Michael Cohn

The Financial Accounting Standards Board is proposing to simplify the test for goodwill impairment for public companies and nonprofits similar to recent accommodations it made for private companies.

The House has passed legislation permitting the Internal Revenue Service to share taxpayer information with state and local law enforcement agencies to help find missing or exploited children, while maintaining safeguards for sensitive taxpayer information.

The head of the International Accounting Standards Board is echoing concerns abroad also voiced by leaders of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission about the increasing use of non-GAAP measures in the financial statements of public companies.

Approximately 69 percent of entrepreneurs who participate in so-called “sharing economy” services such as Uber, Lyft and Airbnb received absolutely no tax guidance from the companies they work with, according to a new survey.

Avalara is exploring the potential for using blockchain, the underlying technology in Bitcoin, in its sales tax software.

Bay Sherman & Craig LLP, a firm in West Los Angeles, has joined NSBN LLP, CPAs & Advisors, effective May 1, 2016.

The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board is taking another stab at overhauling the auditor’s reporting model.

The Financial Accounting Standards Board has released a new accounting standards update providing “narrow-scope improvements and practical expedients” for the revenue recognition standard that it converged with the International Accounting Standards Board.

Avalara kicked off its Crush New Orleans conference in the Big Easy, discussing the latest trends in sales and use taxes, excise taxes, global tax compliance and technology.

Avalara introduced CertCapture Mobile Scan App, a sales tax compliance app for point-of-sale transactions.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has approved rules from the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board to improve audit transparency by disclosing the names of audit engagement partners, along with information about other firms that participate in the audits.

The Financial Accounting Foundation has published updated print editions of the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s FASB Accounting Standards Codification and the Governmental Accounting Standards Board’s Codification of Governmental Accounting and Financial Reporting Standards.

Now that public companies are required to use Extensible Business Reporting Language, or XBRL, in their financial filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the SEC is trying to make sure the data is appropriate and not hiding accounting gimmicks.

QuickFee, a service that allows accounting firms to bill clients through an installment plan, has recently expanded into the U.S. from Australia and New Zealand, focusing on large accounting firm networks.

The Internal Revenue Service plans to stop notifying taxpayers by telephone when they are subject to an in-person field examination, in an effort to avoid confusion with phone scammers.

Mid-market corporations in the U.S. could lose up to $1 trillion in equity value if the ability to deduct interest expenses is eliminated, according to a new study.

A company called MorphoTrust USA plans to use selfies next tax season to help taxpayers avoid the risk of losing their tax refunds to identity thieves.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers in both the House and Senate are asking the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department to remove the barriers to providing tax-exempt refinancing options for student debt.

Grant Thornton LLP has launched Grant Thornton Fixed Asset Services, combining its tax know-how with Bloomberg BNA’s fixed assets cloud-based software.

Wesley Bricker, deputy chief accountant with the Securities and Exchange Commission, is echoing concerns from other top SEC officials about the over-reliance on non-GAAP measures in financial reporting.