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Summary of Accounting Policies
9 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2022
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Summary of Accounting Policies [Text Block]

NOTE 2 - Summary of Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP").

Change in Fiscal Year

In August 2022, the Board of Directors of the Company, pursuant to the bylaws and based upon the recommendation of its Audit Committee, approved a change in the Company’s fiscal year end from March 31 to December 31. The Company’s fiscal year now begins on January 1 and ends on December 31 of each year, starting on January 1, 2023. The required transition period of April 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022 is included in the consolidated financial statements. For comparative purposes, the unaudited consolidated statements of operations and consolidated statements of cash flows for the nine months ended December 31, 2021 are also presented.

Basis of Consolidation

As at March 31 and December 31, 2022, these consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and the following 100%-owned subsidiaries: DTRC, LLC (incorporated in USA), JR Resources (Canada) Services Corp. (incorporated in Canada), Dakota Gold Holdings LLC (incorporated in USA) and Dakota Gold (Canada) Services Corp. (incorporated in Canada).

All intercompany accounts and transactions between the Company and its subsidiaries have been eliminated upon consolidation.

Non-controlling Interest

Non-controlling interest ("NCI") represents the portion of a subsidiary's earnings and losses and net assets that are not owned by the Company. If losses in a subsidiary applicable to a non-controlling interest exceed the non-controlling interest in the subsidiary's equity, the excess is allocated to the non-controlling interest except to the extent that the majority interest holder has a binding obligation and is able to cover the losses.

The Company initially recognizes a non-controlling interest in an asset acquisition on the date of acquisition at its fair value. Subsequent to initial recognition and measurement a non-controlling interest is allocated its share of net income or loss, and its respective share of each component of other comprehensive income of the consolidated subsidiary.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the Company's financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period. Significant items subject to such estimates include, valuation of stock-based compensation and impairment of long-lived assets. Actual results could differ from the amounts recorded in these consolidated financial statements.

Functional Currency

The financial position and results of operations of the Company's Canadian subsidiaries are measured using the U.S. dollar as the functional currency. Accordingly, there is no translation gain or loss associated with these operations. Transaction gains and losses related to foreign currency monetary assets and liabilities where the functional currency is the U.S. dollar are remeasured at current exchange rates and the resulting adjustments are included in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid investments with maturities of three months or less, when purchased, to be cash and cash equivalents. The Company is exposed to credit risk from its deposits of cash in excess of amounts insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. The Company has not experienced any losses on its deposits of cash.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment consist primarily of land, buildings, office furniture and equipment, and are recorded at cost. Expenditures related to acquiring or extending the useful life of property and equipment are capitalized. Expenditures for repair and maintenance are charged to operations as incurred. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over an estimated useful life which ranges from 3-39 years depending upon asset type.

Mineral Rights and Properties

The Company has been in the exploration stage since inception and has not yet realized any revenues. All exploration expenditures are expensed as incurred. Costs of acquisition and option costs of mineral rights are capitalized upon acquisition. Mine development costs incurred to develop new ore deposits, to expand the capacity of mines, or to develop mine areas substantially in advance of current production are also capitalized once proven and probable reserves exist and the property is a commercially mineable property. There has been no mine development to date. If the Company determines it will no longer continue with exploration in an area where costs have been capitalized, the directly associated costs will be reviewed for impairment. Costs of abandoned projects are expensed, including related property and equipment costs.

Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets

The Company assesses the possibility of impairment in the carrying value of its long-lived assets (property and equipment and mineral rights and properties) whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying amounts of the asset or assets group may not be recoverable. The Company calculates the estimated recoverable amount of the asset or assets based upon expected future undiscounted cash flows. When the carrying value of an asset exceeds the related undiscounted cash flows, the asset is written down to its estimated fair value, which is usually determined using discounted future cash flows or estimated sale value in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 360-10-35-15, Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets.

Fair Value Measurements

The Company accounts for assets and liabilities measured at fair value in accordance with ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures. ASC 820 emphasizes that fair value is a market-based measurement, not an entity-specific measurement. Therefore, a fair value measurement should be determined based on the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. As a basis for considering market participant assumptions in fair value measurements, ASC 820 establishes a fair value hierarchy that distinguishes between market participant assumptions based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity (observable inputs that are classified within Levels 1 and 2 of the hierarchy) and the reporting entity's own assumptions about market participant assumptions (unobservable inputs classified within Level 3 of the hierarchy). The three levels of inputs used to measure fair value are as follows:

 Level 1: Observable inputs that reflect unadjusted quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities traded in active markets.

 Level 2: Inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly.

 Level 3: Inputs that are generally unobservable. These inputs may be used with internally developed methodologies that result in management's best estimate of fair value.

The Company's financial instruments consist principally of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable and accounts payable. The carrying amounts of such financial instruments in the accompanying financial statements approximate their fair values due to their relatively short-term nature or the underlying terms are consistent with market terms.

The Company follows the provisions of Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") Topic 820-10 for nonfinancial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis. As it relates to the Company, this applies to certain nonfinancial assets and liabilities acquired in business combinations.

Environmental Costs

Environmental expenditures that relate to current operations are expensed as appropriate. Expenditures that relate to an existing condition caused by past operations, and which do not contribute to current or future revenue, generally are expensed. Liabilities are recorded when environmental assessments and/or remedial efforts are probable, and the cost can be reasonably estimated. Generally, the timing of these accruals coincides with the earlier of the completion of a feasibility study or the Company's commitment to a plan of action based on the then known facts.

Income Taxes

Income taxes are computed using the asset and liability method, in accordance with ASC 740, Income Taxes. Under the asset and liability method, deferred income tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the differences between the financial reporting and tax basis of assets and liabilities and are measured using the currently enacted tax rates and laws. A valuation allowance is provided for the amount of deferred tax assets that, based on available evidence, are not expected to be realized.

The Company recognizes and measures a tax benefit from uncertain tax positions when it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The Company recognizes a liability for unrecognized tax benefits resulting from uncertain tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. The Company adjusts these liabilities when its judgement changes as a result of the evaluation of new information not previously available. Due to the complexity of some of these uncertainties, the ultimate resolution may result in a payment that is materially different from the current estimate or future recognition of an unrecognized tax benefit. These differences will be reflected as increases or decreases to income tax expense in the period in which they are determined.

The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax positions within the income tax expense line in the statements of operations.

Basic and Diluted Earnings (Loss) Per Share

The Company computes basic and diluted earnings (loss) per share amounts pursuant to the provisions of ASC 260, Earnings per Share. Basic earnings (loss) per share is computed by dividing net income (loss) available to common stockholders, by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period, excluding the effects of any potentially dilutive securities. Diluted earnings (loss) per share is computed by dividing net income (loss) available to common stockholders by the diluted weighted average number of shares of common stock during the period. The diluted weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding is the basic weighted number of shares adjusted for the dilutive effect of potential future issuances of common stock related to outstanding options and warrants, if any.

The dilutive effect of outstanding options and warrants is reflected in diluted earnings per share by application of the treasury stock method. The effect of the Company's outstanding options and warrants were excluded for both the nine months ended December 31, 2022 and the year ended March 31, 2022, because they were anti-dilutive (Note 10).

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company estimates the fair value of stock-based compensation using the Black-Scholes valuation model, in accordance with the provisions of ASC 718, Compensation - Stock Compensation. Key inputs and assumptions used to estimate the fair value of stock options include the grant price of the award, the expected option term, volatility of our stock, the risk-free rate, and dividend yield. Estimates of fair value are not intended to predict actual future events, or the value ultimately realized by the option holders, and subsequent events are not indicative of the reasonableness of the original estimates of fair value made by the Company. The Company recognizes forfeitures when incurred.

Deferred Offering Costs

The Company capitalizes costs directly associated with equity financings until such financings are consummated, at which time such costs are recorded in additional paid-in capital against the gross proceeds of the equity financings. Costs associated with the shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (the “ATM program”), filed with the SEC on July 15, 2022, have been capitalized and will be reclassified to additional paid-in capital on a pro rata basis when the Company completes offerings under the shelf registration. Any remaining unamortized costs will be expensed immediately should the Company terminate the ATM program prior to raising the full $50 million.

During the nine months ended December 31, 2022 and year ended March 31, 2022, ATM program-related legal and consulting fees totaling $438,740 and $0, respectively, had been incurred. As of December 31, 2022 and March 31, 2022, there was $360,651 and $0, respectively, of such costs deferred and included in prepaid expenses and other current assets on the consolidated balance sheets. During the nine months ended December 31, 2022 and the year ended March 31, 2022, offering costs totaling $78,088 and $0, respectively, were offset against proceeds from the ATM program in additional paid-in capital.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Pronouncements between December 31, 2022 and the date of this filing are not expected to have a significant impact on the Company's operations, financial position, or cash flow, nor does the Company expect the adoption of recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting pronouncements to have a significant impact on our results of operations, financial position or cash flows.