Archives for Checkpoint

In July 2023, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) published a report that highlights common areas of audit deficiencies for public companies. Private companies face similar challenges when reporting their financial results. Internal accounting personnel and external auditors can use the PCAOB’s report to identify high-risk areas in financial reporting that may warrant additional attention. 2022 findings The PCAOB recently inspected portions of financial statement audits for public companies. The findings were published in a new PCAOB Spotlight report, Staff Update and Preview of 2022 Inspection Observations. Many of the deficiencies found in 2022 are in inherently complex areas
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The IRS has issued new guidance providing transitional relief related to recent legislative changes to the age at which taxpayers must begin taking required minimum distributions (RMDs) from retirement accounts. The guidance in IRS Notice 2023-54 also extends relief already granted to taxpayers covered by the so-called “10-year rule” for inherited IRAs and other defined contribution plans. The need for RMD relief In late 2019, the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act brought numerous changes to the retirement and estate planning landscape. Among other things, it generally raised the age at which retirement account holders must begin to take
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Your organization may need to track business miles to maximize its tax deductions, reimburse employees for personal vehicle use, and comply with IRS rules and regulations. Navigating this process can be administratively burdensome. Fortunately, QuickBooks® offers functionality that can make the process easier and more accurate. Here are five steps to streamline the bookkeeping requirements for business mileage using this software: 1. Download the QuickBooks mobile app. To track business miles, owners and employees who drive company vehicles (or personal vehicles for business purposes) will need to download the QuickBooks mobile app and log in to your company’s account. Note:
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It can be difficult for business owners to navigate the tax code and monitor tax law developments. One area of special concern is financial reporting for uncertain tax positions (UTPs). Here’s some insight to help clarify matters. Recognition standard Companies that follow U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) must identify, measure and disclose UTPs using a “more-likely-than-not” threshold. In short, tax accruals are booked only for uncertain positions that meet this standard. This means that a tax benefit is allowed only if there’s a more than 50% likelihood that the position would be sustained if challenged and considered by the
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The accounting profession is facing a talent crisis. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that roughly 17% of U.S. accountants and auditors have left their jobs over the past two years, leaving some open positions unfilled for many months. And the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) estimates that 75% of CPAs have plans to retire within the next 15 years. There are also fewer new accountants entering the profession: Accounting undergraduate degrees were down almost 9% from 2012 to 2020, according to the AICPA. Today’s shortage of accountants and high turnover rate in the profession are creating
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Does your organization offer health care and retirement benefits for its employees? Benefit plans with 100 or more participants are generally required to have their annual reports audited under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Here’s some guidance to help plan administrators fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities for hiring independent qualified public accountants to perform audits. Assess risks Under ERISA, plan administrators are responsible for ensuring that benefit plan financial statements follow U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and are properly audited. Independent audits of plan financial statements help stakeholders assess whether they provide reliable information about the
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  Timely financial information is critical to a successful business or nonprofit organization. In today’s dynamic marketplace, you may need to act fast to ward off potential threats and risks — and jump on new opportunities. But if you wait until your financial statements are released to react, you’ll likely miss out. Flash reports can provide real-time data that can help management respond to changing conditions. Potential benefits U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) are considered by many people to be the gold standard in financial reporting. However, the process is complicated, so accounting departments usually take two to six
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  While the value of virtual currency continues to fluctuate, the IRS’s interest in it has only increased. In 2021, for example, the agency launched Operation Hidden Treasure to root out taxpayers who don’t report income from cryptocurrency transactions on their federal income tax returns. Moreover, the Inflation Reduction Act, enacted in 2022, allocated $80 billion to the IRS, with much of it designated for enforcement activities. However, the Fiscal Responsibility Act, enacted in May 2023, will claw back $21.39 billion of that amount by the end of 2025. The IRS’s strategic operating plan for 2023 through 2031 lays out the agency’s intention to
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  Many businesses and nonprofits use QuickBooks® as a cost-effective solution to manage their accounting processes. However, the software’s capabilities extend beyond organizing and streamlining your company’s accounting. QuickBooks can also help you detect fraud. Here’s an overview of the software’s fraud detection and prevention features: Transaction audit trails QuickBooks creates audit trails that capture user activities. This can help your company identify unauthorized changes. The audit trail includes: The transaction date, The user’s name, and The type of change. Administrators can apply filters to audit log data that can help evaluate what’s happening and determine whether further analysis is
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Recent reports have raised anew concerns about the impending insolvency of the Social Security program, absent congressional action. Social Security reform has long been considered a “third rail” of American politics and understandably so — the options for heading off insolvency will inevitably cause pain for significant segments of the population. Yet some in Congress have stepped forward with proposals that aim to tackle the problem. The impending shortfall Social Security currently provides benefits to more than 66 million recipients. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that about 78 million people, or about 20% of the U.S. population, will receive benefits from the
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