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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 20-F

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OR

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For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022

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OR

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For the transition period from _________ to _____________.

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OR

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Date of event requiring this shell company report:

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Commission file number: 001-39360

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Skillful Craftsman Education Technology Limited

(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

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Cayman Islands

(Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)

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Floor 4, Building 1, No. 311, Yanxin Road

Huishan District, Wuxi

Jiangsu Province, PRC 214000

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

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Xiaofeng Gao

Tel: (86) 0510-81805788

Floor 4, Building 1, No. 311, Yanxin Road

Huishan District, Wuxi

Jiangsu Province, PRC 214000

(Name, Telephone, E-mail and/or Facsimile Number and Address of Company Contact Person)

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Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

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Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

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None

(Title of Class)

Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act:

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None

(Title of Class)

The number of outstanding shares of each of the issuer’s classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by the annual report As of March 31, 2022, there were 14,900,000 ordinary shares outstanding, par value $0.0002 per share.

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Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

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Yes  ☐  No  ☒

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If this report is an annual or transition report, indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

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Yes  ☐  No  ☒

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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

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Yes  ☒  No ☐

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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).

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Yes  ☒  No ☐

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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or an emerging growth company. See definition of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

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If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards† provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. Yes☐  No ☒

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† The term “new or revised financial accounting standard” refers to any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012.

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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.  Yes☐  No ☒

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Indicate by check mark which basis of accounting the registrant has used to prepare the financial statements included in this filing:

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If “Other” has been checked in response to the previous question, indicate by check mark which financial statement item the registrant has elected to follow:

Item 17  ☐  Item 18  ☐

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If this is an annual report, indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

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Yes  ☐  No  ☒

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(APPLICABLE ONLY TO ISSUERS INVOLVED IN BANKRUPTCY PROCEEDINGS DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARS)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed all documents and reports required to be filed by Sections 12, 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 subsequent to the distribution of securities under a plan confirmed by a court.

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Yes  ☐  No  ☐

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SKILLFUL CRAFTSMAN EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY LIMITED

FORM 20-F ANNUAL REPORT

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INTRODUCTION

In this annual report on Form 20-F, unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires:

This annual report contains translations of Renminbi amounts into U.S. dollars at specified rates solely for the convenience of the reader. We make no representation that the Renminbi or U.S. dollar amounts referred to in this report could have been or could be converted into U.S. dollars or Renminbi, as the case may be, at any particular rate or at all. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from Renminbi amounts into U.S. dollars and from U.S. dollars to Renminbi amounts in this annual report were made at the exchange rate on March 31, 2022 set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, that is RMB6.3393 to $1.00.

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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This report contains “forward-looking statements” for purposes of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that represent our beliefs, projections and predictions about future events. All statements other than statements of historical fact are “forward-looking statements,” including any projections of earnings, revenue or other financial items, any statements of the plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations, any statements concerning proposed new projects or other developments, any statements regarding future economic conditions or performance, any statements of management’s beliefs, goals, strategies, intentions and objectives, and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “predicts,” “potential,” “continue,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates” and similar expressions, as well as statements in the future tense, identify forward-looking statements.

These statements are necessarily subjective and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements described in or implied by such statements. Actual results may differ materially from expected results described in our forward-looking statements, including with respect to correct measurement and identification of factors affecting the business or the extent of their likely impact, and the accuracy and completeness of the publicly available information with respect to the factors upon which our business strategy is based or the success of the business.

Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether, or the times by which, our performance or results may be achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time those statements are made and management’s belief as of that time with respect to future events, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause such differences include, but are not limited to, those factors discussed under the headings “Risk Factors,” “Operating and Financial Review and Prospects,” and elsewhere in this report.

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PART I

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Please carefully consider the risks discussed under the section entitled “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors” in this annual report. We provide the following disclosure to help investors better understand our corporate structure, operations in China and the associated risks.

Our Corporate Structure and Contractual Arrangements with the VIE and Its Shareholders

Skillful Craftsman Education Technology Limited, or Skillful Craftsman, is not a Chinese operating company but a Cayman Islands holding company with operations primarily conducted by its subsidiaries and variable interest entity, or the VIE, which involves unique risks to investors. Neither Skillful Craftsman nor its subsidiaries own any equity interest or direct foreign investment in the VIE, Wuxi Kingway Technology Co., Ltd. The VIE structure is used to provide investors with exposure to foreign investment in China-based companies where PRC law prohibits direct foreign investment in the operating companies in China. PRC laws and regulations restrict and impose conditions on foreign investment in internet-based businesses, including online education services. Accordingly, these businesses are operated by the VIE in China. Skillful Craftsman does not own these operations but relies on contractual arrangements among the WFOE, the VIE and the VIE’s nominee shareholders, which allow Skillful Craftsman to (i) direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance, (ii) receive substantially all of the economic benefits and absorb substantially all of the losses of the VIE, and (iii) have an exclusive option to purchase all or part of the equity interests in the VIE when and to the extent permitted by PRC law. Because of these contractual arrangements, Skillful Craftsman is considered the primary beneficiary of the VIE for accounting purposes and is able to consolidate the financial results of the VIE in the consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Investors in our ordinary shares are purchasing equity interest in Skillful Craftsman, a Cayman Islands holding company, and may never hold equity interests in the Chinese operating companies.

Our corporate structure is subject to risks associated with our contractual arrangements with the VIE. These contractual arrangements have not been tested in a court of law in the PRC. If the PRC government finds that these contractual arrangements do not comply with PRC laws and regulations, or if these regulations or the interpretation of existing regulations change or are interpreted differently in the future, we and the VIE could be subject to severe penalties or be forced to relinquish our interests in the operations of the VIE. This would result in the VIE being deconsolidated. The majority of the assets, including the necessary licenses to conduct business in China, are held by the VIE. A significant part of the revenue is generated by the VIE. An event that results in the deconsolidation of the VIEs would have a material effect on the business operations and result in the value of the securities diminish substantially or even become worthless. There is substantial uncertainty about potential future actions by the PRC government that could affect the enforceability of the contractual arrangements with the VIE and, consequently, significantly affect the financial performance of the VIE and our company as a whole. For a detailed description of the risks associated with our corporate structure, please refer to risks disclosed under “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure” in this annual report.

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Doing Business in China

We and the VIE face various legal and operational risks and uncertainties related to doing business in China. A significant part of the business operations in China are conducted through the VIE, and we and the VIE are subject to complex and evolving PRC laws and regulations. Recently, the PRC government initiated a series of regulatory actions and statements to regulate business operations in China with little advance notice, including cracking down on illegal activities in the securities market, enhancing supervision over China-based companies listed overseas, adopting new measures to extend the scope of cybersecurity reviews, and expanding the efforts in anti-monopoly enforcement. We and the VIE face risks relating to regulatory approvals on overseas listings, anti-monopoly regulatory actions and oversight on cybersecurity and data privacy, among others. Recent statements made and regulatory actions undertaken by China’s government, including the proposed enactment of Provisions of the State Council on the Administration of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies (draft for public consultation) and the Administrative Measures for the Filing of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies (draft for public consultation), the recent enactment of China’s new Data Security Law, and recent promulgation of Cybersecurity Review Measures, as well as the obligations to comply with Personal Information Protection Law and any other future laws and regulations may require us to incur significant expenses and could materially affect the ability to conduct the business, accept foreign investments or list on a U.S. or foreign exchange. These risks could result in a material adverse change in the business operations and the value of the securities we are registering for sale, significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors, or cause such securities to significantly decline in value or become worthless. For a detailed description of risks related to doing business in China, see “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Doing Business in China” in this annual report.

The Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act

Our securities will be prohibited from trading if our auditor cannot be fully inspected by the PCAOB for three consecutive years pursuant to the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, which was enacted on December 18, 2020. On June 22, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, which, if enacted, would reduce the time period from three to two consecutive years. On December 2, 2021, the SEC issued amendments to finalize the interim final rules previously adopted in March 2021 to implement the submission and disclosure requirements in the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act. On December 16, 2021, the PCAOB issued a report relaying to the SEC its determinations that the board is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms in mainland China and Hong Kong due to positions taken by Chinese authorities. Our independent registered public accounting firm, TPS Thayer, LLC, is based in the United States and it is not subject to such determinations announced by the PCAOB on December 16, 2021. However, if it is determined in the future that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate our auditor completely, or if our future audit reports are prepared by auditors that are not completely inspected by the PCAOB, our ordinary shares may be delisted or trading in our ordinary shares may be prohibited under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act. For more information on these risks, see “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Doing Business in China—We could be delisted if it is determined that the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board is unable to inspect or investigate our auditor completely.”

Transfer of Cash to and from the VIE

Skillful Craftsman Education Technology Limited, or Skillful Craftsman, is a Cayman Islands holding company with operations primarily conducted by its subsidiaries and the VIE. To date, the VIE’s operations have been primarily financed through net cash flow from operations and the net proceeds of our initial public offering. Most of the cash balances are located in the PRC and the rest are located in the U.S. under Skillful Craftsman, our Cayman Islands holding company. Our access to cash balances or future earnings of the VIE is only through our contractual arrangements with the VIE and its shareholders. Cash is transferred through our organization in the manner as follows: (i) we may transfer funds to Craftsman Wuxi, the WFOE, through our Hong Kong subsidiary, by additional capital contributions or shareholder loans, as the case may be; (ii) the WFOE may provide loans to the VIE, subject to statutory limits and restrictions; (iii) funds from the VIE to the WFOE are remitted as services fees; (iv) the WFOE may make dividends or other distributions to Skillful Craftsman through our Hong Kong subsidiary; and (v) the VIE may pay expenses incurred in our initial public offering on our behalf and we may transfer funds to the VIE for the payment of expenses incurred in our initial public offering made on our behalf. As of the date of this annual report, there was no service fee owed by the VIE to the WFOE under the exclusive business cooperation agreement as part of the VIE Agreements.

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The cash flows that have occurred between the WFOE and the VIE, between our Cayman Islands holding company and the VIE, between our Cayman Islands holding company and our Hong Kong subsidiary, and between our Hong Kong subsidiary and the WFOE are summarized as follows:

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Since March 31, 2022, the WFOE has transferred RMB0.5 million (approximately $78,873) to the VIE as repayment of the VIE’s loan to the WFOE in relation to the consideration for the WFOE’s acquisition of Wuxi Talent Home.

The above cash flows include all distributions and transfers between our Cayman Islands holding company, our Hong Kong subsidiary, the WFOE and the VIE as of the date of this annual report.

We have adopted stringent cash management policies dictating how funds are transferred throughout our organization. As required by our cash management policies, a substantial amount of cash generated from the VIE’s operations must be deposited with designated reputable banks. Each cash transfer within our organization is in the forms of capital contributions, dividends or distributions, subject to approvals by the board of directors or shareholders of Skillful Craftsman, or is based on a contract or agreement. Any intra-organization investment agreement and the any contract with a contract value of over RMB5 million must be approved by the board of directors of Skillful Craftsman, and cash transfers under such agreements and contracts must follow the established procedures adopted to ensure effective internal control over cash. To meet the liquidity needs of our Cayman Island holding company, our subsidiaries and the VIE in their daily operations, there is no limit on the amount of cash that can be transferred through our organization. The cash should be primarily used to finance the daily operation of the VIE and to support future business expansion. Any changes in our current cash management policies are subject to the approval of our board of directors.

Restrictions and Limitations on Transfer of Cash

To the extent cash or assets in the business is in the PRC or Hong Kong or in a PRC or Hong Kong entity, and may need to be used to fund operations outside of the PRC or Hong Kong, the funds and assets may not be available to fund operations or for other uses outside of the PRC or Hong Kong due to interventions in or the imposition of restrictions and limitations by the government on our, our subsidiaries’ or the VIE’s ability to transfer cash and assets.

Under our current corporate structure, we rely on dividend payments from Craftsman Wuxi to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have. Current PRC regulations permit the WFOE to pay dividends to us only out of its accumulated profits, if any, determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. In addition, a PRC company is required to set aside at least 10% of its accumulated profits each year, if any, to fund certain reserve funds until the total amount set aside reaches 50% of its registered capital. The WFOE may also allocate a portion of its after-tax profits based on PRC accounting standards to employee welfare and bonus funds at their discretion. These reserves are not distributable as cash dividends. Furthermore, if the WFOE incurs debt on its own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict its ability to pay dividends or make other payments to us. In addition, the PRC tax authorities may require us to adjust our taxable income under the contractual arrangements we currently have in place in a manner that would materially and adversely affect the WFOE’s ability to pay dividends and other distributions to us. Any limitation on the ability of our subsidiary to distribute dividends to us or on the ability of the VIE to make payments to us may restrict our ability to satisfy our liquidity requirements.

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Additionally, the VIE receives substantially all of the revenue in RMB and the PRC government imposes controls on the convertibility of the RMB into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance of currency out of China. Under existing PRC foreign exchange regulations, payments of current account items, such as profit distributions and trade and service-related foreign exchange transactions, can be made in foreign currencies without prior approval from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange of the PRC, or the SAFE, by complying with certain procedural requirements. Dividends payments to us by the WFOE in foreign currencies are subject to the condition that the remittance of such dividends outside of the PRC complies with certain procedures under PRC foreign exchange regulations, such as the overseas investment registrations by our shareholders or the ultimate shareholders of our corporate shareholders who are PRC residents. Approvals by or registration with appropriate government authorities is required where RMB is to be converted into foreign currency and remitted out of China to pay capital expenses such as the repayment of loans denominated in foreign currencies. The PRC government may also at its discretion restrict access in the future to foreign currencies for current account transactions. If the foreign exchange control system prevents us from obtaining sufficient foreign currencies to satisfy our foreign currency demands, the WFOE may not be able to pay dividends in foreign currencies to us and our access to cash generated from its operations will be restricted.

Taxation on Dividends or Distributions

We have never declared or paid any dividend on our ordinary shares and we do not anticipate paying any dividends on our ordinary shares in the future. We currently intend to retain all future earnings to finance the VIE’s operations and to expand its business.

For purposes of illustration, the following discussion reflects the hypothetical taxes that might be required to be paid in Mainland China and Hong Kong, assuming that: (i) we have taxable earnings, and (ii) we determine to pay a dividend in the future:

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3.A.[Reserved]

Financial Information Related to the VIE and Parent

The VIE contributed to 100% of the consolidated revenue for the fiscal years ended March 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022. The VIE contributed to 100% of the consolidated assets and liabilities as of March 31, 2020. The VIE contributed to 87% of the consolidated assets and 93% of the consolidated liabilities as of March 31, 2021. The VIE contributed to 86% of the consolidated assets and 90% of the consolidated liabilities as of March 31, 2022. We demonstrate the reconciliation of the financial position, results of operations and cash flows as follows:

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Selected Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income

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Selected Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

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