HERBALIFE LTD
For the period ended Dec 31, 2024. Filed Feb 19, 2025.
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FY2024 · Filed Feb 19, 2025
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Item 8. Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Board of Directors and Shareholders of Herbalife Ltd.
Opinions on the Financial Statements and Internal Control over Financial Reporting
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Herbalife Ltd. and its subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, and the related consolidated statements of income, of comprehensive income, of changes in shareholders’ deficit and of cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2024, including the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). We also have audited the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2024 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the COSO.
Change in Accounting Principle
As discussed in Note 5 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company changed the manner in which it accounts for convertible instruments in 2022.
Basis for Opinions
The Company’s management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting appearing under Item 9A. Our responsibility is to express opinions on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.
Our audits of the consolidated financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Critical Audit Matters
The critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (i) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (ii) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters below, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matters or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.
Valuation of Intra-entity Transfers of Intellectual Property – Deferred Income Tax Asset
As described in Notes 2 and 12 to the consolidated financial statements, management initiated changes to the Company’s corporate entity structure during the fourth quarter of 2024, including intra-entity transfers of intellectual property to one of its European subsidiaries. This reorganization resulted in the Company recognizing a step-up in tax basis on the fair value of the intellectual property and recording an associated deferred income tax asset of $177.6 million, partially offset by a valuation allowance of $61.3 million for amounts not more-likely-than-not to be realized. This reorganization required management to make significant estimates and assumptions to determine the fair value of such assets, using a discounted cash flow model. Significant assumptions in valuing the intellectual property include, but are not limited to, revenue growth rates, projected operating income, and the discount rate.
The principal considerations for our determination that performing procedures relating to the valuation of the intra-entity transfers of intellectual property that gives rise to a deferred income tax asset is a critical audit matter are (i) the significant judgment by management when developing the fair value estimate of the intellectual property; (ii) a high degree of auditor judgment, subjectivity, and effort in performing procedures and evaluating management’s significant assumptions related to revenue growth rates, projected operating income, and discount rate; and (iii) the audit effort involved the use of professionals with specialized skill and knowledge.
Addressing the matter involved performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence in connection with forming our overall opinion on the consolidated financial statements. These procedures included testing the effectiveness of controls relating to income taxes, including controls over management’s valuation of the intellectual property and the establishment of deferred income tax assets. These procedures also included, among others (i) reading the underlying agreements; (ii) testing management’s process for developing the fair value estimate of the intellectual property; (iii) evaluating the appropriateness of the discounted cash flow model used by management; (iv) testing the completeness and accuracy of the underlying data used in the discounted cash flow model; and (v) evaluating the reasonableness of the significant assumptions used by management related to revenue growth rates, projected operating income, and the discount rate. Evaluating management’s assumptions related to revenue growth rates and projected operating income involved considering (i) the current and past performance of the Company; (ii) the consistency with external market and industry data; and (iii) whether the assumptions were consistent with evidence obtained in other areas of the audit. Professionals with specialized skill and knowledge were used to assist in evaluating (i) the appropriateness of the discounted cash flow model and (ii) the reasonableness of the discount rate assumption.
Loss Contingencies
As described in Note 7 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company is from time to time engaged in routine litigation. As disclosed by management, an estimated loss from a loss contingency is recorded when information available prior to issuance of the Company’s financial statements indicates that it is probable that an asset has been impaired or a liability has been incurred at the date of the financial statements and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. Management also discloses material contingencies when they believe a loss is not probable but reasonably possible. Management regularly reviews all pending litigation matters in which it is involved and establishes reserves for these litigation matters when a probable loss estimate can be made. Accounting for contingencies such as legal and non-income tax matters requires management to use judgment related to both the likelihood of a loss and the estimate of the amount or range of loss. The Company’s other current liabilities of $542.8 million as of December 31, 2024 include legal reserves for certain loss contingencies.
The principal considerations for our determination that performing procedures relating to loss contingencies is a critical audit matter are (i) the significant judgment by management when assessing whether a loss is probable and when determining whether the amount of the loss or range of loss for each matter can be reasonably estimated and (ii) a high degree of auditor judgment, subjectivity, and effort in performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence related to management’s assessment of the loss contingencies.
Addressing the matter involved performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence in connection with forming our overall opinion on the consolidated financial statements. These procedures included testing the effectiveness of controls relating to management’s assessment of loss contingencies including controls over assessing whether a loss is probable and when determining whether the amount of the loss or range of loss can be reasonably estimated, as well as financial statement disclosures. These procedures also included, among others (i) confirming with external legal counsel the possibility or probability of an unfavorable outcome and the extent to which the loss or range of loss is reasonably estimable; (ii) evaluating the reasonableness of management’s assessment regarding whether an unfavorable outcome is reasonably possible or probable and reasonably estimable; and (iii) evaluating the sufficiency of the Company’s contingency disclosures.
/s/PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Los Angeles, California
February 19, 2025
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2013.
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