Inching towards international accounting standards in the US

In Canada, the Accounting Standards Board (AcSB) has already taken the first steps of convergence with international standards by outlining the plan under which publicly accountable enterprises will transition completely to IFRS. The change will occur over the next 5 years, and the Board expects the changeover process to be complete by fiscal years beginningContinue reading “Inching towards international accounting standards in the US”

7 quick facts about the new financial instruments standard

The Canadian Accounting Standards Board (AcSB) has finalized some new sections of the Handbook which include guidance on accounting for financial instruments. Financial instruments include investments, hedges, derivatives, and loans and receivables. The Canadian standard attempts to harmonize our GAAP in a way with FASB Statement 133, “Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities,” andContinue reading “7 quick facts about the new financial instruments standard”

FIN 48, auditor confidentiality, and increasing the minimum wage

Since the last one went so well, and since there have been many posts this week on my fellow accountant blogs that I’d like to highlight, here’s another quick round-up of three interesting nuggets: Dan Meyer of Tick Marks talks about a new standard in the US called FIN 48, which requires companies making assumptionsContinue reading “FIN 48, auditor confidentiality, and increasing the minimum wage”

Shell and reporting sustainability

This piece in the Globe and Mail was interesting: Shell was early with “sustainability reporting” (their first annual sustainability report was published in 1998). They currently have a goal to have their (self-reported) greenhouse gas emissions 5 per cent below 1990 levels by 2010, similar to the Kyoto Protocols. The story was about Shell’s CEOContinue reading “Shell and reporting sustainability”

‘Tis the season for giving links

Dan Meyers of Tick Marks is caught up in the spirit of giving in his own way – he’s revisiting his special 12 Blogs of Christmas from last year around this time and giving us all a refresher on the more memorable posts from the accounting blogosphere from the year nearly ended. Since my blogContinue reading “‘Tis the season for giving links”