News
Art of Accounting: Looking forward to the next 10 years
November 20, 2023
My first thought for a 10th anniversary column was to describe the changes in the last 10 years. A second reaction was to recall my greatest columns. I then realized that looking back or even at the present were exercises in vanity and would not provide any takeaways. To be successful you need to look to the future and be anxious to adopt the changes that are quickly occurring.
Internal auditors optimistic on economy, talent but risks remain
November 16, 2023
Internal auditors are less worried about economic uncertainty and talent availability going into 2024, despite ongoing risks in both areas, with most focus going instead into technology-related areas.
ESG becomes top priority for finance leaders
November 13, 2023
A new global report shows that ESG considerations are top of mind for finance leaders and that technical debt is holding back companies’ plans to innovate.
Connecticut Small Business Boost Fund – Low-Interest Loans Tailored to Small Businesses and Nonprofits
November 09, 2023
The average small business loan interest rates range from 5% to more than 11%. High-interest rates and limitations on traditional loans can impede small business owners’ ability to borrow money to reinvest in or expand their businesses. Supported by the Connecticut Department of Economic & Community Development (DECD), the Connecticut Small Business Boost Fund is focused on helping small businesses and nonprofits thrive. This low interest, fixed 4.5%, loan program provides access to flexible funding for capital expenditures and working capital and connects business owners with free support services. Supported by the Connecticut Department of Economic & Community Development (DECD), the Connecticut Small Business Boost Fund is focused on helping small businesses and nonprofits thrive. This low interest, fixed 4.5%, loan program provides access to flexible funding for capital expenditures and working capital and connects business owners with free support services.
Generative AI revolution: How auditors are leading the way
November 09, 2023
Reliance on generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in the financial reporting space is rapidly expanding, as is reliance on auditors to play a leading role in all aspects of the revolution.
Quiz: Test your knowledge of the new QM standards
October 25, 2023
How well do you know the new quality management standards for firms that perform audit and accounting engagements? Find out with this quiz.
Danny Pannese, Benoit Boyer, Paul Iannone Pen 'The Fair Market Value-Fair Value Dichotomy: Valuation Discounts in Recent Shareholder Dissent Cases' for The Value Examiner
October 19, 2023
In shareholder litigation, a frequent issue is whether, under state law, valuation discounts are permissible in determining the value of a minority shareholder’s interest. This article discusses a 2022 Connecticut court case dealing with this subject. It also examines and compares recent disputes in other jurisdictions where valuation discounts became an issue in calculating the appropriate value of minority shares under a fair value standard.
SEC addresses securities transparency; PCAOB addresses audit concerns
October 16, 2023
The SEC recently adopted a series of rules and amendments aimed at strengthening transparency around securities in the capital market.
Why should CPAs understand ChatGPT?
October 14, 2023
Mfon Akpan, CGMA, DBA, an assistant professor of accounting at Methodist University, and Scott Dell, CPA, DBA, an assistant professor of accounting at Francis Marion University, explain why CPAs and other professionals can be left behind professionally if they don't spend time learning about tools such as ChatGPT. They talk about productivity gains, the competitive divide that could develop, and how, in the short term, more training is needed to fully harness generative AI.
Pool of Accounting Graduates Continues to Shrink in U.S., AICPA Report Finds
October 12, 2023
The number of students earning U.S. postsecondary accounting degrees fell sharply in the 2021-22 academic year, according to a biennial American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) report on trends related to accounting graduation rates, the CPA Exam and hiring demand by accounting firms. Some 47,067 students earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting in the 2021-22 school year, down 7.8% from the previous year, according to 2023 Trends: A Report on Accounting Education, the CPA Exam and Public Accounting Firms’ Hiring of Recent Graduates. The number of students who earned a master’s degree in accounting, meanwhile, fell 6.4% to 18,238. In the previous Trends report, the comparative rates of decline were 2.8% and 8.4%, respectively.
FinCEN proposes BOI reports deadline extension for certain companies
October 06, 2023
Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on Wednesday that would extend the deadline for companies created or registered in 2024 to file their first beneficial ownership information (BOI) reports. The NPRM (RIN 1506-AB62) would provide 90 days for those companies to file initial reports rather than the original deadline of 30 days from the earlier of the date on which the company receives actual notice that its creation or registration has become effective or the date on which the secretary of state first provides public notice that the company has been created or registered.
New PCAOB standard addresses confirmation in the audit
October 02, 2023
The PCAOB adopted a new standard relating to the auditor's requirements for the use of confirmation. Effective for financial statement audits for fiscal years ending on or after June 15, 2025, the standard will replace a 1991 AICPA standard adopted by the PCAOB on an interim basis shortly after the board's formation in 2003. The PCAOB first formally considered updating the standard in 2009.
AICPA releases quality management practice aid
September 29, 2023
Practitioners preparing for the new AICPA quality management (QM) standards now have access to a practice aid designed to help their cause. The free practice aid, Establishing and Maintaining a System of Quality Management for a CPA Firm's Accounting and Auditing Practice, is available in versions for sole practitioners and for small- and medium-sized firms.
GASB addresses disclosure and classification of capital assets
September 29, 2023
GASB issued a proposal Thursday that would establish requirements for certain types of capital assets to be disclosed separately for purposes of note disclosures.
New Law Raises Connecticut Public Charities Audit Threshold as of July 1, 2023
September 07, 2023
For Connecticut Public Charity registrations originally due after July 1, 2023, Connecticut Public Acts 23-99 and P.A. 23-98, effectively raise the audit threshold for charitable organizations (subject to registration) to gross revenues greater than $1,000,000 and allows for an audit or review for organizations with gross revenues between $500,001 and $1,000,000. Gross revenue is calculated excluding grants or fees from government agencies or revenue from funds held in trust for the benefit of the organization. Public Acts 23-98 and 99 state that, “For a financial statement [i.e., a charitable registration] that is initially due after July 1, 2023, a charitable organization shall include with the charitable organization's financial statement (A) an attestation that an audit report has been completed by a certified public accountant if the charitable organization had gross revenue in excess of one million dollars in the year covered by such report, or (B) an attestation that an audit or review report has been completed by a certified public accountant if the charitable organization had gross revenue in excess of five hundred thousand dollars but not more than one million dollars in the year covered by such report.” With the law effective July 1, 2023, the new provision generally applies to each Connecticut charitable organization subject to registration with a fiscal year ending August 31, 2022 or later. CPAs should consider alerting their not-for-profit clients of the new requirements. The chart below refers to the financial documents required for renewal applications.
ESOP exploration: Can the ‘new’ ownership model age well?
September 05, 2023
Most CPA firms are steeped in the partner model of ownership, but one of the country's largest firms recently opted to break with that model by establishing an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP).
AICPA seeks comments on proposed changes to QM standards
September 01, 2023
The AICPA Auditing Standards Board (ASB) is seeking comments on a proposed Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements (SSAE) designed to align concepts related to quality management standards with standards for audits, reviews, and compilations.
Navigating ESG: Strengthening Governance for Long-Term Success
August 29, 2023
Companies should develop a governance infrastructure to identify, report, and monitor ESG-related risks and opportunities.
Corporate Transparency Act/Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting — Risk Management Considerations for CPA Firms
August 22, 2023
The Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) was enacted January 1, 2021, as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, representing the most significant reformation of the Bank Secrecy Act and related anti–money laundering rules since the U.S. Patriot Act. The CTA is intended to address and guard against money laundering, terrorism financing, and other forms of illegal financing by mandating certain entities (primarily small and medium size businesses) to report “beneficial owner” information to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”).
ESG’s Biggest Miss: Supply Chain Visibility
August 11, 2023
As ESG efforts gain traction, they may be distracting companies from other social impact issues, like the use of slave labor in supply chains.