Delaware SOS VDA Program Invitation and Audit Notice – More Letters Sent Early October 2018

Summary

Delaware Sends Additional VDA Program & Audit Letters
Delaware reached out to an additional group of companies through a series of correspondence issued on or around October 10, 2018, with additional waves expected next year. These letters seek to inform holders to participate in the VDA program based on record of non-compliance or they may face being audited by the Department of Finance. Companies that do not act within 60 days are expected to receive audit letters thereafter.
 
Targeted companies now include middle market companies that maintain annual revenues of $100M and above. See Sample Reach Out Letter.

Details

What to Do
Given the above, companies that receive this notice should:

1. Determine if your organization has received prior Delaware correspondence;
2. Determine what historical compliance, if any, has been with the state of Delaware;
3. Determine record retention policy for banking records, A/R records, general ledgers, etc.;
4. Determine if policy and procedures exist around unclaimed property (current and historical);
5. Evaluate the VDA Decision Tree; and
6. Take action immediately where appropriate.

If your organization has received an “audit notice,” it is important to reach out to us as soon as possible for best practices on blocking other states from joining the audit and mitigate exposures. Even if an organization has not received a notice, the above steps are best practices for addressing escheatment matters and provide for reduced look-back periods for those entering sooner rather than later. Moreover, some companies, especially decentralized organizations, may have received a letter but it was never routed to the appropriate department, which without following the steps above, may lead to an audit. For those that have received audit letters, you should contact your client service professional at your earliest convenience for best practices and steps you can take to mitigate additional state exposure if timely addressed.
 
Companies at Highest Risk

1. Incorporated in the state of Delaware, or
2. Located in other states with significant operations in Delaware who have not addressed or underreported their unclaimed property with the state.

 

BDO Insights

BDO has significant experience with Delaware’s Secretary of State VDA Program and Audit Divisions. BDO has successfully assisted many clients in the Delaware VDA program and on audit through our preapproved review process and relationships, and our extensive experience working with Delaware.

 

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CONTACT:

Joseph Carr
Partner & National Unclaimed Property Practice Leader

from BDO USA Tax Publications Feed https://www.bdo.com/insights/tax/unclaimed-property/delaware-sos-vda-program-invitation-and-audit-noti