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IRS releases government shutdown contingency plan

The IRS on Friday released its contingency plan  for what it will do if the federal government shuts down Oct. 1. The 61-page plan covers preparation for a shutdown, implementation, and reactivation of functions, but it anticipates a government shutdown of no more than five days. A longer shutdown would

IRS updates special per diem rates for 2013–2014 travel expenses

On Wednesday, the IRS issued its annual update of special per diem rates for use in substantiating certain business expenses taxpayers incur when traveling away from home in 2013 and 2014 (Notice 2013-65).The notice provides the transportation industry meal and incidental expenses rates, the rate for the incidental-expenses-only deduction, and

FinREC, CAQ: Management should make going-concern assertion

Going-concern assertions are appropriately made by management, the AICPA’s Financial Reporting Executive Committee (FinREC) and the Center for Audit Quality (CAQ) said in comment letters supporting a FASB proposal. The comment period ended Tuesday for FASB’s proposed Accounting Standards Update, Presentation of Financial Statements (Topic 205), Disclosure of Uncertainties About

CPA services mostly exempt from SEC municipal adviser registration

Many CPA services are excluded from the activities that would require registration as a municipal adviser under new rules approved by the SEC last week. Under the regulations, which were scaled back from a previous proposal, CPAs would not be required to register as municipal advisers if they are providing

Streamlined procedures for post-Windsor FICA refunds are released

In Notice 2013-61, the IRS announced the procedures employers should follow for filing refund claims for overpaid Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) and income taxes paid on employer-provided benefits for same-sex spouses that, because of the Supreme Court’s Windsor decision, are now tax free. The notice provides two streamlined administrative

Type A or Type B? Lease concerns emerge at round table

The economics of cellphone towers was cited Monday as one of the many challenges FASB and the International Accounting Standards Board are encountering as they attempt to build one, converged, principles-based financial reporting model for leases. The boards proposed a standard that would mandate a dual approach to recognition, measurement,

New York state proposes to regulate tax return preparers

Stepping into the void left when a federal court threw out the IRS’s registered tax return preparer program (see article here), the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance has proposed amendments to its Personal Income Tax Regulations and Procedural Regulations to regulate tax return preparers (N.Y. Comp. Codes

SEC proposes rules to compare pay of CEO, median employee

A rule proposed Wednesday by the SEC would require U.S. public companies to disclose the ratio between what companies pay their CEOs and their median employee. SEC commissioners voted 3–2 to propose the rule, which was mandated by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, P.L. 111-203. If

Businesses voice stiff opposition to lease proposal

The converged proposal on financial reporting for leases faces significant opposition from businesses from around the globe. Friday was the final day for the public to submit comment letters on the reproposal to FASB and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). An analysis of comment letters on the proposed standard

Stakeholders seek simplification, better information from FASB standards

A FASB advisory committee asked stakeholders what they thought the board’s standard-setting priorities should be. Respondents said they wanted simplicity and better information. The top three reasons improvements are needed to financial reporting standards, according to 105 respondents participating in a Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Council (FASAC) survey, are: Simplification

Walker issues final report, asks CPAs to lead in fiscal responsibility

Former U.S. Comptroller General David Walker is closing a chapter in his campaign against the rising tide of government debt, but he is urging his fellow CPAs to help fight against what he calls fiscal irresponsibility by elected leaders. Walker on Tuesday released the final report of his Comeback America Initiative,

New procedures for equitable innocent spouse relief are released

On Monday, the IRS issued Rev. Proc. 2013-34, providing the rules under which taxpayers can obtain equitable innocent spouse relief from joint liability under Sec. 66(c) or 6015(f). Married couples who file joint returns are jointly liable for their federal income tax liability, while married couples who live in community

Big changes in store for FASB, Golden says

FASB Chairman Russell Golden on Thursday described plans to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the board’s operations. Golden provided wide-ranging remarks about FASB’s future as he spoke at a one-day conference in New York City celebrating the board’s 40th anniversary. He said the board needs to evaluate its agenda

Repair regulations are finally issued

On Friday, the IRS issued long-awaited final (T.D. 9636) and proposed regulations regarding the treatment of expenditures incurred in acquiring, producing, or improving tangible assets, including rules on determining whether costs related to tangible property are deductible repairs or capital improvements. The IRS noted that it had received many comments

FASB seeks to simplify reporting for development-stage entities

FASB voted Wednesday to propose changes designed to improve the relevance and reduce the complexity of development-stage entity financial reporting. The board expects to issue an exposure draft (ED) by the end of October that would apply to public and private entities. During a July 16 meeting, the Private Company

Hiring optimism up among U.S. finance professionals

U.S. companies expect to make more money, and spend more of it, in the year ahead—and that could translate into more jobs. At the same time, finance executives’ outlook of the overall economy has cooled.  Those are the key takeaways from the third-quarter Business & Industry Economic Outlook Survey, released

IASB chair states case for leases on balance sheets

With the comment deadline on the converged lease accounting proposal just days away, International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) Chairman Hans Hoogervorst reiterated his support for the proposal that would put leases on company balance sheets. Friday is the deadline for public comment on a proposal by the IASB and FASB

Preventive health services with no deductible qualify as high-deductible health plans

In its latest guidance on health care rules, the IRS issued a notice on Monday clarifying that preventive health services that are provided without a deductible under a health insurance plan will not disqualify a high-deductible health plan (HDHP) (Notice 2013-57). Under Sec. 223, individuals who participate in a health

How finance and accounting can boost innovation

Five years ago, Jimmy Keeter, CPA, was concerned about what he saw after performing a worst-case scenario analysis on the trucking operations of Daylight Donut Flour Co. of Tulsa, Okla., which he serves as CFO. The company, which provides ingredients and equipment to licensed doughnut shop operators in 38 states

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