Walking through the spice markets of Tashkent or down the Champs-Elyses in search of something unique that I can’t find at home, I am struck by two things: Nothing has changed in hundreds of years. Marco Polo, Christopher Columbus and other explorers couldn’t resist the urge to trade in goods
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Audit & assurance
Answer Please: Fraud-Based Interviewing
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ONE WEAPON AUDITORS CAN USE AGAINST FRAUD is simply to speak to clients, managers and employees while observing their behaviors. Normal interview skills may be insufficient to determine whether an individual is withholding information, shading the truth or outright lying, so it’s wise to learn fraud-based interview skills
Stay Out of Trouble
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY DEBATE HAS RAGED FOR YEARS i n financial and accounting circles over issues of independence, auditing and accounting standards, and corporate governance. In the event of an auditing malfeasance trial, a juror—unaware of this larger context—must arrive at a verdict based on what he or she learns about
Institute Appoints Liaison for International Activities
New director to manage Institutes international relationsAICPA personal finance Web site twice honoredInstitutes CPA Marketing Tool Kit cited for excellence. The AICPA in June named Gary M. Scopes, CPA, to be its director, international relations. He brings to the position experience in auditing, standards implementation and ethics enforcement. In addition
AICPAs Financial Literacy Site Wins Laurels
The Institutes online personal finance community won honors in two competitions. The primary site ( www.360financialliteracy.org ), which promotes CPA pro bono efforts to educate the public in personal finance, earned a Communicator Crystal Award for excellence in communication to its target audience. In addition, the sites latest addition (
Institutes Marketing Resource Gains Prize
The AICPAs CPA Marketing Tool Kit won a Big Apple Award from the Public Relations Society of America for exceptional support of marketing communications. Meanwhile, the Institute augmented the kit with a new brochure and speech designed to help members market their business consulting services to clients ( www.aicpa.org/cpamarketing ).
With Integrity and Fairness: A Conversation With the Commissioner of Internal Revenue
hink you’re busy this month? Imagine being Mark W. Everson, Commissioner of Internal Revenue, heading into tax season with a $10 billion budget and a staff of 100,000 to manage. Appointed by President Bush in 2003, Everson is a man on a mission. He’s almost halfway through his five-year term—and
Peer Review Is Stronger and Better Now
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY THE AICPA REVISED ITS STANDARDS for performing and reporting on peer reviews for firms that do not audit SEC registrants. The revised standards, effective for reviews commencing on or after January 1, 2005, will enhance the quality of peer reviews and increase the usefulness of peer review reports
XBRL: A Multitalented Tool
PAs have a rare opportunity to help the business world take a giant leap forward. The extensible business reporting language (XBRL) can vastly improve the timeliness, accuracy and flexibility of data in financial statements and other business reports. Many experts think it will boost today’s commerce just as double-entry bookkeeping
How the AICPA Helps Members Serve Small Business
n 2003 small companies made up 99.7% of the 23.7 million businesses in the United States, according to the federal government, and research shows CPAs are among the top professionals to whom small businesses turn for professional and personal financial advice. AICPA members long have maintained important relationships with small
Renewing a Great Profession
Robert L. Bunting, CPA, became chairman of the AICPA board of directors in October 2004. His acceptance speech, delivered at the Institute’s annual meeting, appears in these pages. A JofA interview with him appeared in the November issue (see “ Managing Change ,” page 27). n preparation for the coming
Increasing Transparency in Peer Review: Members Speak Out
At its spring 2004 meeting, the AICPA’s governing council approved a resolution in support of increased transparency in the peer review process. It also authorized a member awareness program to inform members about peer review and the related transparency issues and to assess their desire for greater transparency. Two principal
So You Want to Be an Expert Witness
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY THE RANGE OF ACCOUNTING ISSUES involved in court disputes today covers so many aspects of finance that CPAs of all types may be qualified to offer expert witness services in one or more areas. CPA LITIGATION SERVICES ENCOMPASS several roles: expert witness (who renders an opinion before a
Financial Reporting Goes Global
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY THERE IS A CLEAR TREND toward adopting IFRS as the single body of internationally accepted financial reporting standards. In the next few years, thousands of companies will move to IFRS as a primary basis of financial reporting. THE IFRS MANDATE WILL AFFECT U.S. COMPANIES. Some may be required
IRS Allows Statistical Sampling for M&E Costs
here is very good news for CPAs whose clients face the often burdensome administrative costs of claiming allowable expense deductions for meals and entertainment (M&E)—the IRS now will permit the use of statistical sampling to account for such expenses. OVERVIEW Although most M&E expenses are subject to a 50% limit,
Help Companies Assess Their Internal Audit Needs
Now that the SEC has approved the November 2003 New York Stock Exchange rule that listed companies must have an internal audit function, clients and employers are asking their CPAs how it might affect their businesses and exactly what it requires. Here’s a list of frequently asked questions and responses
Attorney-Client Privilege: CPAs and the E-Frontier
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE EXTENDS to accountants under the Kovel rule when a CPA acts at the direction of the lawyer to provide information for the client. Inadvertent disclosure of confidential information may lead to loss of the privilege. A PRACTITIONER WHO DOES LITIGATION CONSULTING should document the circumstances of
Legal and Ethical Considerations Regarding Outsourcing
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY THE AICPA HAS RECEIVED A NUMBER of inquiries regarding practitioners’ responsibilities in outsourcing engagements. The applicable guidance is found in the AICPA’s Code of Professional Conduct, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and certain Internal Revenue Code provisions. THE CODE OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT STATES that a member remains responsible for ensuring
Tax-Planning Services for Clients or Employers
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY THE AICPA ISSUED INTERPRETATION NO. 1-1, “Tax Planning,” of Statement on Standards for Tax Services no. 1, Tax Return Positions , partly in response to congressional inquiries about how the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct disciplines members who are involved with abusive tax shelters. It is effective December
Rules for the Written Record
hile some may consider report writing one of the more mundane aspects of conducting a fraud examination, documenting the case is every bit as important as investigating it. This article looks at how to record the results so end users receive the information they need and, equally essential, the report
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The key to success with CAS is selecting the best clients. Tools like ideal client profiles (ICPs), buyer personas, and even artificial intelligence can help identify the businesses that best fit each CAS practice.
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