What is Accounting? The language of business - an information / communication system FASB #117 Quote: knowledge is gained by the orderly loss of information; that is by taking the great buzzing confusion of numbers and putting it into a form which can be understood and appreciated One of the world’s richest men, Warren Buffet attributes his success to being fluent in the accounting, which he calls “the language of business.” When asked by the daughter of a business associate what she should study in college, Buffet replied: “Accounting.” This is because accounting skills help you understand financial information. If you can’t read the scorecard, you can’t tell the winners from the losers, which means you can’t score. Says Buffet: “Financial reporting for Berkshire Hathaway, and for me personally, is the beginning of every decision that we make around here . . . I’m punching out 10-Ks and 10-Qs every single day . . .” [10-Ks and 10-Q are annual and quarterly financial statements, resp.] Buffet: “Unlike God, the stock market does not forgive those who do not know what they do.”
Transcript
What is Accounting? The language of business - an
information / communication system FASB #117 Quote: knowledge is gained by the orderly
loss of information; that is by taking the great buzzing confusion of numbers and putting it into a form which can be understood and appreciated
One of the world’s richest men, Warren Buffet attributes his success to being fluent in the accounting, which he calls “the language of business.” When asked by the daughter of a
business associate what she should study in college, Buffet replied: “Accounting.” This is because accounting skills help you understand financial
information. If you can’t read the scorecard, you can’t tell the winners from the losers, which means
you can’t score. Says Buffet: “Financial reporting for Berkshire Hathaway, and for me personally, is the beginning of every decision that we make around here . . . I’m punching out 10-Ks and 10-Qs every single day . . .” [10-Ks and 10-Q are annual and
quarterly financial statements, resp.]
Buffet: “Unlike God, the stock market does not forgive those who do not
This chart is taken from the 2014 NACE Survey and shows that accounting majors and their close cousins (finance majors ) are doing very well indeed well.
Having public accounting experience is invaluable in
terms of position and advancement
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Did You Know that . . . In 2013 (and prior years as well), accounting was the top
undergraduate degree in demand by employers? In 2014, the average entry level salary for accounting graduates
ranged $50,000-$60,000, higher than in any other field except engineering and computer science.
Women constitute 57% of those receiving bachelor degrees in accounting?
Accountants are one of the FBI’s top choice when hiring special agents. Nearly 2000 FBI agents, or about one in eight, have a background in accounting, especially forensic accounting.
The CEOs of nearly half of the largest public companies in the UK have accounting backgrounds. The percentage in the US is unknown but could be equally as high.
Arthur Blank (founder of Home Depot), Phil Knight (founder of Nike), along with many other executives, got their start as accountants?
CPA Certification The CPA is a highly-valued designation
bringing instant credibility, marketability and superior earnings
You must have bachelor degree PLUS enough college credits to total of 225 qtr credits (150 sem cr), including 36 qtr cr (24 sem cr) of accounting and another 36 of other business classes (economics, finance, business law).
The CPA Exam is one of the hardest professional exams. Four parts, 14 hrs long. Pass rates are about 1-in-5 for all parts in one testing window.
To get license, must have one year of experience under a CPA
Must also take an ethics exam. Continuing Professional Education (CPE) of
40 hours per year (average) is required. Check out WWU grad’s webpage
CPA Exam has four parts (which can be taken separately):1. Auditing and Attestation (AUD) 4 hours; 60% MC, 40% Simulation;Courses: Auditing, Acct Info Systems; Cum. pass rate at one sitting is 46%.2. Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR) 4 hours; 60% MC, 40% Simulation; Courses: Intermediate, Advanced, Cost & Managerial, Gov’t & Nonprofit; Cum. pass rate at one sitting is 48%.3. Regulation (REG) 3 hours; 60% MC, 40% Simulation; Courses: Personal & Advanced Tax, B-Law, Prof Ethics (Auditing); Cum. pass rate at one sitting is 48%.4. Business Environment and Concepts (BEC) 3 hours; 85% MC, 15% Writing: Courses: Econ, Finance, CIS, Mgmt, Acct Info Systems; Cum. pass rate at one sitting is 56%.
Total: 14 hours
EXAMPLE OF PASS RATES PER WINDOW
For more info, go to http://www.aicpa.org/BecomeACPA/Pages/BecomeaCPA.aspxor for state information:http://www.becker.com/cpa-review/resources/about-exam/requirements
The first two months of each quarter constitute a testing window. Candidates can take 1-4 parts in a
testing window and have 18 months to pass all parts.
Information Technology International Advisory Management Consulting Personal Financial Planning Tax Advisory Services
PUBLIC ACCOUNTING For a complete 2014 report on CPA firms, see http://www.citrincooperman.com/News-Events/Headlines/Press-Releases/Citrin-Cooperman-Ranked-25th-Largest-Firm-in-U-S-F/Accounting-Today-Top100Firms2014.aspx
Professional Staff: Partners or shareholders (owners), managers (supervise 2 or more engagements), seniors (in-charge on one engagement), staff assistants. Here is how it works at E&Y:
https://clarknuber.com/people/rhona-kwiram/
June, 2014: Erin Sleeth will be admitted as a tax partner based in PwC’s Portland office. She brings over 16 years of experience working with clients in the utilities, manufacturing, forest, paper and packaging, industrial products and retail and consumer sectors. Notably, she has significant experience working with clients on alternative and renewable energy incentives. Her experience includes deep technical knowledge in areas such as accounting for income taxes, public and private companies, partnerships, and federal tax issues. Sleeth earned a bachelor of science degree in accounting from Walla Walla College and a master’s degree in taxation from Golden Gate University. She is a licensed CPA in the states of Oregon and California and a regular speaker at local events, including TEI and PwC roundtables.
https://www.thiswaytocpa.com/profession/profiles/ Ben Ellingson Partner
State, County, City, School Districts, etc. State Treasury Bond Financing State & Local Utilities Counties and cities Universities, Community Colleges, local K-12 school
districts
WHAT DO THEY DO? Analyzing a school district's ability to remain viable The propriety of expenditures for constructing prisons The effectiveness of the workers' compensation system The regulatory compliance of hazardous waste programs
Securities and Exchange CommissionSecurities and Exchange Commission
Established by federal government
Accounting and reporting for public companies
Encouraged private standard-setting body
SEC requires public companies to adhere to GAAP
SEC Oversight and Enforcement Authority
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SarbOx or SOX) created the SEC’s Public Companies Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) which is charged with establishing auditing standards for public companies and monitoring the audit firms.
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HOW IS A STANDARD SET?
Need IdentifiedDiscussion Memorandum (DM) out for at least 60 daysPublic Response (much lobbying)Exposure Draft (ED) or rough draft out for at least 30 days (usually longer)Public Response (again much lobbying)FASB votes (majority of 4/7 needed)
Generally Accepted Accounting PrinciplesGenerally Accepted Accounting Principles
GAAP Documents
Most authoritative document start at the bottom
1-20
Goal in developing the Codification is to provide in one place
all the authoritative literature related to a particular topic.
Creates one level of GAAP, which is considered authoritative.
All other accounting literature is considered non-authoritative.
FASB Codification
LO 6
Generally Accepted Accounting PrinciplesGenerally Accepted Accounting Principles
FASB has developed the Financial Accounting
Standards Board Codification Research
System (CRS). CRS is an online real-time
database that provides easy access to the
Codification.
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Generally Accepted Accounting PrinciplesGenerally Accepted Accounting Principles
Nonfinancial Measurements:Ignores key performance measures used by managers, such as customer satisfaction, backorder info, product quality rates, etc.
Forward-looking Information:Financial statements primarily contain historical info, which isn’t always relevant in a fast-moving world
Soft Assets:The balance sheet ignores certain intangibles until they have been turned into cash, such as superior managers, strategic location, product domination, etc. (Which gets recorded by accountants: purchase of a paperclip or hire of a new CEO?)
Timeliness:Little real-time data is provided. This is changing.
Understandability:Complexity is overwhelming to many investors.
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WHY ARE INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS IMPORTANT?
Differences Between Countries Create InefficienciesGlobalization of Financial Markets Requires Cross-Border InvestmentIASB may eventually replace the FASB for public companies. Convergence is planned within the next decade but major hurdles remain
International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS or iGAAP) will eventually replace U.S. GAAP for public companies. Private companies will likely still follow “small GAAP” set by FASB.
![INTERMEDIATE - preview.kingborn.netpreview.kingborn.net/920000/4344e7e68c624fa98fe9d9d76dffe1c1.pdf · FASB CODIFICATION FASB Codification References [1] FASB ASC 350-10-05. [Predecessor](https://static.documents.pub/doc/80x56/5b892df67f8b9a770a8cf6c0/intermediate-fasb-codification-fasb-codification-references-1-fasb-asc-350-10-05.jpg)
