Are 409A valuations public?

  • Finance

409A valuations are not public documents. They are confidential internal reports used by private companies to support equity compensation and tax compliance. Typically, they are shared only with company management, legal counsel, auditors, and sometimes investors during due diligence. Unlike public company disclosures, private company valuations are not filed with regulators. However, they may be reviewed by the IRS during an audit or examined in mergers, acquisitions, or financing events. Confidentiality is one reason companies rely on professional valuation firms?

R&D Offer Quiz

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Answer to find out if you're eligible for R&D tax credits.

Do the activities performed relate to a new or improved business component’s function, performance, reliability, quality, or composition?(Required)
For Example: A mid-sized packaging company develops a slightly modified cardboard box design to improve its stacking strength (reliability) for warehouse storage, involving minor adjustments to the corrugation pattern to reduce collapse under standard weight loads.
Is your company trying to discover information to eliminate uncertainty concerning the capability or method for developing or improving a business component?(Required)
For Example: A furniture manufacturer investigates whether a cheaper wood adhesive can hold joints as effectively as the current one during assembly, testing bond strength to resolve doubts about its capability in standard production lines.
Do the activities performed constitute a process of experimentation?(Required)
For Example: An auto parts supplier runs a series of bench tests on different lubricant formulations to find one that reduces friction in engine bearings more effectively, systematically comparing wear rates over simulated operating cycles.