...2. A company's board of directors is responsible for acting in favor of the shareholders benefit, such as making major company decisions that could affect the shareholders. The Board of Directors hires and fires the executives, decides on dividend policies, option policies and, how much to pay the executives. In my opinion, I think that the board of directors could have changed some policies, been more aware of the risk involving the SPE's instead of letting things unfold the way that they did. The Board of Directors could have researched SPE's and learned more about the way they work, not to mention finding out how to account for them on the financial statements. There should have been policies in place regarding employee stock options, putting a limit on how much they bought or even sold at the time. 5. Rule based accounting standards differ from principle based standards in that rule based accounting standards provide very detailed rules in an attempt to contemplate every application of the standard, where as principles based standards is a more broader simpler approach based on applying the principles to accounting procedures which could be done differently from one company to another. The principle based standards would allow be broader, simpler statements of what accountants would have to look for. Changing from the bright-line rules to principle based standards is seen as a way to prevent another Enron-like fiasco in the future in that the bright-line rules lay down...
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...CHAPTER 1 The Role of the Public Accountant in the American Economy Review Questions 1–1 The “crisis of credibility” largely arose from the number of companies that restated their previously issued financial statements as a result of accounting irregularities and fraud. Especially responsible were the very visible Enron and WorldCom fraud cases. Both companies filed for bankruptcy and constituted the largest companies in American history to do so. The extent of the accounting irregularities and fraud being investigated and disclosed brought into question the effectiveness of financial statement audits. In addition, the criminal conviction of Arthur Andersen, LLP, one of the then Big 5 accounting firms, on charges of destroying documents related to the Enron case brought into question the ethical standards of the profession. 1–2 Assurance services are professional services that enhance the quality of information, or its context, for decision making. The two types are: (a) those that increase the reliability of information and (b) those that involve putting information in a form or context that facilitates decision making. 1–3 A financial statement audit is, by far, the most common type of attest engagement. The overall assertion, made by management, most frequently is that the financial statements follow generally accepted accounting principles. 1–4 A large corporation with securities listed on a stock exchange is required by the rules of the stock...
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...History of Corporate Governance at the Firm: Tesla Motors is an American manufacture company that focuses on electric vehicles and advanced electric vehicle powertrain components. In July 1, 2003, Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning incorporated Tesla Motors. Both of them played active roles in the company’s early development. Eberhard, Tarpenning along with Tesla’s current CEO Elon Musk composed initial three-person board of the company. As a relative new and fast growing company, Tesla Motors has changed its Board of Directors almost every year from 2004 to 2009. In these 5 five years, the company raised over $200 million by six funding events (see exhibit 1). For each time the company raised capital, Tesla Motors chose a lead investor to be the member of Board of Directors. For example, in 2004, Elon Musk invested $6.3 million out of $7.5 million during Tesla’s first funding event Series A. Therefore, he obtained chairmanship of the board in that year. Then through the following funding events Series B, C and D and E, several investors have become the members of board as well. In 2009, in order to meet the requirements of IPO, Tesla added its first fully independent director Brad Buss. The company also established formal board committees for audit, compensation and nominating and governance as preparation for the impending IPO. In June 2010, Tesla Motors finally went public in an initial public offering at 226.1 million. The IPO was priced at $17 per share. And by now, Tesla’s...
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...Financial Crisis Advisory Group July 28, 2009 To the Members of the International Accounting Standards Board and the US Financial Accounting Standards Board: On behalf of the members of the Financial Crisis Advisory Group (FCAG), we are pleased to present our report to the Boards about the standard-setting implications of the global financial crisis. We believe that confidence in the transparency and integrity of financial reporting is critically important to global financial stability and sound economic growth. We hope that our conclusions and recommendations will be helpful to the Boards as they work together to simplify and improve accounting standards on financial instruments and other key areas highlighted by the crisis. The FCAG will be meeting in December to review the progress that has been made. In the meantime, we are available to assist the Boards in their efforts. Sincerely, Harvey J. Goldschmid Co-chair Hans Hoogervorst Co-chair cc: Gerrit Zalm, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, International Accounting Standards Committee Foundation John J. Brennan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Financial Accounting Foundation Report of the Financial Crisis Advisory Group – July 28, 2009 Table of Contents Page I. INTRODUCTION _________________________________________________________________________ 1 II. PRINCIPLE 1: Effective Financial Reporting____________________________________________________ 3 Intersection of Prudential Regulation...
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...information and established criteria. Auditing should be done by a competent, independent person. “The auditing profession offers a wide range of employment opportunities for new accountants. Most accounting firms offer client services in three areas: auditing, tax, and consulting. A new accountant might be hired to work in any of these areas. In the audit area, the accountant may work for a variety of clients including private or public companies, clients in banking, insurance, manufacturing, technology, retail, health care, or government. Individuals working in the audit area may also spend most of their time providing internal audit services to clients rather than working as an external auditor. Working in any of the areas in an accounting firm may be one of the most demanding jobs, but it is also one of the most interesting, exciting experiences and a great way to prepare to work in the corporate business world.” “What is Auditing?” Web. 29 September 2013 Accounting is the recording, classifying, and summarizing of economic events in a logical manner for the purpose of providing financial information for decision making. To provide relevant information, accountants must have a thorough understanding of the principles, and rules that provide the basis for preparing the accounting information. In addition, accountants must develop a system to make sure that the entity’s economic events are properly recorded on a timely basis and at a...
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...862-8430 www.pcaobus.org ) CONCEPT RELEASE ON AUDITOR ) INDEPENDENCE AND AUDIT FIRM ) ROTATION; ) ) NOTICE OF ROUNDTABLE ) ) PCAOB Release No. 2011-006 August 16, 2011 PCAOB Rulemaking Docket Matter No. 37 Summary: The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board ("PCAOB" or "Board") is issuing a concept release to solicit public comment on ways that auditor independence, objectivity and professional skepticism could be enhanced. One possible approach on which the Board is seeking comment is mandatory audit firm rotation, which is explored in detail in this release. However, the Board seeks advice and comment on other approaches as well. The Board will also convene a public roundtable meeting in March 2012, at which interested persons will present their views. Additional details about the roundtable will be announced at a later date. Public Comment: Interested persons may submit written comments to the Board. Such comments should be sent to the Office of the Secretary, PCAOB, 1666 K Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006-2803. Comments also may be submitted by e-mail to comments@pcaobus.org or through the Board's Web site at www.pcaobus.org. All comments should refer to PCAOB Rulemaking Docket Matter No. 37 in the subject or reference line. Comments should be received by the Board no later than 5:00 PM EST on December 14, 2011. Board Contacts: Martin F. Baumann, Chief Auditor and Director of Professional Standards (202/207-9192, baumannm@pcaobus.org), Michael Gurbutt...
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...Chapter 1 The Role of the Public Accountant True/False Questions 1. Independent audits of today place more emphasis on sampling for compliance with laws and regulations than the audits of the 19th century. Answer: True Difficulty: Medium 2. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants issues CPA certificates and permits CPAs to practice. Answer: False Difficulty: Medium 3. A company is either audited by the GAO or internal auditors, but not both. Answer: False Difficulty: Easy 4. The SEC does not pass on the merits of the securities that are registered with the agency. Answer: True Difficulty: Medium 5. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants has the primary authority to establish accounting standards. Answer: False Difficulty: Easy 6. An annual peer review is a requirement of the AICPA. Answer: False Difficulty: Medium 7. Many small companies elect to have their financial statements reviewed by a CPA firm, rather than incur the cost of an audit. Answer: True Difficulty: Easy 8. Staff assistants in CPA firms generally are responsible for planning and coordinating audit engagements. Answer: False Difficulty: Easy Whittington, Principles of Auditing, Fifteenth Edition 1 Chapter 1 The Role of the Public Accountant 9. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that auditors of publicly traded companies in the United States perform an integrated audit that includes providing assurance on both the financial statements and on compliance with laws and regulations...
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...Chapter 2 THE AUDIT MARKET Revision: 11 September 2012 2.1 Learning Objectives After studying this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Distinguish between different theories of audit services including agency theory. 2. Understand drivers for audit regulation. 3. Understand the role of public oversight. 4. Distinguish between different audit firms. 5. Identify some current developments in the audit market. 6. Portray the series of industry codes of conduct and guidance 2.2 Introduction The emergence of today’s auditors happened during the Industrial Revolution that started in Great Britain around 1780. This revolution led to the emergence of large industrial companies with complex bureaucratic structures and, gradually, the need to look for external funds in order to finance further expansion: the separation between capital provision and management. Both developments resulted in demand for the services of specialists in bookkeeping and in auditing internal and external financial representations. The institutionalization of the audit profession was then merely a matter of time. Management Controls Operations and Communications Management has control over the accounting systems and internal controls of the enterprises that auditors audit. Management is not only responsible for the financial and internal control reports to investors, but also has the authority to determine the precise nature of the representations that go into those reports. However, management...
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...Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 on Accounting and Finance Departments Danika Grace Brown Lakeland College Kellett School of Business – BlendEd BA 772 Advanced Industrial Accounting II Instructor Mary Diederich March 10, 2015 Table of Contents Abstract 2 Overview of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 3 About SOX 4 Reporting and Compliance 5 Risk Assessment and Control 6 Interview at Company X 7 Standards for Corporations and Officers 8 Auditing and Financial Reporting 9 Future Impact of SOX 10 Conclusion 11 References 13 Abstract Sarbanes-Oxley is the response from Congress in regards to the financial industry collapse that happened over a decade ago. Due to unethical reporting from corporations, Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) is a United States federal law that set new or enhanced standards for all U.S. public company boards, management and public accounting firms. As a result of SOX, top management must individually certify the accuracy of financial information. In addition, penalties for fraudulent financial activity are much more severe. Furthermore, SOX increased the oversight role of boards of directors and the independence of the outside auditors who review the accuracy of corporate financial statements. This paper will look to provide an oversight of the law and how it pertains to the standards in Accounting and Finance departments nowadays. In addition, this paper will also touch on the ongoing costs and benefits of the now standard regulations. An interview...
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...financial reporting by public companies that were sanctioned by the Sarbanes-Oxley legislation Act of 2002 (SOX). This act was passed with the intent to restore public confidence and increase transparency in financial reports of publicly held companies, due to the aftermath of the financial scandals that plagued companies such as Enron and Worldcom (Jennings, 2012). The problem to be investigated is the ethical issues that were legislated by SOX, the cost associated with the implementation of the new act on different stakeholders, and new governance practices required of public companies to insure compliance with the new act. Introduction SOX was implemented in 2002 as “an act to protect investors by improving the accuracy and reliability of corporate disclosures made pursuant to the securities laws, and for other purposes” (Jennings, 2012, p.212). This act focused primarily on the independence of auditors who are responsible for auditing public companies, the corporate responsibilities of Chief Executive Officer(CEO) and Chief Financial Officer(CFO), the proper disclosure of financial statements, the conflict of interest between the parties involved, criminal fraud accountability of those involved, and the imposition of the penalty in case of violations. The Public Accounting oversight Board (PAOB) was then created to enforce all the issues identified under the above act (Jennings, 2012). This legislation was imposed on employees of public companies who are responsiblefor...
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...Audit From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia For other uses, see Audit (disambiguation). The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article and discuss the issue on the talk page. (January 2010) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2010) Accountancy Key concepts Accountant · Accounting period · Bookkeeping · Cash and accrual basis · Constant Item Purchasing Power Accounting · Cost of goods sold · Debits and credits · Double-entry system · Fair value accounting · FIFO & LIFO · GAAP / International Financial Reporting Standards · General ledger · Historical cost · Matching principle · Revenue recognition · Trial balance Fields of accounting Cost · Financial · Forensic · Fund · Management · Tax Financial statements Statement of Financial Position · Statement of cash flows · Statement of changes in equity · Statement of comprehensive income · Notes · MD&A · XBRL Auditing Auditor's report · Financial audit · GAAS / ISA · Internal audit · Sarbanes–Oxley Act Accounting qualifications CA · CCA · CGA · CMA · CPA · CGFM · APA This box: view · talk · edit The general definition of an audit is an evaluation of a person, organization, system, process, enterprise, project or product. The term most commonly refers to audits in accounting, but similar...
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...financial reporting by public companies that were sanctioned by the Sarbanes-Oxley legislation Act of 2002 (SOX). This act was passed with the intent to restore public confidence and increase transparency in financial reports of publicly held companies, due to the aftermath of the financial scandals that plagued companies such as Enron and Worldcom (Jennings, 2012). The problem to be investigated is the ethical issues that were legislated by SOX, the cost associated with the implementation of the new act on different stakeholders, and new governance practices required of public companies to insure compliance with the new act. Introduction SOX was implemented in 2002 as “an act to protect investors by improving the accuracy and reliability of corporate disclosures made pursuant to the securities laws, and for other purposes” (Jennings, 2012, p. 212). This act focused primarily on the independence of auditors who are responsible for auditing public companies, the corporate responsibilities of Chief Executive Officer(CEO) and Chief Financial Officer(CFO), the proper disclosure of financial statements, the conflict of interest between the parties involved, criminal fraud accountability of those involved, and the imposition of the penalty in case of violations. The Public Accounting oversight Board (PAOB) was then created to enforce all the issues identified under the above act (Jennings, 2012). This legislation was imposed on employees of public companies who are responsible...
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...including growth in sales, return to stockholders, profit margin, and return on equity. These are just four possible measures considered and evaluated by investors and creditors. Financial statements presented in various formats to help facilitate analysis. A classified set of financial statements groups items with similar characteristics together. Groupings include categories such as current assets; property, plant, and equipment; current liabilities; concurrent liabilities; revenues; selling expenses; and so forth. Comparative financial statements present several years of financial information side by side for ease of recognizing trends and changes in amounts. Consolidated financial statements present combined information for the parent company and all subsidiaries. Objective: Financial...
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...AUO1 – Auditing and Information Systems Additional Study Questions Accounting Information Systems Competency 302.1.1: Nature and Purpose The student understands the nature and purpose of information systems. * What is the difference between transaction processing systems, management information systems, and decision support systems? Transaction processing systems - document financial activities Management information systems - used to collect qualitative as well as quantitative information for decision making within organizations Decision support systems - help the developers of an AIS identify what information they need for their planning, decision making, and control functions * How is a flowchart used? A document flowchart traces the physical flow of documents through an organization—that is, the flow of documents from the departments, groups, or individuals who first created them to their final destinations. * How is the accounting information system documented? An accounting information system is a collection of data and processing procedures that creates needed information for its users. An information system's components: Data or information is input, processed, and output as information for planning, decision-making, and control purposes. Nine reasons to document an AIS are (1) to explain how the system works, (2) to train others, (3) to help developers design new systems, (4) to control system development and maintenance costs, (5) to standardize...
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...Ashley Richardson 11/15/2013 Western Governors University AUO1 – Auditing and Information Systems Additional Study Questions/ Study Guide 1. Accounting Information Systems Competency 302.1.1: Nature and Purpose The student understands the nature and purpose of information systems. * What is the difference between transaction processing systems, management information systems, and decision support systems? 2. Transaction processing systems - document financial activities 3. Management information systems - used to collect qualitative as well as quantitative information for decision making within organizations 4. Decision support systems - help the developers of an AIS identify what information they need for their planning, decision making, and control functions * How is a flowchart used? 5. A document flowchart traces the physical flow of documents through an organization—that is, the flow of documents from the departments, groups, or individuals who first created them to their final destinations. * How is the accounting information system documented? 6. An accounting information system is a collection of data and processing procedures that creates needed information for its users. An information system's components: Data or information is input, processed, and output as information for planning, decision-making, and control purposes. 1. Data flow diagrams provide both a physical and a logical view of a system...
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