The Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board issues Technical Bulletin 2002-2, Disclosures Required by Paragraph 79(g) of SFFAS 7, Accounting for Revenue and Other Financing Sources and Concepts for Reconciling Budgetary and Financial Accounting ( www.fasab.gov/pdf/tb20022.pdf ). The bulletin explains to users, preparers and auditors what disclosures a federal financial reporting
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Employee benefits
New Rules for IRA Distributions
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ON JANUARY 11, 2001, THE IRS PROPOSED NEW regulations for required minimum distributions from qualified retirement plans and IRAs. These regulations have completely overhauled and vastly simplified the prior provisions that date to 1987. IRA OWNERS MAY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE NEW regulations immediately. Participants in qualified retirement
Money Laundering
The Treasury Department issues three rules relating to the USA Patriot Act and financial institutions’ and CPAs’ roles in the fight against money laundering ( www.treas.gov/press/releases/po3436.htm ). The new regulations, which the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network will administer, amends and adds provisions to the Bank Secrecy Act, which governs
Professional Issues
The portfolios of financial advisers’ clients suffered heavy losses in 2001 and early 2002 as the S&P 500 stock index fell sharply. But by bringing in new business and thus increasing their total client holdings by 16.7%, the advisers limited to 5.3% the decline in assets under their management, says
Banking
Comptroller of the Currency John D. Hawke says banks owned by financial conglomerates should better protect their interests—by insisting on reasonable compensation—when dealing with affiliated organizations that want to sell products to bank customers ( www.occ.treas.gov/ftp/release/2002-78.doc ). Hawke recommends several additional ways—including adopting corporate governance standards—banks can preempt government intervention
Employee Benefits
U.S. companies will pay on average 15.4% more in 2003 to provide their workers with health insurance than they did this year, when rates climbed 13.7%, says consulting group Hewitt Associates ( http://was.hewitt.com/hewitt ). Some corporations will absorb most of the increase, but others will ask employees to contribute more
Auditing
The Institute of Internal Auditors ( www.theiia.org ) issues for its members a summary of several regulatory organizations’ current and proposed corporate governance requirements aimed at improving the accuracy, completeness and transparency of financial statements. The regulations specify what boards of directors, audit committees and corporate managers must do to
FYI
The SEC appoints Scott A. Taub, CPA, its deputy chief accountant. A recent partner of Andersen’s professional standards group in Chicago, Taub previously had served with the commission as a professional accounting fellow. John T. Smith, CPA, joins the International Accounting Standards Board as a part-time member, filling the post
International
The International Federation of Accountants releases two international public sector accounting standards (IPSASs) ( www.ifac.org ). IPSAS 19, Provisions, Contingent Liabilities and Contingent Assets, defines the terms to which its title refers and establishes the criteria for recognizing and disclosing provisions and the rules for measuring them. IPSAS 20, Related
Accounting
For news from the AICPA and state societies, visit www.cpa2biz.com , which also offers online CPE, AICPA professional literature, practice management aids and links to state society Web sites. AcSEC exposes a draft statement of position, Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities by Not-for-Profit Health Care Organizations, and Clarification
Fraud
A GAO report ( www.gao.gov/new.items/d02676t.pdf ) on the use of purchase cards at the Education, Navy, Agriculture, Interior and Transportation departments reveals internal control weaknesses permitted thousands of unauthorized or questionable transactions between 1998 and 2001, involving potentially millions of dollars in waste and abuse. The watchdog agency discovered failures
Education
The AICPA and NASBA sign an agreement with Prometric, a designer of technology-based testing services, under which CPA candidates will be able to take a computerized uniform examination at more than 300 locations in early 2004 ( www.aicpa.org/news/2002/p052802.htm ). The electronic test will differ from its paper predecessor not only
Corporate Governance
The Business Roundtable, a trade group representing 150 of the nation’s largest companies, issues Principles of Corporate Governance ( www.brtable.org/pdf/704.pdf ). The publication provides a set of best practices for senior management, the board of directors and others in the corporate hierarchy to ensure companies comply with applicable regulations and
Government Accounting
GASB issues Statement no. 39, Determining Whether Certain Organizations Are Component Units ( www.gasb.org/news/nr052802.html ). Under it state and local governments with certain fundraising organizations, such as not-for-profit foundations that have a relationship with public universities and/or school districts, must include in their financial statements separate presentations of those subordinate
Professional Issues
The AICPA professional ethics executive committee issues an exposure draft ( www.aicpa.org/members/div/ethics/ed020617.htm ) with revisions of five independence interpretations and/ or rulings. The proposed changes relate to trustee or executor relationships with clients, former practitioners and firm independence, relationships with entities included in government financial statements, auditors of insurance companies
Employee Benefits
The Department of Labor made final a rule ( www.dol.gov/pwba/regs/fedreg/final/2002008499.htm ) giving employee benefit plan administrators the option of using e-mail, the Internet and other computer-based systems for making, to participants and beneficiaries, disclosures required by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Under the provision, which takes
Financial Reporting
The SEC proposes rules requiring CEOs and CFOs of publicly traded companies to certify their organizations’ quarterly and annual reports are accurate, timely and contain all the information a “reasonable” investor would consider “significant” ( www.sec.gov/news/press/2002-88.htm ). The rules also would cut to two business days—from the current five to
Auditing
The auditing standards board issues SAS no. 97, Amendment to Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS) no. 50, Reports on the Application of Accounting Principles. The new statement (see Official Releases, page 90), which is effective for written reports issued or oral advice provided on or after June 30, amends SAS
FYI
The Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Board issues Implementation Guide to the Statement of Financing in Statement of Federal Financial Accounting Standards No. 7, Accounting for Revenue and Other Financing Sources and Concepts for Reconciling Budgetary and Financial Accounting ( www.fasab.gov/pdf/ig7sof.pdf ). It illustrates concepts underlying the statement of financing, in
International
The European Union adopts a provision requiring EU-listed companies, including banks and insurers, to prepare their financial statements, beginning in January 2005, in accordance with international accounting standards ( www.fee.be/european/eunews.htm ). European regulators believe the directive will increase the reliability, transparency and comparability of member states’ consolidated accounts, thus promoting
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From The Tax Adviser
March 31, 2026
Current developments in taxation of individuals: Part 1
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Current Developments in Taxation of Individuals: Part 1
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