Company: SBAC
Filing Date: 2025-02-26
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0001034054-25-000002
Chunk: 22

Company: SBA COMMUNICATIONS CORP
Filing Date: 2025-02-26
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 9B
Chunk 22
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inciples of ConsolidationThe consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) and include the Company and its majority and wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.ReclassificationCertain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform with the current year presentation.Use of EstimatesThe preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. The significant estimates made by management relate to the allowance for doubtful accounts, the costs and revenue relating to the Company’s construction contracts, stock-based compensation assumptions, valuation allowance related to deferred tax assets, fair value of long-lived assets, the useful lives of towers and intangible assets, anticipated property tax assessments, incremental borrowing rate for lease accounting, fair value of investments, and asset retirement obligations. Management develops estimates based on historical experience and on various assumptions about the future that are believed to be reasonable based on the information available. These estimates ultimately may differ from actual results and such differences could be material.During the first quarter of 2024, the Company completed its assessment on the remaining estimated useful lives of its towers and intangible assets. The Company concluded through its assessment that, for U.S. GAAP purposes, it should modify its current estimates for asset lives based on its historical operating experience and the findings obtained by its independent consultant. The Company previously depreciated its towers on a straight-line basis over the shorter of the (i) term of the underlying ground lease 

F-9Table of Contents

(including renewal options) taking into account residual value or (ii) estimated useful life of a tower, which the Company had historically estimated to be 15 years. Based on its assessment, the Company revised the estimated useful lives of its towers and certain related intangible assets (which are amortized on a similar basis to its tower assets, as their useful lives correlate to the useful life of the towers) from 15 years to 30 years, effective January 1, 2024. The Company accounted for the change in estimated useful lives as a change in estimate under ASC 250 “Accounting Changes and Error Corrections.” The impact of the change in estimate was accounted for prospectively effective January 1, 2024, resulting in a reduction in depreciation and amortization expense of approximately $411.5 million ($372.5 million after tax, or an increase of $3.