The Joint Corp. Provides Updates on the June 30, 2023 SEC 10-Q Filing

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Sept. 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Joint Corp. (NASDAQ: JYNT), a national operator, manager, and franchisor of chiropractic clinics, announced the company intends to restate previously issued audited financial statements as of and for the year ending December 31, 2022 contained in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 and the unaudited interim financial statements contained in the Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters and cumulative periods ended June 30, 2022, and September 30, 2022 (the “Previously Issued Financial Statements”) related to the reacquisition of regional developer rights and transfer pricing adjustments for the Company’s variable interest entities.

Background and Determination

The Company enters into agreements with its regional developers (the “RD Agreements”). Under each RD Agreement, the Company sells to each of its regional developers the exclusive rights to open a minimum number of clinics in a defined territory (the “Regional Developer Rights”). Upon entering into each RD Agreement, the regional developer pays the Company an upfront fee for such Regional Developer Rights. Each regional developer helps the Company to identify and qualify potential new franchisees in its territory and assists the Company in providing field training, clinic openings and ongoing support. In return, the Company shares with the regional developer part of the initial upfront franchise fee paid to the Company by new franchisees in the regional developer’s protected territory and pays the regional developer 3% of the 7% ongoing royalties the Company collects from the franchisees in the regional developer’s protected territory. From time to time, the Company has re-acquired Regional Developer Rights from certain of its regional developers.

Historically, the Company has recorded the re-acquired Regional Developer Rights as an intangible asset and amortized the re-acquired Regional Developer Rights over the contractual terms under the RD Agreement remaining at the time of the re-acquisition. The Company has concluded that this treatment was incorrect in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The Company should not have capitalized the re-acquired Regional Developer Rights but instead should have recognized the full cost of the re-acquisition as an expense in the respective period. In addition, the Company has historically recorded the upfront fee paid by the regional developer as a deferred liability, which was then recognized ratably to revenue as the regional developer performed various service obligations. The amended treatment will still defer the upfront payment, but the deferred liability will be ratably recognized against cost of revenue as an offset against future commissions.