Associations

A trio of lawmakers in Congress have introduced a bill in the House that would modify the definition of fiduciary under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to make clear that appraisers of employee stock ownership plans are not fiduciaries under ERISA.

In a report to the Spring Meeting of its Governing Council, the American Institute of CPAs gave a review of its 2013 forecast and its proposed 2014 budget that indicated that the institute was in healthy financial condition.

In a wide-ranging keynote address at the Spring Meeting of the Governing Council of the American Institute of CPAs, president and CEO Barry Melancon described an accounting profession in the midst of a variety of transformations.

In a vote at its Spring Meeting, the Governing Council of the American Institute of CPAs authorized the board to offer the institute’s credentials overseas.

In a panel featuring members from industry at the Spring Meeting of Council of the American Institute of CPAs, institute vice president of xx Arleen Thomas shared some of the details of the upcoming exam for the Certified Global Management Accountant credential.

The American Institute of CPAs voted to allow changes in the definition of “attest” during its Spring Meeting of Council on Sunday in an effort to fend off competition from non-CPA firms and unlicensed CPAs who offer attest services using AICPA standards.

J. Michael Kirkland, CPA, a director in the Deutsche Bank AG, Accounting Policy and Advisory Group, was installed as the 2013–2014 president of the New York State Society of CPAs’ board of directors.

The American Institute of CPAs has sent a letter to the Internal Revenue Service asking the IRS to re-evaluate some of its proposals for a safe harbor method for the home office deduction, even though the AICPA acknowledged that the method would be simpler for taxpayers to use.

The American Institute of CPAs has a number of high-profile items on the agenda for its Spring Meeting of Council next week, including re-evaluating its recognition of the International Accounting Standards Board as a standard-setter, changing the definition of attest services and globalizing more of its credentials.

Surveys, sponsorships and more…

Institute of Management Accountants president and CEO Jeffrey Thomson discusses why accounting students should consider management accounting as a career, and the IMA's partnership with John Wiley & Sons on a learning system for Certified Management Accountants, in an interview with AccountingToday.com editor-in-chief Michael Cohn.

Institute of Management Accountants president and CEO Jeffrey Thomson discusses the IMA's efforts to improve management accounting education and its partnerships with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and the American Accounting Association, in an interview with AccountingToday.com editor-in-chief Michael Cohn.

Accounting conference season, charities and more…

International Federation of Accountants CEO Fayezul Choudhury discusses how IFAC includes accounting organizations covering firms of all sizes, allowing even sole practitioners to stay connected with what's happening with the largest firm networks around the world, in an interview with AccountingToday.com editor-in-chief Michael Cohn.

CPA2Biz, the technology subsidiary of the American Institute of CPAs, is adding social CRM provider Avectra to its Trusted Business Advisor Solutions program, with a focus on having the company become the preferred provider of constituent management services to CPA firm clients.

The American Institute of CPAs has sent tax reform recommendations to five of the 11 working groups on the House Ways and Means Committee tasked with studying various aspects of tax reform.

International Federation of Accountants CEO Fayezul Choudhury discusses how former CEO Ian Ball will still be acting as an advisor with IFAC, in an interview with AccountingToday.com editor-in-chief Michael Cohn.

International Federation of Accountants CEO Fayezul Choudhury talks about how accountants, accounting standard-setters and auditors can help stabilize the world financial system in the wake of the financial crisis, in an interview with AccountingToday.com editor-in-chief Michael Cohn.

International Federation of Accountants CEO Fayezul Choudhury, a former World Bank official, discusses how accountants can make a difference with projects in emerging markets in an interview with AccountingToday.com editor-in-chief Michael Cohn.

Helen Brand, chief executive of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, discusses how ACCA is working with the International Integrated Reporting Council on integrating sustainability and governance reporting with financial reporting by accountants.