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Other events
3 Months Ended
Jan. 31, 2019
Other Events [Abstract]  
Other events

7.Other events

 

Dividend payment

 

On December 7, 2018, we paid a $1.00 per share dividend in the aggregate amount of $17.6 million to shareholders of record on November 16, 2018.

Litigation

 

From time to time, we are also involved in other litigation arising in the ordinary course of our business that we do not believe will have a material adverse impact on our financial statements.

Mexico tax audits

 

    We conduct business both domestically and internationally and, as a result, one or more of our subsidiaries files income tax returns in U.S. federal, U.S. state and certain foreign jurisdictions.  Accordingly, in the normal course of business, we are subject to examination by taxing authorities, primarily in Mexico and the United States.  During our third quarter of fiscal 2016, our wholly-owned subsidiary, Calavo de Mexico (CDM), received a written communication from the Ministry of Finance and Administration of the government of the State of Michoacan, Mexico (MFM) containing preliminary observations related to a fiscal 2011 tax audit of such subsidiary.  MFM’s preliminary observations outline certain proposed adjustments primarily related to intercompany funding, deductions for services from certain vendors/suppliers and Value Added Tax (VAT).  During our fourth fiscal quarter of 2016, we provided a written rebuttal to MFM’s preliminary observations and requested the adoption of a conclusive agreement before the PRODECON (Local Tax Ombudsman) so that a full discussion of the case between us, the MFM and the PRODECON, as appropriate, can lead to a reconsideration of the MFM findings. During our third and fourth fiscal quarters of 2017, several meetings between MFM, PRODECON and us took place and on November 28, 2017, the initial PRODECON process concluded. In April 2018, we filed a second formal agreement before the PRODECON, so that we can continue the discussion of the case between us, the MFM and the PRODECON. During this meeting and discussion period, the statutory period that MFM has in order to issue the tax assessment has been suspended. Currently, we are waiting for the response of the MFM and the PRODECON regarding our next meeting date. We believe we have the legal arguments and documentation to sustain the positions challenged by tax authorities.

 

    Additionally, we also received notice from Mexico's Federal Tax Administration Service, Servicio de Administracion Tributaria (SAT), that our wholly-owned Mexican subsidiary, Calavo de Mexico, is currently under examination related to fiscal year 2013.  In January 2017, we received preliminary observations from SAT outlining certain proposed adjustments primarily related to intercompany funding, deductions for services from certain vendors/suppliers, and VAT. We provided a written rebuttal to these preliminary observations during our second fiscal quarter of 2017, which the SAT is in process of analyzing.  During our third fiscal quarter of 2017, we requested the adoption of a conclusive agreement before the PRODECON (Local Tax Ombudsman), so that a full discussion of the case between us, the SAT and the PRODECON, as appropriate, can lead to a reconsideration of the SATs findings. During this meeting and discussion period, the statutory period that SAT had in order to issue the tax assessment was suspended.  During our first fiscal quarter of 2018, we had an initial meeting with officials from the SAT and the PRODECON, which led to a further exchange of supporting information and documentation. Although several meetings and discussions with the PRODECON and the SAT were conducted during our fiscal third quarter of 2018, we were unable to materially resolve our case with the SAT through the PRODECON process.

 

    As a result, on July 12, 2018, the SAT’s local office in Uruapan issued to CDM a final tax assessment (the “2013 Assessment”) totaling approximately $2.62 billion Mexican pesos related to Income Tax, Flat Rate Business Tax, and Value Added Tax, related to this fiscal 2013 tax audit.  Additionally, the tax authorities have determined an employee’s profit sharing liability, totaling approximately $118 million Mexican pesos as well.

 

    We have consulted with both an internationally recognized tax advisor, as well as a global law firm with offices throughout Mexico, and we continue to believe this tax assessment is without merit.   In August 2018, we filed an administrative appeal on the 2013 Assessment.  The filing of an administrative appeal in Mexico is a process in which the taxpayer appeals to a different office within the Mexican tax authorities forcing the legal office within the SAT to rule on the matter.  This process preserves the taxpayer’s right to litigate in tax court if the administrative appeal process ends without a favorable or just resolution.  Here, CDM has appealed our case to the SAT’s central legal department in Mexico City.  Furthermore, in August 2018, we received a favorable ruling from the SAT’s central legal department in Mexico City on another tax matter (see footnote 11 regarding VAT refunds) indicating that they believe that our legal interpretation is accurate on a matter that is also central to the 2013 Assessment.  We believe this recent ruling significantly undermines the 2013 Assessment we received in July 2018.

 

     We continue to believe that the ultimate resolution of these matters is unlikely to have a material effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows.