SEC Company Response from COTELLIGENT INC (CIK 0001004963) — Oct 27, 2005
COTELLIGENT INC (CIK 0001004963)
Date: Oct. 27, 2005 · CIK: 0001004963 · Accession: 0001193125-05-209304
AI Filing Summary & Sentiment
Referenced dates: April 8, 2004
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CORRESP 1 filename1.htm SEC Letter August 2, 2004 Securities and Exchange Commission Division of Corporation Finance Attn: Melissa N. Rocha 450 Fifth Street, N.W., Mail Stop 4-6 Washington, D.C. 20549-0404 Re: Cotelligent, Inc. Form 8-K filed July 8, 2004 Dear Ms. Rocha: We are responding to the comments of the Staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) in your July 20, 2004 letter to us with respect to Cotelligent, Inc.’s (“Cotelligent” or the “Company”) Form 8-K, which was filed with the Commission by the Company on July 8, 2004 (the “8-K”). In response to your letter, set forth below are your comments in bold followed by the Company’s responses to your comments. 1. Comment: Supplementally provide us a copy of any management letters from KPMG, LLP to the audit committee or Board of directors, as well as copies of any correspondence, reports, or notes to and from the company that addressed the weaknesses in the company’s financial accounting systems for each of the years ended December 31, 2003 and 2002. Response: Please find marked as Attachment I, a management letter issued by KPMG December 22, 2003, related to the audit for the year ended December 31, 2002. To date, KPMG has not issued a management letter related to the audit for the year ended December 31, 2003. KPMG LLP notified the Company orally in April 2004, prior to the filing of Form 10-K (which was filed on April 14), that a material weakness existed with respect to the audit of the 2003 financial statements. The Company then received a letter dated April 8, 2004, a copy of which is attached and marked as Attachment II, formally notifying the Company of the reportable condition. There are no other reports, notes, or correspondence to and from the Company that addressed weaknesses in the Company’s financial accounting systems for either of the years ended December 31, 2003 and 2002. 1 2. Comment: In detail, supplementally describe the nature of each reportable condition and material weakness and the amounts involved as applicable. Also, tell us: • in what period each material weakness and accounting error or misapplication of GAAP occurred, • the amount of each accounting error or misapplication of GAAP, • the reason(s) for each error or misapplication of accounting, • whether or not you intend to restate any prior period for any adjustments. If not, tell us why not, and, • in detail, all the steps you have taken (or plan to take) and procedures you have implemented (or plan to implement) to correct each concern detailed by KPMG, LLP. Response: The material weakness noted by KPMG, LLP occurred in the year ended December 31, 2003 and was the direct cause of the matter that led to the need for an audit adjustment that reduced an accrual for income taxes by $2.5 million. The Company previously established a $2.6 million accrual in 2001 to provide for income tax contingencies related to earlier tax periods and continued to maintain the $2.6 million accrual while the statute of limitations for the respective tax years remained open. During the year ended December 31, 2003, the Company was audited by the Internal Revenue Service for the tax years ended March 31, 2001 and 2002, years in which the tax contingencies initially arose. Subsequent to December 31, 2003, but prior to the filing of Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003, the Company’s tax preparer informed the Company that they had received notice from the Internal Revenue Service that the tax audit fieldwork was complete and that no additional tax was due (the only adjustment required was a $55,000 reduction to the net operating loss carry forward). In January 2004, the Internal Revenue Service requested, and the Company agreed to, an extension to the statute of limitations for the tax years under examination until July 28, 2005 in order to allow time for the tax audit fieldwork to be reviewed by the Internal Revenue Service. In light of the extension of the statute of limitations, the Company continued to maintain the $2.6 million accrual for income taxes at December 31, 2003 based upon its view that the audit by the Internal Revenue Service was incomplete and therefore, exposure to further tax audit adjustments potentially existed. In connection with its audit, KPMG concluded that the income tax accrual should be reduced by $2.5 million. KPMG pointed to the fact that the Company’s continued operating loss experience in years subsequent to the years related to the tax exposure coupled with the more recent change in tax law allowing operating losses to be carried back five years, covered the original tax exposure, such that, if the items giving rise to the 2 exposure were adjusted, there were now sufficient net operating losses available to apply against the adjustments. The Company had not identified the need to reduce this accrual. It is the Company’s understanding that KPMG determined that the Company’s failure to reduce its income tax accrual demonstrated that the Company failed to monitor business activities and changing circumstances in order to identify events that necessitate a more in-depth written and contemporaneous analysis or revaluation of prior management judgments and accounting estimates. The Company does not intend to restate any prior period as the reduction to the income tax accrual was appropriately recorded to the fourth quarter of 2003 The following two paragraphs explain why this adjustment was appropriately recorded in the fourth quarter of 2003. For tax purposes, Cotelligent changed its year-end from March 31 to a calendar year as of December 31, 2002. Therefore, it filed a 9-month return for the tax year ended December 31, 2002. According to Rev. Proc. 2002-37, if Cotelligent would have generated any taxable income during the first quarter of 2003, it would have been prohibited from carrying the $11,445,000 NOL generated in December 31, 2002 back to tax year ended March 31, 1999. (The 12-month loss through March 31, 2003 must be greater than the 9-month loss ending December 31, 2002.) At the time the 2002 tax provision was prepared in connection with the Company’s preparation of its Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2002, which 10-K was filed with the Commission prior to and near March 31, 2003, the Company did not know whether it would incur a loss for the first quarter of 2003 since the March quarter results were not known. Furthermore, the Company did not file its tax return for the tax period ended December 31, 2002 until September 15, 2003. It was only after the filing of the 2002 tax return on September 15, 2003 that all the pertinent information became available as to the magnitude of the losses for all periods and the fact that a taxable loss for the period April 1, 2002 – March 31, 2003 was in fact greater than the tax loss reported for the period April 1. 2002- December 31, 2002. It would have then became clear in the fourth quarter of 2003 that the losses for 2002 qualified for the 2002 Job Creation and Workers Assistance Act of 2002, which provides that NOLs arising in tax years ending in 2001 and 2002 can be carried back for 5 years. The Company would have then known in the fourth quarter of 2003 that certain tax contingencies no longer existed. The Company addressed KPMG LLP’s comment that it failed to monitor business activities and changing circumstances in order to identify events that necessitate a more in-depth written and contemporaneous analysis or revaluation of prior management judgments and accounting estimates. Within one month after receiving KPMG’s comment, the Company modified its internal control to require a written analysis prior to the filing of each quarter’s Form 10-Q and the 10-K that identifies changes in the Company’s business activities and changing circumstances and considers potential revaluation of prior management judgments and accounting estimates. This analysis is 3 applied to each of the areas of accounting identified under Critical Accounting Estimates on Form 10-K. In addition, immediately after receiving KPMG’s comment, the Company prepared a written analysis to support the $2.5 million reduction to the accrual for income taxes prior to the filing of Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003. Please find marked as Attachment III, a copy of the memorandum that discusses the accrual for income taxes. 3. Comment: Provide us with a list of year-end closing or adjusting entries you recorded to close the books, or in connection with or as a result of the audit for fiscal 2003 and 2002. Disclose the dollar effect of each adjustment on net loss. Briefly explain each entry. Explain why none of the adjustments related to prior periods and does not require restatement of the financial statements in prior periodic reports. Response: The following is a summary of the year end closing entries in connection with and as a result of the audit for the years ended December 31, 2003 and 2002. Except as otherwise noted below, these adjustments were identified as a result of the audit for the particular year. As a general rule, the Company records all adjustments identified regardless of materiality. The net effect of the 2003 entries, absent the entry that resulted from the material weakness, was an increase to the net operating loss of $2,337, which represented approximately 0.02% of our $12.5 million net loss in 2003. The net effect of the 2002 entries was a reduction to the net operating loss of $3,023, which represented approximately 0.03% of our $9.7 million net loss in 2002. Year Ended December 31, 2003 Adjustment number 1 – DR Prepaid assets (deferred acquisition costs) $ 174,663 CR Selling, general and administrative expense $ 174,663 To defer costs related to the potential acquisition of a target company until the date of completion of the purchase of the business. The adjustment reduced the net operating loss for the year by $174,663. The adjustment did not require restatement of any prior financial statements since the spending related to the acquisition occurred in the fourth quarter of 2003 and was therefore appropriately recorded in the fourth quarter of 2003. 4 Adjustment number 2 – DR Accrual for income tax $ 2,548,831 CR Provision for income taxes $ 2,548,831 To reduce the accrual for income taxes as fully described in the response to item 1 of this comment letter. The adjustment reduced the net operating loss for the year by $2,548,831. The adjustment did not require restatement of any prior financial statements since the adjustment related to the fourth quarter of 2003 as more fully described in response to item 1 of this comment letter. Adjustment number 3 – DR Obligation due seller of an acquired business $ 492,000 CR Retained earnings $ 492,000 To reduce an accrual related to a claim by the seller of an acquired business. The Company accrued for the claim in 2000 as internal counsel concluded that the likelihood of loss was probable. Upon a re-examination of the facts supporting the initial claim in the course of the 2003 audit, it was concluded that the likelihood of loss was never anything but remote. Accordingly, the accrual for the loss contingency was reversed to opening retained earnings. Disclosure of the adjustment to December 31, 2000 retained earnings was provided in the Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003 on the consolidated statement of stockholders’ equity with a parenthetical reference to footnote 12. The adjustment did not impact the net operating loss for 2003. The adjustment did not require restatement of any prior financial statements because the adjustment was considered not material to the operating loss for the year ended December 31, 2000 of $23.5 million. Adjustment number 4 – DR Impairment of long-lived assets $ 177,000 CR Property and equipment $ 177,000 The Company’s initial calculation of the annual impairment test had resulted in no impairment loss. During the course of the audit, changes to the impairment test analysis resulted in an impairment of long-lived assets related to property and equipment at the Company headquarters’ location due to a change in the grouping of assets between reporting units. The adjustment increased the net operating loss for 2003 by $177,000. The adjustment did not require restatement of any periodic reports as the asset impairment test was appropriately performed in the fourth quarter of 2003. 5 Adjustment number 5 – DR Other current liabilities $ 66,217 CR Restructuring liabilities $ 66,217 To reclassify an accrual for benefits related to people severed in connection with a restructuring to the restructuring liability. The adjustment had no impact on the net operating loss for 2003. The adjustment did not require restatement of any prior financial statements, even though the original accrual was created in September 2003, since the reclassification within current liabilities was not considered material individually or in the aggregate with the other adjustments identified by KPMG and the Company. Adjustment number 6 – DR Selling, general and administrative expenses $ 302,884 CR Loss from discontinued operations $ 302,884 To reclassify a write-down of amounts receivable from an acquirer of a discontinued operation to loss from continuing operations. The adjustment had no impact on the net operating loss for 2003. The adjustment was identified by the Company prior to the commencement of the audit but after the Company closed the books for the period. The adjustment did not require restatement of any prior financial statements since the write-down resulted from a revision to a note agreement agreed to in December 2003. Year Ended December 31, 2002 Adjustment number 1 – DR Revenue $ 310,159 CR Accounts receivable $ 310,159 DR Research and development expenses $ 133,000 CR Cost of services $ 133,000 To reverse revenue on services delivered to Bluebook International during the fourth quarter of 2002 and reclassify the associated cost of delivering such services to research and development expense. Between August and November of 2002, the Company had contributed services in addition to cash in exchange for an investment in preferred stock of Bluebook International. The Company did not recognize revenue in connection with this investment. Yet, for services provided in the fourth quarter of 2002, subsequent to the 6 investment, the Company initially recognized revenue. The revenue was reversed when it was determined that collectibility of the associated receivable was not certain. The adjustment increased the net operating loss for 2002 by $310,159. The adjustment did not require restatement of any prior financial statements since the services delivered in connection with the adjustment were provided in the fourth quarter of 2002. Adjustment number 2 – DR Selling, general and administrative expense $ 20,667 CR Prepaid expense $ 20,667 To write-down a reimbursement from a third party deemed to be un-collectible. The adjustment increased the net loss for 2002 by $20,667. The adjustment did not require restatement of any prior financial statements since the amount was considered to be not material. Adjustment number 3- DR Selling, general and administrative expense $ 39,935 DR Cost of services $ 64,964 CR Accounts payable $ 104,899 To accrue unrecorded liabilities at December 31, 2002. DR Accounts payable $ 100,216 CR Selling, general and administrative expense $ 100,216 To reverse the estimate for unrecorded liabilities established by the Company at December 31, 2002. The Company initially provided an estimate for unrecorded liabilities when closing the December 2002 general ledger in January 2003. As more information became available during the course of the audit in