Areas of high attention for auditors during the 2016 audit cycle will include a new standard on naming the engagement partner as well as internal control over financial reporting.  Ken Tysiac, JofA editorial director, reports that key considerations for auditors in general and auditors of brokers and dealers are discussed in two new publications by the Center for Audit Quality. To read the full article in t ...

New Accounting Rules Could Encourage use of Derivatives Changes to accounting rules for derivatives may prompt companies to start using reasonable derivative-based risk-management tools, said Jim Kroeker of the Financial Accounting Standards Board.  Kroeker suggested this was one possible benefit of FASB's proposal for hedge accounting, which could be issued in September. To read the full article in Bloombe ...

This blog outlines some recent changes to the impairment testing regime which provides corporate finance managers with periodic updates and commentary around several topics including impairment testing.  Lucas Parris, senior member of Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Valuation Group, provides some insight as to what impact this may have. To read the full article in Mercer Capital's Financial Reporting B ...

How to Prepare for the Lease Accounting Standard The new lease accounting standard could have a significant impact on companies' balance sheets after it takes effect.  Chris Hatten, CPA, and Nicole Riley, CPA, with PKF Texas discuss five things companies can do to prepare. To read the full article in the Houston Business Journal, click: 5 Things to Consider Under the New Lease Accounting Standards. ...

Federal Agencies Face New Disclosure Requirements for Public-Private Partnerships Federal agencies will be required to present disclosures about public-private partnerships in their general-purpose financial statements under guidance issued by the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board.  Ken Tysiac, JofA editorial director, discusses the standard. To read the full article in the Journal of Accountancy, ...

The debate over the use of non-GAAP performance measures continues.  Even as the prevalence of these items grows in the financial reports of public companies, cautionary tales of the uses and abuses of such metrics garner headlines.  Lucas M. Parris, senior member of Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Valuation Group, explains. To read the full article in Mercer Capital's Financial Reporting Blog, click: ...

The FASB announced sweeping changes to the accounting for leases earlier this year that will affect nearly all financial statement issuers.  Travis W Harms, Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Valuation Group lead, discusses each topic. To read the full article in Mercer Capital's Financial Reporting Blog, click: 7 Things to Know About the New Lease Accounting Rules. This article is republished from Mercer ...

Following FASB’s issuance of its new leases standard, the first step in compliance for many companies is an evaluation of whether they possess all the data they need to report under the new rules.  Ken Tysiac, editorial director of JofA, explores four key considerations recommended for companies as they work to comply with the new leases standard. To read the full article in the Journal of Accountancy, clic ...

Expanding the Lessors Qualitative and Quantitative Disclosures In February 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016 – 02, Leases (Topic 842). The existing standard has been criticized because its bright line classification criteria enabled entities to structure leases in such a way as to avoid putting them on the balance sheet. The standard aims to improve and simplify the financial repo ...

The Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (FASB) definition of a business is important when it comes to classifying assets and related expenses.  However, some feel that the FASB’s current definition is ambiguous and can result in inconsistent designations of business or asset status.  Samantha Albert, senior financial analyst with Mercer Capital, explains what is currently happening with the FASB proposed ...

What is key in considering the value of customer-related intangible assets?  Lucas M. Parris, senior member of Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Valuation Group, examines what attributes are important and their valuation. To read the full article in Mercer Capital's Financial Reporting Blog, click: Valuation of Customer-Related Assets. This article is republished from Mercer Capital's Financial Reporting ...

For some businesses, the possibility for goodwill impairment is an issue.  Lucas M. Parris, senior member of Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Valuation Group, explains the FASB proposed changes and what the Board has been discussing for a couple years now.   To read more about the results of this report in the Mercer Capital's Financial Reporting Blog, click: New Rules for Goodwill Impairment?. Thi ...

The AICPA's Center for Plain English Accounting conducted an investigation into the applicability of the disclosure requirement of open tax years associated with the Financial Accounting Standards Board's Interpretation No. 48, Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes.  Robert Durak, Director- Center for Plain English Accounting, American Institute of CPAs, discusses a CPEA investigation into the matter. ...

Calculating appropriate goodwill can create significant savings to a taxpayer.  Lucas M. Parris, senior member of Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Valuation Group, describes the existence of personal goodwill apart from corporate goodwill. To read more about the results of this report in the Mercer Capital's Financial Reporting Blog, click: An Overview of Personal Goodwill. This article is republished f ...

Evolving Accounting Standards for CPAs Wiley author Joanne Flood reviews three significant Accounting Standards Updates (ASU).  First, she reviews ASU 2014–08, issued in April 2014. This ASU focuses on Reporting [for] Discontinued Operations.  This ASU changes the criteria for determining which disposals can be presented as discontinued operations.  In the remaining portion of the article, she summarizes ch ...

Private companies are subject to several frameworks for financial reporting purposes. In this article, Mark Zyla explains the role of the Private Company Council (PCC) and provides a summary of several recommendations the PCC has made to the FASB regarding accounting for goodwill and business combinations. ...

A Principle-Based Model Revenue Recognition Wiley author Joanne Flood looks at how the converged revenue standard affects companies reporting under U.S. GAAP. ...

  Executive managers of companies and not-for-profit organizations must make more uniform disclosures if there is significant doubt about a company’s ability survive, according to new standards released by the Financial Accounting Standards Board August 27, 2014. Under Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-15, Presentation of Financial Statements—Going Concern (Subtopic 205-40): Disclosure of Uncertaint ...

  The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) has issued two standards updates with the intention of simplifying the measurement of inventory and eliminating the requirement for extraordinary items. Inventory (Topic 330): Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory would eliminate existing requirements to consider the replacement cost of inventory and the net realizable value of inventory less an appr ...

A Fitch Ratings report has shared serious doubts that the practice principles of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) would be fully implemented in the U.S. anytime in the near future, as the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) turns colder on the idea. Three sticking points to the merger of the methods remain financial instruments, insurance and leasing. Financial products with U. ...