SEC Issues Two C&DI’s Dealing with COVID-19 Deadline Relief

On April 6, 2020, CorpFin issued two Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations related to its Order providing COVID-19 reporting relief.  The first deals with the interaction of Form 10-K General Instruction G’s provision allowing incorporation by reference of information required in Part III of Form 10-K if a company expects to furnish its proxy within 120 days of year-end.  The second deals with the interaction of U.S. and Canadian COVID-19 related relief for filers that use Form 40-F, which is part of the SEC’s MJDS.

You can also find the SEC’s earlier C&DI’s dealing with the interaction of Form 12b-25 and the provisions in the Order in this post.

Question 104.18

Question: Form 10-K allows Part III information to be incorporated by reference from a registrant’s definitive proxy or information statement, or, under certain circumstances, filed as an amendment to the Form 10-K, not later than 120 days after the end of the related fiscal year. May a registrant that is unable to file the Part III information by the 120-day deadline avail itself of the relief provided by the COVID-19 Order (Release No. 34-88465(March 25, 2020)) for the filing of the Part III information?

Answer: Yes, as long as the 120-day deadline falls within the relief period specified in the Order and the registrant meets the conditions of the Order.

  • A registrant that timely filed its annual report on Form 10-K without relying on the COVID-19 Order should furnish a Form 8-K with the disclosures required in the Order by the 120-day deadline. The registrant would then need to provide the Part III information within 45 days of the 120-day deadline by including it in a Form 10-K/A or definitive proxy or information statement.
  • A registrant may invoke the COVID-19 Order with respect to both the Form 10-K and the Part III information by furnishing a single Form 8-K by the original deadline for the Form 10-K that provides the disclosures required by the Order, indicates that the registrant will incorporate the Part III information by reference and provides the estimated date by which the Part III information will be filed. The Part III information must then be filed no later than 45 days following the 120-day deadline.
  • A registrant that properly invoked the COVID-19 Order with respect to its Form 10-K by furnishing a Form 8-K but was silent on its ability to timely file Part III information may (1) include the Part III information in its Form 10-K filed within 45 days of the original Form 10-K deadline, or (2) furnish a second Form 8-K with the disclosures required in the Order by the original 120-day deadline and then file the Part III information no later than 45 days following the 120-day deadline by including it in a Form 10-K/A or definitive proxy or information statement. [April 6, 2020]

Question 112.02 

Question: An MJDS filer is required to file its Form 40-F on the same day the information included therein is due to be filed with any securities commission or equivalent regulatory authority in Canada. If an MJDS filer properly relies on any applicable Canadian COVID-19-related relief for extension of its filing deadline with the securities commission or equivalent regulatory authority, does the MJDS filer need to comply with the conditions for exemptive relief in the SEC’s COVID-19 Order (Release No. 34-88465 (March 25, 2020)) on the date the Form 40-F would have been due in the United States?

Answer: No. Under these facts, compliance with the conditions of the SEC’s COVID-19 Order on the original due date of the Form 40-F is not required. MJDS filers should also consider promptly disclosing their reliance on the Canadian COVID-19-related relief. [Apr. 6, 2020]

As always, your thoughts and comments are welcome!

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