Mr. Scott has been an academic in the field of accounting at various universities in Canada since the late 1970s. Most recently, he acted as a Director and Professor of Accounting at the School of Accounting and Finance, University of Waterloo, Canada. He also served as a member of the Canadian Accounting Standards Board from 2003 to 2011.

Review the announcement on the IASB's website.

In April and May 2016, the IASB posted a series of eight webinars on the forthcoming Standard.

The new webinar covers:

• The need for change and the history of the project
• Level of aggregation
• Applying the Standard for the first time

Please click to access the update, as well as all previous webinars, on the IASB's website.

While IFAC had originally maintained that there are a range of different organizational reporting frameworks and that it was important to examine the relationship between these frameworks, this position has now been modified and IFAC puts the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) and the implementation of its Framework first claiming that integrated reporting is the key to enhanced organizational reporting. The paper states:

[T]he integrated report can be used as an “umbrella” report for an organization’s broad suite of reports and communications, enabling greater interconnectedness between different reports and recognizing that there is a range of different frameworks and regulations available, and under development.

The updated version of the paper also includes a new section that describes integrated reporting in more detail.

Review the following information on the IFAC's website:

• IFAC press release
• Enhancing Organizational Reporting: Integrated Reporting Key - two page overview
• Enhancing Organizational Reporting: Integrated Reporting Key - full Policy Position Paper

The Terms of Reference of both Councils are now more closely aligned and reflect current oversight procedures.

Review the Terms of Reference on the AcSOC's website.

In an article on CFO.com, featuring some graphics does make sense because research has shown that people process visual information faster than verbal information.

Graphics can have an impact on the information perceived, such that where a report includes both text and graphics, the audience is likely to lend greater weight to the graphical information. On the other hand, sometimes graphics may not convey information clearly or efficiently.

Review the full article on Cooley Pubco's website.

Also, refer to our Annual Review Guide for guidance on financial reporting disclosures.

The ASU amends ASC 805 to “provide a more robust framework to use in determining when a set of assets and activities is a business.” In addition, the amendments “provide more consistency in applying the guidance, reduce the costs of application, and make the definition of a business more operable.”

The ASU discusses its divergence with IFRS:

The definition of a business in GAAP is currently identical to the definition in IFRS. However, the Board observed that although the definition is identical, it does not appear to be interpreted or applied consistently in practice between jurisdictions that apply GAAP and jurisdictions that apply IFRS. That is, stakeholders have said that in jurisdictions that apply IFRS, the definition of a business generally is not applied as broadly as it is in jurisdictions that apply GAAP. In response to concerns from its stakeholders about the complexity of the definition of a business, the IASB added a project on the definition of a business to its agenda and issued an Exposure Draft, Definition of a Business and Accounting for Previously Held Interests, which proposes similar amendments to those in this Update.

Review the press release, ASU, and FASB in Focus newsletter on the FASB’s website.

While Ms. White acknowledged that there had been no formal action by the Commission since 2010 and that any further action would be in the responsibility of the new SEC Chair Clayton, she nevertheless described the last years as a success.

She also noted that this progress was very important and that it needed to continue as both Boards, as well as investors, would benefit greatly from their sustained engagement.

Review the full statement on the SEC's website.

Mr. Clayton would replace Mary Jo White, who announced in November 2016 that she will leave the SEC at the end of the Obama Administration. Mr Clayton’s appointment is contingent on a Senate confirmation vote.

Review the press release on the president-elect’s transition website.