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November 15, 2019

Center For Plain English Accounting Cpea Member Vip Forum

center for plain english accounting

But one of the initial challenges might be simpler than you think … find out more with this report. To comment on this article or to suggest an idea for another article, contact him at -cima.com. Would reduce the liability by the amount forgiven and record a gain on extinguishment once the loan is partly or wholly forgiven and legal release is received. AICPA Professional Ethics Division enforces Code of Professional Conduct and offers resources and support to guide CPAs in ethical decision making. Consult with clients after sales or contract signings to resolve problems and to provide ongoing support.

center for plain english accounting

The CPEA is an extension of those benefits, although PCPS firms must join the center first to make use of its services. Technical Hotline (for A&A inquiries)offers members free assistance concerning issues related to accounting and financial reporting, auditing and attestation, compilation, preparation and review standards. Travel and work-at-home restrictions, layoffs, furloughs, illnesses, and other significant disruptions to operations being experienced as a result of the pandemic may have adverse effects on existing internal controls over financial reporting . The risk of new deficiencies in ICFR may be increased, for example, due to reduced segregation of duties or effective monitoring controls, which may give rise to increased fraud risk of potential management override. These developments may cause ICFR to become deficient and fail, or need modification or replacement.

She previously served on the AICPA’s Technical Issues Committee and is a past-Chair of the NCACPA’s A&A committee. Melisa also authors the AICPA’s State and Local Government Guide and serves as a SME for the Center for Plain English Accounting. Groskopf continues as a CPA with Barnes, Dennig & Co., a regional firm with offices in Ohio and Kentucky. He is a member of the Private Company Council, which works with the Financial Accounting Standards Board to determine if and how U.S. Groskopf has also served on the AICPA’s PCPS Technical Issues Committee, including one year as chair of its accounting subcommittee. As a client engagement partner, he brings valuable insight and extensive experience to private company accounting issues, as well as expertise in audit, review, compilation and attestation services. The AICPA and several national accounting firms have authored illustrative guidance including sample financial statement disclosures to address the pandemic’s implications.

Through a joint venture with the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants , it has established the Chartered Global Management Accountant designation to elevate management accounting globally. Groskopf is uniquely qualified to serve as the next Technical Director with his local and international experiences. He is the service line leader for the firm’s A&A practice and will bring the resources and expertise of Barnes Dennig’s A&A practice to the CPEA. Groskopf is a nationally recognized authority on A&A topics and has been selected by his peers to serve on numerous national and international standard-setting committees. He is a member of the Private Company Council, which works with the FASB to determine if and how U.S. generally accepted accounting principles should be adapted for private companies.

Empowering All Cpa Firms To Thrive

For an expected prolonged suspension of activities, however, these factors might indicate impairment of certain nonfinancial assets that management and auditors will need to consider. Because of the worldwide adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on economic activity, many supply chains have been interrupted, and the replacement cost of inventory items, depending on the industry, has risen or fallen materially. Dramatically reduced replacement costs would likely have the effect of reducing net realizable values, or for inventories carried at LIFO or on the retail method, market values (as per ASC Topic 330, “Inventory”), center for plain english accounting market demand, or even ultimate salability considerations used for inventory valuation. Management must also reconsider the effects on current uncertainties about future operations on the valuation allowance provided for any deferred tax assets. Recognizable or disclosable subsequent events that are consequences of the COVID-19 include lending and other contract modifications, capital contributions, curtailments or shutdowns of operations, and substantial losses on financial assets measured at fair value. In addition, the pandemic could cause debt covenant violations or activate subjective acceleration clauses.

Moreover, Robert Durak, AICPA Director of Audit and Accounting Technical Services, has penned some words of advice and mapped out what your firm can do as the new standard kicks in. Similar to those applied in current lease accounting, but without explicit bright lines. The CPEA document includes discussion of the importance of advising clients, contingent fees, loan forgiveness considerations and more. If you have questions or comments, please contact us or review our privacy policy. That rate applies to a corporation’s taxable income, but corporate dividends are also subject to tax. For individuals, dividends are taxed at 0%, 15%, or 20%, depending upon the recipient’s tax situation (the 20% rate applies when a jointly-filing married couple’s income exceeds $479,000).

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The CPEA assist members with accounting, auditing, attest, review, and compilation needs by sharing technical advice and guidance. The CPEA’s straight-forward and clear style of writing and speaking gives practitioners the opportunity to understand the applicability of the professional literature when preparing financial statements and when auditing, reviewing and compiling those financial statements. However, there is concern that not disclosing the going concern uncertainty would mislead financial statement users. As intent is difficult to ascertain, CAMICO recommends following this protocol when (in the accountant’s professional judgment) financial statement users might otherwise be misled regarding the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern. Since 2016, when Presentation of Financial Statements — Going Concern (Subtopic ) Disclosure of Uncertainties About an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern first became effective, entity management has had primary responsibility for addressing this issue. Accountants performing compilation or preparation of financial statement engagements are not explicitly required to perform the same steps but should not ignore the issues when they suspect their existence, as juries are likely to consider the steps implicit. Big changes are sweeping the accounting profession, in the form of three new accounting standards dealing with revenue recognition, lease accounting and credit loss reporting.

Audit effectiveness is highly dependent upon the auditor’s ability to identify risks of material misstatement, and design and implement appropriate responses that adequately address those risks. In connection with the risk assessment process conducted in every audit, circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic will need to be closely examined in almost all audit areas. Properly conducted, this exercise will identify several new or heightened risks of material misstatement, many of which are discussed below, that must be addressed when designing an effective audit scope. Auditors will need to be particularly alert to circumstances that present fraud risks and therefore require special attention. PDFs of Illustrative disclosures-omitted report language can be found in illustrations 4, 5 and 10 of 17 illustrative compilation reports accessible here. Her passion is providing high-quality CPE that is meaningful, creates efficiencies and improves quality, and positively impacts ROI. Member firms and their staff were provided a two-day A&A update on September in a hybrid format.

center for plain english accounting

FASB also deferred the effective date for adopting its lease accounting standard for private companies. ASC Topic 842, Leases, is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022. Although it is not mandatory to make this standard effective now, consider advising those clients that benefited from the delay in adopting the revenue recognition standard adopt both simultaneously. This honor recognizes Tom’s leadership of the Center for Plain English Accounting, a key program of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. During his tenure at CPEA, Tom has traveled the country to more than 150 CPA firms to explain in “Plain English” difficult technical accounting and auditing standards including the new Revenue and Lease Accounting standards.

If your firm desires to keep up with evolving standards and needs written answers to technical questions, the CPEA is an excellent choice. Last week I was working with another partner to resolve a nonprofit accounting issue.

Mark Koziel, the Executive VP of the IACPA, shares where accounting practices are headed with technology, how you can leverage technology, and addresses specific opportunities with blockchain and artificial intelligence. In his previous role as a vice president with the AICPA, Chuck directed the AICPA’s Audit and Attest Standards Team, which is responsible for the technical activities of the Auditing Standards Board and the Accounting and Review Services Committee. Chuck served as a member and is the former Deputy Chair of the International Audit & Assurance Standards Board and was the AICPA’s member to the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. If your company is interested in partnering with NCACPA, please contact Director of Communications, Lorrie Gold. The following organizations have partnered with NCACPA to bring our members new and relevant content spanning a myriad of topics.

Why Join The Center For Plain English Accounting?

We have in-depth expertise in mergers & acquisitions, business valuations, profit improvements, opportunity zone investments, IT Security, SOC audits, litigation support, and fraud and forensic accounting, and wealth management and estate planning. Auditors may determine that an emphasis of matter or explanatory paragraph in the auditor’s report is required or appropriate to direct the reader’s attention to events and transactions discussed in the financial statements and notes and their effects on the entity without modifying the opinion. Substantial doubt as to an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern is an example of a discretionary EOM paragraph, when alleviated by management’s plan (AU-C 706.A2), or a required EOM (AU-C 570.24) or explanatory paragraph when not alleviated. Uncertainties related to COVID-19 and related market conditions may prompt entities to modify existing contracts with customers or reassess the probability that the contracted consideration will be collected.

  • Proper accounting for insurance recoveries varies, depending on factors such as the nature of the claim, the amount of proceeds , and the timing of the loss and recovery.
  • At The Association, you are part of a global, diverse and talented group of colleagues.
  • Valuation of receivables, inventories, investment securities, and deferred tax assets.
  • Accountancy was created as a profession distinguished by demanding educational requirements, licensing status, high professional standards, a strong code of professional ethics and a dedication to serving the public good when the AICPA was founded.
  • The QBI deduction is 20% of QBI, subject to limits based upon the W-2 wages and assets of the QTB.
  • Barnes Dennig has in-depth experience with companies in the construction, real estate, manufacturing, healthcare, technology, retail , and not-for-profit industries as well as wealth management and financial planning services.

The Center for Plain English Accounting (“CPEA”) is the Association’s national A&A resource center. The CPEA’s lead manager assists member firms in understanding and implementing accounting, auditing, review, compilation, and quality control standards by sharing technical advice and guidance. The CPEA’s lead manager accomplishes that in a straight-forward and clear style of writing and speaking. The Center for Plain English Accounting is the AICPA’s national A&A resource center.

Inability to access client documents needed for an audit is a scope limitation that will ordinarily affect the audit report, as described above. In such cases, auditors may be well advised to inform clients that the audit cannot be satisfactorily completed without a report modification for a scope limitation. For these and other reasons, it may be impossible to perform otherwise planned tests of controls, and all such factors should be considered for their potential effect on the risks of material misstatement, the scope of substantive testing, and—for SEC issuers—management and auditors’ reports on ICFR. Those who hold the latter view have considered certain 2020 events or transactions as direct effects of that 2019 condition.

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Companies will have to report on their operations, financial condition, and cash flows during this crisis, and those reports will have to be audited. The author details considerations management and auditors will need to take when preparing and auditing financial statements. Moreover, the new revenue recognition standard is the most impactful new accounting standard in decades, and it is keeping CPA firms busy as they respond to their clients’ requests for help in adopting the guidance. When CPA firms provide attest services to clients, independence must be maintained.

Or do you ever wonder how you’ll ever keep up with all the new FASB and AICPA standards? This site is brought to you by the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, the global voice of the accounting and finance profession, founded by the American Institute of CPAs and The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. Valuation of receivables, inventories, investment securities, and deferred tax assets. If management’s best estimate is viewed as subject to material variability, that fact should ordinarily be disclosed, at least qualitatively. When a single-point estimate relates to a loss contingency, its additional maximum exposure to loss should be disclosed if possible. FASB’sConceptual Framework for Financial Reportingstates that “if the level of uncertainty … is sufficiently large, that estimate will not be particularly useful” (Concepts Statement 8, para. QC 16). If insufficient evidence is available, and no reasonable estimate can be made, that fact ordinarily should be disclosed.

Media representatives are invited to visit the AICPA Press Center at aicpa.org/press. Credentials and certificate programs help members build expertise in specialty areas including personal financial planning, information technology and forensics. Perform administrative duties, such as preparing sales budgets and reports, keeping sales records, and filing expense account reports. “Tom’s leadership in the CPEA will provide opportunities for training and growth within our firm and across the country,” noted Hube. Opportunity to Share CPEA Content with clients through social media .

  • The CPEA’s lead manager assists member firms in understanding and implementing accounting, auditing, review, compilation, and quality control standards by sharing technical advice and guidance.
  • Dramatically reduced replacement costs would likely have the effect of reducing net realizable values, or for inventories carried at LIFO or on the retail method, market values (as per ASC Topic 330, “Inventory”), market demand, or even ultimate salability considerations used for inventory valuation.
  • She holds CPA licenses in North Carolina and New York and is a member of the AICPA and the North Carolina Association of CPAs.
  • The Association of International Certified Professional Accountants is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.
  • ASC Topic 842, Leases, is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022.
  • The AICPA creates standards for private company audits and other CPA services, as well as educational guidance materials, the Uniform CPA Examination, and monitoring and enforcing compliance with the profession’s technical and ethical standards.

As the pandemic caused a need for new accounting treatments, standard setters recognized a need for the effective dates of new standards to be delayed. GAAP troubled debt restructuring accounting requirements for loans restructured as a result of the pandemic between March 1 and Dec. 31 of this year.

Nominations Being Accepted For 2022 Tax & Accounting Innovation Awards

CAMICO recommends you identify publicly traded companies in the same or similar industries with the same or comparable dynamics, access their financial statements, and harvest and modify suitable language to craft financial statement disclosures appropriate for your clients’ unique needs. A common/significant A&A topic addressed during the pandemic is the consideration of and financial reporting when substantial doubt exists about an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern. The response to this issue is heightened during the pandemic because of economic challenges many organizations face. The accounting implications impact review, compilation and preparation of financial statement engagements. A critical, overarching requirement for a practitioner’s independence is avoiding management responsibilities.

center for plain english accounting

The CPEA will continue monitoring accounting and auditing issues and guidance related to the coronavirus pandemic and will publish additional guidance as new developments arise. Business owners and their tax advisors are working to figure out how the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will affect business owners’ after-tax bottom line and whether business owners should change their entity structure to reduce their taxes. In particular, the changes to the corporate tax rate and the new deduction for passthrough entities may affect the choice-of-entity calculus, and some business owners will wonder if they should change the type of entity they currently use. This brief article considers a few different scenarios to show how the new corporate tax rate and new passthrough deduction may affect the tax liability of small business owners, including services professionals such as attorneys. The article illustrates that generalities may not apply to the choice-of-entity decision in the same manner that they did under the former law.

Monitor and attend standards setting meetings including those of the GASB and other standards-setters as necessary. 035 – Advertising; business management; business administration; office functions. – Advertising; business management; business administration; office functions. Additionally, if you are not a member, you can pay a per-inquiry fee of $300. Do you ever need a heavy-weight to assist you with a complex accounting issue?

For firms that don’t have a national office (and most don’t), this is an excellent solution. In addition, auditors may decide that matters related to COVID-19 are required to be included in the audit report for an SEC issuer as a critical audit matter , or if engaged by a private company to do so, as a key audit matter . The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act was signed into law on March 27, 2020. Its principal potential financial reporting and auditing consequences follow. Consequences of the pandemic can be observed in many forms, including revenue reductions, supply chain disruptions, business closures, work stoppages, significant volatility in financial markets, increased exposure to credit risk, and increased costs. Many travel, hospitality, retail, entertainment, and other enterprises have experienced a serious decline in operating activity; in some instances, businesses have been forced to close temporarily and possibly permanently. It is uncertain how long these effects will persist and how widespread they will be.

Time To Register For 2019 Events!

Public accountants provide a range of services to protect the public interest – everything from auditing corporate financials to helping individuals plan their financial futures. We are committed to members’ success as they play a critical role in the global marketplace and to positioning the CPA as one of the world’s premier accounting designations. Following are key Association initiatives to advance public accounting and enhance capabilities of members. 5-7 years’ experience in public accounting (medium-large firm) or comparable experience, including experience with non-public entity clients .

In most cases, it does not offer reliable resolutions of the issues identified, tailored to specific fact scenarios. Although references are made to certain https://xero-accounting.net/ accounting and auditing standards, it is beyond the scope of this article to summarize all relevant provisions of the authoritative literature.

Business Interruption Insurance Recoveries

If not, there is a scope limitation, which must be reported accordingly. In addition to revenue contracts and leases, the COVID-19 crisis may precipitate negotiated modification in other executory contracts with accounting or disclosure implications. In addition, entities will need to consider disclosing how COVID-19–related uncertainties may affect the terms of future contracts with customers, including collectability assessments and pricing. Accordingly, professional judgment should be applied to each discrete subsequent event under consideration for either recognition or disclosure, and it should be carefully documented, especially for SEC issuers, as the SEC has been known to challenge the timing of loss recognition.

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