auditor’s report

To United Internet AG

Report on the audit of the consolidated financial statements and of the management report of the Company and the Group

Opinions

We have audited the consolidated financial statements of United Internet AG, Montabaur, and its subsidiaries (the Group), which comprise the consolidated statement of financial position as at 31 December 2021, and the consolidated statement of comprehensive income, consolidated statement of changes in equity and consolidated statement of cash flows for the fiscal year from 1 January to 31 December 2021, and notes to the consolidated financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. In addition, we have audited the management report of the Company and the Group of United Internet AG, for the fiscal year from 1 January to 31 December 2021. In accordance with the German legal requirements, we have not audited the content of the statement on corporate governance contained in section 7 of the management report of the Company and the Group that is a part of the management report of the Company and the Group. Furthermore, we have not audited the following disclosures extraneous to management reports:

• All information and comments relating to the “Main focus areas for products and innovation” contained in section 1.4 of the management report of the Company and the Group
• The quarterly figures at group and segment level as at 31 March, 30 June and 30 September in the reporting period and the prior year contained in sections 2.2 and 2.3 of the management report of the Company and the Group
• The corporate governance report pursuant to No. 22 of the German Corporate Governance Code contained in section 7 of the management report of the Company and the Group

Disclosures extraneous to management reports are such disclosures that are not required pursuant to Secs. 315, 315a or Secs. 315b to 315d HGB [“Handelsgesetzbuch”: German Commercial Code].

In our opinion, on the basis of the knowledge obtained in the audit,

• the accompanying consolidated financial statements comply, in all material respects, with the IFRSs as adopted by the EU, and the additional requirements of German commercial law pursuant to Sec. 315e (1) HGB and, in compliance with these requirements, give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities and financial position of the Group as at 31 December 2021 and of its financial performance for the fiscal year from 1 January to 31 December 2021, and
• the accompanying management report of the Company and the Group as a whole provides an appropriate view of the Group’s position. In all material respects, this management report of the Company and the Group is consistent with the consolidated financial statements, complies with German legal requirements and appropriately presents the opportunities and risks of future development. Our opinion on the management report of the Company and the Group does not cover the content of the aforementioned statement on corporate governance or the aforementioned extraneous information in sections 1.4, 2.2, 2.3 and 7 of the management report of the Company and the Group.

Pursuant to Sec. 322 (3) Sentence 1 HGB, we declare that our audit has not led to any reservations relating to the legal compliance of the consolidated financial statements and of the management report of the Company and the Group.

Basis for the opinions

We conducted our audit of the consolidated financial statements and of the management report of the Company and the Group in accordance with Sec. 317 HGB and the EU Audit Regulation (No 537/2014, referred to subsequently as “EU Audit Regulation”) and in compliance with German Generally Accepted Standards for Financial Statement Audits promulgated by the Institut der Wirtschaftsprüfer [Institute of Public Auditors in Germany] (IDW). Our responsibilities under those requirements and principles are further described in the “Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the consolidated financial statements and of the management report of the Company and the Group” section of our auditor’s report. We are independent of the group entities in accordance with the requirements of European law and German commercial and professional law, and we have fulfilled our other German professional responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. In addition, in accordance with Art. 10 (2) f) of the EU Audit Regulation, we declare that we have not provided non-audit services prohibited under Art. 5 (1) of the EU Audit Regulation. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinions on the consolidated financial statements and on the management report of the Company and the Group.

Key audit matters in the audit of the consolidated financial statements

Key audit matters are those matters that, in our professional judgment, were of most significance in our audit of the consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year from 1 January to 31 December 2021. These matters were addressed in the context of our audit of the consolidated financial statements as a whole, and in forming our opinion thereon; we do not provide a separate opinion on these matters.

Below, we describe what we consider to be the key audit matters:

1. Impairment of goodwill and intangible assets which are not yet usable (frequency licenses)

Reasons why the matter was determined to be a key audit matter

The goodwill and intangible assets not yet usable presented in the consolidated financial statements of United Internet AG comprises 48.6% of total assets. Goodwill is tested for impairment at least once every fiscal year. The radio spectrum band acquired in fiscal year 2019 in the form of 5G frequency licenses will not be usable until the actual start of network operation. Up to this point, the frequency licenses have to be classified as intangible assets not yet usable and therefore also have to be tested for impairment once a year.

The impairment tests comprise valuations of the cash-generating units to which the goodwill or the frequency licenses are allocated and are regularly based on the present value of the future cash flows of the cash-generating units. The cash flows used for the purpose of impairment testing of goodwill are derived from the Company’s budgets for the coming fiscal year which are extrapolated by the Company on the basis of internal assumptions and external market studies and rolled forward after the detailed planning period and a subsequent interim period using a long-term growth rate. The forecasts underlying the impairment tests of the frequency licenses include expected capital expenditures to build up the network infrastructure, the projected cash inflows and outflows from operating activities and the related cost-reduction potential associating with buying in network capacities from third parties. The planning horizon ends when the licenses expire in 2040 and takes into account the proceeds from the sale of existing infrastructure as well as restoration costs for leased sites estimated at that time.

In light of the magnitude of the goodwill and the frequency licenses, the underlying complexity of the valuation and the judgment exercised during valuation, the corresponding impairment tests were a key audit matter.

Auditor’s response

We obtained an understanding of the methodology applied by the external expert for the valuations on the basis of the design requirements of IAS 36 and reperformed the calculations in the underlying valuation models. In this context, we also assessed the competence, capabilities and objectivity of the expert, obtained an understanding of the expert’s work and assessed the suitability of the expert opinion for the determination of fair values. The focus of our audit was on appraising the key assumptions used for the valuation, such as planning assumptions and discount rates.

For the purpose of reviewing the impairment testing of goodwill and of frequency licenses, we assessed the financial planning in terms of the reliability of previous forecasts and verified that the key assumptions were derived plausibly.

The assumptions relating to future cash flows used in the valuation models were assessed by obtaining supporting evidence and by making inquiries about the significant assumptions relating to growth and business performance. We assessed the other significant assumptions, such as the discount rate and the long-term growth rate with the aid of internal valuation specialists and on the basis of our own analysis of the general market indicators.

Our audit procedures did not lead to any reservations relating to the assessment of impairment of goodwill and the frequency licenses by the executive directors.

Reference to related disclosures

The Company’s information on the impairment of frequency licenses and of goodwill is contained in Notes 27, 28 and 29 of the notes to the consolidated financial statements.

Reasons why the matter was determined to be a key audit matter

The recognition and cut-off of revenue in the group companies’ mass customer business are largely automated and uniform processes due to the use of special IT systems dedicated to revenue recognition which, owing to the extensive branching and interdependencies, are highly complex in their structure. Owing to the logic implemented in the IT systems, adjustments triggered by changes in tariffs or the launch of new products, for example, made in certain IT systems have a direct effect on the entire revenue recognition process. In addition, there are manual postings which entail an inherently higher risk of errors. In recognizing revenue pursuant to IFRS 15, assumptions were made and estimates used in particular relating to the determination of stand-alone selling prices for hardware; as a consequence the recognition of revenue was a key audit matter.

Auditor’s response

As part of our audit procedures, with the aid of internal IT specialists, we assessed the design and operating effectiveness of the control system established by the Group with regard to the IT systems relevant for revenue recognition. In so doing, we tested IT systems and interfaces and assessed the mapping and processing of business processes. We examined relevant IT general controls and relevant IT application controls as well as manual controls. We examined in particular the allocation of the transaction price to each performance obligation on a relative stand-alone selling price basis. In connection with the setting and amendment of rates and products, we evaluated the process used to determine stand-alone selling prices for hardware and services as well as the related judgments by the executive directors with regard to the requirements of IFRS 15. Furthermore, we considered the risk of errors arising from manual posting by performing substantive analytical procedures using internal data analysis tools. In this context, revenue was analyzed in relation to its development during the year, the underlying posting patterns, the persons responsible for posting and the correlation between revenue and selected accounts (e.g., cost of materials) as well as non-financial indicators (e.g., contracts concluded and terminated).

Our audit procedures did not lead to any reservations relating to the recognition of revenue.

Reference to related disclosures

The Company’s information on revenue in the consolidated financial statements of United Internet AG is contained in Note 5 and in Note 2.1 “Explanation of main accounting and measurement methods” in the notes to the consolidated financial statements.

3. Recognition of contract initiation costs and contract fulfillment costs

Reasons why the matter was determined to be a key audit matter

Provided that the recognition criteria are met, contract costs are recognized and amortized over their expected useful life. To determine and roll forward the costs to be recognized and assess impairment, there are relevant posting logic and processes. In addition, assumptions are made and estimates used with regard to the amortization periods which means that the recognition of contract initiation costs and contract fulfillment costs was a key audit matter.

Auditor’s response

Based on the cost recording, we assessed the process used to identify the costs to be recognized and the further processing of the relevant data. We also evaluated on a sample basis whether the criteria of IFRS 15 for the recognition of contract initiation costs and contract fulfillment costs have been met and in particular whether the recognized contract initiation costs are incremental in character. We also checked the measurement of contract costs on a sample basis by comparing them with the underlying invoices. We also performed analytical procedures to assess the recognition and the rollforward of contract initiation costs and contract fulfillment costs over time. We assessed the underlying assumptions and estimates made in connection with the amortization periods using historical customer data. Furthermore, we assessed the logic of the impairment tests of the recognized contract initiation costs and contract fulfillment costs with regard to the requirements of IFRS 15.

Our audit procedures did not lead to any reservations relating to the recognition of contract initiation costs and contract fulfillment costs.

Reference to related disclosures

The Company’s information on contract initiation costs and contract fulfillment costs in the consolidated financial statements of United Internet AG is contained in Note 22 and in Note 2.1 “Explanation of main accounting and measurement methods” in the notes to the consolidated financial statements.

Other information

The Supervisory Board is responsible for the report of the Supervisory Board pursuant to Sec. 171 (2) AktG [“Aktiengesetz”: German Stock Corporation Act]. In all other respects, the executive directors are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the aforementioned statement on corporate governance and the aforementioned extraneous information contained in sections 1.4, 2.2, 2.3 and 7 of the management report of the Company and the Group and in addition the following other parts to be included in the annual report, of which we received a version prior to issuing this auditor’s report, in particular:

• the responsibility statement pursuant to Sec. 297 (2) Sentence 4 HGB, Sec. 289 (1) Sentence 5 and Sec. 315 (1) Sentence 5 HGB,
• the remuneration report pursuant to Sec. 162 AktG,

but not the consolidated financial statements, not the disclosures in the management report of the Company and the Group whose content is audited and not our auditor’s report thereon.

Our opinions on the consolidated financial statements and on the management report of the Company and the Group do not cover the other information, and consequently we do not express an opinion or any other form of assurance conclusion thereon.

In connection with our audit, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in so doing, to consider whether the other information

• is materially inconsistent with the consolidated financial statements, with the management report of the Company and the Group 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 with regard to the other information already provided to us.

Responsibilities of the executive directors and the Supervisory Board for the consolidated financial statements and the management report of the Company and the Group

The executive directors are responsible for the preparation of the consolidated financial statements that comply, in all material respects, with IFRSs as adopted by the EU and the additional requirements of German commercial law pursuant to Sec. 315e (1) HGB, and that the consolidated financial statements, in compliance with these requirements, give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and financial performance of the Group. In addition, the executive directors are responsible for such internal control as they have determined 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 executive directors are responsible for assessing the Group’s ability to continue as a going concern. They also have the responsibility for disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern. In addition, they are responsible for financial reporting based on the going concern basis of accounting unless there is an intention to liquidate the Group or to cease operations, or there is no realistic alternative but to do so.

Furthermore, the executive directors are responsible for the preparation of the management report of the Company and the Group that, as a whole, provides an appropriate view of the Group’s position and is, in all material respects, consistent with the consolidated financial statements, complies with German legal requirements, and appropriately presents the opportunities and risks of future development. In addition, the executive directors are responsible for such arrangements and measures (systems) as they have considered necessary to enable the preparation of a management report of the Company and the Group that is in accordance with the German legal requirements, and to be able to provide sufficient appropriate evidence for the assertions in the management report of the Company and the Group.

The Supervisory Board is responsible for overseeing the Group’s financial reporting process for the preparation of the consolidated financial statements and of the management report of the Company and the Group.

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the consolidated financial statements and of the management report of the Company and the Group

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 whether the management report of the Company and the Group as a whole provides an appropriate view of the Group’s position and, in all material respects, is consistent with the consolidated financial statements and the knowledge obtained in the audit, complies with the German legal requirements and appropriately presents the opportunities and risks of future development, as well as to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinions on the consolidated financial statements and on the management report of the Company and the Group.

Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with Sec. 317 HGB and the EU Audit Regulation and in compliance with German Generally Accepted Standards for Financial Statement Audits promulgated by the Institut der Wirtschaftsprüfer (IDW) will always detect a material misstatement. 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 and this management report of the Company and the Group.

We exercise professional judgment and maintain professional skepticism throughout the audit. We also:

• Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements and of the management report of the Company and the Group, whether due to fraud or error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinions. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control.
• Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit of the consolidated financial statements and of arrangements and measures (systems) relevant to the audit of the management report of the Company and the Group in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of these systems.
• Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used by the executive directors and the reasonableness of estimates made by the executive directors and related disclosures.
• Conclude on the appropriateness of the executive directors’ use of the going concern basis of accounting and, based on the audit evidence obtained, whether a material uncertainty exists related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the Group’s ability to continue as a going concern. If we conclude that a material uncertainty exists, we are required to draw attention in the auditor’s report to the related disclosures in the consolidated financial statements and in the management report of the Company and the Group or, if such disclosures are inadequate, to modify our respective opinions. Our conclusions are based on the audit evidence obtained up to the date of our auditor’s report. However, future events or conditions may cause the Group to cease to be able to continue as a going concern.
• Evaluate the overall presentation, structure and content of the consolidated financial statements, including the disclosures, and whether the consolidated financial statements present the underlying transactions and events in a manner that the consolidated financial statements give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and financial performance of the Group in compliance with IFRSs as adopted by the EU and the additional requirements of German commercial law pursuant to Sec. 315e (1) HGB.
• Obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding the financial information of the entities or business activities within the Group to express opinions on the consolidated financial statements and on the management report of the Company and the Group. We are responsible for the direction, supervision and performance of the group audit. We remain solely responsible for our audit opinions.
• Evaluate the consistency of the management report of the Company and the Group with the consolidated financial statements, its conformity with [German] law, and the view of the Group’s position it provides.
• Perform audit procedures on the prospective information presented by the executive directors in the management report of the Company and the Group. On the basis of sufficient appropriate audit evidence we evaluate, in particular, the significant assumptions used by the executive directors as a basis for the prospective information, and evaluate the proper derivation of the prospective information from these assumptions. We do not express a separate opinion on the prospective information and on the assumptions used as a basis. There is a substantial unavoidable risk that future events will differ materially from the prospective information.

We communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal control that we identify during our audit.

We also provide those charged with governance with a statement that we have complied with the relevant independence requirements, and communicate with them all relationships and other matters that may reasonably be thought to bear on our independence and where applicable, the related safeguards.

From the matters communicated with those charged with governance, we determine those matters that were of most significance in the audit of the consolidated financial statements of the current period and are therefore the key audit matters. We describe these matters in our auditor’s report unless law or regulation precludes public disclosure about the matter.

Other legal and regulatory requirements

Report on the assurance on the electronic rendering of the consolidated financial statements and the management report of the Company and the Group prepared for publication purposes in accordance with Sec.317 (3a) HGB

Opinion

We have performed assurance work in accordance with Sec. 317 (3a) HGB to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the rendering of the consolidated financial statements and the management report of the Company and the Group (hereinafter the “ESEF documents”) contained in the accompanying file “unitedinternetag-2021-12-31-de.zip” (SHA-256 checksum: fe1906438b6ef19906d5965b159def78d4f7b178e928e396284dd8beff6c9cb8) and prepared for publication purposes complies in all material respects with the requirements of Sec. 328 (1) HGB for the electronic reporting format (“ESEF format”). In accordance with German legal requirements, this assurance work extends only to the conversion of the information contained in the consolidated financial statements and the management report of the Company and the Group into the ESEF format and therefore relates neither to the information contained within these renderings nor to any other information contained in the file identified above.

In our opinion, the rendering of the consolidated financial statements and the management report of the Company and the Group contained in the file identified above and prepared for publication purposes complies in all material respects with the requirements of Sec. 328 (1) HGB for the electronic reporting format. Beyond this assurance opinion and our audit opinions on the accompanying consolidated financial statements and the accompanying management report of the Company and the Group for the fiscal year from 1 January to31 December 2021 contained in the “Report on the audit of the consolidated financial statements and of the management report of the Company and the Group” above, we do not express any assurance opinion on the information contained within these renderings or on the other information contained in the file identified above.

Basis for the opinion

We conducted our assurance work on the rendering of the consolidated financial statements and the management report of the Company and the Group contained in the file identified above in accordance with Sec. 317 (3a) HGB and the IDW Assurance Standard: Assurance on the Electronic Rendering of Financial Statements and Management Reports Prepared for Publication Purposes in Accordance with Sec. 317 (3a) HGB (IDW AsS 410) (10.2021). Our responsibility in accordance therewith is further described in the “Group auditor’s responsibilities for the assurance work on the ESEF documents” section. Our audit firm applies the IDW Standard on Quality Management 1: Requirements for Quality Management in the Audit Firm (IDW QS 1).

Responsibilities of the executive directors and the Supervisory Board for the ESEF documents

The executive directors of the Company are responsible for the preparation of the ESEF documents including the electronic rendering of the consolidated financial statements and the management report of the Company and the Group in accordance with Sec. 328 (1) Sentence 4 No. 1 HGB and for the tagging of the consolidated financial statements in accordance with Sec. 328 (1) Sentence 4 No. 2 HGB.

In addition, the executive directors of the Company are responsible for such internal control as they have determined necessary to enable the preparation of ESEF documents that are free from material intentional or unintentional non-compliance with the requirements of Sec. 328 (1) HGB for the electronic reporting format.

The Supervisory Board is responsible for overseeing the process for preparing the ESEF documents as part of the financial reporting process.

Group auditor’s responsibilities for the assurance work on the ESEF documents

Our objective is to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the ESEF documents are free from material intentional or unintentional non-compliance with the requirements of Sec. 328 (1) HGB. We exercise professional judgment and maintain professional skepticism throughout the assurance work. We also:

• Identify and assess the risks of material intentional or unintentional non‐compliance with the requirements of Sec. 328 (1) HGB, design and perform assurance procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain assurance evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our assurance opinion.
• Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the assurance on the ESEF documents in order to design assurance procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an assurance opinion on the effectiveness of these controls.
• Evaluate the technical validity of the ESEF documents, i.e., whether the file containing the ESEF documents meets the requirements of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/815, in the version in force at the date of the financial statements, on the technical specification for this file.
• Evaluate whether the ESEF documents enable an XHTML rendering with content equivalent to the audited consolidated financial statements and to the audited management report of the Company and the Group.
• Evaluate whether the tagging of the ESEF documents with Inline XBRL technology (iXBRL) in accordance with the requirements of Arts. 4 and 6 of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/815, in the version in force at the date of the financial statements, enables an appropriate and complete machine‐readable XBRL copy of the XHTML rendering.

Further information pursuant to Art. 10 of the EU Audit Regulation

We were elected as group auditor by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting on 27 May 2021. We were engaged by the Supervisory Board on 22 October 2021. We have been the group auditor of United Internet AG without interruption since fiscal year 2002.

We declare that the opinions expressed in this auditor’s report are consistent with the additional report to the audit committee pursuant to Art. 11 of the EU Audit Regulation (long-form audit report).

Other matter – Use of the auditor’s report

Our auditor’s report must always be read together with the audited annual financial statements and the audited management report as well as the assured ESEF documents. The annual financial statements and the management report converted to the ESEF format – including the versions to be published in the Bundesanzeiger [German Federal Gazette] – are merely electronic renderings of the audited annual financial statements and the audited management report and do not take their place. In particular, the ESEF report and our assurance opinion contained therein are to be used solely together with the assured ESEF documents made available in electronic form.

German Public Auditor responsible for the engagement

The German Public Auditor responsible for the engagement is Jens Kemmerich.

Eschborn/Frankfurt am Main, 24 March 2020

Ernst & Young GmbH

Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft

Kemmerich
Wirtschaftsprüfer [German Public Auditor]

Reihl
Wirtschaftsprüfer [German Public Auditor]