SEC Official Suggests IPO Paperwork Could Include Arbitration Clauses Michael Piwowar, a Republican member of the Securities and Exchange Commission, has suggested that companies be allowed to include mandatory arbitration clauses in paperwork for initial public offerings. To read the full article in Reuters, click: U.S. SEC’s Piwowar Urges Companies to Pursue Mandatory Arbitration Clauses. ...

Microsoft Could Provide Early Test of New Lease Accounting Rules Microsoft had said it would adopt new lease accounting rules July 1 instead of waiting for 2019, when the rules take effect.  Microsoft's status as a large, high-profile company means other businesses will study its example. To read the full article in Bloomberg, click: Microsoft Among First to Give Fuller Picture of Lease Situation. ...

NACVA Member Survey Findings on Employee Recruitment and Retention Hinge Marketing recently completed a NACVA member survey. In this survey, Dr. Frederiksen learned that NACVA members sought to improve recruiting and retention in their firms. These were the two highest. In addition, gathering insights about how firms approach these challenges, we also asked employee-candidates how they search for and evalua ...

The Value of a Business is Not Always What it Seems (Part II of II) Personal goodwill is taxed at the individual capital gains tax rate, not the higher corporate income tax rate. Therefore, a credible personal goodwill calculation can amount to significant tax savings. One that is not adequately defensible invites risk of an audit. Every personal goodwill calculation is unique to each business, and the mana ...

Was it a bargain purchase or not?  The SEC has reached a $6.2 million settlement with a Big 4 audit firm relating to auditing failures associated with Miller Energy Resources.  This post will examine the particulars of the case and provide some observations on fair value accounting that can be gleaned from the SEC settlement order. To read the full article in Mercer Capital's Financial Reporting Blog, click ...

With the second quarter of 2017 in the books, we ran the numbers and sifted through the data to recap all the key info on global PE activity during 2Q.  Powered by the PitchBook Platform, our quarter-end datagraphic looks at fundraising (which had a huge quarter), deal and exit activity, top investors and more. To read the full article in PitchBook, click: A Visual Recap of Global PE Activity in 2Q 2017. ...

Determining the proper tax treatment of expenditures for tangible property can be difficult—and for taxpayers with a large number of expenditures, statistical sampling can be the only practical way to review and document these expenses.  Here are examples of how sampling can help taxpayers determine the proper depreciation amount for fixed assets. To read the full article in The Tax Adviser, click: Statisti ...

The Value of a Business is Not Always What it Seems (Part I of II) Personal goodwill is taxed at the individual capital gains tax rate, not the higher corporate income tax rate. Therefore, a credible personal goodwill calculation can amount to significant tax savings. One that is not adequately defensible invites risk of an audit. Every personal goodwill calculation is unique to each business, and the manag ...

Physician On-Call Services This article focuses on physician on-call services and issues that valuation professionals must anticipate and consider in such an engagement. The article is a distillation of an in-depth article published in The Value Examiner July/August 2017 issue. In that issue, the authors also discuss classification and valuation of compensation for physician services and valuation of medica ...

In valuing a FinTech company, attention need be given to external factors such as unique industry dynamics and the regulatory environment as well as internal company factors such as risk exposure and shareholder preferences.  Hosted by Jay D. Wilson Jr., CFA, ASA, CBA, this webinar identifies the key value drivers for an early-stage FinTech company for investors, entrepreneurs, and potential partners. To re ...

Advising Clients on Charitable Legacies Many individuals desire to make charitable bequests but are not certain how to do so or how they work.  This is an area where a CPA can offer valuable assistance.  There are many issues—some tax-related, some not—but the overriding concern is the client’s desire to do some good with what they have accumulated.  Sid Kess, CPA, and Edward Mendlowitz, CPA, PFS, share way ...

Running a successful tax practice is about more than acknowledging the technology du jour.  It is about knowing which technologies make the most sense for you and using them to their fullest potential.  Learn about three technologies you cannot afford to ignore in your practice. To read the full article in AICPA Insights, click: Three Tax Technologies you Should Not Ignore. ...

Given a Fixed Amount of EBITDA After reading Steve Egna’s article in the April 12, 2017 issue of QuickRead Buzz, in which he suggests that a larger multiple of EBITDA is realized as the number of employees of the selling business increases, the author considered testing whether that same approach could help explain why a certain amount of EBITDA would generate multiple amounts of MVIC. In this article, the ...

and its Application to Enterprise Valuation The value of a firm must equal the value of the claims on its assets. In practice, this is generally expressed as the value FIRM = value DEBT + value EQUITY. Similarly, in a balance sheet prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), assets = liabilities and equity. By comparison, an economic balance sheet is constructed using market ...

The Association of International Certified Professional Accountants and CPA.com are launching an early-stage company accelerator to promote innovation and give the profession early insight into disruptive technologies.  The Association and CPA.com Startup Accelerator will provide funding and other support to as many as five early-stage companies that emerge from a competition. To read the full article in th ...

U.S. has Leeway on Debt Limit, Economists Say Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has called on Congress to raise the national debt limit before its August recess, but the federal government will not face a crisis if that does not happen, experts say.  The U.S. has enough borrowing power to carry it through "sometime in early September," economists at Wells Fargo said. To read the full article in Bloomberg Ma ...

With rapid advances in technology transforming companies of all types, the demand is increasing for CPA firms to understand how new technologies are affecting clients and what clients must do to adjust their processes and practices to make the most of technological innovation while also mitigating risk. To read the full article in the Journal of Accountancy, click: Furious Rush of Digital Disruption Creates ...

Why Attorneys Tend to Overvalue Their Cases and What to Do! Research indicates that most lawyers over value their cases, and what is even more fascinating, it does not matter how long the attorney has been in practice! There are a number of reasons over valuation occurs; sometimes the answer is just that the attorney did not spend enough time reviewing the case, or failed to consider getting a second opinio ...

Adherence to Development and Reporting Standards in Family Law Litigation Family law practitioners deal with a host of complexities when resolving matrimonial disputes.  In high net worth cases, financial considerations soon become paramount.  Often the largest financial asset on the marital balance sheet is an interest in a closely held business controlled and operated by the family or single spouse.  In t ...

This week, Travis Harms, Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Valuation Group lead, features two stories and one study, each of which highlights the need to analyze venture transactions in their entirety, rather than focusing solely on price. To read the full article in Mercer Capital's Financial Reporting Blog, click: Accountability, Rights, and Discipline in Early-Stage Companies. This article is republis ...