In fiscal 2017 the district increases the number of vacation days to which employees are entitled to take, thereby increasing the cost of vacation leave that employees earned in 2017 but will take in subsequent fiscal years by $250,000. the vacation days vest; they can be taken as termination benefits.

The stock of grommet corporation, a u.s. company, is publicly traded, with no single shareholder owning more than 5 percent of its outstanding stock. grommet owns 95 percent of the outstanding stock of staple inc., also a u.s. company. staple owns 100 percent of the outstanding stock of clip corporation, a canadian company. grommet and clip each own 50 percent of the outstanding stock of fastener inc., a u.s. company. grommet and staple each own 50 percent of the outstanding stock of binder corporation, a u.s. company. which of these corporations form an affiliated group eligible to file a consolidated tax return?