The IRS issued proposed regulations (107892-18) on August 8, 2018 regarding the passthrough deduction of §199A. Excepting the new season of Orange Is the New Black, nothing else has garnered as much anticipation this Summer as the arrival of these regs. Having read all 184 pages, I can tell you there is a lot of […]

Much has been written about Qualified Improvement Property (QIP) lately. QIP is defined as any improvement to an interior portion of a building that is nonresidential real property if such improvement is placed in service after the date such building was first placed in service. QIP does not include any improvement for which the expenditure […]

On July 24, 2018, House Republicans released their outline of Tax Reform 2.0. Interestingly, the outline commits to improving the tax code every year and likens the process to upgrading apps on a phone. Three main points are discussed. Making the individual and small business tax cuts of the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act permanent […]

The much anticipated revision to the Yellow Book has arrived and is available at www.gao.gov. Some examples of changes contained in the 2018 Yellow Book include: The formatting of the new Yellow Book clearly differentiates the requirements from the application guidance. The new Yellow Book adds clarification in the area of independence particularly when auditors […]

After being particularly slow with its standard setting in early 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) has significantly picked up its pace in issuing new accounting guidance over the past few weeks. Also, in looking at the FASB’s technical agenda, there are several more Accounting Standards Updates (ASU) which the FASB plans to issue […]

Impact on 529 Plans The Tax Cuts & Jobs Act treats up to $10,000 a year for elementary and high school expenses per student as qualified under the Section 529 plan rules. Previously, Section 529 money could only be used for post-secondary education – think college and graduate schools. But now, the Tax Cuts & […]

Nonprofits with December 31, 2018 year-ends will be implementing ASU No. 2016-14. As this effective date draws near, many are finding a challenging aspect of ASU No. 2016-14 to be the new disclosures related to: (1) how a nonprofit manages its liquid resources available to meet cash needs for general expenditures within one year; and […]

In May 2014, FASB issued an Accounting Standards Update regarding Topic 606: Revenue from Contracts with Customers, along with various amendments, to be implemented in 2017 and 2019. In this post, we’ll talk about exact adoption dates of the new construction revenue recognition standards, the major updates, and how you can help your construction clients […]

Avoiding Audit Documentation Dilemmas

In the Auditor’s Responsibility section of the audit report, auditors discuss their responsibility to express an opinion and that they conducted the audit in accordance with GAAS and potentially other standards (e.g., the Yellow Book, the Uniform Guidance for Federal Awards, etc.). Since auditors are required to apply AU-C section 230, Audit Documentation, as part […]

3 Ways Surgent's Unlimited CPE for CPAs Is Perfect for You

CPE hours are an integral part of the accounting profession; CPAs use them not only to keep their licenses current, but to stay up-to-date on new technologies and advancements and enhance their careers. However, getting CPE hours isn’t exactly easy, and finding relevant opportunities can be time consuming and frustrating, especially if your deadline is […]