Accounting standards

The Governmental Accounting Standards Board has finalized a new standard that aims to simplify the structure of the hierarchy of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles for state and local governments.

Moving past simplification to ‘qualitification’

Preparing for the new revenue recognition standards

The Governmental Accounting Standards Board has published two new standards aimed at improving the accounting and financial reporting by state and local governments for post-employment benefits other than pensions, primarily retiree health insurance.

XBRL US has joined up with five companies to improve the quality of financial filings in Extensible Business Reporting Language with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The Trustees of the IFRS Foundation, the oversight body of the International Accounting Standards Board, announced Wednesday the membership of the Accounting Standards Advisory Forum for the next three years.

Deloitte has chosen a new global chairman, David Cruickshank, who previously chaired Deloitte UK.

The European Commission has issued a report evaluating the use of International Financial Reporting Standards over the past decade in the European Union.

Companies that plan to sell or spin off part of their business should be aware of some recent changes in accounting standards for “discontinued operations” that are taking effect this year.

The Tax Office of Tomorrow

Investors and regulators are hoping to see the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the International Accounting Standards Board somehow reconcile their differing approaches to accounting for loan impairments and credit losses in their financial instruments project.

The Governmental Accounting Standards Board is proposing new recognition and measurement guidance for governments that benefit from irrevocable split-interest agreements.

The Financial Accounting Standards Board has issued two proposed accounting standards updates with the goal of simplifying employee share-based payment accounting and the equity method of accounting for investments.

James Schnurr, chief accountant in charge of the Security and Exchange Commission’s Office of the Chief Accountant, said he disagrees with a former SEC chairman about abandoning convergence with International Financial Reporting Standards.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has filed charges against the government technology contractor Computer Sciences Corporation, its former CEO and several finance executives, accusing them of manipulating financial results and concealing significant problems about the company’s largest and most high-profile contract, as well as ignoring basic accounting standards to increase reported profits.

U.S. state and local governments will have to report billions of dollars in health-care liabilities on their balance sheets under an accounting change aimed at improving disclosure of retiree benefits.

The Governmental Accounting Standards Board has voted unanimously to approve two new standards that it believes will significantly improve the accounting and financial reporting by state and local governments for postemployment benefits other than pensions, primarily retiree health insurance.

The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board has issued a paper examining potential changes to standards involving the use of specialists by auditing firms and is looking for public comments.

The Internal Revenue Service has issued a notice asking for comments on the effect of the new revenue recognition standards on taxpayers’ methods of tax accounting.

Claire Ighodaro, a board member of the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants, sees a need for firms to promote an ethical culture by setting a tone at the top levels of the organization.