Audit & Accounting

The Securities and Exchange Commission has appointed two executives to prominent positions in its Division of Corporate Finance.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has weaknesses in its internal controls, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office.

The difference between a rhetorical question and a survey question is someone answers. Before we find out what type of question my title is, here’s why I posed it. Firms find about how other firms operate in a number of ways. It might be from contact with partners in other firms; via membership in groups, organizations, or societies; by hiring consultants; or possibly by reading about other firms in professional publications.

David Greenberg, a former tax partner with KPMG, faced a superseding indictment that added six more charges of tax evasion to the charges he was already facing as part of the government's case against KPMG's marketing of questionable tax shelters for clients.

The International Accounting Standards Board has decided to postpone the effective date of its new accounting standard for business combinations until July 1, 2009.

WebCPA presents a free online session discussing various facets of philanthropy and its potential benefits for accountants.

Wolters Kluwer Tax and Accounting announced that it has closed its acquisition of the TeamMate software business from PricewaterhouseCoopers.

The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board is looking for a new chairperson.

I just received the results of a new survey that was conducted by market research provider Vizu Corporation on behalf of RetireeWorkforce.com (courtesy of my friend, Nazli Ekim of SS/PR) in which it is noted that more than three-quarters of people working today say they plan to continue being employed into their retirement years. In fact, almost 40 percent of all respondents report that they anticipate doing so for monetary reasons, either to meet daily needs or to boost their quality of life. These are not surprising results given what’s been happening with the economy today and especially the housing world. Actually, to break this down even more, 34.1 percent of those surveyed claim they will work to “make ends meet,” while another 14.7 percent note they seek employment to “earn extra income to boost their quality of life.” Interestingly enough, 22 percent say that their motivation for working would be “the mental stimulation and challenge” while a scant 4.7 percent explain that it would be for “personal and human interaction.” I always thought that last one was the primary reason. Apparently not…at least, not according to this survey. Joe Salice, the president and CEO of RetireeWorkforce.com, points out that attitudes about work are definitely changing. “People are perceiving work as much more of a lifelong endeavor, rather than simply a lengthy phase.”

The Securities and Exchange Commission has voted to remove the requirement for non-U.S. companies to reconcile their financial statements to U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.