Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)

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SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)
12 Months Ended
Apr. 30, 2024
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Basis of presentation and principles of consolidation

Basis of presentation and principles of consolidation

 

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared by the Company in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”), the instructions to Form 10-K, and the rules and regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for financial information, which includes the consolidated financial statements and presents the consolidated financial statements of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries as of April 30, 2024. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated. It is management’s opinion that all material adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) have been made, which are necessary for a fair financial statement presentation.

 

Use of Estimates and Assumptions

Use of Estimates and Assumptions

 

In preparing the consolidated financial statements, management is required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities as of the date of the consolidated balance sheet, and revenues and expenses for the period then ended. Actual results may differ significantly from those estimates. Significant estimates made by management include, but are not limited to, valuation of mineral rights, stock-based compensation, the fair value of common stock, valuation of warrant liability, asset retirement obligations and the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities.

 

Revision of Financial Statements

Revision of Financial Statements

 

During the fiscal year ended April 30, 2021 (“fiscal year 2021”), the Company determined that it had not appropriately recorded a deferred tax liability related to the acquisition of mineral rights in August 2020. This resulted in an understatement of deferred tax liability and a corresponding understatement of provision for income taxes during fiscal year 2021. Based on an analysis of Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 250 – “Accounting Changes and Error Corrections” (“ASC 250”), Staff Accounting Bulletin 99 – “Materiality” and Staff Accounting Bulletin 108 – “Considering the Effects of Prior Year Misstatements when Quantifying Misstatements in Current Year Financial Statements,” the Company determined that these errors were immaterial to the previously issued consolidated financial statements, and as such no restatement was necessary. Correcting prior period financial statements for immaterial errors would not require previously filed reports to be amended.

 

 

U.S. GOLD CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

APRIL 30, 2024

 

The effect of this revision on the line items within the Company’s consolidated statements of changes in stockholders’ equity as of April 30, 2022, was as follows:

 

                   
    April 30, 2022  
    As Previously Reported     Revision     As Revised  
Accumulated Deficit   $ (57,905,928 )   $ (430,486 )   $ (58,336,414 )
Total Stockholders’ Equity   $ 23,657,801     $ (430,486 )   $ 23,227,315  

 

Fair Value Measurements

Fair Value Measurements

 

The Company has adopted ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures” (“ASC 820”), for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis. ASC 820 establishes a common definition for fair value to be applied in accordance with U.S. GAAP, which requires the use of fair value measurements, establishes a framework for measuring fair value and expands disclosure about such fair value measurements.

 

ASC 820 defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Additionally, ASC 820 requires the use of valuation techniques that maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs.

 

These inputs are prioritized below:

 

Level 1: Observable inputs such as quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
Level 2: Observable market-based inputs or unobservable inputs that are corroborated by market data.
Level 3: Unobservable inputs for which there is little or no market data, which, require the use of the reporting entity’s own assumptions.

 

The Company analyzes all financial instruments with features of both liabilities and equity under the Financial Accounting Standard Board’s (“FASB”) accounting standard for such instruments. Under this standard, financial assets and liabilities are classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

 

The Company’s warrant liability for warrants issued in connection with equity financing in March 2022 and April 2023 (see Note 9) was estimated using a Monte Carlo simulation model using Level 3 inputs.

 

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and Cash Equivalents

 

Cash equivalents are comprised of certain highly liquid instruments with a maturity of three months or less when purchased. The Company did not have any cash equivalents on hand at April 30, 2024 and 2023. The Company places its cash with high credit quality financial institutions. The Company’s accounts at these institutions are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) up to $250,000. To reduce its risk associated with the failure of such financial institutions, the Company evaluates, at least annually, the rating of the financial institutions in which it holds deposits. At April 30, 2024 and 2023, the Company had bank balances of approximately $5.2 million and $7.3 million, respectively, exceeding the FDIC insurance limit on interest bearing accounts.

 

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

 

Prepaid expenses and other current assets of $948,833 and $610,140 at April 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively, consist primarily of costs paid for future services which will occur within a year. Prepaid expenses principally include prepayments in cash and equity instruments for consulting, public relations, business advisory services, insurance premiums, mining claim fees, easement fees, options fees, and mineral lease fees which are being amortized over the terms of their respective agreements.

 

Property

Property

 

Property is carried at cost. The cost of repairs and maintenance is expensed as incurred; major replacements and improvements are capitalized. When assets are retired or disposed of, the cost and accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts, and any resulting gains or losses are included in income in the year of disposition. Depreciation is calculated on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of the assets, generally three to five years.

 

 

U.S. GOLD CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

APRIL 30, 2024

 

Impairment of long-lived assets

Impairment of long-lived assets

 

The Company reviews long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be fully recoverable, or at least annually. The Company recognizes an impairment loss when the sum of expected undiscounted future cash flows is less than the carrying amount of the asset. The amount of impairment is measured as the difference between the asset’s estimated fair value and its book value. The Company did not recognize any impairment during the years ended April 30, 2024 and 2023.

 

Mineral Rights

Mineral Rights

 

Costs of leasing, exploring, carrying and retaining unproven mineral lease properties are expensed as incurred. The Company expenses all mineral exploration costs as incurred. Where the Company has identified proven and probable mineral reserves on any of its properties, development costs will be capitalized when all the following criteria have been met, a) the Company receives the requisite operating permits, b) completion of a favorable Feasibility Study and c) approval from the Board of director’s authorizing the development of the ore body. Until such time all these criteria have been met the Company records pre-development costs to expense as incurred.

 

When a property reaches the production stage, the related capitalized costs will be amortized on a units-of-production basis over the proven and probable reserves following the commencement of production. The Company assesses the carrying costs of the capitalized mineral properties for impairment under ASC 360-10, “Impairment of Long-Lived Assets”, and evaluates their carrying value under ASC 930-360, “Extractive Activities—Mining”, annually. An impairment is recognized when the sum of the expected undiscounted future cash flows is less than the carrying amount of the mineral properties. Impairment losses, if any, are measured as the excess of the carrying amount of the mineral properties over its estimated fair value.

 

To date, the Company has expensed all exploration and pre-development costs as none of its properties have satisfied the criteria above for capitalization.

 

ASC 930-805, “Extractive Activities—Mining: Business Combinations” (“ASC 930-805”), states that mineral rights consist of the legal right to explore, extract, and retain at least a portion of the benefits from mineral deposits. Mining assets include mineral rights.

 

Acquired mineral rights are considered tangible assets under ASC 930-805. ASC 930-805 requires that mineral rights be recognized at fair value as of the acquisition date. As a result, the direct costs to acquire mineral rights are initially capitalized as tangible assets. Mineral rights include costs associated with acquiring patented and unpatented mining claims.

 

ASC 930-805 provides that in measuring the fair value of mineral assets, an acquirer should take into account both:

 

● The value beyond proven and probable reserves (“VBPP”) to the extent that a market participant would include VBPP in determining the fair value of the assets.

 

● The effects of anticipated fluctuations in the future market price of minerals in a manner that is consistent with the expectations of market participants.

 

Leases to explore for or use of natural resources are outside the scope of ASC 842, “Leases”.

 

Share-Based Compensation

Share-Based Compensation

 

Share-based compensation is accounted for based on the requirements of ASC 718, “Compensation—Stock Compensation” (“ASC 718”), which requires recognition in the financial statements of the cost of employee and director services received in exchange for an award of equity instruments over the period the employee or director is required to perform the services in exchange for the award (presumptively, the vesting period). ASC 718 also requires measurement of the cost of employee and director services received in exchange for an award based on the grant-date fair value of the award.

 

 

U.S. GOLD CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

APRIL 30, 2024

 

Accounting for Warrants

Accounting for Warrants

 

Warrants are accounted for in accordance with the applicable accounting guidance provided in ASC 815, “Derivatives and Hedging” (“ASC 815”) as either derivative liabilities or as equity instruments, depending on the specific terms of the agreements. The Company classifies as equity any contracts that (i) require physical settlement or net-share settlement or (ii) give the Company a choice of net-cash settlement or settlement in its own shares (physical settlement or net-share settlement). The Company classifies as assets or liabilities any contracts that (i) require net-cash settlement (including a requirement to net-cash settle the contract if an event occurs and if that event is outside the control of the Company) or (ii) give the counterparty a choice of net-cash settlement or settlement in shares (physical settlement or net-share settlement). Instruments that are classified as liabilities are recorded at fair value at each reporting period, with any change in fair value recognized as a component of change in fair value of derivative liabilities in the consolidated statements of operations.

 

The Company assessed the classification of its outstanding common stock purchase warrants as of the date of issuance and determined that such instruments, except for the warrants discussed under Warrant Liability below, met the criteria for equity classification under the guidance in ASU 2017-11 “Earnings Per Share (Topic 260); Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity (Topic 480); Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): (Part I) Accounting for Certain Financial Instruments with Down Round Feature”. The Company has no outstanding warrants that contain a “down round” feature under Topic 815 of ASU 2017-11.

 

Warrant Liability

Warrant Liability

 

The Company accounts for the 625,000 warrants and 870,000 warrants issued in March 2022 and April 2023 (the “Warrant Agreements”), respectively, in accordance with the guidance contained in ASC 815 “Derivatives and Hedging” whereby under that provision these warrants do not meet the criteria for equity treatment and must be recorded as a liability (see Note 9). Accordingly, the Company classifies these warrant instruments as liabilities at fair value and adjusts the instruments to fair value at each reporting period. This liability is re-measured at each balance sheet date until the warrants are exercised or expire, and any change in fair value will be recognized in the Company’s statement of operations. The fair value of these warrants is estimated using a Monte Carlo simulation model. Such warrant classification is also subject to re-evaluation at each reporting period.

 

Offering Costs

Offering Costs

 

Offering costs incurred consisted of legal, placement agent fees and other costs that were directly related to registered direct offerings. Offering costs were allocated to the separable financial instruments issued in the registered direct offering based on the same proportion as the proceeds were allocated to the warrants and equity. Offering costs associated with warrant liabilities are expensed as incurred, presented as offering costs related to warrant liability in the consolidated statements of operations. Offering costs associated with the sale of common shares are charged against equity.

 

Remediation and Asset Retirement Obligation

Remediation and Asset Retirement Obligation

 

Asset retirement obligations (“ARO”), consisting primarily of estimated reclamation costs at the Company’s CK Gold and Keystone properties, are recognized in the period incurred and when a reasonable estimate can be made, and recorded as liabilities at fair value. Such obligations, which are initially estimated based on discounted cash flow estimates, are accreted to full value over time through charges to accretion expense. Corresponding asset retirement costs are capitalized as part of the carrying amount of the related long-lived asset and depreciated over the asset’s remaining useful life. AROs are periodically adjusted to reflect changes in the estimated present value resulting from revisions to the estimated timing or amount of reclamation and closure costs. The Company reviews and evaluates its AROs annually or more frequently at interim periods if deemed necessary.

 

Foreign Currency Transactions

Foreign Currency Transactions

 

The reporting and functional currency of the Company is the U.S. dollar. Transactions denominated in foreign currencies are translated into the functional currency at the exchange rates prevailing on the transaction dates. Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into the functional currency at the exchange rates prevailing at the balance sheet date with any transaction gains and losses that arise from exchange rate fluctuations on transactions denominated in a currency other than the functional currency included in the results of operations as incurred. Translation adjustments, and transaction gains or losses, have not had, and are not expected to have, a material effect on the results of operations of the Company and are included in general and administrative expenses.

 

 

U.S. GOLD CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

APRIL 30, 2024

 

Leases

Leases

 

The Company accounts for leases in accordance with ASC Topic 842, Leases. Operating lease right of use assets (“ROU”) represent the right to use the leased asset for the lease term and operating lease liabilities are recognized based on the present value of the future minimum lease payments over the lease term at commencement date. As most leases do not provide an implicit rate, the Company uses an incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the adoption date in determining the present value of future payments. Upon the election by the Company to extend the lease for additional years, that election will be treated as a lease modification and the lease will be reviewed for re-measurement. Lease expense for minimum lease payments is amortized on a straight-line basis over the lease term and is included in general and administrative expenses in the statements of operations.

 

Income Taxes

Income Taxes

 

The Company accounts for income taxes pursuant to the provision of ASC 740, “Accounting for Income Taxes” (“ASC 740”), which requires, among other things, an asset and liability approach to calculating deferred income taxes. The asset and liability approach requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the carrying amounts and the tax bases of assets and liabilities. A valuation allowance is provided to offset any net deferred tax assets for which management believes it is more likely than not that the net deferred asset will not be realized.

 

The Company follows the provision of ASC 740-10, “Accounting for Uncertain Income Tax Positions” (“ASC 740-10”). When tax returns are filed, there may be uncertainty about the merits of positions taken or the amount of the position that would be ultimately sustained. In accordance with the guidance of ASC 740-10, the benefit of a tax position is recognized in the financial statements in the period during which, based on all available evidence, management believes it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained upon examination, including the resolution of appeals or litigation processes, if any. Tax positions taken are not offset or aggregated with other positions.

 

Tax positions that meet the more likely than not recognition threshold are measured at the largest amount of tax benefit that is more than 50 percent likely of being realized upon settlement with the applicable taxing authority. The portion of the benefit associated with tax positions taken that exceed the amount measured as described above should be reflected as a liability for uncertain tax benefits in the accompanying balance sheet along with any associated interest and penalties that would be payable to the taxing authorities upon examination. The Company believes its tax positions are all more likely than not to be upheld upon examination. As such, the Company has not recorded a liability for uncertain tax benefits or for any related interest and penalties. In the event that the Company is assessed penalties and/or interest, penalties will be charged to other operating expense and interest will be charged to interest expense.

 

The Company follows ASC 740-10-25, “Definition of Settlement”, which provides guidance on how an entity should determine whether a tax position is effectively settled for the purpose of recognizing previously unrecognized tax benefits and provides that a tax position can be effectively settled upon the completion and examination by a taxing authority without being legally extinguished. For tax positions considered effectively settled, an entity would recognize the full amount of tax benefit, even if the tax position is not considered more likely than not to be sustained based solely on the basis of its technical merits and the statute of limitations remains open. The federal and state income tax returns of the Company are subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service and state taxing authorities, generally for three years after they are filed.

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

 

Accounting standards that have been issued or proposed by FASB that do not require adoption until a future date are not expected to have a material effect on the financial statements upon adoption. The Company does not discuss recent pronouncements that are not anticipated to have an effect on or are unrelated to its financial condition, results of operations, cash flows or disclosures.

 

In June 2022, FASB issued ASU 2022-03, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820) (“ASU 2022-03”). The amendments in ASU 2022-03 clarify that a contractual restriction on the sale of an equity security is not considered part of the unit of account of the equity security and, therefore, is not considered in measuring fair value. The amendments also clarify that an entity cannot, as a separate unit of account, recognize and measure a contractual sale restriction. The amendments in this Update also require additional disclosures for equity securities subject to contractual sale restrictions. The provisions in this Update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. Early adoption is permitted. The Company does not expect to early adopt this ASU. The Company does not expect the adoption of this standard to have a significant impact on its consolidated financial statements.

 

 

U.S. GOLD CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

APRIL 30, 2024

 

On May 1, 2023, the Company adopted FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326) (“ASU 2016-13”), which requires the immediate recognition of management’s estimates of current and expected credit losses. The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements or disclosures.

 

In December 2023, FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2023-09, Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures (“ASU 2023-09”). The standard enhances income tax disclosure requirements for all entities by requiring specified categories and greater disaggregation within the rate reconciliation table, disclosure of income taxes paid by jurisdiction, and providing clarification on uncertain tax positions and related financial statement impacts. ASU 2023-09 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024. The Company is currently assessing the impact of ASU 2023-09 on its disclosures.