SEC Company Response from NUTRITION MANAGEMENT SERVICES — Jan 26, 2005
NUTRITION MANAGEMENT SERVICES CO/PA (CIK 0000879303)
Date: Jan. 26, 2005 · CIK: 0000879303 · Accession: 0000921895-05-000108
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January 26, 2005
Ms. Effie Simpson
Staff Accountant
Division of Corporate Finance
United States Securities and Exchange Commission
Washington, DC 20549
RE: Nutrition Management Services Company
Form 8-K filed January 10, 2005
File No.: 0-19824
Dear Ms. Simpson,
This letter is in response to your letter addressed to Mr. Joseph V. Roberts
dated January 13, 2005 concerning your review of Form 8-K of Nutrition
Management Services Company ("Company") filed on January 10, 2005.
REPORTABLE CONDITIONS/MATERIAL WEAKNESS:
1. TELL US IN DETAIL THE STEPS YOU HAVE TAKEN (OR PLAN TO TAKE) AND
PROCEDURES YOU IMPLEMENTED (OR PLAN TO IMPLEMENT) TO CORRECT EACH REPORTABLE
EVENT.
The material weakness which was reported in the Company's Form 10-K and Form 8-K
was required by the Company's auditors to report the Company's lack of personnel
to prepare the Company's income tax accrual. In previous fiscal years, the
Company relied upon its auditors to assist in the preparation of the Company's
income tax accrual. However, the Company's auditors did not require disclosure
of their involvement with the preparation of the Company's income tax accruals
until the Company filed its June 30, 2004 Form 10-K.
While the Company believes its existing internal controls are adequate, the
Company has taken additional steps so as to preclude a reportable event from
occurring in the future. As previously disclosed in the Company's Form 10-K and
Form 8-K, the Company hired a Director of Finance in November 2004 with relevant
education and work experience who will assume responsibility for the financial
functions of the Company, including, but not limited to, the internal controls
of the Company. The Director of Finance is a certified public accountant and an
attorney with over 15 years of public and private accounting work experience.
Further, the Company continues to utilize its internal and external technology
resources to their fullest potential so that the Company's internal controls are
adequate.
Ms. Effie Simpson
January 26, 2005
Page 2 of 4
2. PLEASE PROVIDE US WITH A SCHEDULE OF YOUR FISCAL YEAR END FOURTH QUARTER
ADJUSTMENTS TO CLOSE THE BOOKS, OR ADJUSTMENTS RECORDED IN CONNECTION WITH OR AS
A RESULT OF THE AUDIT. CLEARLY EXPLAIN THE REASON FOR EACH ADJUSTMENT. FOR EACH
ADJUSTMENT, SHOW US THE IMPACT ON PRE-TAX NET LOSS. QUANTIFY THE NET EFFECT OF
ALL ADJUSTMENTS ON A PRE-TAX NET INCOME (LOSS). ALSO, TELL US WHY NONE OF THE
ADJUSTMENTS RELATE TO A PRIOR PERIOD. EXPLAIN IN DETAIL WHY YOU BELIEVE THE
TIMING OF EACH ADJUSTMENT IS APPROPRIATE.
Pre tax net loss per Company (prior to audit adjustments) ($ 722,134)
Pre tax audit adjustments:
Bad debt expense 330,000
-----------
Adjusted pre tax loss per Company ( 1,052,134)
Income tax expense/(benefit) ( 201,700)
------------
Adjusted net loss ($ 850,434)
============
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts:
The Company reviews its accounts receivable on a regular basis. When the Company
determines that it is probable that an account receivable, or a portion of an
account receivable, cannot be collected and the amount can be reasonably
estimated, an adjustment is made to the Company's allowance for doubtful
accounts. Despite the fact that as of June 30, 2004 the Company was aggressively
pursuing collection of certain past due accounts receivable, and the Company
continues to aggressively pursue collection of these past due amounts, the
Company's auditors determined that due to the passage of time, it was necessary
for the Company to make an additional adjustment to its allowance for doubtful
accounts. It should be noted that the Company's financial statements were
reviewed on a quarterly basis by its auditors, yet the Company's auditors did
not require an adjustment to the allowance for doubtful accounts until the
fourth quarter of the Company's fiscal year.
Income tax expense/(benefit):
The Company does not accrue its income tax expense until its fiscal year end. As
in previous fiscal years, the Company relied upon its auditors to assist in
calculating its income tax accrual. However, unlike previous fiscal years, the
auditors considered this assistance to be a material weakness, and therefore,
the auditors required disclosure in the Company's Form 10-K. On an ongoing
basis, the Company does not anticipate the need to utilize its outside
accountants to prepare its income tax accrual.
3. SUPPLEMENTALLY EXPLAIN IN DETAIL AND EXPAND YOUR DISCLOSURE IN FUTURE FILINGS
AS TO WHY YOU BELIEVE THE CHANGES IN INTERNAL CONTROLS DISCUSSED IN YOUR
PERIODIC FILINGS ARE ADEQUATE AND EFFECTIVE IN PREVENTING FUTURE ERRORS, AND THE
PROCEDURES THAT ENABLED YOU TO CONCLUDE THAT THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL WEAKNESSES
IN OTHER AREAS. AS PART OF YOUR RESPONSE, SPECIFICALLY DISCUSS YOUR
CONSIDERATION OF QUESTION 5 OF THE FAQ ON MANAGEMENT'S REPORT ON INTERNAL
CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING AND DISCLOSURE IN EXCHANGE ACT PERIODIC REPORTS
RELEASED ON JUNE 22, 2004 THAT STATES THAT MANAGEMENT MAY NOT CONCLUDE THAT THE
REGISTRANT'S INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING IS EFFECTIVE IF A
MATERIAL WEAKNESS EXISTS IN THE REGISTRANT'S INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL
REPORTING. WE MAY HAVE FURTHER COMMENT UPON REVIEWING YOUR RESPONSE.
Ms. Effie Simpson
January 26, 2005
Page 3 of 4
The Company's management believes the Company's internal controls are adequate
and effective in preventing future errors. As mentioned in number 1, above, the
Company hired a Director of Finance in November 2004 with relevant education and
work experience who will assume responsibility for the financial functions of
the Company, including, but not limited to, internal controls over financial
reporting. Further, the Company maintains strong management oversight, as well
as a division of responsibilities among its accounting personnel. Finally, the
Company's financial statements are reviewed by its outside accountants on a
quarterly basis.
Based upon the foregoing, the Company's management believes its internal
controls are effective so as to prevent a material weakness from existing or
occurring. The Company will continue to monitor its internal controls,
including, but not limited to, financial reporting and will make any adjustments
to its internal controls as the need arises.
ALSO, TELL US WHY YOU HAVE NOT DISCLOSED ANY CHANGES IN INTERNAL CONTROL OVER
FINANCIAL REPORTING IN YOUR JUNE 30, 2004 FORM 10-K. REFER TO ITEM 308(C) OF
REGULATION S-K.
The Company believes it has complied with Item 308(c) of Regulation S-K since
the reportable event occurred in the fourth quarter of the Company's 2004 fiscal
year end. The Company records its income tax accrual only at its fiscal year
end. As disclosed in Item 9A of the Company's Form 10-K, the Company did not
have sufficient competent accounting personnel as of June 30, 2004 and required
the assistance of its auditors in preparing its income tax accrual. In previous
fiscal years, the Company relied upon its auditors to assist in the preparation
of the Company's income tax accrual. However, the Company's auditors did not
require disclosure of their involvement with the income tax accrual until the
Company filed its June 30, 2004 Form 10-K. The Company remedied this material
weakness when it hired a Director of Finance in November 2004 with relevant
education and work experience who will assume responsibility for the financial
functions of the Company, including, but not limited to internal controls over
financial reporting.
4. TELL US OF YOUR ANTICIPATED FILING DATE FOR YOUR SEPTEMBER 30, 2004
FORM 10-Q.
The Company's September 30, 2004 Form 10-Q was filed on January 14, 2005.
5. IN CONNECTION WITH RESPONDING TO OUR COMMENTS, PLEASE PROVIDE, IN
WRITING, A STATEMENT FROM THE COMPANY ACKNOWLEDGING THAT: THE COMPANY IS
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ADEQUACY AND ACCURACY OF THE DISCLOSURE IN THE FILINGS;
STAFF COMMENTS OR CHANGES TO DISCLOSURE IN RESPONSE TO STAFF COMMENTS IN THE
FILINGS REVIEWED BY THE STAFF DO NOT FORECLOSE THE COMMISSION FROM TAKING ANY
ACTION WITH RESPECT TO THE FILING; AND THE COMPANY MAY NOT ASSERT STAFF COMMENTS
AS A DEFENSE IN ANY PROCEEDING INITIATED BY THE COMMISSION OR ANY PERSON UNDER
THE FEDERAL SECURITIES LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES.
Please see the attached statement.
Ms. Effie Simpson
January 26, 2005
Page 4 of 4
If you require additional information, I can be reached at (610) 935-2050.
Very truly yours,
NUTRITION MANAGEMENT SERVICES COMPANY
/s/ Joseph V. Roberts
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Joseph V. Roberts
Chief Executive Officer
COMPANY STATEMENT
The undersigned hereby acknowledge that: 1) Nutrition Management Services
Company ("Company") is responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the
disclosure in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission
("Commission"); 2) comments of the Commission or changes to the Company's
disclosure in response to Commission staff comments in the filings reviewed by
the Commission staff do not foreclose the Commission from taking any action with
respect to the Company's filing; 3) the Company may not assert Commission staff
comments as a defense in any proceeding initiated by the Commission or any
person under the federal securities laws of the United States.
/s/ Joseph V. Roberts
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Joseph V. Roberts
Chief Executive Officer
/s/ Linda J. Haines
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Linda J. Haines
Principal Financial Manager