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.

  • There’s an old joke that no doubt circulates through the Trial Lawyers Association, and it goes something like this:

    February 26
  • The European Union's 2007 agenda encompasses a range of activities aimed at achieving cohesion in accounting, auditing and finance, with taxation in particular receiving as much attention as anything else, as the focus of a number of planned efforts.For instance, the European Commission's work program cited the ongoing issue of sales tax, where examples of massive fraud have been building to a head. By March, the commission is anticipating the results of two studies: one on reducing rates, and the other dealing with how to tackle fraud.

    February 26
  • Raymond James Financial will pay $2.75 million to a brokerage firm regulator for poor supervision of its more than 1,100 branch managers who manage their own offices.

    February 23
  • The Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department announced that they will work on creating detailed LIFO guidance for automobile wholesalers, manufacturers and dealers.The accounting issue confronting the automobile industry -- which involves the proper treatment of the dollar-value, last-in, first out inventory method for pooling purposes of “crossover vehicles,” which have characteristics of both trucks and cars -- was selected for the Industry Issue Resolution Program, which provides guidance to help clarify complex tax issues

    February 23
  • The International Accounting Standards Board has published an exposure draft of a slimmed-down handbook outlining its international financial reporting standard for small and midsized companies.

    February 21
  • The Financial Accounting Standards Board has issued a standard providing companies with an option to report selected financial assets and liabilities at fair value.

    February 16
  • The Internal Revenue Service announced the selection of 16 new members for its advisory council. The appointees will join 11 returning members who are in the last year of a three-year term.The council members are scheduled to meet in Washington, D.C. several times in 2007, with a public report to be provided during a meeting open to the public on Nov. 15.

    February 16
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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.