SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2018

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

NOTE 2 – SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Principles of Consolidation 

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the financial statements of Kingold, Dragon Lead, Wuhan Vogue-Show and Wuhan Kingold. All significant inter-company balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements as well as the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Significant estimates required to be made by management include, but are not limited to, useful lives of property, plant and equipment, intangible assets, the recoverability of long-lived assets, inventory valuation, allowance for doubtful accounts, deferred income tax, allowance for investments in gold. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Cash

Cash includes cash on hand and demand deposits in accounts maintained with commercial banks within the PRC. The Company considers all highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. The Company maintains most of the bank accounts in the PRC. Cash balances in bank accounts in PRC are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or other programs.

Restricted Cash

The Company adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-18, “Statement of Cash Flows: Restricted Cash” during the first quarter of 2018. This ASU applies to all entities that have restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents to be presented in the statement of cash flows under Topic 230.

As of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the Company had restricted cash (current and non-current) of $15,494,955 and $12,927,272, respectively. All restricted cash was related to the various loans with banks and financial institutions – see Note 5 – Loans.

Accounts Receivable

The Company generally receives cash payment upon delivery of a product, but may extend unsecured credit to its customers in the ordinary course of business. The Company mitigates the associated risks by performing credit checks and actively pursuing past due accounts. An allowance for doubtful accounts is established and recorded based on management’s assessment of the credit history of the customers and current relationships with them. As of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, there was no allowance recorded as the Company considers all of the accounts receivable fully collectible. 

Inventories

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost and net realizable value, and cost is calculated on the weighted average basis. As of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, there was no lower of cost or market adjustment because the carrying value of the Company’s inventories was lower than the current and expected market price of gold. The cost of inventories comprises all costs of purchases, costs of fixed and variable production overhead and other costs incurred in bringing the inventories to their present condition.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation. Expenditures for additions, major renewals and betterments are capitalized, and expenditures for maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred. Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the shorter of the lease term or the estimated useful life. 

Depreciation is provided on a straight-line basis, less estimated residual value, over an asset’s estimated useful life. The estimated useful lives used in connection with the preparation of the financial statements are as follows:

	Estimated Useful Life
Buildings	30 years
Plant and machinery	15 years
Motor vehicles	10 years
Office furniture and electronic equipment	5 – 10 years
Leasehold improvements	5 years

Land Use Right

Under PRC law, all land in the PRC is owned by the government and cannot be sold to an individual or company. The government grants individuals and companies the right to use parcels of land for specified periods of time. These land use rights are sometimes referred to informally as “ownership.” Land use rights are stated at cost less accumulated amortization. Amortization is provided over the respective useful lives, using the straight-line method. Estimated useful life is 50 years, and is determined in connection with the term of the land use right. 

Long-Lived Assets

Certain assets such as property, plant and equipment and construction in progress, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets that are held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If the carrying amount of an asset exceeds its estimated future cash flows, an impairment charge is recognized by the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the fair value of the asset. There were no events or changes in circumstances that triggered a review of impairment of long-lived assets as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017. 

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The Company follows the provisions of Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures.” ASC 820 clarifies the definition of fair value, prescribes methods for measuring fair value, and establishes a fair value hierarchy to classify the inputs used in measuring fair value as follows: 

Level 1-Observable inputs such as unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities available at the measurement date.

Level 2-Inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets and liabilities in markets that are not active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable, and inputs derived from or corroborated by observable market data.

Level 3-Inputs are unobservable inputs which reflect management’s assumptions based on the best available information.

The carrying value of accounts receivable, other current assets and prepaid expenses, short-term loans, other payables and accrued expenses approximate their fair values because of the short-term nature of these instruments. The Company determined that the carrying value of the long term loans approximated their fair value by comparing the stated loan interest rate to the rate charged by similar financial institutions. The Company uses quoted prices in active markets to measure the fair value of investments in gold.

Investments in Gold

The Company pledged the gold leased from related party and part of its own gold inventory to meet the requirements of bank loans. The pledged gold will be available for sale upon the repayment of the bank loans. The Company classified these pledged gold as investments in gold, and carried at fair market value, with the unrealized gains and losses, included in the determination of comprehensive income (loss) and reported in equity. The fair market value of the investments in gold is determined by quoted market prices at Shanghai Gold Exchange.

Revenue Recognition

The Company adopted Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 606 in the first quarter of 2018 using the modified retrospective approach. ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, establishes principles for reporting information about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from the entity’s contracts to provide goods or services to customers. The core principle requires an entity to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that it expects to be entitled to receive in exchange for those goods or services recognized as performance obligations are satisfied.

The Company has assessed the impact of the guidance by reviewing its existing customer contracts and current accounting policies and practices to identify differences that will result from applying the new requirements, including the evaluation of its performance obligations, transaction price, customer payments, transfer of control and principal versus agent considerations. Based on the assessment, the Company concluded that there was no change to the timing and pattern of revenue recognition for its current revenue streams in scope of Topic 606 and therefore there was no material changes to the Company’s consolidated financial statements upon adoption of ASC 606.

The Company’s revenues are primarily composed of sales proceeds collected from sales of branded products and customized product fees. Revenue is recognized when performance obligations under the terms of a contract with a customer are satisfied and promised services have transferred to the customers.

Revenue is recognized when obligations under the terms of a contract with the Company’s customers are satisfied. Satisfaction of contract terms occur with the transfer of title of the Company’s branded products and accessories to the customers. Net sale is measured as the amount of consideration the Company expects to receive in exchange for transferring the goods to the wholesaler and retailers. The amount of consideration the Company expects to receive consists of the sales price adjusted for any incentives if applicable. Incidental promotional items that are immaterial in the context of the contract are recognized as expense. Fees charged to customers for shipping and handling are included in net sales in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and the related costs incurred by the Company are included in cost of goods sold. In applying judgment, the Company considered customer expectations of performance, materiality and the core principles of ASC Topic 606. The Company’s performance obligations are generally transferred to the customer at a point in time. The Company’s contracts with customers generally do not include any variable consideration.

Sαles of brαnded products

The Company offers a wide range of in-house designed products including but not limited to gold necklaces, rings, earrings, bracelets, and pendants. In our sales of branded products, the Company only sells on a wholesale basis to distributors and retailers. Pricing of the jewelry products is made at the time of sales contracts are made, based on prevailing market price of gold. These sales contracts are primarily based on a customer’s purchase order followed by the Company’s order acknowledgement, and may also include a master supply or distributor agreement. The performance obligations are generally satisfied at a point in time when the Company ships the product from the Company’s facility. Payment term is typically due within 30 days. 

Customized production fees

In the customized product arrangement, the Company receives orders from other jewelry companies who engage to the Company to design and produce 24-karat jewelry and Chinese ornaments using gold they supply to the Company. Although the Company assumes the responsibilities to design and manufacture the related Jewelry products, the Company does not assume inventory risk and does not determine the product design specification. As a result, the Company is considered the agent in this arrangement for revenue recognition purposes. All of the sales contracts in this customized product arrangements contain performance obligations satisfied at a point in time when we complete the design and ship the product from the Company’s facility. The Company recognizes services-based revenue (the processing fee) from such contracts for customized production when: (i) the contracted services have been performed and (ii) collectability is reasonably assured.

The Company evaluated its revenue recognition policy for all revenue streams within the scope of the ASU under previous standards and using the five-step model under the new guidance and concluded that there were no differences in the pattern of revenue recognition as a result of the adoption of ASC 606.

Contract Balances and Remaining Performance Obligations

Contract balances typically arise when a difference in timing between the transfer of control to the customer and receipt of consideration occurs. The Company contract assets, consist primarily of accounts receivable related to sales of products to customers when revenue is recognized prior to payment and the Company has an unconditional right to payment. The Company had accounts receivable related to revenues from contracts with customers of $198,214 and $768,167 as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017. The Company’s contract liabilities in terms of customer deposit are immaterial.

The Company did not disclose information about remaining performance obligations pertaining to the customer contracts that either (i) contracts with an original expected term of one year or less, or (ii) contracts for which revenue is recognized in proportion to the amount the Company has the right to invoice for products sold or services rendered. 

Revenue by category

Revenue by major product line was as follows for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017:

	For the three months ended September 30,				For the nine months ended September 30,
	2018		2017		2018		2017
Branded production sales	$	612,836,724	$	568,620,635	$	1,808,294,992	$	1,318,304,351
Customized production sales		13,279,852		15,746,535		35,961,620		34,125,524
Trade in product sales		54,496		59,532		103,514		109,405
Other		-		84,937		131,264		127,636
	$	626,171,072	$	584,511,639	$	1,844,491,390	$	1,352,666,916

Income Taxes

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the consolidated financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period including the enactment date. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.

The provisions of ASC 740-10-25, “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes,” prescribe a more-likely-than-not threshold for consolidated financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken (or expected to be taken) in a tax return. This interpretation also provides guidance on the recognition of income tax assets and liabilities, classification of current and deferred income tax assets and liabilities, accounting for interest and penalties associated with tax positions, and related disclosures. The Company does not believe that there was any uncertain tax position at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017.

To the extent applicable, the Company records interest and penalties as a general and administrative expense. The statute of limitations for the Company’s U.S. federal income tax returns and certain state income tax returns remains open for tax years 2012 and after. As of September 30, 2018, the tax years ended December 31, 2012 through December 31, 2017 for the Company’s PRC subsidiaries remain open for statutory examination by PRC tax authorities.

Foreign Currency Translation

Kingold, as well as its wholly owned subsidiary, Dragon Lead, maintain accounting records in United States Dollars (“US$”), whereas Wuhan Vogue-Show and Wuhan Kingold maintain their accounting records in Renminbi (“RMB”), which is the primary currency of the economic environment in which their operations are conducted. The Company’s principal country of operations is the PRC. The financial position and results of its operations are determined using RMB, the local currency, as the functional currency. The results of operations and the statement of cash flows denominated in foreign currency are translated at the average rate of exchange during the reporting period. Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies at the balance sheet date are translated at the applicable rates of exchange in effect at that date. The equity denominated in the functional currency is translated at the historical rate of exchange at the time of capital contribution. Because cash flows are translated based on the average translation rate, amounts related to assets and liabilities reported on the statement of cash flows will not necessarily agree with changes in the corresponding balances on the balance sheet. Translation adjustments arising from the use of different exchange rates from period to period are included as a component of stockholders’ equity as “Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Deficit)”.

The value of RMB against US$ and other currencies may fluctuate and is affected by, among other things, changes in the PRC’s political and economic conditions. Any significant revaluation of RMB may materially affect the Company’s financial condition in terms of US$ reporting. The following table outlines the currency exchange rates that were used in creating the consolidated financial statements in this report: 

	September 30, 2018		September 30, 2017		December 31, 2017
Balance sheet items, except for equity, as of the period ended	US$	1=RMB 6.8683	US$	1=RMB 6.6549	US$	1=RMB 6.5064
Amounts included in the statements of operations and cash flows for the periods presented	US$	1=RMB 6.5153	US$	1=RMB 6.8065	US$	1=RMB  6.7570

Comprehensive income (loss)

Comprehensive income (loss) consists of two components, net income (loss) and other comprehensive income (loss). The unrealized gain or loss resulting from the change of the fair market value from the gold investments and the foreign currency translation gain or loss resulting from translation of the financial statements expressed in RMB to US$ are reported in other comprehensive income (loss) in the consolidated statements of operations   and comprehensive income.

Earnings Per Share (“EPS”)

Basic EPS is measured as net income divided by the weighted average common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted EPS is similar to basic EPS but presents the dilutive effect on a per share basis of potential common shares (i.e., options and warrants) as if they had been converted at the beginning of the periods presented, or issuance date, if later. Potential common shares that have an anti-dilutive effect (i.e., those that increase income per share or decrease loss per share) are excluded from the calculation of diluted EPS.

Share or Stock-Based compensation

For employee stock-based awards, share-based compensation cost is measured at the grant date based on the fair value of the award and is recognized as expense with graded vesting on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for the entire award. For the non-employee stock-based awards, the fair value of the awards to non-employees are measured every reporting period based on the value of the Company’s common stock. 

Debts Issuance Costs

Debt issuance cost related to a recognized debt liability is presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. Amortization of debt issuance costs is calculated using the effective interest method and is included as a component of interest expense.  

Risks and Uncertainties

The jewelry industry generally is affected by fluctuations in the price and supply of diamonds, gold, and, to a lesser extent, other precious and semi-precious metals and stones. The Company potentially has exposure to the fluctuation in gold commodity prices as part of its normal operations. In the past, the Company has not hedged its requirement for gold or other raw materials through the use of options, forward contracts or outright commodity purchasing. A significant increase in the price of gold could increase the Company’s production costs beyond the amount that it is able to pass on to its customers, which would adversely affect the Company’s sales and profitability. A significant disruption in the Company’s supply of gold, or other commodities, could decrease its production and shipping levels, materially increase its operating costs, and materially and adversely affect its profit margins. Shortages of gold, or other commodities, or interruptions in transportation systems, labor strikes, work stoppages, war, acts of terrorism, or other interruptions to or difficulties in the employment of labor or transportation in the markets in which the Company purchases its raw materials, may adversely affect its ability to maintain production of its products and sustain profitability. Although the Company generally attempts to pass on increased commodity prices to its customers, there may be circumstances in which it is not able to do so. In addition, if the Company were to experience a significant or prolonged shortage of gold, it would be unable to meet its production schedules and to ship products to its customers in a timely manner, which would adversely affect its sales, margins and customer relations.  

Furthermore, the value of the Company’s inventory may be affected by commodity prices. The Company records the value of its inventory using the lower of cost and net realizable value, cost calculated on the weighted average method. As a result, decreases in the market value of precious metals such as gold would result in a lower stated value of the Company’s inventory, which may require it to take a charge for the decrease in the value of its inventory.

The Company also allocated significant portion of its inventories as investment in gold and pledged as collateral to secure loans from banks and financial institutions, so there is a risk that the Company is unable to utilize its inventories, and there could be a disruption in the Company’s supply of gold which could decrease its production and shipping levels. In addition, the investment in gold may be deficient if the fair market value of the pledged gold in connection with the loans declines, then the Company may need to increase the pledged gold inventory for the loan collateral or increase restricted cash. 

The Company’s operations are located in the PRC. Accordingly, the Company’s business, financial condition, and results of operations may be influenced by the political, economic, and legal environments in the PRC, as well as by the general state of the PRC economy. The Company’s operations in the PRC are subject to special considerations and significant risks not typically associated with companies in North America and Western Europe. These include risks associated with, among others, the political, economic and legal environment, and foreign currency exchange. The Company’s results may be adversely affected by changes in the political, regulatory and social conditions in the PRC, and by changes in governmental policies or interpretations with respect to laws and regulations, anti-inflationary measures, currency conversion, remittances abroad, and rates and methods of taxation, among other things. In addition, the Company only controls Wuhan Kingold through a series of agreements. Although the Company believes the contractual relationships through which it controls Wuhan Kingold comply with current licensing, registration and regulatory requirements of the PRC, it cannot assure you that the PRC government would agree, or that new and burdensome regulations will not be adopted in the future. If the PRC government determines that the Company’s structure or operating arrangements do not comply with applicable law, it could revoke the Company’s business and operating licenses, require it to discontinue or restrict its operations, restrict its right to collect revenues, require it to restructure its operations, impose additional conditions or requirements with which the Company may not be able to comply, impose restrictions on its business operations or on its customers, or take other regulatory or enforcement actions against the Company that could be harmful to its business. If such agreements were cancelled, modified or otherwise not complied with, the Company would not be able to retain control of this consolidated entity and the impact could be material to the Company’s operations. Although the Company has not experienced losses from these situations and believes that it is in compliance with existing laws and regulations, this may not be indicative of future results.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) (ASU 2014-09), which supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in Topic 605, Revenue Recognition, including most industry-specific revenue recognition guidance throughout the Industry Topics of the Codification. The core principle of ASU 2014-09 is to recognize revenues when promised goods or services are transferred to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that is expected to be received for those goods or services. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-14, which deferred the effective date of ASU 2014-09 to fiscal years beginning after December 31, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Subsequently, the FASB issued ASUs in 2016 containing implementation guidance related to ASU 2014-09, including: ASU 2016-08, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net), which is intended to improve the operability and understandability of the implementation guidance on principal versus agent considerations; ASU 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing, which is intended to clarify two aspects of Topic 606: identifying performance obligations and the licensing implementation guidance; ASU 2016-12, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients, which contains certain provisions and practical expedients in response to identified implementation issues; and ASU 2016-20, Technical Corrections and Improvements to Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which is intended to clarify the Codification or to correct unintended application of guidance. ASU 2014-09 allows for either full retrospective or modified retrospective adoption. The Company adopted ASU 2014-09 and the related ASUs on January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective method, which will not result in a cumulative catch-up adjustment to the opening balance sheet of retained earnings at the effective date.

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-02, which allows a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for adjustments to tax effects that were originally recorded in other comprehensive income due to changes in the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate resulting from the enactment of the U.S. tax reform legislation, commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act. The Company does not expect this guidance will have a material impact on its condensed consolidated financial statements.

In March 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-05 — Income Taxes (Topic 740): Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 (“ASU 2018-05”), which amends the FASB Accounting Standards Codification and XBRL Taxonomy based on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Act”) that was signed into law on December 22, 2017 and Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 (“SAB 118”) that was released by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Act changes numerous provisions that impact U.S. corporate tax rates, business-related exclusions, and deductions and credits and may additionally have international tax consequences for many companies that operate internationally. The Company does not believe this guidance will have a material impact on its condensed consolidated financial statements.

On June 20, 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-07, Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718) - Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting, which aligns the accounting for share-based payment awards issued to employees and nonemployees. Under ASU No. 2018-07, the existing employee guidance will apply to nonemployee share-based transactions (as long as the transaction is not effectively a form of financing), with the exception of specific guidance related to the attribution of compensation cost. The cost of nonemployee awards will continue to be recorded as if the grantor had paid cash for the goods or services. In addition, the contractual term will be able to be used in lieu of an expected term in the option-pricing model for nonemployee awards. The new standard is effective for us on January 1, 2019. Early adoption is permitted, including in interim periods, and should be applied to all new awards granted after the date of adoption. The Company does not expect this guidance will have a material impact on its condensed consolidated financial statements.

In August 2018, the FASB Accounting Standards Board issued ASU No. 2018-13, “Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement” (“ASU 2018-13”). ASU 2018-13 modifies the disclosure requirements on fair value measurements. ASU 2018-13 is effective for public entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted for any removed or modified disclosures. The removed and modified disclosures will be adopted on a retrospective basis and the new disclosures will be adopted on a prospective basis. The Company does not expect this guidance will have a material impact on its condensed consolidated financial statements.

Except for the above-mentioned pronouncements, there are no new recent issued accounting standards that will have material impact on the unaudited condensed consolidated financial position, statements of operations and cash flows.