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.

  • The Governmental Accounting Standards Board has issued two new accounting statements, one covering items previously reported as assets and liabilities, which clarified the appropriate reporting of deferred outflows and inflows of resources, and another statement containing technical corrections to resolve conflicting guidance.

    April 2
  • The Financial Accounting Standards Board is making progress on its disclosure framework project, which aims to establish an overarching framework to help the board establish requirements for disclosures in notes to financial statements.

    March 29
  • The New York State Society of CPAs has told the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the International Accounting Standards Board that they need to make changes in their latest set of proposals for changing revenue recognition standards.

    March 29
  • A House subcommittee held hearings Wednesday in which they questioned the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s recent proposal for mandatory audit firm rotation, along with the PCAOB’s push to make disciplinary proceedings against auditors public.

    March 28
  • The Financial Accounting Standards Board has added a new item to its agenda to revise the accounting standards for repurchase agreements in response to the problems that led to the collapse of MF Global.

    March 21
  • The International Federation of Accountants has published a paper calling for enhanced financial management transparency and accountability in the public sector, especially in the midst of the sovereign debt crisis.

    March 21
  • The Financial Accounting Foundation has published a learning guide for the FASB Accounting Standards Codification system to help accountants learn their way around the relatively recent system for organizing U.S. GAAP standards.

    March 21
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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.