Accounting & Auditing

Companies that don’t have the historical data necessary to properly calculate the tax impact associated with stock option expensing now have a shortcut option, courtesy of the Financial Accounting Standards Board. FASB issued a proposed staff position recently that describes the shortcut approach. It is open for a brief public comment period before FASB finalizes […]

The investment community in general—not just “socially responsible” or “green” investors—are showing increasing interest in environmental concerns and associated liabilities, especially those related to climate change, according to a recent research report from Goldman Sachs. “While many investors consider environmental issues a topic simply for the SRI market, there are important implications from these issues […]

The Financial Accounting Standards Board has issued its much-anticipated guidance indicating companies may follow long-standing practice in setting the grant date for employee stock option awards. And while the guidance is giving companies cause for relief, it’s making accountants feel as if they’re walking on a tightrope. The guidance, issued as a proposed staff position, […]

Companies are slowly—very slowly—considering “binomial” models for valuing stock options, instead of using the more simple Black-Scholes model. That’s according to a recent study by Aon Consulting, which found that—as of August 31, 2005—122 public companies had disclosed they were using a binomial model, up from 36 companies that used a binomial model at the […]

Companies are slowly—very slowly—considering “binomial” models for valuing stock options, instead of using the more simple Black-Scholes model. That’s according to a recent study by Aon Consulting, which found that—as of August 31, 2005—122 public companies had disclosed they were using a binomial model, up from 36 companies that used a binomial model at the […]

The Financial Accounting Standards Board has promised guidance on a topic that has had stock plan administrators in a virtual panic for over a month. Under language in FASB’s expensing standard related to the valuation of stock options, the date that the options are approved by a company’s board of directors would not necessarily be […]

The investment community in general—not just “socially responsible” or “green” investors—are showing increasing interest in environmental concerns and associated liabilities, especially those related to climate change, according to a recent research report from Goldman Sachs. “While many investors consider environmental issues a topic simply for the SRI market, there are important implications from these issues […]

Last week, a British government oversight board announced that it is investigating services that a United Kingdom division of Deloitte and Touche provided to failed automaker MG Rover. The probe highlights differences between the regulation of non-audit services in the U.K. and the United States, and demonstrates how foreign auditors can be subject to the […]

The International Federation of Accountants has issued new guidance for companies that want to better account for environmental costs and liabilities. Titled “International Guidance Document on Environmental Management Accounting,” the 92-page document aims to provide a framework and set of definitions for environmental management accounting that can be applied under any national or international reporting […]