Accounting

Accounting News & Professional Insight

Accounting Today delivers news, rankings, thought leadership, and analysis for accounting professionals so they can navigate change in standards, firm strategy, technology adoption, talent, and the overall business environment.

Accounting professionals are facing rapid transformation, including shifting professional standards, demographic change, technology disruption, practice consolidation, and changing expectations for advisory services. Our coverage surfaces these strategic dynamics and provides insights and analysis for firms, leaders, and the accounting profession.

Accounting standards

FASB plans to ease lease accounting requirements

The Financial Accounting Standards Board decided during a meeting Wednesday to ease some of the implementation burdens and possible costs of the new lease accounting standard by making several adjustments and offering some practical expedients.

By Michael Cohn
Editor-in-chief, AccountingToday.com

November 29
Accounting standards

Microsoft and other companies report their progress on rev rec standard

Pace University’s Lubin School of Business held its second annual Pacesetters in Financial Reporting Conference in New York on Tuesday, presenting an award to Microsoft as a 2017 Pacesetter in Financial Reporting.

By Michael Cohn
Editor-in-chief, AccountingToday.com

November 28
AT Think Tax Strategy: What's new with information return compliance

A roundup of new IRS initiatives in data collection for the upcoming tax season.

November 28

George G. Jones

Wolters Kluwer US, Tax & Accounting
Audit

Deloitte and Sadler Gibb top SEC client rankings

In Q3 2017, the Big Four firm is in the lead for the second quarter in a row.

By Daniel Hood
Editor-in-chief

November 27
AT Think Stop fighting the war on talent

Accounting firm leaders need to start spending much more of their time managing their employees.

November 26

Daniel Hood

Accounting Today
AT Think The Spirit of Accounting: The faulty paradigm problem

Even statement users are caught in its clutches, as Professors Miller and Bahnson explain in the third article in their series.

November 26

Paul B.W. Miller

University of Colorado and Colorado Springs
Tax preparation

Taxfyle partners with bookkeeping service Bench

The companies aim to offer more comprehensive services to their small and midsized business customers.

By Jeff Stimpson
Freelance writer

November 26

Resources

The latest Accounting Today research and discussion:

Predicting the next 15 years in accounting

Take a look at what the accountant and the accounting firm of the future will look like with AICPA chief Mark Koziel.

Sponsored by BILL
The changing world of government financial reporting

The serious new pressures facing governments of all sizes are changing their financial reporting, says GASB Chair Joel Black.

Sponsored by Intuit Quickbooks
Special Report Technology and CAS

Handling the compliance work that is the foundation of modern CAS while also creating time and insights for the advisory overlay that really drives its value to clients requires the careful deployment of a suite of technology tools — and that suite is constantly evolving, meaning accountants need a strategy to keep up.

Sponsored by Canopy

Accounting: Key Questions & Analysis

What are the key trends and strategies emerging from accounting industry leaders?

Top leaders are focused on structural challenges facing firms, including succession planning, evolving service mix, and long-term sustainability of traditional models.

How are accounting firms positioning themselves for the profession’s next phase?

Firm leaders are redefining and evaluating their strategy for growth. This includes investing in people and systems as well as rethinking how firms deliver value to address changing client needs and competition.

What role does professional identity play as accounting continues to change?

Debate continues over how accounting defines itself. This is due to accounting expanding into advisory, consulting, and technology-enabled services. These changes can raise questions about standards, training, and long-term credibility.

How are accounting firms managing leadership and succession risk?

Demographic shifts are accelerating in accounting. This means more firms are confronting leadership transitions and ownership succession which can create critical strategic risks that influence growth, culture, and valuation.