Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2013

The Partnership's financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP").

Use of Estimates

Preparation of the Partnership's financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses, and related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Investment in Joint Ventures

The Partnership has evaluated the Joint Ventures and concluded that none are variable interest entities. The Partnership does not have control over the operations of the Joint Ventures; however, it does exercise significant influence. Approval by the Partnership as well as the other joint venture partners is required for any major decision or any action that would materially affect the Joint Ventures, or their real property investments. Accordingly, the Partnership accounts for its investments in the Joint Ventures using the equity method of accounting, whereby original investments are recorded at cost and subsequently adjusted for contributions, distributions, and net income (loss) attributable to the Partnership. Pursuant to the terms of the joint venture agreements, all income (loss) and distributions are allocated to joint venture partners in accordance with their respective ownership interests. Distributions of net cash from operations, if available, are generally distributed to the joint venture partners on a quarterly basis.

Evaluating the Recoverability of Real Estate Assets

The Partnership continually monitored events and changes in circumstances that could have indicated that the carrying amounts of the real estate assets owned through the Partnership’s investment in the Joint Ventures were not recoverable. When indicators of potential impairment were present, which suggested that the carrying amounts of real estate assets were not recoverable, management assessed the recoverability of the real estate assets by determining whether the respective carrying values would have been recovered through the estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected from the use of the assets and their eventual disposition for assets held for use, or with the estimated fair values, less costs to sell, for assets held for sale. In the event that the expected undiscounted future cash flows for assets held for use, or the estimated fair value, less costs to sell, for assets held for sale did not exceed the respective asset carrying value, management adjusted the real estate assets to their respective estimated fair values, pursuant to the provisions of the property, plant, and equipment accounting standard for the impairment or disposal of long-lived assets, and recognized an impairment loss. Estimated fair values were determined based on the following information, dependent upon availability: (i) recently quoted market price(s) for the subject property, or highly comparable properties, under sufficiently active and normal market conditions, or (ii) the present value of future cash flows, including estimated residual value.

While various techniques and assumptions can be used to estimate fair value depending on the nature of the asset or liability, the accounting standard for fair value measurements and disclosures describes three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value. Level 1 inputs are quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Partnership has the ability to access. Level 2 inputs are inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. Level 2 inputs may include quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, as well as inputs that are observable for the asset or liability (other than quoted prices), such as interest rates, foreign exchange rates, and yield curves that are observable at commonly quoted intervals. Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs for the asset or liability, which are typically based on an entity’s own assumptions, as little, if any, related market activity or information is available. Examples of Level 3 inputs include estimated holding periods, discount rates, market capitalization rates, expected lease rental rates, timing of new leases, and sales prices; additionally, the Partnership could have assigned an estimated probability-weighting to more than one fair value estimate based on the Partnership’s assessment of the likelihood of the respective underlying assumptions occurring as of the evaluation date. In instances where the determination of the fair value measurement is based on inputs from different levels of the fair value hierarchy, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the entire fair value measurement falls was based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. The Partnership’s assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment, and considered factors specific to the asset or liability.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

ash and Cash Equivalents

The Partnership considers all highly liquid instruments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents include cash and short-term investments. Short-term investments are stated at cost, which approximates fair value and consist of investments in money market accounts.

Other Assets

Other assets are primarily comprised of prepaid expenses and the Partnership's pro rata share of receivables assumed in connection with the liquidation of the Joint Venture. Prepaid expenses are recognized as the related services are provided. Balances without a future economic benefit are written off as they are identified.

Distribution of Net Cash from Operations

Net cash from operations, if available and unless reserved, is generally distributed quarterly to the limited partners as follows:


•	First, to all limited partners holding Class A Units on a per-unit basis until such limited partners have received distributions equal to a 10% per annum return on their respective net capital contributions, as defined.


•	Second, to the General Partners until the General Partners have received distributions equal to 10% of the total cumulative distributions paid by the Partnership.


•	Third, to the limited partners holding Class A Units on a per-unit basis and the General Partners allocated on a basis of 90% and 10%, respectively.

No distributions of net cash from operations will be made to limited partners holding Class B Units.

Distribution of Net Sale Proceeds

Upon sales of properties, unless reserved, net sale proceeds will be distributed in the following order:

•

In the event that the particular property sold is sold for a price that is less than its original property purchase price, to the limited partners holding Class A Units until they have received an amount equal to the excess of the original property purchase price over the price for which the property was sold, limited to the amount of depreciation, amortization, and cost recovery deductions taken by the limited partners holding Class B Units with respect to such property;


•	To limited partners holding units which at any time have been treated as Class B Units, until such limited partners have received an amount necessary to equal the net cash available for distribution previously received by the limited partners holding Class A Units on a per-unit basis;


•	To all limited partners on a per-unit basis until the limited partners have received 100% of their respective net capital contribution, as defined;


•	To all limited partners on a per-unit basis until the limited partners have received a cumulative 10% per annum return on their respective net capital contribution, as defined;

•

To limited partners on a per-unit basis until the limited partners have received an amount equal to their respective preferential limited partner return (defined as the sum of a 10% per annum cumulative return on net capital contributions for all periods during which the units were treated as Class A Units and a 15% per annum cumulative return on net capital contributions for all periods during which the units were treated as Class B Units);

•

To all General Partners until they have received 100% of their capital contributions; in the event that limited partners have received aggregate cash distributions from the Partnership over the life of their investment in excess of a return of their net capital contributions plus their preferential limited partner return, then the General Partners shall receive an additional sum equal to 25% of such excess; and


•	Thereafter, 80% to the limited partners on a per-unit basis and 20% to the General Partners.

Allocations of Net Income, Net Loss, and Gain on Sale

For the purpose of determining allocations per the partnership agreement, net income is defined as net income recognized by the Partnership, excluding deductions for depreciation, amortization, cost recovery, and the gain on the sale of assets. Net income, as defined, of the Partnership will be allocated each year in the same proportions that net cash from operations is distributed to the partners holding Class A Units and the General Partners. To the extent the Partnership's net income in any year exceeds net cash from operations, such excess net income will be allocated 99% to the limited partners holding Class A Units and 1% to the General Partners.

Net loss, depreciation, and amortization deductions for each fiscal year will be allocated as follows: (a) 99% to the limited partners holding Class B Units and 1% to the General Partners until their capital accounts are reduced to zero; (b) then, to any partner having a positive balance in his capital account in an amount not to exceed such positive balance; and (c) thereafter, to the General Partners.

Gain on the sale or exchange of the Partnership's properties will be allocated generally in the same manner that the net proceeds from such sale are distributed to partners after the following allocations are made, if applicable: (i) allocations made pursuant to the qualified income offset provisions of the partnership agreement; (ii) allocations to partners having negative capital accounts until all negative capital accounts have been restored to zero; and (iii) allocations to limited partners holding Class B Units in amounts equal to the deductions for depreciation and amortization previously allocated to them with respect to the specific property sold, but not in excess of the amount of gain on sale recognized by the Partnership with respect to the sale of such property.

Income Taxes

The Partnership is not subject to federal or state income taxes; therefore, none have been provided for in the accompanying financial statements. The partners are required to include their respective shares of profits and losses in their individual income tax returns.

Recent Accounting Pronouncement

In April 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update 2013-07, Presentation of Financial Statements Topic Liquidation Basis of Accounting ("ASU 2013-07"). ASU 2013-07 requires an entity to prepare its financial statements using the liquidation basis of accounting when liquidation is imminent. Liquidation is considered imminent when the likelihood is remote that the organization will return from liquidation and either: (a) a plan for liquidation is approved by the person or persons with the authority to make such a plan effective and the likelihood is remote that the execution of the plan will be blocked by other parties; or (b) a plan for liquidation is being imposed by other forces. ASU 2013-07 was effective for the Partnership beginning on January 1, 2014. The Partnership expects that the adoption of ASU 2013-07 will not have a material impact on its financial statements or disclosures.

WELLS REAL ESTATE FUND IX LP 10-K