What to expect during a franchise audit
It’s important for franchisors to periodically audit individual franchisees. These routine “check-ups” are especially valuable in a store’s early years of operations or if performance starts to deteriorate. They can be used to detect symptoms of unhealthy performance and treat problems before they spiral out of control. Focus on royalty payments Royalties are a franchisor’s […]
Reporting discontinued operations
Financial reporting generally focuses on the results of continuing operations. But sometimes businesses sell (or retire) a product line, asset group or another component. In certain situations, such a disposal should be reported as a discontinued operation under U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Starting in 2015, the rules changed, limiting the scope of transactions […]
FAQs about CAMs
In July, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) published two guides to help clarify a new rule that requires auditors of public companies to disclose critical audit matters (CAMs) in their audit reports. The rule represents a major change to the brief pass-fail auditor reports that have been in place for decades. One PCAOB […]
Attention: Accounting rule delays in the works
On July 17, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) voted to issue a proposal that would delay several landmark accounting rules for certain companies. If finalized, the deferral would apply to new guidance for reporting leases, hedging transactions, credit losses and long-term insurance contracts. Summary of the changes The following table summarizes key implementation date […]
Let’s find a better way to manage your receivables
Failure to collect accounts receivable (AR) in a timely manner can lead to myriad financial problems for your company, including poor cash flow and the inability to pay its own bills. Here are five effective ideas to facilitate more timely collections: 1. Create an AR aging report. This report lets you see at a glance […]
Why do companies restate financial results?
Every year, research firm Audit Analytics publishes a study about financial restatement trends. In 2018, the number of public companies that amended their annual reports increased by 18%. Many of these amendments were due to minor technical issues, however. Of the 400 public companies that amended their returns in 2018, only 30 amended 10-Ks (or […]
Private companies: Beware of SEC scrutiny
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) doesn’t monitor just publicly traded companies. It also looks at the dealings of some private companies, often to the surprise of their owners and executives. Reasons for SEC scrutiny The SEC’s mission is to protect the public as well as the integrity of the financial markets. That mission extends […]
The pros and cons of interim reporting
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires certain public companies to publish quarterly financial statements to give investors insight into midyear performance. Though interim reporting generally isn’t required for private companies, stakeholders in smaller entities can benefit even more than those of public companies from this type of information. But it’s also important to understand […]
In pursuit of global tax transparency
In today’s global economy, multinational corporations engage in numerous cross-border transactions. But how they report those transactions is often vague. To help minimize stakeholders’ exposure to potential hidden risks, the Financial Accountability & Corporate Transparency (FACT) Coalition wants multinationals to disclose more information about corporate taxes. A global movement The FACT Coalition is a nonpartisan […]
How auditors use nonfinancial information
Every financial transaction your company records generates nonfinancial data that doesn’t have a dollar value assigned to it. Though auditors may spend most of their time analyzing financial records, nonfinancial data can also help them analyze your business from multiple angles. Gathering audit evidence The purpose of an audit is to determine whether your financial […]
