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Other events

3 Months Ended

Jan. 31, 2021

7.	Other events

Dividend payment

On December 4, 2020, we paid a $1.15 per share dividend in the aggregate amount of $20.3 million to shareholders of record on November 13, 2020.

Litigation

From time to time, we are involved in 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 (IVA). During the period from our fourth fiscal quarter of 2016 through our first fiscal quarter of 2019, we attempted to resolve our case with the MFM through working meetings attended by representatives of the MFM, CDM and PRODECON (Local Tax Ombudsman). However, we were unable to materially resolve our case with the MFM through the PRODECON process.

As a result, in April 2019, the MFM issued a final tax assessment to CDM (the “2011 Assessment”) totaling approximately $2.2 billion Mexican pesos (approx. $108.8 million USD at January 31, 2021) related to Income Tax, Flat Rate Business Tax and Value Added Tax, corresponding to the fiscal year 2011 tax audit. We have consulted with an internationally recognized tax advisor and continue to believe this tax assessment is without merit. Therefore, we filed an administrative appeal challenging the MFM’s 2011 assessment on June 12, 2019. 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 MFM 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. Furthermore, in August 2018, we received a favorable ruling from Mexico’s Federal Tax Administration Service, Servicio de Administracion Tributaria’s (the “SAT”) central legal department in Mexico City on another tax matter (see footnote 11 regarding IVA refunds) indicating that they believe that our legal interpretation is accurate on a matter that is also central to the 2011 Assessment. We believe this recent ruling undermines the Assessment we received in April 2019.

Additionally, we also received notice from the SAT, that CDM 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 IVA. We provided a written rebuttal to these preliminary observations during our second fiscal quarter of 2017. During the period from our third fiscal quarter of 2017 through our third fiscal quarter of 2018, we attempted to resolve our case with the SAT through working meetings attended by representatives of the SAT, CDM and the PRODECON. However, we were unable to materially resolve our case with the SAT through the PRODECON process.

As a result, in July 2018, the SAT’s local office in Uruapan issued to CDM a final tax assessment (the “2013 Assessment”) totaling approximately $2.6 billion Mexican pesos (approx. $128.6 million USD at January 31, 2021) 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 that we owe our employee’s profit-sharing liability, totaling approximately $118 million Mexican pesos (approx. $5.8 million USD at January 31, 2021).

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 that this tax assessment is without merit. In August 2018, we filed an administrative appeal on the 2013 Assessment. CDM has appealed our case to the SAT’s central legal department in Mexico City. Furthermore, and as noted in the preceding paragraphs, 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 IVA 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.

In light of the foregoing, the Company is currently considering its options for resolution of the two tax assessments:

In the unlikely event of an unfavorable resolution of the administrative appeal, we could file a nullification suit with the Mexican Tax Court. In order to file such suit, we would be required to post collateral or a bond for the total amount of the tax assessment (including inflation adjustments, penalties and surcharges) while the suit is in process, which could last from two to three years. If the suit results in an unfavorable ruling, there is an option to appeal to the Collegiate Circuit Court while maintaining the collateral or bond in place.

In the event of filing a nullification suit, the collateral or bonding requirement may be avoided by filing a nullification suit on substantive matters (“Juicio de Fondo”). This type of suit permits only arguments on the legal merits of the taxpayer’s case, and limits arguments on procedural matters.

The estimated time for resolution of this matter could be affected by the situation related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

We continue to believe that the ultimate resolution of these matters is unlikely to have a material effect on our consolidated financial position.