U.S. Unemployment Rate Unemployment trends remain strong, as indicated above. The most recent unemployment rate was 3.9%, with 164,000 new jobs recorded in the most…
The article “The Potential Impact of Lease Accounting on Equity Valuation” (Matthew A. Stallings, November 2017, http://bit.ly/2ktNGIR) provides an example of the effect of the leasing…
Tax & Accounting Update is provided by Thomson Reuters and based on material published on Checkpoint, its online news and research platform. The Update is…
On March 30, Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York State legislators reached an agreement on the state's 2018/19 budget, which the governor executed on April…
This July, my wife and I are packing our bags and living for a month in Copenhagen, Denmark. This will not be a vacation, although…
The Internet is an essential tool for CPAs and business professionals. Accountants use the Internet for communicating within and without an organization; retrieving, processing and…
Embracing Compliance for the Sake of Cybersecurity
Looking Beyond Legal Requirements to Find Best Practices
Although compliance laws exist to protect both employers and employees, they draw possibly the most complaints of any corporate requirement. Compliance is not optional, however,…
The IRS's streamlined filing procedures for offshore assets were announced in 2012 for non-U.S. residents and extended to U.S. residents in 2014. The streamlined procedures…
In Brief Technology continues to change society at a rapid pace, and accounting and auditing are by no means immune. New technologies are increasingly able…
Getting Started with Ethereum and DLoc
A Blockchain User’s Guide
Ethereum The basic steps for getting started with Ethereum are: Start an Ethereum node. Compile a smart contract using Solidity. Solidity is a contract-oriented, high-level…
The best compliment I ever received was, “You're not the typical accountant.” I've had a very rewarding career in public accounting. Upon graduation from college,…
Using Visualization Software to Compile and Analyze Data
A Step-by-Step Guide for CPAs
In Brief As big data gets even bigger, software programs that have served CPAs well for years, such as Microsoft Excel, find themselves straining under…
‘Net Realizable Value’ Is the New ‘Market’
The Effects of ASU 2015-11 and Other Inventory Valuation Issues
This month's column highlights the principal effects of FASB's Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2015-11, Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory. While the standard's primary impact has been…
In Brief Companies continue to struggle with implementing FASB's new revenue recognition standard, which becomes effective this year. One sector that may experience particular difficulty…
First Look at the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
Impact on Real Estate
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), signed into law on December 22, 2017, has brought significant changes for how real estate owners depreciate assets.…
Data Visualization Software
An Introduction to Tableau for CPAs
In Brief New software is constantly being developed to help users work with the ever-increasing volume of data produced by businesses. CPAs should be at…
The Coming World of Blockchain
A Primer for Accountants and Auditors
In Brief Blockchain came to mainstream attention in 2017, despite having existed for almost a decade prior. The author explains how this new technology, perhaps…
Blockchain Basics and Hands-on Guidance
Taking the Next Step toward Implementation and Adoption
In Brief Since blockchain technology entered the mainstream in 2017, many have questioned its purpose and capabilities. What is blockchain? How does it work? What…
Enterprise Technology Risk in a New COSO ERM World
Eight Challenges Facing Management
The release of the revised Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) Enterprise Risk Management—Integrated Framework could not have come at a better time for technology risk professionals and…