small businesses

ALSO NOTED: Tainted CFOs suffer in post-Sarbox world; After 6-year probe, AOL execs charged;

Tue, 27 May 2008 06:59:58 -0400

> Tainted CFOs suffer in post-Sarbox world. Article
> Ex-CFO spared penalty due to financial woes. Article
> After 6-year probe, AOL execs charged. Article
> Backdating case: SEC charges Broadcom. Article
> Arthur Andersen, dead for six years, is sued. Article
> New group joins exec pay debate. Article
> CFOs back separating CEO, chairman jobs. Article
> Small businesses need to wake up data backup imperative. Article
> Where is the S (for security) in GRC? Article
> Archiving company, Mimosa, gets VC funds. Article

And finally ... Here are some best practices tips for using Excel. Article

ALSO NOTED: Misconceptions about database security; Sarbox effect: accounting degrees hit 36-year high;

Tue, 13 May 2008 06:59:58 -0400

> SEC commissioner Atkins to step down. Article
> Sarbox effect: Accounting degrees hit 36-year high. Article
> More financial firms embrace biometrics. Study
> Nonprofits plan strategies for future. Article
> AIG "fair fund" distribution gets underway. Article
> Misconceptions about database security. Article
> Small businesses face a plethora of regulations. Article
> Bank gives up on "lost" money. Article

And finally ... What triggers sleep walking? Article

ALSO NOTED: How to deal with 404 at foreign subsidiaries; The compliance risks of running a global operation;

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 06:59:58 -0500

> PCAOB budget boosted. Article

> Deloitte to pay $38 million in Delphi case. Article

> Companies getting tough on travel policies. Article

> Energy usage to become a Sarbanes-Oxley issue? Article

> SEC to look at disclosure of credit risks. Article

> The compliance risks of running a global operation. Article

> How to deal with 404 at foreign subsidiaries. Article

> Small businesses: Time to embrace SAAS storage and monitoring of data? Article

> Sarbox and non profits. Article

And finally... How to motivate employees. Article

ALSO NOTED: Ernst & Young has avoided an Arthur Andersen-like fiasco; Cox to AG: what would happen to XBRL?;

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 20:01:38 -0400

> For the moment, Ernst & Young has avoided an Arthur Andersen-like fiasco. Four current and former employees have been charged with tax fraud conspiracy over their work on dubious shelters. But the firm was not charged. Article

> There have been sporadic rumors that SEC Chairman Chris Cox might become the next attorney general. Doesn't look like it will come true. If it did, some people fear that the movement toward XBRL will be derailed. Article

> One CFO wonders: Is Sarbox the only reason audit costs have soared. Article

> Small businesses not yet giving up on another 404 deadline extension. Article

> People with IT security certifications are seeing their salaries rise a bit. Article

> Intensity of security law enforcement is tops in the U.S. Article

> Vista adoption being driven by security concerns. Article

> Here's a primer on Sarbox issues for CPAs. Article

And finally ... Should the feds adopt accrual accounting. Article

Small company compliance timeline issues heat up

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 20:01:39 -0400

More than 6,000 small companies are awaiting word on when they'll have to start complying with 404 internal control and attestation requirements. Recall that they've won a series of deadline extensions. As of now, non-accelerated filers, in their 10-Ks for fiscal years that end on or after Dec. 15, 2007, must meet the management assessment requirement. The auditors' attestation reports aren't due until reports are filed for fiscal years after Dec. 15, 2008. The issue now is whether the deadlines will be pushed back again. Some clues have emerged. Chris Cox, chairman of the SEC, has noted that another delay is not the agency's Plan A. He notes that another extension would mean that the first 404 audit reports for small businesses wouldn't be filed until three years from now, in March 2010. He's sticking to the current plans. Which means that small companies should really pay attention to how the current guidance shapes up.

For more:
- here's a brief from accountingweb

More on Kerry's Sarbox relief proposal

Mon, 09 Oct 2006 20:01:39 -0400

John Kerry's small business Sarbox relief bill looks like a nonstarter. Given Congress's break until the elections and then a lame-duck session, the bill doesn't have much of a shot. Kerry's proposal offers two relief measures: The Small Business Administration would be given authority to award $5 million a year in federal grants to small businesses, and a task force would report to Congress about on-going relief measures. Most people are underwhelmed. Rather than throw money at the problem and issue more reports, why not change the law? Most small businesses would simply like section 404 amended. Obviously, Sarbanes-Oxley compliance issues are not going away from small business. You'll hear more about it. But you likely will not hear more about Kerry's bill.

For more on the bill:
- Here's an article from CFO.com