Accounting Today articles from August 2003

Accounting Today archives from August 2003

PFS holders willing to pay for control: marketing tops designees' list of priorities; AICPA's future role undetermined.
August 4, 2003... NEW YORK -- Holders of the Personal Financial Specialist designation want to take management of that designation away from the American Institute of CPAs, and are willing to pay additional fees to do it. The designation holders have been...

CSI picks up Tax Relief from AccountantsWorld.(Creative Solutions Inc.)
August 4, 2003... HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. -- While software vendor AccountantsWorld hailed the sale of its Tax Relief tax preparation line to rival Creative Solutions Inc. as an opportunity to expand as a Web portal provider of accounting tools, observers of the...

Risk management tips. (Action Idea).(Best way for accountants to protect themselves from malpractice claims is to avoid various trouble spots)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... The best way for accountants to protect themselves from malpractice claims is to avoid these key trouble spots. 1. Bad client selection. The fees generated by a questionable client are never enough when a claim comes in. Always thoroughly...

Minority accountants aim at the boardroom.(Association of Latino Professionals in Finance & Accounting and National Association of Black Accountants collaborate on a campaign )
August 4, 2003... Leaders of two minority professional associations have teamed up in an effort to diversify corporate boards. The Association of Latino Professionals in Finance & Accounting and the National Association of Black Accountants are collaborating...

PCAOB registration system, fees debut.(Public Company Accounting Oversight Board)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... WASHINGTON -- Just a day after the Securities and Exchange Commission approved the proposed registration rules for the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, the watchdog created by Sarbanes-Oxley launched its registration system for public...

AmEx TBS restructures management.(American Express Tax and Business Services)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... NEW YORK -- Consolidator American Express Tax & Business Services has realigned its senior management reporting structure by compressing several existing offices into two new operating regions, and has also formed an executive committee. ...

Bowman leaves Bowman's.(Art Bowman, editor of the Bowman's Accounting Report newsletter, leaves to pursue a solo career)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... ATLANTA -- In a move that shocked industry veterans, Art Bowman, editor of the Bowman's Accounting Report newsletter, has left the company to pursue a solo consulting career. Bowman said that his relationship with publisher Hudson...

Ex-Texaco comptroller named to FASB.(Financial Accounting Standards Board )(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... NORWALK, CONN. -- Former Texaco Inc. comptroller George Batavick has been picked to serve as a member of the Financial Accounting Standards Board for the next five years, the Financial Accounting Foundation announced in mid-July. Batavick...

No sprints: XBRL grows by running at a marathon pace. (Top of the news: the complete chronicle of news and trends shaping the profession).(XBRL is Internet-based programming code for business reports)
August 4, 2003... NEW YORK -- Gaining market acceptance for XBRL--the Internet-based programming code for business reports--continues to be a drawn out process with many peaks and valleys for the accounting industry-led consortium developing the code. The...

Clifton Gunderson sets up stand-alone technology unit. (Top of the news: the complete chronicle of news and trends shaping the profession).
August 4, 2003... PEORIA, ILL. -- Clifton Gunderson, one of the nation's best-known super-regional accounting firms, wants to garner the same kind of recognition for its tech consulting operations. The Peoria, Ill.-based CPA firm, ranked No. 17 on Accounting...

E-business. (Web Cites).(Jupiter Communications offers e-mail alerts and some data and research samples to registered guests; notes other news )(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... * Jupiter Communications--www.jup.com The premier analyst of Internet commerce offers e-mail alerts and some data and research samples to registered guests, and full access to clients. * Necho Systems Corp.--www.necho.com Necho's...

Home run for Robinson foundation. (Footnotes).(Deloitte & Touche awards scholarships to five students through Jackie Robinson Foundation)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... HOME RUN FOR ROBINSON FOUNDATION: At a recent conference in New York, Big Four firm Deloitte & Touche awarded scholarships to five students through the Jackie Robinson Foundation--a not-for-profit organization founded by the late baseball Hall...

Post-Enron rules on SPEs could wallop Wall Street.
August 4, 2003... What happens when almost $400 billion in assets and about as much in liabilities get moved onto the balance sheets of just 138 companies? Corporate and public accountants cringe to think about it--not just the effects but the process. The...

CPA advisors escape blame as investor complaints rise.
August 4, 2003... Investors begin to understand the true meaning of risk when the stock market declines and their accounts shrink. Some look to recoup those losses by complaining about their treatment by their broker/dealers, thereby increasing the workload...

SOX--one year later. (Opinion: the free and open forum for the tax and accounting community).(Column)
August 4, 2003... In ancient times, religious scholars would--I'll assume for lack of modern-day game shows or online brain-power quizzes--mull such quaint esoterica as how many angels could fit on the head of a pin. When I once asked my father how it was...

10 steps to greater information security. (Commentary).
August 4, 2003... Over the past year, computer security breaches were reported by 90 percent of the corporations and government agencies surveyed recently by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Computer Security Institute. Fully 80 percent of the...

Top Bush official says fix tax code to avoid Europe trade war. (Taxing Issues).(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... * TOP BUSH OFFICIAL SAYS FIX TAX CODE TO AVOID EUROPE TRADE WAR: The Bush administration sent its big guns to Congress in July to urge legislators to fix part of the tax code to avoid a U.S.-European Union trade war. The sticking point is...

IRS names Babers new chief human capital officer. (Taxing Issues).(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... * IRS NAMES BABERS NEW CHIEF HUMAN CAPITAL OFFICER: The Internal Revenue Service has appointed Beverly Ortega Babers as its new chief human capital officer. In this new position, Babers will report to John Dalrymple, deputy commissioner for...

IRS says e-filing's better now. (Taxing Issues).(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... * IRS SAYS E-FILING'S BETTER NOW: Practitioners--the Internal Revenue Service feels your pain about e-filing, and says your complaints are being resolved. During the July "Tax Talk Today" Webcast, IRS strategic services director Jo Ann...

Nation's smallest businesses pessimistic, blame tax laws. (Taxing Issues).(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... * NATION'S SMALLEST BUSINESSES PESSIMISTIC, BLAME TAX LAWS: Over the past year, the owners of the nation's smallest businesses have become increasingly pessimistic about the economy and their businesses--and think that the government's tax laws...

Taxpayer advocate to focus on EITC, OIC, and Free File. (Tax practice: the special report on news and trends for the tax professional).
August 4, 2003... The office of the National Taxpayer Advocate, the watchdog of the Internal Revenue Service, has a broad menu of tax issues to address in the form of special initiatives during the coming fiscal year. The special initiatives, detailed in a...

Are you promoting shelters, or just giving good advice? (Tax Strategy).
August 4, 2003... A number of factors that have been brewing over the last several years are now resulting in litigation that is likely to redefine the relationship between tax professionals and their clients. On one side has been the Internal Revenue...

MediaBay Inc. drops Deloitte. (Assurance: technical developments, professional issues and engagement changes).(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... * MEDIABAY INC. DROPS DELOITTE: MediaBay Inc., a provider of online audio content, dismissed Big Four firm Deloitte & Touche as its auditor and named New Jersey-based Amper Politziner & Mattia as its successor, according to a Form 8-K filed...

Vodavi appoints Mayer Hoffman McCann. (Assurance: technical developments, professional issues and engagement changes).(Vodavi Technology Inc.)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... * VODAVI APPOINTS MAYER HOFFMAN MCCANN: Vodavi Technology Inc., a Scottsdale, Ariz.-based developer and marketer of business telecommunications systems, named Mayer Hoffman McCann as its outside auditor, replacing Big Four firm Deloitte &...

Ameritrans Capital dismisses Marcum & Kliegman. (Assurance: technical developments, professional issues and engagement changes).(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... * AMERITRANS CAPITAL DISMISSES MARCUM & KLIEGMAN: Ameritrans Capital Corp., a New York-based provider of capital to small businesses, dismissed Marcum & Kliegman as its independent accountant, according to a filing with the SEC. The...

Magma Design Automation jettisons KPMG. (Assurance: technical developments, professional issues and engagement changes).(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... * MAGMA DESIGN AUTOMATION JETTISONS KPMG: Magma Design Automation, a manufacturer of electronic design software for integrated circuits, dismissed incumbent auditor KPMG and hired Big Four rival PricewaterhouseCoopers as its successor. ...

Bumps in road slow FASB plans on business combos. (Assurance: technical developments, professional issues and engagement changes).(Financial Accounting Standards Board)
August 4, 2003... NORWALK, CONN. -- The Financial Accounting Standards Board has pushed back its plan to issue three proposed statements on business combinations. Originally hoping to release the exposure drafts this summer, the board now plans to take a few...

What if golfers used GAAP for keeping score? (The Spirit Of Accounting).(Generally Accepted Accounting Principles)(Reprint)(Column)
August 4, 2003... Over the last three years, Paul Miller has been living a double life--he's been both an accounting professor and the creator of a new undergraduate program in professional golf management at his school. As a result, he has been thinking more...

Former Block exec named Investors Management Group prexy. (PFP Briefs).(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... FORMER BLOCK EXEC NAMED INVESTORS MANAGEMENT GROUP PREXY: Investors Management Group, an institutional asset management firm focused on serving foundations, endowments, financial institutions, insurance firms and public funds, has named James...

Survey shows the wealthy taking action, but in different ways. (PFP Briefs).(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... * SURVEY SHOWS THE WEALTHY TAKING ACTION, BUT IN DIFFERENT WAYS: Shaken by the bear market, wealthy investors are ready to recoup their losses, but how they'll go about doing it varies greatly, according to a survey by the Phoenix Cos. Inc. and...

FPA calls for nominations. (PFP Briefs).(Financial Planning Association )(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... * FPA CALLS FOR NOMINATIONS: The Financial Planning Association is seeking nominations for the P. Kemp Fain Jr. Award. The award, which will be presented at the Success Forum 2003 in November, recognizes an individual who has made outstanding...

Principal rolls out new universal life product. (PFP Briefs).(Principal Financial Group )
August 4, 2003... * PRINCIPAL ROLLS OUT NEW UNIVERSAL LIFE PRODUCT: The Principal Financial Group has roiled out a new universal life product, Principal Universal Life 3. Features include an extended coverage rider; a five-year, no-lapse guarantee premium;...

Managing the money of middle-income Americans. (Financial planing: news and strategies for the personal planner).
August 4, 2003... Alvin Rogers' clients don't have $50 million in assets. They don't even have $5 million. In fact, most of the Little Rock, Ark.-based planner's 200 or so clients have an average family income of $50,000 to $200,000. "Our clients are...

Bonus 1st-year depreciation: should your clients take it? (Financial Planing Tax Tactics).
August 4, 2003... The Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 allows a taxpayer to claim a bonus first-year depreciation allowance equal to 50 percent of the adjusted basis of qualified property. However, a taxpayer may elect out of bonus...

Software piracy drops, but still costs over $13 billion. (Tech Briefs).(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... * SOFTWARE PIRACY DROPS, BUT STILL COSTS OVER $13 BILLION: The piracy rate for commercial software from 1994 to 2002 decreased by 10 percentage points, to 39 percent worldwide--and the United States has the world's lowest rate, the Business...

Great Plains and best reseller Altara enters Philadelphia. (Tech Briefs).(Altara expanded into Philadelphia market by merging with Infinity Technology Partners)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... * GREAT PLAINS AND BEST RESELLER ALTARA ENTERS PHILADELPHIA: Altara, a reseller for Best Software and Microsoft Business Solutions, has expanded into the Philadelphia market by merging with Infinity Technology Partners, a business integration...

Microsoft sues senders of 2 billion spam messages. (Tech Briefs).(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... * MICROSOFT SUES SENDERS OF 2 BILLION SPAM MESSAGES: Microsoft Corp. has filed 15 lawsuits in the U.S. and England, charging the defendants with violating anti-spam laws. The software giant claims that the defendants sent a total of 2 billion...

Accpac releases project/job-cost module. (Tech Briefs).(Accpac International )(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... * ACCPAC RELEASES PROJECT/JOB-COST MODULE: Accpac International has released a project and job-costing module for its Advantage accounting software line. The new module is designed for project managers in professional and service...

Sarbanes-Oxley compliance goes online. (Tech Briefs).
August 4, 2003... * SARBANES-OXLEY COMPLIANCE GOES ONLINE: OpenPages Inc., a provider of corporate governance and brand management solutions, has launched Sarbanes-Oxley Express, an online solution that helps companies comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002....

CRM and accounting VARs link up--and wait for boom. (Technology: news and trends in information systems and electronic commerce).
August 4, 2003... NEW YORK -- Partnerships between accounting software resellers and customer relationship management system specialists are on the rise, as more resellers are finding that CRM is not something you jump into, mainly because it is more than just...

Today's payroll apps offer plenty of choices. (Software Review).
August 4, 2003... If your firm is looking for an additional source of revenue, why not consider payroll services? While payroll is fraught with the potential for time-consuming problems, a good system can minimize the long hours required to make adjustments...

Valuable lessons learned from going paperless. (Boomer's Blueprint).
August 4, 2003... The early adapters started implementing paperless solutions in accounting firms back in the mid-1990s. Today, there is widespread adoption, and the results seem a lot like those of a decade ago. The issues seem consistent, regardless of the...

Wireless Open Systems. (Software).(Open Systems Accounting Software)
August 4, 2003... Open Systems Accounting Software is now preloaded on the Magnia SG20, Toshiba's wireless network server for small businesses. It is designed to provide all server functions in one place, including office server, Internet gateway, router/switch,...

Call Tracker 4.0. (Software).(Service Intellect Inc. )(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... Call Tracker 4.0 is the latest call-tracking and cost-recovery software for users of Best Software's Timeslips product. Call Tracker offers service firms the ability to track calls and recover call expenses no matter where the calls originate....

Accpac add-ons. (Software).(Accpac International)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... A project and job-costing module is now available for all editions of the Accpac Advantage accounting system that manages estimates, tracks progress, and controls costs and billing. The new component is designed to improve both quote speed and...

Mobile MIP. (Software).
August 4, 2003... Mobile access capabilities are now available for Best Software's Millennium product, a MIP fundraising solution for large nonprofits including hospitals and institutions of higher education. Available in the Intuition-Driven Executive Analysis...

Secure desktop solution. (Software).(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... You can now use computers in a wide variety of places and access applications over the Internet. However, accessing one's data on a third-party computer is highly unsafe, as the data will remain on the computer's hard disk and can easily be...

Absolutely honest. (Books).(Book Review)
August 4, 2003... According to internationally renowned business consultant Larry Johnson and human resource professional Bob Philips, honesty does pay in business. Their new book, "Absolute Honesty: Building a Corporate Culture That Values Straight Talk and...

Employee handbook ABCs. (Books).
August 4, 2003... Everything businesses need to know about making an employee handbook that communicates all policies, from benefits and pay to workplace privacy, can be found in "Create Your Own Employee Handbook: A Legal & Practical Guide." Whether a...

'The Power of Optimism'. (Books).
August 4, 2003... There is no question that successful businesses are bred from positive, confident and loyal employees. "The Power of Optimism," a new book from experienced training director Andy Dzurinko and accounting and financial services consultant...

CPA resource guide. (Books).
August 4, 2003... The second volume of CPA firm Mendlowitz Weitsen's Resource Manual contains a vast amount of information just for the CPA professional. This 700-plus-page guide contains 16 handouts from courses taught by the firm, promotional letters,...

Seiler & Co. (California).(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... David Sacarelos has been promoted to partner at Seiler & Co., San Francisco and Redwood City. He joined the firm in 1987, and specializes in real estate, high-net-worth individuals and multi-generational families.

The Connecticut Society of CPAs. (Connecticut).(Elected its leadership for 2003-2004)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... The Connecticut Society of CPAs, Rocky Hill, has elected its leadership for 2003-2004. Newton Buckner III, tax principal at Whittlesey & Hadley PC, Hartford, will serve as president; and Joseph A. Equale, a partner with Equale & Cirone LLP,...

Sarasota County Committee for Economic Development. (Florida).(Allan J. Barberio has joined the board; notes other news)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... Allan J. Barberio, a principal with Kerkering, Barberio & Co. PA, Sarasota, has joined the board of the Sarasota County Committee for Economic Development.... Tony Argiz, managing partner of Morrison, Brown, Argiz & Co. LLP, Miami, has received...

KGN Financial Group. (Illinois).(Announces promotions)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... KGN Financial Group, Chicago, has promoted Brian Planey to senior; Marc Winkler, Deanna Subler, Kevin Modrich and Steve Lopes to supervising seniors; and Cindy Barkimer and Daniel Kasperski to senior staff members. The firm also announced that...

KAWG&F. (Maryland).(Steven A. Gershman, board member, is appointed to serve on Discipline Centered Advisory Board of University of Baltimore)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... Steven A. Gershman, a shareholder and board member at KAWG&F, Baltimore, has been appointed to serve on the Discipline Centered Advisory Board of the University of Baltimore, from which he graduated in 1970.

Greenberg Rosenblatt Kull & Bitsoli PC. (Massachusetts).(Manager David J. Mayotte earned Certified Valuation Analyst designation)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... David J. Mayotte, a manager at Greenberg Rosenblatt Kull & Bitsoli PC, Worcester, has earned the Certified Valuation Analyst designation from the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts.

Davis, Lynn & Moots PC. (Missouri).(Jennifer Hendrickson joins Davis, Lynn & Moots PC, Springfield, as a staff accountant)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... Jennifer Hendrickson has joined Davis, Lynn & Moots PC, Springfield, as a staff accountant. She previously worked for the Teamsters.

New Jersey Board of Accountancy. (New Jersey).(Frank R. Boutillette committee appointments)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... Frank R. Boutillette, a partner with Mendlowitz Weitsen LLP CPAs, East Brunswick, was appointed to the Quality Enhancement Standing Committee of the New Jersey Board of Accountancy, and to the Peer Review Executive Committee of the New Jersey...

Grant Thornton. (New York).(Jeff Spivack was promoted to management advisory services partner in the New York Midtown office )(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... Jeff Spivack was promoted to management advisory services partner in the New York Midtown office of Grant Thornton. He had been an executive director for MAS....

Grimaldi & Associates CPAs PLLC. (New York).(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... Joseph H. Roth has joined Grimaldi & Associates CPAs PLLC, Syracuse, as a tax specialist. Prior to this, he was a controller for manufacturing and service-based corporations, and worked at a national accounting firm....

Fagliarone Group CPAs PC. (New York).(Kari M. Dalton, tax supervisor at Fagliarone Group CPAs PC, was elected treasurer Of the Board of Directors of the Central New York Young Women's Christian Association.)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... Kari M. Dalton, a tax supervisor at Fagliarone Group CPAs PC, Syracuse, was recently elected treasurer Of the Board of Directors of the Central New York Young Women's Christian Association. She will also serve on the organization's Board of...

Ohio Chamber of Commerce. (Ohio).(David Scheffler, partner with Plante & Moran's health care practice in Ohio, was named chairman of board of directors of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... David Scheffler, a partner with Plante & Moran's health care practice in Ohio, was named chairman of the board of directors of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. He has been on the chamber's board for 10 years....

Kentner Sellers LLP. (Ohio).(Jayme Welch has been promoted to senior)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... Jayme Welch has been promoted to senior at Kentner Sellers LLP, Vandalia.

Lattimore Black Morgan & Cain PC. (Tennessee).(Paul Demastus is named senior manager of internal audit outsourcing services)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... Paul Demastus has joined Lattimore Black Morgan & Cain PC, Brentwood, as senior manager of internal audit outsourcing services. He previously served as compliance officer for the Cigna HealthCare Medicare Administration.

KPMG LLP. (Washington, D.C.(Michael H. Lippman is named national partner-in-charge of the State and Local Tax Practice)(Brief Article)
August 4, 2003... Michael H. Lippman has been named national partner-in-charge of the State and Local Tax Practice of KPMG LLP, Washington.

Internet directory: the tax and accounting community's Internet directory.
August 4, 2003... Don Uhl and Associates Inc. Acquire $5,000 to $50,000 + yearly fee Clients! www.afdcenter.com 12 Years of our successful system and programs have helped accountants build $500K to $4Mil firms and the most profitable firms in America...

CPAs team up for Section 404 work: Sarbanes-Oxley internal control mandate offers a promising niche.
August 18, 2003... ATLANTA -- A group of small and midsized accounting firms in and near Georgia are joining forces to pursue Section 404 work--the new niche stepchild of the Sarbanes-oxley accounting reform law. Sarbanes-Oxley's Section 404 requires public...

SEC weighs in for principles: setting a new direction for U.S. standards-setting?
August 18, 2003... The Securities and Exchange Commission's endorsement of a principles-based approach has, in the eyes of some members of the profession, removed any lingering uncertainty about the direction in which U.S. accounting standards-setting is headed....

SOX AT 1: law's anniversary sees changes and challenges ahead.
August 18, 2003... The landmark passage of Sarbanes-Oxley Act, last July, changed the landscape of the accounting profession. As the sweeping reform legislation--written to curb the swelling tide of corporate scandals by mandating auditor rotation, limiting...

Dear John & Co.(Action Idea)(Guidelines for disengagement letters)(Brief Article)
August 18, 2003... Everyone knows to create an engagement letter when they start a relationship with a client, but what about when it's time to end the relationship? For a host of reasons, from liability concerns to professional courtesy, a disengagement Letter...

Senior execs sock Sarbanes-Oxley.(Brief Article)
August 18, 2003... NEW YORK -- A year after its passage into law, senior executives like Sarbanes-Oxley even less, according to a survey by Price waterhouseCoopers. The percentage of senior executives with a favorable opinion of SOX dropped to just 30...

GAO: Fed's pension agency in danger.(Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp.)(Brief Article)
August 18, 2003... WASHINGTON -- The federal agency that insures private-sector pensions is in serious financial danger, the General Accounting office warned in late July. The GAO said that it was particularly worried about single-employer plans covering 34...

Crowe Chizek adds 2nd Tenn. Firm.(Crowe Chizek expanded further into Tennessee through merger with Kruse & Associates)(Brief Article)
August 18, 2003... INDIANAPOLIS -- Crowe Chizek expanded further into Tennessee in late July through a merger with Kruse & Associates. Crowe Chizek made its first foray into Tennessee in early 2002, with the addition of 23-person firm Heathcott & Mullaly. ...

Tax preparation ASPs work hard to convince preparers.(Top of the news: the complete chronicle of news and trends shaping the profession)
August 18, 2003... Once labeled by a leading vendor as "the next big thing to still be coming," application service providers have weathered a series of peaks and valleys in customer demand and are working to enhance their reputations as a boon to preparers. ...

Intuit brings new face and more focus to accountants.(Top of the news: the complete chronicle of news and trends shaping the profession)
August 18, 2003... NEW YORK -- As part of the coming out party for its Professional Accounting Solutions group, Intuit Inc. has created a new "accountant relations" function and filled it with an executive who formerly served at payroll services company ADP, as...

Useful sites.(Web Cites)(Covergence Coaching LLC's Web site and others are discussed)(Brief Article)
August 18, 2003... * Covergence Coaching LLC--www.convergencecoaching.com. This site offers free articles and advice to help CPA and IT firms manage their pratices and grow thoughtfully. It's the brainchild of CPAs Jim Metzler and Jennifer Wilson, renowned...

Houston CPAS present charity proceeds.(Footnotes)(Houston CPA Society presented the proceeds of its 2003 charity extravaganza to the Humphreys School of Musical Theatre, and to CPAs Helping Schools)(Brief Article)
August 18, 2003... HOUSTON CPAS PRESENT CHARITY PROCEEDS: The Houston CPA Society, a chapter of the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants, recently presented the $44,333 proceeds of its 2003 charity extravaganza, "Setting the Stage for Houston's...

PCAOB to SEC firms: your registration may be forever.(Top of the news: the complete chronicle of news and trends shaping the profession)(Public Company Accounting Oversight Board)
August 18, 2003... WASHINGTON -- Accounting firms that register with the Public Company Accounting Oversight. Board won't necessarily be allowed to withdraw that registration at a later date, even if they cease their auditing activities. Under a new rule...

FASB tackles pensions and stock option compensation.(Top of the news: the complete chronicle of news and trends shaping the profession)(Financial Accounting Standards Board)
August 18, 2003... NORWALK, CONN. -- The Financial Accounting Standards Board goes into its second semester with a heavy agenda of issues that are as tough as they are pressing. Against predictable resistance from the corporate sector, FASB is considering...

The Top 100 never gets any easier.(Opinion: the free and open forum for the tax and accounting community)
August 18, 2003... Each summer, the editors at Accounting Today begin the groundwork for our annual Top 1130 Most Influential People in Accounting, which will appear in our Sept. 22 issue. These are the folks we feel have exerted a not-inconsiderable influence on...

A restructuring proposal for our profession, Part 2.(Commentary)(public accounting)
August 18, 2003... The July 1975 issue of the CPA Journal (published by the New York State Society of CPAs) carried an article titled, "A Proposal for Restructuring Our Profession," which I authored. The following are excerpts from the article. "The public...

Educators' failures?(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
August 18, 2003... The following is a reply to "Educators failures an the profession's decline by Patti B.W. Miller and Pail R. Bahnson (July 7-20, 2003, p. 14). While I cannot disagree wit: a large number of comment made by Messrs. Miller an Bahnson in...

Partner retreats that produce results.(Commentary)
August 18, 2003... CPA firms tend to treat retreats as onetime events. It's usually in the fall when one of the partners asks, "Isn't it time for us to hold our annual retreat"? Retreats really should be an integral part of managing the firm throughout the...