June 2007 - Journal of Accountancy

         EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The CPA is the gold standard in financial credentials, but CPAs are increasingly in short supply. The result is that it is more difficult and more expensive for companies to find qualified CPAs. CPAs can benefit companies in a number of ways that they

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This article examines the first two years of section 404 reporting data to determine whether section 404 has accomplished its intended purpose and what small companies can learn from the experience of large companies that have implemented section 404 requirements. The number of companies reporting material weaknesses in

       When traveling on business, it would be great if you could receive and send e-mail and easily perform other simple office tasks, like sending and receiving faxes or scanning documents into your computer—all without lugging around a ton of equipment. It would be even better if none

         EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The reality of XBRL has grown exponentially over the past two years, in large part due to the SEC’s focus and encouragement. With the time, money and effort that Chairman Cox and the SEC have dedicated to this initiative, it appears highly likely that

       You are visiting an office in Texas and need immediate help with a computer application. Because of the problem’s complexity, you figure a phone call won’t resolve the issue. You need a live visit from an expert. The only problem is he or she is in New

         EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Gaming has come of age and become a real discipline and a serious nationwide business. It involves a lot of different industries under one roof: gaming, lodging, entertainment, food and beverage, golf and other recreational activities. CPAs with auditing skills are in high demand

         EXECUTIVE SUMMARY International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) are destined to be the lingua franca of the international accounting world. Approximately 100 countries already require, allow or are in the process of converging their national accounting standards with IFRS. FASB and the IASB have agreed to converge

         EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Benford’s law holds that the leftmost digit in many types of numerical data is a 1 nearly one-third of the time, with probability inversely proportional to the value of each increasing digit. This phenomenon can be harnessed to analyze data to detect values that

       Here’s the problem: Your three-partner CPA firm based in Boston is on a tight deadline to prepare an audit report for a client. One partner is at the client’s Philadelphia headquarters; another is traveling in Houston; and you’re in Boston. The three of you must collaborate on

         EXECUTIVE SUMMARY GASB regularly issues implementation guides, which are staff “question and answer” (Q&A) documents that are intended to reflect the GASB staff’s understanding of the board’s intent when it adopted the related statements. Implementation guides have a relatively low level of authority in the government