Ask Lou

Relations

Link your companies as subsidiaries, sister companies or investments, and turn on consolidated statements for a group.

Company RelationsParent, subsidiary, investment and common-ownership linksLink a companyRequest a new companyCurrent relationshipsSUBSIDIARYNorthwind Manufacturing80% · Majority of voting shares · Financials shared for consolidationConsolidatedINVESTMENTHarbor Point Logistics30% · Minority stakeLinkedCOMMON OWNERSHIPSummit Ridge SupplySame owners as Northwind ManufacturingLinkedFeeds your consolidated and consolidating financial statements

Where to find it

Settings → Relations, for owners and admins.

The three kinds of relationship

  • Subsidiary: one company controls the other. Give the ownership percentage and where control comes from: a majority of voting shares, a majority of the board, or something else.
  • Common ownership: separate companies with the same owner. They join a group, such as "Smith Family Companies".
  • Investment: an interest without control, with an ownership percentage if you want one.

Linking a company

Choose Link a company, pick the relationship and which company owns which, then the other company:

  • One you manage: pick it from your list.
  • One you don't manage: enter its exact name and FEIN. For privacy, we never confirm whether a company uses Ask Lou: if it does, its admin gets your request; if not, the request simply goes unanswered.

Tick Share financial data between these companies if you want consolidated statements. Leave it off to record the relationship only.

Approval

The other company's owner or admin approves it. They see it under Waiting for your approval, with Approve, Approve without data access, or Decline. A request nobody answers expires after 14 days.

Your requests show their status: with our team, waiting for the other company, invitation sent, declined, or expired. Withdraw one that's still open.

What it unlocks

An approved subsidiary link with financial data shared turns on the consolidated and consolidating statements for the group. See Consolidated statements. Common ownership and investment links record the relationship; they don't consolidate.

Ending a relationship

End a link, or Leave group for common ownership. Past periods that were consolidated stay as they were; it only stops from then on.

Linking two companies
  1. 1You request

    The relationship, who owns whom, and whether to share financial data.

  2. 2They approve

    The other company's owner or admin approves, approves without data access, or declines.

  3. 3It's linked

    Shown under Current relationships on both companies.

  4. 4Consolidation

    A subsidiary with shared data turns on consolidated and consolidating statements.