BDO United States

BDO United States

Assurance Publications

BDO Knows: Flash Reports

Our Flash reports are intended to highlight certain financial reporting developments in a timely and brief “flash” format.

Assurance

1/20/2012 PCAOB Reproposes Auditing Standard on Communications with Audit Committees (AU 380)
261 KB PDF File
9/30/2011 SEC Approves PCAOB Rules on Audits of Broker-Dealers
92 KB PDF File
9/19/2011 Recent PCAOB Concept Releases
6/2/2011 CAQ Issues In-Depth Guide to Public Company Auditing: The Financial Statement Audit

FASB

1/9/2012 FASB Issues ASU on Required Disclosures for Offsetting Assets and Liabilities
94 KB PDF File
12/15/2011 FASB Issues Revised Exposure Draft on Revenue from Contracts with Customers
1.31 MB PDF File
12/12/2011 FASB Announces Webcast on Financial Reporting for Nonpublic Entities
287 KB PDF File
9/2/2011 FASB Approves Cost-Saving Measure for Goodwill Impairment Tests That May Impact 3Q 2011 Reports
99 KB PDF File
7/15/2011 FASB Issues Final ASU on Creditor Accounting for Troubled Debt Restructuring
135 KB PDF File
2/14/2011 FASB Issues Final ASUs on Goodwill Impairment Testing and Pro Forma Business Combinations Disclosures
96 KB PDF Document
1/21/2011 Accounting for Restoration of the R&D Tax Credit
82 KB PDF Document

SEC

12/22/2011 SEC Issues Two Staff Papers on Work Plan for Convergence of Global Accounting Standards
240 KB PDF Document
10/21/2011 SEC Staff Publishes June 30, 2011 Edition of Financial Reporting Manual
95 KB PDF File
6/29/2011 SEC Observations on XBRL Submissions
102 KB PDF File
6/6/2011 FAQs on XBRL Submission and The Final Phase-in Group
135 KB PDF File
5/27/2011 SEC Finalizes Whistleblower Rules Mandated by the Dodd-Frank Act
97KB
4/26/2011 SEC Matters: A Flash Report from BDO's National SEC Practice
84 KB PDF Document
3/8/2011 SEC Staff Issues Staff Accounting Bulletin 114 to Update the SAB Codification
101 KB PDF Document
1/31/2011 SEC Adopts Rules Requiring Shareholder Advisory Votes on Executive Compensations (Say-on-Pay) and Golden Parachute Arrangements
106 KB PDF Document
1/19/2011 SEC Staff Issues C&DIs on Changes in Accountants
103 KB PDF Document

Financial Reporting Newsletters

Our Financial Reporting newsletters address significant financial reporting developments, relating to both public and private businesses, that occur throughout the year.

1/24/2012 BDO Knows: Multiemployer Pension Plans
509 KB PDF File
1/13/2012 Report on 2011 AICPA SEC and PCAOB Conference
864 KB PDF File
1/13/2012 SEC Year in Review – Significant 2011 Developments
636 KB PDF Document
1/12/2012 Accounting Year in Review – 2011
45.6 KB PDF File
11/23/2011 BDO Knows: Health Care Entities
396 KB PDF File
9/28/2011 BDO Knows: Goodwill Impairment
1310 KB PDF File
8/23/2011 BDO Knows: Comprehensive Income Newsletter
An Offering from the BDO National Assurance Practice
6/13/2011 BDO Knows: Contingent Consideration
424 KB
1/13/2011 Accounting Year in Review – 2010
604 KB PDF File
1/13/2011 SEC Year in Review – Significant 2010 Developments
708 KB PDF File
1/13/2011 Report on 2010 AICPA SEC and PCAOB Conference
534 KB PDF File

Significant Accounting and Reporting Matters Guide

Issued on a quarterly basis, the Significant Accounting and Reporting Matters Guide provides a brief digest of final and proposed financial accounting standards. This guide is designed to help audit committees, boards and financial executives keep up to date on the latest corporate governance and financial reporting developments.

1/13/2012 Significant Accounting & Reporting Matters Q4 2011
10/5/2011 Significant Accounting & Reporting Matters Q3 2011
7/21/2011 Significant Accounting & Reporting Matters Q2 2011

Client Advisories

Our client advisories are concise documents that provide timely commentary, analysis and insights on events and trends of interest to managers and directors. To subscribe to future client advisories, please use our RSS feed or send an email to BDO USA’s National Assurance practice at assurance@bdo.com

1/17/2012 BDO 2012 IPO Outlook
1.0 MB PDF File
7/12/2011 2011 BDO IPO Halftime Report
Executive Summary

EBP Commentator

Published by BDO USA's National Employee Benefit Plan Audit Group, EBP Commentator provides news and the latest developments impacting your qualified plans and their respective audits.

11/14/2011 EBP Commentator - Fall 2011
931 KB PDF File
11/2/2011 EBP Commentator Special Edition: 2012 Cost of Living Adjustments - November 2011
135 KB PDF File
2/23/2011 EBP Commentator Winter 2011 - Recent EBP Developments
930 KB

Comment Letters

BDO USA's comment letters on FASB, SEC, and PCAOB proposals.

1/6/2012 Plan to Establish the Private Company Standards Improvement Council (PCSIC)
We believe the FAF's proposal reflects a reasoned and practical path forward regarding the FASB's engagement with private company stakeholders. As such, we support establishing a new Council that is subject to FASB oversight. However, we have provided recommendations to improve the FAF's plan.
12/14/2011 PCAOB Release No. 2011-006, Rulemaking Docket Matter No. 037, Auditor Independence and Audit Firm Rotation
BDO USA, LLP’s comment letter recognizes the PCAOB’s concern regarding the frequency and types of audit deficiencies found during inspections. However, our letter states that we do not believe that mandatory firm rotation is the appropriate nor necessary response to that concern.
11/21/2011 Proposed Accounting Standards Update, Deferral of the Effective Date for Amendments to the Presentation of Reclassifications of Items Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in ASU No. 2011-05
BDO agrees with the proposed deferral of reclassification adjustments, and also recommends that the FASB highlight its intention to change the presentation requirements for net income in ASU No. 2011-05.
9/29/2011 Proposed Accounting Standards Update, Derecognition of in Substance Real Estate-a Scope Clarification
BDO agrees that the real estate literature applies to transactions in the scope of the proposal, but believes the final amendments should clarify that not all debt defaults necessarily result in the loss of control of a real estate subsidiary.
9/12/2011 Proposed Auditing Standard, Auditing Supplemental Information Accompanying Audited Financial Statements and Related Amendments to PCAOB Standards
BDO is supportive of the Board's efforts to update and enhance the guidance in circumstances when the auditor of the financial statements is engaged to also report on whether supplemental information accompanying the financial statements is fairly stated, in all material respects, in relation to the financial statements as a whole. However, we have some concerns about the clarity of the nature of the engagement and the scope of work for an "in relation to" opinion that is included in the Proposed Standard,
6/6/2011 Proposed Accounting Standards Update, Testing Goodwill for Impairment
BDO supports the objective to reduce the complexity and cost of the current impairment model. However, we are concerned that the Proposal will not ultimately achieve those objectives and therefore recommend strengthening the proposal by evaluating whether it is “probable” that the fair value of a reporting unit exceeds its carrying amount.
4/25/2011 Discussion Paper, Selected Issues about Hedge Accounting
Including IASB Exposure Draft, Hedge Accounting BDO believes that a key objective of any proposal issued at this time should be the development of converged "high" quality accounting standards. BDO believes the IASB's proposed comprehensive changes to hedge accounting with its stress on principles, rather than rules, provides a good starting point for deliberating and exposing converged guidance.
4/1/2011 Supplementary Document, Accounting for Financial Instruments and Revisions to the Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities: Impairment
BDO has significant reservations about the proposals in the SD and the extent to which they are supported by clear principles. In consequence, we believe that the potential benefits of the SD are outweighed by our concerns and, therefore, are not able to support them.
1/31/2011 Discussion Paper, Effective Dates and Transition Methods
BDO recommends a two-stage adoption schedule for several new anticipated accounting standards. The first stage would begin in 2013, and includes financial instruments, other comprehensive income and fair value. All remaining standards, including revenue and leasing, would begin in 2015.
1/14/2011 Proposed Accounting Standards Update, Reconsideration of Effective Control for Repurchase Agreements
BDO agrees that the amendment proposed in the ED improves and simplifies the accounting for repurchase (repos) and other agreements that both entitle and obligate a transferor to repurchase or redeem financial assets before their maturity.