Accounting Policies, by Policy (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires the Company’s management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Making estimates requires management to exercise significant judgment. It is at least reasonably possible that the estimate of the effect of a condition, situation or set of circumstances that existed at the date of the financial statements, which management considered in formulating its estimate, could change in the near term due to one or more future confirming events. Such estimates may be subject to change as more current information becomes available and accordingly the actual results could differ significantly from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all short-term investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. The Company had no cash equivalents in its operating account as of both December 31, 2023 and 2022. The Company had no cash equivalents in its Trust Account as of December 31, 2023. The Company’s investments held in the Trust Account as of December 31, 2022 were comprised of cash equivalents. Bank overdrafts (if any) are presented as Other current liability in the Company’s balance sheets.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentration of credit risk consist of cash accounts in a financial institution which, at times, may exceed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation maximum coverage limit of $250,000, and cash equivalents held in the Trust Account. For both the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company has not experienced losses on these accounts and management believes the Company is not exposed to significant risks on such accounts.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The fair value of the Company’s assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement, approximates the carrying amounts represented in the balance sheets, primarily due to their short-term nature.

Offering Costs Associated with the Initial Public Offering

Offering Costs Associated with the Initial Public Offering

Offering costs consisted of legal, accounting, and other costs incurred in connection with the preparation for the Initial Public Offering. These costs, together with the underwriting discount, were charged against the carrying value of the shares of Class A common stock upon the completion of the Initial Public Offering.

Warrants and FPS

Warrants and FPS

The Company accounts for the warrants and FPS as either equity-classified or liability-classified instruments based on an assessment of the specific terms of the warrants and FPS using applicable authoritative guidance in ASC 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity (“ASC 480”) and ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging (“ASC 815”). The assessment considers whether the warrants and FPS are freestanding financial instruments pursuant to ASC 480, meet the definition of a liability pursuant to ASC 480, and meet all of the requirements for equity classification under ASC 815, including whether the warrants and FPS are indexed to the Company’s own shares of common stock and whether the warrant holders could potentially require “net cash settlement” in a circumstance outside of the Company’s control, among other conditions for equity classification. This assessment, which requires the use of professional judgment, is conducted at the time of issuance of the warrants and execution of the FPA and as of each subsequent quarterly period end date while the warrants and FPS are outstanding. For issued or modified warrants and for instruments to be issued pursuant to the FPA that meet all of the criteria for equity classification, such warrants and instruments are required to be recorded as a component of additional paid-in capital at the time of issuance.

The Company accounts for the warrants and FPS in accordance with guidance in ASC 815-40, Derivatives and Hedging - Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity, pursuant to which the warrants and FPS meet the criteria for equity classification. See Note 7 for further discussion of the pertinent terms of the warrants.

Class A Common Stock Subject to Possible Redemption

Class A Common Stock Subject to Possible Redemption

The Company accounts for its shares of Class A common stock subject to possible redemption in accordance with the guidance in ASC 480. Shares of Class A common stock subject to mandatory redemption (if any) are classified as liability instruments and measured at fair value. For shares of Class A common stock subject to mandatory redemption (if any) with a fixed redemption amount and a fixed redemption date, the Company recognizes interest expense on the statements of operations to reflect accretion to the redemption amount. As a result, to reflect accretion to the redemption amount, the Company recognized interest expense of approximately $1,120,000 and $0 in its statements of operations for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Shares of conditionally redeemable Class A common stock (including shares of Class A common stock that feature redemption rights that are either within the control of the holder or subject to redemption upon the occurrence of uncertain events not solely within the Company’s control) are classified as temporary equity. At all other times, shares of Class A common stock are classified as stockholders’ equity. All of the Public Shares feature certain redemption rights that are considered to be outside of the Company’s control and subject to the occurrence of uncertain future events. Accordingly, as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, 14,303,581 and 18,250,000 shares of Class A common stock subject to possible redemption, respectively, are presented as temporary equity outside of the stockholders’ deficit section of the Company’s balance sheets. The Company recognizes any subsequent changes in redemption value immediately as they occur and adjusts the carrying value of redeemable shares of Class A common stock to the redemption value at the end of each reporting period. Immediately upon the closing of the Initial Public Offering, the Company recognized the accretion from initial book value to redemption amount value of redeemable shares of Class A common stock. This method would view the end of the reporting period as if it were also the redemption date for the security. The change in the carrying value of redeemable shares of Class A common stock also resulted in charges against Additional paid-in capital and Accumulated deficit.

Net Income Per Share of Common Stock

Net Income Per Share of Common Stock

The Company complies with the accounting and disclosure requirements of ASC 260, Earnings Per Share. Net income per share of common stock is computed by dividing net income applicable to stockholders by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding for the applicable periods. The Company applies the two-class method in calculating earnings per share and allocates net income pro rata to shares of Class A common stock subject to possible redemption, nonredeemable shares of Class A common stock and shares of Class B common stock. Accretion associated with the redeemable shares of Class A common stock is excluded from earnings per share as the redemption value approximates fair value.

The Company has not considered the effect of the warrants to purchase an aggregate of 6,233,333 shares of Class A common stock sold in the Initial Public Offering and the Private Placement in the calculation of diluted earnings per share, because their exercise is contingent upon future events and their inclusion would be anti-dilutive under the treasury stock method. As a result, diluted earnings per share of common stock is the same as basic earnings per share of common stock for the periods presented.

The following table reflects the calculation of basic and diluted net income per share of common stock:

	For the Year Ended December 31, 2023						For the Year Ended December 31, 2022
	Class A – Public shares		Class A – Private placement shares		Class B – Common stock		Class A – Public shares		Class A – Private placement shares		Class B – Common stock
Basic and diluted net income per share of common stock
Numerator:
Allocation of net income	$	2,215,047	$	404,097	$	286,521	$	51,352	$	1,266	$	12,838
Denominator:
Basic and diluted weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding		16,076,767		2,932,932		2,079,568		18,250,000		450,000		4,562,500
Basic and diluted net income per share of common stock	$	0.14	$	0.14	$	0.14	$	0.00	$	0.00	$	0.00

Income Taxes

Income Taxes

The Company complies with the accounting and reporting requirements of ASC 740, Income Taxes (“ASC 740”), which requires an asset and liability approach to financial accounting and reporting for income taxes. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the 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 that includes the enactment date. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized. As of both December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company had deferred tax assets with a full valuation allowance recorded against them.

ASC 740 prescribes a recognition threshold and a measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, a tax position must be more-likely-than-not to be sustained upon examination by tax authorities. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense.

No amounts were accrued for the payment of interest and penalties as of both December 31, 2023 and 2022. The Company is currently not aware of any issues under review that could result in significant payments, accruals or material deviation from its position.

The Company’s current taxable income primarily consists of interest income on investments held in the Trust Account. The Company’s general and administrative costs are generally considered start-up costs and are currently not deductible. During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company recognized income tax expense of approximately $1,534,000 and approximately $326,000, respectively. The Company’s effective tax rate for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 was 34.5% and 83.3%, respectively. The Company’s effective tax rate differs from the federal statutory rate mainly due to the interest expense on mandatorily redeemable common stock liability, which is not deductible, start-up costs, which are currently not deductible as they are deferred for tax purposes, as well as increase in valuation allowance fully offsetting deferred balances.

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncement

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncement

In May 2021, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2021-04, Earnings Per Share (Topic 260), Debt—Modifications and Extinguishments (Subtopic 470-50), Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718), and Derivatives and Hedging—Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Issuer’s Accounting for Certain Modifications or Exchanges of Freestanding Equity-Classified Written Call Options (a consensus of the Emerging Issues Task Force). The standard clarifies an issuer’s accounting for certain modifications or exchanges of freestanding equity-classified written call options (for example, warrants) that remain equity classified after modification or exchange, and it provides guidance on how an issuer would measure and recognize the effect of these transactions. Specifically, the ASU provides a principles-based framework to determine whether an issuer should recognize the modification or exchange as an adjustment to equity or an expense. The Company adopted the standard on the required effective date beginning January 1, 2022, and it will be applied prospectively for modifications or exchanges occurring on or after the effective date. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.

New Accounting Pronouncements

New Accounting Pronouncements

In August 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-06, Debt—Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging—Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity. The standard is expected to reduce complexity and improve comparability of financial reporting associated with accounting for convertible instruments and contracts in an entity’s own equity. The ASU also enhances information transparency by making targeted improvements to the related disclosures guidance. Additionally, the amendments affect the diluted earnings per share calculation for instruments that may be settled in cash or shares and for convertible instruments. The new standard became effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2024, and it will be applied using a modified retrospective method of transition. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.

In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures. The guidance was issued in response to requests from investors for companies to disclose more information about their financial performance at the segment level. The ASU does not change how a public entity identifies its operating segments, aggregates them or applies the quantitative thresholds to determine its reportable segments. The standard will require a public entity to disclose significant segment expenses and other segment items on an annual and interim basis, and to provide in interim periods all disclosures about a reportable segment’s profit or loss and assets that are currently required annually. Public entities with a single reportable segment will be required to provide the new disclosures and all the disclosures currently required under ASC 280. The new guidance will become effective for the Company’s financial statements issued for annual reporting periods beginning on January 1, 2024 and for the interim periods beginning on January 1, 2025, will require retrospective presentation, and early adoption is permitted. Management is currently evaluating the impact of the new standard on the Company’s financial statements.

In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures. The standard improves the transparency of income tax disclosures by requiring consistent categories and greater disaggregation of information in the rate reconciliation and income taxes paid disaggregated by jurisdiction. The ASU also includes certain other amendments to improve the effectiveness of income tax disclosures. The new guidance will become effective for the Company’s financial statements issued for annual reporting periods beginning on January 1, 2025, will require prospective presentation with an option to apply it retrospectively for each period presented, and early adoption is permitted. Management is currently evaluating the impact of the new standard on the Company’s financial statements.

The Company’s management does not believe that any other recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting pronouncements, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements.

CF Acquisition Corp. VII 10-K