Cardiff Lexington Corp 10-K

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS. An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully read and consider all of the risks described below, together with all of the other information contained or referred to in this report, before making an investment decision with respect to our securities. If any of the following events occur, our financial condition, business and results of operations (including cash flows) may be materially adversely affected. In that event, the market price of our shares could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment. Risks Related to Our Business and Structure We have incurred losses since our inception, and we may not be able to manage our business on a profitable basis. We have generated losses since inception and have relied on cash on hand, sales of securities, advances from stockholders and third-party and related party debt to support our operations. For the year ended December 31, 2022, we had a net loss of $4,623,521. Although revenue from our portfolio companies has increased since 2001, there is no guarantee that we will be successful in realizing revenues or in achieving or sustaining positive cash flow at any time in the future. Any such failure could result in the possible closure of our business or force us to seek additional capital through loans or additional sales of our equity securities to continue business operations, which would dilute the value of any shares you hold and could result in the loss of your entire investment. The report of our independent registered public accounting firm included a “going concern” explanatory paragraph. Although our audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2022 were prepared under the assumption that we would continue our operations as a going concern, the report of our independent registered public accounting firm that accompanies our financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2022 contains an explanatory paragraph relating to our ability to continue as a going concern due to the fact that we have sustained net loss since inception and have accumulated and working capital deficits. As of December 31, 2022, we had an accumulated deficit of $73.54 million and a working capital deficit of approximately $3.14 million. However, management believes, based on our operating plan, that current working capital and current and expected additional financing is sufficient to fund operations and satisfy our obligations as they come due for at least one year from the financial statement issuance date. However, we do believe additional funds are required to execute our business plan and our strategy of acquiring additional businesses. The funds required to execute our business plan will depend on the size, capital structure and purchase price consideration that the seller of a target business deems acceptable in a given transaction. The amount of funds needed to execute our business plan also depends on what portion of the purchase price of a target business the seller of that business is willing to take in the form of seller notes or our equity or equity in one of our subsidiaries. Given these factors, we believe that the amount of outside additional capital necessary to execute our business plan on the low end (assuming target company sellers accept a significant portion of the purchase price in the form of seller notes or our equity or equity in one of our subsidiaries) ranges between $2 million to $5 million. If, and to the extent, that sellers are unwilling to accept a significant portion of the purchase price in seller notes and equity, then the cash required to execute our business plan could be as much as $10 million. 17 Although we do not believe that we will require additional cash to continue our operations over the next twelve months, there are no assurances that we will be able to raise our revenues to a level which supports profitable operations and provides sufficient funds to pay obligations in the future. Our prior losses have had, and will continue to have, an adverse effect on our financial condition. In addition, continued operations and our ability to acquire additional businesses may be dependent on our ability to obtain additional financing in the future, and there are no assurances that such financing will be available to us at all or will be available in sufficient amounts or on reasonable terms. Our financial statements do not include any adjustments that may result from the outcome of this uncertainty. If we are unable to generate additional funds in the future through our operations, financings or from other sources or transactions, we will exhaust our resources and will be unable to continue operations. If we cannot continue as a going concern, our stockholders would likely lose most or all of their investment in our company. The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on our operations has had, and is expected to continue to have, a negative effect on our business, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to rapidly evolve. The COVID-19 pandemic is adversely affecting, and is expected to continue to adversely affect, our operations, and we have experienced and expect to continue to experience unpredictable reductions in demand for certain of our services. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, client enrollment at Platinum Tax has been at a slower pace than initially expected. In addition, during 2022, Platinum Tax experienced reduced enrollment due to governmental policy. As a result, the performance of Platinum Tax was effected and the pandemic had a material adverse impact on its market share growth plans and timelines. Additionally, in accordance with recommendations from public health officials to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, we have during periods of 2020 temporarily closed certain operations for several months. All operations are now open and functioning. Our results will be adversely impacted by any new closures and other actions taken to contain or treat the impact of COVID-19, and the extent of such impact will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted. Furthermore, the global deterioration in economic conditions, which may have an adverse impact on discretionary consumer spending or investing, could also impact our business and demand for our services. For instance, consumer spending and investing may be negatively impacted by general macroeconomic conditions, including a rise in unemployment, and decreased consumer confidence resulting from the pandemic. Our efforts to help mitigate the negative impact of the outbreak on our business may not be effective, and we may be affected by a protracted economic downturn. Furthermore, while many governmental authorities around the world have and continue to enact legislation to address the impact of COVID-19, including measures intended to mitigate some of the more severe anticipated economic effects of the virus, we may not benefit from such legislation, or such legislation may prove to be ineffective in addressing COVID-19’s impact on our and our customer’s businesses and operations. Even after the COVID-19 outbreak has subsided, we may continue to experience impacts to our business as a result of COVID-19’s global economic impact and any recession that has occurred or may occur in the future. Further, as the COVID-19 situation is unprecedented and continuously evolving, COVID-19 may also affect our operating and financial results in a manner that is not presently known to us or in a manner that we currently do not consider that may present significant risks to our operations. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic may impact our results will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted as of the date of this prospectus. Nevertheless, the pandemic and the current financial, economic and capital markets environment, and future developments in the global supply chain and other areas present material uncertainty and risk with respect to our performance, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. To the extent the COVID-19 pandemic adversely affects our business and financial results, it may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in this “ Risk Factors ” section. Our acquisition strategy exposes us to substantial risk. Our acquisition of companies is subject to substantial risk, including but not limited to the failure to identify material problems during due diligence (for which we may not be indemnified post-closing), the risk of over-paying for assets (or not making acquisitions on an accretive basis), the ability to obtain or retain customers and the risks of entering markets where we have limited experience. While we perform due diligence on prospective acquisitions, we may not be able to discover all potential operational deficiencies in such entities. 18 Our prior and future businesses may not perform as expected or the returns from such businesses may not support the financing utilized to acquire them or maintain them. Furthermore, integration and consolidation of acquired businesses requires substantial human, financial and other resources and may divert management’s attention from our existing business concerns, disrupt our ongoing business or not be successfully integrated. Even if we consummate businesses that we believe will be accretive, those businesses may in fact result in a decrease in revenues as a result of incorrect assumptions in our evaluation of such businesses, unforeseen consequences, or other external events beyond our control. Furthermore, if we consummate any future acquisitions, our capitalization and results of operations may change significantly, and stockholders will generally not have the opportunity to evaluate the economic, financial, and other relevant information that we will consider in determining the application of these funds and other resources. As a result, the consummation of acquisitions may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. We may experience difficulty as we evaluate, acquire and integrate businesses that we may acquire, which could result in drains on our resources, including the attention of our management, and disruptions of our on-going business. We acquire small to mid-sized businesses in various industries. Generally, because such businesses are privately held, we may experience difficulty in evaluating potential target businesses as much of the information concerning these businesses is not publicly available. Therefore, our estimates and assumptions used to evaluate the operations, management and market risks with respect to potential target businesses may be subject to various risks and uncertainties. Further, the time and costs associated with identifying and evaluating potential target businesses may cause a substantial drain on our resources and may divert our management team’s attention away from the operations of our businesses for significant periods of time. In addition, we may have difficulty effectively integrating and managing acquisitions. The management or improvement of businesses we acquire may be hindered by a number of factors, including limitations in the standards, controls, procedures and policies implemented in connection with such acquisitions. Further, the management of an acquired business may involve a substantial reorganization of the business’ operations resulting in the loss of employees and customers or the disruption of our ongoing businesses. We may experience greater than expected costs or difficulties relating to an acquisition, in which case, we might not achieve the anticipated returns from any particular acquisition. We may not be able to effectively integrate the businesses that we acquire. Our ability to realize the anticipated benefits of acquisitions will depend on our ability to integrate those businesses with our own. The combination of multiple independent businesses is a complex, costly and time-consuming process and there can be no assurance that we will be able to successfully integrate businesses into our business, or if such integration is successfully accomplished, that such integration will not be costlier or take longer than presently contemplated. Integration of future acquisitions may include various risks and uncertainties, including the factors discussed in the paragraph below. If we cannot successfully integrate and manage the businesses within a reasonable time, we may not be able to realize the potential and anticipated benefits of such acquisitions, which could have a material adverse effect on our stock price, business, cash flows, results of operations and financial position. We will consider acquisitions that we believe will complement, strengthen and enhance our growth. We evaluate opportunities on a preliminary basis from time to time, but these transactions may not advance beyond the preliminary stages or be completed. Such acquisitions are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including: · the inability to integrate effectively the operations, products, technologies and personnel of the acquired companies (some of which are in diverse geographic regions) and achieve expected synergies; · the potential disruption of existing business and diversion of management’s attention from day-to-day operations; · the inability to maintain uniform standards, controls, procedures and policies; 19 · the need or obligation to divest portions of the acquired companies; · the potential failure to identify material problems and liabilities during due diligence review of acquisition targets; · the potential failure to obtain sufficient indemnification rights to fully offset possible liabilities associated with acquired businesses; and · the challenges associated with operating in new geographic regions. Failure to manage our growing and changing business could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, and results of operations. As we grow, we expect to encounter additional challenges to our internal processes, capital commitment process, and acquisition funding and financing capabilities. Our existing operations, personnel, systems, and internal control may not be adequate to support our growth and expansion and may require us to make additional unanticipated investments in our infrastructure. To manage the future growth of our operations, we will be required to improve our administrative, operational, and financial systems, procedures, and controls, and maintain, expand, train, and manage our growing employee base. If we are unable to manage our growth effectively, we may not be able to take advantage of market opportunities, execute our business strategies successfully or respond to competitive pressures. As a result, our business, prospects, financial condition, and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. We face competition for businesses that fit our acquisition strategy and, therefore, we may have to acquire targets at sub-optimal prices or, alternatively, forego certain acquisition opportunities. We have been formed to acquire and manage small to mid-sized businesses. In pursuing such acquisitions, we expect to face strong competition from a wide range of other potential purchasers. Although the pool of potential purchasers for such businesses is typically smaller than for larger businesses, those potential purchasers can be aggressive in their approach to acquiring such businesses. Furthermore, we expect that we may need to use third-party financing in order to fund some or all of these potential acquisitions, thereby increasing our acquisition costs. To the extent that other potential purchasers do not need to obtain third-party financing or are able to obtain such financing on more favorable terms, they may be in a position to be more aggressive with their acquisition proposals. As a result, in order to be competitive, our acquisition proposals may need to be aggressively priced, including at price levels that exceed what we originally determined to be fair or appropriate. Alternatively, we may determine that we cannot pursue on a cost-effective basis what would otherwise be an attractive acquisition opportunity. We may not be able to successfully fund acquisitions due to the unavailability of equity or debt financing on acceptable terms, which could impede the implementation of our acquisition strategy. We finance acquisitions primarily through additional equity and debt financings. Because the timing and size of acquisitions cannot be readily predicted, we may need to be able to obtain funding on short notice to benefit fully from attractive acquisition opportunities. The sale of additional shares of any class of equity will be subject to market conditions and investor demand for such shares at prices that may not be in the best interest of our stockholders. The sale of additional equity securities could also result in dilution to our stockholders. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in increased debt service obligations and could require us to agree to operating and financial covenants that would restrict our operations. Financing may not be available in amounts or on terms acceptable to us, if at all. These risks may materially adversely affect our ability to pursue our acquisition strategy. 20 We may change our management and acquisition strategies without the consent of our stockholders, which may result in a determination by us to pursue riskier business activities. We may change our strategy at any time without the consent of our stockholders, which may result in our acquiring businesses or assets that are different from, and possibly riskier than, the strategy described in this prospectus. A change in our strategy may increase our exposure to interest rate and currency fluctuations, subject us to regulation under the Investment Company Act or subject us to other risks and uncertainties that affect our operations and profitability. We are a holding company and rely on distributions and other payments, advances, and transfers of funds from our subsidiaries to meet our obligations. Our primary business is the holding and managing of controlling interests our operating businesses. Therefore, we will be dependent upon the ability of our businesses to generate cash flows and, in turn, distribute cash to us in the form of distributions, advances and other transfers of funds to enable us to satisfy our financial obligations. The ability of our businesses to make payments to us may also be subject to limitations under laws of the jurisdictions in which they are incorporated or organized. In the future, we may seek to enter into credit facilities to help fund our acquisition capital and working capital needs. These credit facilities may expose us to additional risks associated with leverage and may inhibit our operating flexibility. We may seek to enter into credit facilities with third-party lenders to help fund our acquisitions. Such credit facilities will likely require us to pay a commitment fee on the undrawn amount and will likely contain a number of affirmative and restrictive covenants. If we violate any such covenants, our lenders could accelerate the maturity of any debt outstanding. Such debt may be secured by our assets, including the stock we may own in businesses that we acquire and the rights we have under intercompany loan agreements that we may enter into with our businesses. Our ability to meet our debt service obligations may be affected by events beyond our control and will depend primarily upon cash produced by businesses that we currently manage and may acquire in the future and distributed or paid to us. Any failure to comply with the terms of our indebtedness may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition. In addition, we expect that such credit facilities will bear interest at floating rates which will generally change as interest rates change. We will bear the risk that the rates that we are charged by our lenders will increase faster than we can grow the cash flow from our businesses or businesses that we may acquire in the future, which could reduce profitability, materially adversely affect our ability to service our debt, cause us to breach covenants contained in our third-party credit facilities and reduce cash flow available for distribution. The loss of the services of the current officers and directors could severely impact our business operations and future development, which could result in a loss of revenues and one’s ability to ever sell any shares. Our performance is substantially dependent upon the professional expertise of the current officers and board of directors. Each has extensive expertise in business development and acquisitions, and we are dependent on their abilities. If they are unable to perform their duties, this could have an adverse effect on business operations, financial condition, and operating results if we are unable to replace them with other individuals qualified to develop and market our business. The loss of their services could result in a loss of revenues, which could result in a reduction of the value of any shares you hold as well as the complete loss of your investment. 21 Our future success is dependent on the management teams of our businesses, the loss of any of whom could materially adversely affect our financial condition, business and results of operations. The future success of our existing and future businesses depends on the respective management teams of those businesses because we intend to operate our businesses on a stand-alone basis, primarily relying on their existing management teams for day-to-day operations. Consequently, their operational success, as well as the success of any organic growth strategy, will be dependent on the continuing efforts of the management teams of our businesses. We will seek to provide these individuals with equity incentives and to have employment agreements with certain persons we have identified as key to their businesses. However, these measures may not prevent these individuals from leaving their employment. The loss of services of one or more of these individuals may materially adversely affect our financial condition, business and results of operations. We may engage in a business transaction with one or more target businesses that have relationships with our executive officers, our directors, or any of their respective affiliates, which may create or present conflicts of interest. We may decide to engage in a business transaction with one or more target businesses with which our executive officers, our directors, or any of their respective affiliates, have a relationship, which may create or present conflicts of interest. Regardless of whether we obtain a fairness opinion from an independent investment banking firm with respect to such a transaction, conflicts of interest may still exist with respect to a particular acquisition and, as a result, the terms of the acquisition of a target business may not be as advantageous to our shareholders as it would have been absent any conflicts of interest. The operational objectives and business plans of our businesses may conflict with our operational and business objectives or with the plans and objective of another business we own and operate. Our businesses operate in different industries and face different risks and opportunities depending on market and economic conditions in their respective industries and regions. A business’ operational objectives and business plans may not be similar to our objectives and plans or the objectives and plans of another business that we own and operate. This could create competing demands for resources, such as management attention and funding needed for operations or acquisitions, in the future. If, in the future, we cease to control and operate our businesses or other businesses that we acquire in the future or engage in certain other activities, we may be deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act. We have the ability to make investments in businesses that we will not operate or control. If we make significant investments in businesses that we do not operate or control, or that we cease to operate or control, or if we commence certain investment-related activities, we may be deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act. Our decision to sell a business will be based upon financial, operating and other considerations rather than a plan to complete a sale of a business within any specific time frame. If we were deemed to be an investment company, we would either have to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act, obtain exemptive relief from the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, or modify our investments or organizational structure or our contract rights to fall outside the definition of an investment company. Registering as an investment company could, among other things, materially adversely affect our financial condition, business and results of operations, materially limit our ability to borrow funds or engage in other transactions involving leverage and require us to add directors who are independent of us and otherwise will subject us to additional regulation that will be costly and time-consuming. 22 We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. If we fail to develop or maintain an effective system of internal controls, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results and prevent fraud. As a result, current and potential shareholders could lose confidence in our financial statements, which would harm the trading price of our common shares. Companies that file reports with the SEC, including us, are subject to the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or SOX 404. SOX 404 requires management to establish and maintain a system of internal control over financial reporting and annual reports on Form 10-K filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, to contain a report from management assessing the effectiveness of a company’s internal control over financial reporting. Separately, under SOX 404, as amended by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, public companies that are large accelerated filers or accelerated filers must include in their annual reports on Form 10-K an attestation report of their regular auditors attesting to and reporting on management’s assessment of internal control over financial reporting. Non-accelerated filers and smaller reporting companies, like us, are not required to include an attestation report of their auditors in annual reports. A report of our management is included under Item 9A “ Controls and Procedures .” We are a smaller reporting company and, consequently, are not required to include an attestation report of our auditor in our annual report. However, if and when we become subject to the auditor attestation requirements under SOX 404, we can provide no assurance that we will receive a positive attestation from our independent auditors. During its evaluation of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, management identified material weaknesses. These material weaknesses were associated with our lack of (i) controls in place to ensure that all disclosures required were originally addressed in our consolidated financial statements, (ii) formal documentation over internal control procedures and environment, (iii) proper segregation of duties and multiple level of reviews and (iv) expertise in accounting of derivative liabilities. We also have not developed and effectively communicated our accounting policies and procedures to our employees. We are undertaking remedial measures, which measures will take time to implement and test, to address these material weaknesses. There can be no assurance that such measures will be sufficient to remedy the material weaknesses identified or that additional material weaknesses or other control or significant deficiencies will not be identified in the future. If we continue to experience material weaknesses in our internal controls or fail to maintain or implement required new or improved controls, such circumstances could cause us to fail to meet our periodic reporting obligations or result in material misstatements in our financial statements, or adversely affect the results of periodic management evaluations and, if required, annual auditor attestation reports. Each of the foregoing results could cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information and lead to a decline in our stock price. Risks Related to Our Healthcare Business Our ability to grow our business through organic expansion either by developing new facilities or by modifying existing facilities is dependent upon many factors. Our ability to grow our business through organic expansion is dependent on capacity and occupancy at our facilities. Should our facilities reach maximum occupancy, we may need to implement other growth strategies either by developing new facilities or by modifying existing facilities. Our facilities typically need to be purpose-designed in order to enable the type and quality of service that we provide. Consequently, we must either develop sites to create facilities or purchase or lease existing facilities, which may require substantial modification. We must be able to identify suitable sites and there is no guarantee that such sites will be available at all, or at an economically viable cost or in areas of sufficient demand for our services. The subsequent successful development and construction of a new facility is contingent upon, among other things, negotiation of construction contracts, regulatory permits and planning consents and satisfactory completion of construction. Similarly, our ability to expand existing facilities is also dependent upon various factors, including identification of appropriate expansion projects, permitting, licensure, financing, integration into our relationships with payors and referral sources, and margin pressure as new facilities are filled with patients. 23 Delays caused by difficulties in respect of any of the above factors may lead to cost overruns and longer periods before a return is generated on an investment, if at all. We may incur significant capital expenditure but due to a regulatory, planning or other reason, may find that we are prevented from opening a new facility or modifying an existing facility. Moreover, even when incurring such development capital expenditure, there is no guarantee that we can fill beds when they become available. Upon operational commencement of a new facility, we typically expect that it will take approximately 12-18 months to reach our targeted occupancy level. Any delays or stoppages in our projects, the unsatisfactory completion or construction of such projects or the failure of such projects to increase our occupancy levels could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Changes to payment rates or methods of third-party payors, including government healthcare programs, changes to the laws and regulations that regulate payments for medical services, the failure of payment rates to increase as our costs increase, or changes to our payor mix, could adversely affect our operating margins and revenues. Our revenue is primarily provided by bodily injury policies, general liability policies, and personal injury protection policies, which partially insulates our business from the declining reimbursement programs paid from or correlated to Medicare/Medicaid and traditional health insurance companies. However, we do also depend on private and governmental third-party sources of payment for the services provided to patients and assume financial risks related to changes in third-party reimbursement rates and changes in payor mix. In some cases, our revenue decreases if our volume or reimbursement decreases, but our expenses, including physician compensation, may not decrease proportionately. The amount we receive for our services may be adversely affected by market and cost factors as well as other factors over which we have no control, including changes to the Medicare and Medicaid payment systems. Health reform efforts at the federal and state levels may increase the likelihood of significant changes affecting government healthcare programs and private insurance coverage. Government healthcare programs are subject to, among other things, statutory and regulatory changes, administrative rulings, interpretations and determinations concerning patient eligibility requirements, funding levels and the method of calculating payments or reimbursements, all of which could materially increase or decrease payments we receive from these government programs. Further, Medicare reimbursement rates are increasingly used by private payors as benchmarks to establish commercial reimbursement rates and any adjustment in Medicare reimbursement rates may impact our reimbursement rates from such private payors as well. There are significant private and public sector pressures to restrain healthcare costs and to restrict reimbursement rates for medical services, and we believe that such pressures will continue. Many states are continuing to collect less revenue than they did in prior years, and as a result may face ongoing budget shortfalls and underfunded pension and other liabilities. Deteriorating financial conditions in the states in which we operate could lead to reduced or delayed funding for Medicaid programs, which may reduce or delay the reimbursement we receive for services provided. Major payors of healthcare, including federal and state governments and private insurers, have taken steps in recent years to monitor and control costs, eligibility for and use and delivery of healthcare services, and to revise payment methodologies. As part of their efforts to contain healthcare costs, purchasers increasingly are demanding discounted or global fee structures or the assumption by healthcare providers of all or a portion of the financial risk through shared risk, capitation and care management arrangements, often in exchange for exclusive or preferred participation in their benefit plans. Further, the ability of commercial payors to control healthcare costs may be enhanced by the increasing consolidation of insurance and managed care companies, which may reduce our ability to negotiate favorable contracts with such payors. We expect efforts to impose greater discounts and more stringent cost controls by government and other payors to continue, thereby reducing the payments we receive for our services. The effect of cost containment trends will depend, in part, on our payor mix. We cannot assure you that we will be able to offset reduced operating margins through cost reductions, increased volume, the introduction of additional procedures or otherwise. In addition, we cannot assure you that future changes to reimbursement rates by government healthcare programs, cost containment measures by private third-party payors, including fixed fee schedules and capitated payment arrangements, or other factors affecting payments for healthcare services will not adversely affect our future revenues, operating margins, or profitability. 24 An increase in uninsured or underinsured patients or the deterioration in the collectability of the accounts of such patients could harm our results of operations. Collection of receivables from third-party payors and patients is critical to our operating performance. Our primary collection risks relate to uninsured patients and the portion of the bill that is the patient’s responsibility, which primarily includes co-payments and deductibles. We determine the transaction price based on established billing rates reduced by contractual adjustments provided to third-party payors, discounts provided to uninsured patients and implicit price concessions. Contractual adjustments and discounts are based on contractual agreements, discount policies and historical experience. Implicit price concessions are based on historical collection experience. Significant changes in business office operations, payor mix, economic conditions or trends in federal and state governmental health coverage could affect our collection of accounts receivable, cash flow and results of operations. If we experience unexpected increases in the growth of uninsured and underinsured patients or in bad debt expenses, our results of operations will be harmed. Failure to timely or accurately bill for services could have a negative impact on our net revenue, bad debt expense and cash flow. Billing for healthcare services is an important but complex aspect of our business. In particular, the current practice of providing physician services in advance of payment or, in some cases, irrespective of the patient’s ability to pay for such services, may have significant negative impact on our net revenue, bad debt expense and cash flow. We bill numerous and varied payors, such as bodily injury policies, general liability policies, and personal injury protection policies, self-pay patients, managed care payors and Medicare and Medicaid. These different payors typically have different billing requirements that must be satisfied prior to receiving payment for services rendered. Reimbursement is typically conditioned on our documenting medical necessity, the appropriate level of service and correctly applying diagnosis codes. Incorrect or incomplete documentation and billing information could result in non-payment for services rendered. Additional factors that could complicate our ability to timely or accurately bill payors include: · disputes between payors as to which party is responsible for payment; · failure of information systems and processes to submit and collect claims in a timely manner; · variation in coverage for similar services among various payors; · our reliance on third-parties to provide billing services for certain of our service lines; · the difficulty of adherence to specific compliance requirements, diagnosis coding and other procedures mandated by various payors; and · in connection with billing for physician services, failure to obtain proper physician credentialing and documentation in order to bill various payors. To the extent that the complexity associated with billing for healthcare services we provide causes delays in our cash collections, we may experience increased carrying costs associated with the aging of our accounts receivable as well as increased potential for bad debt expense. Our facilities face competition for patients from other healthcare providers. The healthcare industry is highly competitive, and competition among healthcare providers for patients and physicians has intensified in recent years. In all of the geographical areas in which we operate, there are other facilities that provide services comparable to those offered by our facilities. Some of our competitors include facilities that are owned by tax-supported governmental agencies or by nonprofit corporations and may be supported by endowments and charitable contributions and exempt from property, sales and income taxes. Such exemptions and support are not available to us. 25 Certain of our competitors may have greater financial resources, be better equipped and offer a broader range of services than we offer. The number of facilities in the geographic areas in which we operate has increased significantly. As a result, most of our facilities operate in an increasingly competitive environment. If our competitors are better able to attract patients, recruit physicians and other healthcare professionals, expand services or obtain favorable managed care contracts at their facilities, we may experience a decline in patient volume and our business may be harmed. Our performance depends on our ability to recruit and retain quality physicians. The success and competitive advantage of our facilities depends, in part, on the number and quality of the physicians on the medical staffs of our facilities, the admitting practices of those physicians and our maintenance of good relations with those physicians. Physicians generally are not employees of our facilities and may have admitting privileges at other similar facilities to ours. They may terminate their affiliation with us at any time. If we are unable to provide high ethical and professional standards, adequate support personnel and technologically advanced equipment and facilities that meet the needs of those physicians, they may be discouraged from referring patients to our facilities and our results of operations may decline. Our performance depends on our ability to attract and retain qualified nurses and medical support staff and we face competition for staffing that may increase our labor costs and harm our results of operations. We depend on the efforts, abilities, and experience of our medical support personnel, including our nurses, pharmacists and lab technicians and other healthcare professionals. We compete with other healthcare providers in recruiting and retaining qualified hospital management, nurses and other medical personnel. The nationwide shortage of nurses and other clinical staff and support personnel has been a significant operating issue facing us and other healthcare providers. In particular, like others in the healthcare industry, we continue to experience a shortage of nurses and other clinical staff and support personnel at our facilities in many geographic areas, which shortage has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In some areas, the increased demand for care is putting a strain on our resources and staff, which has required us to utilize higher-cost temporary labor and pay premiums above standard compensation for essential workers. The length and extent of the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are currently unknown; however, we expect such disruptions to continue into 2023 and potentially throughout the duration of the pandemic and beyond. This staffing shortage may require us to further enhance wages and benefits to recruit and retain nurses and other clinical staff and support personnel or require us to hire expensive temporary personnel. To the extent we cannot maintain sufficient staffing levels at our facilities, we may be required to limit our services at certain of our facilities which would have a corresponding adverse effect on our net revenues. We cannot predict the degree to which we will be affected by the future availability or cost of attracting and retaining talented medical support staff. If our general labor and related expenses increase, we may not be able to raise our rates correspondingly. Our failure to either recruit and retain qualified management, nurses and other medical support personnel or control our labor costs could harm our results of operations. If we do not continually enhance our facilities with the most recent technological advances in diagnostic and surgical equipment, our ability to maintain and expand our markets will be adversely affected. The technology used in medical equipment and related devices is constantly evolving and, as a result, manufacturers and distributors continue to offer new and upgraded products to healthcare providers. To compete effectively, we must continually assess our equipment needs and upgrade when significant technological advances occur. If our facilities do not stay current with technological advances in the healthcare industry, patients may seek treatment from other providers and/or physicians may refer their patients to alternate sources, which could adversely affect our results of operations and harm our business. 26 If we fail to comply with extensive laws and government regulations, we could suffer civil or criminal penalties or be required to make significant changes to our operations that could reduce our revenue and profitability. The healthcare industry is required to comply with extensive and complex laws and regulations at the federal, state and local government levels relating to, among other things: hospital billing practices and prices for services; relationships with physicians and other referral sources; adequacy of medical care and quality of medical equipment and services; ownership of facilities; qualifications of medical and support personnel; confidentiality, maintenance, privacy and security issues associated with health-related information and patient medical records; certification, licensure and accreditation of our facilities; operating policies and procedures, and; construction or expansion of facilities and services. Among these laws are the federal False Claims Act, HIPAA and the federal anti-kickback statute and the provision of the Social Security Act commonly known as the “Stark Law.” These laws, and particularly the anti-kickback statute and the Stark Law, impact the relationships that we may have with physicians and other referral sources. We have a variety of financial relationships with physicians who refer patients to our facilities. The Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, or OIG, has enacted safe harbor regulations that outline practices that are deemed protected from prosecution under the anti-kickback statute. A number of our current arrangements, including financial relationships with physicians and other referral sources, may not qualify for safe harbor protection under the anti-kickback statute. Failure to meet a safe harbor does not mean that the arrangement necessarily violates the anti-kickback statute, but may subject the arrangement to greater scrutiny. We cannot assure that practices that are outside of a safe harbor will not be found to violate the anti-kickback statute. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, published a Medicare self-referral disclosure protocol, which is intended to allow providers to self-disclose actual or potential violations of the Stark Law. Because there are only a few judicial decisions interpreting the Stark Law, there can be no assurance that our facilities will not be found in violation of the Stark Law or that self-disclosure of a potential violation would result in reduced penalties. Federal regulations issued under HIPAA contain provisions that require us to implement and, in the future, may require us to implement additional costly electronic media security systems and to adopt new business practices designed to protect the privacy and security of each of our patient’s health and related financial information. Such privacy and security regulations impose extensive administrative, physical and technical requirements on us, restrict our use and disclosure of certain patient health and financial information, provide patients with rights with respect to their health information and require us to enter into contracts extending many of the privacy and security regulatory requirements to third parties that perform duties on our behalf. Additionally, recent changes to HIPAA regulations may result in greater compliance requirements, including obligations to report breaches of unsecured patient data, as well as create new liabilities for the actions of parties acting as business associates on our behalf. These laws and regulations are extremely complex, and, in many cases, we do not have the benefit of regulatory or judicial interpretation. In the future, it is possible that different interpretations or enforcement of these laws and regulations could subject our current or past practices to allegations of impropriety or illegality or could require us to make changes in our facilities, equipment, personnel, services, capital expenditure programs and operating expenses. A determination that we have violated one or more of these laws, or the public announcement that we are being investigated for possible violations of one or more of these laws, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations and our business reputation could suffer significantly. In addition, we cannot predict whether other legislation or regulations at the federal or state level will be adopted, what form such legislation or regulations may take or what their impact on us may be. If we are deemed to have failed to comply with the anti-kickback statute, the Stark Law or other applicable laws and regulations, we could be subjected to liabilities, including criminal penalties, civil penalties (including the loss of our licenses to operate one or more facilities), and exclusion of one or more facilities from participation in the Medicare, Medicaid and other federal and state healthcare programs. The imposition of such penalties could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. 27 We are subject to occupational health, safety and other similar regulations and failure to comply with such regulations could harm our business and results of operations. We are subject to a wide variety of federal, state and local occupational health and safety laws and regulations. Regulatory requirements affecting us include, but are not limited to, those covering: (i) air and water quality control; (ii) occupational health and safety (e.g., standards regarding blood-borne pathogens and ergonomics, etc.); (iii) waste management; (iv) the handling of asbestos, polychlorinated biphenyls and radioactive substances; and (v) other hazardous materials. If we fail to comply with those standards, we may be subject to sanctions and penalties that could harm our business and results of operations. We may be required to spend substantial amounts to comply with statutes and regulations relating to privacy and security of protected health information. There are currently numerous legislative and regulatory initiatives in the U.S. addressing patient privacy and information security concerns. In particular, federal regulations issued under HIPAA require our facilities to comply with standards to protect the privacy, security and integrity of protected health information, or PHI. These requirements include the adoption of certain administrative, physical, and technical safeguards; development of adequate policies and procedures, training programs and other initiatives to ensure the privacy of PHI is maintained; entry into appropriate agreements with so-called business associates; and affording patients certain rights with respect to their PHI, including notification of any breaches. Compliance with these regulations requires substantial expenditures, which could negatively impact our business, financial condition or results of operations. In addition, our management has spent, and may spend in the future, substantial time and effort on compliance measures. Violations of the privacy and security regulations could subject our operations to substantial civil monetary penalties and substantial other costs and penalties associated with a breach of data security, including criminal penalties. We may also be subject to substantial reputational harm if we experience a substantial security breach involving PHI. State efforts to regulate the construction or expansion of health care facilities could impair our ability to expand. Many states, including Florida, have enacted certificates of need, or CON, laws as a condition prior to capital expenditures, construction, expansion, modernization or initiation of major new services. Failure to obtain necessary state approval can result in our inability to complete an acquisition, expansion or replacement, the imposition of civil or, in some cases, criminal sanctions, the inability to receive Medicare or Medicaid reimbursement or the revocation of a facility’s license, which could harm our business. In addition, significant CON reforms have been proposed in a number of states that would increase the capital spending thresholds and provide exemptions of various services from review requirements. In the past, we have not experienced any material adverse effects from those requirements, but we cannot predict the impact of these changes upon our operations. A cyber security incident could cause a violation of HIPAA, breach of member privacy, or other negative impacts. We rely extensively on our information technology, or IT, systems to manage clinical and financial data, communicate with our patients, payers, vendors and other third parties and summarize and analyze operating results. In addition, we have made significant investments in technology to adopt and utilize electronic health records and to become meaningful users of health information technology pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Our IT systems are subject to damage or interruption from power outages, facility damage, computer and telecommunications failures, computer viruses, security breaches including credit card or personally identifiable information breaches, vandalism, theft, natural disasters, catastrophic events, human error and potential cyber threats, including malicious codes, worms, phishing attacks, denial of service attacks, ransomware and other sophisticated cyber-attacks, and our disaster recovery planning cannot account for all eventualities. As cyber criminals continue to become more sophisticated through evolution of their tactics, techniques and procedures, we have taken, and will continue to take, additional preventive measures to strengthen the cyber defenses of our networks and data. However, if any of our systems are damaged, fail to function properly or otherwise become unavailable, we may incur substantial costs to repair or replace them, and may experience loss or corruption of critical data such as protected health information or other data subject to privacy laws and proprietary business information and interruptions or disruptions and delays in our ability to perform critical functions, which could materially and adversely affect our businesses and results of operations and could result in significant penalties or fines, litigation, loss of customers, significant damage to our reputation and business, and other losses. In addition, our future results of operations, as well as our reputation, could be adversely impacted by theft, destruction, loss, or misappropriation of public health information, other confidential data or proprietary business information. 28 We may fail to deal with clinical waste in accordance with applicable regulations or otherwise be in breach of relevant medical, health and safety or environmental laws and regulations. As part of our normal business activities, we produce and store clinical waste which may produce effects harmful to the environment or human health. The storage and transportation of such waste is strictly regulated. Our waste disposal services are outsourced and should the relevant service provider fail to comply with relevant regulations, we could face sanctions or fines which could adversely affect our brand, reputation, business or financial condition. Health and safety risks are inherent in the services that we provide and are constantly present in our facilities, primarily in respect of food and water quality, as well as fire safety and the risk that service users may cause harm to themselves, other service users or employees. From time to time, we have experienced, like other providers of similar services, undesirable health and safety incidents. Some of our activities are particularly exposed to significant medical risks relating to the transmission of infections or the prescription and administration of drugs for residents and patients. If any of the above medical or health and safety risks were to materialize, we may be held liable, fined and any registration certificate could be suspended or withdrawn for failure to comply with applicable regulations, which may have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition. If any of our existing healthcare facilities lose their accreditation or any of our new facilities fail to receive accreditation, such facilities could become ineligible to receive reimbursement under Medicare or Medicaid. The construction and operation of healthcare facilities are subject to extensive federal, state and local regulation relating to, among other things, the adequacy of medical care, equipment, personnel, operating policies and procedures, fire prevention, rate-setting and compliance with building codes and environmental protection. Additionally, such facilities are subject to periodic inspection by government authorities to assure their continued compliance with these various standards. All of our healthcare facilities are deemed certified, meaning that they are accredited, properly licensed under the relevant state laws and regulations and certified under the Medicare program. The effect of maintaining certified facilities is to allow such facilities to participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. We believe that all of our healthcare facilities are in material compliance with applicable federal, state, local and other relevant regulations and standards. However, should any of our healthcare facilities lose their deemed certified status and thereby lose certification under the Medicare or Medicaid programs, such facilities would be unable to receive reimbursement from either of those programs and our business could be materially adversely effected. We could be subject to lawsuits which could harm the value of our business, including litigation for which we are not fully reserved. From time-to-time we are involved in lawsuits, claims, audits and investigations, including those arising out of services provided, personal injury claims, professional liability claims, billing and marketing practices, employment disputes and contractual claims. Physicians, hospitals and other participants in healthcare delivery have become subject to an increasing number of lawsuits alleging medical malpractice and related legal theories such as negligent hiring, supervision and credentialing. Some of these lawsuits may involve large claim amounts and substantial defense costs. We generally procure professional liability insurance coverage for our medical professionals. A substantial portion of our professional liability loss risks are provided by third-party insurers. Moreover, in the normal course of our business, we are involved in lawsuits, claims, audits and investigations, including those arising out of our billing and marketing practices, employment disputes, contractual claims and other business disputes for which we may have no insurance coverage, and which are not subject to actuarial estimates. The outcome of these matters could have a material effect on our results of operations in the period when we identify the matter, and the ultimate outcome could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. We may become subject to future lawsuits, claims, audits and investigations that could result in substantial costs and divert our attention and resources and adversely affect our business condition. In addition, since our current growth strategy includes acquisitions, among other things, we may become exposed to legal claims for the activities of an acquired business prior to the acquisition. These lawsuits, claims, audits or investigations, regardless of their merit or outcome, may also adversely affect our reputation and ability to expand our business. 29 Risks Related to Our Financial Services (Tax Resolution) Business Changes in applicable tax laws have had, and may in the future have, a negative impact on the demand for and pricing of our services. Government changes in tax filing processes may adversely affect our business and our consolidated financial position, results of operations, and cash flows. The U.S. government has in the past made, and may in the future make, changes to the individual income tax provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, tax regulations, and the rules and procedures for implementing such laws and regulations. In addition, taxing authorities or other relevant governing bodies in various federal, state and local jurisdictions in which we operate may change the income tax laws in their respective jurisdictions, and such laws may vary greatly across the various jurisdictions. It is difficult to predict the manner in which future changes to the Internal Revenue Code, tax regulations, and the rules and procedures for implementing such laws and regulations, and state, local, and foreign tax laws may impact us and our industry. Such future changes could decrease the demand or the amount we charge for our services, and, in turn, have a material adverse effect on our business and our consolidated financial position, results of operations, and cash flows. In addition, there are various initiatives from time to time seeking to simplify the tax return preparation filing process. Taxing authorities in various state and local in which we operate have also introduced measures seeking to simplify or otherwise modify the preparation and filing of tax returns or the issuance of refunds in their respective jurisdictions. For example, from time to time, U.S. federal and state governments have considered various proposals through which the respective governmental taxing authorities would use taxpayer information provided by employers, financial institutions, and other payers to “pre-populate,” prepare and calculate tax returns and distribute them to taxpayers. There are various initiatives from time to time seeking to expedite, reduce, or change the timing of refunds, which could reduce the demand for certain of our services. The adoption or expansion of any measures that significantly simplify tax return preparation, or otherwise reduce the need for third-party tax return preparation services, including governmental encroachment at the U.S. federal and state levels, could reduce demand for our tax preparation services and could have a material adverse effect on our business and our consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows. Increased competition for clients could adversely affect our current market share and profitability. We face substantial competition. All categories in the tax return resolution and preparation industry are highly competitive. In the tax preparation category in particular, there are a substantial number of tax return preparation firms and accounting firms offering tax return preparation services. Commercial tax return preparers are highly competitive with regard to price and service. Individual tax filers may elect to change their tax preparation method, choosing from among various assisted and virtual offerings. Technology advances quickly and in new and unexpected ways, and it is difficult to predict the manner in which these changes will impact the tax resolution and preparation industry, the problems we may encounter in enhancing our services or the time and resources we may need to devote to the creation, support, and maintenance of technological enhancements. If we are slow to enhance our services or technologies, if our competitors are able to achieve results more quickly than us, or if there are new and unexpected entrants into the industry, we may fail to capture, or lose, a significant share of the market. Our businesses may be adversely affected by difficult economic conditions. Unfavorable changes in economic conditions, which are typically beyond our control, including without limitation, inflation, slowing growth, rising interest rates, recession, changes in the political climate, war (including, but not limited to, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine), supply chain or labor market disruptions, or other adverse changes, could negatively affect our business and financial condition. Difficult economic conditions are frequently characterized by high unemployment levels and declining consumer and business spending. These poor economic conditions may negatively affect demand and pricing for our services. 30 In addition, difficult economic conditions may disproportionately impact small business owners. Our revenues were negatively impacted during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and may again be negatively impacted in the event of a sustained economic slowdown or recession. Difficult economic conditions, including an economic recession or high inflationary period, could have a material adverse effect on our business and our consolidated financial position, results of operations, and cash flows. An interruption in our information systems, or a third party on which we rely, or an interruption in the internet, could have a material adverse effect on our business and our consolidated financial position, results of operations, and cash flows. We and other third parties material to our business operations rely heavily upon communications, networks, and information systems and the internet to conduct our business (including third-party internet-based or cloud computing services). These networks, systems, and operations are potentially vulnerable to damage or interruption from upgrades and maintenance, network failure, hardware failure, software failure, power or telecommunications failures, cyberattacks, human error, and natural disasters. Any failure or interruption in our information systems, or an interruption in the internet or other critical business capability during our busiest periods, could negatively impact our business operations and reputation, and increase our risk of loss. There can be no assurance that system or internet failures or interruptions in critical business capabilities will not occur, or, if they do occur, that we will adequately address them. The precautionary measures that we have implemented to avoid systems outages and to minimize the effects of any data or communication systems interruptions or failures may not be adequate, and we may not have anticipated or addressed all of the potential events that could threaten or undermine our information systems or other critical business capabilities. We do not have redundancy for all of our systems and our disaster recovery planning may not account for all eventualities. If these information systems are unavailable for any reason, it could negatively impact our ability to deliver our services, which could significantly impact our operations, business, and financial results. The occurrence of any systems or internet failure, or business interruption could negatively impact our ability to serve our clients, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our business and our consolidated financial position, results of operations, and cash flows. Any changes in government regulations or processes (including the acceptance of tax returns and the issuance of refunds and other amounts to clients by the IRS or state tax agencies) that affect how we provide services to our clients, or significant problems with such services or the manner in which we provide them to our clients may harm our revenue, results of operations, and reputation. Tax laws and tax forms are subject to change each year, and the nature and timing of such changes are unpredictable. As a part of our business, we must incorporate any changes to tax laws and tax forms into our tax return preparation offerings. The unpredictable nature, timing and effective dates of changes to tax laws and tax forms can result in condensed development cycles for our tax return preparation services. From time to time, we review and enhance our quality controls for preparing accurate tax returns, but there can be no assurance that we will be able to prevent all inaccuracies. Further, changes in governmental administrations or regulations could result in further and unanticipated changes in requirements or processes, which may require us to make corresponding changes to our client service systems and procedures. Any major defects or delays caused by the above-described complexities may lead to loss of clients and loss of or delay in revenue, negative publicity, client dissatisfaction, a deterioration in our business relationships with our partners, exposure to litigation, and increased operating expenses, even if any such launch delays or defects are not caused by us. Any of the risks described above could have a material adverse effect on our business, our reputation, and our consolidated financial position, results of operations, and cash flows. We may be unable to attract and retain key personnel. Our business depends on our ability to attract, develop, motivate, and retain key personnel in a timely manner. The market for such personnel is extremely competitive, and there can be no assurance that we will be successful in our efforts to attract and retain the required qualified personnel within necessary timeframes, or at expected cost levels. As the global labor market continues to evolve as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and other changes, our current and prospective key personnel may seek new or different opportunities based on pay levels, benefits, or remote work flexibility that are different from what we offer, or may determine to leave the workforce, making it difficult to attract and retain them. If we are unable to attract, develop, motivate, and retain key personnel, our business, operations, and financial results could be negatively impacted. In addition, if our costs of labor or related costs increase or if new or revised labor laws, rules or regulations are adopted or implemented that impact our workforce and increase our labor costs, there could be a material adverse effect on our business and our consolidated financial position, results of operations, and cash flows. 31 Our business depends on our strong reputation and the value of our brand. Developing and maintaining awareness of our brand is critical to achieving widespread acceptance of our existing and future services and is an important element in attracting new clients. Adverse publicity (whether or not justified) relating to events or activities involving or attributed to us, our employees, or agents or our services, which may be enhanced due to the nature of social media, may tarnish our reputation and reduce the value of our brand. Damage to our reputation may reduce demand for our services and thus have an adverse effect on our future financial results, as well as require additional resources to rebuild our reputation and restore the value of our brand. Compliance with the complex and evolving laws, regulations, standards, and contractual requirements regarding privacy and data protection could require changes in our business practices and increase costs of operation; failure to comply could result in significant claims, fines, penalties, and damages. Due to the nature of our business, we collect, use, and retain large amounts of personal information and data pertaining to clients, including tax return information, financial product and service information, and social security numbers. In addition, we collect, use, and retain personal information and data of our employees in the ordinary course of our business. We are subject to laws, rules, and regulations relating to the collection, use, disclosure, and security of such consumer and employee personal information, which have drawn increased attention from U.S. federal, state, and foreign governmental authorities in jurisdictions in which we operate. In the U.S., the IRS generally requires a tax return preparer to obtain the written consent of the taxpayer prior to using or disclosing the taxpayer’s tax return information for certain purposes other than tax return preparation, which may limit our ability to market services to our clients. In addition, other regulations require financial institutions to adopt and disclose their consumer privacy notice and generally provide consumers with a reasonable opportunity to “opt-out” of having nonpublic personal information disclosed to unaffiliated third parties for certain purposes. Numerous jurisdictions have passed, and may in the future pass, new laws related to the use and retention of consumer or employee information and this area continues to be an area of interest for U.S. federal, state, and foreign governmental authorities. For example, the State of California adopted the California Consumer Privacy Act, or the CCPA, which became effective January 1, 2020, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act, or CPRA, which became January 1, 2023. Subject to certain exceptions, these laws impose new requirements on how businesses collect, process, manage, and retain certain personal information of California residents and provide California residents with various rights regarding personal information collected by a business. Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, and Virginia have adopted comprehensive privacy laws, and other jurisdictions have adopted or may in the future adopt their own, different privacy laws. These laws may contain different requirements or may be interpreted and applied inconsistently from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Our current privacy and data protection policies and practices may not be consistent with all of those requirements, interpretations, or applications. In addition, changes in U.S. federal and state regulatory requirements, as well as requirements imposed by governmental authorities in foreign jurisdictions in which we operate, could result in more stringent requirements and a need to change business practices, including the types of information we can use and the manner in which we can use such information. Establishing systems and processes, or making changes to our existing policies, to achieve compliance with these complex and evolving requirements may increase our costs or limit our ability to pursue certain business opportunities. There can be no assurance that we will successfully comply in all cases, which could result in regulatory investigations, claims, legal actions, harm to our reputation and brands, fines, penalties, and other damages. We have incurred, and may continue to incur, significant expenses to comply with existing privacy and data security standards and protocols imposed by law, regulation, industry standards or contractual obligations. 32 A security breach of our systems, or third-party systems on which we rely, resulting in unauthorized access to personal information of our clients or employees or other sensitive, nonpublic information, may adversely affect the demand for our services, our reputation, and financial performance. We offer a range of services to our clients, including back taxes, offer in compromise, audit representation, amending tax returns, tax preparation, tax resolution, wage garnishment relief, removal of bank levies and liens, bookkeeping, and resolution of other financial challenges. Due to the nature of these services, we use multiple digital technologies to collect, transmit, and store high volumes of client personal information. We also collect, use, and retain other sensitive, nonpublic information, such as employee social security numbers, healthcare information, and payroll information, as well as confidential, nonpublic business information. Certain third parties and vendors have access to personal information to help deliver client services, or may host certain of our and our clients’ sensitive and personal information and data. Information security risks continue to increase due in part to the increased adoption of and reliance upon digital technologies by companies and consumers. Our risk and exposure to these matters remain heightened due to a variety of factors including, among other things, (i) the evolving nature of these threats and related regulation, (ii) the increased activity and sophistication of hostile foreign governments, organized crime, cyber criminals, and hackers that may initiate cyberattacks against us or third-party systems on which we rely, (iii) our use of third-party vendors, and (iv) the usage of remote working arrangements by our associates and third-party vendors, which significantly expanded due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cybersecurity risks may result from fraud or malice (a cyberattack), human error, or accidental technological failure. Cyberattacks are designed to electronically circumvent network security for malicious purposes such as unlawfully obtaining personal information, disrupting our ability to offer services, damaging our brand and reputation, stealing our intellectual property, or advancing social or political agendas. We face a variety of cyberattack threats including computer viruses, malicious codes, worms, phishing attacks, social engineering, denial of service attacks, ransomware, and other sophisticated attacks. Although we use security and business controls to limit access to and use of personal information and expend significant resources to maintain multiple levels of protection to address or otherwise mitigate the risk of a security breach, such measures cannot provide absolute security. We regularly test our systems to discover and address potential vulnerabilities, and we rely on training and testing of our employees regarding heightened phishing and social engineering threats. We also conduct certain background checks on our employees, as allowed by law. Due to the structure of our business model, we also rely on other private third parties to maintain secure systems and respond to cybersecurity risks. Where appropriate, we impose certain requirements and controls on these third parties, but it is possible that they may not appropriately employ these controls or that such controls (or their own separate requirements and controls) may be insufficient to protect personal information. Cybersecurity and the continued development and enhancement of our controls, processes, and practices designed to protect our systems, computers, software, data, and networks from attack, damage, or unauthorized access remain a priority for us. As risks and regulations continue to evolve, we may be required to expend significant additional resources to continue to modify or enhance our protective measures or to investigate and remediate information security vulnerabilities. Notwithstanding these efforts, there can be no assurance that a security breach, intrusion, or loss or theft of personal information will not occur. In addition, the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access change frequently, become more sophisticated, and are often difficult to detect until after a successful attack, causing us to be unable to anticipate these techniques or implement adequate preventive measures in all cases. Unauthorized access to personal information as a result of a security breach could cause us to determine that it is required or advisable for us to notify affected individuals, regulators, or others under applicable privacy laws and regulations or otherwise. Security breach remediation could also require us to expend significant resources to assist impacted individuals, repair damaged systems, implement modified information security measures, and maintain client and business relationships. Other consequences could include reduced client demand for our services, reduced growth and profitability and negative impacts to future financial results, loss of our ability to deliver one or more services, modifying or stopping existing business practices, legal actions, harm to our reputation and brand, fines, penalties, and other damages, and further regulation and oversight by U.S. federal, state, or foreign governmental authorities. A security breach or other unauthorized access to our systems could have a material adverse effect on our business and our consolidated financial position, results of operations, and cash flows. 33 Laws and regulations or other regulatory actions could have an adverse effect on our business and our consolidated financial position, results of operations, and cash flows. Our business and operations are subject to various forms of government regulation, including U.S. federal requirements regarding the signature and inclusion of identification numbers on tax returns and tax return retention requirements. U.S. federal laws also subject income tax return preparers to accuracy-related penalties, and preparers may be prohibited from continuing to act as income tax return preparers if they repeatedly engage in specified misconduct. We are also subject to, among other things, advertising standards for electronic tax return filers, and to possible monitoring by the IRS, and if deemed appropriate, the IRS could impose various penalties, including suspension from the IRS electronic filing program. Many states and local jurisdictions have laws regulating tax professionals, which are in addition to and may be different than federal requirements. Given the nature of our businesses, we are subject to various additional federal, state and local laws and regulations, including, without limitation, in the areas of labor, immigration, marketing and advertising, consumer protection, financial services, privacy and data security, anti-competition, environmental, health and safety, insurance, and healthcare. There have been significant new or proposed regulations and/or heightened focus by the government and others in some of these areas, including, for example, related to privacy and data security, consumer financial services, endorsements and testimonials, telemarketing, restrictive covenants, and labor, including overtime and exemption regulations, state and local laws on minimum wage, worker classification, and other labor-related issues. The above requirements and business implications are subject to change and evolving application, including by means of new legislation, legislative changes, and/or executive orders, and there may be additional regulatory actions or enforcement priorities, or new interpretations of existing requirements that differ from ours. These developments could impose unanticipated limitations or require changes to our business, which may make elements of our business more expensive, less efficient, or impossible to conduct, and may require us to modify our current or future services. Risks Related to Our Real Estate Business We are subject to demand fluctuations in the real estate industry. Any reduction in demand could adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition. Demand for properties similar to those owned by us is subject to fluctuations that are often due to factors outside our control. We are not able to predict the course of the real estate markets or whether the current favorable trends in those markets can, or will, continue. In the event of an economic downturn, our results of operations may be adversely affected, and we may incur significant impairments and other write-offs and substantial losses from this business. Adverse weather conditions, natural disasters, and other unforeseen and/or unplanned conditions could disrupt our real estate developments. Adverse weather conditions and natural disasters, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, droughts, and fires, could have serious impacts on our ability to develop and market our real estate assets. Properties may also be affected by unforeseen planning, engineering, environmental, or geological conditions or problems, including conditions or problems which arise on third party properties adjacent to or in the vicinity of properties which own and which may result in unfavorable impacts on our properties. Any adverse event or circumstance could cause a delay in, prevent the completion of, or increase the cost of, one or more of our properties expected to be developed and brought to market by us, thereby resulting in a negative impact on our operations and financial results. If the market value of our real estate investments decreases, our results of operations will also likely decrease. The market value of our real estate assets will depend on market conditions. If local and/or global economic conditions deteriorate, or if the demand for our properties decreases, we may not be able to make a profit on such property. As a result of declining economic conditions, we may experience lower than anticipated profits and/or may not be able to recover our costs of a project when a property is brought to market. 34 Changes in tax laws, taxes or fees may increase the cost of development, and such changes could adversely impact our finances and operational results. Any increase or change in such laws, taxes, or fees, including real estate property taxes, could increase the cost of development and thus have an adverse effect on our operations. Such changes could also negatively impact potential and/or actual users and purchasers of our properties because potential buyers may factor such changes into their decisions to utilize or purchase a property. The real estate industry is highly competitive and if other property developers are more successful or offer better value to customers, our business could suffer. The real estate industry is highly competitive, regardless of locale. Competitors range from small local companies to large international conglomerates with financial resources much greater than those of our company. We have to compete for raw materials, construction components, financing, environmental resources, utilities, infrastructure, labor, skilled management, governmental permits and licensing and other factors critical to the successful development of our real estate assets. We compete against both new and existing developments and developers. Any increase in or change to any competitive factor could result in our inability to begin development of our real estate assets in a timely manner and/or increase costs for the design, development and completion. As a result, we may experience decreased profits due to these factors, impacting our operations and our overall financial results. We may incur environmental liabilities with respect to our real estate assets. Our properties are subject to a variety of local, state and federal statutes, ordinances, rules and regulations concerning the protection of health and the environment. Environmental laws may result in delays, may cause us to incur substantial compliance and other costs and may prohibit or severely restrict development. Furthermore, under various federal, state, and local laws, ordinances and regulations, an owner of real property may be liable for the costs or removal or remediation of certain hazardous or toxic substances on or in such property. Such laws often impose such liability without regard to whether we knew of, or were responsible for, the presence of such hazardous or toxic substances. The cost of any required remediation and our liability therefor as to our properties are generally not limited under such laws and could exceed the value of the property and/or the aggregate assets of our company. The presence of such substances, or the failure to properly remediate contamination from such substances, may adversely affect our ability to sell the real estate or to borrow using such property as collateral. Our co-venture partners or other partners in co-ownership arrangements could take actions that decrease the value of our real estate assets. The development of our real estate assets could involve joint ventures or other co-ownership arrangements with third parties. Such relationships may involve risks, including, for example: · the possibility that a co-venturer or partner might become bankrupt; · the possibility that development may require additional capital that we or our partner do not have; · the possibility that a co-venturer or partner might breach a loan agreement or other agreement or otherwise, by action or inaction, act in a way detrimental to us; · that such co-venturer or partner may at any time have economic or business interests or goals that are or that become inconsistent with the business interests or goals of our company; · the possibility that we may incur liabilities as the result of the action taken by our partner; 35 · that such co-venturer or partner may be in a position to take action contrary to our instructions or requests or contrary to our policies or objectives; or · that such co-partner may exercise buy/sell rights that force us to or dispose of our share, at a time and price that may not be consistent with our objectives. Any of the above might subject our real estate assets to liabilities in excess of those contemplated and thus reduce our returns on our investment. Uninsured losses relating to real property or excessively expensive premiums for insurance coverage may adversely affect the value of your stock. The nature of our activities could expose us to potential liability for personal injuries and, in certain instances, property damage claims. For instance, there are types of losses, generally catastrophic in nature, such as losses due to wars, acts of terrorism, earthquakes, pollution, environmental matters, or extreme weather conditions such as hurricanes, floods, and snow storms that are uninsurable or not economically insurable, or may be insured subject to limitations, such as large deductibles or co-payments. We may not carry all the usual and customary insurance policies which would be carried by a similarly-positioned company, and we may not be carrying those insurance policies in amounts and types sufficient to cover every risk which may be encountered by our company. Insurance risks associated with potential terrorist acts could sharply increase the premiums we will pay for coverage against property and casualty claims. We cannot assure you that we will have adequate coverage for all losses. If any of our properties incur a casualty loss that is not fully covered by insurance, the value of our assets will be reduced by the amount of any such uninsured loss. In addition, other than the capital reserve or other reserves we may establish, we do not expect to have any contingent sources of funding in place to repair or reconstruct any uninsured damaged property, and we cannot assure you that any such sources of funding will be available to us for such purposes in the future. Also, to the extent we must pay unexpectedly large amounts for insurance, we could suffer reduced earnings that would result in a decreased value attributed to our publicly traded stock. Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock Our common stock is eligible for quotation on the Pink Market, which may have an unfavorable impact on our stock price and liquidity. Our common stock is eligible for quotation on the Pink Market operated by OTC Markets Group Inc. The Pink Market is a regulated quotation service that displays real-time quotes, last sale prices and volume information in over-the-counter securities. The Pink Market is not an issuer listing service, market or exchange. The requirements for quotation on the Pink Market are considerably lower and less regulated than those of an exchange. Because of this, it is possible that fewer brokers or dealers will be interested in making a market in our common stock because the market for such securities is more limited, the stocks are more volatile, and the risk to investors is greater, which may impact the liquidity of our common stock. Even if an active market begins to develop in our common stock, the quotation of our common stock on the Pink Market may result in a less liquid market available for existing and potential stockholders to trade common stock, could depress the trading price of our common stock and could have a long-term adverse impact on our ability to raise capital in the future. If an active market is never developed for our common stock, it will be difficult or impossible for you to sell any common stock you purchase. Our common stock may be subject to significant price volatility which may have an adverse effect on your ability to liquidate your investment in our common stock. The market for our common stock may be characterized by significant price volatility when compared to seasoned issuers, and we expect that our stock price will be more volatile than a seasoned issuer for the indefinite future. The potential volatility in our stock price is attributable to a number of factors. First, our common stock may be sporadically and/or thinly traded. As a consequence of this lack of liquidity, the trading of relatively small quantities of shares by our stockholders may disproportionately influence the price of those shares in either direction. The price for our common stock could, for example, decline precipitously if a large number of our shares of common stock are sold on the market without commensurate demand, as compared to a seasoned issuer that could better absorb those sales without adverse impact on its stock price. Secondly, an investment in us is a speculative or “risky” investment due to our lack of meaningful profits to date and uncertainty of future profits. As a consequence of this enhanced risk, more risk-adverse investors may, under the fear of losing all or most of their investment in the event of negative news or lack of progress, be more inclined to sell their shares on the market more quickly and at greater discounts than would be the case with the stock of a seasoned issuer. 36 Our officers and directors own a significant percentage of our outstanding voting securities which could reduce the ability of minority stockholders to effect certain corporate actions. Our executive officers and directors are collectively able to exercise approximately 84.53% of our total voting power. As a result, they possess significant influence and can elect a majority of our board of directors and authorize or prevent proposed significant corporate transactions without the votes of any other stockholders. They are expected to have significant influence over a decision to enter into any corporate transaction and have the ability to prevent any transaction that requires the approval of stockholders, regardless of whether or not our other stockholders believe that such transaction is in our best interests. Such concentration of voting power could have the effect of delaying, deterring, or preventing a change of control or other business combination, which could, in turn, have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock or prevent our stockholder from realizing a premium over the then-prevailing market price for their common stock. We have no current plans to pay cash dividends on our common stock for the foreseeable future, and you may not receive any return on investment unless you sell your common stock for a price greater than that which you paid for it. We may retain future earnings, if any, for future operations, expansion and debt repayment and have no current plans to pay any cash dividends for the foreseeable future. Any decision to declare and pay dividends in the future will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on, among other things, our results of operations, financial condition, cash requirements, contractual restrictions, and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant. In addition, our ability to pay dividends may be limited by covenants of any existing and future outstanding indebtedness we or our subsidiaries incur. As a result, you may not receive any return on an investment in our common stock unless you sell our common stock for a price greater than that which you paid for it and any potential investor who anticipates the need for current dividends should not purchase our securities. Future issuances of our common stock or securities convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, our common stock could cause the market price of our common stock to decline and would result in the dilution of your holdings. Future issuances of our common stock or securities convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, our common stock, or the expiration of lock-up agreements that restrict the issuance of new common stock or the trading of outstanding common stock, could cause the market price of our common stock to decline. We cannot predict the effect, if any, of future issuances of our securities, or the future expirations of lock-up agreements, on the price of our common stock. In all events, future issuances of our common stock would result in the dilution of your holdings. In addition, the perception that new issuances of our securities could occur could adversely affect the market price of our common stock. Rule 144 sales in the future may have a depressive effect on our stock price. All of the outstanding common stock held by the present officers, directors, and affiliate stockholders are “restricted securities” within the meaning of Rule 144 under the Securities Act. As restricted shares, these shares may be resold only pursuant to an effective registration statement or under the requirements of Rule 144 or other applicable exemptions from registration under the Securities Act and as required under applicable state securities laws. Rule 144 provides in essence that a person who is an affiliate or officer or director who has held restricted securities for six months may, under certain conditions, sell every three months, in brokerage transactions, a number of shares that does not exceed the greater of 1.0% of a company’s outstanding common shares. There is no limitation on the amount of restricted securities that may be sold by a non-affiliate after the owner has held the restricted securities for a period of six months if our company is a current, reporting company under the Exchange Act. A sale under Rule 144 or under any other exemption from the Securities Act, if available, or pursuant to subsequent registration of common stock of present stockholders, may have a depressive effect upon the price of our common stock in any market that may develop. 37 Future issuances of debt securities, which would rank senior to our common stock upon our bankruptcy or liquidation, and future issuances of preferred stock, which could rank senior to our common stock for the purposes of dividends and liquidating distributions, may adversely affect the level of return you may be able to achieve from an investment in our common stock. In the future, we may attempt to increase our capital resources by offering debt securities. Upon bankruptcy or liquidation, holders of our debt securities, and lenders with respect to other borrowings we may make, would receive distributions of our available assets prior to any distributions being made to holders of our common stock. Moreover, if we issue preferred stock, the holders of such preferred stock could be entitled to preferences over holders of common stock in respect of the payment of dividends and the payment of liquidating distributions. Because our decision to issue debt or preferred stock in any future offering, or borrow money from lenders, will depend in part on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, we cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing or nature of any such future offerings or borrowings. Holders of our common stock must bear the risk that any future offerings we conduct or borrowings we make may adversely affect the level of return, if any, they may be able to achieve from an investment in our common stock. If our common stocks become subject to the penny stock rules, it would become more difficult to trade our common stock. The SEC has adopted rules that regulate broker-dealer practices in connection with transactions in penny stocks. Penny stocks are generally equity securities with a price of less than $5.00, other than securities registered on certain national securities exchanges or authorized for quotation on certain automated quotation systems, provided that current price and volume information with respect to transactions in such securities is provided by the exchange or system. If we do not obtain a listing on a national securities exchange and if the price of our common stock is less than $5.00, our common stock could be deemed a penny stock. The penny stock rules require a broker-dealer, before a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, to deliver a standardized risk disclosure document containing specified information. In addition, the penny stock rules require that before effecting any transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, a broker-dealer must make a special written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and receive (i) the purchaser’s written acknowledgment of the receipt of a risk disclosure statement; (ii) a written agreement to transactions involving penny stocks; and (iii) a signed and dated copy of a written suitability statement. These disclosure requirements may have the effect of reducing the trading activity in the secondary market for our common stock, and therefore stockholders may have difficulty selling their shares. If securities industry analysts do not publish research reports on us, or publish unfavorable reports on us, then the market price and market trading volume of our common stock could be negatively affected. Any trading market for our common stock may be influenced in part by any research reports that securities industry analysts publish about us. We do not currently have and may never obtain research coverage by securities industry analysts. If no securities industry analysts commence coverage of us, the market price and market trading volume of our common stock could be negatively affected. In the event we are covered by analysts, and one or more of such analysts downgrade our securities, or otherwise reports on us unfavorably, or discontinues coverage of us, the market price and market trading volume of our common stock could be negatively affected. We are subject to ongoing public reporting requirements that are less rigorous than for larger, more established companies, which could make our securities less attractive to investors and may make it more difficult to compare our performance with other public companies. We are a “smaller reporting company” within the meaning of the Exchange Act. Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act defines a “smaller reporting company” as an issuer that is not an investment company, an asset-backed issuer, or a majority-owned subsidiary of a parent that is not a smaller reporting company and that had (i) a public float of less than $250 million or (ii) annual revenues of less than $100 million and either had no public float or a public float of less than $700 million. 38 As a smaller reporting company, we will not be required and may not include a compensation discussion and analysis section in our proxy statements and we will provide only two years of financial statements. We also will have other “scaled” disclosure requirements that are less comprehensive than issuers that are not smaller reporting companies. Because we will be subject to ongoing public reporting requirements that are less rigorous than Exchange Act rules for companies that are not smaller reporting companies, our stockholders could receive less information than they might expect to receive from more mature public companies. We cannot predict if investors will find our common stock less attractive if we elect to rely on these exemptions, or if taking advantage of these exemptions would result in less active trading or more volatility in the price of our common stock. Anti-takeover provisions in our charter documents and under Nevada law could make an acquisition of our company more difficult, and limit attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management. Provisions in our articles of incorporation and bylaws may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control of our company or changes in our management. As described above, our executive officers and directors are collectively able to exercise a significant portion of our voting power. Furthermore, neither the holders of our common stock nor the holders of our preferred stock have cumulative voting rights in the election of our directors. The combination of the present ownership by our management of a significant portion of our issued and outstanding voting power and lack of cumulative voting makes it more difficult for other stockholders to replace our board of directors or for a third party to obtain control of our company by replacing its board of directors. In addition, our authorized but unissued shares of common stock are available for our board of directors to issue without stockholder approval, subject to Nasdaq’s rules. We may use these additional shares for a variety of corporate purposes, including raising additional capital, corporate acquisitions and employee stock plans. The existence of our authorized but unissued shares of common stock could render it more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of our company by means of a proxy context, tender offer, merger or other transaction since our board of directors can issue large amounts of capital stock as part of a defense to a take-over challenge. In addition, we have authorized in our articles of incorporation 1,000,000,000 shares of preferred stock. Our board acting alone and without approval of our stockholders, subject to Nasdaq’s rules, can designate and issue one or more series of preferred stock containing super-voting provisions, enhanced economic rights, rights to elect directors, or other dilutive features, that could be utilized as part of a defense to a take-over challenge. In addition, various provisions of our bylaws may also have an anti-takeover effect. These provisions may delay, defer or prevent a tender offer or takeover attempt of our company that a stockholder might consider in his or her best interest, including attempts that might result in a premium over the market price for the shares held by our stockholders. Our bylaws may be adopted, amended or repealed only by our board of directors. Our bylaws also contain limitations as to who may call special meetings as well as require advance notice of stockholder matters to be brought at a meeting. Additionally, our bylaws also provide that no director may be removed by less than a two-thirds vote of the issued and outstanding shares entitled to vote on the removal. Our bylaws also permit the board of directors to establish the number of directors and fill any vacancies and newly created directorships. These provisions will prevent a stockholder from increasing the size of our board of directors and gaining control of our board of directors by filling the resulting vacancies with its own nominees. Our bylaws also establish an advance notice procedure for stockholder proposals to be brought before an annual meeting of our stockholders, including proposed nominations of persons for election to the board of directors. Stockholders at an annual meeting will only be able to consider proposals or nominations specified in the notice of meeting or brought before the meeting by or at the direction of the board of directors or by a stockholder who was a stockholder of record on the record date for the meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has given us timely written notice, in proper form, of the stockholder’s intention to bring that business before the meeting. Although our bylaws do not give the board of directors the power to approve or disapprove stockholder nominations of candidates or proposals regarding other business to be conducted at a special or annual meeting, our bylaws may have the effect of precluding the conduct of certain business at a meeting if the proper procedures are not followed or may discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect its own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of our company. 39 These provisions may frustrate or prevent any attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management by making it more difficult for stockholders to replace members of our board of directors, which is responsible for appointing the members of our management. ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS. Not applicable.