AbbVie 2012 Annual Report Download - page 160

Deloitte as AbbVie’s independent registered public accountant, effective as of the date of Deloitte’s
completion of the audit services for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2012 and the filing of the
company’s 2012 Annual Report on Securities and Exchange Commission Form 10-K.
The report of Deloitte on the combined financial statements of AbbVie for the fiscal years ended
December 31, 2012 and 2011 did not contain any adverse opinion or disclaimer of opinion, and was not
qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope or accounting principle, and included an
explanatory paragraph relating to the preparation of the company’s financial statements from the
separate financial statements and accounting records of Abbott.
As it relates to the last two fiscal years, and through the date of Deloitte’s dismissal, (i) there were
no disagreements (as that term is defined in Item 304(a)(1)(iv) of Regulation S-K and the related
instructions) between the company and Deloitte on any matter of accounting principles or practices,
financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure, which, if not resolved to the satisfaction
of Deloitte would have caused Deloitte to make reference to the subject matter of the disagreement in
connection with its report, and (ii) there were no ‘‘reportable events’’ (as that term is defined in
Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K).
In connection with filing a Current Report on Securities and Exchange Commission Form 8-K, the
company provided Deloitte with a copy of the disclosures in such Current Report and requested that
Deloitte provide the company with a letter addressed to the Securities and Exchange Commission
stating whether or not Deloitte agreed with the disclosures therein. A copy of Deloitte’s letter, dated
December 20, 2012, is attached as Exhibit 16.1 to AbbVie’s Current Report on Securities and Exchange
Commission Form 8-K filed on December 20, 2012.
Newly Appointed Independent Registered Public Accountant Ernst & Young LLP
On December 14, 2012, the audit committee approved the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as
the company’s independent registered public accounting firm to perform independent audit services
beginning with the fiscal year ending December 31, 2013. Through December 14, 2012, neither the
company, nor anyone on its behalf, consulted Ernst & Young LLP regarding either (i) the application
of accounting principles to a specified transaction, either completed or proposed, or the type of audit
opinion that might be rendered with respect to the combined financial statements of Abbott’s research-
based pharmaceuticals business or the consolidated financial statements of the company, in any case
where a written report or oral advice was provided to the company by Ernst & Young LLP that
Ernst & Young LLP concluded was an important factor considered by the company in reaching a
decision as to any accounting, auditing or financial reporting issue; or (ii) any matter that was the
subject of a disagreement (as that term is defined in Item 304(a)(1)(iv) of Regulation S-K and the
related instructions) or a ‘‘reportable event’’ (as that term is defined in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of
Regulation S-K).
Audit Fees and Non-Audit Fees
The following table presents fees for professional audit services rendered to Abbott by Deloitte &
Touche LLP, the member firms of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, Limited, and their respective affiliates
(the ‘‘Deloitte Entities’’) for the years ended December 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, and fees
billed for other services rendered to Abbott by the Deloitte Entities, for those periods. Prior to the
separation of AbbVie from Abbott, Abbott paid any audit, audit-related, tax and other fees of the
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