Audit & Accounting

U.S. regulators and Chinese affiliates of the four largest accounting firms said they can probably reach an agreement within a few months to end a standoff over access to audit documents belonging to the firms’ clients.

Members of the Institute of Financial Accountants in the United Kingdom have voted to amalgamate with Australia’s Institute of Public Accountants to form one of the largest international organizations of accountants who focus on small and midsize enterprises and accounting practices.

Global Upside released their holiday card this past week, featuring worldwide staff of the global services company taking part in the holiday favorite, "Let It Snow."

On Monday, the American Women's Society of Certified Public Accountants (AWSCPA) of Georgia announced their Legacies, Leaders & Luminaries Celebration Dinner to be held on January 8, 2015 at the National Center for Civil & Human Rights. The AWSCPA will honor Johnnie L. Clark, CPA, MBA, Ph.D. and other rising stars in the profession.

The AICPA issued a concept paper on Monday concerning the future of peer review, seeking input on the CPA profession’s practice monitoring of the future. The paper, “Evolving the CPA Profession’s Peer Review Program for the Future,” explains how the current peer review program for firms’ accounting and auditing engagements could be changed into a technology-driven, quasi-real time practice monitoring process.

The American Institute of CPAs is looking for advice on ways to revamp its peer review program for the future to leverage technology to do continuous monitoring of how CPA firms perform audit and accounting work.

Firm awards, relocation and more…

Earlier this month, CPA.com released their CPA of the Future Study at the Digital CPA Conference. The Study is designed to measure CPA firms’ ‘future readiness,’ a concept developed by futurist and business advisor Dr. James Canton, CEO of the Institute for Global Futures, which conducted the research for CPA.com. "Future readiness" was defined as, “the capacity to be aware, predictive, and adaptive of emerging challenges, tech innovations, and trends and changes in business, population and social environment,” according to Dr. Canton.

After years of heralding China as one of its best markets, Wal-Mart in August said its performance there was among the worst in its major countries. A management shake-up and job cuts have followed.

Prince Charles has issued a challenge to accountants worldwide to mark the tenth anniversary of his Accounting for Sustainability Project.