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Accounting Research Manager(TM)
Weekly Summary of Developments
October 4-8, 2010
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Accounting Research Manager subscriber,

The Accounting Research Manager database now contains this week's weekly summary of developments. Click the link below to access and print the fully-formatted Weekly Summary:

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If you do not have immediate Internet access to the Accounting Research Manager database, below is the text of this week's Weekly Summary.

Accounting and SEC Headlines

Financial Reporting Manual -- SEC Staff Issues June 2010 Update
Asset-Backed Securities -- SEC Issues Proposal Regarding Required Disclosures for Asset-Backed Securities
New Accounting Standards -- Checklist Updated
PCAOB Registration -- PCAOB Addresses Registration Applications From Firms in Non-U.S. Jurisdictions
Health Care Entities -- FASB Issues Proposal on Disclosure about Net Revenue and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
Intangibles -- FASB Issues Proposal on How the Carrying Amount of a Reporting Unit Should Be Calculated When Performing Step 1 of the Goodwill Impairment Test
Business Combinations -- FASB Issues Proposal on Disclosure of Supplementary Pro Forma Information for Business Combinations
EITF Matters -- September 16, 2010 Meeting Minutes Published
EITF Materials -- FASB Issues Materials for November 19, 2010 EITF Meeting
Repurchase Agreements -- FASB Discusses Repurchase Agreements
International Accounting -- Publication Comparing U.S. GAAP and IFRS Updated
Fair Value Option -- IASB Discusses Fair Value Option for Financial Liabilities
IFRS for SMEs -- Upcoming Training Workshops and Other Matters Discussed

Auditing and Internal Controls Headlines

Work of Other Auditors -- PCAOB Staff Interpretive Guidance Discussed
Compilation and Reviews -- New Edition of Knowledge-Based Compilations and Reviews Published
PCAOB Registration -- PCAOB Addresses Registration Applications From Firms in Non-U.S. Jurisdictions

Government Headlines

Yellow Book -- GAO Exposure Draft Discussed

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ACCOUNTING AND SEC HEADLINES:
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Financial Reporting Manual -- SEC Staff Issues June 2010 Update
For detail, please contact info@zy-cpa.com


The staff in the SEC's Division of Corporation Finance (Corp Fin) has updated its Financial Reporting Manual, as of June 30, 2010. This manual represents informal guidance prepared for use by the Corp Fin staff. Corp Fin has made this manual public because readers may find the guidance useful in preparing filings with the SEC. Updates in this edition of the manual include the following areas (identified below in parentheses by section number in the manual):

-Predecessor Financial Statements (section 1170);
-Development Stage Company (section 1180);
-Interim Period Reporting Considerations (section 1500);
-SAB 80: Application of S-X 3-05 in Initial Registration Statements (SAB Topic 1J) (section 2070);
-Real Estate Operations - When to Present Financial Statements (section 2310);
-Real Estate Operations - Individually Insignificant Acquisitions (section 2320);
-Real Estate Operations - Special Requirements for "Blind Pool" Offerings (section 2325);
-Properties Subject to Net Lease (section 2340);
-Equity Method Investments, Including Fair Value Option [S-X 3-09, S-X 4-08(g), S-X 8-03, S-X 10-01(b)(1), and SAB Topic 6K.4.b] (section 2400);
-Guarantors of Securities [S-X 3-10 and S-X 8-01 Note 3] (section 2500);
-Collateralizations (section 2600);
-Parent-only Financial Statements (Condensed) [S-X 5-04] [S-X 9-06]; (section 2810); and
-Reverse Acquisitions (section 5230).

Asset-Backed Securities -- SEC Issues Proposal Regarding Required Disclosures for Asset-Backed Securities
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The SEC has issued a proposed rule, Disclosure for Asset-Backed Securities Required by Section 943 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. This proposal includes requirements related to representations and warranties in asset-backed securities offerings required by Section 943 of the “Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act” (the Act). Specifically, this proposal would require securitizers of asset-backed securities to disclose fulfilled and unfulfilled repurchase requests across all transactions. In addition, the proposal would require nationally recognized statistical rating organizations to include information regarding the representations, warranties, and enforcement mechanisms available to investors in an asset-backed securities offering in any report accompanying a credit rating issued in connection with such offerings, including a preliminary credit rating. This proposal is one of several that the SEC plans to issue to implement provisions of the Act related to asset-backed securities.

Comments on this proposal are due November 15, 2010.

New Accounting Standards -- Checklist Updated
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We have updated our publication "Summary Checklist of Recent Authoritative U.S. Accounting Standards." This checklist is intended to serve as a reference tool to help users ensure that they have considered authoritative standards recently issued or approved by the FASB. The standards are listed by source and a summary of the transition guidance is provided with a reference to the relevant FASB Accounting Standards CodificationTM (Codification) paragraph(s). Effective dates and application (adoption) requirements are also presented.

We have updated our checklist to reflect the issuance of FASB Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2010-25, Plan Accounting—Defined Contribution Pension Plans (Topic 962): Reporting Loans to Participants by Defined Contribution Pension Plans. This ASU amends the guidance in the Codification to require that participant loans be classified as notes receivable from participants, which are segregated from plan investments and measured at their unpaid principal balance plus any accrued but unpaid interest.

See our Literature Update for complete details.

PCAOB Registration -- PCAOB Addresses Registration Applications From Firms in Non-U.S. Jurisdictions
For detail, please contact info@zy-cpa.com


The PCAOB published a release, Consideration of Registration Applications from Public Accounting Firms in Non-U.S. Jurisdictions Where There Are Unresolved Obstacles to PCAOB Inspections. This release addresses registration applications from firms in non-U.S. jurisdictions where, because of asserted legal restrictions or objections of local authorities, the PCAOB is denied access to information from PCAOB-registered firms that is necessary to inspect those firms. Effective for all pending and future applications from accounting firms in such jurisdictions, the PCAOB will ask the applicant to state its understanding of whether a PCAOB inspection of the firm would currently be allowed by local law or local authorities. The applicant may choose to keep its application pending until it can respond, with confirmation from the appropriate authority in the jurisdiction, that PCAOB inspection is permitted. If the applicant, in order to obtain earlier action on its application, responds that PCAOB inspection would not currently be allowed, the PCAOB will issue a "Notice of Hearing" to consider whether, in light of the obstacle to inspection, approval of the application would be consistent with the PCAOB's responsibility under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

Health Care Entities -- FASB Issues Proposal on Disclosure about Net Revenue and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
For detail, please contact info@zy-cpa.com


The FASB has issued for public comment a proposed ASU, Health Care Entities (Topic 954): Disclosure about Net Revenue and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts. This proposed ASU reflects the consensus-for-exposure in EITF Issue No. 09-H, “Health Care Entities: Revenue Recognition.” The amendments in this proposed ASU would require a health care entity to provide enhanced disclosure about how it considers the ability to collect in the determination of the amount and timing of revenue and bad-debt expense. The ASU would also require disclosures of net revenue as well as a reconciliation of the activity in the allowance for doubtful accounts by major payor type.

As proposed, the guidance in this ASU would be applied retrospectively to all periods presented. The effective date for this proposed ASU has not been established.

Comments on this proposed ASU are due November 5, 2010.

Intangibles -- FASB Issues Proposal on How the Carrying Amount of a Reporting Unit Should Be Calculated When Performing Step 1 of the Goodwill Impairment Test
For detail, please contact info@zy-cpa.com


The FASB has issued for public comment a proposed ASU, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350) How the Carrying Amount of a Reporting Unit Should Be Calculated When Performing Step 1 of the Goodwill Impairment Test. This proposed ASU reflects the consensus-for-exposure in EITF Issue No. 10-A, “How the Carrying Amount of a Reporting Unit Should be Calculated When Performing Step 1 of the Goodwill Test.” The amendments in this proposed ASU would clarify that the equity premise is the only method an entity can use for purposes of calculating the carrying amount of a reporting unit. In addition, this ASU would modify Step 1 of the goodwill impairment test for reporting units with zero or negative carrying amounts. For those reporting units, an entity would be required to perform Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test if there are adverse qualitative factors that indicate that it is more likely than not that a goodwill impairment exists. Under this proposed ASU, any previously recognized goodwill impairment taken as a result of applying an alternative premise before adopting the amendments in this proposed guidance would not be permitted to be reversed.

For public entities, the amendments in this proposed ASU would be effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2010. Early adoption would not be permitted. For nonpublic entities, the amendments in this proposed ASU would be effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011. Nonpublic reporting entities would be able to early adopt the proposed amendments using the effective date for public reporting entities.

Comments on this proposed ASU are due November 5, 2010.

Business Combinations -- FASB Issues Proposal on Disclosure of Supplementary Pro Forma Information for Business Combinations
For detail, please contact info@zy-cpa.com


The FASB has issued for public comment a proposed ASU, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Disclosure of Supplementary Pro Forma Information for Business Combinations. This proposed ASU reflects the consensus-for-exposure in EITF Issue No. 10-G, “Disclosure of Supplementary Pro Forma Information for Business Combinations.” The amendments in this proposed ASU specify that if a public entity presents comparative financial statements, the entity would disclose revenue and earnings of the combined entity as though the business combination(s) that occurred during the current year had occurred as of the beginning of the comparable prior annual reporting period only. This ASU would also expand the supplemental pro forma disclosures under Codification Topic 805, Business Combinations, to include a description of the nature and amount of material, nonrecurring pro forma adjustments directly attributable to the business combination.

This proposed ASU would be effective prospectively for business combinations that are consummated on or after the beginning of the first annual reporting period beginning on or after December 15, 2010. Early adoption would be permitted.

Comments on this proposed ASU are due November 5, 2010

EITF Matters -- September 16, 2010 Meeting Minutes Published
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The final meeting minutes of the September 16, 2010 EITF meeting have been issued. The minutes document the results previously described in our meeting summary published in September 2010. As discussed in the minutes, the EITF reached final consensuses on EITF Issue No. 09-G, "Accounting for Costs Associated with Acquiring or Renewing Insurance Contracts" and EITF Issue No. 10-C, "Reporting Loans to Participants by Defined Contribution Pension Plans." In addition, the EITF reached consensuses-for-exposure on the following issues:

-EITF Issue No. 09-H, "Health Care Entities: Revenue Recognition";
-EITF Issue No. 10-A, "How the Carrying Amount of a Reporting Unit Should Be Calculated When Performing Step 1 of the Goodwill Impairment Test"; and
-EITF Issue No. 10-G, "Disclosure of Supplementary Pro Forma Information for Business Combinations."

See our discussion above regarding the FASB's issuance of proposed ASUs for the consensuses-for-exposure reached on Issues 09-H, 10-A, and 10-G.

EITF Materials -- FASB Issues Materials for November 19, 2010 EITF Meeting
For detail, please contact info@zy-cpa.com


The FASB has issued the following additional materials for the November 19, 2010 EITF meeting:

-EITF Agenda Report;
-Proposed agenda;
-EITF Issue No. 10-D, "Accounting for Certain Fees Associated with Recently Enacted Health Care Legislation" (comment letters on proposed ASU); and
-EITF Issue No. 10-F, "Accounting for Legal Costs Associated with Medical Malpractice Claims" (comment letters on proposed ASU).

Repurchase Agreements -- FASB Discusses Repurchase Agreements
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As reported in its "Summary of Board Decisions" publication, the FASB met on October 6, 2010, and discussed amending or removing the “transferor ability” criterion that is currently considered when determining whether a transferor of financial assets has maintained effective control for transactions involving repurchase agreements. The “transferor ability” criterion is the existing requirement that the transferor is able to repurchase or redeem the financial assets on substantially the agreed terms, even in the event of default by the transferee. The FASB made the following tentative decisions:

-To remove the “transferor ability” criterion and its related application guidance from the effective control guidance applicable to transactions involving repurchase agreements;
-The proposed guidance to be issued would be applied prospectively to both new transactions and existing transactions that are modified after the effective date;
-Early adoption would be prohibited;
-The final guidance would be effective as of the beginning of the first interim period after its issuance and is expected to be issued during the first quarter of 2011; and
-The comment period for the proposed guidance will end January 15, 2011.

International Accounting -- Publication Comparing U.S. GAAP and IFRS Updated
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We have published an updated version of Comparison between U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards. This publication was authored by Grant Thornton LLP and highlights some of the more significant U.S. GAAP and IFRS requirements as well as the major similarities and differences between current U.S. GAAP and IFRS. This publication has been updated to reflect standards issued through August 31, 2010.

See our Literature Update for complete details.

Fair Value Option -- IASB Discusses Fair Value Option for Financial Liabilities
For detail, please contact info@zy-cpa.com


As reported in its "IASB Update" publication, the IASB met on October 5, 2010, and discussed the following topics:

-Fair value option for financial liabilities;
-Hedge accounting;
-Impairment (financial instruments); and
-Amendments to IFRS 7, Financial Instruments: Disclosures.

IFRS for SMEs -- Upcoming Training Workshops and Other Matters Discussed
For detail, please contact info@zy-cpa.com


The IASB staff has issued "IFRS for SMEs Update" publication which is a staff summary of news relating to the International Financial Reporting Standard for Small and Medium-Sized Entities (IFRS for SMEs). This update includes discussion of the following topics:

-Upcoming train the trainers workshops;
-Train the trainers presentations now available in PowerPoint format;
-Status of translations of the IFRS for SMEs;
-New IFRS for SMEs training modules available;
-Spanish language translation of the IFRS for SMEs training modules available;
-Availability of videos about the IFRS for SMEs;
-New IASB web page on SME presentations;
-News about adoptions of the IFRS for SMEs; and
-Where to obtain IFRS for SMEs materials.

Some of the documents listed above may not be accessible under your current subscription. For information about upgrading your subscription to include additional content, click here:
For detail, please contact info@zy-cpa.com


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AUDITING AND INTERNAL CONTROLS HEADLINES:
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Work of Other Auditors -- PCAOB Staff Interpretive Guidance Discussed
For detail, please contact info@zy-cpa.com


We have added a GAAS Update Service that provides discussion and analysis of PCAOB Staff Audit Practice Alert No. 6, Auditor Considerations Regarding Using the Work of Other Auditors and Engaging Assistants from Outside the Firm. This alert was issued as a result of observations in PCAOB inspections that some U.S.-based firms issuing audit reports based on work performed by others outside the U.S. are not properly applying PCAOB standards, namely Interim AU Section 543, Part of Audit Performed by Other Independent Auditors. It is intended as a reminder to registered public accounting firms concerning a firm’s obligations when using the work of other firms or using assistants engaged from outside the firm. It also describes the circumstances under which the public accounting firm issuing the audit report may use the work and reports of another auditor.

Compilation and Reviews -- New Edition of Knowledge-Based Compilations and Reviews Published
For detail, please contact info@zy-cpa.com


We have published the 2010 edition of Knowledge-Based Compilations and Reviews. This publication is designed to help the accountant efficiently and effectively perform financial statement compilations and reviews of nonpublic commercial entities in accordance with Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services issued by the Accounting and Review Services Committee of the AICPA. This edition of the publication includes revisions and updates to reflect current authoritative literature and, among other things, AICPA Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services No. 19, Compilation and Review Engagements.

See our Literature Update for complete details.

PCAOB Registration -- PCAOB Addresses Registration Applications From Firms in Non-U.S. Jurisdictions
For detail, please contact info@zy-cpa.com


As discussed above in our Accounting and SEC Summaries, the PCAOB published a release, Consideration of Registration Applications from Public Accounting Firms in Non-U.S. Jurisdictions Where There Are Unresolved Obstacles to PCAOB Inspections. This release addresses registration applications from firms in non-U.S. jurisdictions where, because of asserted legal restrictions or objections of local authorities, the PCAOB is denied access to information from PCAOB-registered firms that is necessary to inspect those firms. Effective for all pending and future applications from accounting firms in such jurisdictions, the PCAOB will ask the applicant to state its understanding of whether a PCAOB inspection of the firm would currently be allowed by local law or local authorities. The applicant may choose to keep its application pending until it can respond, with confirmation from the appropriate authority in the jurisdiction, that PCAOB inspection is permitted. If the applicant, in order to obtain earlier action on its application, responds that PCAOB inspection would not currently be allowed, the PCAOB will issue a "Notice of Hearing" to consider whether, in light of the obstacle to inspection, approval of the application would be consistent with the PCAOB's responsibility under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

Some of the documents listed above may not be accessible under your current subscription. For information about upgrading your subscription to include additional content, click here:
For detail, please contact info@zy-cpa.com


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GOVERNMENT HEADLINES:
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Yellow Book -- GAO Exposure Draft Discussed
For detail, please contact info@zy-cpa.com


We have added a Governmental GAAP Update Service that discusses the Government Accountability Office (GAO) publication of an Exposure Draft (ED) proposing changes to Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS). The proposed revision to GAGAS, commonly known as the “Yellow Book,” will be the sixth since the GAO first issued the standards in 1972. The proposed changes contained in the ED update the Yellow Book to reflect major developments in the audit profession and emphasize specific considerations applicable to the government environment. This Update discusses: (a) proposed major changes to GAGAS; and (b) questions being asked in the ED.

Some of the documents listed above may not be accessible under your current subscription. For information about upgrading your subscription to include additional content, click here:
For detail, please contact info@zy-cpa.com