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SEC Form 10-K
ANNUAL REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 OR 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934
by Nanuk Warman, CPA, CMA, CFA
Updated April 26th, 2022
The following is a general overview of SEC Form 10-K and is not legal or business advice, and nor should you consider it as such. Requirements for 10-K filings differ from case to case. You should not act upon any information shared in this article without seeking professional advice from a licensed lawyer and/or accounting professional directly hired by you. If you need help preparing or filing a Form 10-K, please contact us here.
5 Things To Keep In Mind When
Completing Form 10-K
Form 10-K is probably the number one thing that keeps companies from ever 'going public' in the first place.
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A complex set of documents...preparing a Form 10-K is a detailed and time-consuming endeavor that can be a tremendous tax on resources — especially for small to mid-cap filers.
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According to the SEC, it takes approximately 2,258 work-hours to complete a Form 10K.
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It consists of....x, y, and z. And needless to say, it is wise for an issuer to begin planning for an annual 10-K filing long before it's due.
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<<Subhead>>
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Below I break-down the various different parts of a Form 10-K.
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But first...let's go over what's even more important.
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PLANNING FOR A 10-K or...
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Five Things To Remember When
Planning A 10-K Filing
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<<This could be sort of like what Nanuk wished 'Every Client Knew' before planning a 10-K filing>>
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WWW .venasolutions.com/blog/financial-reporting/3-best-practices-for-completing-your-10-k
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CONSIDER THE ABOVE YOUR TEMPLATE.
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WE NEED TO GIVE 3-4 POWERFUL TIPS/INSIGHTS THAT WILL HAVE PROFESSIONALS NODDING THEIR HEADS.
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ROUGH DRAFT THIS OUT FOR NANUK
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On it's surface, Form 10-K is a straight-forward document:
Issuers need to submit fully-audited...legally reviewed...and director-certified set of financial statements, along with supporting disclosures that provide a complete overview of the company's finances and business operations for the year.
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Practically speaking, however, completing a Form 10-K is a complex endeavour that requires professional assistance from an experienced attorney and accountant specializing in securities. (not just an auditor).
Needless to say, it is essential for issuers to consult with a securities professional if they have any questions regarding their 10-K submission.
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Click here if you need help filing a 10-K >>
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There Are Four Main Parts To A
Form 10-K Filing
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Form 10-K itself is actually a guideline and not a "form to be completed", per se.
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It is a basic set of instructions that details the various components of a Form 10-K submission and their various requirements.
There are four main components to a 10-K:
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Part 1: A Description Of The Business
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In this section registrants must describe the company and it's business development since the beginning of the of the fiscal year reported.
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Descriptions in this section include:
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Risk Factors — a list of any and all risk factors that could have a material impact on the company.
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Properties — a description of any business properties owned by the issuer including subsidiaries.
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Legal Proceedings — describe any legal proceedings the company may be involved in...including bankruptcy proceedings or lawsuits.
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Unresolved Staff Comments — includes a discussion on any unresolved issues and comments made by the SEC on previous filings.
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It's important to note that <<further comment here>>
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Part 2: Disclosures Related To Registrant's Equity Securites
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A disclosure of the issuer's equitable securities that includes insider trading activity...market activity...certain shareholder information...related stockholder issues...and more.
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Details that need to be reported in this section include:
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Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — specific to the fiscal year reported.
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Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
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A detailed progression of certain financial conditions related to the company over the previous 5 years
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Audited financial statements accompanied by written statements from the auditor...legal counsel...and management.
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A description of the company's internal controls and procedures
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Note: Any event that would normally be reported in an 8-K form may also be repoted in a 10K — provided the event occurred in the 4th quarter of the fiscal year — thus elminating the need to file an 8-K for the same event.
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Part 3: Directors, Executive Officers and Coporate Governance
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A list of the company's officers and directors is required under in part 3 of the form, along with various disclosures relating to compensation...accountability... and corporate governance.
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Other disclosures required under part 3 include:
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A brief biography for each of the directors and executive officers in the company​​
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Executive compensation disclosure
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Disclosure of beneficial equity holders...management...and related stockholder matters
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The name of the principal accountant, and any related tax, audit, and accounting fees.​
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Code of ethics and compensation policies
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Part 4: Exhibit and Financial Statement Schedules
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Registrants must provide a list of all documents filed as part of the 10K —
including financial statements, schedules, and exhibits.
Download Form 10-K and Guidelines here>>
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The deadline for filing a Form 10-K is as follows:
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The form includes various disclosures, including a Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Result of Operations by Management detailing the company's performance for the year...along with forward-looking statements that the company might have about the future.
Form 10-K is subject to the following deadline-dates:
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60 days of the company's fiscal year-end for large accelerated filers (companies with a market-cap greater than $750 million).
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75 days from the end of the fiscal year for accelerated filers (those with a market cap between $75 million and $750 million)
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90 days after the end of the fiscal year for non-accelerated filers (companies with a market cap of $75 million or less).
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The form must be fully reviewed and certified by
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See a full list of 8-k trigger events here>>
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Important Note: 8-K events related to category #7 (Regulation FD), and category #8 (Other events) may require an earlier due-date for filing.
Issuers should always consult with a professional service provider regarding any SEC compliance-related questions.
Click here if you need help filing an 8-K>>
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To make a long story short...any event that has a material impact on the company, and/or entails a corporate structural change to its bylaws, debt structuring parameters, or equity distribution, needs to be reported to the SEC using a Form 8-K — Within 4 days (or less) of the event taking place.
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As always, whenever an issuer has a question or concern about a regulatory or compliance issue, it is important they consult an experienced professional.
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We Take The Regulatory Compliance Issues
Off Your Plate And Get Them Filed.
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PubCo Reporting has provided issuers with SEC EDGAR and Compliance guidance for more than 18 years. We're not only professional CPA's, CFA's, and Financial Filers, we're experienced CFO's too—And we have extensive experience helping our clients — across a wide range of industry — prepare and file their Form 8-K's for our clientsand we're proud to say that more than 95% of our clients stay with us after a period of five years.
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If you need help with preparing and/or filing an 8-K--or with any of your EDGAR, SEDAR, or Regulatory Compliance issuer -- we would be more than happy to help you.
Please see here to claim your free special offer >>
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<< Nanuk Creds here >>
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REPORTING & CFO
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Customize Your Own
SEC Filing Calendar
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(Maybe we should have an
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