Requiring Valuation Analysts to Have Specialized Trainingk Credentials, and to Adhere to Professional Standards Will Protect ESOP Participants and Beneficiaries   CPA Practice Advisor reports that the President and CEO of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), Barry C. Melancon, CPA, CGMA, has publicly announced his organization's support for a new bill in the House of Representatives.  H.R. 2041 would mod ...

 On the Horizon Offers Two Examples of Appropriate Ways to Apply FASB Guidance.  Plus: New Guidance on Reporting Discontinued Operations and Not-for-Profit Entities Grant Thornton recently published a useful article on applying the equity method in its On the Horizon web-based publication, which also notes that the Fair Accounting Standards Board (FASB) has suggested new guidelines for reporting discontinue ...

Many States Require CPAs Practicing Forensic Accounting to Now be Licensed as Private Investigators.  The AICPA Provides an Online Guide. Jeff Drew at the Journal of Accountancy reports that the AICPA has made available to members an online guide detailing which states and cities require CPAs practicing forensic accounting to be licensed as a private investigator.  Here's more detail: ...

Last Month’s Fiscal Cliff Legislation Included Lots of Tax Provisions. But Not Just for Individuals — There Are Tax-Saving Breaks for Businesses Too.  Here’s What You Need to Know. Bill Bischoff at The Wall Street Journal Small Business Blog reports that last month's fiscal cliff legislation included some important tax breaks for individuals; a longer version of his article appears at MarketWatch.  Here's t ...

Consider Three Types of Private Preferred Stock Transactions, Each with Varying Degrees of Relevance to an Indication of Fair Value: Simple, Strategic, and Tranched Preferred Financing Last year, the AICPA issued guidance on evaluating private transactions with regards to their relevance in estimating the Fair Value of other securities within an enterprise via the back-solve method. The McLean Valuation Ser ...

Details Found in IRS Explanation Issued Wednesday; $20,000 Figure Based on a Family of Four.   In a final regulation issued Wednesday, January 30, 2013, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) assumed that under Obamacare the cheapest health insurance plan available in 2016 for a family will cost $20,000 for the year.   Under Obamacare, Americans will be required to buy health insurance or pay a penalty to the I ...

There Are Different Standards. They Have Different Places in Various Appraisals. Here’s Why. Jim Hitchner considers various responses to the query:  “When valuing an operating company, is it necessary to mention USPAP in addition to SSVS 1 when talking about the standards adhered to?”  Good question. There were lots of answers from various valuators in a recent discussion.  Here’s Jim’s take on it all. ...

When Is a Foreign Tax Creditable Under Sec. 901?  The Tax Adviser's  James A. Beavers, J.D., LL.M., CPA, CGMA, reports that The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case that delves into the contentious issue of when taxpayers are eligible to claim a foreign tax credit under Section 901 of the U.S. tax code. A ruling by the court would clarify part of the provision that has been litigated for decades. ...

Consider Lifetime Client Value, Cost of Client Acquisition, and Retention Rate Is your CPA firm making the most of current relationships and doing all it can to expand into new ones?   While there are many metrics CPA firms use to evaluate quantitative performance, AICPA Insights suggests 12 metrics than can provide more qualitative feedback. These metrics can help CPA firms measure their reach with clients ...

IFRS Foundation Trustee: Don’t Wave White Flag on Cooperation Global accounting standard setters acknowledge that completion of the convergence projects is unlikely to happen in the near term, but progress can still be made to closely align International Financial Reporting Standards and U.S. GAAP, the Journal of Accountancy reports.   Here's more: ...

There’s a Maze of Standards Out There. Here’s a Guide to Key Provisions in The Most Important Ones *AUTHORS NOTE* This article was written in May 2010.  In December 2010, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, section 26(a)2(b) were updated such that drafts and attorney communications are now specifically recognized as work product and not discoverable.  The exception to this is correspondence as it relates ...

Compensation and Growth Opportunities are Key to Employee Retention;  Other Factors—and How to Differentiate Jennifer Wilson at CPA Insider writes that firm leaders should be prepared to provide clear answers to the most pressing questions young high performers have about what to expect on the path to partner.    ...

Top Vote-Getters Include Fed Honchos, Private Sector Leaders, and Association Chief  Who’s the most important person in Accounting?  Is it Leslie Seidman (Chairman of the FASB), Hans Hoogervorst (Chairman of the IASB), or Douglas Shulman (Commissioner, IRS)?   Or instead, might it be James Doty (PCAOB Chair), Mary Shapiro (SEC), or even an as-yet-unnamed person—our next president?  Or someone else entirely? ...

Smart Consultants Use Benchmarks to Add Insight and Increase Profits Business valuation professionals constantly use benchmarking tools to evaluate businesses that we determine values for—but we aren’t always as diligent in using benchmarking tools to evaluate and to manage our own consulting businesses. Dave Cooper explains why this should be a priority. ...

The AICPA's 2011 Forensic and Valuation Services (FVS) Trend Survey finds growing demand for forensic accounting services.   James Schiavone breaks it down:   ...

Business valuation (BV) reports frequently include information presented in the form of financial statements. The reporting requirements for such financial statements have drawn increased attention as a result of the issuance of Statement on Standards for Accounting and Review Services No. 19 (SSARS 19), Compilation and Review Engagements.   The Journal of Accountancy reports: "When conforming the existing ...