Note 15 – Share-Based Compensation and Other Compensation Arrangements Share-Based Compensation Our 2003 Incentive Stock Plan, as amended and restated effective February 21, 2011, permits awards of incentive stock options, non-qualified stock options, restricted stock, stock units, performance shares, performance units and other incentives to our employees, officers, consultants and independent contractors.
The aggregate number of shares of our stock available for issuance under the amended plan will not exceed 80,000,000 and no more than an aggregate of 16,000,000 shares are available for issuance as restricted stock awards.
Shares issued as a result of stock option exercises or conversion of stock unit awards will be funded out of treasury shares, except to the extent there are insufficient treasury shares, in which case new shares will be issued.
We believe we currently have adequate treasury shares to meet any requirements to issue shares during 2014.
Share-based plans expense is primarily included in General and administrative expense since it is incentive compensation issued primarily to our executives.
The share-based plans expense and related income tax benefit were as follows:
## Table 0 ##
Stock Options In February 2013, 2012 and 2011, we granted to our executives 6,591,968, 6,114,922 and 5,426,910 options, respectively.
The options have been granted with an exercise price equal to the fair market value of our stock on the date of grant and expire ten years after the date of grant.
The stock options vest over a period of three years, with 34% vesting after the first year, 33% vesting after the second year and the remaining 33% vesting after the third year.
If an executive terminates employment for any reason, the nonvested portion of the stock option will not vest and all rights to the non-vested portion will terminate completely.
Stock option activity for the year ended December 31, 2013 is as follows:
## Table 1 ##
The total intrinsic value of options exercised was $546, $89 and $67 during the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.
Cash received from options exercised for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011 was $1,097, $120 and $114 with a related tax benefit of $190, $29 and $23, respectively, derived from the compensation deductions resulting from these option exercises.
At December 31, 2013, there was $95 of total unrecognized compensation cost related to our stock option plan which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.8 years.
The grant date fair value of stock options vested during the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011 was $89, $83 and $92, respectively.
The fair values of options were estimated using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following assumptions:
## Table 2 ##
The expected volatility of the stock options is based on a combination of our historical stock volatility and the volatility levels implied on the grant date by actively traded option contracts on our common stock.
We determined the expected term of the stock option grants to be six years, calculated using the “simplified” method in accordance with the SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin 110.
We use the “simplified” method since we changed the vesting terms, tax treatment and the recipients of our stock options beginning in 2006 such that we believe our historical data prior to 2006 does not provide a reasonable basis upon which to estimate expected term and we do not have enough option exercise data from our grants issued subsequent to 2006 to support our own estimate as a result of vesting terms and changes in the stock price.
Restricted Stock Units In February 2013, 2012 and 2011, we granted to our executives 1,375,414, 1,369,810 and 1,364,440 restricted stock units (RSUs) as part of our long-term incentive program with grant date fair values of $75.97, $75.40 and $71.44 per share, respectively.
The RSUs granted under this program will vest and settle in common stock (on a one-for-one basis) on the third anniversary of the grant date.
If an executive terminates employment because of retirement, involuntary layoff, disability, or death, the employee (or beneficiary) will immediately vest on a proration of stock units based on active employment during the three-year service period.
In all other cases, the RSUs will not vest and all rights to the stock units will terminate completely.
In addition to RSUs awarded under our long-term incentive program, we grant RSUs to certain executives and employees to encourage retention or to reward various achievements.
These RSUs are labeled other restricted stock units in the table below.
The fair values of all RSUs are estimated using the average stock price on the date of grant.
Stock units settle in common stock on a one-for-one basis and are not contingent upon stock price.
REPUBLIC SERVICES, INC.  NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued) high quality financial institutions.
Such balances may be in excess of FDIC insured limits.
To manage the related credit exposure, we continually monitor the credit worthiness of the financial institutions where we have deposits.
Concentrations of credit risk with respect to trade accounts receivable are limited due to the wide variety of customers and markets in which we provide services, as well as the dispersion of our operations across many geographic areas.
We provide services to small-container commercial, large-container industrial, municipal and residential customers in the United States and Puerto Rico.
We perform ongoing credit evaluations of our customers, but generally do not require collateral to support customer receivables.
We establish an allowance for doubtful accounts based on various factors including the credit risk of specific customers, age of receivables outstanding, historical trends, economic conditions and other information.
Accounts Receivable, Net Accounts receivable represent receivables from customers for collection, transfer, recycling, disposal, energy services and other services.
Our receivables are recorded when billed or when the related revenue is earned, if earlier, and represent claims against third parties that will be settled in cash.
The carrying value of our receivables, net of the allowance for doubtful accounts and customer credits, represents their estimated net realizable value.
Provisions for doubtful accounts are evaluated on a monthly basis and are recorded based on our historical collection experience, the age of the receivables, specific customer information and economic conditions.
We also review outstanding balances on an account-specific basis.
In general, reserves are provided for accounts receivable in excess of 90 days outstanding.
Past due receivable balances are written-off when our collection efforts have been unsuccessful in collecting amounts due.
The following table reflects the activity in our allowance for doubtful accounts for the years ended December 31:
## Table 3 ##
Restricted Cash and Marketable Securities As of December 31, 2016, we had $90.5 million of restricted cash and marketable securities of which $62.6 million supports our insurance programs for workers’ compensation, commercial general liability, and commercial auto liability.
Additionally, we obtain funds through the issuance of tax-exempt bonds for the purpose of financing qualifying expenditures at our landfills, transfer stations, collection and recycling centers.
The funds are deposited directly into trust accounts by the bonding authorities at the time of issuance.
As the use of these funds is contractually restricted, and we do not have the ability to use these funds for general operating purposes, they are classified as restricted cash and marketable securities in our consolidated balance sheets.
In the normal course of business, we may be required to provide financial assurance to governmental agencies and a variety of other entities in connection with municipal residential collection contracts, closure or postclosure of landfills, environmental remediation, environmental permits, and business licenses and permits as a financial guarantee of our performance.
At several of our landfills, we satisfy financial assurance requirements by depositing cash into restricted trust funds or escrow accounts.
Property and Equipment We record property and equipment at cost.
Expenditures for major additions and improvements to facilities are capitalized, while maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred.
When property is retired or

<table><tr><td>Years ended December 31,</td><td>2013</td><td>2012</td><td>2011</td></tr><tr><td>Stock options</td><td>$93</td><td>$85</td><td>$88</td></tr><tr><td>Restricted stock units and other awards</td><td>113</td><td>108</td><td>98</td></tr><tr><td>Share-based plans expense</td><td>$206</td><td>$193</td><td>$186</td></tr><tr><td>Income tax benefit</td><td>$76</td><td>$75</td><td>$73</td></tr></table>
<table><tr><td></td><td>Shares</td><td>Weighted Average Exercise Price Per Share</td><td>Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life (Years)</td><td>Aggregate Intrinsic Value</td></tr><tr><td>Number of shares under option:</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Outstanding at beginning of year</td><td>33,664,018</td><td>$71.81</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Granted</td><td>6,698,861</td><td>76.35</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Exercised</td><td>-15,605,753</td><td>70.31</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Forfeited</td><td>-926,233</td><td>74.74</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Expired</td><td>-63,150</td><td>68.30</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Outstanding at end of year</td><td>23,767,743</td><td>$73.97</td><td>6.81</td><td>$1,486</td></tr><tr><td>Exercisable at end of year</td><td>12,552,449</td><td>$72.70</td><td>5.11</td><td>$801</td></tr></table>
<table><tr><td>Grant Year</td><td>Grant Date</td><td>Expected Life</td><td>Expected Volatility</td><td>Expected Dividend Yield</td><td>Risk Free Interest Rate</td><td>Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value Per Share</td></tr><tr><td>2013</td><td>2/25/2013</td><td>6 years</td><td>29.0%</td><td>2.6%</td><td>1.0%</td><td>$15.85</td></tr><tr><td>2012</td><td>2/27/2012</td><td>6 years</td><td>29.9%</td><td>2.4%</td><td>1.1%</td><td>$16.89</td></tr><tr><td>2011</td><td>2/22/2011</td><td>6 years</td><td>29.8%</td><td>2.3%</td><td>2.5%</td><td>$17.96</td></tr></table>
<table><tr><td></td><td>2016</td><td>2015</td><td>2014</td></tr><tr><td>Balance at beginning of year</td><td>$46.7</td><td>$38.9</td><td>$38.3</td></tr><tr><td>Additions charged to expense</td><td>20.4</td><td>22.7</td><td>22.6</td></tr><tr><td>Accounts written-off</td><td>-23.1</td><td>-14.9</td><td>-22.0</td></tr><tr><td>Balance at end of year</td><td>$44.0</td><td>$46.7</td><td>$38.9</td></tr></table>

Question: what was the percentage change in the allowance for doubtful accounts in 2016
Answer: -0.05782