In Announcement 2012-50, the IRS announced that businesses have additional time to make the changes needed to comply with the proper treatment of tips and service charges under Q&A-1 of Rev. Rul. 2012-18. Announcement 2012-25 previously delayed implementation to amounts paid on or after Jan. 1, 2013, and requested comments
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Build a strong team to comply with conflict minerals rule
There is no mistaking the effect that a new regulation regarding conflict minerals will have on manufacturers and their suppliers. Tracing the commonly used minerals of tin, tungsten, tantalum, and gold through intricate global supply chain networks will be no easy task. “This is one of the most complex compliance
Streamlining disclosures a tricky job for FASB
There is considerable agreement that more disclosures often do not lead to more useful financial statements. The question FASB faces now is: How to decide the best way to instruct preparers on which footnote disclosures to omit? Stakeholders at round-table discussions held this fall by FASB and the Center for
IFRS Foundation Trustee: Don’t wave white flag on cooperation
The remaining convergence projects facing FASB and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) need to be wrapped up soon – even if the boards fall short of completely harmonizing their standards, an IFRS Foundation trustee and a U.K. accountancy body said separately this week. The Institute of Chartered Accountants in
Technology guidance abundant in COSO internal control proposal
While scanning the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission’s proposed internal control framework, Kenneth Vander Wal counted more than 200 mentions of technology. “That’s probably about 199 more times than the ’92 framework,” said Vander Wal, a member of COSO’s Advisory Council and past president of the Information
Finance professionals: Fiscal cliff could sap U.S. economic growth
Finance professionals warn that U.S. economic growth is in jeopardy if budget issues cannot be resolved quickly, a survey released Monday by the Association for Financial Professionals (AFP) indicates. Respondents to the AFP Business Outlook Survey predict that U.S. GDP will grow 1.7% in 2013, creating an additional 1.3 million
PCAOB finds common threads in ICFR audit deficiencies
Insufficient testing of controls and failure to properly evaluate control deficiencies were among the common findings that led the PCAOB to issue a summary of observations from 2010 inspections of audits of internal control over financial reporting. The PCAOB on Monday released a 31-page report on deficiencies in firms’ audits
Reportable transaction rules updated for certain losses
Rev. Proc. 2013-11, issued on Thursday, provides that certain losses are not taken into account in determining whether a transaction is a reportable transaction. Regs. Sec. 1.6011-4 requires taxpayers that participate in reportable transactions to disclose those transactions. One category of reportable transaction is a loss transaction, which is defined
Struggling European nations seen as more corrupt, report shows
In most parts of the world, perceived corruption of countries has remained the same during the past year. That’s good news in New Zealand, Denmark, and Finland, viewed in general as the most transparent. It’s more of the same for Somalia, North Korea, and Afghanistan, viewed as having the highest
VIEs among first issues PCC identifies for discussion
Variable-interest entities (VIEs), which have long been identified as one of the most frustrating concepts in accounting for private companies, were among the four issues the new Private Company Council (PCC) identified for further study in its initial meeting Thursday in Norwalk, Conn. The PCC was created by FASB’s parent
CPAs continue to forecast storms ahead for U.S. economy
Economic optimism, which started the year on an upswing, has fallen to a 12-month low, according to the latest AICPA Business & Industry U.S. Economic Outlook Survey, which was released Thursday. A big reason for the gloomier mood: Washington. “The overwhelming majority of comments this quarter focused on the fiscal
Most CPAs see role in helping clients adopt technology, AICPA survey finds
Nearly 40% of CPAs see themselves as catalysts for their clients’ adopting innovative technologies such as cloud computing and mobile devices, according to survey results released Wednesday by the AICPA. The survey of 624 AICPA members in public accounting found that an additional 43% of CPAs will respond to clients’
PCAOB will issue report on problems with audits of ICFR
Persistent problems related to audits of internal control over financial reporting (ICFR) have led the PCAOB to issue a report describing the four problems. The PCAOB will issue a Rule 4010 report to describe the results of recent inspections with regard to audits of ICFR, PCAOB Director of Registration and
Obstacles make PCAOB’s Hanson skeptical about mandatory audit firm rotation
PCAOB member Jay Hanson said Tuesday that he struggles to see how the board would ever be able to create a mandatory audit firm rotation requirement for the U.S. public company auditors it regulates. During a question and answer session at the AICPA Conference on SEC and PCAOB Developments in
Nine tips for effective MD&A reporting
Deciding what to include in the management discussion and analysis (MD&A) section of a company’s financial report seldom is an easy task. Although the SEC issued guidance regarding MD&A, a fair amount of judgment is required. Obeying MD&A guidance is a case of complying with the spirit of a rule
PCAOB alert says audits must be conducted with skeptical eye
The PCAOB is reminding auditors to maintain their professional skepticism when they conduct audits. A staff audit practice alert issued Tuesday by the PCAOB said the board has observed continued instances in which auditors did not appropriately apply professional skepticism. Staff Audit Practice Alert No. 10: Maintaining and Applying Professional
IRS issues proposed regs. on 3.8% net investment income tax
On Monday, the IRS released proposed regulations governing the 3.8% net investment income tax imposed under Sec. 1411 that was added to the Code by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, P.L. 111-152 (REG-130507-11). Taxpayers can rely on the proposed regulations for purposes of complying with the
FASB, IASB union fragile amid SEC indecision on IFRS
The difficulties the world’s most prominent accounting standard setters face in convergence were unmistakable as FASB Chairman Leslie Seidman and International Accounting Standards Board Chairman Hans Hoogervorst spoke on the same stage Tuesday. During a speech at the AICPA Conference on Current SEC and PCAOB Developments in Washington, Hoogervorst pushed
SEC to study what information should be required in broader financial reporting
The SEC plans to study the issue of what information should be required in the financial reporting package outside the financial statements—an examination aimed at providing investors the right information in the right places while preventing overlap in demands on preparers. “We intend to initially focus on whether the issue
Guidance issued on additional Medicare tax
The IRS issued proposed regulations concerning the 0.9% Medicare surtax, which takes effect next year (REG-130074-11). The proposed regulations contain guidance for employers and individuals on the implementation of the tax, including the requirement to file a return reporting the tax, the process for employers to make adjustments of underpayments
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