2.5 Financial Statements of Businesses Acquired or to Be Acquired (Rule 3-05)
When a significant business acquisition is consummated, or it is probable that
it will be consummated, the registrant may be required to file certain financial statements
of the acquired business or to be acquired business (acquiree) in accordance with Regulation
S-X, Rule 3-05. While existing registrants are subject to periodic reporting requirements
for significant acquisitions,5 a company is not subject to such requirements before an IPO. Therefore, in the context
of an initial registration statement, a company must evaluate recent consummated and
probable acquisitions, as further described below.
The following factors govern whether and, if so, for what period, the acquiree’s financial statements are required for a consummated or probable acquisition:
- Definition of a business — Regulation S-X, Rule 3-05, applies to an acquisition of a business. The definition of a “business” for SEC reporting purposes differs from the definition under ASC 805 for U.S. GAAP purposes and focuses primarily on the continuity of revenue-producing activities.6 Note that an acquisition can take many forms (i.e., acquisition of assets vs. acquisition of a legal entity) and that such forms typically will not affect the determination of whether the acquiree is a business.
- When the acquisition was
completed — The acquiree’s financial statements are not required once the
registrant’s audited financial statements reflect the operating results of the acquiree
for at least:
- Nine months if any of the results of the significance tests are greater than 20 percent but none are greater than 40 percent.
- A complete fiscal year if the results of any of the significance tests are greater than 40 percent.
- Significance — The highest level of significance based on the following three tests is used to
determine the financial statements, if any, that an entity is required to provide in the registration
statement:
- Investment test — The GAAP purchase price is compared with the total assets of the registrant on the basis of its most recent preacquisition annual financial statements. While the investment test stipulates the use of the aggregate worldwide market value (AWMV) of the registrant’s common equity (i.e., market capitalization) when available rather than total assets, companies undertaking an IPO would not yet have an observable AWMV and thus must use total assets. Once an entity completes its IPO, it should use its AWMV when performing the investment test. For example, if a registrant consummates an acquisition on March 15, 2024; completes its IPO on June 15, 2024; and consummates an acquisition on November 15, 2024, it should use total assets and AWMV to perform the investment test for the March and November acquisitions, respectively.
- Asset test — The registrant’s share of the acquiree’s total assets is compared with the registrant’s total assets on the basis of the most recent preacquisition annual financial statements of each company.
- Income test — The income test consists of an income component and a
revenue component:
- Income component — The registrant’s share of the acquiree’s pretax income from continuing operations7 is compared with the registrant’s pretax income from continuing operations on the basis of the most recent preacquisition annual financial statements of each company.
- Revenue component — If both the registrant and the acquiree have material revenue in each of the two most recently completed fiscal years, the revenue component is calculated by comparing the registrant’s share of the acquiree’s revenue with the registrant’s revenue on the basis of the most recent preacquisition annual financial statements of each company. If either the registrant or the acquiree does not have material revenue for each of the two most recently completed fiscal years, only the income component should be used.
- An acquiree will only be considered significant if both the income component and the revenue component (if applicable) exceed the significance threshold (i.e., 20 percent). When both components exceed the significance threshold, the lower of the two components is used to determine the number of periods for which the acquiree’s financial statements are required.
Pro forma financial information is generally required under SEC rules if the
acquiree is deemed to be significant. The significance tests in Regulation S-X, Rule
1-02(w), can be quite complex. Entities are advised to consult with their independent
auditors and legal counsel when applying the tests in special circumstances. For more
information about pro forma financial information, see Section 4.4.
2.5.1 Preacquisition Financial Statements Required
The table below summarizes whether preacquisition financial statements are
required for an acquiree on the basis of the timing of the acquisition and the
significance threshold.8
Significance
|
Acquisition Closed
Before the Most Recent Full Fiscal Year Presented
|
Acquisition Closed
During the Most Recent Full Fiscal Year Presented
|
Acquisition Closed
After the Most Recent Full Fiscal Year Presented
|
Probable Acquisition (Not Yet
Consummated)
|
---|---|---|---|---|
20 percent or less
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Exceeds 20 percent but not 40
percent
|
No
|
If the acquisition closed
during the first quarter, no; otherwise yes. See Section 2.5.1.1 for further details.
|
Yes — See Section 2.5.1.1 for further details.
|
No — See Section 2.5.1.2 for further details.
|
Exceeds 40 percent but not 50
percent
|
No
|
Yes — See Section 2.5.1.1 for
further details.
|
Yes — See Section 2.5.1.1 for further details.
|
No — See Section 2.5.1.2 for further details.
|
Exceeds 50 percent
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
2.5.1.1 Grace Period
Financial statements of a
significant acquired business that are not more than 50 percent significant (on the
basis of any of the three tests) are not required in a registration statement that is
filed or declared effective before the 75th day after the consummation of the
acquisition. (See paragraph
2040.1 of the FRM and the discussion of Company D in Example 2-5.) However, any
amendment to the initial registration statement filed 75 or more days after the
consummation must include the required financial statements and pro forma financial
information. Further, if the registration statement is declared effective during the
grace period, the registrant must file on Form 8-K the required financial statements and
pro forma financial information within 75 days of the closing of the transaction. These
requirements may be accelerated if certain acquisitions are significant in the
aggregate, as noted below.
2.5.1.2 Aggregate
Separate financial statements
are generally not required in a registration statement for a significant probable
acquisition whose significance does not exceed 50 percent or for a significant
consummated acquisition whose significance does not exceed 50 percent within the grace
period discussed above. However, an entity must perform an additional test to calculate
the aggregate significance of the following categories:
-
Probable acquisitions whose significance does not exceed 50 percent.
-
Consummated acquisitions within the grace period whose significance is greater than 20 percent but not greater than 50 percent.
-
Any individually insignificant (i.e., the significance does not exceed 20 percent) businesses acquired since the end of the registrant’s most recently completed fiscal year presented.
The acquirees in all three of these categories are commonly referred to as individually
insignificant acquirees, and if their aggregate significance exceeds 50 percent, the
registration or proxy statement must include:
-
The audited preacquisition financial statements for the most recent fiscal year and interim period for any acquirees in categories 1 and 2 above whose significance exceeds 20 percent and that have not yet been filed.
-
Pro forma financial information to reflect the aggregate effects of all individually insignificant acquisitions (i.e., all three categories).
See Section 2.9 of Deloitte’s Roadmap SEC Reporting Considerations for Business
Acquisitions for more information. In addition, companies should
consult with their independent auditors and legal counsel in such circumstances.
2.5.1.3 Periods of Preacquisition Financial Statements Required
If preacquisition financial statements are
required, the significance level is used to
determine the periods as follows:
- Significance exceeds 20 percent but not 40 percent:
- One year of audited preacquisition financial statements.
- Interim unaudited financial statements (1) as of the acquiree’s last fiscal quarter-end completed before the closing of the acquisition and (2) for the year-to-date interim period ending on that date.
- Significance exceeds 40 percent:
- Two years of audited preacquisition financial statements.
- Interim unaudited financial statements (1) as of the acquiree’s last fiscal quarter-end completed before the closing of the acquisition, (2) for the year-to-date interim period ending on that date, and (3) for the corresponding year-to-date interim period in the prior year.
Example 2-5
Assume the following:
- Registrant A, a calendar-year-end company, is planning to file its initial registration statement on or around September 15, 20X6.
- Registrant A does not qualify as an EGC.
-
Registrant A will include its historical financial statements for the following periods in its initial registration statement:
- Audited balance sheets as of December 31, 20X5, and December 31, 20X4.
- Audited statements of operations, comprehensive income, cash flows, and changes in stockholders’ equity for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 20X5.
- Unaudited financial statements as of and for the periods ended June 30, 20X6, and June 30, 20X5.
Registrant A made the following acquisitions:
Company
|
Acquisition Date
|
Highest Level of Significance
|
Years Required
|
Financial Statements Required9
|
---|---|---|---|---|
B
|
December 15, 20X4
|
60%
|
N/A
|
Because the acquisition of Company B occurred
before the most recent full fiscal year presented by Registrant A,
B’s preacquisition financial statements are not required.
|
C
|
January 15, 20X5
|
55%
|
2
| Because Company C has not been included in A’s audited results for a complete fiscal year, A must provide two years of preacquisition financial statements: C’s financial statements as of and for the years ending December 31, 20X4, and December 31, 20X3. |
D
|
July 15, 20X6
|
25%
|
1
|
While one year of audited financial statements
will eventually be needed, as of the initial filing date, no
financial statements of Company D are required on the basis of the
accommodation for recently consummated business acquisitions,
commonly referred to as the grace period, discussed in Section
2.5.1.1. In any amendment to the IPO registration
statement filed 75 or more days after the acquisition date of July
15, 20X6, audited financial statements as of and for the year
ended December 31, 20X5, as well as unaudited interim information
as of and for the six-month period ended June 30, 20X6, would be
required. In addition, if Company A completes its IPO during the
grace period, the required financial statements and pro forma
financial information must be filed on Form 8-K within 75 days of
the closing of the acquisition.
|
2.5.1.4 Omitting a Balance Sheet for a Significant Business Acquisition
In accordance with Regulation S-X, Rule 3-05(b)(4)(iv), when the
registrant’s audited balance sheet is for a date after the consummation of the
acquisition, the separate balance sheet(s) of the acquiree may be omitted, since the
acquiree’s balances are included in the acquiring company’s balance sheet. The
registrant is still required to provide the acquiree’s statements of operations,
comprehensive income, and cash flows for the appropriate periods.
Example 2-6
Registrant A acquires Company B on December 15, 20X7. Both A and B have a
December 31 fiscal year-end. The highest level of significance for the
acquisition of B is 35 percent. Registrant A plans to file an initial
registration statement in March 20X8 that will include A’s audited financial
statements as of December 31, 20X6 and 20X7, and for the three years ended
December 31, 20X7. Registrant A is required to include B’s audited financial
statements for one year in the initial registration statement.
Because A’s audited balance sheet as of December 31, 20X7, is for a date
after the acquisition was consummated, B’s balance sheet may be omitted.
Registrant A is still required to provide B’s statements of operations,
comprehensive income, and cash flows for the appropriate periods.
2.5.2 Financial Statements Used to Measure Significance
To determine significance, a registrant generally compares an acquiree’s
most recent preacquisition annual financial statements with the registrant’s most recent
preacquisition audited annual consolidated financial statements. (For more information,
see Section 2.3.1 of
Deloitte’s Roadmap SEC Reporting
Considerations for Business Acquisitions.)
Example 2-7
Registrant A acquires Company B on December 15, 20X4; Company C on January
15, 20X5; and Company D on July 15, 20X6. Registrant A and Companies B, C, and
D have December 31 fiscal year-ends. Registrant A plans to file an initial
registration statement on September 15, 20X6. Significance should be
calculated for each acquisition as follows:
- Compare C’s financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 20X4, with A’s audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 20X4.
- Compare D’s financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 20X5, with A’s audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 20X5.
Registrants are required to test the significance of acquirees only during
(1) the most recent full fiscal year presented in their audited financial
statements and (2) the subsequent interim period through the date the initial
registration statement is filed and declared effective by the SEC.
Because B was acquired before the most recent full fiscal year presented by
A, B generally does not need to be tested for significance.
We understand that, provided that the following conditions are met, the SEC staff will
not object if a registrant undertaking an IPO evaluates an acquiree’s significance by
using pro forma financial information that reflects the effect of a prior significant
acquisition or disposition consummated after its latest fiscal year-end for which
audited financial statements must be presented:
-
Audited historical financial statements for the previous significant business acquisition are included in the registration statement.
-
Pro forma financial information reflecting the previous significant business acquisition or disposition is included in the registration statement.
If the registrant includes the financial statements and related pro forma financial
information of the prior significant acquiree in a draft registration statement, it must
ultimately provide them in a public filing as well. It would not be appropriate to use pro
forma financial information to evaluate the significance of an acquiree if such
information were only included in the draft registration statement but not the
registration statement that was publicly filed.
If a registrant has used pro forma amounts to determine the significance of an
acquisition (or disposition), the registrant must continue to use pro forma amounts to
determine the significance of acquisitions (and dispositions) when performing all three
significance tests and would do so through the filing date of its next annual report on
Form 10-K or Form 20-F.
A registrant must also consider the other conditions discussed in Section
2.3.1.2 of Deloitte’s Roadmap SEC Reporting
Considerations for Business Acquisitions when using pro forma financial
information to evaluate the significance of an acquiree in an IPO/initial registration
statement.
Example 2-8
Company M, a non-EGC calendar-year-end company, intends to submit a draft
registration statement in July 20X9. Company M reasonably expects to file
publicly in November 20X9 and to have its initial registration statement
declared effective in December 20X9.
On March 15, 20X9, M acquires Company N, a nonregistrant whose fiscal
year-end is also December 31. Because the significance of the acquisition of N
exceeds 20 percent, M will be required to include N’s separate audited
financial statements, as well as the related pro forma financial information,
in its draft registration statement and, ultimately, in a public filing.
On June 15, 20X9, M acquires Company P, a nonregistrant whose fiscal year-end
is also December 31. To measure the significance of the acquisition of P, M
could use either (1) the pro forma information as of and for the year ended
December 31, 20X8, that reflects the acquisition of N that is expected to be
included in a draft registration statement in July 20X9 and publicly filed in
November 20X9 or (2) its historical audited financial statements as of and for
the year ended December 31, 20X8, that did not reflect the acquisition of N.
Company M must use the option it elects for all three significance tests. If
it elects to use the pro forma financial information, it must (1) prepare a
pro forma balance sheet as of December 31, 20X8, that reflects the acquisition
of N for use in the determination of P’s significance and (2) continue to use
such information for future acquisitions and dispositions until it files its
first Form 10-K (i.e., for the year ending on December 31, 20X9). On the basis
of the investment, asset, and income test, the highest level of the
significance of the acquisition of P is assumed to be:
- Eighteen percent on the basis of M’s pro forma information as of and for the year ended December 31, 20X8, that reflects the acquisition of N.
- Twenty-three percent on the basis of M’s historical audited financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 20X8, that did not reflect the acquisition of N.
If M were to use its historical audited financial statements, it would need
to provide P’s separate financial statements, along with pro forma financial
information, since the significance exceeds 20 percent. However, because M
elected to use its pro forma information that reflects the acquisition of N,
no separate financial statements of P are required since the significance of
the acquisition of P does not exceed 20 percent.
If M’s IPO is delayed in such a way that M would be required to provide its
audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 20X9, when it
first publicly files its initial registration statement, the significance of
the acquisition of P must be evaluated by using M’s historical audited
financial statements for the year ended December 31, 20X8. Company M is no
longer able to use its pro forma financial information because the acquisition
of P was not consummated after the latest fiscal year-end for which M’s
audited financial statements must be presented (i.e., December 31, 20X9).
2.5.3 Form of Financial Statements
Preacquisition financial statements of the acquiree are generally
prepared on the same basis as if the acquiree were a registrant, except that the level of
significance is used to determine the number of years of audited financial statements. The
financial statements must comply with Regulation S-X and SAB topics, including, but not
limited to, requirements related to mezzanine equity (see ASC 480-10-S99-3A and
SAB Topic 14.E)
and separately presenting revenue from products and services (see Regulation S-X, Rule
5-03(b)). However, if the acquiree is not public, it does not need to comply with certain
disclosure requirements that only apply to issuers, such as those related to segments or
earnings per share (EPS).
Some accounting standards differentiate between the accounting
disclosure requirements or adoption dates for PBEs and those for non-PBEs. Significant
acquirees whose financial statements are included in a registrant’s filing under
Regulation S-X, Rule 3-05, are considered PBEs under U.S. GAAP.10 Therefore, such acquirees should use PBE adoption dates and disclosure requirements
when preparing their financial statements. However, in November 2019, the FASB issued
ASU 2019-10,
which provides a framework for staggering the effective dates of future major accounting
standards and amends the effective dates of some new standards to give implementation
relief to certain types of entities. The standard introduces a new “two-bucket” framework
for determining the effective dates of future major accounting standards. Under the
Board’s new framework, the buckets are defined as follows:
- Bucket 1 — All PBEs that are SEC filers (as defined in U.S. GAAP), excluding SRCs (as defined by the SEC).
- Bucket 2 — All other entities, including SRCs, other PBEs that are not SEC filers, private companies, not-for-profit organizations, and employee benefit plans.
Significant acquirees whose financial statements are included in a
registrant’s filing under Rule 3-05 would qualify as “PBEs that are not SEC filers”;
therefore, such acquirees should use Bucket 2 adoption dates and disclosure requirements
when preparing their financial statements.
Management should be mindful of other accounting standards in which the
adoption dates for PBEs differ from those for non-PBEs. While EGCs may not be required to
use the PBE effective dates (see Section 1.6.2) in
adopting certain accounting standards, this accommodation does not apply to acquiree
financial statements under Rule 3-05.
In addition, such acquirees should comply with the accounting and
disclosure requirements applicable to PBEs. Some standards permit practical expedients or
elections for non-PBEs (e.g., the use of a risk-free discount rate in lieu of the
incremental borrowing rate in the accounting for leases or the amortization of goodwill).
However, these expedients and elections may not be used in financial statements that an
entity prepares to meet the requirements of Rule 3-05. For example, at the October 2020 CAQ SEC Regulations Committee joint
meeting with the SEC staff, the staff discussed a situation in which (1) an acquired
company has adopted ASC 842 by using the risk-free-rate practical expedient and (2) a
registrant must evaluate the acquired company for significance and, in some cases, provide
this company’s separate financial statements. The SEC staff indicated that it would not
object if a registrant uses financial statements that reflect the risk-free-rate practical
expedient to measure significance, since doing so would result in greater ROU assets and,
thus, a higher measure of significance when the asset test is performed. The staff noted
that the risk-free-rate practical expedient should be “the only difference between those
financial statements and a PBE set of financial statements” but clarified that financial
statements provided in accordance with Rule 3-05 are PBE financial statements and thus may
not reflect this expedient. Therefore, before providing such financial statements in
accordance with Rule 3-05, a registrant would need to assess whether an adjustment to the
PBE rate is material and must be revised.
Generally, the annual financial statements for a significant acquisition
may be audited in accordance with AICPA standards.11 SEC regulations do not require registrants to audit or review interim financial
statements provided under Rule 3-05. However, the company’s underwriters will often
require that the interim information be reviewed by an independent registered public
accounting firm for due diligence or comfort letter purposes.
2.5.3.1 Full Financial Statements
In some instances, the acquisition may constitute only a portion of a legal
entity. If the acquired asset or group of assets represents substantially all of an
entity, the entire entity’s full audited financial statements are generally required. In
these circumstances, the registrant would remove any assets, liabilities, or operations
not acquired in the pro forma financial information presented.
2.5.3.2 Carve-Out Financial Statements
If the acquired asset or group of assets does not represent substantially all of
the selling entity, the selling entity’s financial statements may not be useful.
Therefore, the audited financial statements should only represent the selected parts of
the entity acquired, excluding the operations retained by the seller. These financial
statements are often referred to as carve-out financial statements. Carve-out financial
statements include, for the appropriate periods, balance sheets; statements of
operations, comprehensive income, and cash flows; changes in stockholders’ equity; and
the respective notes to the financial statements. The SEC staff believes that carve-out
financial statements should reflect (1) all assets and liabilities of the acquired
business even if the assets and liabilities that are directly related to the operation
of the acquired business are not acquired or assumed as part of the acquisition and (2)
all costs of doing business. For further discussion, see Deloitte’s Roadmap Carve-Out Financial
Statements.
2.5.3.3 Abbreviated Financial Statements
In certain circumstances, carve-out financial statements may not be
practicable to prepare, such as when the acquired asset or group of assets is a small
portion or a product line of a much larger business and separate financial records were
not maintained. In such instances, the SEC staff may allow registrants to provide
abbreviated financial statements — that is, audited statements of assets acquired and
liabilities assumed (in lieu of a full balance sheet), audited statements of revenues
and expenses (in lieu of a full statement of operations), and footnotes to the
abbreviated financial statements — to meet the financial statement requirements in
Regulation S-X, Rule 3-05, provided that certain qualifying conditions and presentation
and disclosure requirements are met. Registrants may present such abbreviated financial
statements for an acquiree without seeking permission from the SEC staff when the
following qualifying conditions in Rule 3-05(e) are met:
- The assets and revenue (after intercompany eliminations) of the acquiree represent 20 percent or less of the assets and revenue of the seller as of and for the most recently completed fiscal year.
- The acquiree’s financial statements have not been previously prepared.
- The acquiree was not a separate entity, subsidiary, operating segment,12 or division during the periods for which its financial statements would be required.
- The seller did not maintain the “distinct and separate accounts” that would be necessary to present financial statements that include the omitted expenses, and the preparation of such financial statements is impracticable.
When presented, abbreviated financial statements must also meet the presentation and
disclosure requirements in Rule
3-05(e)(2).
The title of the statement of revenues and expenses must be
appropriately modified to indicate that it omits certain expenses. The statement of
revenues and expenses must include all direct revenues and direct expenses associated
with the revenue-producing activities of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed.
Typically, the only costs excluded are those not directly connected to the
revenue-producing activity. For example, all related costs incurred by or on behalf of
the acquiree for the periods required to be presented must include costs of sales or
services, selling, distribution, and marketing as well as general and administrative
expenses, depreciation and amortization, and research and development expenses. As noted
in the response to Question 2 of SAB Topic 1.B, if the abbreviated financial statements include a
reasonable allocation of costs directly related to the revenue-producing activity
incurred by the seller on behalf of the business sold, the footnotes should contain
management’s assertion that the method used to allocate those costs is reasonable.
However, the registrant may exclude allocated corporate overhead expenses, certain
interest expense (i.e., interest expense for debt that will not be assumed by the
registrant), and income tax expense (collectively, “omitted expenses”). The auditor’s
report on these financial statements would include an explanatory paragraph indicating
the special purpose and incomplete nature of the presentation of the results of
operations, as discussed in AICPA AU-C Section 805.24.
In accordance with Rule 3-05(e)(2)(iii), the footnotes to the abbreviated financial
statements should include the following disclosures: (1) the nature of the omitted
expenses and why they were omitted, (2) an explanation of why it is impracticable to
prepare financial statements that include the omitted expenses, and (3) a statement that
the financial statements do not indicate the acquiree’s future financial condition or
operations because the omitted expenses have been excluded.
A registrant that presents abbreviated financial statements is not required to provide
a statement of cash flows. However, information (if available) about the acquiree’s
operating, investing, and financing cash flows must be included in the footnotes to the
financial statements.
When the qualifying conditions
are not met but a registrant nevertheless believes that such financial statements would
provide sufficient disclosures for investors, the registrant may request a waiver from
the SEC staff under Regulation S-X, Rule 3-13.
2.5.4 Other Considerations
In addition to the general financial statement
requirements related to the consummation of a significant business acquisition, other
considerations might affect the reporting requirements. The following table summarizes
such potential considerations:
Topic
|
Considerations
|
---|---|
Audited period less than a year
|
Regulation S-X, Rule 3-06, permits the use of an acquiree’s
audited financial statements for a period of nine to twelve months to satisfy
one year of financial statement requirements. For example, for a transaction
that closes in the fourth quarter (e.g., November 15, 20X6) for which one year
of audited preacquisition financial statements is required, a registrant could
provide audited financial statements for the nine months before acquisition
(e.g., the nine months ended September 30, 20X6) in lieu of audited financial
statements for the prior fiscal year (e.g., the year ended December 31, 20X5)
and unaudited information for the appropriate interim period (e.g., the nine
months ended September 30, 20X6).
|
Related businesses
|
Related businesses must be treated as a single business
acquisition in the assessment of significance. Businesses are related if (1)
they are under common control or management or (2) their acquisitions depend
on each other or on a single common event or condition. See Regulation S-X, Rule
3-05(a)(3)(i)–(iii).
|
Put-together transactions
|
When a put-together transaction13 occurs concurrently with an initial registration statement, a registrant
must first determine which entity is the acquiring entity. It must then
measure the significance of all other businesses in the put-together
transaction against that of the acquiring entity. Since these acquired
businesses are considered related under Rule 3-05(a)(3), a registrant must
aggregate all the other businesses (besides the acquiring entity) in the
put-together transaction and measure their significance against that of the
acquiring entity as if they were a single acquisition.
|
2.5.5 Omission of Financial Statements of Acquired Entities From Draft Registration Statements
In a manner consistent with the accommodations discussed in Section 2.4.4, a company may omit
from its draft registration statement Regulation S-X, Rule 3-05, financial statements (and
the related pro forma financial information discussed in Section 4.4) if the company reasonably believes that
those financial statements will not be required at the time of the public filing or
contemplated offering, as applicable.
Example 2-9
A calendar-year-end company that plans to submit a draft
registration statement in the fall of 20X7 completes a significant acquisition
in the fourth quarter of 20X6. The acquisition is significant in such a way
that one year of the acquiree’s financial statements would generally be
required under Rule 3-05. The company plans to update its draft registration
statement to include its 20X7 annual financial statements before a public
filing in 20X8. Thus, after that update, the acquired business will have been
part of the company’s audited financial statements for a sufficient amount of
time (i.e., a full fiscal year) to eliminate the need for separate financial
statements. In this scenario, the staff of the Division will not delay its
review of the draft registration statement in the fall of 20X7 even though the
acquiree’s financial statements and the related pro forma financial
information are omitted from the submission.
Footnotes
5
Under Form 8-K, Item 2.01, a registrant is required to file a Form 8-K
to announce a significant business acquisition within four business days of consummation
and to include the required financial statements within 71 calendar days.
6
Regulation S-X, Rule 11-01(d), states, in part, “[T]he term
business should be evaluated in light of the facts and circumstances involved and
whether there is sufficient continuity of the acquired entity’s operations prior to
and after the transactions so that disclosure of prior financial information is
material to an understanding of future operations. A presumption exists that a
separate entity, a subsidiary, or a division is a business.”
7
Regulation S-X, Rule 1-02(w), indicates that pretax income
from continuing operations is “consolidated income or loss from continuing
operations before income taxes (after intercompany eliminations)
attributable to the controlling interests.”
8
A company may be able to omit the financial statements of an
acquired business from its draft registration statement for certain periods. See
Section 2.5.5 for more information.
9
Assumes that all acquired companies are
calendar-year-end companies and that the registrant is not
using the accommodation to omit the acquiree’s balance sheet,
when applicable.
10
Paragraph BC12 of ASU 2013-12 states that an entity meets the
definition of a PBE when it “is required by the SEC to file or furnish financial
statements or does file or furnish financial statements with the SEC” (e.g., its
“financial statements or financial information that is required to be or is included
in a filing with the SEC [, such as the information required under Regulation S-X,
Rules 3-09, 3-05, and 4-08(g)]”).
11
In certain cases, if an acquired company is identified as a
predecessor (see Section
2.3), the audit must be performed in accordance with PCAOB standards.
12
In evaluating the “operating segment” condition above, a
registrant should consider the definition of that term in ASC 280 or IFRS 8, as
applicable. The operating segment condition for abbreviated financial statements
applies to all acquired businesses, whether public or private. Accordingly, a
company may have to evaluate whether the acquired entity would qualify as an
operating segment under ASC 280, if relevant.
13
See Section 2.3.2 for more information.