Vertex, Inc. Fair Value Disclosure
5. FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis
The following table summarizes the Company’s fair value for its financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis:
Fair Value Measurements Using | ||||||||||||
As of December 31, 2025 | Fair Value | | Prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1) | | Significant other observable inputs | | Significant unobservable inputs | |||||
Money Market Funds | $ | 266,892 | $ | 266,892 | $ | — | $ | — | ||||
ecosio Cash Earn-outs | 86,600 | — | — | 86,600 | ||||||||
ecosio Stock Earn-outs | 18,900 | — | — | 18,900 | ||||||||
Long-Term Investment (See Note 4) | 15,000 | — | — | 15,000 | ||||||||
Fair Value Measurements Using | ||||||||||||
As of December 31, 2024 | Fair Value | | Prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1) | | Significant other observable inputs | | Significant unobservable inputs | |||||
Money Market Funds | $ | 276,374 | $ | 276,374 | $ | — | $ | — | ||||
Commercial Paper | 4,920 | — | 4,920 | — | ||||||||
Corporate Bonds | 250 | — | 250 | — | ||||||||
U.S. Treasury Securities | 5,983 | — | 5,983 | — | ||||||||
ecosio Cash Earn-outs | 74,400 | — | — | 74,400 | ||||||||
ecosio Stock Earn-outs | 48,100 | — | — | 48,100 | ||||||||
The Company has investments in Money Market Funds, which are included in cash and cash equivalents on the consolidated balance sheets. Fair value inputs for these investments are considered Level 1 measurements within the Fair Value Hierarchy since Money Market Fund fair values are known and observable through daily published floating net asset values. Securities classified as available-for-sale are reported at fair value using Level 2 inputs. For the Commercial Paper, Corporate Bonds, and U.S. Treasury Securities, the Company believes that Level 2 designation is appropriate under ASC 820-10, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures, as these securities are fixed income securities, none are exchange traded, and all are priced by correlation to observed market data. For these securities the Company obtained fair value measurements from an independent pricing service. The fair value measurements considered observable data that may have included dealer quotes, market spreads, cash flows, U.S. government and agency yield curves, live trading levels, trade execution data, market consensus prepayment speeds, credit information, and the security’s terms and conditions, among other factors.
ecosio Earn-outs
In connection with the August 2024 ecosio acquisition, the sellers are entitled to three annual Earn-outs based on ecosio’s achievement of certain monthly software revenue targets measured over an aggregate of 12 months and paid within 90 days after the relevant measurement period. The fair values of the Cash Earn-outs and the Stock Earn-outs were measured on the Acquisition Date using a Monte Carlo simulation in a risk-neutral framework, calibrated to management’s revenue forecasts. Additional information on the Cash Earn-outs and the Stock Earn-outs is presented in the following table below.
Maximum | Fair Value | Fair Value | |||||||
Cash Earn-outs/ Period | Payout | December 31, 2025 | December 31, 2024 | ||||||
Year 1 - December 1, 2024 - December 1, 2025 | $ | 19,600 | $ | 19,400 | $ | 17,900 | |||
Year 2 - December 1, 2025 - December 1, 2026 | 30,625 | 28,600 | 24,400 | ||||||
Year 3 - December 1, 2026 - December 1, 2027 | 44,130 | 38,600 | 32,100 | ||||||
Total Cash Earn-outs | $ | 94,355 | $ | 86,600 | $ | 74,400 | |||
Maximum | Fair Value | Fair Value | |||||||
Stock Earn-outs/ Period | Payout (1) | December 31, 2025 | December 31, 2024 | ||||||
Year 1 - December 1, 2024 - December 1, 2025 | $ | 12,000 | $ | 6,500 | $ | 17,200 | |||
Year 2 - December 1, 2025 - December 1, 2026 | 12,000 | 6,500 | 16,300 | ||||||
Year 3 - December 1, 2026 - December 1, 2027 | 11,000 | 5,900 | 14,600 | ||||||
Total Stock Earn-outs | $ | 35,000 | $ | 18,900 | $ | 48,100 | |||
(1) Maximum payout based on Vertex's August 6, 2024 opening share price of $37.02, as referenced in the purchase agreement. | |||||||||
Actual payouts are further adjusted depending on ecosio’s software revenue attainment for each of the measurement periods. In the event that actual software revenues exceed 100% of the target, additional payments may be made up to a maximum of 122.5% of the annual target. If actual software revenues are below 85% of the target, no payouts are made for that measurement period. The Stock Earn-outs are paid in shares of the Company’s Class A common stock.
The Cash Earn-outs and Stock Earn-outs are recorded at fair value in the consolidated balance sheets as follows:
As of December 31, | |||||||||||
2025 | 2024 | ||||||||||
Current (1) | Non-Current (2) | Current (1) | Non-Current (2) | ||||||||
Cash Earn-outs | $ | 19,400 | $ | 67,200 | $ | 17,900 | $ | 56,500 | |||
Stock Earn-outs | 6,500 | 12,400 | 17,200 | 30,900 | |||||||
Total | $ | 25,900 | $ | 79,600 | $ | 35,100 | $ | 87,400 | |||
(1) Included in purchase commitment and contingent consideration liabilities, current. | |||||||||||
(2) Included in purchase commitment and contingent consideration liabilities, net of current portion. | |||||||||||
These Earn-outs represent recurring fair value measurements with significant unobservable inputs, which management considers to be Level 3 measurements under the fair value hierarchy. The final payments may be adjusted depending on the actual amount, above or below the target. The Earn-outs will be revalued and adjusted quarterly until the end of the Earn-out periods, and any fair value adjustments will be recorded in the change in fair value of acquisition contingent earn-outs line of the consolidated statements of income (loss).
Adjustments to the fair values of the Cash Earn-outs and the Stock Earn-outs of $12,200 and $(29,200), respectively, were recorded in change in fair value of acquisition contingent earn-outs for the year ended December 31, 2025. Adjustments to the fair values of the Cash Earn-outs and the Stock Earn-outs of $3,400 and $14,100, respectively, were recorded in change in fair value of acquisition contingent earn-outs for the year ended December 31, 2024.
The fair values of the Cash Earn-outs and the Stock Earn-outs and unobservable inputs used for the Monte Carlo Simulation valuation are shown in the table below.
December 31, 2025 | |||||||||||||
Liabilities | | Fair Value | | Valuation Technique | Unobservable Inputs | ||||||||
ecosio Contingent Consideration - Cash Earn-outs | $ | 86,600 | Monte Carlo Simulation | Revenue volatility | 21.0 | % | |||||||
Revenue discount rate | 6.8 | % | |||||||||||
Term (in years) | 2.2 | ||||||||||||
ecosio Contingent Consideration - Stock Earn-outs | $ | 18,900 | Monte Carlo Simulation | Revenue volatility | 21.0 | % | |||||||
Revenue discount rate | 6.8 | % | |||||||||||
Term (in years) | 2.2 | ||||||||||||
December 31, 2024 | |||||||||||||
Liabilities | | Fair Value | | Valuation Technique | Unobservable Inputs | ||||||||
ecosio Contingent Consideration - Cash Earn-outs | $ | 74,400 | Monte Carlo Simulation | Revenue volatility | 21.0 | % | |||||||
Revenue discount rate | 7.7 | % | |||||||||||
Term (in years) | 3.2 | ||||||||||||
ecosio Contingent Consideration - Stock Earn-outs | $ | 48,100 | Monte Carlo Simulation | Revenue volatility | 21.0 | % | |||||||
Revenue discount rate | 7.7 | % | |||||||||||
Term (in years) | 3.2 | ||||||||||||
Tellutax, LLC Contingent Consideration
The 2021 Tellutax, LLC (“Tellutax”) acquisition entitled the sellers to contingent consideration if sales targets are met during a period of time following the acquisition (the “Tellutax Contingent Consideration”). The estimated fair value of the Tellutax Contingent Consideration as of the acquisition date of January 25, 2021 was $2,200.
The Tellutax Contingent Consideration was based on three potential earn-out payments determined by periodic revenue achievements over a thirty-month period. Such estimates represented recurring fair value measurements with significant unobservable inputs, which management considered to be Level 3 measurements under the Fair Value Hierarchy. The significant assumptions used in these calculations included forecasted results and the estimated likelihood for each performance scenario. The fair value of Tellutax Contingent Consideration was estimated using a Monte Carlo Simulation to compute the expected cash flows from earn-out payments specified in the purchase agreement. The earn-out payments had no maximum limit, but when certain targets were not met, there was no earn-out payment for the applicable measurement period.
Adjustments to the Tellutax Contingent Consideration fair value of $200, $(2,575), and $1,549 were recorded in other operating expense, net for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively.
Beginning and ending balances in fair value of the Company’s Level 3 liabilities were as follows:
Tellutax | ecosio | Kintsugi | |||||||||
Contingent | Contingent Consideration | Long-Term | |||||||||
Consideration | Cash Earn-outs | Stock Earn-outs | Investment | ||||||||
Balance, January 1, 2023 | $ | 4,800 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | |||
Fair value adjustments | 1,549 | — | — | — | |||||||
Payments | (1,449) | — | — | — | |||||||
Balance, December 31, 2023 | 4,900 | — | — | — | |||||||
ecosio acquisition (Note 3) | — | 71,000 | 34,000 | — | |||||||
(2,575) | 3,400 | 14,100 | — | ||||||||
Payments | (2,325) | — | — | — | |||||||
Balance, December 31, 2024 | — | 74,400 | 48,100 | — | |||||||
Initial measurement | — | — | — | 15,000 | |||||||
— | 12,200 | (29,200) | — | ||||||||
Payments | — | — | — | ||||||||
Balance, December 31, 2025 | $ | — | $ | 86,600 | $ | 18,900 | $ | 15,000 | |||
Assets and Liabilities for Which Fair Value is Only Disclosed
The carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalents and the carrying amount of funds held for customers were the same as their respective fair values and are considered Level 1 measurements.
The carrying amount of the Company’s bank debt approximates fair value as the variable rates on the debt approximate those commercially available in the market and is considered a Level 3 measurement.
Non-recurring Fair Value Measurements
The ecosio acquisition on August 30, 2024, the Tellutax acquisition on January 25, 2021, and the Systax acquisition on January 10, 2020, were accounted for as business combinations and the total purchase price for each acquisition was allocated to the net assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values.
The Company had a contractual commitment to acquire the remaining equity interest from the original Systax quotaholders incrementally through 2024. Purchase commitment payments for these incremental acquisition amounts were based on a multiple of Systax revenue and earnings before interest, depreciation, amortization, and income taxes (“EBITDA”) performance at the end of 2023 and 2022. Management determined these future purchase commitments to be a forward contract, resulting in the Company being required to estimate and record an estimated future purchase commitment amount (the “Purchase Commitment Liability”) in connection with recording the initial purchase. Adjustments to the settlement date value that arose as a result of remeasurement at future balance sheet dates were reflected as interest expense related to financing costs in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income (loss) in the period the change is identified. The Company recorded increases in interest expense of $423, and $4,020 during 2024 and 2023, respectively, associated with recording an increase in the settlement value. During the second quarter of 2024, the Company paid $9,622 to acquire the remaining 20% equity interest of Systax, which increased the Company’s ownership percentage of Systax to 100%, and settled the outstanding Purchase Commitment Liability.
The Company estimated the initial fair value of the Purchase Commitment Liability using a Monte Carlo Simulation, which the Company considers to be a Level 3 measurement. The significant assumptions used in the Monte Carlo Simulation include, among other variables, forecasted cash flow projections consistent with those used to support the
overall purchase price, selection of comparable companies, asset volatility and discount rate determinations, and the total number of simulations to compute.
Derivative Instruments
The Company may periodically enter into derivative contracts to reduce its exposure to foreign currency exchange rates. Historically the Company has not designated derivative contracts as hedges. The derivative contracts are typically designed to manage specific risks according to the Company’s strategies, which may change from time to time.
The Company entered into a series of foreign currency forward contracts to reduce its exposure to adverse fluctuations in the Brazilian Real associated with a portion of the Purchase Commitment Liability. Such forward contracts, were not designated as a hedge, did not qualify for hedge accounting and were not material to the consolidated financial statements. During 2024, the forward currency contracts matured as the Company settled the outstanding Purchase Commitment Liability.
Convertible Senior Notes
At December 31, 2025 and 2024, the fair value of the Notes (as defined in Note 10) were $327,043 and $539,494, respectively. The fair value was determined based on the quoted price of the Notes in an over-the-counter market on the last trading day of the reporting period and has been classified as Level 2 in the Fair Value Hierarchy. For further information on the Notes, refer to Note 10, “Debt.”
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Feb 24, 2026 | Showing above |
| 2024 | Feb 27, 2025 | |
| 2023 | Feb 29, 2024 | |
| 2022 | Mar 10, 2023 | |
| 2021 | Mar 16, 2022 | |
| 2020 | Mar 15, 2021 | |
About Fair Value Disclosures
Fair value disclosures classify all assets and liabilities measured at fair value into a three-level hierarchy: Level 1 (quoted market prices), Level 2 (observable inputs like yield curves), and Level 3 (unobservable inputs requiring management estimates). The proportion of Level 3 assets directly reflects how much of the balance sheet depends on internal models rather than market evidence.
Key signals: a growing Level 3 balance relative to total fair-value assets increases valuation uncertainty and earnings volatility risk. Watch for transfers between levels — assets moving from Level 2 to Level 3 often signal deteriorating market liquidity. Unrealized gains and losses on Level 3 positions flow through earnings or other comprehensive income, so large swings deserve scrutiny. For financial institutions, examine the sensitivity disclosures that show how Level 3 valuations change under alternative assumptions. Compare the fair value of debt against its carrying amount to gauge hidden leverage.