It’s no secret to investors that annual reports filed by U.S. companies are becoming increasingly complex. Many reports in the business press over the past decade cite concern that the proliferation of required disclosures accompanying financial reports makes it difficult to decipher a company’s performance and identify factors that drive
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TOPICS / ACCOUNTING & REPORTING
SEC regulatory compliance & reporting
SEC Looking for Feedback on IFRS Plan
The SEC is calling for comments on certain aspects of its IFRS work plan. In one release Thursday, the SEC asked for feedback regarding investor knowledge of the international accounting standards and what it might take–in time and logistics–to improve investor understanding of IFRS. A second release is focused on
SEC Chief Accountant Says Convergence Need Not Be Completed by June 2011
While FASB and the IASB work to complete an unprecedented 11 standards over the next 14 months, SEC Chief Accountant James Kroeker told the JofA Tuesday that he would support the boards’ cutting the number of projects due in June 2011, provided there was good rationale for a delay. “June
The SEC’s IFRS Work Plan
The SEC’s unanimous approval in February of a new policy statement and staff work plan set the scene for a watershed vote next year on if and when the CPA profession will be required to transition to IFRS for U.S. public company financial reports. Though much remains uncertain, the SEC
No IFRS Requirement Until 2015 or Later Under New SEC Timeline
The SEC unanimously approved on Wednesday a new timeline that envisions 2015 as the earliest possible date for the required use of IFRS by U.S. public companies. The SEC action calls for more study of IFRS and a 2011 vote on whether to move ahead with a mandate to use
SEC Approves Guidance on Climate Change Disclosures
The SEC voted on Wednesday to release interpretive guidance related to the potential impact of climate change and climate change regulation on businesses. The guidance, which does not create new legal requirements or modify existing ones, outlines four areas where the commission says issuers should examine their disclosure obligations. The
SEC Chief Accountant Remains Mum on Specifics of Possible IFRS Adoption
Those waiting for clarity from the SEC regarding its road map for adopting International Financial Reporting Standards in the U.S. are still waiting following a speech by the agency’s chief accountant Monday. In an October speech, Chief Accountant James Kroeker said the Commission would provide greater clarity on the future
Financial Reporting
The SEC announced that the smallest public companies have six more months to provide audited assessments on the effectiveness of their internal control over financial reporting. Under section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, public companies and their independent auditors are each required to report to the public on the effectiveness
Panelists Advise Companies to Take Responsibility for XBRL Tagging—Even When Outsourcing
When reporting financials in XBRL, companies need to take responsibility by documenting the reasons items are tagged the way they are and allocating ample time for management review—even if they outsource the data tagging to a third party, according to panelists at the 2009 XBRL US National Conference that took
Financial Reporting
FASB issued an exposure draft of a proposed Accounting Standards Update that would affect all entities that are required to make disclosures about recurring and nonrecurring fair value measurements. The board says the proposal would improve Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures—Overall Subtopic (Subtopic 820-10) of the FASB Accounting Standards
SEC Chief Accountant Promises “Clarity” on IFRS Road Map This Fall
SEC Chief Accountant James Kroeker on Friday reconfirmed the SEC’s commitment to provide clarity this fall on its proposed road map for the adoption of IFRS by U.S. public companies. In response to a question following his speech at an AICPA/International Accounting Standards Committee Foundation conference in New York about
SEC Crafts Strategic Goals for 2010–2015
The SEC on Thursday released its draft Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2010–2015, which includes, among other goals, a continued commitment “to promote the establishment of high-quality accounting standards by independent standard setters” and support for “a single set of high-quality global accounting standards.” The draft Strategic Plan is a
Small Public Companies Have Six More Months to Meet SOX Internal Controls Requirement
The SEC on Friday announced that the smallest public companies have six more months to provide audited assessments on the effectiveness of their internal control over financial reporting. Under section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, public companies and their independent auditors are each required to report to the public on
SEC Proposes New Disclosure Rules for Municipal Securities
The SEC on Wednesday proposed amendments to SEC Rule 15c2-12 that prohibits brokers, dealers, and municipal securities dealers from purchasing or selling municipal securities unless they reasonably believe that the state or local government issuing the securities has agreed to disclose such things as annual financial statements and notices of
SEC Considering New Proxy Disclosure Rules on Executive Compensation
SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro announced Wednesday that the commission is considering a package of new proxy disclosure rules that would provide more information to investors on public companies’ compensation decisions. “At the SEC, our role has not been to set pay scales or cap compensation,” said Schapiro in a news
SEC Staff Updates Guidance on Business Combinations and Consolidation
The SEC’s Office of the Chief Accountant last week published a Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) that updates previous guidance by removing material no longer necessary because of developments in U.S. GAAP regarding business combinations and noncontrolling interests in consolidated financial statements. FASB Statement no. 141(R), Business Combinations, and Statement no.
IFAC President: U.S. Needs SEC Commitment to Global Standards
The time is now to implement global accounting and auditing standards, said International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) President Robert L. Bunting, CPA, in a speech last week at the World Bank in Washington. In a JofA interview, Bunting, a partner in Seattle-based Moss Adams LLP and a former chairman of
SEC Amends Accounting Guidance on Other-Than-Temporary Impairment
The SEC’s Office of the Chief Accountant and Division of Corporation Finance on Tuesday announced the release of Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) no. 111 that amends Topic 5.M. in the SEC’s Staff Accounting Bulletin Series titled Other Than Temporary Impairment of Certain Investments in Debt and Equity Securities. The release
AICPA Supports IFRS Adoption, Recommends Changes to SEC Road Map
The AICPA on Thursday submitted comments on the SEC’s proposed road map for the use of IFRS by U.S. public companies. The Institute recommended additional changes to financial reporting regulations, a push to minimize dual recordkeeping requirements, and a call for optional early adoption to be expanded to include smaller
Guidance Released on Registration of Auditors of Nonpublic Broker-Dealers
The PCAOB and SEC issued guidance on the registration of auditors of nonpublic broker-dealers. Until recently, auditors of nonpublic broker-dealers were not required to register with the PCAOB as a result of a series of SEC exemptions dating back to 2003. The latest SEC order, issued in December 2006, extended
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