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AICPA’s Call for AMT Repeal, Simplification Strikes Chord With Lawmakers

Annette Nellen, chair of the AICPA Individual Income Taxation Technical Resource Panel, pleased some members of Congress when she repeated the AICPA’s support for repeal of the alternative minimum tax (AMT) in testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee on April 13. “That’s music to my ears,” veteran congressman

Podcast Summary of the Joint IASB/FASB Board Meeting, April 12–14, 2011

Editor’s note: The heads of FASB and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) announced they will take “a few additional months” beyond their June target date to complete priority joint convergence projects on revenue recognition, leases, financial instruments and insurance. Below is a summary of their discussion. Also read “FASB,

FASB, IASB Announce Delay on Priority Projects

The heads of FASB and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) on Thursday announced they will take “a few additional months” beyond their June target date to complete priority joint convergence projects on revenue recognition, leases, financial instruments and insurance. “Our next step is to lay out the plans for

President Signs Repeal of Expanded 1099 Requirements

On Thursday, President Barack Obama signed into law the Comprehensive 1099 Taxpayer Protection and Repayment of Exchange Subsidy Overpayments Act of 2011 (HR 4; 1099 Act), which repeals both the expanded Form 1099 information reporting requirements mandated by last year’s health care legislation and also the 1099 reporting requirements imposed

IRS Extends Guidance on Trustee Fees

The IRS announced that it is extending interim guidance on the treatment of investment advisory fees and other costs subject to the 2% floor under IRC § 67(a) (Notice 2011-37). Under the notice, nongrantor trusts and estates will not be required to unbundle their fiduciary fees to determine what portion

Discharge of Indebtedness Rules Clarified for Grantor Trusts and Disregarded Entities

On Tuesday, the IRS issued proposed regulations (REG-154159-09) that provide rules regarding who is the “taxpayer” for purposes of applying the IRC § 108 discharge of indebtedness rules to a grantor trust or disregarded entity. IRC §§ 108(a)(1)(A) and (B) exclude discharged debt from a taxpayer’s income if the discharge

IRS Issues Foreign Financial Account Reporting Guidance

The IRS issued a second notice giving guidance on various reporting requirements under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA, part of PL 111-147) (Notice 2011-34). The notice responds to concerns raised by commenters following the issuance last August of Notice 2010-60, which contained preliminary guidance on implementation of the

FASB Challenged With Prioritization

In part five of this exclusive JofA interview, FASB Chairman Leslie Seidman shares her challenges of prioritizing projects. JofA: What’s been the greatest challenge so far as chairman, and what do you expect your greatest challenge to be over the course of the next year? Seidman: It became clear last

Federal Budget Deal Avoids Tax Season Disruptions

White House and congressional negotiators reached an agreement on funding the federal government ahead of a midnight Friday deadline and averted a shutdown of all nonessential government functions. Under the agreement, the federal government will be funded by a continuing resolution through next Friday. By Friday, Congress plans to pass

Clarified Auditing Standard Outlines Auditor Requirements Regarding SEC Filings

The AICPA’s Auditing Standards Board has finalized the clarified Statement on Auditing Standards, Filings With the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Under the Securities Act of 1933, to supersede AU section 711, Filings Under Federal Securities Statutes, in AICPA Professional Standards. The clarified SAS addresses the auditor’s responsibilities in connection

IFRS Foundation to Add Common-Practice Tags to IFRS Taxonomy

The IFRS Foundation said it will publish supplementary tags for the IFRS Taxonomy that reflect disclosures that are commonly reported by entities in their IFRS financial statements. The foundation, the International Accounting Standards Board’s parent organization, said the common-practice tags will enhance the comparability of information by enabling entities to

FASB Chairman: No Retreat on Leases

Editor’s note: On April 14, FASB and the IASB said the priority projects on revenue recognition, leases and financial instruments, scheduled to be completed in June, would require a few more months of work. No specific deadline was set for the projects. Read “FASB, IASB Announce Delay on Priority Projects”

IRS Prepared to Process Returns If Government Shuts Down

IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman addressed the National Press Club on Wednesday, and after his prepared remarks he answered questions regarding the IRS’ preparations for a possible shutdown of the federal government, which could happen Friday. The first question asked what people can expect if the government shuts down. Shulman said

FASB Updates Treatment of Troubled Debt Restructurings

FASB on Tuesday issued an Accounting Standards Update that the board said improves financial reporting by creating greater consistency in the way GAAP is applied for various types of debt restructurings, which FASB’s chairman said have become more common since the most recent recession. FASB said in a press release

New Rule Takes Aim at “Flawed Compensation Practices”

Several federal financial regulatory agencies proposed a new rule, pursuant to section 956 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, that would prohibit certain financial institutions from creating incentive compensation arrangements that could encourage inappropriate risks. The rule takes aim at preventing what the agencies called “flawed

Senate Approves 1099 Repeal, Sends Bill to President

The Senate on Tuesday passed legislation to repeal both the expanded Form 1099 information-reporting requirements mandated by last year’s health care legislation and also new 1099 reporting requirements imposed on taxpayers who receive rental income. The Comprehensive 1099 Taxpayer Protection and Repayment of Exchange Subsidy Overpayments Act of 2011 (HR

Final Regulations Issued on Validity, Priority of Federal Tax Liens

On Monday, the IRS published final regulations (TD 9520) that govern the validity and priority of federal tax liens under IRC § 6323. Under IRC § 6321, the federal government has an automatic lien against any person who does not pay federal tax for which they are liable after the

ASB Issues Exposure Draft to Amend Various Clarified Auditing Standards

The AICPA’s Auditing Standards Board (ASB) issued Proposed Statement on Auditing Standards, Omnibus Statement on Auditing Standards—2011, resulting from its Clarity Project. The comment period ends May 15. The proposed SAS contains amendments to the following: SAS no. 117, Compliance Audits (AICPA, Professional Standards, AU sec. 801). The amendment conforms

Condorsement: FASB’s Potential New Role Under IFRS

In part three of this exclusive JofA interview, FASB Chairman Leslie Seidman shares her thoughts on how FASB might function in an IFRS world. JofA: Last fall at the AICPA National Conference on Current SEC and PCAOB Developments, Paul Beswick, one of the SEC’s deputy chief accountants, introduced the concept of

AICPA: Financial Instruments Compromise Potentially Flawed

The AICPA’s Financial Reporting Executive Committee (FinREC) on Thursday expressed a number of concerns on the supplementary document, Accounting for Financial Instruments and Revisions to the Accounting for Derivatives Instruments and Hedging Activities-Impairment published Jan. 31 by FASB and the IASB. “Although we recognize the need for convergence, the current

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How to set up a simple automation in Zapier

When automating apps within the same tech ecosystem, that system’s automation options are highly effective. Tools like Zapier, though, allow automation across ecosystems. Learn how in this Tech Q&A article.