International

A new IFAC discussion paper examines the methods different countries’ accounting organizations advocate for defining and achieving competence in professional accountancy. Comments are due by October 31 ( www.ifac.org/News/LastestReleases.tmpl?NID=99010990012150 ).

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s initiative on harmful tax practices draws the opposition of the U.S. Treasury secretary, who characterizes the group’s proposal as an effort to dictate how individual countries should structure their national tax systems ( www.treas.gov/press/releases/po366.htm ; www.oecd.org/daf/fa/harm_tax/harmfultax_eng.pdf ).