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Accounting Research Manager®

Weekly Summary of Developments

ARM Weekly Summary June 4-8, 2012

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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:

 

For detail, please contact info@hkcmcpa.us

 

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ACCOUNTING AND SEC HEADLINES:

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Inflation Rates -- Interpretation Issued, Inflation Rates for Judging Whether an Economy Is Highly Inflationary - March 2012

For detail, please contact info@hkcmcpa.us

 

Our Interpretation, Inflation Rates for Judging Whether an Economy Is Highly Inflationary - March 2012, has been issued and reflects the latest available inflation rate information. In this update, Belarus has been reclassified from countries that do the “watch list” of countries that may have highly inflationary economies to the countries that have highly inflationary economies.

 

See our Literature Update for complete details.

 

Intangible Assets -- FASB Discusses Impairment of Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets and Other Matters

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As reported in its "Summary of Board Decisions" publication, the FASB met on June 6, 2012, and discussed the following topics:

 

-Impairment of indefinite-lived intangible assets;

-Not-for-profit financial reporting-financial statements;

-Definition of a nonpublic entity; and

-Revenue recognition.

 

Regarding its project on the impairment of indefinite-lived intangible assets, the FASB discussed comment letters and other feedback received on its Exposure Draft, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Testing Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets for Impairment, and discussed the staff’s analysis of the Exposure Draft’s proposals in light of that input. The FASB affirmed its proposal to provide entities with the option to use a qualitative approach to assess the impairment of an indefinite-lived intangible asset. Under that approach, an entity would qualitatively assess whether existing events or circumstances indicate that it is more likely than not that an indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired (the more-likely-than-not threshold refers to a likelihood that is more than 50 percent). An entity would not be required to perform a quantitative impairment test (comparing the fair value of the asset with its carrying value) if, after assessing the totality of relevant events and circumstances, management determines that it is not more likely than not that the indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired. The FASB also affirmed that additional disclosure requirements would not be necessary relating to the use of the optional qualitative assessment.

 

The FASB also affirmed that a nonpublic entity would not be required to provide quantitative disclosures about significant unobservable inputs used in a Level 3 fair value measurement of an indefinite-lived intangible asset after its initial recognition. The FASB also affirmed that a public entity would continue to be required to provide those disclosures.

 

Regarding its project on not-for-profit financial reporting, the FASB discussed its staff’s proposed project plan, which reflects feedback received from project resource group members. FASB members expressed support for the proposal, directing the staff to proceed as planned.

 

Financial Instruments -- IASB and FASB Discuss Financial Instruments and Other Matters

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As reported in its "IASB Update" publication, the IASB and FASB (the Boards) met on May 21-May 24, 2012, and discussed the following topics:

 

-Financial instruments-classification and measurement;

-Financial instruments-impairment;

-Investment entities;

-Insurance contracts;

-Leases; and

-Revenue recognition.

 

In addition, the IASB held separate sessions on the following topics:

 

-Agenda consultation;

-Definition of the term "non-monetary asset";

-Effective date and transition methods;

-IFRS 10, Consolidated Financial Statements, transition requirements;

-Financial instruments-impairment;

-Post-implementation review of IFRS 8, Operating Segments; and

-Work plan.

 

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AUDITING AND INTERNAL CONTROLS HEADLINES:

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Peer Review -- AICPA Issues Peer Review Proposal

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The AICPA Peer Review Board has approved the issuance of the Exposure Draft, Proposed Changes to the AICPA Standards for Performing and Reporting on Peer Reviews -- Scope of System Review and Must Select Engagements. The Exposure Draft contains proposed revisions to the AICPA Standards for Performing and Reporting on Peer Reviews (Standards).

 

The Exposure Draft includes an explanatory memorandum of the proposed revisions to the current Standards and related Interpretations, explanations, background, and other pertinent information, as well as marked excerpts from the current Standards and Interpretations to allow the reader to see all changes (i.e., items that are being deleted from the Standards and Interpretations are struck through, and new items are underlined). Among other changes, the proposal would add all examinations performed under the Statements on Standards for Attestation Engagements to the scope of a System Review and Service Organization Control (SOC) 1 and SOC 2 engagements to the types of engagements that must be selected in a System Review.

 

Revisions to the Standards adopted as final by the Peer Review Board will be effective for reviews commencing on or after March 1, 2013.

 

Comments on this proposal are due by August 31, 2012.

 

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GOVERNMENT HEADLINES:

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GASB Standards -- GASB Issues Plain-Language Articles on Recent Standards

The GASB has released the following two plain-language documents summarizing the provisions of its recently released GASB Statement No. 65, Items Previously Reported as Assets and Liabilities, and the Exposure Draft, Government Combinations and Disposals of Government Operations:

 

-Plain-Language Article: GASB Proposes Guidance on Government Combinations and Disposals of Government Operations and;

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-Plain-Language Article: GASB Statement Reclassifies Certain Items Previously Reported as Assets and Liabilities

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GASB 65 reclassifies certain items that were previously reported as assets and liabilities as deferred outflows resources, deferred inflows of resources, or current-period outflows and inflows. Informally, deferred outflows resources and deferred inflows of resources are referred to as “deferrals.” Deferrals are reported in a statement of financial position and they result from outflows and inflows of resources that have already taken place but are not recognized in the financial statements as revenues and expenses (expenditures) because they relate to a future period.

 

The GASB also recently proposed new accounting and financial reporting standards for government combinations, which are commonly referred to as mergers and acquisitions. The Exposure Draft also proposes accounting and financial reporting guidance for disposals of government operations that have been transferred or sold. The Exposure Draft proposes appropriate guidance that is specifically intended for governmental entities and addresses circumstances and conditions that commonly arise in the public sector.

 

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@hkcmcpa.us