SEC Publishes Sample Comment Letter Regarding XBRL Disclosure

Back in June, 2018, the SEC adopted the Inline XBRL requirements (see HERE) and since that time almost all new disclosure rules require either XBRL tagging or Inline XBRL.  In December 2022 a new law was passed requiring the SEC to “establish a program to improve the quality of the corporate financial data filed or furnished by issuers under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”),” causing the SEC to focus even more on XBRL use.  As a result, in September 2023, the SEC published a sample letter to companies regarding their XBRL disclosures.

The sample letter consists of six comments, which I have included in full below followed by a short commentary on the point.

1. Your filing does not include the required Inline XBRL presentation in accordance with Item 405 of Regulation S-T. Please file an amendment to the filing to include the required Inline XBRL presentation.

Item 405 details the content format and submission requirements for Inline XBRL.  The Rule is extremely technical and in reality both reporting companies and counsel rely on professional EDGAR agents to provide substantive assistance in ensuring compliance with the rule.

2. The common shares outstanding reported on the cover page and on your balance sheet are tagged with materially different values. It appears that you present the same data using different scales (presenting the whole amount in one instance and the same amount in thousands in the second).  Please confirm that you will present the information consistently in future filings.

This comment is self-explanatory.  The element presented is technically tagged as “EntityCommonStockSharesOutstanding” and appears on the cover of Forms 10-Q, 10-K, Form 20-F, and Form 40-F.

3. Disclosure under Regulation S-K Item 402(v) must be in Inline XBRL, in accordance with Item 405 of Regulation S-T and the EDGAR Filer Manual. Please ensure that you have provided the appropriate Inline XBRL tagging for all the required Item 402(v) data points.

Item 402 of Regulation S-K is part of the Pay vs. Performance rules adopted in August, 2022 – see HERE.  For the second time since the adoption of the rule, the SEC recently published guidance via new compliance and disclosure interpretations (“C&DI”) – see HERE.  The SEC previously published 15 C&DI on the subject in February 2023 – see HERE.

4. Refer to the [relationship disclosures] graph. Although it is permissible to combine one or more sets of relationship disclosures under Regulation S-K Item 402(v)(5) into one graph, table, or other format, note that you must still provide separate XBRL tags for each required item.  Please ensure that you have provided the appropriate Inline XBRL tagging for all the required Item 402(v) data points.

Comment 4 is also directed to the Pay vs. Performance rules.

5. You have used different XBRL elements to tag the same reported line item on the income statement from period to period. Please provide us your analysis as to how you concluded that the results reported necessitated the change in the element.  Alternatively, if you conclude that the change from period to period was not necessary to communicate a change in the nature of the line item, confirm that you will ensure that your choice remains consistent for line items from period to period.

An XBRL element is a code for which information is tagged.  The element could be a number such as the EntityCommonStockSharesOutstanding mentioned above, but it also can be indicative of other information such as a date (“DocumentPeriodEndDate”), a form type (DocumentQuarterlyReport), a name (EntityRegistrantName), address (EntityIncorporationStateCountryCode), or just about any other information which lends itself to comparative analysis and for which a code could be assigned, and which appears in periodic reports.

6. We note that instead of using an XBRL element consistent with current U.S. GAAP in your income statement, you instead used a custom tag. Custom tags are to be used by filers when an appropriate tag does not exist in the standard taxonomy.  See Item 405(c)(1)(iii)(B) of Regulation S-T.  Please tell us why the current U.S. GAAP tag is not applicable, or alternatively revise your disclosure, beginning with your next filing, to correctly tag this disclosure.

Again, this comment relates to technical requirements for which industry participants generally rely on a qualified EDGAR agent for assistance.

The Author

Laura Anthony, Esq.

Founding Partner

Anthony L.G., PLLC

A Corporate Law Firm

LAnthony@AnthonyPLLC.com

Securities attorney Laura Anthony and her experienced legal team provide ongoing corporate counsel to small and mid-size private companies, public companies as well as private companies going public on the Nasdaq, NYSE American or over-the-counter market, such as the OTCQB and OTCQX. For more than two decades Anthony L.G., PLLC has served clients providing fast, personalized, cutting-edge legal service.  The firm’s reputation and relationships provide invaluable resources to clients including introductions to investment bankers, broker-dealers, institutional investors and other strategic alliances. The firm’s focus includes, but is not limited to, compliance with the Securities Act of 1933 offer sale and registration requirements, including private placement transactions under Regulation D and Regulation S and PIPE Transactions, securities token offerings and initial coin offerings, Regulation A/A+ offerings, as well as registration statements on Forms S-1, S-3, S-8 and merger registrations on Form S-4; compliance with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including registration on Form 10, reporting on Forms 10-Q, 10-K and 8-K, and 14C Information and 14A Proxy Statements; all forms of going public transactions; mergers and acquisitions including both reverse mergers and forward mergers; applications to and compliance with the corporate governance requirements of securities exchanges including Nasdaq and NYSE American; general corporate; and general contract and business transactions. Ms. Anthony and her firm represent both target and acquiring companies in merger and acquisition transactions, including the preparation of transaction documents such as merger agreements, share exchange agreements, stock purchase agreements, asset purchase agreements and reorganization agreements. The ALG legal team assists Pubcos in complying with the requirements of federal and state securities laws and SROs such as FINRA for 15c2-11 applications, corporate name changes, reverse and forward splits and changes of domicile. Ms. Anthony is also the author of SecuritiesLawBlog.com, the small-cap and middle market’s top source for industry news, and the producer and host of LawCast.com, Corporate Finance in Focus. In addition to many other major metropolitan areas, the firm currently represents clients in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Atlanta, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Washington, D.C., Denver, Tampa, Detroit and Dallas.

Ms. Anthony is a member of various professional organizations including the Crowdfunding Professional Association (CfPA), Palm Beach County Bar Association, the Florida Bar Association, the American Bar Association and the ABA committees on Federal Securities Regulations and Private Equity and Venture Capital. She is a supporter of several community charities including the American Red Cross for Palm Beach and Martin Counties, Susan Komen Foundation, Opportunity, Inc., New Hope Charities, the Society of the Four Arts, the Norton Museum of Art, Palm Beach County Zoo Society, the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts and several others.

Ms. Anthony is an honors graduate from Florida State University College of Law and has been practicing law since 1993.

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