Report of the statutory auditor - Sonova Annual Report 2022/23

Report of the statutory auditor to the General Meeting of Sonova Holding AG

Statutory auditorʼs report on the audit of the consolidated financial statements

Opinion

We have audited the consolidated financial statements of Sonova Holding AG and its subsidiaries (the Group), which comprise the consolidated statement of financial position as at 31 March 2023, the consolidated statement of income, the consolidated statement of comprehensive income, the consolidated statement of cash flows and the consolidated statement of changes in equity for the year then ended, and notes to the consolidated financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies.

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements give a true and fair view of the consolidated financial position of the Group as at 31 March 2023 and of its consolidated financial performance and its consolidated cash flows for the year then ended in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and comply with Swiss law.

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with Swiss law, International Standards on Auditing (ISA) and Swiss Standards on Auditing (SA-CH). Our responsibilities under those provisions and standards are further described in the “Auditorʼs responsibilities for the audit of the consolidated financial statements” section of our report. We are independent of the Group in accordance with the provisions of Swiss law, together with the requirements of the Swiss audit profession, as well as those of the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountantsʼ International Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (including International Independence Standards) (IESBA Code), and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements.

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Key audit matters

Key audit matters are those matters that, in our professional judgment, were of most significance in our audit of the consolidated financial statements of the current period. These matters were addressed in the context of our audit of the consolidated financial statements as a whole, and in forming our opinion thereon, and we do not provide a separate opinion on these matters. For each matter below, our description of how our audit addressed the matter is provided in that context.

We have fulfilled the responsibilities described in the “Auditorʼs responsibilities for the audit of the consolidated financial statements” section of our report, including in relation to these matters. Accordingly, our audit included the performance of procedures designed to respond to our assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements. The results of our audit procedures, including the procedures performed to address the matters below, provide the basis for our audit opinion on the consolidated financial statements.

Goodwill


Area of focus		Our audit response
As of 31 March 2023, the Group has goodwill of CHF 2,401.3 million representing 43% of the Group’s total assets and 108% of the Group’s total equity. Per note 3.5, goodwill is tested for impairment at least annually. In performing the impairment analysis, management applies considerable judgment in respect of future market and economic conditions, such as economic growth, expected inflation rates, demographic developments, expected market share, revenue and margin development of the cash generating units (CGUs) to which goodwill has been allocated. Changes in these assumptions might lead to a change in the carrying value of goodwill. We focused on this area given the significant judgment applied in the assessment process.		We assessed and tested the assumptions, including weighted average cost of capital (WACC), methodologies and technical input parameters for the valuation model applied by the Group. We involved our internal valuation specialists to assist us with these audit procedures. In addition, we evaluated the cash flow projections for the CGUs by performing a retrospective assessment of the accuracy of management’s past projections and analyzing management’s business forecasts. In particular, we focused on the sensitivity in the available headroom of the CGUs and whether reasonably possible changes in assumptions could cause the carrying amount of the CGUs to exceed its recoverable amount. Our audit procedures did not lead to any reservations regarding the carrying value of goodwill.

Provisions for product liabilities


Area of focus		Our audit response
As of 31 March 2023, the Group has provisions for product liabilities of CHF 58.5 million. Per note 3.7, provisions for product liabilities consider the expected cost for claims in relation to the voluntary recall of cochlear implant products of Advanced Bionics in 2006 and Advanced Bionics voluntary field corrective action regarding cochlear implant products in 2020. Cost includes replacement products, medical expenses, compensation for actual damages as well as legal fees. We focused on this area given the uncertainty in the assumptions and estimates of the provision, as it largely depends on the outcome of administrative and legal proceedings.		We assessed management’s process for the identification and evaluation of claims and analyzed the calculation models to determine the amount of the provisions for product liabilities. We tested the mathematical accuracy of the model, assessed key input factors such as number of devices in the market, failure rates, claim rates and costs per case. We enquired with the Group’s legal counsel about disputes in relation to product liabilities and analyzed responses from legal letters obtained from third-party legal representatives. We also reviewed the Group’s disclosures made in the consolidated financial statements. Our audit procedures did not lead to any reservations regarding the provision for product liabilities.

Other information in the annual report

The Board of Directors is responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the annual report, but does not include the consolidated financial statements, the stand-alone financial statements, the remuneration report and our auditorʼs reports thereon.

Our opinion on the consolidated financial statements does not cover the other information and we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

In connection with our audit of the consolidated financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the consolidated financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated.

If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report in this regard.

Board of Directorsʼ responsibilities for the consolidated financial statements

The Board of Directors is responsible for the preparation of the consolidated financial statements, which give a true and fair view in accordance with IFRS and the provisions of Swiss law, and for such internal control as the Board of Directors determines is necessary to enable the preparation of consolidated financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the consolidated financial statements, the Board of Directors is responsible for assessing the Groupʼs ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern, and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the Board of Directors either intends to liquidate the Group or to cease operations, or has no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditorʼs responsibilities for the audit of the consolidated financial statements

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditorʼs report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with Swiss law, ISA and SA-CH will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these consolidated financial statements.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the consolidated financial statements is located on EXPERTsuisseʼs website at: http://www.expertsuisse.ch/en/audit-report. This description forms an integral part of our report.

Report on other legal and regulatory requirements

In accordance with Art. 728a para. 1 item 3 CO and PS-CH 890, we confirm that an internal control system exists, which has been designed for the preparation of the consolidated financial statements according to the instructions of the Board of Directors.

We recommend that the consolidated financial statements submitted to you be approved.

Zurich, 10 May 2023

Ernst & Young Ltd

Martin Mattes
Licensed audit expert
(Auditor in charge)

Pascal Solèr
Licensed audit expert