Suppose that the situation were a little more complicated and that IBM only directly owns
40% of Lotus but then owns 20% of Lotus indirectly, such as through another subsidiary. Should
consolidation of financial statements still occur? Under the SEC regulations, the existence of a
parent-subsidiary relationship in a way other than majority ownership of voting stock still
requires consolidation of accounts, given that the consolidation is necessary in presenting a fair
view of IBM’s financial position. This can be quite complex since there are often multiple levels
of subsidiaries involved in large international corporations, such as IBM.