COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2023
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES	NOTE 9 – COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES Legal Proceedings With the exception of the below, the Company is not a party to any legal proceedings or claims at June 30, 2023. From time-to-time, we may be a party to, or otherwise involved in, legal proceedings arising in the normal course of business. The nature of our business ordinarily results in a certain amount of pending as well as threatened claims, litigation, investigations, regulatory and legal and administrative cases, matters and proceedings, all of which are considered incidental to the normal conduct of business. When we determine that we have meritorious defenses to the claims asserted, we vigorously defend ourselves. We consider settlement of cases when, in management’s judgment, it is in the best interests of both the Company and its shareholders to do so. Recruiter.com Group, Inc. v. BKR Strategy Group. We are currently pursuing two related collections matters against BKR Strategy Group. Since 2013, BKR Strategy Group has provided talent acquisition strategy and services to top companies. Starting in the third quarter of 2021, BKR Strategy Group subcontracted Recruiter.com to perform on Demand recruiter services on behalf of BKR Strategy Group’s clients. Although payments for services rendered were initially received in a timely fashion, BKR Strategy Group’s balance grew throughout the third and fourth quarters of 2021. This led to BKR Strategy Group executing a Promissory Note with a payment schedule for $500,000 on November 30, 2021 with a personal guarantee from its business principal as part of the note. After failing to meet the payment schedule and after repeated attempts to collect the balance due, we retained the law firm of Berkovitch & Bouskila, PLLC and filed two lawsuits against BKR Strategy Group on February 18, 2022, the first, to collect on unpaid invoices and the second, to enforce the promissory note, for a total sum of $1,400,000. On March 24, 2022, BKR Strategy Group made a counterclaim against us for $500,000 on the grounds of alleged overbilling. Management denies the basis for the counterclaim and expects to vigorously defend itself from this counterclaim. Outside counsel for the company has advised that at this stage in the proceedings, it cannot offer an opinion as to the probable outcome. As it is not possible to estimate if a loss will be incurred, there has been no accrual. On June 21, 2022, the Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County ruled in favor of the Company that BKR Strategy Group owes the Company $500,000, plus interest at 12% since November 22, 2021, through the entry of judgement in the lawsuit related to the enforcement on the Promissory Note executed by BKR Strategy Group. Proceedings in the other lawsuit remain ongoing. In April 2023, we settled an outstanding balance with a vendor and recorded a gain of $178,749. ERC Activity During the second quarter, the company received $754,796 related to an employee retention credit from the IRS, which was recorded as other income. The services provided by a third-party company for assistance with the ERC application totaled $327,073, which was recorded as finance cost. Additionally, the company obtained two advance loans on the ERC credits totaling $450,000 with an original issue discount of $133,333, that was fully expensed as interest expense for a total owed of $583,333. The OID was repaid during the three months ended June 30, 2023. Of this amount, $80,528 of the advances was repaid during the six months ended June 30, 2023, and the ending balance for the two loans was $369,472. These amounts are included in other liabilities as of June 30, 2023. Service Agreement In December of 2021 we entered into an agreement wherein a third party will assume responsibility for several of our staffing clients and in return the third party would enter into Recruiters on Demand service agreements and software subscriptions with us. As of December 31, 2022, all the conditions of the agreement have not been met. However, one of the provisions has been implemented whereby we entered into a payroll service agreement for employer of record services for one of our clients. As a result, we have recognized revenue $0 and $214,247 during the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, related to this agreement. COVID-19 Uncertainty: In March 2020, the outbreak of COVID-19 (coronavirus) caused by a novel strain of the coronavirus was recognized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization, and the outbreak became increasingly widespread in the United States, including in each of the areas in which we operate. While to date, we have not been required to stop operating, management is evaluating its use of its office space, virtual meetings and the like. We previously reduced certain billing rates to respond to the economic climate, however, those billing rates have returned to normal. Demand for recruiting solutions and our Platform improved in 2022 versus 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic has been characterized by rises and falls of case numbers due to unforeseen factors and variants of concern and consequently has had varying amounts of impact on our operations and financial prospects. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will impact operations, ability to obtain financing or future financial results is uncertain at this time. Our management team believes that COVID-19 accelerated significant technology trends that had already existed before the pandemic. For example, the gig economy's growth (i.e., temporary, flexible jobs) was facilitated by technology, virtual and remote telework with video, and the emergence of On Demand labor through online marketplaces all happened before the crisis. The necessity of lockdowns and business closures drove increased technology adoption and moved these trends rapidly forward. As we operate as a virtual, AI, and video-based hiring platform operating in the gig economy, these trends may act as tailwinds for the adoption of our products and services. We expect but cannot guarantee that demand for its recruiting solutions will improve in 2023, as certain clients re-open or accelerate their hiring initiatives, and new clients utilize our services. Overall, management is focused on effectively positioning the Company for a rebound in hiring which we believe will continue to happen in 2023. Ultimately, the recovery may be delayed and the economic conditions may worsen, depending upon changes in the impact from the COVID-19 pandemic. We continue to closely monitor the confidence of our recruiter users and customers, and their respective job requirement load through offline discussions and our Recruiter Index survey. We also may depend on raising additional debt or equity capital to stay operational. The economic impact of COVID-19, should the COVID-19 pandemic worsen, may make it more difficult for us to raise additional capital when needed. The terms of any financing, if we are able to complete one, will likely not be favorable to us. On June 5, 2023, the Company entered into a stock purchase agreement with GoLogiq Inc., a Delaware corporation (“GoLogiq”). GoLogiq owns all of the issued and outstanding membership interests (the “Membership Interests”) of GOLQ LLC, a Nevada limited liability company. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the stock purchase agreement, GoLogiq is selling to the Company, and the Company is purchasing from GoLogiq, the Membership Interests. This transaction has not yet closed. In exchange for the Company Membership Interests, the Buyer is agreeing to pay the Seller total consideration of (1) the number of shares of common stock of the Buyer (“Buyer Common Stock”) that represents 84% of the total issued and outstanding shares of the Buyer common stock at the closing of the purchase of the Company Membership Interest (“Closing” and such date, the “Closing Date”) and (2) an earn-out payment (the “Earn-Out Payment”) payable pursuant to the terms of the Agreement. The Earn-Out Payment will be payable if on a date that is six months after the Closing Date (the “Earn-Out Determination Date”), Buyer’s market capitalization at the close of the trading day (the “Buyer Market Cap”) exceeds the Assumed Closing Valuation. The assumed closing valuation refers to the current value of the Company, which is deemed to be $105,000,000 (“Assumed Closing Valuation”). The Assumed Closing Valuation is the sum of the Company’s assumed valuation of $88,000,000 and the Buyer’s assumed valuation of $17,000,000. The Earn-Out Payment shall be as follows: (i) if the Buyer Market Cap on the Earn-Out Determination Date exceeds the Assumed Closing Valuation but is less than or equals to $130,000,000, Seller shall receive such additional number of shares of Buyer Common Stock representing seventy percent (70%) of the increase in value over the Assumed Closing Valuation; (ii) if the Buyer Market Cap on the Earn-out Determination Date exceeds $130,000,000 but is less than or equals to $160,000,000, Seller shall receive such additional number of shares of Buyer Common Stock representing eighty percent (80%) of the increase in value over the Assumed Closing Valuation; and (iii) if the Buyer Market Cap on the Earn-out Determination Date exceeds $160,000,000, Seller shall receive such additional number of shares of Buyer Common Stock representing ninety percent (90%) of the increase in value over the Assumed Closing Valuation. Concurrent with the Closing, Recruiter.com’s existing operating business, assets, and liabilities are planned to be spun off into a new entity that will be quoted on the OTC Market (“NewCo”). Upon the completion of such spin-off, the legacy stockholders of record for Recruiter.com prior to the Closing Date will hold securities in Buyer and NewCo.

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2023

NOTE 9 – COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Legal Proceedings

With the exception of the below, the Company is not a party to any legal proceedings or claims at June 30, 2023. From time-to-time, we may be a party to, or otherwise involved in, legal proceedings arising in the normal course of business. The nature of our business ordinarily results in a certain amount of pending as well as threatened claims, litigation, investigations, regulatory and legal and administrative cases, matters and proceedings, all of which are considered incidental to the normal conduct of business. When we determine that we have meritorious defenses to the claims asserted, we vigorously defend ourselves. We consider settlement of cases when, in management’s judgment, it is in the best interests of both the Company and its shareholders to do so.

Recruiter.com Group, Inc. v. BKR Strategy Group.

We are currently pursuing two related collections matters against BKR Strategy Group. Since 2013, BKR Strategy Group has provided talent acquisition strategy and services to top companies. Starting in the third quarter of 2021, BKR Strategy Group subcontracted Recruiter.com to perform on Demand recruiter services on behalf of BKR Strategy Group’s clients. Although payments for services rendered were initially received in a timely fashion, BKR Strategy Group’s balance grew throughout the third and fourth quarters of 2021. This led to BKR Strategy Group executing a Promissory Note with a payment schedule for $500,000 on November 30, 2021 with a personal guarantee from its business principal as part of the note. After failing to meet the payment schedule and after repeated attempts to collect the balance due, we retained the law firm of Berkovitch & Bouskila, PLLC and filed two lawsuits against BKR Strategy Group on February 18, 2022, the first, to collect on unpaid invoices and the second, to enforce the promissory note, for a total sum of $1,400,000. On March 24, 2022, BKR Strategy Group made a counterclaim against us for $500,000 on the grounds of alleged overbilling. Management denies the basis for the counterclaim and expects to vigorously defend itself from this counterclaim. Outside counsel for the company has advised that at this stage in the proceedings, it cannot offer an opinion as to the probable outcome. As it is not possible to estimate if a loss will be incurred, there has been no accrual.

On June 21, 2022, the Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County ruled in favor of the Company that BKR Strategy Group owes the Company $500,000, plus interest at 12% since November 22, 2021, through the entry of judgement in the lawsuit related to the enforcement on the Promissory Note executed by BKR Strategy Group. Proceedings in the other lawsuit remain ongoing.

In April 2023, we settled an outstanding balance with a vendor and recorded a gain of $178,749.

ERC Activity

During the second quarter, the company received $754,796 related to an employee retention credit from the IRS, which was recorded as other income. The services provided by a third-party company for assistance with the ERC application totaled $327,073, which was recorded as finance cost. Additionally, the company obtained two advance loans on the ERC credits totaling $450,000 with an original issue discount of $133,333, that was fully expensed as interest expense for a total owed of $583,333. The OID was repaid during the three months ended June 30, 2023. Of this amount, $80,528 of the advances was repaid during the six months ended June 30, 2023, and the ending balance for the two loans was $369,472. These amounts are included in other liabilities as of June 30, 2023.

Service Agreement

In December of 2021 we entered into an agreement wherein a third party will assume responsibility for several of our staffing clients and in return the third party would enter into Recruiters on Demand service agreements and software subscriptions with us. As of December 31, 2022, all the conditions of the agreement have not been met. However, one of the provisions has been implemented whereby we entered into a payroll service agreement for employer of record services for one of our clients. As a result, we have recognized revenue $0 and $214,247 during the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, related to this agreement.

COVID-19 Uncertainty:

In March 2020, the outbreak of COVID-19 (coronavirus) caused by a novel strain of the coronavirus was recognized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization, and the outbreak became increasingly widespread in the United States, including in each of the areas in which we operate. While to date, we have not been required to stop operating, management is evaluating its use of its office space, virtual meetings and the like. We previously reduced certain billing rates to respond to the economic climate, however, those billing rates have returned to normal. Demand for recruiting solutions and our Platform improved in 2022 versus 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic has been characterized by rises and falls of case numbers due to unforeseen factors and variants of concern and consequently has had varying amounts of impact on our operations and financial prospects. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will impact operations, ability to obtain financing or future financial results is uncertain at this time.

Our management team believes that COVID-19 accelerated significant technology trends that had already existed before the pandemic. For example, the gig economy's growth (i.e., temporary, flexible jobs) was facilitated by technology, virtual and remote telework with video, and the emergence of On Demand labor through online marketplaces all happened before the crisis. The necessity of lockdowns and business closures drove increased technology adoption and moved these trends rapidly forward. As we operate as a virtual, AI, and video-based hiring platform operating in the gig economy, these trends may act as tailwinds for the adoption of our products and services.

We expect but cannot guarantee that demand for its recruiting solutions will improve in 2023, as certain clients re-open or accelerate their hiring initiatives, and new clients utilize our services. Overall, management is focused on effectively positioning the Company for a rebound in hiring which we believe will continue to happen in 2023. Ultimately, the recovery may be delayed and the economic conditions may worsen, depending upon changes in the impact from the COVID-19 pandemic. We continue to closely monitor the confidence of our recruiter users and customers, and their respective job requirement load through offline discussions and our Recruiter Index survey.

We also may depend on raising additional debt or equity capital to stay operational. The economic impact of COVID-19, should the COVID-19 pandemic worsen, may make it more difficult for us to raise additional capital when needed. The terms of any financing, if we are able to complete one, will likely not be favorable to us.

On June 5, 2023, the Company entered into a stock purchase agreement with GoLogiq Inc., a Delaware corporation (“GoLogiq”). GoLogiq owns all of the issued and outstanding membership interests (the “Membership Interests”) of GOLQ LLC, a Nevada limited liability company. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the stock purchase agreement, GoLogiq is selling to the Company, and the Company is purchasing from GoLogiq, the Membership Interests. This transaction has not yet closed.

In exchange for the Company Membership Interests, the Buyer is agreeing to pay the Seller total consideration of (1) the number of shares of common stock of the Buyer (“Buyer Common Stock”) that represents 84% of the total issued and outstanding shares of the Buyer common stock at the closing of the purchase of the Company Membership Interest (“Closing” and such date, the “Closing Date”) and (2) an earn-out payment (the “Earn-Out Payment”) payable pursuant to the terms of the Agreement. The Earn-Out Payment will be payable if on a date that is six months after the Closing Date (the “Earn-Out Determination Date”), Buyer’s market capitalization at the close of the trading day (the “Buyer Market Cap”) exceeds the Assumed Closing Valuation. The assumed closing valuation refers to the current value of the Company, which is deemed to be $105,000,000 (“Assumed Closing Valuation”). The Assumed Closing Valuation is the sum of the Company’s assumed valuation of $88,000,000 and the Buyer’s assumed valuation of $17,000,000. The Earn-Out Payment shall be as follows: (i) if the Buyer Market Cap on the Earn-Out Determination Date exceeds the Assumed Closing Valuation but is less than or equals to $130,000,000, Seller shall receive such additional number of shares of Buyer Common Stock representing seventy percent (70%) of the increase in value over the Assumed Closing Valuation; (ii) if the Buyer Market Cap on the Earn-out Determination Date exceeds $130,000,000 but is less than or equals to $160,000,000, Seller shall receive such additional number of shares of Buyer Common Stock representing eighty percent (80%) of the increase in value over the Assumed Closing Valuation; and (iii) if the Buyer Market Cap on the Earn-out Determination Date exceeds $160,000,000, Seller shall receive such additional number of shares of Buyer Common Stock representing ninety percent (90%) of the increase in value over the Assumed Closing Valuation.

Concurrent with the Closing, Recruiter.com’s existing operating business, assets, and liabilities are planned to be spun off into a new entity that will be quoted on the OTC Market (“NewCo”). Upon the completion of such spin-off, the legacy stockholders of record for Recruiter.com prior to the Closing Date will hold securities in Buyer and NewCo.