Subsidiary
Categories: Company Management, Incorporation
What is a subsidiary? Is there a domsidiary? Is this a Fifty Shades thing? Well, they’re both complicated and have to do with control, but no...put those fuzzy handcuffs away.
A subsidiary is a company that has a parent company, which means it’s owned and controlled by another company.
PetTV corporation comprises 18 different divisions, each of which operate one form or another of TV for pets. There’s CatTV, which runs channels from the tame Meow channel to the more risque Scratch-n-Hiss. There’s also DogTV with Woof and Squirrel! channels, and BunnyTV with Meadow and FOX channels (this one with actual foxes). Each of these divisions is operated separately as subsidiary companies for accounting and operating efficiency reasons. At the end of the reporting period, all of the results are rolled up into one final number, as reported by the parent company PetTV. The 18 subsidiaries all comprise value inside of the parent. Parent and child companies are all around you...even if you don’t know it.
In real life, big names like Google and Amazon are actually parent companies of a bunch of subsidiaries. Amazon owns Audible and Zappos. Alphabet (which used to be “Google”) is a parent company with 26 different subsidiaries (yep, 26...good luck with your taxes this year, guys). They’ve got Calico (an R&D company that's fighting the Grim Reaper daily), CapitalG (venture capital for startups), Google (you know the one), and Loon (bringing the internet to the boonies).
Why are subsidiaries even a thing? Well, it always comes down to money, doesn’t it? Subsidiaries can be smarter for some accounting reasons, but the main benefit is to separate assets so that each subsidiary company is its own branch of risk. That way, if Calico (the anti-aging research and development subsidiary of the Big G) got in trouble down the road for having some cryogenically frozen head wake up early and sue, then Calico would be sued and take on the liability. Alphabet’s other subsidiaries, like Google, CapitalG, and Loon, would continue to function as if everything was ust fine. Sure, if that disembodied head sued Alphabet, the parent company, that would put all of the subsidiaries in potential jeopardy, which is a risk in itself. Still, it’s easier to have all the finances separate, so the parent company can see and choose what assets are paying for what liabilities.
Subsidiaries also make more sense for some industries, like in real estate. It can be easier to create a new subsidiary for a new batch of properties than incorporate them into an existing company, not to mention keeping those liabilities separate in case a new batch of properties is actually sitting on top of some slippery limestone, which could potentially cause some Pisa-esque situations.
While taxes and accounting can be more complicated with subsidiaries, there are benefits as well, like offsetting the losses of one subsidiary with the profits of another in some cases.
Parent companies are sometimes called “holding companies,” and subsidiaries are sometimes called “divisions” or “branches.” And some people call Fifty Shades of Grey a good book. So...it takes all types.
Related or Semi-related Video
Finance: What is a subsidiary?1 Views
and finance Allah shmoop What is a subsidiary All right
people What is a subsidiary Is there like a Domus
City Eri Just like a 50 shades thing Maybe not
Well they're both complicated and have to do with control
But no put those fuzzy handcuffs away A subsidiary is
a company that has a parent company which means it's
owned and controlled by another company Pet TV Corporation comprises
18 different divisions each of whom operate one form or
another of TV For pets There's Kat TV which runs
channels from the Tim Miao channel to the more 50
shades flavored Scratching Hiss There's also dog TV with books
and squirrel channels and bunny TV with Meadow and will
of course Fox Channels Yes it's the other Fox channel
with no actual foxes Well each of these divisions has
operated separately a subsidiary companies for accounting and operating efficiency
reasons At the end of the reporting period all of
the results are rolled up into one Final number is
reported by the parent company Pet TV Well the 18
subsidiaries all comprised value inside of the parent They'll get
kind of rolled up to give investors one number parent
and child Cos Air all around you even if you
didn't know it In real life big names like Alphabet
a Google and Amazon are actually parent companies of a
whole bunch of subsidiaries Amazon owns audible all the way
down through Zappos alphabet which used to be Google Is
the parent company with yes 26 different subsidiaries Very clever
Good luck with your taxes there this year Alphabet They've
got Calico an RD company fighting the Grim Reaper and
aging You've got capital G a venture capital for start
ups You know who have their craft together Google of
course That search engine thing with all the ads that
you use on the rag there in some And then
there's loon bringing the Internet to the boonies Yeah well
why Air subsidiaries Even thing Well it always comes down
to money doesn't it Subsidiaries can be smarter for for
some accounting reasons but the main benefit is this separate
assets so that each subsidiary company has its own managed
branch of risk That way if Calico the anti ageing
research and development subsidiary of Alphabet gotten trouble down the
road for having some cryogenically frozen head wake up early
and sue them Then Calico would be sued and take
on the liability alphabets Other subsidiaries like Google Capital G
and Loon would continue to function as if everything else
was fine Just fine probably And lawyers would of course
who all of alphabet but subsidiary Usually there's a legal
protection built in there So sure if that disembodied heads
suit alphabet parent company well that would put all the
subsidiaries in potential jeopardy which is a risk in itself
Still it's easier to have all the finances separate so
the parent company can see and choose what assets are
paying for what liabilities right Well subsidiaries also make more
sense for some industries like in real estate it can
be easier to create a new subsidiary for a new
batch of properties than incorporating all of them into one
existing company like think of the funnest real estate company
on the planet Disneyland Writer At least Disney Disney Cos
you have Disneyland That's one piece realistic then Disney World
Then he have like Disney China which is a joint
venture and Disney Europe which is a different joint venture
there all subsidiaries of the Disney Corporation So keeping those
liabilities separate in case while that new batch properties is
actually sitting on some slippery limestone which would cause some
well pisa situations you know if you know we mean
so that would be bad and you keep in separate
Teo keep liability separate and keep track of things separately
And if well the manager of Disney World's doing a
much better job than the manager of Disney Land while
they should be compensated for it or least taking care
of better right So while taxes and accounting can't be
more complicated with subsidiaries there's benefits to like offsetting the
losses of one subsidiary with the profits of another one
Just a hedge out Taxes III So you don't owe
any and just you know parent companies or sometimes called
holding companies and subsidiaries or sometimes called divisions or branches
Yeah and some people call 50 shades of grey Good 00:03:57.618 --> [endTime] book Some people just saying Oh yeah