The profession’s image remains bright among business decision makers, executives and investors who gave CPAs favorable ratings of 97%, 95% and 89%, respectively, in a recent survey. Significantly, among business decision makers and executives, CPAs ranked several points higher than physicians, insurance agents, bankers, chief management consultants and stock research
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Tax
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
Employee Benefits
The Treasury Department and IRS issued Notice 2005-42, which allows employers to modify flexible spending arrangements (FSAs) to extend the deadline for reimbursement of health and dependent care expenses up to 2.5 months after the end of the plan year ( www.treas.gov/press/releases/reports/n0542.pdf ). Previously, employees forfeited any FSA funds they
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 (
Recoverable Costs
A taxpayer who is the prevailing party in a legal dispute with the IRS may be entitled to recover some of his or her litigation-related costs. There have been numerous suits outlining the costs taxpayers can recover if they hire an attorney. When taxpayers represent themselves, however, what expenses they
Auditing
The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) issued guidance in the form of questions and answers (Qs & As) for auditors ( www.pcaobus.org/standards/staff_questions_and_answers/index.asp ). They concern attest engagements relating to information that companies furnish under the SEC’s XBRL Voluntary Financial Reporting Program on the EDGAR system ( www.sec.gov/spotlight/xbrl.htm ). The
FYI
SEC Chairman William H. Donaldson resigned on June 30, 2005, more than two years after President George W. Bush appointed him to the post. At press time, the president had nominated Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Calif.) as Donaldson’s successor, subject to confirmation by the Senate. The AICPA governing council approved a
International
The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) issued a single-volume edition of its official pronouncements made through January 1, 2005 ( www.iasb.org/uploaded_files/documents/ ). International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) Bound Volume 2005 provides the complete consolidated text of the latest version of IFRSs (including international accounting standards and interpretations) and the supporting
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 ).
Accounting
The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Statement no. 154, Accounting Changes and Error Corrections, a replacement of APB Opinion no. 20 and FASB Statement no. 3 ( www.fasb.org/pdf/fas154.pdf ). It applies to all voluntary changes in accounting principle and to changes required by an accounting pronouncement if the pronouncement
Privacy
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued as final a rule that, as of June 1, 2005, requires businesses and individuals to judiciously dispose of sensitive information from consumer reports ( www.ftc.gov/opa/2005/06/disposal.htm ; www.ftc.gov/os/2004/11/041118disposalfrn.pdf ). The standard, known as the Disposal Rule, is part of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions
Financial Literacy
The AICPA launched 360 Degrees of Financial Literacy for Women, an expansion of its pro bono efforts to improve the public’s understanding of personal finance. The program’s Web site ( www.360financialliteracy ) contains more than 600 articles and planning tools women can use to focus on various aspects of their
Wanted: My Benefits
Source: Merrill Lynch New Retirement Survey of 3,448 adults aged 41–59, Merrill Lynch, New York, www.ml.com , 2004.
Compliance Is Expensive
Source: PricewaterhouseCoopers Barometer Survey of 151 CFOs and managing directors of U.S.-based multinational companies, New York, www.barometersurveys.com , 2004.
Education
The AICPA launched the Accounting Education Center ( www.aicpa.org/aec ), a Web site that provides educators with resources to enhance accounting and business curricula and to recruit and prepare students for entering the profession. The AICPA Core Competency Framework and Educational Competency Assessment Web site are among those offerings. The
Corporate Governance
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) approved guidelines for insurers and pension funds to strengthen public confidence in the insurance industry and protect pensions from mismanagement and fraud ( www.oecd.org/dataoecd/19/10/34799740.pdf ; www.oecd.org/dataoecd/ ). Both sets of guidelines draw from the corporate governance principles the OECD created in 1999
Not Legally Enforceable? Its Still Alimony!
In order for payments to qualify as alimony, certain requirements must be met. The payments must be in cash, and pursuant to a divorce, separation or written agreement between the spouses; they must terminate at the death of the recipient; and they must not be designated as something other than
Professional Issues
The AICPA Personal Financial Planning (PFP) Executive Committee has been tracking the SEC’s activities relating to its final rule, “Certain Broker-Dealers Deemed Not to Be Financial Advisers” ( www.sec.gov/rules/final/34-51523.pdf ), which exempts certain fee-based broker-dealers from the provisions of the Investment Advisors Act of 1940. The SEC is conducting a
Banking
Federal banking regulators issued supplemental guidance to financial institutions on how they should account for and report on commitments to originate and sell mortgage loans ( www.occ.treas.gov/ftp/bulletin/ ). The institutions are required to determine which of these commitments are derivatives under FASB rules and then calculate and report their fair
The Last Word: Jeff Burnison
JEFF BURNISON CPA, CIA Senior finance manager and Sarbanes-Oxley project executive leader Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc.—a DuPont Company Des Moines, Iowa The public doesn’t think of CPAs as being exciting , motivational people, but the best part of my job has been working with inspiring leaders. Being a good manager
Features
FROM THIS MONTH'S ISSUE
4 ways solo practitioners can stand out
Five years ago, a grieving Angel Zhen started his own CPA firm with no clients and no revenue. Today, he has 300 clients, $600,000 in revenue and 12 weeks of annual vacation. In this JofA article, he shares how he set up his firm and how you could do the same.
From The Tax Adviser
April 30, 2026
Current developments in taxation of individuals: Part 2
April 30, 2026
