7 – Sales Revenue

Sales revenue from contracts with customers is recognized in the amount of the consideration BASF expects to receive in exchange for the goods or services when the customer obtains control of the goods or services. Control is considered to be transferred when the customer can direct the use of the goods or services and can obtain all substantial remaining benefits from them.

BASF primarily generates income from the sale of goods. Because the customer obtains control of the goods at a specific point in time, the corresponding sales revenue is recognized based on a given point in time. Determination of the point in time at which the customer obtains control of the goods occurs in the context of an overall assessment of the circumstances which considers the existence of a present claim to payment, the legal title to the goods, actual physical possession of the goods, the transfer of risks and rewards as well as customer acceptance. The transfer of risks and rewards takes into account the underlying terms of delivery (especially Incoterms) and is of particular practical significance. According to these principles, sales revenue from the sale of goods is generally recognized upon delivery. If products are delivered to a consignment warehouse, BASF normally retains control of the goods. Accordingly, sales revenue is not recognized until the customer collects the goods from the consignment warehouse. Long-term supply agreements usually contain variable prices, dependent on the development of raw materials prices and variable volumes.

Services rendered to customers by BASF are invoiced according to work completed and recognized as revenue accordingly.

BASF generates a portion of its sales revenue from license agreements. Sales revenue from license agreements is recognized based on a point in time or a period of time depending on whether the licensee is being granted a right to use (revenue recognized at a point in time) or a right to access (revenue recognized over time) the intellectual property of BASF. Rights to use intellectual property are characterized by the fact that the licensed technology remains largely unchanged during the term of the license and, after initial provision of the licensed technology, BASF has no further performance obligations. Rights to access intellectual property, by contrast, imply that BASF will perform ongoing development and enhancement of the technology, and the licensee will take a material interest in this ongoing development and enhancement. Accordingly, sales revenue from license agreements granting rights to access BASF’s intellectual property is recognized over the term of the license. Sales revenue from sales and usage-based royalties is recognized in accordance with the underlying settlement agreements.

Sales revenue from the sale of precious metals to industrial customers is recognized on delivery and the corresponding purchase prices are recorded as cost of sales. In the trading of precious metals and their derivatives with traders, where there is usually no physical delivery, revenues are netted against the corresponding costs.

If a consideration that is contractually agreed upon by a customer includes variable components, BASF estimates the amount of the consideration. Variable components are recognized as revenue only to the extent that it is highly probable that previously recognized sales revenue will not have to be cancelled as soon as there is no longer uncertainty about the actual amount of the consideration. Primarily rebates and other discounts are recognized as a reduction in revenue in accordance with the principle of individual measurement. BASF grants customers rebates if the goods purchased by the customer exceed a contractually defined threshold within the period specified. Rebates are usually deducted from amounts payable by the customer. Taking into account the specific terms of the underlying contract, BASF uses the expected value method or the most likely amount to estimate a variable consideration amount. The method is selected based primarily on number of possible results such as the number of volume thresholds with rebates. All available information, particularly historical values, is used for making estimates.

In some contracts, BASF grants the customer the right to return goods within a specific period of time, even if they meet the agreed specifications (sale with right of return). The actual expected amount of the consideration BASF is entitled to receive in this case is estimated using the expected value method. Refund liabilities are recognized in the amount of considerations paid by the customer for goods that are expected to be returned.

BASF opts to apply the practical expedient in IFRS 15.63 to not adjust the amount of the agreed consideration for the effects of a material financing component if, at the beginning of a contract, no more than one year is expected to lapse between the transfer of control of the goods or services and payment by the customer.

BASF also applies the practical expedient in IFRS 15.121 of not reporting information on remaining performance obligations resulting from a contract with a maximum expected original term of one year. Furthermore, information on performance obligations is not reported if the resulting revenue is recognized in accordance with IFRS 15.B16.

Sales revenue of €53 million, that was included in contract liabilities as of January 1, 2020, was recognized in 2020. That included €9 million related to changes in the time frame for underlying performance obligations to be satisfied.

Sales revenue for the 2020 fiscal year includes €218 million from performance obligations fulfilled in prior periods in connection with sales and usage-dependent licenses.