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Published: 2023-02-09 07:25:49 ET
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EX-99.1 2 tm2229802d2_ex99-1.htm EXHIBIT 99.1

Exhibit 99.1

 

 

TELUS CORPORATION

 

CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

DECEMBER 31, 2022

 

 

 

report of management on internal control over financial reporting

  

Management of TELUS Corporation (TELUS, or the Company) is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting.

 

TELUS’ President and Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice-president and Chief Financial Officer have assessed the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, in accordance with the criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Internal control over financial reporting is a process designed by, or under the supervision of, the President and Chief Executive Officer and the Executive Vice-president and Chief Financial Officer and effected by the Board of Directors, management and other personnel to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

 

Due to its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements on a timely basis. Also, projections of any evaluation of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting to future periods are subject to the risk that the controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. Based on the assessment referenced in the preceding paragraph, management has determined that the Company’s internal control over financial reporting is effective as of December 31, 2022. In connection with this assessment, no material weaknesses in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting were identified by management as of December 31, 2022.

 

The Company acquired LifeWorks Inc. on September 1, 2022, as set out in Note 18(b) of the consolidated financial statements, and management excluded from its assessment of the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, LifeWorks Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting associated with 5%, 11%, 7% and 6% of the Company’s consolidated current assets, consolidated current liabilities, consolidated non-current assets and consolidated non-current liabilities, respectively, and total revenue of $350 million and net loss of $5 million included in the Consolidated financial statements of the Company as of and for the year ended December 31, 2022.

 

Deloitte LLP, an Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, audited the Company’s Consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2022, and as stated in the Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, they have expressed an unqualified opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022.

 

/s/ “Doug French”   /s/ “Darren Entwistle”
     
Doug French   Darren Entwistle
Executive Vice-president   President
and Chief Financial Officer   and Chief Executive Officer
February 9, 2023   February 9, 2023

 

2 | December 31, 2022  

 

report of independent registered public accounting firm

  

To the Shareholders and the Board of Directors of TELUS Corporation

 

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated statements of financial position of TELUS Corporation and subsidiaries (the Company) as at December 31, 2022 and 2021, the related consolidated statements of income and other comprehensive income, changes in owners’ equity, and cash flows, for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2022, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the financial statements). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as at December 31, 2022 and 2021, and its financial performance and its cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2022, in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board.

 

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission and our report dated February 9, 2023, expressed an unqualified opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

 

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

Critical Audit Matter

The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current-period audit of the financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.

 

Valuation of Intangible Assets Acquired in Business Acquisitions – Refer to Note 1(b) and 18(b) to the financial statements

 

Critical Audit Matter Description

The Company acquired 100% of the equity of LifeWorks Inc. and recognized the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed at fair value including intangible assets for customer relationships (customer relationships). In determining the fair value of the customer relationships, management was required to make estimates and assumptions in forecasting future cash flows and determining customer attrition rates.

 

While there are many estimates and assumptions that management makes to determine the fair value of customer relationships, the estimates and assumptions with the highest degree of subjectivity are forecasts of future revenue and customer attrition rates. Performing audit procedures to evaluate these estimates and assumptions required a high degree of auditor judgment and an increased extent of audit effort, including the involvement of fair value specialists.

 

  December 31, 2022 | 3

 

report of independent registered public accounting firm

  

How the Critical Audit Matter Was Addressed in the Audit

Our audit procedures related to forecasts of future revenue and customer attrition rates used to determine the fair value of customer relationships included the following, among others:

 

·Evaluated the effectiveness of controls over the valuation of customer relationships at the acquisition date, including management’s controls over forecasts of future revenue and customer attrition rates.

·Evaluated the reasonableness of management’s forecasts of future revenue by comparing the forecasts to historical results, third-party industry forecasts, internal communications to management as well as performing inquiries with certain members of management.

·With the assistance of fair value specialists:

·Tested the source information underlying the determination of the customer attrition rates and developed a range of independent estimates for the customer attrition rates and compared those to the rates selected by management.

·Assessed the valuation determined by management for customer relationships by considering publicly available market data for comparable transactions.

 

/s/ “Deloitte LLP”  
   

Chartered Professional Accountants

Vancouver, Canada

 
February 9, 2023  
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2002.  

 

4 | December 31, 2022  

 

report of independent registered public accounting firm

  

To the Shareholders and the Board of Directors of TELUS Corporation

 

Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

We have audited the internal control over financial reporting of TELUS Corporation and subsidiaries (the Company) as of December 31, 2022, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by COSO.

 

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated financial statements as at and for the year ended December 31, 2022, of the Company and our report dated February 9, 2023, expressed an unqualified opinion on those financial statements.

 

As described in the report of management on internal control over financial reporting, management excluded from its assessment the internal control over financial reporting at LifeWorks Inc., which was acquired on September 1, 2022, and whose financial statements constitute 5%, 11%, 7% and 6% of the Company’s consolidated current assets, consolidated current liabilities, consolidated non-current assets and consolidated non-current liabilities, respectively, and total revenue of $350 million and net loss of $5 million included in the consolidated financial statements of the Company as at and for the year ended December 31, 2022. Accordingly, our audit did not include the internal control over financial reporting at LifeWorks Inc.

 

Basis for Opinion

The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying report of management on internal control over financial reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

 

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

 

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

 

/s/ “Deloitte LLP”  
   

Chartered Professional Accountants

Vancouver, Canada

February 9, 2023

 

 

  December 31, 2022 | 5

 

consolidated statements of income and other comprehensive income

        
Years ended December 31 (millions except per share amounts)  Note  2022   2021 
OPERATING REVENUES             
Service     $15,956   $14,535 
Equipment      2,336    2,303 
Operating revenues (arising from contracts with customers)  6   18,292    16,838 
Other income  7   120    420 
Operating revenues and other income      18,412    17,258 
OPERATING EXPENSES             
Goods and services purchased      7,107    6,699 
Employee benefits expense   8   4,899    4,269 
Depreciation   17   2,226    2,126 
Amortization of intangible assets  18   1,226    1,090 
       15,458    14,184 
OPERATING INCOME      2,954    3,074 
Financing costs   9   632    796 
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES      2,322    2,278 
Income taxes   10   604    580 
NET INCOME      1,718    1,698 
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)   11          
Items that may subsequently be reclassified to income             
Change in unrealized fair value of derivatives designated as cash flow hedges      (101)   124 
Foreign currency translation adjustment arising from translating financial statements of foreign operations      41    (130)
       (60)   (6)
Items never subsequently reclassified to income             
Change in measurement of investment financial assets      7    57 
Employee defined benefit plan re-measurements      132    600 
       139    657 
       79    651 
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME     $1,797   $2,349 
NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO:             
Common Shares     $1,615   $1,655 
Non-controlling interests      103    43 
      $1,718   $1,698 
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO:             
Common Shares     $1,654   $2,341 
Non-controlling interests      143    8 
      $1,797   $2,349 
NET INCOME PER COMMON SHARE  12          
Basic     $1.16   $1.23 
Diluted     $1.15   $1.22 
              
TOTAL WEIGHTED AVERAGE COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING             
Basic      1,396    1,346 
Diluted      1,403    1,351 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

6 | December 31, 2022  

 

consolidated statements of financial position

         
As at December 31 (millions)   Note  2022   2021 
             
ASSETS        
Current assets             
Cash and temporary investments, net     $974   $723 
Accounts receivable   6(b)   3,297    2,671 
Income and other taxes receivable      143    206 
Inventories   1(l)   537    448 
Contract assets  6(c)   441    450 
Prepaid expenses   20   617    521 
Current derivative assets   4(h)   83    13 
       6,092    5,032 
Non-current assets             
Property, plant and equipment, net   17   17,084    15,926 
Intangible assets, net   18   19,178    17,485 
Goodwill, net   18   9,169    7,270 
Contract assets   6(c)   320    299 
Other long-term assets   20   2,203    1,971 
       47,954    42,951 
      $54,046   $47,983 
              
LIABILITIES AND OWNERS’ EQUITY             
Current liabilities             
Short-term borrowings   22  $104   $114 
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities   23   3,947    3,705 
Income and other taxes payable      112    104 
Dividends payable   13   502    449 
Advance billings and customer deposits   24   891    854 
Provisions   25   166    96 
Current maturities of long-term debt   26   2,541    2,927 
Current derivative liabilities   4(h)   18    24 
       8,281    8,273 
Non-current liabilities             
Provisions   25   538    774 
Long-term debt   26   22,496    17,925 
Other long-term liabilities   27   636    907 
Deferred income taxes   10   4,437    4,045 
       28,107    23,651 
Liabilities      36,388    31,924 
Owners’ equity             
Common equity   28   16,569    15,116 
Non-controlling interests      1,089    943 
       17,658    16,059 
      $54,046   $47,983 
Contingent liabilities  29          

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

Approved by the Directors:    
     
/s/ “David L. Mowat”   /s/ “R. H. Auchinleck”
     
David L. Mowat   R.H. Auchinleck
Director   Director

 

  December 31, 2022 | 7

 

consolidated statements of changes in owners’ equity

 

      Common equity         
      Equity contributed                     
      Common Shares (Note 28)           Accumulated
other
       Non-     
(millions)  Note  Number
of shares
   Share
capital
   Contributed
surplus
   Retained
earnings
   comprehensive
income 
   Total   controlling
interests
   Total 
Balance as at January 1, 2021     1,291   $7,677   $534   $3,712   $117   $12,040   $528   $12,568 
Net income                 1,655        1,655    43    1,698 
Other comprehensive income (loss)  11              600    86    686    (35)   651 
Dividends  13              (1,711)       —    (1,711)       (1,711)
Dividends reinvested and optional cash payments  13(b), 14(c)  24    621                621        621 
Equity accounted share-based compensation     4    79    49            128    13    141 
Common Shares issued     51    1,267                1,267        1,267 
Change in ownership interests of subsidiaries  28(c)         430            430    394    824 
Balance as at December 31, 2021     1,370    9,644    1,013    4,256    203    15,116    943    16,059 
Net income                 1,615        1,615    103    1,718 
Other comprehensive income (loss)  11              132    (93)   39    40    79 
Dividends  13              (1,899)       (1,899)       (1,899)
Dividends reinvested and optional cash payments  13(b), 14(c)  23    660                660        660 
Equity accounted share-based compensation  14(b) 4    103    18            121    12    133 
Issue of Common Shares in business combination  18(b) 34    992                992        992 
Change in ownership interests of subsidiaries  28(c)         (75)           (75)   (9)   (84)
Balance as at December 31, 2022     1,431   $11,399   $956   $4,104   $110   $16,569   $1,089   $17,658 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

8 | December 31, 2022  

 

consolidated statements of cash flows

        
Years ended December 31 (millions)  Note  2022   2021 
OPERATING ACTIVITIES             
Net income     $1,718   $1,698 
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by operating activities:             
Depreciation and amortization      3,452    3,216 
Deferred income taxes   10   31    47 
Share-based compensation expense, net   14(a)   122    139 
Net employee defined benefit plans expense   15(a)   101    113 
Employer contributions to employee defined benefit plans   15(a)   (44)   (53)
Non-current contract assets      (21)   (6)
Non-current unbilled customer finance receivables   20   (26)   (184)
Unrealized change in forward element of virtual power purchase agreements  9   (193)    
Gain on disposition of financial solutions business  7       (410)
Loss from equity accounted investments   7, 21   7    10 
Other      (143)   (100)
Net change in non-cash operating working capital   31(a)   (193)   (82)
Cash provided by operating activities      4,811    4,388 
INVESTING ACTIVITIES             
Cash payments for capital assets, excluding spectrum licences   31(a)   (3,647)   (3,097)
Cash payments for spectrum licences   18(a)       (2,219)
Cash payments for acquisitions, net   18(b)   (1,547)   (468)
Advances to, and investment in, real estate joint ventures and associates   21   (21)   (46)
Real estate joint venture receipts   21   5    4 
Proceeds on disposition      16    508 
Investment in portfolio investments and other      (214)   (148)
Cash used by investing activities      (5,408)   (5,466)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES   31(a)          
Common Shares issued   28(a)       1,300 
Dividends paid to holders of Common Shares   13(a)   (1,188)   (1,045)
Issue (repayment) of short-term borrowings, net      (17)   10 
Long-term debt issued   26   10,271    4,891 
Redemptions and repayment of long-term debt   26   (8,049)   (4,972)
Shares of subsidiary issued and sold to (purchased from) non-controlling interests, net  28(c)   (123)   827 
Other      (46)   (58)
Cash provided by financing activities      848    953 
CASH POSITION             
Increase (decrease) in cash and temporary investments, net      251    (125)
Cash and temporary investments, net, beginning of period      723    848 
Cash and temporary investments, net, end of period     $974   $723 
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE OF OPERATING CASH FLOWS             
Interest paid      $(816)  $(744)
Interest received     $17   $17 
Income taxes paid, net             
In respect of comprehensive income     $(514)  $(563)
In respect of business acquisitions      (5)   (38)
      $(519)  $(601)

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

  December 31, 2022 | 9

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

DECEMBER 31, 2022

 

TELUS Corporation is one of Canada’s largest telecommunications companies, providing a wide range of technology solutions, which include mobile and fixed voice and data telecommunications services and products, healthcare software and technology solutions (including employee and family assistance programs and benefits administration), agriculture and consumer goods services (software, data management and data analytics-driven smart-food chain and consumer goods technologies), and digitally-led customer experiences. Data services include: internet protocol; television; hosting, managed information technology and cloud-based services; and home and business security.

 

TELUS Corporation was incorporated under the Company Act (British Columbia) on October 26, 1998, under the name BCT.TELUS Communications Inc. (BCT). On January 31, 1999, pursuant to a court-approved plan of arrangement under the Canada Business Corporations Act among BCT, BC TELECOM Inc. and the former Alberta-based TELUS Corporation (TC), BCT acquired all of the shares of BC TELECOM Inc. and TC in exchange for Common Shares and Non-Voting Shares of BCT, and BC TELECOM Inc. was dissolved. On May 3, 2000, BCT changed its name to TELUS Corporation and in February 2005, TELUS Corporation transitioned under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia), successor to the Company Act (British Columbia). TELUS Corporation maintains its registered office at Floor 7, 510 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6B 0M3.

 

The terms “TELUS”, “we”, “us”, “our” or “ourselves” refer to TELUS Corporation and, where the context of the narrative permits or requires, its subsidiaries. Our principal subsidiaries are: TELUS Communications Inc., in which, as at December 31, 2022, we have a 100% equity interest; and TELUS International (Cda) Inc., in which, as at December 31, 2022, we have a 56.6% equity interest, as discussed further in Note 28(c), and which completed its initial public offering in February 2021. Although they have not had any effect on our current determination of which are our principal subsidiaries, we made material business acquisitions during the year ended December 31, 2022, as set out in Note 18(b).

 

Notes to consolidated financial statements   Page
General application    
1.     Summary of significant accounting policies   11
2.     Accounting policy developments   20
3.     Capital structure financial policies   20
4.     Financial instruments   23
Consolidated results of operations focused    
5.     Segment information   31
6.     Revenue from contracts with customers   33
7.     Other income   34
8.     Employee benefits expense   35
9.     Financing costs   35
10.   Income taxes   36
11.   Other comprehensive income   38
12.   Per share amounts   39
13.   Dividends per share   39
14.   Share-based compensation   40
15.   Employee future benefits   44
16.   Restructuring and other costs   49
Consolidated financial position focused    
17.   Property, plant and equipment   51
18.   Intangible assets and goodwill   52
19.   Leases   57
20.   Other long-term assets   57
21.   Real estate joint ventures and investment in associate   58
22.   Short-term borrowings   59
23.   Accounts payable and accrued liabilities   60
24.   Advance billings and customer deposits   60
25.   Provisions   61
26.   Long-term debt   62
27.   Other long-term liabilities   66
28.   Owners’ equity   66
29.   Contingent liabilities   68
Other    
30.   Related party transactions   70
31.   Additional statement of cash flow information   71

 

10 | December 31, 2022  

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

1summary of significant accounting policies

 

Our consolidated financial statements are expressed in Canadian dollars. The generally accepted accounting principles that we apply are International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IFRS-IASB), and Canadian generally accepted accounting principles.

 

Generally accepted accounting principles require that we disclose the accounting policies we have selected in those instances in which we have been obligated to choose from among various accounting policies that comply with generally accepted accounting principles. In certain other instances, including those in which no selection among policies is allowed, we are also required to disclose how we have applied certain accounting policies. In the selection and application of accounting policies, we consider, among other factors, the fundamental qualitative characteristics of useful financial information, namely relevance and faithful representation. In our assessment, the accounting policy disclosures we are required to make are not all equally significant for us, as set out in the accompanying table; their relative significance for us will evolve over time, as we do.

 

These consolidated financial statements for each of the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, were authorized by our Board of Directors for issue on February 9, 2023.

 

    Accounting policy requiring a more
significant choice among policies and/or
a more significant application of judgment
Accounting policy   Yes   No
General application        
(a) Consolidation       X
(b) Use of estimates and judgments   X    
(c) Financial instruments – recognition and measurement       X
(d) Hedge accounting       X
Results of operations focused        
(e)  Revenue recognition   X    
(f) Depreciation, amortization and impairment   X    
(g) Translation of foreign currencies       X
(h) Income and other taxes   X    
(i) Share-based compensation       X
(j) Employee future benefit plans   X    
Financial position focused        
(k) Cash and temporary investments, net       X
(l) Inventories       X
(m) Property, plant and equipment; intangible assets   X    
(n) Investments       X

 

(a)Consolidation

 

Our consolidated financial statements include our accounts and the accounts of all of our subsidiaries, of which the principal ones are: TELUS Communications Inc. and TELUS International (Cda) Inc. TELUS Communications Inc. includes substantially all of our mobile and fixed operations, excluding the customer experience and digital enablement transformation provided through the customer care and business services business of TELUS International (Cda) Inc.

 

Our financing arrangements and those of our wholly owned subsidiaries do not impose restrictions on inter-corporate dividends.

 

On a continuing basis, we review our corporate organization and effect changes as appropriate so as to enhance the value of TELUS Corporation. This process can, and does, affect which of our subsidiaries are considered principal subsidiaries at any particular point in time.

 

(b)Use of estimates and judgments

 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates, assumptions and judgments that affect: the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements; the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements; and the reported amounts and classification of revenue and expense during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

 

 

Denotes accounting policy requiring, for us, a more significant choice among accounting policies and/or a more significant application of judgment.

 

  December 31, 2022 | 11

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

Estimates

 

Examples of the significant estimates and assumptions that we make, and their relative significance and degree of difficulty, are set out in the graphic at right.

 

 

Judgments

 

Examples of our significant judgments, apart from those involving estimation, include the following:

 

·Assessments about whether line items are sufficiently material to warrant separate presentation in the primary financial statements and, if not, whether they are sufficiently material to warrant separate presentation in the notes to the financial statements. In the normal course, we make changes to our assessments regarding materiality for presentation so that they reflect current economic conditions. Due consideration is given to the view that it is reasonable to expect differing opinions of what is, and is not, material.

·In respect of revenue-generating transactions, we must make judgments that affect the timing of the recognition of revenue, as set out following:

  ·We have millions of multi-year contracts with our customers and we must make judgments about when we have satisfied our performance obligations to our customers, either over a period of time or at a point in time. Service revenues are recognized based on customers’ access to, or usage of, our telecommunications infrastructure; we believe that this method faithfully depicts the transfer of the services, and thus the revenues are recognized as the services are made available and/or rendered. We consider our performance obligations arising from the sale of equipment to have been satisfied when the equipment has been delivered to, and accepted by, the end-user customers (see (e) following).

  ·Principally in the context of revenue-generating transactions involving mobile handsets, we must make judgments as to whether third-party re-sellers that deliver equipment to our customers are acting in the transactions as principals or as our agents. Upon due consideration of the relevant indicators, we believe that the decision to consider the re-sellers to be acting, solely for accounting purposes, as our agents is more representative of the economic substance of the transactions, as we are the primary obligor to the end-user customers. The effect of this judgment is that no equipment revenue is recognized upon the transfer of inventory to third-party re-sellers.

  ·We compensate third-party re-sellers and our employees for generating revenues, and we must make judgments as to whether such sales-based compensation amounts are costs incurred to obtain contracts with customers that should be capitalized (see Note 20). We believe that compensation amounts tangentially attributable to obtaining a contract with a customer, because the amount of such compensation could be affected in ways other than by simply obtaining that contract, should be expensed as incurred; compensation amounts directly attributable to obtaining a contract with a customer should be capitalized and subsequently amortized on a systematic basis, consistent with the satisfaction of our associated performance obligations.

 

Judgment must also be exercised in the capitalization of costs incurred to fulfill revenue-generating contracts with customers. Such fulfilment costs are those incurred to set up, activate or otherwise implement services involving access to, or usage of, our telecommunications infrastructure that would not otherwise be capitalized as property, plant, equipment and/or intangible assets (see Note 20).

 

 

Denotes accounting policy requiring, for us, a more significant choice among accounting policies and/or a more significant application of judgment.

  

12 | December 31, 2022  

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

·The decision to depreciate and amortize any property, plant, equipment (including right-of-use lease assets) and intangible assets that are subject to amortization on a straight-line basis, as we believe that this method reflects the consumption of resources related to the economic lifespan of those assets better than an accelerated method and is more representative of the economic substance of the underlying use of those assets.

·The preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make judgments which affect the financial statement disclosure of information regularly reviewed by our chief operating decision-maker that is used to make resource allocation decisions and to assess performance (segment information, Note 5).

 

A significant judgment we have historically made is the distinction between the operations and cash flows of our business units (which extends to allocations of both direct and indirect expenses and capital expenditures). It is often difficult and impractical to objectively and clearly distinguish between the operations and cash flows of our business units, and the assets from which those cash flows arise. This impracticality is evidence of the interdependence of our business units. As our business continues to evolve, new cash-generating units may also develop.

 

·The view that our spectrum licences granted by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (including spectrum licences that have been subordinated to us) will likely be renewed; that we intend to renew them; that we believe we have the financial and operational ability to renew them; and thus, that they have indefinite lives, as discussed further in Note 18(e).

·In connection with the annual impairment testing of intangible assets with indefinite lives and goodwill, there may be instances in which we must exercise judgment in allocating our net assets (including shared corporate and administrative assets) to our cash-generating units when determining their carrying amounts.

·In respect of claims and lawsuits, as discussed further in Note 29(a), the determination of whether an item is a contingent liability or whether an outflow of resources is probable and thus is to be accounted for as a provision.

  

(c)Financial instruments – recognition and measurement

 

In respect of the recognition and measurement of financial instruments, we have adopted the following policies:

 

·Regular-way purchases or sales of financial assets or financial liabilities (purchases or sales that require actual delivery of financial assets or financial liabilities) are recognized on the settlement date. We have selected this method, as the benefits of using the trade date method were not expected to exceed the costs of selecting and implementing that method.

·Transaction costs, other than in respect of items held for trading, are added to the initial fair value of the acquired financial asset or financial liability. We have selected this method, as we believe that it results in a better matching of the transaction costs with the periods in which we benefit from those costs.

·A contract to receive renewable energy credits and the associated virtual power purchase agreement are distinct units of account. We have selected this method as we believe the receipt of the renewable energy credits is an executory contract and the virtual power purchase agreement meets the definition of a derivative.

 

(d)Hedge accounting

 

General

 

We apply hedge accounting to the financial instruments used to establish designated currency hedging relationships for certain U.S. dollar-denominated future purchase commitments and debt repayments, as set out in Note 4(a) and (d).

 

Hedge accounting

 

The purpose of hedge accounting, in respect of our designated hedging relationships, is to ensure that counterbalancing gains and losses are recognized in the same periods. We have chosen to apply hedge accounting, as we believe that it is more representative of the economic substance of the underlying transactions.

 

In order to apply hedge accounting, a high correlation (which indicates effectiveness) is required in the offsetting changes in the risk-associated values of the financial instruments (the hedging items) used to establish the designated hedging relationships and all, or a part, of the asset, liability or transaction having an identified risk exposure that we have taken steps to modify (the hedged items). We assess the anticipated effectiveness of designated hedging relationships at inception and their actual effectiveness for each reporting period thereafter. We consider a designated hedging relationship to be effective if the following critical terms match between the hedging item and the hedged item: the notional amount of the hedging item and the principal amount of the hedged item; maturity dates; payment dates; and interest rate index (if, and as, applicable). As set out in Note 4(i), any ineffectiveness, such as would result from a difference between the notional amount of the hedging item and the principal amount of the hedged item, or from a previously effective designated hedging relationship becoming ineffective, is reflected in the Consolidated statements of income and other comprehensive income as Financing costs if in respect of long-term debt and as Goods and services purchased if in respect of U.S. dollar-denominated future purchase commitments.

 

 

Denotes accounting policy requiring, for us, a more significant choice among accounting policies and/or a more significant application of judgment.

 

  December 31, 2022 | 13

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

Hedging assets and liabilities

 

In the application of hedge accounting, an amount (the hedge value) is recorded in the Consolidated statements of financial position in respect of the fair value of the hedging items. The net difference, if any, between the amounts recognized in the determination of net income and the amounts necessary to reflect the fair value of the designated cash flow hedging items recorded in the Consolidated statements of financial position is recognized as a component of Other comprehensive income, as set out in Note 11.

 

(e)Revenue recognition

 

General

 

We earn the majority of our TELUS technology solutions service revenues from access to, and usage of, our telecommunications infrastructure, including:

 

·Mobile network (voice and data);

·Fixed data services (which include: internet protocol; television; hosting, managed information technology and cloud-based services; and home and business security);

·Fixed voice services; and

·Health services.

 

The majority of the balance of our TELUS technology solutions revenues (mobile equipment and other service; fixed equipment and other service; agriculture and consumer goods services (which include: software, data management and data analytics-driven smart-food chain and consumer goods technologies)) arises from providing services and products facilitating access to, and usage of, telecommunications infrastructure. Service revenues from our digitally-led customer experiences – TELUS International segment arise from the provision of digital customer experience solutions, including artificial intelligence and content management solutions.

 

We offer complete and integrated solutions to meet our customers’ needs. These solutions may involve deliveries of multiple services and products (our performance obligations) that occur at different points in time and/or over different periods of time; as referred to in (b), this is a significant judgment for us. As required, the performance obligations of these multiple-element arrangements are identified and the transaction price for the entire multiple-element arrangement is determined and allocated among the performance obligations based upon our relative stand-alone selling prices for each of them; our relevant revenue recognition policies are then applied, so that revenue is recognized when, or as, we satisfy the performance obligations. To the extent that variable consideration is included in determining the minimum transaction price, it is constrained to the “minimum spend” amount required in a contract with a customer. Service revenues arising from contracts with customers typically have variable consideration, because customers have the ongoing ability to both add and remove features and services, and because customer usage of our telecommunications infrastructure may exceed the base amounts provided for in their contracts.

 

For the purposes of IFRS 15, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, our contracts with customers are not considered to have a significant financing component. With the exception of both equipment-related upfront payments that may be required under the terms of contracts with customers and in-store “cash and carry” sales of equipment and accessories, payments are typically due 30 days from the billing date. Billings are typically rendered on a monthly basis.

 

Multiple contracts with a single customer are normally accounted for as separate arrangements. In instances where multiple contracts are entered into with a customer in a short period of time, the contracts are reviewed as a group to ensure that, as with multiple-element arrangements, their relative transaction prices are appropriate.

 

Lease accounting is applied to an accounting unit if it conveys to a customer the right to use a specific asset but does not convey the risks and/or benefits of ownership.

 

Our revenues are recorded net of any value-added and/or sales taxes billed to the customer concurrent with a revenue-generating transaction.

 

 

Denotes accounting policy requiring, for us, a more significant choice among accounting policies and/or a more significant application of judgment.

 

14 | December 31, 2022  

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

We use the following revenue accounting practical expedients provided for in IFRS 15, Revenue from Contracts with Customers:

 

·No adjustment of the contracted amount of consideration for the effects of financing components when, at the inception of a contract, we expect that the effect of the financing component is not significant at the individual contract level.

·No deferral of contract acquisition costs when the amortization period for such costs would be one year or less.

·When estimating minimum transaction prices allocated to any remaining unfulfilled, or partially unfulfilled, performance obligations, exclusion of amounts arising from contracts originally expected to have a duration of one year or less, as well as amounts arising from contracts under which we may recognize and bill revenue in an amount that corresponds directly with our completed performance obligations.

 

Contract assets

 

Many of our multiple-element arrangements arise from bundling the sale of equipment (e.g. a mobile handset) with a contracted service period. Although the customer receives the equipment at contract inception and the revenue from the associated completed performance obligation is recognized at that time, the customer’s payment for the equipment will effectively be received rateably over the contracted service period to the extent it is not received as a lump-sum amount at contract inception. The difference between the equipment revenue recognized and the associated amount cumulatively billed to the customer is recognized on the Consolidated statements of financial position as a contract asset and/or an unbilled customer finance receivable, depending upon the form of the contract.

 

Contract assets may also arise in instances where we give consideration to a customer. When we receive no identifiable, separable benefit for consideration given to a customer, the amount of the consideration is recognized as a reduction of revenue rather than as an expense. Such amounts are included in the determination of transaction prices for allocation purposes in multiple-element arrangements.

 

·Some forms of consideration given to a customer, effectively at contract inception, such as rebates (including prepaid non-bank cards) and/or equipment, are considered to be performance obligations in a multiple-element arrangement. Although the performance obligation is satisfied at contract inception, the customer’s payment associated with the performance obligation will effectively be received rateably over the associated contracted service period. The difference between the revenue arising from the satisfied performance obligation and the associated amount cumulatively billed to the customer is recognized on the Consolidated statements of financial position as a contract asset.

·Other forms of consideration given to a customer, either at contract inception or over a period of time, such as discounts (including prepaid bank cards), may result in us receiving no identifiable, separable benefit and thus are not considered performance obligations. Such consideration is recognized as a reduction of revenue rateably over the term of the contract. The difference between the consideration provided and the associated amount recognized as a reduction of revenue is recognized on the Consolidated statements of financial position as a contract asset.

 

Contract liabilities

 

Advance billings are recorded when billing occurs prior to provision of the associated services; such advance billings are recognized as revenue in the period in which the services and/or equipment are provided (see Note 24). Similarly, and as appropriate, upfront customer activation and connection fees are deferred and recognized over the average expected term of the customer relationship.

 

Costs of contract acquisition and contract fulfilment

 

Costs of contract acquisition (typically commissions) and costs of contract fulfilment are capitalized and recognized as an expense, generally over the life of the contract on a systematic and rational basis consistent with the pattern of the transfer of goods or services to which the asset relates. The amortization of such costs is included in the Consolidated statements of income and other comprehensive income as a component of Goods and services purchased, with the exception of amounts paid to our employees, which are included as Employee benefits expense.

 

The total cost of mobile equipment sold to customers and advertising and promotion costs related to initial customer acquisition are expensed as incurred; the cost of equipment we own that is situated at customers’ premises and associated installation costs are capitalized as incurred. Costs of advertising production, advertising airtime and advertising space are expensed as incurred.

 

 

Denotes accounting policy requiring, for us, a more significant choice among accounting policies and/or a more significant application of judgment.

 

  December 31, 2022 | 15

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

Voice and data

 

We recognize revenues on an accrual basis and include an estimate of revenues earned but unbilled. Mobile and fixed service revenues are recognized based upon access to, and usage of, our telecommunications infrastructure and upon contract fees.

 

Advance billings are recorded when billing occurs prior to provision of the associated services; such advance billings are recognized as revenue in the period in which the services are provided. Similarly, and as appropriate, upfront customer activation and connection fees are deferred and recognized over the average expected term of the customer relationship.

 

We use the liability method of accounting for the amounts of our quality of service rate rebates that arise from the jurisdiction of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).

 

The CRTC has established a mechanism to subsidize local exchange carriers, such as ourselves, that provide residential basic telephone service to high cost serving areas. The CRTC has determined the per network access line/per band subsidy rate for all local exchange carriers. We recognize the subsidy on an accrual basis by applying the subsidy rate to the number of residential network access lines we provide in high cost serving areas, as discussed further in Note 7. Differences, if any, between interim and final subsidy rates set by the CRTC are accounted for as a change in estimate in the period in which the CRTC finalizes the subsidy rate.

 

Other and mobile equipment

 

We recognize product revenues, including amounts related to mobile handsets sold to re-sellers and customer premises equipment, when the products are both delivered to, and accepted by, the end-user customers, irrespective of which supply channel delivers the product. With respect to mobile handsets sold to re-sellers, we consider ourselves to be the principal and primary obligor to the end-user customers. Revenues from operating leases of equipment are recognized on a systematic and rational basis (normally a straight-line basis) over the term of the lease. We recognize revenues that arise from employee and family assistance programs and from software solutions (including benefits administration) in the accounting period in which they are provided.

 

We recognize revenues that arise from the provision of digital customer experience solutions, including artificial intelligence and content management solutions, in the accounting period in which they are provided, typically on a per-productive hour or per-transaction basis.

 

(f)Depreciation, amortization and impairment

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

Property, plant and equipment (including right-of-use lease assets) are depreciated on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives (lease terms for right-of-use lease assets) as determined by a continuing program of asset life studies. Depreciation includes amortization of leasehold improvements, which are normally amortized over the lesser of their expected average service lives or the terms of the associated leases. Intangible assets with finite lives (intangible assets subject to amortization) are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives, which are reviewed at least annually and adjusted as appropriate. As referred to in (b), the use of a straight-line basis of depreciation and amortization is a significant judgment for us.

 

Estimated useful lives for the majority of our property, plant and equipment (including right-of-use lease assets) and intangible assets subject to depreciation and amortization are as follows:

 

   Estimated useful lives
Property, plant and equipment (including right-of-use lease assets) subject to depreciation   
Network assets   
Outside plant  17 to 40 years
Inside plant  4 to 25 years
Mobile site equipment  5 to 7 years
Real estate right-of-use lease assets  5 to 20 years
Balance of depreciable property, plant and equipment and right-of-use lease assets  3 to 40 years
Intangible assets subject to amortization   
Customer contracts and related customer relationships  4 to 15 years
Fixed subscriber base  25 years
Software  3 to 10 years
Access to rights-of-way, crowdsource assets and other  5 to 30 years

 

 

Denotes accounting policy requiring, for us, a more significant choice among accounting policies and/or a more significant application of judgment.

 

16 | December 31, 2022  

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

Impairment – general

 

Impairment testing compares the carrying values of the assets or cash-generating units being tested with their recoverable amounts (the recoverable amount being the greater of an asset’s or a cash-generating unit’s value in use or its fair value less costs of disposal); as referred to in (b), this is a significant estimate for us. Impairment losses are immediately recognized to the extent that the carrying value of an asset or a cash-generating unit exceeds its recoverable amount. Should the recoverable amounts for impaired assets or cash-generating units subsequently increase, the impairment losses previously recognized (other than in respect of goodwill) may be reversed to the extent that the reversal is not a result of “unwinding of the discount” and that the resulting carrying values do not exceed the carrying values which would have been the result if no impairment losses had been recognized previously.

 

Impairment – property, plant and equipment; intangible assets subject to amortization

 

The continuing program of asset life studies considers such items as the timing of technological obsolescence, competitive pressures and future infrastructure utilization plans; these considerations could also indicate that the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable, in which case an impairment loss would be recognized.

 

Impairment – intangible assets with indefinite lives; goodwill

 

The carrying values of intangible assets with indefinite lives and goodwill are periodically tested for impairment. The frequency of impairment testing is generally the reciprocal of the stability of any relevant events and circumstances, but intangible assets with indefinite lives and goodwill must, at a minimum, be tested annually; we have selected December as the time of our annual test.

 

We assess our intangible assets with indefinite lives by comparing the recoverable amounts of our cash-generating units to their carrying values (including the intangible assets with indefinite lives allocated to a cash-generating unit, but excluding any goodwill allocated to a cash-generating unit). To the extent that the carrying value of a cash-generating unit (including the intangible assets with indefinite lives allocated to the cash-generating unit, but excluding any goodwill allocated to the cash-generating unit) exceeds its recoverable amount, the excess amount would be recorded as a reduction of the carrying value of intangible assets with indefinite lives.

 

Subsequent to assessing intangible assets with indefinite lives, we assess goodwill by comparing the recoverable amounts of our cash-generating units (or group of cash-generating units) to their carrying values (including the intangible assets with indefinite lives and any goodwill allocated to a cash-generating unit or group of cash-generating units). To the extent that the carrying value of a cash-generating unit (including the intangible assets with indefinite lives and the goodwill allocated to the cash-generating unit) exceeds its recoverable amount, the excess amount would first be recorded as a reduction of the carrying value of goodwill and any remainder would be recorded as a reduction of the carrying values of the assets of the cash-generating unit on a pro-rated basis.

 

(g)Translation of foreign currencies

 

Trade transactions completed in foreign currencies are translated into Canadian dollars at the rates of exchange prevailing at the time of the transactions. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into Canadian dollars at the rate of exchange in effect at the statement of financial position date, with any resulting gain or loss recorded in the Consolidated statements of income and other comprehensive income as a component of Financing costs, as set out in Note 9. Hedge accounting is applied in specific instances, as discussed further in (d) preceding.

 

Certain of our foreign subsidiaries do not have the Canadian dollar as their functional currency. Foreign exchange gains and losses arising from the translation of these foreign subsidiaries’ accounts into Canadian dollars are reported as a component of other comprehensive income, as set out in Note 11.

 

(h)Income and other taxes

 

We follow the liability method of accounting for income taxes; as referred to in (b), this is a significant estimate for us. Under this method, current income taxes are recognized for the estimated income taxes payable for the current year. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are recognized for temporary differences between the tax and accounting bases of assets and liabilities, and also for any benefits of losses and Investment Tax Credits available to be carried forward to future years for tax purposes that are more likely than not to be realized. The amounts recognized in respect of deferred income tax assets and liabilities are based upon the expected timing of the reversal of temporary differences or the usage of tax losses and the application of the substantively enacted tax rates at the time of reversal or usage.

 

We account for any changes in substantively enacted income tax rates affecting deferred income tax assets and liabilities in full in the period in which the changes are substantively enacted. We account for changes in the estimates of tax balances for prior years as estimate revisions in the period in which changes in the estimates arise; we have selected this approach, as its emphasis on the statement of financial position is more consistent with the liability method of accounting for income taxes.

 

 

Denotes accounting policy requiring, for us, a more significant choice among accounting policies and/or a more significant application of judgment.

 

  December 31, 2022 | 17

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

Our operations are complex and the related domestic and foreign tax interpretations, regulations, legislation and jurisprudence are continually changing. As a result, there are usually some tax matters in question that result in uncertain tax positions. We recognize the income tax benefit of an uncertain tax position only when it is more likely than not that the ultimate determination of the tax treatment of the position will result in that benefit being realized; however, this does not mean that tax authorities cannot challenge these positions. We accrue an amount for interest charges on current tax liabilities that have not been funded, which would include interest and penalties arising from uncertain tax positions. We include such charges in the Consolidated statements of income and other comprehensive income as a component of Financing costs.

 

Our research and development activities may be eligible to earn Investment Tax Credits, for which the determination of eligibility is a complex matter. We recognize Investment Tax Credits only when there is reasonable assurance that the ultimate determination of the eligibility of our research and development activities will result in the Investment Tax Credits being received, at which time they are accounted for using the cost reduction method, whereby such credits are deducted from the expenditures or assets to which they relate, as set out in Note 10(c).

 

(i)Share-based compensation

 

General

 

When share-based compensation vests in its entirety at one future point in time (cliff-vesting), we recognize the expense on a straight-line basis over the vesting period. When share-based compensation vests in tranches (graded-vesting), we recognize the expense using the accelerated expense attribution method. An estimate of forfeitures during the vesting period is made at the date of grant of such share-based compensation; this estimate is adjusted to reflect actual experience.

 

Restricted share units

 

In respect of restricted share units with neither an equity settlement feature nor market performance conditions, as set out in Note 14(b), we accrue a liability equal to the product of the number of vesting restricted share units multiplied by the fair market value of the corresponding Common Shares at the end of the reporting period. Similarly, we accrue a liability for the notional subset of our restricted share units without an equity settlement feature and with market performance conditions, using a fair value determined from a Monte Carlo simulation. Restricted share units that have an equity settlement feature are accounted for as equity instruments. The expense for restricted share units that do not ultimately vest is reversed against the expense that was previously recorded in their respect.

 

Share option awards

 

A fair value for share option awards is determined at the date of grant and is recognized in the financial statements. Proceeds arising from the exercise of share option awards are credited to share capital, as are the recognized grant-date fair values of the exercised share option awards.

 

Share option awards that have a net-equity settlement feature, as set out in Note 14(d), are accounted for as equity instruments. We have selected the equity instrument fair value method of accounting for the net-equity settlement feature, as it is consistent with the accounting treatment applied to the associated share option awards.

 

(j)Employee future benefit plans

 

Defined benefit plans

 

We accrue amounts for our obligations under employee defined benefit plans and the related costs, net of plan assets. The cost of pensions and other retirement benefits earned by employees is actuarially determined using the accrued benefit method pro-rated on service and management’s best estimates of both salary escalation and the retirement ages of employees. In the determination of net income, net interest for each plan, which is the product of the plan’s surplus (deficit) multiplied by the discount rate, is included as a component of Financing costs, as set out in Note 9.

 

An amount reflecting the effect of differences between the discount rate and the actual rate of return on plan assets is included as a component of employee defined benefit plan re-measurements within Other comprehensive income, as set out in Note 11 and Note 15. We determine the maximum economic benefit available from the plans’ assets on the basis of reductions in future contributions to the plans.

 

On an annual basis, at a minimum, the defined benefit plan key assumptions are assessed and revised as appropriate; as referred to in (b), these are significant estimates for us.

 

 

Denotes accounting policy requiring, for us, a more significant choice among accounting policies and/or a more significant application of judgment.

 

18 | December 31, 2022  

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

Defined contribution plans

 

We use defined contribution accounting for the Telecommunication Workers Pension Plan and the British Columbia Public Service Pension Plan, which cover certain of our employees and provide defined benefits to their members. In the absence of any regulations governing the calculation of the share of the underlying financial position and plan performance attributable to each employer-participant, and in the absence of contractual agreements between the plans and the employer-participants related to the financing of any shortfall (or distribution of any surplus), we account for these plans as defined contribution plans, in accordance with International Accounting Standard 19, Employee Benefits.

 

(k)Cash and temporary investments, net

 

Cash and temporary investments, which may include investments in money market instruments that are purchased three months or less from maturity, are presented net of outstanding items, including cheques written but not cleared by the related banks as at the statement of financial position date. Cash and temporary investments, net, are classified as a liability in the statement of financial position when the total amount of all cheques written but not cleared by the related banks exceeds the amount of cash and temporary investments. When cash and temporary investments, net, are classified as a liability, they may also include overdraft amounts drawn on our bilateral bank facilities, which revolve daily and are discussed further in Note 22.

 

(l)Inventories

 

Our inventories primarily consist of mobile handsets, parts and accessories totalling $414 million as at December 31, 2022 (2021 – $381 million), and communications equipment held for resale. Inventories are valued at the lower of cost and net realizable value, with cost being determined on an average cost basis. Costs of goods sold for the year ended December 31, 2022, totalled $2.3 billion (2021 – $2.2 billion).

 

(m)Property, plant and equipment; intangible assets

 

General

 

Property, plant and equipment and intangible assets are recorded at historical cost, which for self-constructed property, plant and equipment includes materials, direct labour and applicable overhead costs. For internally developed, internal-use software, the historical cost recorded includes materials, direct labour and direct labour-related costs. Where property, plant and equipment construction projects are of sufficient size and duration, an amount is capitalized for the cost of funds used to finance construction, as set out in Note 9. The rate for calculating the capitalized financing cost is based on the weighted average cost of borrowing that we experience during the reporting period.

 

When we sell property, plant and/or equipment, the net book value is netted against the sale proceeds and the difference, as set out in Note 7, is included in the Consolidated statements of income and other comprehensive income as a component of Other income.

 

Asset retirement obligations

 

Provisions for liabilities, as set out in Note 25, are recognized for statutory, contractual or legal obligations, normally when incurred, associated with the retirement of property, plant and equipment (primarily certain items of outside plant and mobile site equipment) when those obligations result from the acquisition, construction, development and/or normal operation of the assets; as referred to in (b), this is a significant estimate for us. The obligations are measured initially at fair value, which is determined using present value methodology, and the resulting costs are capitalized as a part of the carrying value of the related asset. In subsequent periods, the provisions for these liabilities are adjusted for the accretion of discount, for any changes in the market-based discount rate and for any changes in the amount or timing of the underlying future cash flows. The capitalized asset retirement cost is depreciated on the same basis as the related asset and the discount accretion, as set out in Note 9, is included in the Consolidated statements of income and other comprehensive income as a component of Financing costs.

 

(n)Investments

 

We account for our investments in companies over which we have significant influence, as discussed further in Note 21, using the equity method of accounting, whereby the investments are initially recorded at cost and subsequently adjusted to recognize our share of earnings or losses of the investee companies and any earnings distributions received. The excess of the cost of an equity investment over its underlying book value at the date of acquisition, except for goodwill, is amortized over the estimated useful lives of the underlying assets to which the excess cost is attributed.

 

 

Denotes accounting policy requiring, for us, a more significant choice among accounting policies and/or a more significant application of judgment.

 

  December 31, 2022 | 19

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

Similarly, we account for our interests in the real estate joint ventures, as discussed further in Note 21, using the equity method of accounting. Unrealized gains and losses resulting from transactions with (including contributions to) the real estate joint ventures are deferred in proportion to our remaining interest in the real estate joint ventures.

 

We account for our other long-term investments at their fair values unless they are investment securities that do not have either quoted market prices in an active market or other clear and objective evidence of fair value. When we do not account for our other long-term investments at their fair values, we use the cost basis of accounting, whereby the investments are initially recorded at cost, and earnings from those investments are recognized only to the extent received or receivable. When there is a significant or prolonged decline in the value of an investment that is classified as one of our other long-term investments, its carrying value is adjusted to its estimated fair value.

 

2accounting policy developments

 

Standards, interpretations and amendments to standards and interpretations in the reporting period not yet effective and not yet applied

 

·In February 2021, the International Accounting Standards Board issued narrow-scope amendments to IAS 1, Presentation of Financial Statements, IFRS Practice Statement 2, Making Materiality Judgements, and IAS 8, Accounting Policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and Errors. The amendments are effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2023, although earlier application was permitted. The amendments require the disclosure of material accounting policy information rather than disclosing significant accounting policies, and clarify how to distinguish changes in accounting policies from changes in accounting estimates. We are currently assessing the impacts of the amended standards, but do not expect that our financial disclosure will be materially affected by the application of the amendments.

·In May 2021, the International Accounting Standards Board issued targeted amendments to IAS 12, Income Taxes. The amendments are effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2023, although earlier application was permitted. With a view to reducing diversity in reporting, the amendments clarify that companies are required to recognize deferred taxes on transactions where both assets and liabilities are recognized, such as with leases and asset retirement (decommissioning) obligations. Based upon our current facts and circumstances, we do not expect that our financial performance or disclosure will be materially affected by the application of the amended standard.

 

3capital structure financial policies

 

General

 

Our objective when managing financial capital is to maintain a flexible capital structure that optimizes the cost and availability of capital at acceptable risk.

 

In our definition of financial capital, we include common equity (excluding accumulated other comprehensive income), non-controlling interests, long-term debt (including long-term credit facilities, commercial paper backstopped by long-term credit facilities and any hedging assets or liabilities associated with long-term debt items, net of amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income), cash and temporary investments, and short-term borrowings, including those arising from securitized trade receivables.

 

We manage our financial capital structure and make adjustments to it in light of changes in economic conditions and the risk characteristics of our business. In order to maintain or adjust our financial capital structure, we may adjust the amount of dividends paid to holders of Common Shares, purchase Common Shares for cancellation pursuant to normal course issuer bids, issue new shares (including Common Shares and TELUS International (Cda) Inc. subordinate voting shares), issue new debt, issue new debt to replace existing debt with different characteristics, and/or increase or decrease the amount of trade receivables sold to an arm’s-length securitization trust.

 

During 2022, our financial objectives, which are reviewed annually, were unchanged from 2021. We believe that our financial objectives are supportive of our long-term strategy.

 

We monitor financial capital utilizing a number of measures, including: net debt to earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA*) – excluding restructuring and other costs ratio; coverage ratios; and dividend payout ratios.

 

 

* EBITDA is not a standardized financial measure under IFRS-IASB and might not be comparable to similar measures disclosed by other issuers; we define EBITDA as operating revenues and other income less goods and services purchased and employee benefits expense. We report EBITDA because it is a key measure that management uses to evaluate the performance of our business, and it is also utilized in measuring compliance with certain debt covenants.

 

20 | December 31, 2022  

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

Debt and coverage ratios

 

Net debt to EBITDA – excluding restructuring and other costs is calculated as net debt at the end of the period, divided by 12-month trailing EBITDA – excluding restructuring and other costs. This measure, historically, is substantially similar to the leverage ratio covenant in our credit facilities, except that the covenant includes in EBITDA the unrealized effects of non-currency risk-related derivative financial instruments that are held for trading (see Note 4(h)). Net debt and EBITDA – excluding restructuring and other costs are measures that do not have any standardized meanings prescribed by IFRS-IASB and are therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. The calculation of these measures is set out in the following table. Net debt is one component of a ratio used to determine compliance with debt covenants.

 

As at, or for the 12-month periods ended, December 31 ($ in millions)  Objective   2022   2021 
Components of debt and coverage ratios              
Net debt 1      $24,152   $20,535 
EBITDA – excluding restructuring and other costs 2      $6,646   $6,476 
Net interest cost 3 (Note 9)      $847   $773 
Debt ratio              
Net debt to EBITDA – excluding restructuring and other costs  2.20 – 2.70 4    3.63    3.17 
Coverage ratios              
Earnings coverage 5       3.6    3.9 
EBITDA – excluding restructuring and other costs interest coverage 6       7.8    8.4 

 

1Net debt and total managed capitalization are calculated as follows:

 

As at December 31  Note   2022   2021 
Long-term debt  26   $25,037   $20,852 
Debt issuance costs netted against long-term debt       118    94 
Derivative (assets) liabilities used to manage interest rate and currency risks associated with U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt, net       (80)   7 
Accumulated other comprehensive income amounts arising from financial instruments used to manage interest rate and currency risks associated with U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt – excluding tax effects       (53)   191 
Cash and temporary investments, net       (974)   (723)
Short-term borrowings  22    104    114 
Net debt       24,152    20,535 
Common equity       16,569    15,116 
Non-controlling interests       1,089    943 
Less: accumulated other comprehensive income amounts included above in common equity and non-controlling interests       (133)   (186)
Total managed capitalization      $41,677   $36,408 

 

2EBITDA – excluding restructuring and other costs is calculated as follows:

 

Years ended December 31  Note   2022   2021 
EBITDA  5   $6,406   $6,290 
Restructuring and other costs  16    240    186 
EBITDA – excluding restructuring and other costs      $6,646   $6,476 

 

3Net interest cost is defined as financing costs, excluding employee defined benefit plans net interest, virtual power purchase agreements unrealized change in forward element, recoveries on long-term debt prepayment premium and repayment of debt, calculated on a 12-month trailing basis (expenses recorded for long-term debt prepayment premium, if any, are included in net interest cost) (see Note 9).

4Our long-term objective range for this ratio is 2.20 – 2.70 times. The ratio as at December 31, 2022, is outside the long-term objective range. We may permit, and have permitted, this ratio to go outside the objective range (for long-term investment opportunities), but we will endeavour to return this ratio to within the objective range in the medium term (following the spectrum auction in 2021, and the spectrum auctions upcoming in 2023 and 2024), as we believe that this range is supportive of our long-term strategy. We are in compliance with the leverage ratio covenant in our credit facilities, which states that we may not permit our net debt to operating cash flow ratio to exceed 4.25:1.00 (see Note 26(d)); the calculation of the debt ratio is substantially similar to the calculation of the leverage ratio covenant in our credit facilities.

5Earnings coverage is defined by Canadian Securities Administrators National Instrument 41-101 as net income before borrowing costs and income tax expense, divided by borrowing costs (interest on long-term debt; interest on short-term borrowings and other; long-term debt prepayment premium), and adding back capitalized interest, all such amounts excluding those attributable to non-controlling interests.

6EBITDA – excluding restructuring and other costs interest coverage is defined as EBITDA – excluding restructuring and other costs, divided by net interest cost. This measure is substantially similar to the coverage ratio covenant in our credit facilities.

 

Net debt to EBITDA – excluding restructuring and other costs was 3.63 times as at December 31, 2022, as compared to 3.17 times one year earlier. The effect of the increase in net debt, primarily due to the acquisition of spectrum licences and business acquisitions, exceeded the effect of growth in EBITDA – excluding restructuring and other costs. EBITDA was reduced by COVID-19 pandemic impacts.

 

  December 31, 2022 | 21

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

The earnings coverage ratio for the twelve-month period ended December 31, 2022, was 3.6 times, down from 3.9 times one year earlier. An increase in income before borrowing costs and income taxes increased the ratio by 0.1 and an increase in borrowing costs decreased the ratio by 0.4. The EBITDA – excluding restructuring and other costs interest coverage ratio for the twelve-month period ended December 31, 2022, was 7.8 times, down from 8.4 times one year earlier. Growth in EBITDA – excluding restructuring and other costs increased the ratio by 0.2 and an increase in net interest costs decreased the ratio by 0.8. EBITDA was reduced by COVID-19 pandemic impacts.

 

TELUS Corporation Common Share dividend payout ratio

 

So as to be consistent with the way we manage our business, our TELUS Corporation Common Share dividend payout ratio is presented as a historical measure calculated as the sum of the dividends declared in the most recent four quarters for TELUS Corporation Common Shares, as recorded in the financial statements net of dividend reinvestment plan effects (see Note 13), divided by the sum of free cash flow* amounts for the most recent four quarters for interim reporting periods (divided by annual free cash flow if the reported amount is in respect of a fiscal year).

 

For the 12-month periods ended December 31  Objective   2022   2021 
Determined using most comparable IFRS-IASB measures              
Ratio of TELUS Corporation Common Share dividends declared to cash provided by operating activities – less capital expenditures (excluding spectrum licences)       142%   192%
Determined using management measures              
TELUS Corporation Common Share dividend payout ratio – net of dividend reinvestment plan effects  60%–75% 1    95%   140%

 

1Our objective range for the TELUS Corporation Common Share dividend payout ratio is 60%-75% of free cash flow on a prospective basis.

 

For the 12-month periods ended December 31 (millions)  2022   2021 
TELUS Corporation Common Share dividends declared  $1,899   $1,711 
Amount of TELUS Corporation Common Share dividends declared reinvested in TELUS Corporation Common Shares   (687)   (624)
TELUS Corporation Common Share dividends declared – net of dividend reinvestment plan effects  $1,212   $1,087 

 

Our calculation of free cash flow, and its reconciliation to cash provided by operating activities, is as follows:

 

For the 12-month periods ended December 31 (millions)  Note   2022   2021 
EBITDA  5   $6,406   $6,290 
Deduct gain on disposition of financial solutions business           (410)
Restructuring and other costs, net of disbursements       69    10 
Effects of contract asset, acquisition and fulfilment and TELUS Easy Payment device financing       (95)   (45)
Effect of lease principal  31(b)   (495)   (502)
Items from the Consolidated statements of cash flows:              
Share-based compensation, net  14    122    139 
Net employee defined benefit plans expense  15    101    113 
Employer contributions to employee defined benefit plans       (44)   (53)
Interest paid       (816)   (744)
Interest received       17    17 
Capital expenditures (excluding spectrum licences)  5    (3,472)   (3,498)
Free cash flow before income taxes       1,793    1,317 
Income taxes paid, net of refunds       (519)   (601)
Effect of disposition of financial solutions business on income taxes paid           61 
Free cash flow       1,274    777 
Add (deduct):              
Capital expenditures (excluding spectrum licences)  5    3,472    3,498 
Effects of lease principal       495    502 
Gain on disposition of financial solutions business, net of effect on income taxes paid           (349)
Individually immaterial items included in net income neither providing nor using cash       (430)   (40)
Cash provided by operating activities      $4,811   $4,388 

 

 

* Free cash flow is not a standardized financial measure under IFRS-IASB and might not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers; we define free cash flow as EBITDA (operating revenues and other income less goods and services purchased and employee benefits expense) excluding items that we consider to be of limited predictive value, including certain working capital changes (such as trade receivables and trade payables), proceeds from divested assets, and other sources and uses of cash, as found in the consolidated statements of cash flows. We have issued guidance on, and report, free cash flow because it is a key performance measure that management and investors use to evaluate the performance of our business.

 

22 | December 31, 2022  

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

4financial instruments

 

(a)Risks – overview

 

Our financial instruments, their accounting classification and the nature of certain risks to which they may be subject are set out in the following table.

 

   Accounting
classification
  Risks
            Market risks
Financial instrument     Credit   Liquidity   Currency   Interest rate   Other price
Measured at amortized cost                        
Accounts receivable   AC 1   X       X        
Contract assets   AC 1   X                
Construction credit facilities advances to real estate joint venture   AC 1               X    
Short-term borrowings   AC 1       X   X   X    
Accounts payable   AC 1       X   X        
Provisions (including restructuring accounts payable)   AC 1       X   X       X
Long-term debt   AC 1       X   X   X    
Measured at fair value                        
Cash and temporary investments   FVTPL 2   X       X   X    
Long-term investments (not subject to significant influence) 3   FVTPL/FVOCI 3           X       X
Foreign exchange derivatives 4   FVTPL 2   X   X   X        
Virtual power purchase agreements 4   FVTPL 2                   X

 

1For accounting recognition and measurement purposes, classified as amortized cost (AC).

2For accounting recognition and measurement purposes, classified as fair value through net income (FVTPL). Unrealized changes in the fair values of financial instruments are included in net income unless the instrument is part of a cash flow hedging relationship. The effective portions of unrealized changes in the fair values of financial instruments held for hedging are included in other comprehensive income.

3Long-term investments over which we do not have significant influence are measured at fair value if those fair values can be reliably measured. For accounting recognition and measurement purposes, on an investment-by-investment basis, long-term investments are classified as either fair value through net income or fair value through other comprehensive income (FVOCI).

4Use of derivative financial instruments is subject to a policy which requires that no derivative transaction is to be entered into for the purpose of establishing a speculative or leveraged position (the corollary being that all derivative transactions are to be entered into for risk management purposes only) and sets criteria for the creditworthiness of the transaction counterparties.

 

Derivatives that are part of an established and documented cash flow hedging relationship are accounted for as held for hedging. We believe that classification as held for hedging results in a better matching of the change in the fair value of the derivative financial instrument with the risk exposure being hedged.

 

In respect of hedges of anticipated transactions, hedge gains/losses are included with the related expenditure and are expensed when the transaction is recognized in our results of operations. We have selected this method as we believe that it results in a better matching of the hedge gains/losses with the risk exposure being hedged.

 

Derivatives that are not part of a documented cash flow hedging relationship are accounted for as held for trading and thus are measured at fair value through net income.

 

Derivative financial instruments

 

We apply hedge accounting to financial instruments used to establish hedge accounting relationships for U.S. dollar-denominated transactions. We believe that our use of derivative financial instruments for hedging or arbitrage assists us in managing our financing costs and/or reducing the uncertainty associated with our financing or other business activities. Uncertainty associated with currency risk and other price risk is reduced through our use of foreign exchange derivatives that effectively swap floating currency exchange rates for fixed rates. When entering into derivative financial instrument contracts, we seek to align the cash flow timing of the hedging items with that of the hedged items. The effects of this risk management strategy and its application are set out in (i) following.

 

(b)Credit risk

 

Excluding credit risk, if any, arising from currency swaps settled on a gross basis, the best representation of our maximum exposure (excluding income tax effects) to credit risk, which is a worst-case scenario and does not reflect results we expect, is set out in the following table.

 

As at December 31 (millions)  2022   2021 
Cash and temporary investments, net  $974   $723 
Accounts receivable   3,868    3,216 
Contract assets   761    749 
Derivative assets   333    89 
   $5,936   $4,777 

 

  December 31, 2022 | 23

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

Cash and temporary investments, net

 

Credit risk associated with cash and temporary investments is managed by ensuring that these financial assets are placed with: governments; major financial institutions that have been accorded strong investment grade ratings by a primary rating agency; and/or other creditworthy counterparties. An ongoing review evaluates changes in the status of counterparties.

 

Accounts receivable

 

Credit risk associated with accounts receivable is inherently managed by the size and diversity of our large customer base, which includes substantially all consumer and business sectors in Canada. We follow a program of credit evaluations of customers and limit the amount of credit extended when deemed necessary. Accounts are considered to be past due (in default) when customers have failed to make the contractually required payments when due, which is generally within 30 days of the billing date. Any late payment charges are levied at an industry-based market rate or a negotiated rate on outstanding non-current customer account balances.

 

As at December 31 (millions)      2022   2021 
   Note   Gross   Allowance   Net 1   Gross   Allowance   Net 1 
Customer accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts                            
Less than 30 days past billing date      $936   $(11)  $925   $900   $(8)  $892 
30-60 days past billing date       400    (11)   389    338    (7)   331 
61-90 days past billing date       185    (15)   170    93    (9)   84 
More than 90 days past billing date       192    (33)   159    114    (21)   93 
Unbilled customer finance receivables       1,509    (39)   1,470    1,323    (65)   1,258 
       $3,222   $(109)  $3,113   $2,768   $(110)  $2,658 
Current  6(b)   $2,636   $(94)  $2,542   $2,194   $(81)  $2,113 
Non-current   20    586    (15)   571    574    (29)   545 
       $3,222   $(109)  $3,113   $2,768   $(110)  $2,658 

 

1Net amounts represent customer accounts receivable for which an allowance had not been made as at the dates of the Consolidated statements of financial position (see Note 6(b)).

 

We maintain allowances for lifetime expected credit losses related to doubtful accounts. Current economic conditions (including forward-looking macroeconomic data), historical information (including credit agency reports, if available), reasons for the accounts being past due and the line of business from which the customer accounts receivable arose are all considered when determining whether to make allowances for past-due accounts. The same factors are considered when determining whether to write off amounts charged to the allowance for doubtful accounts against the customer accounts receivable. The doubtful accounts expense is calculated on a specific-identification basis for customer accounts receivable balances above a specific threshold and on a statistically derived allowance basis for the remainder. No customer accounts receivable are written off directly to the doubtful accounts expense.

 

The following table presents a summary of the activity related to our allowance for doubtful accounts.

 

Years ended December 31 (millions)  2022   2021 
Balance, beginning of period  $110   $140 
Additions (doubtful accounts expense)   82    42 
Accounts written off 1 less than recoveries   (89)   (77)
Other   6    5 
Balance, end of period  $109   $110 

 

1For the year ended December 31, 2022, accounts that were written off but were still subject to enforcement activity totalled $148 (2021 – $110).

 

Contract assets

 

Credit risk associated with contract assets is inherently managed by the size and diversity of our large customer base, which includes substantially all consumer and business sectors in Canada. We follow a program of credit evaluations of customers and limit the amount of credit extended when deemed necessary.

 

As at December 31 (millions)  2022   2021 
   Gross   Allowance   Net (Note 6(c))   Gross   Allowance   Net (Note 6(c)) 
Contract assets, net of impairment allowance                        
To be billed and thus reclassified to accounts receivable during:                              
The 12-month period ending one year hence  $611   $(23)  $588   $602   $(24)  $578 
The 12-month period ending two years hence   277    (11)   266    264    (11)   253 
Thereafter   55    (1)   54    47    (1)   46 
   $943   $(35)  $908   $913   $(36)  $877 

 

24 | December 31, 2022  

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

We maintain allowances for lifetime expected credit losses related to contract assets. Current economic conditions, historical information (including credit agency reports, if available), and the line of business from which the contract asset arose are all considered when determining impairment allowances. The same factors are considered when determining whether to write off amounts charged to the impairment allowance for contract assets against contract assets.

 

Derivative assets (and derivative liabilities)

 

Counterparties to our material foreign exchange derivatives are major financial institutions that have been accorded investment grade ratings by a primary credit rating agency. The total dollar amount of credit exposure under contracts with any one financial institution is limited and counterparties’ credit ratings are monitored. We do not give or receive collateral on swap agreements and hedging items due to our credit rating and those of our counterparties. While we are exposed to the risk of potential credit losses due to the possible non-performance of our counterparties, we consider this risk remote. Our derivative liabilities do not have credit risk-related contingent features.

 

(c)Liquidity risk

 

As a component of our capital structure financial policies, discussed further in Note 3, we manage liquidity risk by:

 

·maintaining a daily cash pooling process that enables us to manage our available liquidity and our liquidity requirements according to our actual needs;

·maintaining an agreement to sell trade receivables to an arm’s-length securitization trust and bilateral bank facilities (Note 22), a commercial paper program (Note 26(c)) and syndicated credit facilities (Note 26(d),(e));

·maintaining in-effect shelf prospectuses;

·continuously monitoring forecast and actual cash flows; and

·managing maturity profiles of financial assets and financial liabilities.

 

Our debt maturities in future years are disclosed in Note 26(i). As at December 31, 2022, TELUS Corporation could offer an unlimited amount of securities in Canada, and US$3.5 billion of securities in the U.S., qualified pursuant to a Canadian shelf prospectus that is in effect until September 2024 (2021 – $2.75 billion of debt or equity securities pursuant to a shelf prospectus that was in effect until June 2023). We believe that our investment grade credit ratings contribute to reasonable access to capital markets. TELUS International (Cda) Inc. has a Canadian shelf prospectus that is in effect until May 2024 under which an unlimited amount of debt or equity securities could be offered.

 

We closely match the contractual maturities of our derivative financial liabilities with those of the risk exposures they are being used to manage.

 

The expected maturities of our undiscounted financial liabilities do not differ significantly from the contractual maturities, other than as noted below. The contractual maturities of our undiscounted financial liabilities, including interest thereon (where applicable), are set out in the following tables. 

 

    Non-derivative     Derivative     
             Composite long-term debt             
    Non-interest
bearing
financial
   Short-term    Long-term
debt,
excluding
leases 1
   Leases    Currency swap agreement
amounts to be exchanged 2
   Currency swap agreement
amounts to be exchanged
     
As at December 31, 2022 (millions)   liabilities   borrowings 1   (Note 26)   (Note 26)   (Receive)   Pay   (Receive)   Pay   Total 
2023   $3,613   $9   $2,907   $596   $(1,679)  $1,674   $(669)  $648   $7,099 
2024    254    105    3,126    537    (201)   193            4,014 
2025    16        1,800    379    (599)   586            2,182 
2026    12        2,154    273    (165)   162            2,436 
2027    1        2,197    218    (1,644)   1,610            2,382 
2028-2032            9,929    446    (1,785)   1,707            10,297 
Thereafter            11,551    364    (2,921)   2,805            11,799 
Total   $3,896   $114   $33,664   $2,813   $(8,994)  $8,737   $(669)  $648   $40,209 
              Total (Note 26(i))   $36,220                

 

1Cash outflows in respect of interest payments on our short-term borrowings, commercial paper and amounts drawn under our credit facilities (if any) have been calculated based upon the interest rates in effect as at December 31, 2022.

2The amounts included in undiscounted non-derivative long-term debt in respect of U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt, and the corresponding amounts in the long-term debt currency swap receive column, have been determined based upon the currency exchange rates in effect as at December 31, 2022. The hedged U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt contractual amounts at maturity, in effect, are reflected in the long-term debt currency swap pay column as gross cash flows are exchanged pursuant to the currency swap agreements.

 

  December 31, 2022 | 25

 

notes to consolidated financial statements 

 

    Non-derivative   Derivative      
              Composite long-term debt                     
    Non-interest 
bearing
financial
   Short-term   Long-term
debt, 
excluding
leases 1
   Leases   Currency swap agreement
amounts to be exchanged 2
        Currency swap agreement
amounts to be exchanged
      
As at December 31, 2021 (millions)   liabilities   borrowings 1   (Note 26)   (Note 26)   (Receive)   Pay   Other   (Receive)   Pay   Total 
2022   $3,395   $15   $3,130   $504   $(2,050)  $2,059   $8   $(544)  $540   $7,057 
2023    62    1    1,167    364    (149)   148                1,593 
2024    13    101    1,724    305    (149)   148                2,142 
2025    14        2,217    176    (522)   540                2,425 
2026    2        1,901    144    (116)   118                2,049 
2027-2031    7        7,351    398    (1,784)   1,852                7,824 
Thereafter            10,499    344    (2,805)   2,877                10,915 
Total   $3,493   $117   $27,989   $2,235   $(7,575)  $7,742   $8   $(544)  $540   $34,005 
              Total             $30,391                     

 

1Cash outflows in respect of interest payments on our short-term borrowings, commercial paper and amounts drawn under our credit facilities (if any) have been calculated based upon the interest rates in effect as at December 31, 2021.

2The amounts included in undiscounted non-derivative long-term debt in respect of U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt, and the corresponding amounts in the long-term debt currency swap receive column, have been determined based upon the currency exchange rates in effect as at December 31, 2021. The hedged U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt contractual amounts at maturity, in effect, are reflected in the long-term debt currency swap pay column as gross cash flows are exchanged pursuant to the currency swap agreements.

 

(d)Currency risk

 

Our functional currency is the Canadian dollar, but certain routine revenues and operating costs are denominated in U.S. dollars and some inventory purchases and capital asset acquisitions are sourced internationally. The U.S. dollar is the only foreign currency to which we have a significant exposure as at the balance sheet date.

 

Our currency risk management includes the use of foreign currency forward contracts and currency options to fix the exchange rates on a varying percentage, typically in the range of 50% to 75%, of our domestic short-term U.S. dollar-denominated transactions and commitments and all U.S. dollar-denominated commercial paper. Other than in respect of U.S. dollar-denominated commercial paper, we designate only the spot element of these instruments as the hedging item, as the forward element is wholly immaterial; in respect of U.S. dollar-denominated commercial paper, we designate the forward rate.

 

As discussed further in Note 26(b) and Note 26(f), we are also exposed to currency risk in that the fair value or future cash flows of our U.S. Dollar Notes and our TELUS International (Cda) Inc. credit facility U.S. dollar borrowings could fluctuate because of changes in foreign exchange rates. Currency hedging relationships have been established for the related semi-annual interest payments and the principal payment at maturity in respect of the U.S. Dollar Notes; we designate only the spot element of these instruments as the hedging item, as the forward element is wholly immaterial. As the functional currency of our TELUS International (Cda) Inc. subsidiary is the U.S. dollar, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates affecting its borrowings are reflected as a foreign currency translation adjustment within other comprehensive income.

 

(e)Interest rate risk

 

Changes in market interest rates will cause fluctuations in the fair values or future cash flows of temporary investments, construction credit facility advances made to the real estate joint venture, short-term obligations, long-term debt and interest rate swap derivatives.

 

When we have temporary investments, they have short maturities and fixed interest rates and, as a result, their fair values will fluctuate with changes in market interest rates; absent monetization prior to maturity, the related future cash flows will not change due to changes in market interest rates.

 

If the balance of short-term investments includes dividend-paying equity instruments, we could be exposed to interest rate risk.

 

Due to the short-term nature of the applicable rates of interest charged, the fair value of the construction credit facility advances made to the real estate joint venture is not materially affected by changes in market interest rates; the associated cash flows representing interest payments will be affected until such advances are repaid.

 

As short-term obligations arising from bilateral bank facilities, which typically have variable interest rates, are rarely outstanding for periods that exceed one calendar week, interest rate risk associated with this item is not material.

 

Short-term borrowings arising from the sales of trade receivables to an arm’s-length securitization trust are fixed-rate debts. Due to the short maturities of these borrowings, interest rate risk associated with this item is not material.

 

All of our currently outstanding long-term debt, other than commercial paper and amounts drawn on our credit facilities (Note 26(c), (e)), is fixed-rate debt. The fair value of fixed-rate debt fluctuates with changes in market interest rates; absent early redemption, the related future cash flows will not change. Due to the short maturities of commercial paper, its fair value is not materially affected by changes in market interest rates, but the associated cash flows representing interest payments may be affected if the commercial paper is rolled over.

 

26 | December 31, 2022  

 

notes to consolidated financial statements 

 

Amounts drawn on our short-term and long-term credit facilities will be affected by changes in market interest rates in a manner similar to commercial paper.

 

(f)Other price risks

 

Virtual power purchase agreements

 

We have entered into virtual power purchase agreements with renewable energy projects that develop solar and wind power facilities as part of our commitment to reduce our carbon footprint. The fair value of the virtual power purchase agreement forward element and the associated future cash flows will vary depending upon actual and estimated changes in the electricity spot price, and the electrical power to be produced in the future under each agreement, referenced in the underlying cash-settled contracts for differences.

 

Long-term investments

 

We are exposed to equity price risk arising from investments classified as fair value through other comprehensive income. Such investments are held for strategic rather than trading purposes.

 

(g)Market risks

 

Net income and other comprehensive income for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, could have varied if the Canadian dollar: U.S. dollar exchange rate, the U.S. dollar: European euro exchange rate, market interest rates and virtual power purchase agreement forward element valuation varied by reasonably possible amounts from their actual statement of financial position date amounts.

 

The sensitivity analysis of our exposure to currency risk at the reporting date has been determined based upon a hypothetical change taking place at the relevant statement of financial position date. The U.S. dollar-denominated and European euro-denominated balances and the notional amounts of our derivative financial instruments as at the relevant statement of financial position dates have been used in the calculations.

 

The sensitivity analysis of our exposure to interest rate risk at the reporting date has been determined based upon a hypothetical change taking place at the beginning of the relevant fiscal year and being held constant through to the statement of financial position date. The principal and notional amounts as at the relevant statement of financial position date have been used in the calculations.

 

The sensitivity analysis of our exposure to wind discount risk and solar premium risk at the reporting date has been determined based upon a hypothetical change taking place at the relevant statement of financial position date. The notional amounts of the virtual power purchase agreements as at the relevant statement of financial position dates have been used in the calculations.

 

Income tax expense, which is reflected net in the sensitivity analysis, reflects the applicable statutory income tax rates for the reporting periods.

 

 

   Net income   Other comprehensive income   Comprehensive income 
Twelve-month periods ended December 31
(increase (decrease) in millions)
  2022   2021   2022   2021   2022   2021 
Reasonably possible changes in market risks 1                        
10% change in C$: US$ exchange rate                        
Canadian dollar appreciates  $(6)  $1   $19   $(33)  $13   $(32)
Canadian dollar depreciates  $6   $(1)  $(19)  $33   $(13)  $32 
10% change in US$: € exchange rate                              
U.S. dollar appreciates  $16   $11   $(60)  $(67)  $(44)  $(56)
U.S. dollar depreciates  $(16)  $(11)  $60   $67   $44   $56 
25 basis point change in interest rates                              
Interest rates increase                              
Canadian interest rate   $(8)  $(4)  $76   $90   $68   $86 
U.S. interest rate  $   $   $(76)  $(93)  $(76)  $(93)
Combined  $(8)  $(4)  $   $(3)  $(8)  $(7)
Interest rates decrease                              
Canadian interest rate   $8   $4   $(79)  $(94)  $(71)  $(90)
U.S. interest rate  $   $   $79   $98   $79   $98 
Combined  $8   $4   $   $4   $8   $8 
20 basis point change in wind discount                              
Wind discount increases  $(34)  $   $   $   $(34)  $ 
Wind discount decreases  $34   $   $   $   $34   $ 

 

  December 31, 2022 | 27

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

   Net income   Other comprehensive income   Comprehensive income 
Twelve-month periods ended December 31
(increase (decrease) in millions)
  2022   2021   2022   2021   2022   2021 
20 basis point change in solar premium                              
Solar premium increases  $25   $   $   $   $25   $ 
Solar premium decreases  $(25)  $   $   $   $(25)  $ 

 

1These sensitivities are hypothetical and should be used with caution. Changes in net income and/or other comprehensive income generally cannot be extrapolated because the relationship of the change in assumption to the change in net income and/or other comprehensive income may not be linear. In this table, the effect of a variation in a particular assumption on the amount of net income and/or other comprehensive income is calculated without changing any other factors; in reality, changes in one factor may result in changes in another, which might magnify or counteract the sensitivities.

 

The sensitivity analysis assumes that we would realize the changes in exchange rates and market interest rates; in reality, the competitive marketplace in which we operate would have an effect on this assumption.

 

(h)Fair values

 

General

 

The carrying values of cash and temporary investments, accounts receivable, short-term obligations, short-term borrowings, accounts payable and certain provisions (including restructuring provisions) approximate their fair values due to the immediate or short-term maturity of these financial instruments. The fair values are determined directly by reference to quoted market prices in active markets.

 

The fair values of our investment financial assets are based on quoted market prices in active markets or other clear and objective evidence of fair value.

 

The fair value of our long-term debt, excluding leases, is based on quoted market prices in active markets.

 

The fair values of the derivative financial instruments we use to manage our exposure to currency risk are estimated based on quoted market prices in active markets for the same or similar financial instruments or based on the current rates offered to us for financial instruments of the same maturity, as well as on discounted future cash flows determined using current rates for similar financial instruments of similar maturities subject to similar risks (such fair value estimates being largely based on the Canadian dollar: U.S. dollar forward exchange rate as at the statements of financial position dates). The fair values of the derivative financial instruments we use to manage our exposure to electrical power purchase price risk are currently estimated using a discounted cash flow approach and are based on industry standard forecasts from EDC Associates Ltd. utilizing observable market data. The significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurement of the Level 3 derivative financial instruments were wind discount, reflecting 78% of electrical power pool price, and solar premium, reflecting 125% of electrical power pool price.

 

Year ended December 31 (millions)  2022 
Virtual power purchase agreements unrealized change in forward element    
Included in net income, excluding income taxes  $193 
Balance, beginning of period    
Balance, end of period  $193 

 

Non-derivative

 

Our long-term debt, which is measured at amortized cost, and the fair value thereof, are set out in the following table.

 

As at December 31 (millions)  2022   2021 
   Carrying value   Fair value   Carrying value   Fair value 
Long-term debt, excluding leases (Note 26)  $22,697   $21,000   $18,976   $20,383 

  

28 | December 31, 2022  

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

Derivative

 

The derivative financial instruments that we measure at fair value on a recurring basis subsequent to initial recognition are set out in the following table.

 

As at December 31 (millions)  2022   2021 
   Designation   Maximum maturity date   Notional amount   Fair value 1 and carrying value   Price or rate   Maximum maturity date   Notional amount   Fair value 1 and carrying value   Price or rate 
Current Assets 2                                          
Derivatives used to manage                                          
Currency risk arising from U.S. dollar revenues  HFT 4   2023   $72   $1    US$1.00: ₱55      $   $     
Currency risk arising from U.S. dollar-denominated purchases  HFH 3   2023   $397    21    US$1.00: C$1.28   2022   $301    6    US$1.00: C$1.25 
Currency risk arising from Indian rupee-denominated purchases  HFT 4      $           2022   $12        US$1.00: ₹76 
Currency risk arising from U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt (Note 26(b)-(c))  HFH 3   2023   $526    9    US$1.00: C$1.33   2022   $664    2    US$1.00: C$1.26 
Currency risk arising from European euro functional currency operations purchased with U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt 7 (Note 26(f))  HFH 5   2025   $31    26    €1.00: US$1.09   2025   $31    3    €1.00: US$1.09 
Interest rate risk associated with refinancing of debt maturing  HFH 3      $           2022   $250    2    1.35%
Price risk associated with purchase of electrical power  HFT 4   2047   $36    26    $34.73/ MWh      $         
                $83                 $13      
Other Long-Term Assets 2                                          
Derivatives used to manage                                          
Currency risk arising from U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt 6 (Note 26(b)-(c))  HFH 3   2048   $4,443   $66    US$1.00: C$1.30   2048   $2,133   $76    US$1.00: C$1.27 
Currency risk arising from European euro functional currency operations purchased with U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt 7 (Note 26(f))  HFH 5   2025   $454    17    €1.00: US$1.09      $         
Price risk associated with purchase of electrical power  HFT 4   2047   $264    167    $34.73/ MWh      $         
                $250                 $76      
Current Liabilities 2                                          
Derivatives used to manage                                          
Currency risk arising from U.S. dollar revenues  HFT 4   2023   $68   $3    US$1.00: ₱55   2022   $116   $3    US$1.00: ₱50 
Currency risk arising from U.S. dollar-denominated purchases  HFH 3   2023   $111    1    US$1.00: C$1.36   2022   $108    1    US$1.00: C$1.28 
Currency risk arising from Indian rupee-denominated purchases  HFT 4      $           2022   $2        US$1.00: ₹75 
Currency risk arising from U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt (Note 26(b)-(c))  HFH 3   2023   $957    14    US$1.00: C$1.37   2022   $1,248    12    US$1.00: C$1.28 
Interest rate risk associated with non-fixed rate credit facility amounts drawn (Note 26(f))  HFH 3      $           2022   $120    3    2.64%
Interest rate risk associated with refinancing of debt maturing  HFH 3      $           2022   $500    5    1.59%
                $18                 $24      

 

  December 31, 2022 | 29

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

As at December 31 (millions)  2022   2021 
   Designation   Maximum maturity date   Notional amount   Fair value 1 and carrying value   Price or rate   Maximum maturity date   Notional amount   Fair value 1 and carrying value   Price or rate 
Other Long-Term Liabilities 2                                          
Derivatives used to manage                                          
Currency risk arising from U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt 6 (Note 26(b)-(c))  HFH 3   2049   $2,329   $24    US$1.00: C$1.33   2049   $3,185   $52    US$1.00: C$1.33 
Currency risk arising from European euro functional currency operations purchased with U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt 7 (Note 26(f))  HFH 5      $           2025   $483    21    €1.00: US$1.09 
                $24                 $73      

 

1Fair value measured at the reporting date using significant other observable inputs (Level 2), except the fair value of virtual power purchase agreements (which we use to manage the price risk associated with the purchase of electrical power), which is measured at the reporting date using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3).

2Derivative financial assets and liabilities are not set off.

3Designated as held for hedging (HFH) upon initial recognition (cash flow hedging item); hedge accounting is applied. Unless otherwise noted, hedge ratio is 1:1 and is established by assessing the degree of matching between the notional amounts of hedging items and the notional amounts of the associated hedged items.

4Designated as held for trading (HFT) and classified as fair value through net income upon initial recognition; hedge accounting is not applied.

5Designated as a hedge of a net investment in a foreign operation; hedge accounting is applied. Hedge ratio is 1:1 and is established by assessing the degree of matching between the notional amounts of hedging items and the notional amounts of the associated hedged items.

6We designate only the spot element as the hedging item. As at December 31, 2022, the foreign currency basis spread included in the fair value of the derivative instruments, which is used for purposes of assessing hedge ineffectiveness, was $123 (2021 – $53).

7We designate only the spot element as the hedging item. As at December 31, 2022, the foreign currency basis spread included in the fair value of the derivative instruments, which is used for purposes of assessing hedge ineffectiveness, was $1 (2021 – $1).

 

(i)Recognition of derivative gains and losses

 

The following table sets out the gains and losses, excluding income tax effects, arising from derivative instruments that are classified as cash flow hedging items and their location within the Consolidated statements of income and other comprehensive income.

 

Credit risk associated with such derivative instruments, as discussed further in (b), would be the primary source of hedge ineffectiveness. There was no ineffective portion of the derivative instruments classified as cash flow hedging items for the periods presented. 

 

       Amount of gain (loss)
recognized in other
comprehensive income
   Gain (loss) reclassified from other comprehensive
income to income (effective portion) (Note 11)
 
       (effective portion) (Note 11)      Amount 
Years ended December 31 (millions)  Note   2022   2021   Location  2022   2021 
Derivatives used to manage currency risk                       
Arising from U.S. dollar-denominated purchases      $30   $(1)  Goods and services purchased  $17   $(24)
Arising from U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt 1  26(b)-(c)    131    27   Financing costs   355    (50)
Arising from net investment in a foreign operation 2       47    47   Financing costs   (12)   (1)
        208    73       360    (75)
Derivatives used to manage other market risks                           
Other              Financing costs   (1)   (4)
       $208   $73      $359   $(79)

 

1Amounts recognized in other comprehensive income are net of the change in the foreign currency basis spread (which is used for purposes of assessing hedge ineffectiveness) included in the fair value of the derivative instruments; such amount for the year ended December 31, 2022, was $70 (2021 – $(48)).

2Amounts recognized in other comprehensive income are net of the change in the foreign currency basis spread (which is used for purposes of assessing hedge ineffectiveness) included in the fair value of the derivative instruments; such amount for the year ended December 31, 2022, was $NIL (2021 – $2).

 

The following table sets out the gains and losses arising from derivative instruments that are classified as held for trading and that are not designated as being in a hedging relationship, as well as their location within the Consolidated statements of income and other comprehensive income.

 

      Gain (loss) on derivatives recognized in income  
Years ended December 31 (millions)  Location  2022   2021 
Derivatives used to manage currency risk  Financing costs  $(24)  $(2)
Virtual power purchase agreements unrealized change in forward element  Financing costs  $193   $ 

 

30 | December 31, 2022  

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

5segment information

 

General

 

Operating segments are components of an entity that engage in business activities from which they earn revenues and incur expenses (including revenues and expenses related to transactions with the other component(s)), the operations of which can be clearly distinguished and for which the operating results are regularly reviewed by a chief operating decision-maker to make resource allocation decisions and to assess performance. Effective September 1, 2022, we embarked upon the modification of our internal and external reporting processes, systems and internal controls concurrent with the acquisition and integration of LifeWorks Inc., as referenced in Note 18(b), and correspondingly are assessing our segmented reporting structure.

 

The TELUS technology solutions segment includes: network revenues and equipment sales arising from mobile technologies; data revenues (which include internet protocol; television; hosting, managed information technology and cloud-based services; and home and business security); healthcare software and technology solutions (including employee and family assistance programs and benefits administration); agriculture and consumer goods services (software, data management and data analytics-driven smart-food chain and consumer goods technologies); voice and other telecommunications services revenues; and equipment sales.

 

The digitally-led customer experiences – TELUS International (DLCX) segment, which has the U.S. dollar as its primary functional currency, is comprised of digital customer experience and digital-enablement transformation solutions, including artificial intelligence and content management, provided by our TELUS International (Cda) Inc. subsidiary.

 

Intersegment sales are recorded at the exchange value, which is the amount agreed to by the parties.

 

The segment information regularly reported to our Chief Executive Officer (our chief operating decision-maker), and the reconciliations thereof to our products and services view of revenues, other revenues and income before income taxes, are set out in the following table.

  

  December 31, 2022 | 31

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

  TELUS technology solutions                        
Twelve-month periods ended  Mobile   Fixed  Segment total   Digitally-led customer
experiences – TELUS
International
1
   Eliminations   Total 
December 31 (millions)  2022   2021   2022  2021   2022   2021   2022   2021   2022   2021   2022   2021 
Operating revenues                                                          
External revenues                                                          
Service  $6,697   $6,297   $ 6,582  $5,928   $13,279   $12,225   $2,677   $2,310   $   $   $15,956   $14,535 
Equipment   2,026    2,042   310   261    2,336    2,303                    2,336    2,303 
Revenues arising from contracts with customers  $8,723   $8,339   $ 6,892  $6,189    15,615    14,528    2,677    2,310            18,292    16,838 
Other income (Note 7)    120    420                    120    420 
     15,735    14,948    2,677    2,310            18,412    17,258 
Intersegment revenues    17    18    537    444    (554)   (462)        
    $15,752   $14,966   $3,214   $2,754   $(554)  $(462)  $18,412   $17,258 
EBITDA 2   $5,697   $5,735   $709   $555   $   $   $6,406   $6,290 
Restructuring and other costs included in EBITDA (Note 16)    180    148    60    38            240    186 
Equity (income) loss related to real estate joint venture    (3)   3                    (3)   3 
Gain on disposition of financial solutions business (Note 7)        (410)                       (410)
Adjusted EBITDA 2   $5,874   $5,476   $769   $593   $   $   $6,643   $6,069 
CAPEX, excluding spectrum licences 3   $3,337   $3,372   $135   $126   $   $   $3,472   $3,498 
Adjusted EBITDA less CAPEX, excluding spectrum licences 2   $2,537   $2,104   $634   $467   $   $   $3,171   $2,571 
                                          
                     Operating revenues – external and other income (above)   $18,412   $17,258 
                     Goods and services purchased    7,107    6,699 
                     Employee benefits expense    4,899    4,269 
                     EBITDA (above)    6,406    6,290 
                     Depreciation    2,226    2,126 
                     Amortization of intangible assets    1,226    1,090 
                     Operating income    2,954    3,074 
                     Financing costs    632    796 
                     Income before income taxes   $2,322   $2,278 

  

1The digitally-led customer experiences – TELUS International segment is comprised of our consolidated TELUS International (Cda) Inc. subsidiary. All of our other international operations are included in the TELUS technology solutions segment.

2Earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), both unadjusted and adjusted, are not standardized financial measures under IFRS-IASB and may not be comparable to similar measures disclosed by other issuers (including those disclosed by TELUS International (Cda) Inc.); we define EBITDA as operating revenues and other income less goods and services purchased and employee benefits expense. We calculate adjusted EBITDA to exclude items that do not reflect our ongoing operations and, in our opinion, should not be considered in a long-term valuation metric or included in an assessment of our ability to service or incur debt. We report EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA less CAPEX, excluding spectrum licences, because they are key measures that management uses to evaluate the performance of our business, and EBITDA is also utilized in measuring compliance with certain debt covenants.

3Total capital expenditures (CAPEX); see Note 31(a) for a reconciliation of capital expenditures, excluding spectrum licences, to cash payments for capital assets, excluding spectrum licences, reported in the Consolidated statements of cash flows.

 

32 | December 31, 2022  

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

Geographical information

 

We attribute revenues from external customers to individual countries on the basis of the location where the goods and/or services are provided; for the year ended December 31, 2022, we attributed approximately $3.1 billion (2021 – $2.6 billion) of our revenues to countries other than Canada (our country of domicile). We do not have significant amounts of property, plant and equipment located outside of Canada. As at December 31, 2022, on a historical cost basis, we had approximately $2.7 billion (2021 – $2.2 billion) and approximately $3.0 billion (2021 – $2.2 billion) of intangible assets and goodwill, respectively, located outside of Canada.

 

6revenue from contracts with customers

 

(a)Revenues

 

In the determination of the minimum transaction prices in contracts with customers, amounts are allocated to fulfilling, or completion of fulfilling, future contracted performance obligations. These unfulfilled, or partially unfulfilled, future contracted performance obligations are largely in respect of services to be provided over the duration of the contract. The following table sets out our aggregate estimated minimum transaction prices allocated to remaining unfulfilled, or partially unfulfilled, future contracted performance obligations and the timing of when we might expect to recognize the associated revenues; actual amounts could differ from these estimates due to a variety of factors, including the unpredictable nature of: customer behaviour; industry regulation; the economic environments in which we operate; and competitor behaviour.

 

As at December 31 (millions)  2022   2021 
Estimated minimum transaction price allocated to remaining unfulfilled, or partially unfulfilled, performance obligations to be recognized as revenue in a future period 1, 2          
During the 12-month period ending one year hence  $2,539   $2,369 
During the 12-month period ending two years hence   1,034    915 
Thereafter   81    56 
   $3,654   $3,340 

 

1Excludes constrained variable consideration amounts, amounts arising from contracts originally expected to have a duration of one year or less and, as a permitted practical expedient, amounts arising from contracts that are not affected by revenue recognition timing differences arising from transaction price allocation or from contracts under which we may recognize and bill revenue in an amount that corresponds directly with our completed performance obligations.

2IFRS-IASB requires the explanation of when we expect to recognize as revenue the amounts disclosed as the estimated minimum transaction price allocated to remaining unfulfilled, or partially unfulfilled, performance obligations. The estimated amounts disclosed are based upon contractual terms and maturities. Actual minimum transaction price revenues recognized, and the timing thereof, will differ from these estimates primarily due to the frequency with which the actual durations of contracts with customers do not match their contractual maturities.

 

(b)Accounts receivable

 

As at December 31 (millions)  Note   2022   2021 
Customer accounts receivable      $2,636   $2,194 
Accrued receivables – customer       468    313 
Allowance for doubtful accounts   4(b)    (94)   (81)
        3,010    2,426 
Accrued receivables – other       287    245 
Accounts receivable – current      $3,297   $2,671 

 

(c)Contract assets

 

Years ended December 31 (millions)  Note  2022   2021 
Balance, beginning of period     $877   $878 
Net additions arising from operations      1,483    1,336 
Amounts billed in the period and thus reclassified to accounts receivable      (1,456)   (1,343)
Change in impairment allowance, net   4(b)   1    6 
Other      3     
Balance, end of period     $908   $877 
To be billed and thus reclassified to accounts receivable during:             
The 12-month period ending one year hence     $588   $578 
The 12-month period ending two years hence      266    253 
Thereafter      54    46 
Balance, end of period     $908   $877 

 

  December 31, 2022 | 33

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

Years ended December 31 (millions)  Note  2022   2021 
Reconciliation of contract assets presented in the Consolidated statements of financial position – current          
Gross contract assets     $588   $578 
Reclassification to contract liabilities of contracts with contract assets less than contract liabilities   24   (14)   (13)
Reclassification from contract liabilities of contracts with contract liabilities less than contract assets   24   (133)   (115)
      $441   $450 

 

7other income

 

Years ended December 31 (millions)  Note  2022   2021 
Government assistance      $6   $8 
Other sublet revenue    19   5    4 
Investment income (loss), gain (loss) 1 on disposal of assets and other 2        27    404 
Interest income    21(b)   4    4 
Changes in business combination-related provisions        78     
       $120   $420 

 

1During the year ended December 31, 2021, we disposed of our financial solutions business, which was a part of our TELUS technology solutions segment, and realized a gain on disposition of $410 before income taxes.

2During the year ended December 31, 2022, includes gain on acquisition of control of LifeWorks Inc., as set out in Note 18(b).

 

We receive government assistance, as defined by IFRS-IASB, from a number of sources and, if not in respect of capital, we generally include such amounts received in Other income, other than in respect of the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy program amounts, as set out in Note 8. We recognize such amounts on an accrual basis as the subsidized services are provided or as the subsidized costs are incurred.

 

CRTC subsidy

 

Local exchange carriers’ costs of providing the levels of residential basic telephone service that the CRTC requires to be provided in high cost serving areas are greater than the amounts the CRTC allows the local exchange carriers to charge for the levels of service. To ameliorate the situation, the CRTC directs the collection of contribution payments, in a central fund, from all registered Canadian telecommunications service providers (including voice, data and mobile service providers) that are then disbursed to incumbent local exchange carriers as subsidy payments to partially offset the costs of providing residential basic telephone services in non-forborne high cost serving areas. The subsidy payment disbursements are based upon a total subsidy requirement calculated on a per network access line/per band subsidy rate. For the year ended December 31, 2022, our subsidy receipts were $1 million (2021 – $5 million).

 

Government of Quebec

 

Salaries for qualifying employment positions in the province of Quebec, mainly in the information technology sector, are eligible for tax credits. In respect of such tax credits, for the year ended December 31, 2022, we recorded $5 million (2021 – $3 million).

 

34 | December 31, 2022  

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

8employee benefits expense

 

Years ended December 31 (millions)  Note  2022   2021 
Employee benefits expense – gross              
Wages and salaries 1      $4,800   $4,118 
Share-based compensation 2    14   194    236 
Pensions – defined benefit    15(a)   101    113 
Pensions – defined contribution    15(f)   120    106 
Restructuring costs 2    16(a)   81    79 
Employee health and other benefits       257    227 
        5,553    4,879 
Capitalized internal labour costs, net              
Contract acquisition costs    20          
Capitalized       (92)   (91)
Amortized       83    66 
Contract fulfilment costs    20          
Capitalized       (11)   (2)
Amortized       2    5 
Property, plant and equipment       (379)   (362)
Intangible assets subject to amortization       (257)   (226)
        (654)   (610)
       $4,899   $4,269 

 

1For the year ended December 31, 2021, wages and salaries are net of Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy program amounts.

2For the year ended December 31, 2022, $7 (2021 – $8) of share-based compensation in the digitally-led customer experiences segment was included in restructuring costs.

 

9financing costs

 

Years ended December 31 (millions)  Note  2022   2021 
Interest expense               
Interest on long-term debt, excluding lease liabilities – gross      $779   $683 
Interest on long-term debt, excluding lease liabilities – capitalized 1        (30)   (3)
Interest on long-term debt, excluding lease liabilities       749    680 
Interest on lease liabilities    19   74    66 
Interest on short-term borrowings and other       16    15 
Interest accretion on provisions    25   20    18 
Long-term debt prepayment premium           10 
        859    789 
Employee defined benefit plans net interest    15   8    26 
Foreign exchange       (25)   (3)
Virtual power purchase agreements unrealized change in forward element       (193)    
        649    812 
Interest income       (17)   (16)
       $632   $796 
Net interest cost    3  $847   $773 
Interest on long-term debt, excluding lease liabilities – capitalized 1       (30)   (3)
Employee defined benefit plans net interest       8    26 
Virtual power purchase agreements unrealized change in forward element       (193)    
       $632   $796 

 

1Interest on long-term debt, excluding lease liabilities, at a composite rate of 3.10% was capitalized to intangible assets with indefinite lives during the period.

 

  December 31, 2022 | 35

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

10income taxes

 

(a)Expense composition and rate reconciliation

 

Years ended December 31 (millions)  2022   2021 
Current income tax expense          
For the current reporting period  $584   $563 
Adjustments recognized in the current period for income taxes of prior periods   (11)   (30)
    573    533 
Deferred income tax expense          
Arising from the origination and reversal of temporary differences   9    25 
Adjustments recognized in the current period for income taxes of prior periods   22    22 
    31    47 
   $604   $580 

 

Our income tax expense and effective income tax rate differ from those computed by applying the applicable statutory rates for the following reasons:

 

Years ended December 31 ($ in millions)  2022   2021 
Income taxes computed at applicable statutory rates  $595    25.6%  $589    25.8%
Adjustments recognized in the current period for income taxes of prior periods   11    0.5    (8)   (0.3)
Non-deductible amounts   1    0.1    23    1.0 
Gain on disposition           (46)   (2.0)
Other   (3)   (0.2)   22    1.0 
Income tax expense per Consolidated statements of income and other comprehensive income  $604    26.0%  $580    25.5%

 

(b)Temporary differences

 

We must make significant estimates in respect of the composition of our deferred income tax liability. Our operations are complex and the related income tax interpretations, regulations, legislation and jurisprudence are continually changing. As a result, there are usually some income tax matters in question.

 

Temporary differences comprising the net deferred income tax liability and the amounts of deferred income taxes recognized in the Consolidated statements of income and other comprehensive income and the Consolidated statements of changes in owners’ equity are estimated as follows:

 

(millions)  Property, plant
and
equipment
(owned) and
intangible
assets subject
to amortization
  

Intangible

assets with

indefinite lives

  

Property, plant

and
equipment

(leased), net
of lease
liabilities

  

Contract

assets and

liabilities

  

Net pension

amounts

  

Provisions not

currently

deductible

   Losses
available to
be carried
forward 1
  

Share-based

compensation

amounts and other

  

Net

deferred

income

tax liability

 
As at January 1, 2021  $2,292   $1,692   $(40)  $307   $(247)  $(215)  $(67)  $(15)  $3,707 
Deferred income tax expense recognized in                                             
Net income   75    59    7    (112)   (22)   41    (23)   22    47 
Other comprehensive income                   209            37    246 
Deferred income taxes charged directly to owners’ equity and other (Note 18(c))   80                        (18)   (52)   10 
As at December 31, 2021   2,447    1,751    (33)   195    (60)   (174)   (108)   (8)   4,010 
Deferred income tax expense recognized in                                             
Net income   (14)   105    1    (90)   (19)   28    (29)   49    31 
Other comprehensive income                   45            (50)   (5)
Deferred income taxes charged directly to owners’ equity and other (Note 18(b))    397                    (4)   (7)   (4)   382 
As at December 31, 2022  $2,830   $1,856   $(32)  $105   $(34)  $(150)  $(144)  $(13)  $4,418 

 

1We expect to be able to utilize our non-capital losses prior to expiry.

 

36 | December 31, 2022  

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

Temporary differences arise from the carrying value of investments in subsidiaries and partnerships exceeding their tax base, for which no deferred income tax liabilities have been recognized because the parent is able to control the timing of the reversal of the difference and it is probable that it will not reverse in the foreseeable future. In our specific instance, this is relevant to our investments in Canadian subsidiaries and Canadian partnerships. We are not required to recognize such deferred income tax liabilities, as we are in a position to control the timing and manner of the reversal of the temporary differences, which would not be expected to be exigible to income tax, and it is probable that such differences will not reverse in the foreseeable future. We are in a position to control the timing and manner of the reversal of the temporary differences in respect of our non-Canadian subsidiaries, and it is probable that such differences will not reverse in the foreseeable future.

 

(c)Other

 

We conduct research and development activities, which may be eligible to earn Investment Tax Credits. During the year ended December 31, 2022, we recorded Investment Tax Credits of $11 million (2021 – $21 million). Of this amount, $9 million (2021 – $14 million) was recorded as a reduction of property, plant and equipment and/or intangible assets and the balance was recorded as a reduction of goods and services purchased.

 

  December 31, 2022 | 37

 

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

11other comprehensive income

 

         Item never     Item never    
         reclassified     reclassified    
   Items that may subsequently be reclassified to income  to income     to income    
   Change in unrealized fair value of derivatives designated as cash flow hedges in current period (Note 4(i))                
   Derivatives used to manage currency risk  Derivatives used to manage other market risks     Cumulative  Change in          
      Prior period        Prior period        foreign  measurement     Employee    
   Gains  (gains) losses     Gains  (gains) losses        currency  of investment  Accumulated  defined benefit    
Years ended December 31   (losses)  transferred to     (losses)  transferred to        translation  financial  other  Plan  Other 
(millions)  arising  net income  Total  arising  net income  Total  Total  adjustment  assets  comp. income  re-measurements  comp. income 
Accumulated balance as at January 1, 2021          $(40)         $(6) $(46) $155  $26  $135         
Other comprehensive income (loss) Amount arising  $73  $75   148  $  $4   4   152   (130)  66   88  $809  $897 
Income taxes  $9  $18   27  $  $1   1   28      9   37   209   246 
Net           121           3   124   (130)  57   51  $600  $651 
Accumulated balance as at December 31, 2021           81           (3)  78   25   83   186         
Other comprehensive income (loss) Amount arising  $208  $(360)  (152) $  $1   1   (151)  41   7   (103) $177  $74 
Income taxes  $12  $(63)  (51) $  $1   1   (50)        (50)  45   (5)
Net           (101)             (101)  41   7   (53) $132  $79 
Accumulated balance as at December 31, 2022          $(20)         $(3) $(23) $66  $90  $133         
Attributable to:                                                 
Common Shares                                      $110         
Non-controlling interests                                       23         
                                       $133         

 

38 | December 31, 2022  

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

12per share amounts

 

Basic net income per Common Share is calculated by dividing net income attributable to Common Shares by the total weighted average number of Common Shares outstanding during the period. Diluted net income per Common Share is calculated to give effect to share option awards and restricted share unit awards.

 

The following table presents reconciliations of the denominators of the basic and diluted per share computations. Net income was equal to diluted net income for all periods presented.

     
Years ended December 31 (millions)  2022   2021 
Basic total weighted average number of Common Shares outstanding  1,396   1,346 
Effect of dilutive securities – Restricted share units  7   5 
Diluted total weighted average number of Common Shares outstanding  1,403   1,351 

 

For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, no outstanding equity-settled restricted share unit awards were excluded in the calculation of diluted income per Common Share. For the year ended December 31, 2022, NIL (2021 – less than 1 million) outstanding TELUS Corporation share option awards were excluded in the calculation of diluted net income per Common Share.

 

13dividends per share

 

(a)TELUS Corporation Common Share dividends declared

 

Twelve-month periods ended
December 31 (millions
except per share amounts)
  2022     2021  
TELUS Corporation Common Share dividends    Declared     Paid to 
shareholders
        Declared     Paid to 
shareholders
     
  Effective   Per share       Total     Effective   Per share       Total  
Quarter 1 dividend   Mar. 11, 2022   $ 0.3274     Apr. 1, 2022   $ 450     Mar. 11, 2021   $ 0.3112     Apr. 1, 2021   $ 404  
Quarter 2 dividend   Jun. 10, 2022     0.3386     Jul. 4, 2022     467     Jun. 10, 2021     0.3162     Jul. 2, 2021     428  
Quarter 3 dividend   Sep. 9, 2022     0.3386     Oct. 3, 2022     480     Sep. 10, 2021     0.3162     Oct. 1, 2021     430  
Quarter 4 dividend   Dec. 9, 2022     0.3511     Jan. 3, 2023     502     Dec. 10, 2021     0.3274     Jan. 4, 2022     449  
        $ 1.3557         $ 1,899         $ 1.2710         $ 1,711  

  

On February 8, 2023, the Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.3511 per share on our issued and outstanding TELUS Corporation Common Shares payable on April 3, 2023, to holders of record at the close of business on March 10, 2023. The final amount of the dividend payment depends upon the number of TELUS Corporation Common Shares issued and outstanding at the close of business on March 10, 2023.

 

(b)Dividend Reinvestment and Share Purchase Plan

 

We have a Dividend Reinvestment and Share Purchase Plan under which eligible holders of TELUS Corporation Common Shares may acquire additional TELUS Corporation Common Shares by reinvesting dividends and by making additional optional cash payments to the trustee. Under this plan, we have the option of offering TELUS Corporation Common Shares from Treasury or having the trustee acquire TELUS Corporation Common Shares in the stock market. We may, at our discretion, offer TELUS Corporation Common Shares at a discount of up to 5% from the market price under the plan. Effective with our dividends paid October 1, 2019, we offered TELUS Corporation Common Shares from Treasury at a discount of 2%. In respect of TELUS Corporation Common Shares held by eligible shareholders who have elected to participate in the plan, dividends declared during the year ended December 31, 2022, of $639 million (2021 – $582 million) were to be reinvested in TELUS Corporation Common Shares.

 

  December 31, 2022 | 39

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

14share-based compensation

 

(a)Details of share-based compensation expense

 

Reflected in the Consolidated statements of income and other comprehensive income as Employee benefits expense and in the Consolidated statements of cash flows are the following share-based compensation amounts:

 

Years ended December 31 (millions)    2022   2021 
   Note  Employee
benefits
expense 1
   Associated
operating
cash
outflows
   Statement
of cash
flows
adjustment
   Employee
benefits
expense
   Associated
operating
cash
outflows
   Statement
of cash
flows
adjustment
 
Restricted share units  (b)  $158   $(25)  $133   $185   $(35)  $150 
Employee share purchase plan  (c)   45    (45)       41    (41)    
Share option awards  (d)   (2)   (9)   (11)   18    (29)   (11)
      $201   $(79)  $122   $244   $(105)  $139 
TELUS technology solutions     $168   $(53)  $115   $150   $(44)  $106 
Digitally-led customer experiences      33    (26)   7    94    (61)   33 
      $201   $(79)  $122   $244   $(105)  $139 

 

1Within employee benefits expense (see Note 8), for the year ended December 31, 2022, restricted share units expense of $151 (2021 – $178) and share option awards expense of $(2) (2021 – $17) are presented as share-based compensation expense and the balance is included in restructuring costs (see Note 16) of the digitally-led customer experiences segment.

 

(b)Restricted share units

 

General

 

We use restricted share units as a form of retention and incentive compensation. Each restricted share unit is nominally equal in value to one equity share and is nominally entitled to the dividends that would arise thereon if it were an issued and outstanding equity share. The notional dividends are recorded as additional issuances of restricted share units during the life of the restricted share unit. Due to the notional dividend mechanism, the grant-date fair value of restricted share units equals the fair market value of the corresponding equity shares at the grant date, other than for the notional subset of our restricted share units affected by the relative total shareholder return performance condition (for which a grant-date fair value is determined using a Monte Carlo simulation). The restricted share units generally become payable when vesting is complete; TELUS Corporation restricted share units typically vest over a period of 33 months (the requisite service period) and TELUS International (Cda) Inc. restricted share units typically vest over a period of 48 months (the requisite service period). The vesting method of restricted share units, which is determined on or before the date of grant, may be either cliff or graded; the majority of TELUS Corporation restricted share units outstanding are cliff-vesting and the majority of TELUS International (Cda) Inc. restricted share units are graded-vesting. Accounting for restricted share units, as either equity instruments or liability instruments, is based upon the expected manner of their settlement when they are granted. Grants of TELUS Corporation restricted share units prior to fiscal 2019, and grants of TELUS International (Cda) Inc. restricted share units prior to fiscal 2021, were accounted for as liability instruments, as the associated obligations were normally expected to be cash-settled when granted.

 

TELUS Corporation restricted share units

 

We also award restricted share units that largely have the same features as our general restricted share units, but have a variable payout (0% – 200%) that depends upon the achievement of our total customer connections performance condition (with a weighting of 25%) and the total shareholder return on TELUS Corporation Common Shares relative to an international peer group of telecommunications companies (with a weighting of 75%). The grant-date fair value of the notional subset of our restricted share units affected by the total customer connections performance condition equals the fair market value of the corresponding TELUS Corporation Common Shares at the grant date, and thus the notional subset has been included in the presentation of our restricted share units with only service conditions. Reflecting a variable payout, our estimate of the fair value of the notional subset of our restricted share units affected by the relative total shareholder return performance condition is determined using a Monte Carlo simulation. Grants of restricted share units in 2022 and 2021 are accounted for as equity-settled, as that was the expected manner of their settlement when granted.

 

40 | December 31, 2022  

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

The following table presents a summary of outstanding TELUS Corporation non-vested restricted share units.

 

Number of non-vested restricted share units as at December 31  2022   2021 
Restricted share units without market performance conditions          
Restricted share units with only service conditions  5,224,220   5,481,486 
Notional subset affected by total customer connections performance condition   357,263    366,983 
    5,581,483    5,848,469 
Restricted share units with market performance conditions          
Notional subset affected by relative total shareholder return performance condition   1,071,789    1,100,949 
    6,653,272    6,949,418 

 

The following table presents a summary of the activity related to TELUS Corporation restricted share units without market performance conditions.

 

Years ended December 31  2022   2021 
       Weighted       Weighted 
   Number of restricted   average   Number of restricted   average 
   share units 1   grant-date   share units 1   grant-date 
   Non-vested   Vested   fair value   Non-vested   Vested   fair value 
Outstanding, beginning of period                        
Non-vested  5,848,469      $25.67   6,017,285      $24.55 
Vested       49,138   $25.63        29,870   $24.58 
Granted                              
Initial award   3,033,255       $31.31    3,131,508       $25.98 
In lieu of dividends   340,259    2,251   $29.54    385,783    1,394   $26.74 
Variable payout related   48,266       $25.79    16,886       $25.53 
Vested   (3,285,325)   3,285,325   $22.68    (3,354,451)   3,354,451   $24.10 
Settled                              
In equity       (3,054,488)  $25.60        (3,277,873)  $24.07 
In cash       (246,407)  $26.27        (58,704)  $24.67 
Forfeited   (403,441)      $27.32    (348,542)      $21.59 
Outstanding, end of period                              
Non-vested   5,581,483       $30.62    5,848,469       $25.67 
Vested       35,819   $27.00        49,138   $25.63 

 

1Excluding the notional subset of restricted share units affected by the relative total shareholder return performance condition.

 

TELUS International (Cda) Inc. restricted share units

 

We also award restricted share units that largely have the same features as the TELUS Corporation restricted share units, but have a variable payout (0% – 150%) that depends upon the achievement of TELUS International (Cda) Inc. financial performance and non-market quality-of-service performance conditions. Grants of restricted share units in 2022 and 2021 are accounted for as equity-settled, as that was the expected manner of their settlement when granted.

 

The following table presents a summary of the activity related to TELUS International (Cda) Inc. restricted share units.

 

Years ended December 31  2022   2021 
       Weighted       Weighted 
   Number of restricted   average   Number of restricted   average 
   share units   grant-date    share units   grant-date 
   Non-vested   Vested   fair value   Non-vested   Vested   fair value 
Outstanding, beginning of period  1,850,807      US$21.94   1,383,642      US$7.94 
Granted – initial award   821,223    59,512   US$26.41    1,383,983       US$27.26 
Vested   (798,373)   798,373   US$16.63    (805,429)   805,429   US$7.29 
Settled                              
In equity       (360,044)  US$27.84        (773,185)  US$6.31 
In cash       (497,841)  US$10.06        (32,244)  US$31.01 
Forfeited   (267,836)      US$21.32    (111,389)      US$20.16 
Outstanding, end of period   1,605,821       US$27.10    1,850,807       US$21.94 

 

(c)TELUS Corporation employee share purchase plan

 

We have an employee share purchase plan under which eligible employees can purchase TELUS Corporation Common Shares through regular payroll deductions. In respect of TELUS Corporation Common Shares held within the employee share purchase plan, TELUS Corporation Common Share dividends declared during the year ended December 31, 2022, of $47 million (2021 – $42 million) were to be reinvested in TELUS Corporation Common Shares acquired by the trustee from Treasury, with a discount applicable, as set out in Note 13(b).

 

  December 31, 2022 | 41

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

(d)Share option awards

 

General

 

We use share option awards as a form of retention and incentive compensation. We apply the fair value method of accounting for share-based compensation awards granted to officers and other employees. Share option awards typically have a three-year vesting period (the requisite service period). The vesting method of share option awards, which is determined on or before the date of grant, may be either cliff or graded; all TELUS Corporation share option awards granted subsequent to 2004 have been cliff-vesting.

 

The weighted average fair value of share option awards granted is calculated by using the Black-Scholes model (a closed-form option pricing model). The risk-free interest rate used in determining the fair value of the share option awards is based on a Government of Canada yield curve that is current at the time of grant. The expected lives of the share option awards are based on our historical share option award exercise data. Similarly, expected volatility considers the historical volatility in the price of our Common Shares in respect of TELUS Corporation share options and the average historical volatility in the prices of a peer group’s shares, and in the price of TELUS International (Cda) Inc.’s shares in respect of TELUS International (Cda) Inc. share options. The dividend yield is the annualized dividend current at the time of grant divided by the share option award exercise price. Dividends are not paid on unexercised share option awards and are not subject to vesting.

 

TELUS Corporation share options

 

Employees may be granted share option awards to purchase TELUS Corporation Common Shares at an exercise price equal to the fair market value at the time of grant. Share option awards granted under the plan may be exercised over specific periods not to exceed seven years from the date of grant. Share option awards granted in fiscal 2021 were for front-line employees.

 

These share option awards have a net-equity settlement feature. The optionee does not have the choice of exercising the net-equity settlement feature; it is at our option whether the exercise of a share option award is settled as a share option or settled using the net-equity settlement feature.

 

The following table presents a summary of the activity related to the TELUS Corporation share option plan.

 

Years ended December 31   2022   2021 
   

Number of

share
options

  

Weighted

average share
option price 1

   Number of
share
options
   Weighted
average share
option price
 
Outstanding, beginning of period    3,050,300   $22.04    3,014,700   $21.59 
Granted       $    324,900   $25.96 
Forfeited    (295,000)  $21.93    (289,300)  $21.75 
Outstanding, end of period    2,755,300   $22.05    3,050,300   $22.04 

 

1The weighted average remaining contractual life is 4.4 years. No options were exercisable as at the balance sheet date.

 

The weighted average fair value of share option awards granted, and the weighted average assumptions used in the fair value estimation at the date of grant, calculated by using the Black-Scholes model, are as follows:

 

Year ended December 31  2021 
Share option award fair value (per share option)  $0.93 
Risk-free interest rate   0.79%
Expected lives 1 (years)   4.25 
Expected volatility   12.5%
Dividend yield   4.8%

 

1The maximum contractual term of the share option awards granted in 2021 was seven years.

 

TELUS International (Cda) Inc. share options

 

Employees may be granted equity share options (equity-settled) to purchase TELUS International (Cda) Inc. subordinate voting shares at a price equal to, or a multiple of, the fair market value at the time of grant and/or phantom share options (cash-settled) that provide them with exposure to TELUS International (Cda) Inc. subordinate voting share price appreciation. Share option awards granted under the plan may be exercised over specific periods not to exceed ten years from the time of grant. All equity share option awards and most phantom share option awards have a variable payout (0% – 100%) that depends upon the achievement of TELUS International (Cda) Inc. financial performance and non-market quality-of-service performance conditions.

 

42 | December 31, 2022  

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

The following table presents a summary of the activity related to the TELUS International (Cda) Inc. share option plan.

 

Years ended December 31   2022     2021 1 
    Number of
share
options
   Weighted
average share
option price 1
   Number of
share
options
   Weighted
average share
option price
 
Outstanding, beginning of period   3,180,767   US$10.74   3,922,056   US$6.94 
Granted       US$    579,949   US$25.00 
Exercised 2, 3    (293,860)  US$8.46    (1,321,238)  US$5.74 
Forfeited    (209,610)  US$6.59       US$ 
Outstanding, end of period    2,677,297   US$11.31    3,180,767   US$10.74 
Exercisable, end of period    2,096,582   US$7.45    2,096,582   US$7.45 

 

1During the year ended December 31, 2021, 242,244 Canadian dollar-denominated share options, which was the amount outstanding at the beginning of the year, were exercised and the weighted average price at the date of exercise was $28.67; no other Canadian dollar-denominated share options have been granted or are outstanding.

2For 2,223,121 share options, the range of share option prices is US$4.87 – US$8.95 per TELUS International (Cda) Inc. subordinated voting share and the weighted average remaining contractual life is 4.2 years; for the balance of share options, the price is US$25.00 and the weighted average remaining contractual life is 8.2 years.

3The weighted average price at the date of exercise was US$23.75 (2021 – US$31.23).

 

The weighted average fair value of share option awards granted, and the weighted average assumptions used in the fair value estimation at the time of grant, calculated by using the Black-Scholes model, are as follows:

 

Year ended December 31  2021 
Share option award fair value (per share option)  US$5.34 
Risk-free interest rate   0.73%
Expected lives 1 (years)   6.5 
Expected volatility   19.3%
Dividend yield   NIL%

 

1The maximum contractual term of the share option awards granted in 2021 was ten years.

 

  December 31, 2022 | 43

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

15employee future benefits

 

(a)Defined benefit pension plans – summary

 

Amounts in the primary financial statements relating to defined benefit pension plans

 

Twelve-month periods ended December 31      2022   2021 
(millions)  Note   Plan assets   Defined benefit
obligations
accrued 1
   Net   Plan assets   Defined benefit
obligations
accrued 1
   Net 
Employee benefits expense  8                               
Benefits earned for current service      $   $(111)       $   $(120)     
Benefits earned for past service           (3)            (6)     
Employees’ contributions       18             18          
Administrative fees       (5)            (5)         
        13    (114)  $(101)   13    (126)  $(113)
Financing costs  9                               
 Notional income on plan assets 2 and interest on defined benefit obligations accrued       296    (299)        238    (261)     
Interest effect on asset ceiling limit  (c)    (5)            (3)         
        291    (299)   (8)   235    (261)   (26)
DEFINED BENEFIT (COST) INCLUDED IN NET INCOME 3                 (109)             (139)
Other comprehensive income  11                               
Difference between actual results and estimated plan assumptions 4       (1,197)   (141)        661    (456)     
Changes in plan financial assumptions  (d)         2,242             657      
Changes in the effect of limiting net defined benefit assets to the asset ceilings  (c)    (734)            (53)         
        (1,931)   2,101    170    608    201    809 
DEFINED BENEFIT (COST) INCLUDED IN COMPREHENSIVE INCOME 3                 61              670 
AMOUNTS INCLUDED IN OPERATING ACTIVITIES CASH FLOWS                                  
Employer contributions  (e)     44        44    53        53 
BENEFITS PAID BY PLANS       (474)   474        (474)   474     
EFFECTS OF BUSINESS ACQUISITION       4    (4)                
PLAN ACCOUNT BALANCES 5                                   
Change in period       (2,053)   2,158    105    435    288    723 
Balance, beginning of period       10,043    (10,233)   (190)   9,608    (10,521)   (913)
Balance, end of period      $7,990   $(8,075)  $(85)  $10,043   $(10,233)  $(190)
FUNDED STATUS – PLAN SURPLUS (DEFICIT)                                  
Pension plans that have plan assets in excess of defined benefit obligations accrued  20   $7,185   $(6,878)  $307   $9,141   $(8,688)  $453 
Pension plans that have defined benefit obligations accrued in excess of plan assets                                  
Funded       805    (996)   (191)   902    (1,286)   (384)
Unfunded           (201)   (201)       (259)   (259)
   27    805    (1,197)   (392)   902    (1,545)   (643)
       $7,990   $(8,075)  $(85)  $10,043   $(10,233)  $(190)
PBSR SOLVENCY POSITION 6                                  
Pension plans that have plan assets in excess of defined benefit obligations accrued                $1,605             $1,216 
Funded pension plans that have defined benefit obligations accrued in excess of plan assets                                
                 $1,605             $1,216 
DEFINED BENEFIT OBLIGATIONS ACCRUED OWED TO:                                  
Active members           $(1,652)            $(2,343)     
Deferred members            (350)             (528)     
Pensioners            (6,073)             (7,362)     
            $(8,075)            $(10,233)     

 

1Defined benefit obligations accrued are the actuarial present values of benefits attributed to employee services rendered to a particular date.

  

44 | December 31, 2022  

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

2The interest income on the plan assets portion of the employee defined benefit plans net interest amount included in Financing costs reflects a rate of return on plan assets equal to the discount rate used in determining the defined benefit obligations accrued at the end of the immediately preceding fiscal year.
3Excluding income taxes.

4Financial assumptions in respect of plan assets (interest income on plan assets included in Financing costs reflects a rate of return on plan assets equal to the discount rate used in determining the defined benefit obligations accrued) and demographic assumptions in respect of the actuarial present values of the defined benefit obligations accrued, as at the end of the immediately preceding fiscal year for both.

5The measurement date used to determine the plan assets and defined benefit obligations accrued was December 31.

6The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, by way of the Pension Benefits Standards Regulations, 1985 (PBSR) (see (e)), requires that a solvency valuation be performed on a periodic basis. The actual PBSR solvency positions are determined in conjunction with mid-year annual funding reports prepared by actuaries (see (e)); as a result, the PBSR solvency positions in this table as at December 31, 2022 and 2021, are interim estimates and updated estimates, respectively. The interim estimate as at December 31, 2021, was a net surplus of $1,366.

Interim estimated solvency ratios as at December 31, 2022, ranged from 117% to 126% (2021 – updated estimate is 106% to 118%; interim estimate was 106% to 122%) and the estimated three-year average solvency ratios, adjusted as required by the PBSR, ranged from 104% to 118% (2021 – updated estimate is 99% to 112%; interim estimate was 99% to 113%).

The solvency valuation effectively uses the fair value (excluding any asset ceiling limit effects) of the funded defined benefit pension plan assets (adjusted for theoretical wind-up expenses) to measure the solvency valuation assets. Although the defined benefit obligations accrued and the solvency valuation liabilities are calculated similarly, the assumptions used for each differ, primarily in respect of retirement ages and discount rates, and the solvency valuation liabilities, due to the required assumption that each plan is terminated on the valuation date, do not reflect assumptions about future compensation levels. Relative to the experience-based estimates of retirement ages used for purposes of determining the defined benefit obligations accrued, the minimum no-consent retirement age used for solvency valuation purposes may result in either a greater or lesser pension liability, depending upon the provisions of each plan. The solvency positions in this table reflect composite weighted average discount rates of 4.8% (2021 – 2.9%). A hypothetical decrease of 25 basis points in the composite weighted average discount rate would result in a $182 decrease in the PBSR solvency position as at December 31, 2022 (2021 – $297); these sensitivities are hypothetical, should be used with caution, are calculated without changing any other assumption and generally cannot be extrapolated because changes in amounts may not be linear.

 

(b)Pension plans and other defined benefit plans – overview

 

We have a number of defined benefit and defined contribution plans that provide pension and other retirement and post-employment benefits to most of our employees. As at December 31, 2022 and 2021, all registered defined benefit pension plans were closed to substantially all new participants and substantially all benefits had vested. The benefit plans in which our employees are participants reflect developments in our corporate history.

 

TELUS Corporation Pension Plan

 

Management and professional employees in Alberta who joined us prior to January 1, 2001, and certain unionized employees who joined us prior to June 9, 2011, are covered by this contributory defined benefit pension plan, which comprises slightly more than one-half of our total defined benefit obligation accrued. The plan contains a supplemental benefit account that may provide indexation of up to 70% of the annual increase in a specified cost-of-living index. Pensionable remuneration is determined by the average of the best five years of remuneration in the last ten consecutive years preceding retirement.

 

Pension Plan for Management and Professional Employees of TELUS Corporation

 

This defined benefit pension plan, which with certain limited exceptions ceased accepting new participants on January 1, 2006, and which comprises approximately one-quarter of our total defined benefit obligation accrued, provides a non-contributory base level of pension benefits. Additionally, on a contributory basis, employees annually can choose increased and/or enhanced levels of pension benefits above the base level. At an enhanced level of pension benefits, the plan has indexation of 100% of the annual increase in a specified cost-of-living index, to an annual maximum of 2%. Pensionable remuneration is determined by the annualized average of the best 60 consecutive months of remuneration.

 

TELUS Québec Defined Benefit Pension Plan

 

This contributory defined benefit pension plan, which ceased accepting new participants on April 14, 2009, covers any employee not governed by a collective agreement in Quebec who joined us prior to April 1, 2006, any non-supervisory employee governed by a collective agreement who joined us prior to September 6, 2006, and certain other unionized employees. The plan comprises approximately one-tenth of our total defined benefit obligation accrued. The plan has no indexation and pensionable remuneration is determined by the average of the best four years of remuneration.

 

TELUS Edmonton Pension Plan

 

This contributory defined benefit pension plan ceased accepting new participants on January 1, 1998. Indexation is 60% of the annual increase in a specified cost-of-living index and pensionable remuneration is determined by the annualized average of the best 60 consecutive months of remuneration. The plan comprises less than one-tenth of our total defined benefit obligation accrued.

 

Other defined benefit pension plans

 

In addition to the foregoing plans, we have non-registered, non-contributory supplementary defined benefit pension plans, which have the effect of maintaining the pension benefit earned once the allowable maximums in the registered plans are attained. As is common with non-registered plans of this nature, these plans are typically funded only as benefits are paid. These plans comprise less than 5% of our total defined benefit obligation accrued.

 

  December 31, 2022 | 45

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

Telecommunication Workers Pension Plan

 

Certain employees in British Columbia are covered by a negotiated-cost, target-benefit union pension plan. Our contributions are determined in accordance with provisions of negotiated labour contracts (the current contract expired on December 31, 2021 – see Note 29(c)), and are generally based on employee gross earnings. We are not required to guarantee the benefits or assure the solvency of the plan, and we are not liable to the plan for other participating employers’ obligations. For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, our contributions comprised a significant proportion of the employer contributions to the union pension plan; similarly, a significant proportion of the plan participants were our active and retired employees.

 

British Columbia Public Service Pension Plan

 

Certain employees in British Columbia are covered by a public service pension plan. Contributions are determined in accordance with provisions of labour contracts negotiated by the Province of British Columbia and are generally based on employee gross earnings.

 

Defined contribution pension plans

 

We primarily offer three defined contribution pension plans, which are contributory, and these are the primary pension plans we sponsor that are available to our non-unionized and certain of our unionized employees. For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, employees could generally choose to contribute to the plans at a rate of between 3% and 10% of their pensionable earnings; generally, we match 100% of contributions of employees up to 5% of their pensionable earnings and 80% of contributions of employees between 5% and 6% of their pensionable earnings. Membership in a defined contribution pension plan is generally voluntary until an employee’s third-year service anniversary. In the event that annual contributions exceed allowable maximums, excess amounts are in certain cases contributed to a non-registered supplementary defined contribution savings plan.

 

Other defined benefit plans

 

Other defined benefit plans, all of which are non-contributory and, as at December 31, 2022 and 2021, non-funded, included a healthcare plan for retired employees and a life insurance plan, both of which ceased accepting new participants on January 1, 1997.

 

(c)Plan investment strategies and policies

 

Our primary goal for the defined benefit pension plans is to ensure the security of the retirement income and other benefits of the plan members and their beneficiaries. A secondary goal is to maximize the long-term rate of return on the defined benefit plans’ assets within a level of risk acceptable to us.

 

Risk management

 

We consider absolute risk (the risk of contribution increases, inadequate plan surplus and unfunded obligations) to be more important than relative return risk. Accordingly, the defined benefit plans’ designs, the nature and maturity of defined benefit obligations and the characteristics of the plans’ memberships significantly influence investment strategies and policies. We manage risk by specifying allowable and prohibited investment types, setting diversification strategies and determining target asset allocations.

 

Allowable and prohibited investment types

 

Allowable and prohibited investment types, along with associated guidelines and limits, are set out in each plan’s required Statement of Investment Policies and Procedures (SIP&P), which is reviewed and approved annually by the designated governing body. The SIP&P guidelines and limits are further governed by the permitted investments and lending limits set out in the Pension Benefits Standards Regulations, 1985. As well as conventional investments, each fund’s SIP&P may provide for the use of derivative products to facilitate investment operations and to manage risk, provided that no short position is taken and no guidelines and limits established in the SIP&P are violated. Internally and externally managed funds are not permitted to invest directly in our securities, or those of our subsidiaries, and are prohibited from increasing grandfathered investments in our securities; any such grandfathered investments were made prior to the merger of BC TELECOM Inc. and TELUS Corporation, our predecessors.

 

Diversification

 

Our strategy for investments in equity securities is to be broadly diversified across individual securities, industry sectors and geographical regions. A meaningful portion (20% – 30% of total plan assets) of the plans’ investments in equity securities is allocated to foreign equity securities, with the intent of further diversifying plan assets. Investments in debt securities may include a meaningful allocation to mortgages, with the objective of enhancing cash flow and providing greater scope for the management of the bond component of the plan assets. Debt securities may also include real return bonds to provide inflation protection, consistent with the indexed nature of some defined benefit obligations. Real estate investments are used to provide diversification of plan assets, hedging of potential long-term inflation and comparatively stable investment income.

  

46 | December 31, 2022  

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

Relationship between plan assets and benefit obligations

 

With the objective of lowering the long-term costs of our defined benefit pension plans, we purposely mismatch plan assets and benefit obligations. This mismatching is effected by including equity investments in the long-term asset mix, as well as fixed income securities and mortgages with durations that differ from those of the benefit obligations.

 

As at December 31, 2022, the present value-weighted average timing of estimated cash flows for the obligations (duration) of the defined benefit pension plans was 11.4 years (2021 – 14.0 years). Compensation for liquidity issues that may otherwise have arisen from the mismatching of plan assets and benefit obligations is provided by broadly diversified investment holdings (including cash and short-term investments) and cash flows from dividends, interest and rents from those diversified investment holdings.

 

Fair value measurements

 

Information about the fair value measurements of our defined benefit pension plan assets, in aggregate, is as follows:

 

           Fair value measurements at reporting date using 
   Total   Quoted prices in active
markets for identical items
   Other 
As at December 31 (millions)  2022   2021   2022   2021   2022   2021 
Asset class                              
Equity securities                              
Canadian  $841   $1,104   $708   $945   $133   $159 
Foreign   2,707    2,861    500    826    2,207    2,035 
Debt securities                              
Issued by national, provincial or local governments   2,210    1,290    2,056    1,120    154    170 
Corporate debt securities   1,081    2,436            1,081    2,436 
Asset-backed securities   4    6            4    6 
Commercial mortgages   865    680            865    680 
Cash, cash equivalents and other   270    820    2    37    268    783 
Real estate   930    1,025            930    1,025 
    8,908    10,222   $3,266   $2,928   $5,642   $7,294 
Effect of asset ceiling limit                              
Beginning of year   (179)   (123)                    
Interest effect on asset ceiling limit   (5)   (3)                    
Change in the effect of limiting net defined benefit assets to the asset ceiling   (734)   (53)                    
End of year   (918)   (179)                    
   $7,990   $10,043                     

 

As at December 31, 2022, pension benefit trusts that we administered held no TELUS Corporation Common Shares and no TELUS International (Cda) Inc. subordinate voting shares, and held debt of TELUS Corporation with a fair value of $NIL (2021 – $2 million) (see (c) – Allowable and prohibited investment types). As at December 31, 2022 and 2021, pension benefit trusts that we administered did not lease real estate to us.

 

Asset allocations

 

Our defined benefit pension plans’ target asset allocations and actual asset allocations are as follows:

 

   Target
allocation
   Percentage of plan assets
at end of year
 
Years ended December 31  2023   2022   2021 
Equity securities   25-55%    40%   38%
Debt securities   40-75%    50%   51%
Real estate   10-30%    10%   11%
Other   0-15%         
         100%   100%

 

  December 31, 2022 | 47

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

(d)Assumptions

 

As referred to in Note 1(b), management is required to make significant estimates related to certain actuarial and economic assumptions that are used in determining defined benefit pension costs, defined benefit obligations accrued and pension plan assets. These significant estimates are of a long-term nature, consistent with the nature of employee future benefits.

 

Demographic assumptions

 

In determining the defined benefit pension expense recognized in net income for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we utilized the Canadian Institute of Actuaries CPM 2014 mortality tables.

 

Financial assumptions

 

The discount rate, which is used to determine a plan’s defined benefit obligations accrued, is based upon the yield on long-term, high-quality, fixed-term investments, and is set annually. The rate of future increases in compensation is based upon current benefits policies and economic forecasts.

 

The significant weighted average actuarial assumptions arising from these estimates and used in measuring our defined benefit obligations accrued are as follows:

 

   2022   2021 
Mortality assumptions used to determine defined benefit obligations accrued as at December 31          
Life expectancy at 65 for a member currently at age 65 (years)   24.2    24.2 
Discount rate 1 used to determine:          
Net benefit costs for the year ended December 31   2.95%   2.50%
Defined benefit obligations accrued as at December 31   5.05%   2.95%
Current service cost in subsequent fiscal year   5.05%   3.10%
Rate of future increases in compensation used to determine:          
Net benefit costs for the year ended December 31   3.00%   2.90%
Defined benefit obligations accrued as at December 31   3.00%   3.00%

 

1The discount rate disclosed in this table reflects the computation of an average discount rate that replicates the estimated timing of the obligation cash flows.

 

Sensitivity of key assumptions

 

The sensitivity of our key assumptions for our defined benefit pension plans was as follows:

 

Years ended, or as at, December 31  2022   2021 
Increase (decrease) (millions)  Change in
obligations
   Change in
expenses
   Change in
obligations
   Change in
expenses
 
Sensitivity of key demographic assumptions to an increase of one year 1 in life expectancy  $213   $11   $323   $11 
Sensitivity of key financial assumptions to a hypothetical decrease of 25 basis points 1 in:                    
Discount rate  $238   $16   $366   $13 
Rate of future increases in compensation  $(20)  $(3)  $(34)  $(3)

 

1These sensitivities are hypothetical and should be used with caution. Favourable hypothetical changes in the assumptions result in decreased amounts, and unfavourable hypothetical changes in the assumptions result in increased amounts, of obligations and expenses (both employee benefit expense and financing cost). Changes in amounts based on a variation in assumptions of one year or 25 basis points generally cannot be extrapolated because the relationship of the change in an assumption to the change in amounts may not be linear. Also, in this table, the effect of a variation in a particular assumption on the change in obligations or change in expenses is calculated without changing any other assumption; in reality, changes in one factor may result in changes in another (for example, an increase in the discount rate may result in changes in expectations about the rate of future increases in compensation), which might magnify or counteract the sensitivities.

 

(e)Employer contributions

 

The determination of the minimum funding amounts necessary for substantially all of our registered defined benefit pension plans is governed by the Pension Benefits Standards Act, 1985, which requires that current service costs be funded, and that both going-concern and solvency valuations be performed on a specified periodic basis.

 

·Any excess of plan assets over plan liabilities determined in the going-concern valuation reduces our minimum funding requirement for current service costs, but may not reduce the requirement to an amount less than the employees’ contributions. The going-concern valuation generally determines the excess (if any) of a plan’s assets over its liabilities on a projected benefit basis.
·As of the date of these consolidated financial statements, the solvency valuation generally requires that a plan’s average solvency valuation liabilities, determined on the basis that the plan is terminated on the valuation date, in excess of its assets (if any) be funded, at a minimum, in equal annual amounts over a period not exceeding five years. So as to manage the risk of overfunding the plans, which results from the solvency valuation for funding purposes utilizing average solvency ratios, our funding may include the provision of letters of credit. As at December 31, 2022, undrawn letters of credit in the amount of $49 million (2021 – $115 million) secured certain obligations of the defined benefit pension plans, including non-registered unfunded plans.

  

48 | December 31, 2022  

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

Our best estimate of fiscal 2023 employer contributions to our defined benefit plans is approximately $19 million for registered defined benefit pension plans. This estimate is based upon the mid-year 2022 annual funding valuations that were prepared by actuaries using December 31, 2021, actuarial valuations. The funding reports are based on the pension plans’ fiscal years, which are calendar years. The next annual funding valuations are expected to be prepared mid-year 2023.

 

Future benefit payments

 

Estimated future benefit payments from our funded and unfunded defined benefit pension plans, calculated as at December 31, 2022, are as follows:

 

Years ending December 31 (millions)   Funded   Unfunded   Total 
2023   $468   $12   $480 
2024    480    12    492 
2025    487    12    499 
2026    494    12    506 
2027    499    13    512 
2028-2032    2,574    72    2,646 

 

(f)Defined contribution plans – expense

 

Our total defined contribution pension plan costs recognized were as follows:

 

Years ended December 31 (millions)  2022   2021 
Union pension plan and public service pension plan contributions  $19   $20 
Other defined contribution pension plans   101    86 
   $120   $106 

 

We expect that our 2023 union pension plan and public service pension plan contributions will total approximately $22 million.

 

(g)Other defined benefit plans

 

For the year ended December 31, 2022, other defined benefit plan current service cost was $9 million (2021 – $2 million). Estimated future benefit payments from our other defined benefit plans, calculated as at December 31, 2022, are $1 million annually for the five-year period from 2023 to 2027 and $4 million for the five-year period from 2028 to 2032.

 

16restructuring and other costs

 

(a)Details of restructuring and other costs

 

With the objective of reducing ongoing costs, we incur associated incremental non-recurring restructuring costs, as discussed further in (b) following. We may also incur atypical charges when undertaking major or transformational changes to our business or operating models or post-acquisition business integration. In other costs, we include incremental atypical external costs incurred in connection with business acquisition or disposition activity; significant litigation costs in respect of losses or settlements; adverse retrospective regulatory decisions; and certain incremental atypical costs incurred in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Restructuring and other costs are presented in the Consolidated statements of income and other comprehensive income, as set out in the following table:

 

   Restructuring (b)   Other (c)   Total 
Years ended December 31 (millions)  2022   2021   2022   2021   2022   2021 
Goods and services purchased  $118   $62   $41   $45   $159   $107 
Employee benefits expense   81    79            81    79 
   $199   $141   $41   $45   $240   $186 

 

(b)Restructuring provisions

 

Employee-related provisions and other provisions, as presented in Note 25, include amounts in respect of restructuring activities. In 2022, restructuring activities included ongoing and incremental efficiency initiatives, some of which involved personnel-related costs and rationalization of real estate. These initiatives were intended to improve our long-term operating productivity and competitiveness.

 

  December 31, 2022 | 49

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

(c)Other

 

During the year ended December 31, 2022, incremental external costs were incurred in connection with business acquisition activity. In connection with business acquisitions, non-recurring atypical business integration expenditures that would be considered neither restructuring costs nor part of the fair value of the net assets acquired have been included in other costs.

 

Also during the year ended December 31, 2022, other costs were incurred in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic. Incremental costs were incurred due to proactive steps we elected to take in order to keep our customers and employees safe, including adjustments to the frequency of real estate cleaning and maintenance, among other items. As well, costs that have been incurred in the normal course but which are unable to contribute normally to the earning of revenues have been deemed atypical.

  

50 | December 31, 2022  

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

17property, plant and equipment

 

       Owned assets   Right-of-use lease assets (Note 19)     
(millions)   Note  Network assets   Buildings and leasehold improvements   Computer hardware and other   Land   Assets under construction   Total   Network assets   Real
estate
   Other   Total   Total 
AT COST                                                           
As at January 1, 2021      $32,972   $3,428   $1,403   $54   $640   $38,497   $499   $1,506   $82   $2,087   $40,584 
Additions 1       730    53    82    5    1,593    2,463    300    220    34    554    3,017 
Additions arising from business acquisitions           1    2            3        4        4    7 
Assets under construction put into service       1,266    92    88    16    (1,462)                        
Transfers       160    9    39            208    (208)           (208)    
Dispositions, retirements and other       (615)   (45)   (86)           (746)   3    (32)   (17)   (46)   (792)
Net foreign exchange differences       (3)   (1)   (3)           (7)       (4)       (4)   (11)
As at December 31, 2021       34,510    3,537    1,525    75    771    40,418    594    1,694    99    2,387    42,805 
Additions 1       770    34    62    8    1,379    2,253    519    290    31    840    3,093 
Additions arising from business acquisitions   18(b)   1    50    22            73        129        129    202 
Assets under construction put into service       1,088    156    91        (1,335)                        
Transfers       223        55            278    (278)           (278)    
Dispositions, retirements and other       (559)   (38)   4            (593)       (35)   (8)   (43)   (636)
Net foreign exchange differences       3    7    13            23        17        17    40 
As at December 31, 2022      $36,036   $3,746   $1,772   $83   $815   $42,452   $835   $2,095   $122   $3,052   $45,504 
ACCUMULATED DEPRECIATION                                                           
As at January 1, 2021      $22,120   $2,109   $889   $   $   $25,118   $43   $382   $27   $452   $25,570 
Depreciation 2       1,526    135    167            1,828    77    204    17    298    2,126 
Transfers       25    1    30            56    (56)           (56)    
Dispositions, retirements and other       (598)   (39)   (146)           (783)       (15)   (10)   (25)   (808)
Net foreign exchange differences       (3)   1    (2)           (4)       (5)       (5)   (9)
As at December 31, 2021       23,070    2,207    938            26,215    64    566    34    664    26,879 
Depreciation 2       1,552    143    201            1,896    75    236    19    330    2,226 
Transfers       54        35            89    (89)           (89)    
Dispositions, retirements and other       (566)   (31)   (86)           (683)       (13)   (6)   (19)   (702)
Net foreign exchange differences       2    3    6            11        6        6    17 
As at December 31, 2022      $24,112   $2,322   $1,094   $   $   $27,528   $50   $795   $47   $892   $28,420 
NET BOOK VALUE                                                           
As at December 31, 2021      $11,440   $1,330   $587   $75   $771   $14,203   $530   $1,128   $65   $1,723   $15,926 
As at December 31, 2022      $11,924   $1,424   $678   $83   $815   $14,924   $785   $1,300   $75   $2,160   $17,084 

 

1For the year ended December 31, 2022, additions include $(198) (2021 – $(171)) in respect of asset retirement obligations (see Note 25).

2For the year ended December 31, 2022, depreciation includes $9 (2021 – $7) in respect of impairment of real estate right-of-use lease assets.

 

As at December 31, 2022, our contractual commitments for the acquisition of property, plant and equipment totalled $275 million over a period ending December 31, 2027 (2021 – $574 million over a period ending December 31, 2023).

 

  December 31, 2022 | 51

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

18intangible assets and goodwill

 

(a)Intangible assets and goodwill, net

 

   Intangible assets subject to amortization   Intangible
assets with
indefinite lives
             
(millions)  Note  Customer contracts,
related customer
relationships and
subscriber base
   Software   Access to
rights-of-way,
crowdsource assets
and other
   Assets
under
construction
   Total   Spectrum
licences
   Total
intangible
assets
   Goodwill 1, 2    Total
intangible
assets and
goodwill
 
AT COST                                                
As at January 1, 2021     $2,945   $6,479   $363   $216   $10,003   $9,910   $19,913   $7,524   $27,437 
Additions          139    5    720    864    2,272    3,136        3,136 
Additions arising from business acquisitions     161    187    18        366        366    244    610 
Assets under construction put into service          657    4    (661)                    
Dispositions, retirements and other (including capitalized interest)  9   (15)   (740)   52        (703)   3    (700)   (60)   (760)
Net foreign exchange differences      (63)   1    (5)       (67)       (67)   (74)   (141)
As at December 31, 2021      3,028    6,723    437    275    10,463    12,185    22,648    7,634    30,282 
Additions          151    4    866    1,021        1,021        1,021 
Additions arising from business acquisitions  (b)   1,453    202    46    16    1,717        1,717    1,832    3,549 
Assets under construction put into service          622        (622)                    
Dispositions, retirements and other (including capitalized interest)  9   66    (358)   1        (291)   30    (261)       (261)
Net foreign exchange differences      60    3    10        73        73    67    140 
As at December 31, 2022     $4,607   $7,343   $498   $535   $12,983   $12,215   $25,198   $9,533   $34,731 
ACCUMULATED AMORTIZATION                                                
As at January 1, 2021     $495   $4,274   $96   $   $4,865   $   $4,865   $364   $5,229 
Amortization      288    750    52        1,090        1,090        1,090 
Dispositions, retirements and other      (62)   (747)   24        (785)       (785)       (785)
Net foreign exchange differences      (9)   2            (7)       (7)       (7)
As at December 31, 2021      712    4,279    172        5,163        5,163    364    5,527 
Amortization      357    802    67        1,226        1,226        1,226 
Dispositions, retirements and other          (370)   (16)       (386)       (386)       (386)
Net foreign exchange differences      13    2    2        17        17        17 
As at December 31, 2022     $1,082   $4,713   $225   $   $6,020   $   $6,020   $364   $6,384 
NET BOOK VALUE                                                
As at December 31, 2021     $2,316   $2,444   $265   $275   $5,300   $12,185   $17,485   $7,270   $24,755 
As at December 31, 2022     $3,525   $2,630   $273   $535   $6,963   $12,215   $19,178   $9,169   $28,347 

 

1The amount for goodwill arising from business acquisitions for the year ended December 31, 2021, has been adjusted as set out in (c).

2Accumulated amortization of goodwill is amortization recorded prior to 2002; there are no accumulated impairment losses in the accumulated amortization of goodwill.

 

As at December 31, 2022, our contractual commitments for the acquisition of intangible assets totalled $14 million over a period ending December 31, 2023 (2021 – $26 million over a period ending December 31, 2023).

 

52 | December 31, 2022  

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

(b)Business acquisitions

 

Fully Managed Inc.

 

On January 1, 2022, we acquired 100% ownership of Fully Managed Inc., a provider of managed information technology support, technology strategy and network management. The acquisition was made with a view to growing our end-to-end capabilities to support small and medium-sized business customers.

 

The primary factor that contributed to the recognition of goodwill was the earnings capacity of the acquired business in excess of the net tangible and intangible assets acquired (such excess arising from the acquired workforce and the benefits of acquiring an established business). The amount assigned to goodwill may be deductible for income tax purposes.

 

Vivint Smart Home, Inc.

 

On June 8, 2022, we acquired the Canadian customers, assets and operations of Vivint Smart Home, a security business that is complementary to our existing lines of business. The investment was made with a view to leveraging our telecommunications infrastructure and expertise to continue to enhance connected home, business, security and health services for our customers.

 

The primary factor that contributed to the recognition of goodwill was the earnings capacity of the acquired business in excess of the net tangible and intangible assets acquired (such excess arising from the acquired workforce and the benefits of acquiring an established business). The amount assigned to goodwill may be deductible for income tax purposes.

 

LifeWorks Inc.

 

On June 16, 2022, we announced that we had entered into a definitive agreement with LifeWorks Inc. pursuant to which we would acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of LifeWorks Inc. for $33.00 per LifeWorks Inc. common share and the assumption of net debt, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

 

On September 1, 2022, subsequent to the satisfaction of the closing conditions, we acquired LifeWorks Inc. by way of a plan of arrangement. The acquisition is complementary to our vision of employer-focused healthcare, increasing access to high-quality, proactive healthcare and mental wellness for employees by unifying digital-first solutions across the care continuum. The primary factor that gave rise to the recognition of goodwill was the earnings capacity of the acquired business in excess of the net tangible and intangible assets acquired (such excess arising from the low level of tangible assets relative to the earnings capacity of the business). A portion of the amounts assigned to goodwill may be deductible for income tax purposes.

 

Individually immaterial transactions

 

During the year ended December 31, 2022, we acquired 100% ownership of businesses that were complementary to our existing lines of business. The primary factor that gave rise to the recognition of goodwill was the earnings capacity of the acquired businesses in excess of the net tangible and intangible assets acquired (such excess arising from the low level of tangible assets relative to the earnings capacities of the businesses). A portion of the amounts assigned to goodwill may be deductible for income tax purposes.

 

  December 31, 2022 | 53

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

Acquisition-date fair values

 

Acquisition-date fair values assigned to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed are set out in the following table:

 

(millions)  Fully
Managed Inc.
   Vivint Smart
Home, Inc. 1
   LifeWorks Inc. 1   Total of
individually
immaterial
transactions 1
   Total 
Assets                    
Current assets                         
Cash  $3   $3   $19   $5   $30 
Accounts receivable 2   46    9    247    12    314 
Other   2    1    30    7    40 
    51    13    296    24    384 
Non-current assets                         
Property, plant and equipment                         
Owned assets   2        61    10    73 
Right-of-use lease assets       1    115    13    129 
Intangible assets subject to amortization 3   130    76    1,459    52    1,717 
Other   4    3    10        17 
    136    80    1,645    75    1,936 
Total identifiable assets acquired   187    93    1,941    99    2,320 
Liabilities                         
Current liabilities                         
Short-term borrowings           7        7 
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities   39    2    220    9    270 
Income and other taxes payable       2    18    1    21 
Advance billings and customer deposits   5    2    30    12    49 
Provisions           26        26 
Current maturities of long-term debt       31    565    2    598 
    44    37    866    24    971 
Non-current liabilities                         
Provisions           12    1    13 
Long-term debt   61        94    16    171 
Other long-term liabilities           2    3    5 
Deferred income taxes   32    11    321    8    372 
    93    11    429    28    561 
Total liabilities assumed   137    48    1,295    52    1,532 
Net identifiable assets acquired   50    45    646    47    788 
Goodwill   74    59    1,600    99    1,832 
Net assets acquired  $124   $104   $2,246   $146   $2,620 
Acquisition effected by way of:                         
Cash consideration 4  $89   $103   $1,245   $137   $1,574 
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities       1            1 
Provisions   29            9    38 
Gain on acquisition of control           15        15 
Issue of TELUS Corporation Common Shares 5   6        986        992 
   $124   $104   $2,246   $146   $2,620 

 

1The purchase price allocation, primarily in respect of customer contracts, related customer relationships, software, leasehold interests and deferred income taxes, had not been finalized as of the date of issuance of these consolidated financial statements. As is customary in a business acquisition transaction, until the time of acquisition of control, we did not have full access to the books and records of the acquired businesses. Upon having sufficient time to review the books and records of the acquired businesses, we expect to finalize our purchase price allocations.

2The fair value of accounts receivable is equal to the gross contractual amounts receivable and reflects the best estimate at the acquisition date of the contractual cash flows expected to be collected.

3Customer contracts and customer relationships (including those related to customer contracts) are generally expected to be amortized over a period of 8 years; software is expected to be amortized over a period of 5 years; and other intangible assets are expected to be amortized over a period of 5 years.

4In respect of LifeWorks Inc., cash consideration includes $211 for the approximately 7 million (9.9% of issued and outstanding) LifeWorks Inc. common shares that we held immediately prior to our acquisition of control. Immediately prior to the acquisition date, the fair value of our equity interest in LifeWorks Inc. was $226; we recognized a gain on acquisition of control of $15, which has been included in Other income, as set out in Note 7.

5Fair values of TELUS Corporation Common Shares were measured based upon market prices observed at the dates of acquisition of control. For one-half of the approximately 63 million (90.1% of issued and outstanding) LifeWorks Inc. common shares that we did not own immediately prior to our acquisition of control, consideration was our issuance of approximately 33 million Common Shares (1.06420 Common Share per LifeWorks Inc. common share).

 

54 | December 31, 2022  

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

Pro forma disclosures

 

The following pro forma supplemental information represents certain results of operations as if the business acquisitions noted above had been completed at the beginning of the fiscal 2022 year.

 

Year ended December 31, 2022 (millions except per share amounts)  As reported 1   Pro forma 2 
Operating revenues and other income  $18,412   $19,194 
Net income  $1,718   $1,627 
Net income per Common Share          
Basic  $1.16   $1.07 
Diluted  $1.15   $1.07 

 

1Operating revenues and other income and net income (loss) for the year ended December 31, 2022, include: $74 and $(18), respectively, in respect of Fully Managed Inc.; $28 and $(3), respectively, in respect of Vivint Smart Home, Inc.; and $350 and $(5), respectively, in respect of LifeWorks Inc.

2Pro forma amounts for the year ended December 31, 2022, reflect the acquired businesses. The results of the acquired businesses have been included in our Consolidated statements of income and other comprehensive income effective the dates of acquisition.

 

The pro forma supplemental information is based on estimates and assumptions that are believed to be reasonable. The pro forma supplemental information is not necessarily indicative of our consolidated financial results in future periods or the actual results that would have been realized had the business acquisitions been completed at the beginning of the periods presented. The pro forma supplemental information includes incremental property, plant and equipment depreciation, intangible asset amortization, financing and other charges as a result of the acquisitions, net of the related tax effects.

 

(c)Business acquisitions – prior period

 

In 2021, we acquired businesses that were complementary to our existing lines of business. As at December 31, 2021, purchase price allocations had not been finalized. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the preliminary acquisition-date fair values for goodwill and deferred income tax liabilities were decreased by $11 million; as required by IFRS-IASB, comparative amounts have been adjusted so as to reflect those decreases effective the dates of acquisition.

 

(d)Business acquisition – subsequent to reporting period

 

WillowTree

 

On October 27, 2022, we announced a definitive agreement to acquire WillowTree, a full-service digital product provider focused on end-user experiences, such as native mobile applications and unified web interfaces. On January 3, 2023, subsequent to the satisfaction of the closing conditions, WillowTree was acquired through our TELUS International (Cda) Inc. subsidiary and it will be consolidated in our digitally-led customer experiences – TELUS International segment. Under the agreement, WillowTree was acquired for purchase consideration of approximately US$1.1 billion (approximately $1.5 billion at foreign exchange rates at the financial position date), net of assumed debt; purchase consideration is comprised of cash, US$125 million of TELUS International (Cda) Inc. subordinate voting shares and provisions for written put options.

 

The acquisition brings key talent and diversity to our segment’s portfolio of next-generation solutions, and further augments its digital consulting and client-centric software development capabilities. The primary factor that gave rise to the recognition of goodwill was the earnings capacity of the acquired business in excess of the net tangible and intangible assets acquired (such excess arising from the low level of tangible assets relative to the earnings capacity of the business). A portion of the amounts assigned to goodwill may be deductible for income tax purposes.

 

In respect of the acquired business, we concurrently provided written put options to the remaining selling shareholders for their economic interest, which will be settled subject to certain performance-based criteria and will become exercisable in tranches over a three-year period starting in 2026. The acquisition-date fair value of the puttable shares held by the non-controlling shareholders will be recorded as a provision in the three-month period ended March 31, 2023. The provision may be settled in cash or, at our option, in a combination of cash and up to 70% in TELUS International (Cda) Inc. subordinate voting shares. Concurrent with this acquisition, the non-controlling shareholders provided us with purchased call options, which substantially mirror the written put options.

 

As is customary in a business acquisition transaction, until the time of acquisition of control, we did not have full access to the books and records of WillowTree. Upon having sufficient time to review the books and records of WillowTree, as well as obtaining new and additional information about the related facts and circumstances as of the acquisition date, we will adjust provisional amounts for identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed and thus finalize our purchase price allocation.

 

  December 31, 2022 | 55

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

(e)Intangible assets with indefinite lives – spectrum licences

 

Our intangible assets with indefinite lives include spectrum licences granted by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, which are used for the provision of both mobile and fixed wireless services. The spectrum licence policy terms indicate that the spectrum licences will likely be renewed. We expect our spectrum licences to be renewed every 20 years following a review of our compliance with licence terms. In addition to current usage, our licensed spectrum can be used for planned and new technologies. As a result of our assessment of the combination of these significant factors, we currently consider our spectrum licences to have indefinite lives and, as referred to in Note 1(b), this represents a significant judgment for us.

 

(f)Impairment testing of intangible assets with indefinite lives and goodwill

 

General

 

As referred to in Note 1(f), the carrying values of intangible assets with indefinite lives and goodwill are periodically tested for impairment and, as referred to in Note 1(b), this test represents a significant estimate for us, while also requiring significant judgments to be made.

 

The carrying values allocated to the cash-generating units’ intangible assets with indefinite lives and goodwill are set out in the following table.

 

   Intangible assets with
indefinite lives
   Goodwill   Total 
As at December 31 (millions)  2022   2021   2022   2021   2022   2021 
TELUS technology solutions  $12,215   $12,185   $7,175   $5,356   $19,390   $17,541 
Digitally-led customer experiences – TELUS International           1,994    1,914    1,994    1,914 
   $12,215   $12,185   $9,169   $7,270   $21,384   $19,455 

 

The recoverable amounts of the cash-generating units’ assets have been determined based on a fair value less costs of disposal calculation. There is a material degree of uncertainty with respect to the estimates of the recoverable amounts of the cash-generating units’ assets, given the necessity of making key economic assumptions about the future. Recoverable amounts based on fair value less costs of disposal calculations are categorized as Level 3 fair value measures.

 

We validate the results of our recoverable amounts calculations through a market-comparable approach and an analytical review of industry facts and facts that are specific to us. The market-comparable approach uses current (at time of test) market consensus estimates and equity trading prices for U.S. and Canadian firms in the same industry. In addition, we ensure that the combination of the valuations of the cash-generating units is reasonable based on our current (at time of test) market value.

 

Key assumptions

 

The fair value less costs of disposal calculation uses discounted cash flow projections that employ the following key assumptions: future cash flows and growth projections (including judgments about the allocation of future capital expenditures to support both mobile and fixed operations); associated economic risk assumptions and estimates of the likelihood of achieving key operating metrics and drivers; estimates of future generational infrastructure capital expenditures; and the future weighted average cost of capital. We consider a range of reasonably possible amounts to use for key assumptions and decide upon amounts that represent management’s best estimates of market amounts. In the normal course, we make changes to key assumptions so that they reflect current (at time of test) economic conditions, updates of historical information used to develop the key assumptions and changes (if any) in our debt ratings.

 

The key assumptions for cash flow projections are based upon our approved financial forecasts, which span a period of three years and are discounted, for December 2022 annual impairment test purposes, at a consolidated post-tax notional rate of 6.6% (2021 – 6.6%) and 9.5% (2021 – 9.0%) for the TELUS technology solutions and the digitally-led customer experiences – TELUS International cash-generating units, respectively. For impairment testing valuations, cash flows subsequent to the three-year projection period are extrapolated, for December 2022 annual impairment test purposes, generally using perpetual growth rates of 1.95% (2021 – 1.95%) and 3.0% (2021 – 3.0%) for the TELUS technology solutions cash-generating unit and the digitally-led customer experiences – TELUS International cash-generating unit, respectively; these growth rates do not exceed the long-term average growth rates observed in the markets in which we operate.

 

We believe that any reasonably possible change in the key assumptions on which the calculation of the recoverable amounts of our cash-generating units is based would not cause the cash-generating units’ carrying values (including the intangible assets with indefinite lives and goodwill allocated to each cash-generating unit) to exceed their recoverable amounts. If the future were to adversely differ from management’s best estimates for the key assumptions and associated cash flows were to be materially adversely affected, we could potentially experience future material impairment charges in respect of our intangible assets with indefinite lives and goodwill.

 

56 | December 31, 2022  

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

19leases

 

We have the right of use of land, buildings and equipment under leases. Most of our leases for real estate that we use for office, retail or network (including mobile site) purposes typically have options to extend the lease terms, which we use to protect our investment in leasehold improvements (including mobile site equipment) and to mitigate relocation risk, and/or which reflect the importance of the underlying real estate right-of-use lease assets to our operations. Judgments about lease terms are determinative of the measurement of right-of-use lease assets and the associated lease liabilities. Our judgment in respect of lease terms for leased real estate utilized in connection with our telecommunications infrastructure, more so than for any other right-of-use lease assets, routinely includes periods covered by options to extend the lease terms, as we are reasonably certain that we will choose to extend such leases.

 

In the normal course of operations, there are future non-executory cash outflows in respect of leases to which we are potentially exposed and which are not included in our lease liabilities as at the reporting date. A significant portion (approximately one-third) of our mobile site lease payments have consumer price index-based price adjustments and such adjustments will result in future periodic re-measurements of the lease liabilities, with commensurate adjustments to the associated real estate right-of-use lease assets (and associated future depreciation amounts); these adjustments would represent our current variable lease payments. As well, we routinely and necessarily commit to leases that have not yet commenced.

 

As mandated by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, telecommunications companies are obligated to allow, on their real estate assets owned, on their real estate right-of-use lease assets and/or on their owned-equipment situated on real estate right-of-use lease assets, competitors to co-locate telecommunications infrastructure equipment. Of our real estate right-of-use lease assets used for purposes of situating telecommunications infrastructure equipment, less than one-fifth have co-location subleases that we, as lessor, account for as operating leases.

 

Maturity analyses of lease liabilities are set out in Note 4(c) and Note 26(i); the period interest expense in respect thereof is set out in Note 9. The additions to, the depreciation charges for, and the carrying amounts of, right-of-use lease assets are set out in Note 17. We have not currently elected to exclude low-value and short-term leases from lease accounting.

 

Years ended December 31 (millions)  Note  2022   2021 
Income from subleasing right-of-use lease assets             
Co-location sublet revenue included in operating service revenues     $18   $22 
Other sublet revenue included in other income  7  $5   $4 
Lease payments     $571   $568 

 

20other long-term assets

 

As at December 31 (millions)  Note  2022   2021 
Pension assets  15  $307   $453 
Unbilled customer finance receivables  4(b)   571    545 
Derivative assets  4(h)   250    76 
Deferred income taxes      19    35 
Costs incurred to obtain or fulfill contracts with customers      154    109 
Real estate joint venture advances  21(b)   114    114 
Investment in real estate joint venture  21(b)   1    1 
Investment in associates  21   120    100 
Portfolio investments 1             
At fair value through net income      21    26 
At fair value through other comprehensive income      467    370 
Prepaid maintenance      61    62 
Refundable security deposits and other      118    80 
      $2,203   $1,971 
1Fair value measured at reporting date using significant other observable inputs (Level 2).

 

  December 31, 2022 | 57

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

The costs incurred to obtain and fulfill contracts with customers are set out in the following table:

 

Years ended December 31 (millions)  2022   2021 
   Costs incurred to       Costs incurred to     
   Obtain
contracts with
customers
   Fulfill contracts
with customers
   Total   Obtain
contracts with
customers
   Fulfill contracts
with customers
   Total 
Balance, beginning of period  $336   $6   $342   $323   $11   $334 
Additions   344    13    357    282    2    284 
Amortization   (276)   (4)   (280)   (269)   (7)   (276)
Balance, end of period  $404   $15   $419   $336   $6   $342 
Current 1  $260   $5   $265   $230   $3   $233 
Non-current   144    10    154    106    3    109 
   $404   $15   $419   $336   $6   $342 

 

1Presented in the Consolidated statements of financial position in prepaid expenses.

 

21real estate joint ventures and investment in associate

 

(a)General

 

Real estate joint ventures

 

In 2013, we partnered, as equals, with two arm’s-length parties in a residential, retail and commercial real estate redevelopment project, TELUS Sky, in Calgary, Alberta. The new-build tower, completed in 2020, was to be built to the LEED Platinum standard.

 

Associate

 

We have acquired a 35% basic equity interest in Miovision Technologies Incorporated, an associate that is complementary to, and is viewed to grow, our existing Internet of Things business; our judgment is that we obtained significant influence over the associate concurrent with acquiring our equity interest.

 

(b)Real estate joint ventures

 

Summarized financial information

 

As at December 31 (millions)  2022   2021 
ASSETS          
Current assets          
Cash and temporary investments, net  $8   $11 
Other   27    28 
    35    39 
Non-current assets          
Investment property   330    328 
Other   10    10 
    340    338 
           
   $375   $377 
           
LIABILITIES AND OWNERS’ EQUITY          
Current liabilities          
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities  $18   $10 
Construction credit facilities   342     
    360    10 
Non-current liabilities          
Construction credit facilities       342 
           
        342 
    360    352 
Owners’ equity          
TELUS 1   5    9 
Other partners   10    16 
    15    25 
   $375   $377 

 

1The equity amounts recorded by the real estate joint venture differ from those recorded by us by the amount of the deferred gains on our real estate contributed and the valuation provision we have recorded in excess of that recorded by the real estate joint venture.

 

Years ended December 31 (millions)  2022   2021 
Revenue  $20   $13 
Depreciation and amortization  $8   $7 
Interest expense  $8   $3 
Net income (loss) and comprehensive income (loss) 1  $(16)  $(18)

 

1As the real estate joint ventures are partnerships, no provision for income taxes of the partners is made in determining the real estate joint ventures’ net income and comprehensive income.

 

58 | December 31, 2022  

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

Our real estate joint ventures activity

 

Our real estate joint ventures investment activity is set out in the following table.

 

Years ended December 31 (millions)  2022   2021 
   Loans and
receivables 1
   Equity 2   Total   Loans and
receivables 1
   Equity 2   Total 
Related to real estate joint ventures’ statements of income and other comprehensive income                        
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to us 3  $   $(6)  $(6)  $   $(3)  $(3)
Related to real estate joint ventures’ statements of financial position                              
Items not affecting currently reported cash flows                              
Construction credit facilities financing costs charged by us (Note 7)   4        4    4        4 
Cash flows in the current reporting period                              
Construction credit facilities                              
Financing costs paid to us   (4)       (4)   (4)       (4)
Funds we advanced or contributed, excluding construction credit facilities       4    4        10    10 
Funds repaid to us and earnings distributed       (1)   (1)            
Net increase (decrease)       (3)   (3)       7    7 
Real estate joint ventures carrying amounts                              
Balance, beginning of period   114    (8)   106    114    (11)   103 
Valuation provision       3    3        (4)   (4)
Balance, end of period  $114   $(8)  $106   $114   $(8)  $106 

 

1Loans and receivables are included in our Consolidated statements of financial position as Real estate joint venture advances and are comprised of advances under construction credit facilities.

2We account for our interests in the real estate joint ventures using the equity method of accounting. As at December 31, 2022 and 2021, we had recorded equity losses in excess of our recorded equity investment in respect of one of the real estate joint ventures; such resulting balance has been included in other long-term liabilities (Note 27).

3As the real estate joint ventures are partnerships, no provision for income taxes of the partners is made in determining the real estate joint ventures’ net income and comprehensive income.

 

We have entered into lease agreements with the TELUS Sky real estate joint venture. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the TELUS Sky real estate joint venture recognized $8 million (2021 – $8 million) of revenue from our office tenancy; of this amount, one-third was due to our economic interest and two-thirds was due to our partners’ economic interests.

 

Construction credit facilities

 

The TELUS Sky real estate joint venture has a credit agreement, maturing August 31, 2023, with Canadian financial institutions (as 66-2/3% lender) and TELUS Corporation (as 33-1/3% lender) to provide $342 million of construction financing for the project. The construction credit facilities contain customary real estate construction financing representations, warranties and covenants and are secured by demand debentures constituting first fixed and floating charge mortgages over the underlying real estate assets. The construction credit facilities are available by way of bankers’ acceptance or prime loan and bear interest at rates in line with similar construction financing facilities.

 

22short-term borrowings

 

On July 26, 2002, one of our subsidiaries, TELUS Communications Inc., entered into an agreement with an arm’s-length securitization trust associated with a major Schedule I bank under which it is currently able to sell an interest in certain trade receivables up to a maximum of $600 million (unchanged from December 31, 2021). The term of this revolving-period securitization agreement ends December 31, 2024 (unchanged from December 31, 2021), and it requires minimum cash proceeds of $100 million from monthly sales of interests in certain trade receivables. TELUS Communications Inc. is required to maintain a credit rating of at least BB (2021 – BB) from DBRS Limited or the securitization trust may require that the sale program be wound down prior to the end of the term.

 

Sales of trade receivables in securitization transactions are recognized as collateralized short-term borrowings and thus do not result in our de-recognition of the trade receivables sold. When we sell our trade receivables, we retain reserve accounts, which are retained interests in the securitized trade receivables, and servicing rights. As at December 31, 2022, we had sold to the trust (but continued to recognize) trade receivables of $118 million (2021 – $118 million). Short-term borrowings of $100 million (2021 – $100 million) are comprised of amounts advanced to us by the arm’s-length securitization trust pursuant to the sale of trade receivables.

 

  December 31, 2022 | 59

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

The balance of short-term borrowings (if any) is comprised of amounts drawn on bilateral bank facilities and/or other.

 

23accounts payable and accrued liabilities

 

As at December 31 (millions)  2022   2021 
Accrued liabilities  $1,593   $1,539 
Payroll and other employee-related liabilities   656    633 
Restricted share units liability   1    28 
    2,250    2,200 
Trade accounts payable   1,382    1,213 
Interest payable   206    173 
Indirect taxes payable and other   109    119 
   $3,947   $3,705 

 

24advance billings and customer deposits

 

As at December 31 (millions)  2022   2021 
Advance billings  $662   $636 
Deferred customer activation and connection fees   5    6 
Customer deposits   12    10 
Contract liabilities   679    652 
Other   212    202 
   $891   $854 

 

Contract liabilities represent our future performance obligations to customers in respect of services and/or equipment for which we have received consideration from the customer or for which an amount is due from the customer. Our contract liability balances, and the changes in those balances, are set out in the following table:

 

Years ended December 31 (millions)  Note   2022   2021 
Balance, beginning of period      $870   $806 
Revenue deferred in previous period and recognized in current period       (630)   (593)
Net additions arising from operations       623    637 
Additions arising from business acquisitions       51    20 
Balance, end of period      $914   $870 
Current      $826   $780 
Non-current  27           
Deferred revenues       82    82 
Deferred customer activation and connection fees       6    8 
       $914   $870 
Reconciliation of contract liabilities presented in the Consolidated statements of financial position – current              
Gross contract liabilities      $826   $780 
Reclassification to contract assets of contracts with contract liabilities less than contract assets  6(c)    (133)   (115)
Reclassification from contract assets of contracts with contract assets less than contract liabilities  6(c)    (14)   (13)
       $679   $652 

 

60 | December 31, 2022  

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

25provisions

 

(millions)  Asset
retirement
obligation
   Employee-related   Written put
options and
contingent
consideration
   Other   Total 
As at January 1, 2021  $661   $42   $202   $129   $1,034 
Additions 1   23    84    8    70    185 
Reversals   (8)   (2)   (2)   (11)   (23)
Uses   (4)   (58)   (9)   (88)   (159)
Interest effects 2    (171)       4        (167)
As at December 31, 2021   501    66    203    100    870 
Additions 1   140    94    30    162    426 
Reversals   (21)   (1)   (80)   (16)   (118)
Uses   (10)   (75)   (2)   (100)   (187)
Interest effects 2   (294)       6        (288)
Effects of foreign exchange, net               1    1 
As at December 31, 2022  $316   $84   $157   $147   $704 
Current  $14   $72   $12   $68   $166 
Non-current   302    12    145    79    538 
As at December 31, 2022  $316   $84   $157   $147   $704 

 

1For the year ended December 31, 2022, asset retirement obligations include $28 for the removal of specified telecommunications infrastructure equipment as required by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.
2The difference of $(308) (2021 – $(186)) between the asset retirement obligation interest effects in this table and the amounts disclosed in Note 9 is a result of the change in the discount rates applicable to the provision, with such difference included in the cost of the associated asset(s) by way of being included with (netted against) the additions detailed in Note 17.

 

Asset retirement obligation

 

We establish provisions for liabilities associated with the retirement of property, plant and equipment when those obligations result from the acquisition, construction, development and/or normal operation of the assets. We expect that the associated cash outflows in respect of the balance accrued as at the financial statement date will occur proximate to the dates these assets are retired.

 

Employee-related

 

The employee-related provisions are largely in respect of restructuring activities (as discussed further in Note 16(b)). The timing of the associated cash outflows in respect of the balance accrued as at the financial statement date is substantially short-term in nature.

 

Written put options and contingent consideration

 

In connection with certain business acquisitions, we have established provisions for written put options in respect of non-controlling interests. Provisions for some written put options are determined based on the net present value of estimated future earnings, and such provisions require us to make key economic assumptions about the future. Similarly, we have established provisions for contingent consideration. No cash outflows in respect of the written put options are expected prior to their initial exercisability, and no cash outflows in respect of contingent consideration are expected prior to completion of the periods during which the contingent consideration can be earned.

 

Other

 

The provisions for other include: legal claims; non-employee-related restructuring activities; contract termination costs and onerous contracts related to business acquisitions; and costs incurred in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic. Other than as set out following, we expect that the associated cash outflows in respect of the balance accrued as at the financial statement date will occur over an indeterminate multi-year period.

 

As discussed further in Note 29, we are involved in a number of legal claims and we are aware of certain other possible legal claims. In respect of legal claims, we establish provisions, when warranted, after taking into account legal assessments, information presently available, and the expected availability of recourse. The timing of cash outflows associated with legal claims cannot be reasonably determined.

 

In connection with business acquisitions, we have established provisions for contract termination costs and onerous contracts acquired.

 

  December 31, 2022 | 61

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

26long-term debt

 

(a)Details of long-term debt

 

As at December 31 (millions)  Note   2022   2021 
Senior unsecured              
TELUS Corporation senior notes   (b)   $18,660   $15,258 
TELUS Corporation commercial paper  (c)    1,458    1,900 
TELUS Corporation credit facilities  (d)    1,145     
TELUS Communications Inc. debentures   (e)    199    448 
Secured              
TELUS International (Cda) Inc. credit facility  (f)    914    1,062 
Other  (g)    321    308 
        22,697    18,976 
Lease liabilities  (h)    2,340    1,876 
Long-term debt      $25,037   $20,852 
Current      $2,541   $2,927 
Non-current       22,496    17,925 
Long-term debt      $25,037   $20,852 

 

(b)TELUS Corporation senior notes

 

The notes are senior unsecured and unsubordinated obligations and rank equally in right of payment with all of our existing and future unsecured unsubordinated obligations, are senior in right of payment to all of our existing and future subordinated indebtedness, and are effectively subordinated to all existing and future obligations of, or guaranteed by, our subsidiaries. The indentures governing the notes contain covenants that, among other things, place limitations on our ability, and the ability of certain of our subsidiaries, to: grant security in respect of indebtedness; enter into sale-leaseback transactions; and incur new indebtedness.

 

Interest is payable semi-annually. The notes require us to make an offer to repurchase them at a price equal to 101% of their principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest to the date of repurchase upon the occurrence of a change in control triggering event, as defined in the supplemental trust indenture.

 

At any time prior to the respective maturity dates set out in the table below, the notes are redeemable at our option, in whole at any time, or in part from time to time, on not fewer than 30 days’ and not more than 60 days’ prior notice. On or after the respective redemption present value spread cessation dates set out in the table below, the notes are redeemable at our option, in whole but not in part, on not fewer than 30 days’ and not more than 60 days’ prior notice, at redemption prices equal to 100% of the principal amounts thereof. In addition, accrued and unpaid interest, if any, will be paid to the date fixed for redemption.

 

                  Principal face amount   Redemption present
value spread
Series  Issued  Maturity  Issue
price
  

Effective
interest

rate 1

   Originally
issued
   Outstanding at
financial
statement date
   Basis
points 2
   Cessation
date
3.35% Notes, Series CJ    December 2012  March 2023  $998.83   3.36%  $500 million  $500 million   40   Dec. 15, 2022
3.35% Notes, Series CK    April 2013  April 2024  $994.35   3.41%  $1.1 billion  $1.1 billion   36   Jan. 2, 2024
3.75% Notes, Series CQ    September 2014  January 2025  $997.75   3.78%  $800 million  $800 million   38.5   Oct. 17, 2024
3.75% Notes, Series CV   December 2015  March 2026  $992.14   3.84%  $600 million  $600 million   53.5   Dec. 10, 2025
2.75% Notes, Series CZ  July 2019  July 2026  $998.73   2.77%  $800 million  $800 million   33   May 8, 2026
2.80% U.S. Dollar Notes 3  September 2016  February 2027  US$991.89   2.89%  US$600 million  US$600 million   20   Nov. 16, 2026
3.70% U.S. Dollar Notes 3  March 2017  September 2027  US$998.95   3.71%  US$500 million  US$500 million   20   June 15, 2027
2.35% Notes, Series CAC  May 2020  January 2028  $997.25   2.39%  $600 million  $600 million   48   Nov. 27, 2027
3.625% Notes, Series CX  March 2018  March 2028  $989.49   3.75%  $600 million  $600 million   37   Dec. 1, 2027
3.30% Notes, Series CY  April 2019  May 2029  $991.75   3.40%  $1.0 billion  $1.0 billion   43.5   Feb. 2, 2029
5.00% Notes, Series CAI  September 2022  September 2029  $995.69   5.07%  $350 million  $350 million   46.5   July 13, 2029
3.15% Notes, Series CAA  December 2019  February 2030  $996.49   3.19%  $600 million  $600 million   39.5   Nov. 19, 2029
2.05% Notes, Series CAD  October 2020  October 2030   $997.93   2.07%  $500 million  $500 million   38   July 7, 2030
2.85% Sustainability-Linked Notes, Series CAF  June 2021  November 2031  $997.52   2.88%4  $750 million  $750 million   34   Aug. 13, 2031
3.40% U.S. Dollar Sustainability-Linked Notes 3  February 2022  May 2032  US$997.13   3.43%4  US$900 million  US$900 million   25   Feb. 13, 2032
5.25% Sustainability-Linked Notes, Series CAG  September 2022  November 2032  $996.73   5.29%4  $1.1 billion  $1.1 billion   51.5   Aug. 15, 2032

 

62 | December 31, 2022  

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

                  Principal face amount   Redemption present
value spread
Series  Issued  Maturity  Issue
price
  

Effective
interest

rate 1

   Originally
issued
   Outstanding at
financial
statement date
   Basis
points 2
   Cessation
date
4.40% Notes, Series CL    April 2013  April 2043  $997.68   4.41%  $600 million  $600 million   47   Oct. 1, 2042
5.15% Notes, Series CN     November 2013  November 2043  $995.00   5.18%  $400 million  $400 million   50   May 26, 2043
4.85% Notes, Series CP    Multiple 5  April 2044  $987.915  4.93%5  $500 million 5  $900 million 5   46   Oct. 5, 2043
4.75% Notes, Series CR    September 2014  January 2045  $992.91   4.80%  $400 million  $400 million   51.5   July 17, 2044
4.40% Notes, Series CU    March 2015  January 2046  $999.72   4.40%  $500 million  $500 million   60.5   July 29, 2045
4.70% Notes, Series CW  Multiple 6  March 2048  $998.066  4.71%6  $325 million 6  $475 million 6   58.5   Sept. 6, 2047
4.60% U.S. Dollar Notes 3  June 2018  November 2048  US$987.60   4.68%  US$750 million  US$750 million   25   May 16, 2048
4.30% U.S. Dollar Notes 3  May 2019  June 2049  US$990.48   4.36%  US$500 million  US$500 million   25   Dec. 15, 2048
3.95% Notes, Series CAB  Multiple 7  February 2050  $997.547  3.97%7  $400 million 7  $800 million 7   57.5   Aug. 16, 2049
4.10% Notes, Series CAE  April 2021  April 2051  $994.70   4.13%  $500 million  $500 million   53   Oct. 5, 2050
5.65% Notes, Series CAH  September 2022  September 2052  $996.13   5.68%  $550 million  $550 million   61.5   Mar. 13, 2052

 

1The effective interest rate is that which the notes would yield to an initial debt holder if held to maturity.
2For Canadian dollar-denominated notes, the redemption price is equal to the greater of (i) the present value of the notes discounted at the Government of Canada yield plus the redemption present value spread calculated over the period to the redemption present value spread cessation date, or (ii) 100% of the principal amount thereof.

For U.S. dollar-denominated notes, the redemption price is equal to the greater of (i) the present value of the notes discounted at the U.S. Adjusted Treasury Rate (at the U.S. Treasury Rate for the 3.40% U.S. Dollar Sustainability-Linked Notes) plus the redemption present value spread calculated over the period to the redemption present value spread cessation date, or (ii) 100% of the principal amount thereof.

3We have entered into foreign exchange derivatives (cross currency interest rate exchange agreements) that effectively converted the principal payments and interest obligations to Canadian dollar obligations as follows:

 

Series  Interest rate
fixed at
   Canadian dollar
equivalent
principal
   Exchange
rate
 
2.80% U.S. Dollar Notes   2.95%  $792 million  $1.3205 
3.70% U.S. Dollar Notes   3.41%  $667 million  $1.3348 
3.40% U.S. Dollar Sustainability-Linked Notes   3.89%  $1,148 million  $1.2753 
4.60% U.S. Dollar Notes   4.41%  $974 million  $1.2985 
4.30% U.S. Dollar Notes   4.27%  $672 million  $1.3435 

 

4If we have not obtained a sustainability performance target verification assurance certificate for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2030, the sustainability-linked notes will bear interest at an increased rate from the trigger date through to their individual maturities. The interest rate on certain of the sustainability-linked notes may also increase (MFN step-up) in certain circumstances if we fail to meet additional sustainability and/or environmental, social or governance targets as may be provided for in a sustainability-linked bond; the interest rate on the sustainability-linked notes, however, in no event can exceed the initial rate by more than the aggregate MFN step-up and trigger event limit, whether as a result of not obtaining a sustainability performance target verification assurance certificate and/or any targets provided for in one or more future sustainability-linked bonds. Similarly, if we redeem any of the sustainability-linked notes and we have not obtained a sustainability performance target verification assurance certificate at the end of the fiscal year immediately preceding the date fixed for redemption, the interest accrued (if any) will be determined using the rates set out in the following table.

 

   Sustainability performance target verification assurance certificate   Aggregate   Redemption 
Series  Fiscal year  Trigger date  Post-trigger
event
interest rate
   MFN step-up
and trigger
event limit
   interest accrual
rate if certificate
not obtained
 
2.85% Sustainability-Linked Notes, Series CAF  2030  Nov. 14, 2030   3.85%   N/A    3.85%
3.40% U.S. Dollar Sustainability-Linked Notes  2030  Nov. 14, 2030   4.40%   1.50%   4.40%
5.25% Sustainability-Linked Notes, Series CAG  2030  Nov. 15, 2030   6.00%   1.50%   6.00%

 

5$500 million of 4.85% Notes, Series CP were issued in April 2014 at an issue price of $998.74 and an effective interest rate of 4.86%. This series of notes was reopened in December 2015 and a further $400 million of notes were issued at an issue price of $974.38 and an effective interest rate of 5.02%.
6$325 million of 4.70% Notes, Series CW were issued in March 2017 at an issue price of $990.65 and an effective interest rate of 4.76%. This series of notes was reopened in February 2018 and a further $150 million of notes were issued in March 2018 at an issue price of $1,014.11 and an effective interest rate of 4.61%.
7$400 million of 3.95% Notes, Series CAB were issued in December 2019 at an issue price of $991.54 and an effective interest rate of 4.00%. This series of notes was reopened in May 2020 and a further $400 million of notes were issued at an issue price of $1,003.53 and an effective interest rate of 3.93%.

 

(c)TELUS Corporation commercial paper

 

TELUS Corporation has an unsecured commercial paper program, which is backstopped by our revolving $2.75 billion syndicated credit facility (see (d)) and is to be used for general corporate purposes, including capital expenditures and investments. This program enables us to issue commercial paper, subject to conditions related to debt ratings, up to a maximum aggregate equivalent amount at any one time of $2.0 billion (US$1.5 billion maximum). Foreign currency forward contracts are used to manage currency risk arising from issuing commercial paper denominated in U.S. dollars. Commercial paper debt is due within one year and is classified as a current portion of long-term debt, as the amounts are fully supported, and we expect that they will continue to be supported, by the revolving credit facility, which has no repayment requirements within the next year. As at December 31, 2022, we had $1.5 billion (2021 – $1.9 billion) of commercial paper outstanding, all of which was denominated in U.S. dollars (US$1.1 billion; 2021 – US$1.5 billion), with an effective average interest rate of 4.7%, maturing through June 2023.

 

  December 31, 2022 | 63

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

(d)TELUS Corporation credit facilities

 

As at December 31, 2022, TELUS Corporation had an unsecured revolving $2.75 billion bank credit facility, expiring on April 6, 2026 (unchanged from December 31, 2021), with a syndicate of financial institutions, which is to be used for general corporate purposes, including the backstopping of commercial paper. As at December 31, 2022, TELUS Corporation had an unsecured non-revolving $1.1 billion bank credit facility, maturing July 9, 2024, with a syndicate of financial institutions, which is to be used for general corporate purposes. As at December 31, 2022, we had drawn $1.1 billion on the non-revolving bank credit facility, with an effective average interest rate of 5.3% through January 2023.

 

The TELUS Corporation credit facilities bear interest at prime rate, U.S. Dollar Base Rate, a bankers’ acceptance rate or London interbank offered rate (LIBOR) (as such terms are used or defined in the credit facilities), plus applicable margins. The credit facilities contain customary representations, warranties and covenants, including two financial quarter-end ratio tests. These tests are that our leverage ratio must not exceed 4.25:1.00 and our operating cash flow to interest expense ratio must not be less than 2.00:1.00, all as defined in the credit facilities.

 

Continued access to the TELUS Corporation credit facilities is not contingent upon TELUS Corporation maintaining a specific credit rating.

 

As at December 31 (millions)  2022   2021 
Net available  $1,292   $850 
Backstop of commercial paper   1,458    1,900 
Gross available revolving $2.75 billion bank credit facility  $2,750   $2,750 

 

We had $119 million of letters of credit outstanding as at December 31, 2022 (2021 – $193 million), issued under various uncommitted facilities; such letter of credit facilities are in addition to the ability to provide letters of credit pursuant to our committed revolving bank credit facility.

 

(e)TELUS Communications Inc. debentures

 

The Series 5 Debentures were issued by a predecessor corporation of TELUS Communications Inc., BC TEL, under a Trust Indenture dated May 31, 1990. The Series B Debentures were issued by a predecessor corporation of TELUS Communications Inc., AGT Limited, under a Trust Indenture dated August 24, 1994, and a supplemental trust indenture dated September 22, 1995.

 

              Principal face amount    Redemption present
value spread
 
Series 1  Issued  Maturity  Issue
price
   Originally
issued
  

Outstanding at
financial

statement date

 

  Basis points  
9.65% Debentures, Series 5  April 1992  April 2022  $972.00   $ 150  million  $ NIL    N/A (non-redeemable)  
8.80% Debentures, Series B  September 1995  September 2025  $995.10   $ 200  million  $ 200  million  15 2  

 

1Interest is payable semi-annually.
2At any time prior to the maturity date set out in the table, the debentures are redeemable at our option, in whole at any time, or in part from time to time, on not fewer than 30 days’ prior notice. The redemption price is equal to the greater of (i) the present value of the debentures discounted at the Government of Canada yield plus the redemption present value spread, or (ii) 100% of the principal amount thereof. In addition, accrued and unpaid interest, if any, will be paid to the date fixed for redemption.

 

The debentures became obligations of TELUS Communications Inc. pursuant to an amalgamation on January 1, 2001, are not secured by any mortgage, pledge or other charge, and are governed by certain covenants, including a negative pledge and a limitation on issues of additional debt, subject to a debt to capitalization ratio and an interest coverage test. Effective June 12, 2009, TELUS Corporation guaranteed the payment of the debentures’ principal and interest.

 

64 | December 31, 2022  

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

(f)TELUS International (Cda) Inc. credit facility

 

As at December 31, 2022, TELUS International (Cda) Inc. had a credit facility, secured by its assets, expiring on January 3, 2028 (2021 – January 28, 2025), with a syndicate of financial institutions, including TELUS Corporation. The credit facility is comprised of revolving components totalling US$800 million, with TELUS Corporation as approximately 7.2% lender (2021 – US$620 million, with TELUS Corporation as approximately 7.5% lender and US$230 million, with TELUS Corporation as 12.5% lender) and amortizing term loan components totalling US$1.2 billion, with TELUS Corporation as approximately 7.2% lender (2021 – US$600 million, with TELUS Corporation as 12.5% lender). The credit facility is non-recourse to TELUS Corporation. The outstanding revolving components and term loan components had a weighted average interest rate of 6.7% as at December 31, 2022.

 

As at December 31 (millions)  2022   2021 
   Revolving
components 1
   Term loan
components 2
   Total   Revolving
components 1
   Term loan
components 2
   Total 
Available 3  US$658   US$600   US$1,258   US$725   US$N/A   US$725 
Outstanding                              
Due to other   132    557    689    109    737    846 
Due to TELUS Corporation   10    43    53    16    71    87 
   US$800   US$1,200   US$2,000   US$850   US$808   US$1,658 

 

1Revolving component available is gross of swingline draw of US$NIL (2021 – US$8).
2We had entered into a receive-floating interest rate, pay-fixed interest rate exchange agreement that effectively converted our interest obligations on a portion of the debt to a fixed rate of 2.64%; this agreement matured in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022 (see Note 4(h)).

Relative to amounts owed to the syndicate of financial institutions, excluding TELUS Corporation, we have entered into foreign exchange derivatives (cross currency interest rate exchange agreements) that effectively convert an amortizing amount of US$362 of the principal payments, and associated interest obligations, to European euro obligations with an effective fixed interest rate of 0.65% and an effective fixed economic exchange rate of US$1.0932:€1.00. These have been accounted for as a net investment hedge in a foreign operation (see Note 4).

3Of the amounts available at December 31, 2022, US$525 of the revolving components and US$600 of the term loan components had a condition precedent of consummating the WillowTree acquisition, which occurred on January 3, 2023 (see Note 18(d)).

 

The TELUS International (Cda) Inc. credit facility bears interest at prime rate, U.S. Dollar Base Rate, a bankers’ acceptance rate or term secured overnight financing rate (SOFR) (all such terms as used or defined in the credit facility), plus applicable margins. The credit facility contains customary representations, warranties and covenants, including two financial quarter-end ratio tests: the TELUS International (Cda) Inc. quarter-end net debt to operating cash flow ratio must not exceed 4.25:1.00 through fiscal 2023, 3.75:1.00 through fiscal 2024, and 3.25:1.00 subsequently; and the quarter-end operating cash flow to debt service (interest and scheduled principal repayment) ratio must not be less than 1.50:1.00; all as defined in the credit facility.

 

The term loan components are subject to an amortization schedule which requires that 5% of the principal advanced be repaid each year of the term of the agreement, with the balance due at maturity.

 

Concurrent with the acquisition of WillowTree, as set out in Note 18(d), TELUS International (Cda) Inc. drew down US$363 million and US$600 million of its available credit facility revolving components and term loan components, respectively.

 

(g)Other

 

Other liabilities bear interest at 3.35%, are secured by the AWS-4 spectrum licences associated with these other liabilities and a real estate holding, and are subject to amortization schedules, so that the principal is repaid over the periods to maturity, the last period ending March 31, 2035.

 

(h)Lease liabilities

 

Lease liabilities are subject to amortization schedules, so that the principal is repaid over various periods, including reasonably expected renewals. The weighted average interest rate on lease liabilities was approximately 4.6% as at December 31, 2022.

 

  December 31, 2022 | 65

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

(i)Long-term debt maturities

 

Anticipated requirements to meet long-term debt repayments, calculated for long-term debt owing as at December 31, 2022, are as follows:

 

Composite long-term debt denominated in  Canadian dollars   U.S. dollars   Other
currencies
     
   Long-term
debt,
excluding
   Leases       Long-term
debt,
excluding
   Leases   Currency swap agreement
amounts to be exchanged
       Leases     
Years ending December 31 (millions)  leases  

(Note 19)

   Total   leases  

(Note 19)

   (Receive) 1   Pay   Total  

(Note 19)

   Total 
2023  $537   $412   $949   $1,486   $31   $(1,507)  $1,510   $1,520   $54   $2,523 
2024   2,267    388    2,655    38    20    (28)   28    58    49    2,762 
2025   1,023    260    1,283    38    19    (434)   424    47    38    1,368 
2026   1,424    177    1,601    38    20            58    29    1,688 
2027   25    154    179    1,528    15    (1,490)   1,459    1,512    16    1,707 
2028-2032   5,629    302    5,931    1,972    12    (1,219)   1,148    1,913    33    7,877 
Thereafter   5,187    280    5,467    1,693        (1,693)   1,646    1,646    13    7,126 
Future cash outflows in respect of composite long-term debt principal repayments   16,092    1,973    18,065    6,793    117    (6,371)   6,215    6,754    232    25,051 
Future cash outflows in respect of associated interest and like carrying costs 2   7,867    425    8,292    2,912    30    (2,623)   2,522    2,841    36    11,169 
Undiscounted contractual maturities (Note 4(c))  $23,959   $2,398   $26,357   $9,705   $147   $(8,994)  $8,737   $9,595   $268   $36,220 

 

1Where applicable, cash flows reflect foreign exchange rates as at December 31, 2022.

2Future cash outflows in respect of associated interest and like carrying costs for commercial paper and amounts drawn under our credit facilities (if any) have been calculated based upon the rates in effect as at December 31, 2022.

 

27other long-term liabilities

 

As at December 31 (millions)  Note   2022   2021 
Contract liabilities   24   $82   $82 
Other        2    3 
Deferred revenues        84    85 
Pension benefit liabilities   15    392    643 
Other post-employment benefit liabilities        68    66 
Derivative liabilities   4(h)    24    73 
Investment in real estate joint ventures   21(b)    9    9 
Other        53    23 
         630    899 
Deferred customer activation and connection fees   24    6    8 
        $636   $907 

 

28owners’ equity

 

(a)TELUS Corporation Common Share capital – general

 

Our authorized share capital is as follows:

 

As at December 31  2022  2021 
First Preferred Shares  1 billion  1 billion   
Second Preferred Shares  1 billion  1 billion   
Common Shares  4 billion  4 billion   

 

Only holders of Common Shares may vote at our general meetings, with each holder of Common Shares entitled to one vote per Common Share held at all such meetings so long as not less than 66-2/3% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares are owned by Canadians. With respect to priority in the payment of dividends and in the distribution of assets in the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding-up, whether voluntary or involuntary, or any other distribution of our assets among our shareholders for the purpose of winding up our affairs, preferences are as follows: First Preferred Shares; Second Preferred Shares; and finally Common Shares.

 

66 | December 31, 2022  

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

As at December 31, 2022, approximately 39 million Common Shares were reserved for issuance from Treasury under a dividend reinvestment and share purchase plan (see Note 13(b)); approximately 16 million Common Shares were reserved for issuance from Treasury under a restricted share unit plan (see Note 14(b)); and approximately 93 million Common Shares were reserved for issuance from Treasury under a share option plan (see Note 14(d)).

 

(b)Purchase of TELUS Corporation Common Shares for cancellation pursuant to normal course issuer bid

 

As referred to in Note 3, we may purchase a portion of our Common Shares for cancellation pursuant to normal course issuer bids in order to maintain or adjust our capital structure. In June 2022, we received approval for a normal course issuer bid to purchase and cancel up to 10 million of our Common Shares (up to a maximum amount of $250 million) from June 6, 2022, to June 5, 2023.

 

(c)Subsidiary with significant non-controlling interest

 

Our TELUS International (Cda) Inc. subsidiary is incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) and has geographically dispersed operations with principal places of business in Asia, Central America, Europe and North America.

 

Changes in interests and amounts during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, and which are reflected in the Consolidated statement of changes in owners’ equity, are set out in the following table.

 

   Economic interest 1   Voting interest 1 
Years ended December 31  2022   2021   2022   2021 
Interest in TELUS International (Cda) Inc., beginning of period   55.1%   62.6%   70.9%   62.6%
Effect of                    
Initial public offering of subordinate voting shares by TELUS International (Cda) Inc.       (4.6)       1.7 
Secondary offerings of TELUS International (Cda) Inc. subordinate voting shares by:                    
TELUS Corporation       (2.8)       (1.2)
Non-controlling interests 2               7.8 
TELUS Corporation acquisition of shares from non-controlling interests 3   1.6        1.5     
Share-based compensation and other   (0.1)   (0.1)        
Interest in TELUS International (Cda) Inc., end of period 4   56.6%   55.1%   72.4%   70.9%

 

1Due to the voting rights associated with the multiple voting shares held by TELUS Corporation, our economic and voting interests subsequent to the initial public offering differ.

2Multiple voting shares held by one non-controlling shareholder were automatically converted into subordinate voting shares in conjunction with secondary offerings, and this conversion had the effect of increasing our voting interest.

3Acquisition of shares from non-controlling interests for $123 million, of which $86 million was charged to amounts recorded in owners’ equity for contributed surplus and the balance was charged to non-controlling interests.

4Subsequent to December 31, 2022, TELUS International (Cda) Inc. issued subordinate voting shares, as set out in Note 18(d), that had the effect of changing our economic interest to 55.3% and our voting interest to 72.2%.

 

In February 2021, TELUS International (Cda) Inc. made an initial public offering of subordinate voting shares; both TELUS Corporation and a non-controlling shareholder of TELUS International (Cda) Inc. individually also offered subordinate voting shares in conjunction with the initial public offering. In September 2021, non-controlling shareholders of TELUS International (Cda) Inc. individually offered subordinate voting shares in a secondary offering. Changes in the ownership interests of our TELUS International (Cda) Inc. subsidiary during the year ended December 31, 2021, are set out in the following table.

 

   Effects of initial public offering and secondary
offering on recorded amounts of owners’ equity
         
Year ended December 31, 2021 (millions)  Net cash
proceeds
   Income
taxes
   Net   Other   Total 
Initial public offering of subordinate voting shares by TELUS International (Cda) Inc.  $630   $(10)  $640           
Secondary offering of TELUS International (Cda) Inc. subordinate voting shares by TELUS Corporation   197    4    193           
   $827   $(6)  $833           
Contributed surplus            $440   $(10)  $430 
Non-controlling interests             393    1    394 
             $833   $(9)  $824 

 

  December 31, 2022 | 67

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

Summarized financial information

 

Summarized financial information of our TELUS International (Cda) Inc. subsidiary is set out in the following table.

 

As at, or for the years ended, December 31 (millions) 1  2022   2021 
Statement of financial position          
Current assets  $926   $874 
Non-current assets  $3,875   $3,804 
Current liabilities  $733   $1,098 
Non-current liabilities  $1,581   $1,475 
Statement of income and other comprehensive income          
Revenue and other income  $3,214   $2,754 
Net income  $235   $99 
Comprehensive income   $327   $22 
Statement of cash flows          
Cash provided by operating activities  $519   $331 
Cash used by investing activities  $(156)  $(137)
Cash used by financing activities  $(342)  $(235)

 

1As required by IFRS-IASB, this summarized financial information excludes inter-company eliminations.

 

29contingent liabilities

 

(a)Claims and lawsuits

 

General

 

A number of claims and lawsuits (including class actions and intellectual property infringement claims) seeking damages and other relief are pending against us and, in some cases, other mobile carriers and telecommunications service providers. As well, we have received notice of, or are aware of, certain possible claims (including intellectual property infringement claims) against us and, in some cases, other mobile carriers and telecommunications service providers.

 

It is not currently possible for us to predict the outcome of such claims, possible claims and lawsuits due to various factors, including: the preliminary nature of some claims; uncertain damage theories and demands; an incomplete factual record; uncertainty concerning legal theories and procedures and their resolution by the courts, at both the trial and the appeal levels; and the unpredictable nature of opposing parties and their demands.

 

However, subject to the foregoing limitations, management is of the opinion, based upon legal assessments and information presently available, that it is unlikely that any liability, to the extent not provided for through insurance or otherwise, would have a material effect on our financial position and the results of our operations, including cash flows, with the exception of the items enumerated following.

 

Certified class actions

 

Certified class actions against us include the following:

 

Per minute billing class action

 

In 2008, a class action was brought in Ontario against us alleging breach of contract, breach of the Ontario Consumer Protection Act, breach of the Competition Act and unjust enrichment, in connection with our practice of “rounding up” mobile airtime to the nearest minute and charging for the full minute. The action sought certification of a national class. In November 2014, an Ontario class only was certified by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in relation to the breach of contract, breach of Consumer Protection Act, and unjust enrichment claims; all appeals of the certification decision have now been exhausted. At the same time, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice declined to stay the claims of our business customers, notwithstanding an arbitration clause in our customer service agreements with those customers. This latter decision was appealed and on May 31, 2017, the Ontario Court of Appeal dismissed our appeal. The Supreme Court of Canada granted us leave to appeal this decision and on April 4, 2019, granted our appeal and stayed the claims of business customers.

 

Call set-up time class actions

 

In 2005, a class action was brought against us in British Columbia alleging that we have engaged in deceptive trade practices in charging for incoming calls from the moment the caller connects to the network, and not from the moment the incoming call is connected to the recipient. In 2011, the Supreme Court of Canada upheld a stay of all of the causes of action advanced by the plaintiff in this class action, with one exception, based on the arbitration clause that was included in our customer service agreements. The sole exception was the cause of action based on deceptive or unconscionable practices under the British Columbia Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act, which the Supreme Court of Canada declined to stay. In January 2016, the British Columbia Supreme Court certified this class action in relation to the claim under the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act. The class is limited to residents of British Columbia who contracted mobile services with us in the period from January 21, 1999, to April 2010. We have appealed the certification decision. A companion class action was brought against us in Alberta at the same time as the British Columbia class action. The Alberta class action duplicates the allegations in the British Columbia action, but has not proceeded to date and is not certified. Subject to a number of conditions, including court approval, we have now settled both the British Columbia and the Alberta class actions.

 

68 | December 31, 2022  

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

Uncertified class actions

 

Uncertified class actions against us include:

 

9-1-1 class actions

 

In 2008, a class action was brought in Saskatchewan against us and other Canadian telecommunications carriers alleging that, among other matters, we failed to provide proper notice of 9-1-1 charges to the public, have been deceitfully passing them off as government charges, and have charged 9-1-1 fees to customers who reside in areas where 9-1-1 service is not available. The plaintiffs advance causes of action in breach of contract, misrepresentation and false advertising and seek certification of a national class. A virtually identical class action was filed in Alberta at the same time, but the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench declared that class action expired against us as of 2009. No steps have been taken in this proceeding since 2016.

 

Public Mobile class actions

 

In 2014, class actions were brought against us in Quebec and Ontario on behalf of Public Mobile’s customers, alleging that changes to the technology, services and rate plans made by us contravene our statutory and common law obligations. In particular, the Quebec action alleges that our actions constitute a breach of the Quebec Consumer Protection Act, the Quebec Civil Code, and the Ontario Consumer Protection Act. On June 28, 2021, the Quebec Superior Court approved the discontinuance of this claim against TELUS. The Ontario class action alleges negligence, breach of express and implied warranty, breach of the Competition Act, unjust enrichment, and waiver of tort. No steps have been taken in this proceeding since it was filed and served.

 

Summary

 

We believe that we have good defences to the above matters. Should the ultimate resolution of these matters differ from management’s assessments and assumptions, a material adjustment to our financial position and the results of our operations, including cash flows, could result. Management’s assessments and assumptions include that reliable estimates of any such exposure cannot be made considering the continued uncertainty about: the nature of the damages that may be sought by the plaintiffs; the causes of action that are being, or may ultimately be, pursued; and, in the case of the uncertified class actions, the causes of action that may ultimately be certified.

 

(b)Indemnification obligations

 

In the normal course of operations, we provide indemnification in conjunction with certain transactions. The terms of these indemnification obligations range in duration. These indemnifications would require us to compensate the indemnified parties for costs incurred as a result of failure to comply with contractual obligations, or litigation claims or statutory sanctions, or damages that may be suffered by an indemnified party. In some cases, there is no maximum limit on these indemnification obligations. The overall maximum amount of an indemnification obligation will depend on future events and conditions and therefore cannot be reasonably estimated. Where appropriate, an indemnification obligation is recorded as a liability. Other than obligations recorded as liabilities at the time of the related transactions, historically we have not made significant payments under these indemnifications. As at December 31, 2022, we had no liability recorded in respect of our indemnification obligations.

 

See Note 21(b) for details regarding our guarantees to the real estate joint ventures.

 

(c)Concentration of labour

 

In 2021, we commenced collective bargaining with the Telecommunications Workers Union, United Steelworkers Local 1944 (TWU), to renew a collective agreement that expired on December 31, 2021; the contract covered approximately 17% of our Canadian workforce as at December 31, 2022. The expired contract remains in effect until a new agreement is reached or a work stoppage occurs.

 

  December 31, 2022 | 69

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

During the fourth quarter of 2022, the parties participated in conciliation with an appointed federal conciliator following the TWU’s application to the Federal Minister of Labour for assistance in negotiations. The TWU subsequently held a ratification vote on TELUS' offer, which resulted in 65% of union members voting against accepting the proposed contract. Should a new collective agreement not be reached, there is the risk of a labour disruption after all legal pre-conditions have been met. As a labour disruption could occur in multiple forms, the operational and financial impacts of a labour disruption on us are not practicably determinable currently.

 

30related party transactions

 

(a)Transactions with key management personnel

 

Our key management personnel have authority and responsibility for overseeing, planning, directing and controlling our activities and consist of our Board of Directors and our Executive Team.

 

Total compensation expense for key management personnel, and the composition thereof, is as follows:

 

Years ended December 31 (millions)  2022   2021 
Short-term benefits  $17   $16 
Post-employment pension 1 and other benefits   10    18 
Share-based compensation 2   65    70 
   $92   $104 

 

1Our Executive Team members are members of our Pension Plan for Management and Professional Employees of TELUS Corporation and certain other non-registered, non-contributory supplementary defined benefit and defined contribution pension plans.

2We accrue an expense for the notional subset of our restricted share units with market performance conditions using a fair value determined by a Monte Carlo simulation. Restricted share units with an equity settlement feature are accounted for as equity instruments. The expense for restricted share units that do not ultimately vest is reversed against the expense that was previously recorded in their respect.

 

As disclosed in Note 14, we made initial awards of share-based compensation in 2022 and 2021, including, as set out in the following table, to our key management personnel. As most of these awards are cliff-vesting or graded-vesting and have multi-year requisite service periods, the related expense is being recognized rateably over a period of years and thus only a portion of the 2022 and 2021 initial awards are included in the amounts in the table above.

 

Twelve-month periods ended December 31  2022   2021 
($ in millions)  Number of
units
   Notional
value 1
   Grant-date
fair value 1
   Number of
units
   Notional
value 1
   Grant-date
fair value 1
 
TELUS Corporation                              
Restricted share units   1,007,431   $32   $39    1,273,308   $33   $36 
TELUS International (Cda) Inc.                              
Restricted share units   265,617    9    9    437,857    15    15 
Share options               167,693    1    1 
         9    9         16    16 
        $41   $48        $49   $52 

 

1The notional value of restricted share units is determined by multiplying the equity share price at the time of award by the number of units awarded; the grant-date fair value differs from the notional value because the fair values of some awards have been determined using a Monte Carlo simulation (see Note 14(b)). The notional value of share options has been determined using an option pricing model.

 

The amount recorded for liability-accounted restricted share units and share options outstanding as at December 31, 2022 was $1 million (2021 – $7 million).

 

Our Directors’ Deferred Share Unit Plan provides that, in addition to his or her annual equity grant of deferred share units, a director may elect to receive his or her annual retainer and meeting fees in deferred share units, TELUS Corporation Common Shares or cash. Deferred share units entitle directors to a specified number of TELUS Corporation Common Shares. Deferred share units accounted for as liabilities have been paid out when a director ceased to be a director, for any reason, at a time elected by the director in accordance with the Directors’ Deferred Share Unit Plan; during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, no amounts were paid out. As at December 31, 2022 and 2021, no liability-accounted share-based compensation awards were outstanding.

 

During the year ended December 31, 2022, key management personnel exercised 125,806 (2021 – 215,973) TELUS International (Cda) Inc. share options, which had an intrinsic value of $2 million (2021 – $7 million) at the time of exercise, reflecting a weighted average price at the date of exercise of $30.33 (2021 – $39.58).

 

70 | December 31, 2022  

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

Employment agreements with members of the Executive Team typically provide for severance payments if an executive’s employment is terminated without cause: generally 18–24 months of base salary, benefits and accrual of pension service in lieu of notice, and 50% of base salary in lieu of an annual cash bonus. In the event of a change in control, Executive Team members are not entitled to treatment any different than that given to our other employees with respect to non-vested share-based compensation.

 

(b)Transactions with defined benefit pension plans

 

During the year ended December 31, 2022, we provided our defined benefit pension plans with management and administrative services on a cost recovery basis and actuarial services on an arm’s-length basis; the charges for these services amounted to $7 million (2021 – $7 million).

 

(c)Transactions with real estate joint venture

 

During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we had transactions with the TELUS Sky real estate joint venture, which is a related party, as set out in Note 21. As at December 31, 2022, we had recorded lease liabilities of $87 million (2021 – $95 million) in respect of our TELUS Sky lease, and monthly cash payments are made in accordance with the lease agreement; one-third of those amounts is due to our economic interest in the real estate joint venture.

 

31additional statement of cash flow information

 

(a)Statements of cash flows – operating activities and investing activities

 

         
Years ended December 31 (millions)  Note   2022   2021 
OPERATING ACTIVITIES               
Net change in non-cash operating working capital               
Accounts receivable       $(312)  $(290)
Inventories        (89)   (41)
Contract assets        9    (8)
Prepaid expenses        (56)   (40)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities        173    289 
Income and other taxes receivable and payable, net        50    (77)
Advance billings and customer deposits        (12)   62 
Provisions        44    23 
        $(193)  $(82)
INVESTING ACTIVITIES               
Cash payments for capital assets, excluding spectrum licences               
Capital asset additions               
Gross capital expenditures               
Property, plant and equipment   17   $(3,291)  $(3,188)
Intangible assets subject to amortization   18    (1,021)   (864)
         (4,312)   (4,052)
Additions arising from leases   17    840    554 
Capital expenditures   5    (3,472)   (3,498)
Effect of asset retirement obligations        198    171 
         (3,274)   (3,327)
Other non-cash items included above               
Change in associated non-cash investing working capital        (175)   401 
Non-cash change in asset retirement obligation        (198)   (171)
         (373)   230 
        $(3,647)  $(3,097)

 

  December 31, 2022 | 71

 

notes to consolidated financial statements

 

(b)Changes in liabilities arising from financing activities

 

       Year ended December 31, 2021       Year ended December 31, 2022     
       Statement of cash flows   Non-cash changes       Statement of cash flows   Non-cash changes     
(millions)  As at
January 1,
2021
   Issued or
received
   Redemptions,
repayments or
payments
   Foreign
exchange
movement
(Note 4(i))
   Other   As at
December 31,
2021
   Issued or
received
   Redemptions,
repayments or
payments
   Foreign
exchange
movement
(Note 4(i))
   Other   As at
December 31,
2022
 
Dividends payable to holders of Common Shares  $403   $   $(1,665)  $   $1,711   $449   $   $(1,846)  $   $1,899   $502 
Dividends reinvested in shares from Treasury           620        (620)           658        (658)    
   $403   $   $(1,045)  $   $1,091   $449   $   $(1,188)  $   $1,241   $502 
Short-term borrowings  $100   $12   $(2)  $   $4   $114   $480   $(497)  $   $7   $104 
Long-term debt                                                       
TELUS Corporation senior notes  $15,021   $1,250   $(1,000)  $(13)  $   $15,258   $3,143   $   $280   $(21)  $18,660 
TELUS Corporation commercial paper   731    3,585    (2,378)   (38)       1,900    5,523    (6,077)   112        1,458 
TELUS Corporation credit facilities                           1,594    (449)           1,145 
TELUS Communications Inc. debentures   622        (175)       1    448        (249)           199 
TELUS International (Cda) Inc. credit facility   1,804    56    (797)   (4)   3    1,062    11    (219)   68    (8)   914 
Other   273        (89)       124    308        (665)       678    321 
Lease liabilities   1,837        (502)   1    540    1,876        (495)   (3)   962    2,340 
Derivatives used to manage currency risk arising from U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt – liability (asset)   120    2,406    (2,437)   10    (95)   4    6,105    (6,000)   (423)   234    (80)
    20,408    7,297    (7,378)   (44)   573    20,856    16,376    (14,154)   34    1,845    24,957 
To eliminate effect of gross settlement of derivatives used to manage currency risk arising from U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt       (2,406)   2,406                (6,105)   6,105             
   $20,408   $4,891   $(4,972)  $(44)  $573   $20,856   $10,271   $(8,049)  $34   $1,845   $24,957 

 

72 | December 31, 2022