operating lease assets — (6,331)
Other items (749) (640)
Net deferred tax assets (liabilities), net of valuation allowances $ (544) $ (1,321)
___________________
(1) Deferred tax assets are presented after tax effects and net of tax contingencies.
(2) Relates primarily to deferred tax assets that would only be realizable upon the generation of net income in certain foreign
taxing jurisdictions.
Our valuation allowances primarily relate to foreign deferred tax assets, including substantially all of our foreign net
operating loss carryforwards as of December 31, 2019. Our foreign net operating loss carryforwards for income tax purposes as
of December 31, 2019 were approximately $8.6 billion before tax effects and certain of these amounts are subject to annual
limitations under applicable tax law. If not utilized, a portion of these losses will begin to expire in 2020. As of December 31,
2019, our federal tax credit carryforwards for income tax purposes were approximately $1.7 billion. If not utilized, a portion of
the tax credit carryforwards will begin to expire in 2027.
Tax Contingencies
We are subject to income taxes in the U.S. (federal and state) and numerous foreign jurisdictions. Significant judgment is
required in evaluating our tax positions and determining our provision for income taxes. During the ordinary course of business,
there are many transactions and calculations for which the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. We establish reserves for
tax-related uncertainties based on estimates of whether, and the extent to which, additional taxes will be due. These reserves are
established when we believe that certain positions might be challenged despite our belief that our tax return positions are fully
supportable. We adjust these reserves in light of changing facts and circumstances, such as the outcome of tax audits. The
provision for income taxes includes the impact of reserve provisions and changes to reserves that are considered appropriate.
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As of December 31, 2018 and 2019, we had accrued interest and penalties, net of federal income tax benefit, related to tax
contingencies of $127 million and $131 million. Interest and penalties, net of federal income tax benefit, recognized for the years
ended December 31, 2017, 2018, and 2019 was $40 million, $20 million, and $4 million.
We are under examination, or may be subject to examination, by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) for the calendar year
2007 and thereafter. These examinations may lead to ordinary course adjustments or proposed adjustments to our taxes or our net
operating losses with respect to years under examination as well as subsequent periods.
In October 2014, the European Commission opened a formal investigation to examine whether decisions by the tax
authorities in Luxembourg with regard to the corporate income tax paid by certain of our subsidiaries comply with European
Union rules on state aid. On October 4, 2017, the European Commission announced its decision that determinations by the tax
authorities in Luxembourg did not comply with European Union rules on state aid. Based on that decision the European
Commission announced an estimated recovery amount of approximately €250 million, plus interest, for the period May 2006
through June 2014, and ordered Luxembourg tax authorities to calculate the actual amount of additional taxes subject to recovery.
Luxembourg computed an initial recovery amount, consistent with the European Commission’s decision, that we deposited into
escrow in March 2018, subject to adjustment pending conclusion of all appeals. In December 2017, Luxembourg appealed the
European Commission’s decision. In May 2018, we appealed. We believe the European Commission’s decision to be without
merit and will continue to defend ourselves vigorously in this matter. We are also subject to taxation in various states and other
foreign jurisdictions including China, Germany, India, Japan, Luxembourg, and the United Kingdom. We are under, or may be
subject to, audit or examination and additional assessments by the relevant authorities in respect of these particular jurisdictions
primarily for 2009 and thereafter.
Changes in state, federal, and foreign tax laws may increase our tax contingencies. The timing of the resolution of income
tax examinations is highly uncertain, and the amounts ultimately paid, if any, upon resolution of the issues raised by the taxing
authorities may differ from the amounts accrued. It is reasonably possible that within the next twelve months we will receive
additional assessments by various tax authorities or possibly reach resolution of income tax examinations in one or more
jurisdictions. These assessments or settlements could result in changes to our contingencies related to positions on tax filings in
years through 2019. The actual amount of any change could vary significantly depending on the ultimate timing and nature of any
settlements. We cannot currently provide an estimate of the range of possible outcomes.
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2orth America
The North America segment primarily consists of amounts earned from retail sales of consumer products (including from
sellers) and subscriptions through North America-focused online and physical stores. This segment includes export sales from
these online stores.
International
The International segment primarily consists of amounts earned from retail sales of consumer products (including from
sellers) and subscriptions through internationally-focused online stores. This segment includes export sales from these
internationally-focused online stores (including export sales from these online stores to customers in the U.S., Mexico, and
Canada), but excludes export sales from our North America-focused online stores.
AWS
The AWS segment consists of amounts earned from global sales of compute, storage, database, and other service offerings
for start-ups, enterprises, government agencies, and academic institutions.
Information on reportable segments and reconciliation to consolidated net income (loss) is as follows (in millions):
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Net sales by groups of similar products and services, which also have similar economic characteristics, is as follows (in
millions):
Net sales generated from our internationally-focused online stores are denominated in local functional currencies.
Revenues are translated at average rates prevailing throughout the period. Net sales attributed to countries that represent a
significant portion of consolidated net sales are as follows (in millions):
Year Ended December 31,
2017 2018 2019
United States $ 120,486 $ 160,146 $ 193,636
Germany 16,951 19,881 22,232
United Kingdom 11,372 14,524 17,527
Japan 11,907 13,829 16,002
Rest of world 17,150 24,507 31,125
Consolidated $ 177,866 $ 232,887 $ 280,522
Total segment assets exclude corporate assets, such as cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities, other long-term
investments, corporate facilities, goodwill and other acquired intangible assets, and tax assets. Technology infrastructure assets
are allocated among the segments based on usage, with the majority allocated to the AWS segment. Total segment assets
reconciled to consolidated amounts are as follows (in millions):
December 31,
2017 2018 2019
North America (1) $ 35,844 $ 47,251 $ 72,277
International (1) 18,014 19,923 30,709
AWS (2) 18,660 26,340 36,500
Corporate 58,792 69,134 85,762
Consolidated $ 131,310 $ 162,648 $ 225,248
___________________
(1) North America and International segment assets primarily consist of property and equipment, inventory, and accounts
receivable.
(2) AWS segment assets primarily consist of property and equipment and accounts receivable.
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Total net additions to property and equipment by segment are as follows (in millions):
Year Ended December 31,
2017 2018 2019
North America (1) $ 13,200 $ 10,749 $ 11,752
International (1) 5,196 2,476 3,298
AWS (2) 9,190 9,783 13,058
Corporate 2,197 2,060 1,910
Consolidated $ 29,783 $ 25,068 $ 30,018
___________________
(1) Includes property and equipment added under finance leases of $2.9 billion, $2.0 billion, and $3.8 billion in 2017, 2018,
and 2019, and under financing obligations of $2.9 billion, $3.0 billion, and $1.3 billion in 2017, 2018, and 2019.
(2) Includes property and equipment added under finance leases of $7.3 billion, $8.4 billion, and $10.6 billion in 2017, 2018,
and 2019, and under financing obligations of $134 million, $245 million, and $0 million in 2017, 2018, and 2019.
U.S. property and equipment, net was $35.5 billion, $45.1 billion, and $53.0 billion, in 2017, 2018, and 2019, and
non-U.S. property and equipment, net was $13.4 billion, $16.7 billion, and $19.7 billion in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Except for the
U.S., property and equipment, net, in any single country was less than 10% of consolidated property and equipment, net.
Depreciation and amortization expense, including other corporate property and equipment depreciation and amortization
expense, are allocated to all segments based on usage. Total depreciation and amortization expense, by segment, is as follows (in
millions):
Year Ended December 31,
2017 2018 2019
North America $ 3,029 $ 4,415 $ 5,106
International 1,278 1,628 1,886
AWS 4,524 6,095 8,158
Consolidated $ 8,831 $ 12,138 $ 15,150
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Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants On Accounting and Financial Disclosure
None.
Limitations on Controls
Our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting are designed to provide reasonable
assurance of achieving their objectives as specified above. Management does not expect, however, that our disclosure controls
and procedures or our internal control over financial reporting will prevent or detect all error and fraud. Any control system, no
matter how well designed and operated, is based upon certain assumptions and can provide only reasonable, not absolute,
assurance that its objectives will be met. Further, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that misstatements
due to error or fraud will not occur or that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within the Company have been
detected.
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Seattle, Washington
January 30, 2020
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PART III
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Shareholder Matters
Information required by Item 12 of Part III is included in our Proxy Statement relating to our 2020 Annual Meeting of
Shareholders and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
Information required by Item 13 of Part III is included in our Proxy Statement relating to our 2020 Annual Meeting of
Shareholders and is incorporated herein by reference.
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PART IV
3.1 Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the Quarter ended March 31, 2000).
3.2 Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company (incorporated by reference to the Company’s Current Report on
Form 8-K, filed February 25, 2016).
4.1 Indenture, dated as of November 29, 2012, between Amazon.com, Inc. and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association,
as trustee, and Form of 0.650% Note due 2015, Form of 1.200% Note due 2017, and Form of 2.500% Note due
2022 (incorporated by reference to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed November 29, 2012).
4.2 Officers’ Certificate of Amazon.com, Inc., dated as of December 5, 2014, containing Form of 2.600% Note due
2019, Form of 3.300% Note due 2021, Form of 3.800% Note due 2024, Form of 4.800% Note due 2034, and Form
of 4.950% Note due 2044 (incorporated by reference to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed
December 5, 2014).
4.3 Officers’ Certificate of Amazon.com, Inc., dated as of August 22, 2017, containing Form of 1.900% Note due 2020,
Form of 2.400% Note due 2023, Form of 2.800% Note due 2024, Form of 3.150% Note due 2027, Form of 3.875%
Note due 2037, Form of 4.050% Note due 2047, and Form of 4.250% Note due 2057 (incorporated by reference to
the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed August 22, 2017).
4.4 Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of August 22, 2017, among Amazon.com, Inc. and the representatives of the
initial purchasers of Amazon.com, Inc.’s 1.900% Notes due 2020, 2.400% Notes due 2023, 2.800% Notes due
2024, 3.150% Notes due 2027, 3.875% Notes due 2037, 4.050% Notes due 2047, and 4.250% Notes due 2057
(incorporated by reference to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed August 22, 2017).
4.5 Officers’ Certificate of Amazon.com, Inc., dated as of December 20, 2017, containing Form of 5.200% Note due
2025 (incorporated by reference to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed December 20, 2017).
10.1† 1997 Stock Incentive Plan (amended and restated) (incorporated by reference to the Company’s Quarterly Report on
Form 10-Q for the Quarter ended March 31, 2013).
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10.2† 1999 Nonofficer Employee Stock Option Plan (amended and restated) (incorporated by reference to the Company’s
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the Quarter ended March 31, 2013).
10.3† Form of Indemnification Agreement between the Company and each of its Directors (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (Registration No. 333-23795) filed March 24,
1997, as amended on April 21, 1997).
10.4† Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement for Officers and Employees (incorporated by reference to the Company’s
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the Year ended December 31, 2002).
10.5† Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement for Directors (incorporated by reference to the Company’s Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the Year ended December 31, 2002).
10.6† Form of Restricted Stock Agreement (incorporated by reference to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for
the Year ended December 31, 2001).
10.7† Form of Global Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement for Executive Officers (incorporated by reference to the
Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the Year ended December 31, 2018).
10.8 Credit Agreement, dated as of May 20, 2016, among Amazon.com, Inc., Bank of America, N.A., as administrative
agent, and the other lenders party thereto (incorporated by reference to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q for the Quarter ended June 30, 2016).
31.1 Certification of Jeffrey P. Bezos, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Amazon.com, Inc., pursuant to Rule
13a-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
31.2 Certification of Brian T. Olsavsky, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Amazon.com, Inc., pursuant
to Rule 13a-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
32.1 Certification of Jeffrey P. Bezos, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Amazon.com, Inc., pursuant to 18 U.S.C.
Section 1350.
32.2 Certification of Brian T. Olsavsky, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Amazon.com, Inc., pursuant
to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350.
101 The following financial statements from the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December
31, 2019, formatted in XBRL: (i) Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, (ii) Consolidated Statements of
Operations, (iii) Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income, (iv) Consolidated Balance Sheets, (v)
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity, and (vi) Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, tagged as
blocks of text and including detailed tags.
As permitted by Item 601(b)(4)(iii)(A) of Regulation S-K, the Company has not filed with this Annual Report on
Form 10-K certain instruments defining the rights of holders of long-term debt of the Company and its subsidiaries
because the total amount of securities authorized thereunder does not exceed 10 percent of the total assets of the
Company and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis. The Company agrees to furnish a copy of such agreements to
the Commission upon request.
104 The cover page from the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, formatted
in iXBRL (included as Exhibit 101).
__________________
† Executive Compensation Plan or Agreement.
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SIG ATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused
this Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, as of January 30, 2020.
AMAZON.COM, INC.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this Report has been signed below by the following
persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities indicated as of January 30, 2020.
Signature Title
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