SEC Company Response from Match Group, Inc. (MTCH) (CIK 0000891103) (MTCH) — May 3, 2007
Match Group, Inc. (MTCH) (CIK 0000891103)
Date: May 3, 2007 · CIK: 0000891103 · Accession: 0001104659-07-035312
AI Filing Summary & Sentiment
File numbers found in text: 000-20570
Referenced dates: April 5, 2007
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CORRESP 1 filename1.htm IAC/INTERACTIVECORP 555 West 18th Street New York, New York 10011 May 3, 2007 Securities and Exchange Commission 100 F Street, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20549 Attention: Linda Cvrkel RE: IAC/INTERACTIVECORP Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 Filed March 1, 2007 File No. 000-20570 Dear Ms. Cvrkel: Set forth below are the Staff’s comments conveyed in your comment letter dated April 5, 2007 pertaining to the filing listed above along with the Company’s responses: Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 Management’s Discussion and Analysis - Results of Operations for the Years Ended December 31, 2006, 2005 and 2004, page 39 1. Please expand your discussion of selling and marketing, and general and administrative expenses in future filings to quantify and discuss the significant cost components within these broad categories, such as licensing fees, product costs, product development costs, marketing costs, compensation and any other significant components that would enable readers to understand your business better. For example, you state that selling and marketing expense increased in 2006 due to the inclusion of IAC Search & Media and Cornerstone brands, and increases in marketing spending at Lending and Personals, but you do not quantify these changes or provide the actual cost figures necessary to put these changes in proper context. Also, please quantify factors such as price, mix, and volume changes that affect the changes in revenue in year over year comparison. Additionally, quantify the factors that affect Operating Income Before Amortization in your discussion of results of operations by segment. Response: We have noted the Staff’s comments. In future filings, we will expand our discussion of selling and marketing and general and administrative expenses to quantify and provide descriptive context regarding the significant components of these cost categories. We will continue to identify opportunities to enhance the discussion of factors related to the change in revenue in the year over year comparison in the discussion of consolidated results in future filings. In addition, we will continue to provide quantitative information regarding factors such as price, mix and volume that affect comparisons of year over year revenue in the discussion of the Company’s material operating segments, similar to the discussion that begins on page 46 of the Form 10-K. Finally, in future filings, we will quantify the factors that affect Operating Income Before Amortization in our discussion of results of operations for each material segment. 2. In future filings, please discuss and analyze revenue and cost of sales (rather than gross profit) separately for each segment. Because margins are impacted by both revenue and cost of sales, we believe a separate discussion of cost of sales results would be beneficial. Response: We have noted the Staff’s comments. In future filings, we will discuss and analyze revenue and costs of sales separately for each material segment. - Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates, page 62 3. In light of the significant balance of accounts receivable and disclosure in Note 2 that the allowance for doubtful accounts is a significant estimate, please consider revising your disclosure of critical accounting policies and estimates in future filings to include a discussion of your accounting for accounts receivable, specifically the allowance for doubtful accounts. Response: We have noted the Staff’s comments. In preparing future filings, we will consider revising our disclosure of critical accounting policies and estimates to include a discussion of our accounting for accounts receivable and for doubtful accounts. Consolidated Financial Statements Consolidated Statement of Operations, page 69 4. We note that cost of sales for both products and services does not appear to include depreciation expense. In future filings, please revise to present cost of sales as “cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation shown separately below)” on the face of the statements of operations to avoid placing undue emphasis on “cash flow.” See Staff Accounting Bulletin Topic 11B. Response: We have noted the Staff’s comments. In future filings, we will present cost of sales for both products and services as “cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation shown separately below)” on the face of the statement of operations. 2 Consolidated Balance Sheets, page 71 5. We note your balance of other accrued liabilities is 28% of total current liabilities. In your notes to the financial statements in future filings, please separately disclose any amounts greater than 5% of current liabilities. Response: We have noted the Staff’s comments. As of December 31, 2006 and 2005, there were no items included in other accrued current liabilities that were in excess of 5% of current liabilities. In future filings, we will continue to evaluate the components of other accrued current liabilities and separately disclose any items included in other accrued current liabilities that are greater than 5% of current liabilities, if applicable. Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity, page 72 6. We note your disclosure that you recorded a $17.8 million reduction to the amount distributed to Expedia shareholders in 2006 due to a reduced tax liability, and the amount is included in the statement of shareholders’ equity as an increase to additional paid-in capital. Please provide us specific details as to the nature and terms of this transaction. Also, tell us how you accounted for the transaction and explain in detail why you believe the treatment used was appropriate. Response: In conjunction with the Expedia Spin-off (the “Spin-off”), the Company and Expedia executed a tax sharing agreement. The agreement provided, among other things, that Expedia’s tax liability for the period from January 1, 2005 through August 8, 2005 (the effective date of the Spin-off) would be paid by the Company. The tax sharing agreement also provided that the Company in its sole discretion could elect the method to be used to derive Expedia’s tax liability for this period. The two methods from which the Company could elect were a discrete period calculation of Expedia’s taxable income through the date of the Spin-off or a pro rata allocation of taxable income for 2005 to the periods before and after the Spin-off. Expedia’s tax provision for the period prior to the Spin-off was initially calculated using a discrete period calculation. The resulting income tax liability as of the date of the Spin-off was transferred to the Company by Expedia in conjunction with the Spin-off. This transfer affected the amount of net assets of Expedia as of the date of the Spin-off. The distribution of the net assets of Expedia was recorded by the Company as a reduction of retained earnings and additional paid-in capital. In the third quarter of 2006, the Company completed an analysis of both companies’ 2005 taxable income and made a final election to use the pro rata allocation method to determine the income tax liability of Expedia prior to the Spin-off. This election ultimately resulted in a $17.8 million reduction in the income tax liability of Expedia associated with the period prior to the Spin-off that was assumed by the Company. Furthermore, this election reduced the net assets of Expedia that were spun-off to shareholders as of August 8, 2005. 3 The Company recorded this $17.8 million reduction in its income tax liability pursuant to its election under the tax sharing agreement as a reduction in income taxes payable and an increase to additional paid-in capital. We consider this treatment appropriate because the Company’s ultimate election under the tax sharing agreement was an agreed upon contractual provision and an inherent part of the Spin-off transaction. Notes to the Financial Statements Note 2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Revenue Recognition, page 77 7. We note your disclosure that revenue from Retailing is recorded when products are shipped. Please tell us, and disclose in your notes to the financial statements in future filings, the point at which the title of the product passes to the customer. Also, please indicate in your response and revised disclosure, the shipping terms of the products and why you believe it is appropriate to recognize revenue at the time of shipment. Response: The Company’s retailing business is predominantly comprised of domestic electronic retailing and domestic catalog retailing. In the aggregate, these businesses represented 89% of our retailing revenue and 98% of our retailing operating income for the year ended December 31, 2006. The invoices and other documents provided to customers in domestic electronic retailing transactions do not contain explicit language pertaining to the shipping terms associated with the sale. The invoices and other documents provided to customers in domestic catalog retailing transactions generally contain explicit language to the effect that the shipping terms associated with the sales are F.O.B. shipping point. Such documentation has been reviewed by the Company’s external legal counsel, along with the applicable provisions of the Uniform Commercial Code and applicable case law. Based upon our discussions with counsel subsequent to its review and analysis, the Company believes that title to goods in the Company’s transactions is transferred upon shipment. Accordingly, the Company believes that revenue related to its retailing businesses should be recognized (with appropriate provisions, in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 48, “Revenue Recognition When Right of Return Exists”, for expected experience of product returns) upon shipment because it is at this point that no further performance obligations to the customer remain, title passes to the customer, and the Company’s earnings process would conclude. We have noted the Staff’s comment. In future filings, we will disclose the point at which title passes to our customers, shipping terms and why we believe it is appropriate to recognize revenue upon shipment in our retailing transactions. 8. Tell us and disclose in future filings the “estimated economic life” or period over which ServiceMagic’s activation revenue is being recognized as revenue. As part of your response, please explain how you determined the expected economic life of your new network members. 4 Response: The balance of ServiceMagic’s deferred activation revenue was $1.8 million at December 31, 2006. ServiceMagic’s contractor activation fees are recognized as activation revenue over the estimated economic life of the contractor relationship. This period is three years and has been determined based upon an analysis of the historical transaction patterns of members who have participated in the Company’s contractor network. We have noted the Staff’s comments. In future filings, we will disclose the period over which ServiceMagic’s activation revenue is being recognized as revenue. - Advertising, page 83 9. We note your disclosure that catalog costs are capitalized on a catalog by catalog basis and are amortized over the expected period of future benefits. Please tell us and revise future filings to disclose the periods over which your capitalized catalog costs are being amortized to expense. As part of your response, you should also explain why you believe the period you are using is appropriate. Also, in future filings, please disclose the amount of advertising costs reported as an asset for each balance sheet presented. See paragraph 49 of SOP 93-7. Response: Catalog costs are being amortized to expense over periods that range from three to six months. These periods represent the estimated period of future benefit from the revenue stream associated with each catalog. The expected period of future benefits for each catalog is determined by an analysis of historical experience. Sales are matched to each individual catalog through the utilization of source/promotional codes captured at time of order. The Company believes that future response to its catalogs will resemble its prior experience because: (i) its distribution audience is similar in demographics; (ii) the Company consistently uses the same method of marketing; (iii) the Company is selling similar products; and (iv) the Company is unaware of any current economic conditions that will modify these patterns. Therefore, the Company believes the amortization periods being used are appropriate. Total capitalized catalog costs were $28 million and $32 million as of December 31, 2006 and 2005, respectively. We have noted the Staff’s comments. In future filings, we will disclose the amount of capitalized catalog costs reported as assets in accordance with paragraph 49 of SOP 93-7 and the periods over which capitalized catalog costs are being amortized to expense. - Amortization of Non-Cash Marketing, page 83 10. We note your disclosure that amortization of non-cash marketing consists of non-cash advertising secured from Universal Television as part of the transaction pursuant to which VUE was created, and the subsequent transaction by which IAC sold its partnership interests in VUE. We also note from Note 14 that you received $115 million worth of advertising time to be provided by NBC Universal over a three-year period. In light of the fact that the sale of your interest in VUE occurred 5 on June 7, 2005, please tell us if there was any non-cash marketing amortization recorded during the period June 8, 2005 through December 31, 2005. If so, please tell us where the amount is recorded on the statement of operations. If there was no expense recognized during 2005, please explain why. Response: Expense related to advertising secured in conjunction with the VUE transactions is recognized by the Company in its consolidated statement of operations at the time that such media is utilized. Upon use, the related expense is recorded within the operating results of the business unit making use of such media. The only use of VUE media time during 2005 was by Expedia. This usage, totaling $5.8 million, occurred between January 1, 2005 and August 8, 2005. Expedia was spun-off by IAC on August 8, 2005 and therefore, Expedia’s results have been presented as discontinued operations for the year ended December 31, 2005. Note 4. Adoption of SFAS No. 123R and Stock-Based Compensation, page 89 11. We note the disclosure indicating that in connection with the Spin-off, all outstanding share-based instruments of the Company were modified and the Company recorded a pre-tax modification charge of $67.0 million related to the treatment of vested stock options. Please explain in further detail the nature and terms of the modifications that were made to the Company’s share-based instruments in connection with the Spin-off transaction. Also, please explain how the amount of the $67 million modification charge recognized in connection with the spin-off transaction was calculated or determined. Response: The terms of share-based instruments issued by the Company in periods prior to the Spin-off did not include mandatory provisions related to the modification of such instruments in the event of a spin-off or recapitalization transaction. Accordingly, the exchange of these instruments for new awards in conjunction with the Spin-off was treated as a modification in accordance with SFAS No. 123. Presented below is a description of the terms of the modifications that were made to outstanding share-based instruments of the Company in connection with the Spin-off. Vested IAC Stock Options: Each vested option to purchase shares of IAC common stock was converted into an