...| | | | | | | | | | | Standard setting, best practices and corporate governance reform Legislative initiatives and proposals, e.g. Sarbanes–Oxley Mariecris Dela cruz May 11, 2013 Submitted by: Rose Chezca D.G Regalado Submitted to: Prof. Carolina C. Guerrero May 18, 2013 Sarbanes- Oxley act also known as the Public Company accounting reform and investor protection act ( In the Senate) and Corporate and Auditing Accountability and responsibility Act ( in the House) commonly known as SOX act or Sarbox Act. Sarbanes-Oxley Act was enacted as a reaction to a number of major corporate and accounting scandals including those affecting Enron, Tyco International, Adelphia, Peregrine System and Worldcom. I think Sarbanes Oxley Act was indeed the wake up call for all those companies who violates the laws, those who has a fraudulent financial activity and those who are involved into illegal activities not just in the USA but also companies around the world. Though there are people and organizations who support SOX, there are also numerous complaints and opposition against this act. I think, The real question is DO THE BENEFITS OF SARBANES OXLEY ACT, JUSTIFY ITS COSTS? “Facing a possibility of 20 years in jail and $5 million fines, executives are going to spend lots of time going over financial statements, and less time creating, innovating and leading,” - James Glassman, resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute “ If the CEO of a $50-billion...
Words: 1034 - Pages: 5
...Sarbanes Oxley Act Joslin Cuthbertson Hampton University Abstract The Sarbanes-Oxley Act came into effect in July 2002 and introduced major changes to the guidelines of corporate authority and financial practice. It is named after Senator Paul Sarbanes and Representative Michael Oxley, who were its main originators. The Sarbanes Oxley Act set a number of non-negotiable deadlines for publically traded companies to comply to. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act is arranged into eleven titles. As far as compliance is concerned, the most important section within these eleven titles is usually considered to be Section 404, which deals with internal controls. Since 2002, there has been a lot of debate about whether the act has positively or negatively affected corporate America. In this paper I have discussed the opinions of both sides of the argument. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act is a bill passed by Congress in 2002 after several corporations took actions that caused their companies to fail. These companies include Enron and WorldCom. As a result of these actions, stockholders lost confidence in the financial system. The intent of the bill is to protect investors of corporations by making the corporations accountable for any unacceptable accounting errors and practices. The Act is named after its main proponents, Senator Paul Sarbanes and Representative Michael Oxley. The Acts real name is the Public...
Words: 2668 - Pages: 11
...The Sarbanes-Oxley Act: Possible impacts on privately held companies by Justin G. Klimko The Sarbanes- Oxley Act: Possible impacts on privately held companies Most provisions of the Sarbanes- Oxley Act apply only to publicly held reporting companies. Privately held companies doing business with public companies subjected to the act may have certain Sarbanes- based provisions imposed as a matter of contract. Privately held clients should expect that some of these concepts will filter into professional responsibility rules. Certain provisions of Sarbanes – Oxley are directly applicable to privately held companies. Privately held companies doing business with public companies subject to the act may have certain Sarbanes- based provisions imposed as a matter of contract. Attorneys and their privately held clients should expect that some of these concepts will filter into professional responsibility rules. The Sarbanes- Oxley Act has created a positive impact on the ethical culture of large corporations. Changes in corporate governance have made it much more difficult for executives to make decisions that could cause corporate collapse. A full board of directors creates a system that can fully comply with federal financial reporting laws. Even though the privately held companies may be held to have certain Sarbanes- based provisions it’s okay in many ways. In conclusion it does not matter if some privately own business have to comply with the Sarbanes- Oxley Act because...
Words: 376 - Pages: 2
...The power of section 404 of the Sarbanes -Oxley Act on earning quality Law/431 July 23, 2012 The power of section 404 of the Sarbanes -Oxley Act on earning quality In this article, the authors study the effect of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act on two primary characteristics of earnings quality, reliability and relevance in combination. Using a difference-in-differences method, they find that firms that were required to comply with Section 404 during the first 2 years of its implementation improved the reliability of their reported earnings more than control firms that were not required to comply . More than seven years after the enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX hereafter), the effectiveness of the regulation remains controversial, with the recent financial crisis fueling this debate further (Altamura & Beatty, 2010). In this article, we study the effect of the internal control requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act(Section 404 hereafter) on the earnings quality of all complying firms. We are motivated to study this issue because Section 404 is one of the most visible and tangible changes brought by SOX,1 the most far-reaching reform in the financial reporting and corporate governance requirements for public companies since the 1930s dimensions. For example, Section 404 mandates the disclosure of internal control-related problems, whereas FDICIA does not. Such differences may lead to different effectiveness of the two regulations...
Words: 333 - Pages: 2
...Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) of 2002 Topics Covered: How SOX affects the following: CEO’s and CFO’s of Public Companies Outside Independent Audit Firms SOX section 404 on Internal Control The Main Advantages and Disadvantages of SOX Executive Summary The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) was intended to create more transparency in financial reporting and to combat the perceived inflation of CEO compensation. To do this, the act required that a board of directors be financially independent from the CEO and have no familial ties. It also required the CEO and CFO to personally sign all quarterly and annual reports submitted to the SEC and provided for criminal penalties if this was not done. Our research indicates that Sarbanes-Oxley has created more transparency in the system, but it has actually had the opposite effect than was intended with regards to CEO compensation. The research indicates that CEO compensation has increased for many companies post-Sarbanes-Oxley. Due in large part to the Enron scandal, SOX needed to address outside independent audit firms to improve the accuracy of financial reports disclosed by publicly traded companies. These financial reports are used by investors, bankers and interested consumers to determine how well an organization is doing and provide investors with vital information about a company’s performance. This paper will discuss the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and how the SOX law affects outside independent audit firms. Next we review...
Words: 4177 - Pages: 17
...Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act: Curse or Blessing for Financial Reporting? Yuliya M. Ford University of Maryland University College Introduction In response to public concerns regarding the accuracy and quality of reported financial information by publicly traded companies, in mid-summer of 2002 Congress passed Public Law 107-204, 116 Stat.745 which is commonly referred to as the Sarbanes Oxley Act (SOX or the Act). The law was passed in large part due to the public outcry of the numerous unethical accounting scandals and fraudulent reports from such notable companies as - Enron, WorldCom, and Global Crossing (Singer and You, 2011). The goal of SOX was to mandate corporate governance reforms in order to help to instill investor’s confidence in capital markets. In an effort to establish best practices and standards SOX created the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). The PCAOB is chartered with the establishment of independent standards and overseeing the compliance of publicly traded companies with these standards (Agami, 2006). Another very important aspect that the PCAOB is charged with is reviewing the samples of audits conducted by accounting firms and ensuring that both the spirit and letter of the SOX act was established under (Parles, O’Sullivan, & Shannon, 2007). The Sarbanes-Oxley Act is divided into eleven sections referred to as titles. In terms of compliance, many have posited, including Addison-Hewitt Associates (2003), that the most...
Words: 2712 - Pages: 11
...“Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act and its impact on corporate America” In order to understand why the Sarbanes-Oxley Act came to be, it’s important to acknowledge some of the mistakes made by some companies that led to the creation of this Act. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act was originally enacted in the wake of the Enron scandal, but then pushed to congress after a series of high-profile financial scandals followed Enron, including WorldCom and Tyco that rattled investor confidence and the level of confidence that the public held in corporate America (Rouse). Enron Corporation was one of the largest energy companies in the world, marketing primarily electricity and natural gas but also provided financial risk management for its clients. Enron’s demise began in 1997 when it bought out a partner’s stake in a company (JEDI) and in turn sold that stake to another company (ChewCo) which was created, owned, and operated by Enron (Rouse). This began the multi-layered strategy of transactions that allowed the company to hide debts, report inaccurate accounting errors, making the company appear much stronger and financially sound than it was in reality (Rouse). The Sarbanes-Oxley Act was created in 2002 by Senator Paul Sarbanes and Representative Michael Oxley and signed off by President Busch and introduced and enforced major changes to the regulation of corporate governance and financial practice. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act is arranged into eleven 'titles' (www.soxlaw.com). As far as compliance is...
Words: 1240 - Pages: 5
...The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 The Act & Impact ACC 410, Jackie Lewis, Ph.D. Abstract The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, officially named the “Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act of 2002”, is recognized to be the most noteworthy U.S. federal disclosure and corporate governance legislation since the Securities Act of1933 (the Securities Act) and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act). Furthermore, the provisions of the Act are momentous enough that it is considered by many to be the most significant change to the federal securities laws in the U.S. since the New Deal. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 The Act & Impact The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 was signed into law following the wake of corporate financial scandals. Many large companies such as Enron, WorldCom, and Arthur Anderson were affected. The Act provides a solid set of government rules that are aimed to discourage and punish corporate and accounting fraud, as well as corruption. SOX is designed to carry out these tasks by imposing severe penalties for wrong doings, while protecting the interest of workers and shareholders. The stated purposed to protect investors is maintained by improving the accuracy and reliability of corporate disclosures, imposing strict rules for audits and auditors of publically traded companies, preventing insider trading and deals, requiring companies to adopt strict internal controls, and increasing the penalties...
Words: 1660 - Pages: 7
...Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act: Curse or Blessing for Financial Reporting? Yuliya M. Ford University of Maryland University College Introduction In response to public concerns regarding the accuracy and quality of reported financial information by publicly traded companies, in mid-summer of 2002 Congress passed Public Law 107-204, 116 Stat.745 which is commonly referred to as the Sarbanes Oxley Act (SOX or the Act). The law was passed in large part due to the public outcry of the numerous unethical accounting scandals and fraudulent reports from such notable companies as - Enron, WorldCom, and Global Crossing (Singer and You, 2011). The goal of SOX was to mandate corporate governance reforms in order to help to instill investor’s confidence in capital markets. In an effort to establish best practices and standards SOX created the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). The PCAOB is chartered with the establishment of independent standards and overseeing the compliance of publicly traded companies with these standards (Agami, 2006). Another very important aspect that the PCAOB is charged with is reviewing the samples of audits conducted by accounting firms and ensuring that both the spirit and letter of the SOX act was established under (Parles, O’Sullivan, & Shannon, 2007). The Sarbanes-Oxley Act is divided into eleven sections referred to as titles. In terms of compliance, many have posited, including Addison-Hewitt Associates (2003), that the most...
Words: 2681 - Pages: 11
...The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 Presented by: Ibrahim M. Conteh; Ruby Proctor Garcia; Kathleen M. Parry; Joseph M. Schmerling; Jaime Ulloa Auditing Theory and Practice 0902 ACCT422 4021 Due: April 29, 2009 Table of Contents Page Number What is the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002? 3 Why was SOX established? 4 When did SOX take effect? 5 What companies were affected and how? 6 What does SOX compliance require? 9 Conclusion 11 References 13 What is the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002? The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 – its official name being “Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act of 2002” – is recognized to be the most significant U.S. federal disclosure and corporate governance legislation since the Securities Act of 1933 (the Securities Act) and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act), and, the provisions of the Act are significant enough that it is considered by many to be the most significant change to federal securities laws in the U.S. since the New Deal. It is best understood, however, not as a piece of legislation centered on a new concept of regulation, but as a process which mandated that many major reforms be implemented as soon as possible (in some cases, within 30 days) on the precise schedule specified by Congress. In that sense, the Enron and WorldCom debacles provided the impetus of public outrage that...
Words: 3247 - Pages: 13
...organizations must be completed by independent accountants. Today scrutiny of the accounting industry is more intense as laws are created to punish those that choose to falsify information. This paper aims to explain the importance of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) as it relates to the internal control, Chief Executive Officers and Chief Financial Officers. We will also identify the pros and cons of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) and changes that could be made in order to pose arguments from both sides of the act. Introduction In the early 2000’s, one of the darkest times ever experienced in the history of accounting occurred due to numerous scandals. The results of these scandals from companies lead to terrifying actions, which included the downfall of one of the largest accounting corporations, Arthur Anderson, for their help with Enron. Companies such as Enron, Tyco, and WorldCom have led to the passing of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) due to their financial reporting scandals (Forbes, 2013). With the passing of SOX in 2002, the falsification of financial statements by companies became a criminal offense. The passing of the SOX act posed as a challenge to many companies as it enforced businesses to make ethical decisions. If companies fail to comply with this law, they will be accountable for their actions. Prosecution and jail time are some of the punishments put in effect if CEOs and CFOs are found guilty of...
Words: 2955 - Pages: 12
...What exactly is the Sarbanes-Oxley Act? Who does it protect? Who benefits from SOX most? I will discuss what the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) is its key components, and its primary objective. Also, I will discuss the criticisms surrounding the SOX act. Why it is important to enforce the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Finally, I will discuss if the SOX has achieved its goals. The main purpose of Sarbanes Oxley Act is to ensure that the corporate sector works with transparency and provides full disclosure of information as and when required (Bing, 2007). This basically means that corporations must keep good records of what goes on in their business, not just for their benefit, but just in case of an audit, then they’ll have all their transactions ready to be reviewed and to keep future corporate scandals down. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act was passed by Congress on July 30, 2002. The law forced public companies to spend much more money having their books thoroughly audited, and it increased the penalties for executives who defrauded investors. Since the bill's passage and implementation, nervous investors who had yanked trillions of dollars from the market have returned (Farrell, 2007). The men behind the Sarbanes-Oxley Act consist of U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, New York Stock Exchange CEO John Thain and former AIG chief Maurice "Hank" Greenberg. Even though their voices my appear to be isolated, Charles Niemeier a member of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board...
Words: 2320 - Pages: 10
...Article Review: Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 It is unfortunate that many increasing standards come after a failure in the system. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 is a primary example. The public scandals of Enron, Tyco and WorldCom were quickly followed with this act. It brought great change throughout the world of business. The Act was enacted in July of 2002 and co-authored by U.S. Sen. Paul Sarbanes of Maryland and U.S. Rep. Michael Oxley of Ohio. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act gave more confidence in investors and creditors when it comes to fraud by reforming reporting standards. Although the market took a huge hit after the collapse of several major companies between 200-2004, the Sarbanes-Oxley began to rebuild the market and the ethical standards within it. The Sarbanes-Oxley brought about many other aspects besides the act itself. In turn, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board was created, assessment of liability with auditors was enacted, new internal control procedures, and more liability for all involved. The oversight Board is responsible for monitoring public accounting companies and performs regular audits. Sarbanes-Oxley intended for two main things with the market; to boost the confidence of investors in a previously broken market, and to decrease fraud. Along with positives, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act brought on some negative aspects as well. Some public companies required to comply with Sarbanes-Oxley are subject to additional costs directly assigned...
Words: 433 - Pages: 2
...Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 Bus 102 – Dr. Sean D. Jasso John Chi 12/9/2010 Table of Contents - Table of Contents Introduction History of the Act Implementation Impact on Business Policy Analysis Conclusion Appendix References pg. 1 pg. 2 pg. 3 pg. 4 pg. 7 pg. 9 pg. 11 pg. 12 pg. 14 1|P a ge Introduction Corporate Scandals are business scandals that initiate from the misstatement of financial reporting by executives of public companies who are the ones trusted to run these organizations. Corporate scandals are derived in many ways and these misrepresentations happen through overstating revenues and understating expenses, overstating assets and understating liabilities, and use of fictious and fraudulent transactions that gives a misleading impression of the company’s financial status. There were a few corporate scandals that took place in the last decade that forever changed investment policies in corporate America. The companies that are most commonly known for these scandals are Enron, Adelphia, and WorldCom. These companies had hidden their true financial status from creditors and shareholders until they were unable to meet the financial commitments which forced them reveal massive losses instead of the implicated earnings. The ultimate result cost investors billions of dollars when the share prices of the affected companies had collapsed. According to Hopwood, Leiner & Young (2002), pg. 130, “the public outcry from the corporate scandals were enormous...
Words: 4118 - Pages: 17
...What exactly is the Sarbanes-Oxley Act? Who does it protect? Who benefits from SOX most? I will discuss what the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) is its key components, and its primary objective. Also, I will discuss the criticisms surrounding the SOX act. Why it is important to enforce the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Finally, I will discuss if the SOX has achieved its goals. The main purpose of Sarbanes Oxley Act is to ensure that the corporate sector works with transparency and provides full disclosure of information as and when required (Bing, 2007). This basically means that corporations must keep good records of what goes on in their business, not just for their benefit, but just in case of an audit, then they’ll have all their transactions ready to be reviewed and to keep future corporate scandals down. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act was passed by Congress on July 30, 2002. The law forced public companies to spend much more money having their books thoroughly audited, and it increased the penalties for executives who defrauded investors. Since the bill's passage and implementation, nervous investors who had yanked trillions of dollars from the market have returned (Farrell, 2007). The men behind the Sarbanes-Oxley Act consist of U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, New York Stock Exchange CEO John Thain and former AIG chief Maurice "Hank" Greenberg. Even though their voices my appear to be isolated, Charles Niemeier a member of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board...
Words: 2320 - Pages: 10
