Item 4.01. Changes in Registrant’s Certifying Accountant
(a) Dismissal of independent registered public accounting firm
On February 26, 2026, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of WhiteHorse Finance, Inc. (the “Company”), at the recommendation of the audit committee of the Company (the “Audit Committee”), dismissed Crowe LLP (“Crowe”) as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm effective upon the issuance of the Company’s financial statements as of and for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025.
Crowe served as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm since 2006 as a result of affiliated fund relationships. The audit report of Crowe on the Company’s financial statements as of and for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 did not contain an adverse opinion or disclaimer of opinion and was not qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope or accounting principles.
During the Company's two most recent fiscal years and any subsequent interim period, there were no disagreements with Crowe on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure or auditing scope or procedure, which disagreements, if not resolved to the satisfaction of Crowe, would have caused it to make reference to the subject matter of such disagreements in connection with its reports, nor were there any “reportable events,” as such term is described in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).
The Company provided Crowe with a copy of this Form 8-K prior to its filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and requested that Crowe provide the Company with a letter addressed to the SEC stating whether it agrees with the above statements. A copy of Crowe’s letter, dated March 4, 2026, is attached as Exhibit 16.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.
(b) Appointment of new independent registered public accounting firm
On February 26, 2026, upon the recommendation of the Audit Committee, the Board approved the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP (“Deloitte”) to serve as the Company’s independent registered accounting firm to audit the Company’s consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026.
During the two most recent fiscal years and through February 26, 2026, the date of the appointment of Deloitte, neither the Company nor any person on its behalf has consulted with Deloitte with respect to 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 on the Company’s consolidated financial statements or (ii) any matter that was either the subject of a “disagreement” or a “reportable event” as such terms are defined in Items 304(a)(1)(iv) or 304(a)(1)(v), respectively, of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Exchange Act.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits:
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16.1 | | Letter of Crowe LLP, dated March 4, 2026 |
104 | | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document) |
