Insights

Despite frequent mention in both local and national political campaigns, the United States’ well-documented issue with crumbling national infrastructure just cannot seem to garner the attention that some feel it deserves.

The 2017 tax reform law referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) created a unique opportunity for investors to both defer and avoid capital gain taxes.

After a careful search, you’ve found a commercial property you feel is right for your business or as an investment. Your next step will be a process of due diligence to minimize risk and ensure the building or property is a sound venture.

Our 10-page publication provides a quick overview of the important planning considerations for your 2018 tax strategy.

The construction backlog indicator is down slightly from a year ago, and year-over-year, housing permits and starts are up. Month-over-month, however, starts and permits for single-family and multi-family projects decreased.

Over the years, divergent practices have emerged for estimating the fair value of portfolio company investments. The AICPA recently released a guide to help make accounting for these complex investments easier for venture capital, private equity, and other investment companies.

The FASB issued ASU 2018-17 Consolidation (Topic 810) which expands the accounting alternative for private companies' application of variable interest entity (VIE) consolidation guidance and changes the analysis of related party decision maker and service provider fees.

Now is the time for not-for-profit organizations to prepare for the implementation of the new leasing standard (ASC Topic 842).

The transition to the new leasing standard promises to be time-consuming, and it could have an impact on financial statements. Taking action early — before the effective date — can help private companies simplify their adoption process and potentially avoid compliance issues with loan covenants.

MHM was the recipient of the Kreston International Collaboration Award at the Kreston World Conference last week in New Orleans.

Our Eye on Washington webinars assist CEOs, CFOs, financial executives and advisors, and other interested parties in navigating the complex tax environment. From federal tax reform to IRS guidance and healthcare reform, topics covered will provide the up-to-date information you need to help you plan for the future.

This quarterly webinar will bring you up-to-date on hot topics, technical matters and current events impacting financial reporting and the accounting profession.

The amendments in the Rule are intended to facilitate the disclosure of information to investors and simplify compliance without significantly altering the total mix of information provided to investors.

The time to adopt the new leasing standard is almost here for public companies. Changes introduced in ASC Topic 842 take effect for public companies for fiscal years beginning after Dec. 15, 2018. All leases will need to be evaluated in light of the new requirements and internal processes and reporting may need updating.

The 2017 tax reform law affected the tax treatment for divorce settlements by eliminating the deduction for alimony and maintenance payments for the payor and the tax on the alimony for the recipient.

The AICPA Conference on Current SEC and PCAOB Developments highlights some of the current key topics that will have an impact on SEC registrants and other public business entities. Members of our team who attended the conference will provide a debrief on the key points, tips and other guidance shared at the conference.

This webinar will cover the specific considerations for the adoption of revenue recognition related to the technology industry, and the steps you should be taking now to ensure a smooth transition.

The IRS recently released its proposed regulations interpreting Section 965, the provision in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) that imposes a one-time "transition tax" on the stockpiled earnings of U.S. companies' foreign subsidiaries.

This webinar will cover the specific considerations for the adoption of revenue recognition related to the construction industry, and the steps you should be taking now to ensure a smooth transition.

This course will discuss some of key provisions of the TCJA as well as the private company accounting elements that may be particularly challenging to implement.

The cloud provides a more efficient venue for creating new products or services by allowing remote collaboration. From a cybersecurity perspective, however, cloud software presents a logistical nightmare.

This webinar will cover the specific considerations for the adoption of revenue recognition and lease accounting standards related to the real estate industry and the steps you should be taking now to ensure a smooth transition.

In this course, we will review the key changes to the accounting model and provide illustrative examples of the new disclosures and other significant provisions.

As the effective date nears, entities will need to be prepared for the changes to lease accounting. The following are some elements to consider when preparing for the transition to ASC Topic 842.

Indicators continue to look bright for the construction sector. The industry's unemployment rate is slightly below the national average and more than one percentage point lower than the same time last year.

In the fourth quarter, we will be offering industry-specific looks at revenue recognition issues as well as quarterly updates for all businesses to consider. Most webinars are eligible for CPE credit.

This webinar will cover the specific considerations for the adoption of revenue recognition related to the professional services industry, and the steps you should be taking now to ensure a smooth transition.

Private equity and venture capital firms and their portfolio companies need to be aware of the potential tax impact, as changes to financial reporting practices could create differences between book and tax accounting.

Beyond the task of selecting an external auditor, an audit committee provides additional key functions to an organization that are of immense value.

In this webinar, we will discuss the major areas where financial reporting for manufacturing and distribution could be changing as well as best practices for adopting the new requirements under ASC Topic 606.

A low unemployment rate and high number of open positions up the ante in the talent marketplace. Not-for-profit organizations may want to go on the defensive to ensure they keep their top talent.

This guide highlights some of the key provisions that will affect your strategic planning for 2018 and beyond and help you utilize changes in the new tax law to your advantage.

Our webinar will recap hot topics, technical matters, and other current events that have a bearing on international tax planning and compliance. We will highlight emerging best practices and other tips to help you navigate through these areas.

The FASB recently released an accounting standards update that explains how to account for those implementation costs that may result in companies needing to track, capitalize, and compute amortization for costs in new ways.

ASU 2018-14, Compensation-Retirement Benefits-Defined Benefit Plans, Topic 715-20 removes several disclosure requirements, and adds and clarifies others in an effort to provide more useful information for benefit plan financial statements.

ASU 2018-13 is designed to make fair value disclosures align with the recently issued concept statement for notes to the financial statements.

Our Eye on Washington webinars assist CEOs, CFOs, financial executives and advisors, and other interested parties in navigating the complex tax environment. From federal tax reform to IRS guidance and healthcare reform, topics covered will provide the up-to-date information you need to help you plan for the future.

The July 2018 Construction Vital Statistics indicates that the construction sector is continuing to perform well.

The 2017 tax reform law gives donors more of an incentive to make charitable contributions, increasing the deduction allowed for cash contributions to public charities from 50 to 60 percent of adjusted gross income. Substantiating that deduction, however, may be more challenging due to recently finalized IRS regulations.

Please join us for this webcast in which we will identify and assess effective individual year-end strategies including interactions with trusts and estates, S corporations and other pass-through entities for optimal tax minimization for 2018 and beyond.

Private equity and venture capital firms and their portfolio companies should be aware of the potential impact the Wayfair decision could have on their existing sales and use tax collection, remitting and reporting processes.

The FASB recently issued proposed guidance that would simplify three elements of the new leasing standard that will affect lessor accounting.

Lease accounting underwent a major revision with the issuance of ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). This course will specifically discuss the changes in lessor accounting.

Online trading platforms have become a popular way investors can buy and sell digital assets, including cryptocurrency coins and tokens offered in Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs).

These regulations provide clarification on which types of property qualify, when a taxpayer will not be considered to have previously used property, and the effect of certain partnership elections.

Changes to the adoption requirements will be particularly important for SEC filers as they prepare their third and fourth quarter filings.

The June vital statistics show positive trends for the construction sector.

This quarterly webinar will bring you up-to-date on hot topics, technical matters and current events impacting financial reporting and the accounting profession.

Our webinar will cover lessons learned from early adopters and steps your organization can take now to make the necessary changes and process updates.

Accounting updates to the presentation of debt issuance cost may affect the ratios used for financial covenants.

In our webinar, we will discuss how not-for-profit organizations can prepare for revenue recognition changes, which are effective for years ended December 31, 2018 for conduit debt issuers and for years ended December 31, 2019 for others.

The increasing popularity of these digital currencies may offer new opportunities for your organization because they represent new ways to raise money and conduct business, their transactions are secure, and their underlying technology has the potential to dramatically lower not-for-profits' bookkeeping costs.

Tax-exempt organizations other than those organized under 501(c)(3) or political organizations (under Section 527) will soon be able to leave off donor names and addresses from their Form 990s.

This course discusses the changes and the challenges in implementation of the new leasing standard as well as the frequently asked questions of professionals concerning the changes.

Internal accounting departments may be focused on complying with the tax changes in South Dakota vs Wayfair (and rightly so), but there are also financial reporting considerations that come into play with sales and use taxes.

Those reticent about making backdoor Roth IRA contributions for fear of drawing IRS scrutiny may want to reconsider participating in the strategy.

As use of cryptocurrency grows in popularity, it presents challenges for accounting of which vendors and their accountants will need to be aware.

This OMB memo dramatically increased these thresholds, which should simplify purchase processes for not-for-profit organizations receiving federal funds.

Three emerging technologies in particular — blockchain, automation, and cloud software — will shake up some traditional accounting practices and streamline others.

These amendments expand the number of registrants that qualify as smaller reporting companies and are intended to reduce compliance costs for these registrants and promote capital formation, while maintaining appropriate investor protections.

ASU 2018-08 provides accounting guidance around contributions of cash and other assets received and made by not-for-profit organizations and business enterprises.

The FASB issued ASU 2018-07 Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718) as part of its Simplification Initiative to reduce complexity when accounting for share-based payments to non-employees.

In South Dakota v. Wayfair Inc. , the Supreme Court ruled that the physical presence standard for sales tax collection is no longer the law of the land. Retailers across the nation must prepare for a profound increase in sales tax collection responsibilities as states adapt their laws to this new judicial standard.

How do you, as an organization, understand what your risk exposure is? To understand that question, you have to start with understanding how GDPR enforcement works.

From large organizations to small local associations, cybersecurity is a concern for everyone in the not-for-profit sphere.

We discuss recommendations and lessons from those companies that have already adopted the new revenue recognition guidance.

The 20% QBI deduction under Section 199A affects all businesses other than C corporations. Join us as we unpack these new and anxiously awaited regulations.

Our Eye on Washington webinars assist CEOs, CFOs, financial executives and advisors, and other interested parties in navigating the complex tax environment. From federal tax reform to IRS guidance and healthcare reform, topics covered will provide the up-to-date information you need to help you plan for the future.

A new accounting standard will soon be coming that has the potential to simplify the application of the consolidation guidance to private companies.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will impact income tax planning for trusts and estates, at least until Dec. 31, 2025 when many of the provisions are scheduled to expire. Here are some tax planning opportunities to consider for executors, trustees, and beneficiaries of trusts, as well as those considering the creation of new trusts.

Domestic manufacturers should explore the potential benefits and drawbacks under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act now.

Traditional tax planning strategies concerning tangible property must be revisited in light of the new QBI deduction.

Failing to follow audit regulations can mean significant consequences for a not-for-profit organization. Here are some things to look for within your own organization before your audit begins.

ASU 2016-14 is designed to provide more transparency into the financial reporting process of an organization and does so by addressing updates to several areas, including net asset classifications, investment reporting, expenses and the presentation of statement of cash flows information.

The IRS may be faced with a declining workforce and budget, but it's still active in monitoring compliance for not-for-profit organizations. In its 2018 work plan, the IRS stressed its data-driven approach to selecting Form 990s to examine.

Regardless of size or type of operation, all companies can benefit from having an audit committee to help with corporate governance strategies and, ultimately, provide the best chance to ensure the organization's success.

David Diamond, MHM Shareholder and Chair of Kreston International's Global Technology Special Interest Group, has been featured in the May issue of Life Science Leader magazine.

This quarterly webinar will bring you up-to-date on hot topics, technical matters and current events impacting financial reporting and the accounting profession.

During 2017, a few early adopters of the new standard received SEC comment letters with respect to their first Form 10-Q filed after adoption, that included correspondence regarding accounting for, and disclosures required under ASC Topic 606.

In light of lawsuits and the recent continuation of certain cases, not-for-profit organizations may want to take a close look at their 403(b) programs, and if necessary, make some changes to help minimize fiduciary risk.

Our session will provide an update on the FASB's consolidation standard and the status of the proposed changes. We will also discuss reorganization into separate sections for voting interest entities and variable interest entities.

It's a good time to take a look at the message your organization's tax return is sending.

As the IRS works to finalize these regulations later this year, businesses should prepare for the potential impact of these regulations, which will be explored in this webcast.

As expected, the adoption and application of the new guidance is an item that the SEC is paying attention to, already having sent comment letters to several early adopters.

Our webinar will recap hot topics, technical matters and other current events that have a bearing on international tax planning and compliance.

ASU 2017-01, Business Combinations (Topic 805), Clarifying the Definition of a Business, creates a framework that may result in fewer complex transactions qualifying as business acquisitions for accounting purposes.

Over the past several months, regulators have released new guidance that will affect not-for-profit accounting and taxes. Here are highlights of some of the major developments from the end of 2017 and the beginning of 2018.

Employers should begin preparing for the restatement process if they have not done so already.

Meeting donor (and media) perceptions and expectations with regard to how much executives within a not-for-profit organization should be paid can be complicated.

This webinar examines the common approaches utilized by state taxing jurisdictions to source service revenue in order to provide an overview of the principles involved.

Our Eye on Washington webinars assist CEOs, CFOs, financial executives and advisors, and other interested parties in navigating the complex tax environment. From federal tax reform to IRS guidance and healthcare reform, topics covered will provide the up-to-date information you need to help you plan for the future.

Bankers are optimistic about the next few years, and why not? Tax reform presents banks and financial institutions with additional options.

Life sciences companies have many new things to consider in light of the changes made by the 2017 tax legislation known informally as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA).

Life sciences companies have many new things to consider in light of the changes made by the 2017 tax legislation known informally as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA).

In our webinar, we will cover real life examples of how NFPs have taken ownership for knowing and managing their cybersecurity risk. We will also cover how to navigate a relationship with a third party IT service provider and the right questions you should be asking about cybersecurity.

The SEC recently released guidance on required cybersecurity disclosures for public companies.

In the wake of an increasingly improved economy and a strengthening stock market, many private biotech companies have either initiated the process of going public or are at least contemplating it.

While much of the focus of the recently enacted tax reform legislation has been on the direct effect of the new federal provisions, there are major indirect implications for state income taxes as well.

These accounting changes will likely affect financial statements, so it's critical that entities understand where accounting changes will need to be made as well the impact to their financial statement in order to communicate the reason for the changes to their financial statement users.

Accounting changes will affect financial statements, so it’s critical entities understand what accounting changes will need to be made in order to explain the reason for the changes to their financial statement users.

The FASB issued guidance, ASU 2017-04, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Accounting for Goodwill Impairment, to further simplify the accounting for goodwill impairment.

The new tax law introduced as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) includes considerable changes to the Internal Revenue Code that will impact the private equity and venture capital industries.

The TCJA provides many changes for individuals and business that mostly take effect beginning in 2018. Some are permanent and some expire after 2025. Having a good list of start and end dates is important to understanding the Act's long-term impact.

While tax paying entities clearly have significant financial reporting implications from the enactment of the TCJA and the creation of the deemed repatriation tax, can it impact pass-through entities?

Operating environments change, and not-for-profit organizations can expect to feel a financial impact from the new tax legislation.

Not-for-profit organizations will face some critical challenges as the new tax law begins to take effect.

This quarterly webinar will bring you up-to-date on hot topics, technical matters and current events impacting financial reporting and the accounting profession.

Effective Jan. 1, 2017, Revenue Procedure 2016-37 changed the IRS determination letter program to eliminate the five-year remedial amendment cycle for tax-qualified individually designed plans (IDP).

The new tax law that is informally referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) included many perks for businesses, but it also established new protocols for the recognition of gross income that may be detrimental.

The FASB discussed how companies should account for the effects of the new tax law and addressed six different financial reporting issues related to the new tax law and has already resulted in the issuance of a FASB Staff Q&A.

The FASB's revised definition of readily determinable fair value (RDFV) may have in fact made the net asset value practical expedient more difficult to apply.

SAB 118 introduces the concept of a measurement period for the accounting for the TCJA.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is the most far reaching tax change to affect the real estate sector since the Tax Reform Act of 1986. Generally speaking, real estate fared well under the new law.

We will focus on the changes to tax rates and depreciation, as well as new limitations on interest expense deductions, accounting methods for inventory and long-term contracts, and the new qualified business income deduction.

This update provides brief descriptions of selected international tax provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act — based on the more extensive summary above — and adds a few observations about the impact of such provisions.

These are the top five issues to be dealt with in preparing Dec. 31, 2017 financial statements.

We will focus on the manner in which closely held businesses are impacted by the new law, and will offer insight about how closely held businesses and investors should respond to the new provisions.

We will focus on proper entity selection, the new net operating loss provisions, the new limitations on deductibility of interest and assessing the impact of the temporary full capital expensing provisions.

Accounting standards may not be on the top of your list of New Year's resolutions, but they are worth some time and consideration before 2018 gets underway.

Understanding the risk management lessons from major events in 2017 will help you plan to address the risks of tomorrow.

Some not-for-profit organizations have chosen to early adopt the standard, and the lessons they have learned from implementation may be able to help other organizations get ready for their new requirements.

It's a challenge to retain a talented finance executive. The following may help your organization keep the talent it has secured.

Changes are coming that may make implementing the new leasing standard easier.

We focus on the changes to individual tax rates, alternative minimum tax, popular itemized deductions, carried interests, and estate and gift tax changes, among other changes impacting individuals.

Our Eye on Washington webinars assist CEOs, CFOs, financial executives and advisors, and other interested parties in navigating the complex tax environment. From federal tax reform to IRS guidance and healthcare reform, topics covered will provide the up-to-date information you need to help you plan for the future.

In this course we focus on the manner in which construction businesses are impacted by the new law, and will offer insight about how the sector should respond to the new provisions.

Based on what we know about the comment letters the AICPA has received, it indicates that improving employee benefit plan auditing standards to address deficiency rates may be easier said than done.

Several of the provisions in the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" directly impact the preparation of the financial statements this year and we will discuss the most significant items that should be considered when preparing the financial statements.

In our webinar, we will focus on the manner in which real estate businesses are impacted by the new law and offer insight about how real estate businesses and investors should respond to the new provisions.

Not-for-profit organizations may want to take some down time this holiday season to identify which accounting provisions will need to be in effect before their fiscal year ends so they can make a good jump start on any needed transitions.

Proposed updates to individual tax brackets, employment tax-related provisions, and estate planning are among several areas that may have an impact on charitable giving and other tax-related matters.

A growing number of organizations are turning to a framework of internal coaches who can assist in creating a pipeline of leaders and develop managers who can coach their teams.

Two major accounting updates whose implementation are on the horizon and may have significant impacts to your balance sheet and bottom line relate to revenue recognition and leasing.

We will focus on the manner in which international businesses are impacted by the new law, and will offer insight about how international businesses and investors should respond to the new provisions.

Several provisions in the new tax reform law will have a significant impact on not-for-profit organizations starting in 2018.

These are factors that companies may want to consider as part of their future planning for any mergers, acquisitions, sales, or divestitures.

The new guidance enhances COSO's 2004 ERM publication, Enterprise Risk Management-Integrated Framework by providing additional detail organizations can use to enhance enterprise-wide risk management procedures.

A proactive approach to managing your property tax burden can return significant dollars to your bottom line.

The FASB released its long-awaited improvements to ASC Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging in August 2017.

We will explore all of the key provisions of the tax reform bill across these sectors, and will offer insight about how the new law differs from prior law.

Adopting the new revenue recognition standard introduced under ASC Topic 606 will be one challenge; being audited with the new standard will be another.

Not-for-profit organizations have a diversity problem, and it starts at the board level.

Data-driven analytics are here to stay when it comes to compliance enforcement for not-for-profit organizations.

Information security is a threat for every business, but it’s particularly disruptive to the nation’s infrastructure systems including transportation, communications and financial institutions.

Not-for-profit organizations affected by natural disasters may be able to harness the generosity that follows a natural disaster, but they should be careful.

A financial statement audit is bound to produce questions on financial statement reporting, and many are matters that are better addressed before the start of the audit.

Several major accounting standards took effect in 2017, and you'll want to make sure you're prepared for them.

The third quarter was all about hedging and complex financial instruments. Two accounting standards updates will simplify accounting for entities and the users of their financial statements.

The SEC issued SAB 116 which modifies portions of the interpretive guidance in an effort to make the relevant interpretive guidance on revenue recognition consistent with authoritative accounting guidance and SEC rules and regulations.

Mergers and acquisitions aren't part of a typical not-for-profit organization's growth strategy, but they may be a resource worth considering.

Regulatory burdens, customer demands and new technologies will continue to encourage smaller community and regional banks to consolidate in response to this shifting landscape.

Here are some of the questions that most frequently arise when a business combination occurs.

This proposed update is designed to clarify revenue recognition related to grants and contracts and contributions.

Not-for-profit organizations can better manage employees in different age groups if they understand some common generational traits and where differences may arise.

We recently received an inside look at the grant-making process, and the experience provided some additional insights into the type of information and requests that make a grant application appealing to grant-makers.

Recent tax court cases indicate that regulators will be aggressive in enforcing charitable contribution tax deduction rules.

Private companies face new guidelines in ASU 2015-02 for determining which entities are included in their consolidated financial statements.

One of the differences between other financial service providers and CBIZ and MHM rests is the relationships we build with our clients. But don't take our word for it; hear it straight from them.

The FASB issued final guidance that affects all entities that issue equity-linked financial instruments with down round features in ASU 2017-11.

As industries scramble to fully grasp the implications of the new revenue recognition standard, it is important for those that work within the commercial real estate sector to understand that they, too, should be thinking about this upcoming change to the accounting rules.

As entities work through their transition to the new guidance, a number of questions may come up. The following may assist with implementation.

A good board with a wide variety of skills may lead your not-for-profit to new heights.

At a recent Department of Education Federal Student Aid conference, presenters discussed some of the most common compliance issues involving student aid and federal funds.

Each organization is vulnerable to unique risks and disruptions, but in general, not-for-profits should be prepared to address four types of losses: loss of people, loss of vendors, loss of facilities and loss of technology.

Understanding the Leasing Standard: Five Considerations for Adoption takes a deep dive into what's changed from existing U.S. GAAP.

Revenue recognition under ASC Topic 606 includes new and extensive disclosure requirements that will significantly impact revenue-generating companies, whether publicly traded or privately held.

Audit committees should evaluate and update their charters to ensure they include best practices, not only for managing the audit process but also for helping their organizations mitigate their key risks.

The number of cyber attacks continues to rise. Employee benefit plans should evaluate their protocol to make sure they are prepared for the risks in their environment.

The second quarter of 2017 brought only two accounting standards and might represent the calm before the next storm.

To identify the right candidate, not-for-profit organizations may want to broaden the search to include individuals with a corporate background.

Public company audit reports received a major update with a new audit report designed to provide public company shareholders with more information about public company audits.

A recent accounting standards update addresses an age-old question related to share-based payments: When does a change in terms and conditions require modification accounting in ASC Topic 718, Stock Compensation?

How does the new guidance in FASB ASC 825, Financial Instruments, differ from current GAAP? This course will help you answer that question.

Not-for-profit organizations can help protect their organization from financial abuse and mismanagement by understanding what form fraud may take.

Not-for-profit organizations must be vigilant in how they manage and protect their sensitive information, including employee data, donor data and financial data.

CPAs will use the report to evaluate entities' cybersecurity risk management programs, similar to the process used to evaluate an organization's control environments in SOC 1 and SOC 2 reports.

Understanding common accounting mistakes related to these instruments as well as the accounting guidance to which the instruments may be subject can assist with navigating through complex debt and equity transactions.

The Johnson amendment was passed in 1954 and prohibits Section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organizations from participating in political activities that favor or oppose a candidate for office.

In ASU 2017-08, the FASB revised the amortization period for debt securities with noncontingent call features, which are also callable at a fixed price and predetermined date, to the earliest call date.

CBIZ and MHM are pleased to sponsor the 2017 American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) National Not-for-Profit Conference being held on June 21-23, 2017.

Organizations that follow four simple steps may find that an in-depth examination from a regulator is no cause for alarm.

The long-awaited definition of a business project kicked off the first quarter of 2017. Goodwill impairment testing also received an update, and the AICPA released exposure drafts from its industry-specific task forces on revenue recognition.

Not-for-profit organizations can use social media to help drive engagement with internal and external audiences.

New revenue recognition standards for financial reporting require careful planning and education to develop an implementation strategy. They may bring about substantial income tax consequences as well.

To ensure your organization is adequately protected, management and IT need a routine monitoring plan in place and regular communication about the following topics.

2017 started with a big backlog of companies looking to go public, and year-to-date, very few of them have gone public. The first quarter had only four biotech IPOs. With that, companies right now are looking for other ways of raising capital.

ASU 2017-06 is effective for defined benefit pension plans, defined contribution plans and health and welfare benefit plans with interests in master trusts effective for fiscal years beginning after Dec. 15, 2018, and needs to be applied retrospectively.

Periodic reviews of financial statement reporting processes, bylaws, board policies and mission statements help identify discrepancies between what the organization says it's doing on paper and what activities it puts into practice.

Used by tax-exempt organizations, these "top hat" nonqualified retirement plans allow key employees or a select group of employees to defer receipt of compensation to a later date, perhaps when their tax rate is lower.

If your organization accepts in-kind donations, it should have clear policies and reporting measures in place.

MHM's David Diamond recently participated in a panel at the ROTH conference discussing the process of listing on a US National Exchange and the impact on liquidity and visibility within the investment community.

The FASB has released the second phase of its definition of a business project addressing the accounting for transfers of nonfinancial assets.

Logical security protocol makes it more difficult for one user to be the source of a major issue.

While business growth and regulatory compliance are perhaps the two most critical business drivers behind a financial service firm's decision to outsource, the outsourcing solution itself creates a risk that must be managed and regulatory requirements that must be met.

Although the OCC's objectives in granting limited-purpose bank charters to fintech companies are regulatory in nature, the move could be a huge game changer for companies seeking to innovate within the financial services industry.

Regulators submitted a proposal to implement sweeping changes to the forms and regulations that govern annual employee benefit plan reporting on Form 5500.

All entities that have contracts with customers will be affected by the new revenue recognition standard, including not-for-profit organizations.

As you begin to finalize calendar year 2016 financial reporting, consider taking a moment to consider the accounting changes that are required to be adopted for financial reporting in 2017.

The most significant change relates to the establishment of the Current Expected Credit Loss (CECL) impairment model for loans measured at amortized cost.

In 2016, the FASB released 20 accounting standards updates. Among the more significant were changes to leasing, financial instruments and the not-for-profit reporting model.