Accounting standards

Since this is our first column of the New Year, it may be particularly appropriate to look back into 2007 to try to predict some of what will happen in 2008. The history of important tax developments that took place in 2007 is rich and varied. Shakespeare's "What is past is prologue" was never so apt.In that spirit, we have selected 10 developments as standouts in terms of their impact on the future, and especially on 2008 tax strategies. We explain each of these top 10 below. And, of course, respecting the difficulty of prioritizing just 10 2007 tax developments as most significant, we conclude by listing several more as runners up!

The Institute of Management Accountants has joined a widespread call for the Securities and Exchange Commission to accept financial reports prepared under international accounting standards without reconciliation with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.The IMA's main concern is not so much that filings by foreign companies might be easier, but that convergence with international standards would effectively replace the U.S. set of standards - which the institute believes are onerous, if not downright crushing.

The Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department have released final regulations and a revenue procedure requiring tax preparers to obtain consent before they can distribute taxpayer information to third parties, along with a proposal to restrict the marketing of refund anticipation loans and similar products.

James E. Koenig, the former CFO of disposal giant Waste Management, was ordered to pay over $4 million in penalties for committing 60 securities law violations over a five-year period.

The Government Accountability Office has issued a guidance document to help auditors comply with the new requirements of the July 2007 revision of government auditing standards.

The Securities and Exchange Commission said the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota has entered final judgments against the former CFO and controller of Buca Inc., the corporate parent of the Buca di Beppo restaurant chain.

The American Institute of CPAs has issued guidance defining terms for describing the professional requirements of accountants who perform a compilation or review.

The Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department have implemented enhanced standards of conduct for tax preparers.

The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board has proposed two new standards focusing on enhancing auditors’ consideration of controls at service organizations, along with a third standard that addresses the communication of deficiencies in internal control to those charged with governance.

The Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department have proposed two sets of regulations relating to pension plans.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has issued a final rule on accepting financial statements prepared by foreign companies in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards without reconciling them with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

The Securities and Exchange Commission introduced an online tool that allows investors to compare executive pay at 500 of the largest American companies.

ATM and voting machine maker Diebold said that the Justice Department, in addition to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of the Chief Accountant, has been investigating its accounting practices.

The Securities and Exchange Commission's Office of the Chief Accountant and Division of Corporation Finance have released a staff accounting bulletin intended to help public companies value stock option grants to employees on their income statements.

Financial Executives International, a 15,000-member trade group headquartered here, has compiled what it considers to be the top financial challenges for 2008.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged Joseph P. Collins, a partner with the law firm Mayer Brown, with aiding and abetting fraud at his client Refco. He is the fourth person accused in the case.

The Financial Accounting Standards Board has proposed an overhaul of the board's structure that would cut the number of members of the board from seven to five and allow the chairman to put items on the agenda.

'Tis the season for holiday cheer and especially gifts, so herewith are some presents that accountants might like to find coming down the chimney this year in the company of a chubby bearded man.

IRS is driven in its desire to close the tax gap and views tax practitioners as being an obstacle in the middle, according to Charles Rettig with the law firm of Hochman, Salkin, Toscher & Perez, P.C.,in Beverly Hills, Calif.

While friends and family are more concerned with the holidays at hand, tax practitioners are taking last-minute steps to ensure that they and their clients have a successful tax season.Training people to be able to staff the offices properly is key for Peoples Income Tax Inc., said chief executive Charles McCabe. "There just isn't a supply of qualified preparers out there who are willing to work for three months. And if someone is available, you have to ask why they are available - you don't want to hire someone else's problem."