Meeting at SEC headquarters in Washington, D.C., SEC Chairman Christopher Cox and CSRC Chairman Shang Fulin presented terms of reference that establish the structure of this enhanced dialogue and discussion subjects for the agenda during 2006. Several aspects of the dialogue relate to financial reporting. The new dialogue has three primary objectives:

• to identify and discuss securities markets regulatory developments of common interest, particularly those relevant to reporting requirements for public companies listed in one another's markets;
• to improve cooperation and the exchange of information in cross-border securities enforcement matters; and
• to continue and expand upon the existing program of training and technical assistance provided by the SEC to the CSRC.

In setting out the areas of dialogue for the agenda in 2006, the following regulatory issues for discussion were identified:

• corporate governance reforms, including requirements for audit committees, auditor independence and internal controls over financial reporting;
• convergence of national accounting standards with International Financial Reporting Standards; and
• the use of information technology, including interactive data tagging systems, to enhance the usefulness of reported of financial information.

Click for Press Release (PDF 39k).

The focus of this 1,110-page text is on the application of accounting standards issued by the Australian Accounting Standards Board. The book has been written for intermediate and advanced financial reporting courses, at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. Paul's co-authors are Ruth Picker, Ken Leo, Keith Alfredson, Jeannie Radford, and Victoria Wise. For international orders, email custservice@johnwiley.com.au (cite ISBN-10: 047081148X). Paul is also co-author of another Wiley textbook Applying International Accounting Standards. The second edition of that book will be published later this year, retitled Applying International Financial Reporting Standards.

The report presents the findings of a review of differences in the regulatory approaches to risk across banking, securities, and insurance sectors. One section of the report discusses market practices and differences and similarities in regulatory reporting requirements.

The Joint Forum determined that cross-sectoral convergence in both market practice and regulatory approaches is occurring naturally and can be expected to continue as a result of a number of trends and developments highlighted in the paper. At the same time, however, the Joint Forum recognises that cross-sectoral convergence in regulatory approaches is not desirable in every instance. There may be good reasons for sectoral differences in regulatory approaches to the same risk.

Click to download:

• Report: Regulatory and Market Differences (PDF 145k).
• Press Release (PDF 22k).

The International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee (IFRIC) will meet at the IASB's offices in London on Thursday 11 May and Friday 12 May 2006. The agenda for the meeting is below:

11-12 May 2006, London Thursday 11 May 2006 Introduction - Opening remarks; administrative matters; minutes of the March 2006 IFRIC meeting IAS 17 Leases – Recognition of contingent rentals Customer Loyalty Programmes - Discussion of text for a Draft Interpretation IAS 19 Post-employment Benefits - The effect of a minimum funding requirement on the asset ceiling – Discussion of text for a Draft Interpretation Service Concession Arrangements: Discussion of text for an Interpretation Friday 12 May 2006 IAS 39 – Securitisations: Derecognition of groups of financial assets IFRIC D17 - IFRS 2: Group and Treasury Share Transactions IFRIC D18 - Interim Reporting and Impairment – Review of responses and staff proposals Review of Tentative agenda decisions published in March 2006 IFRIC Update IFRS 2 Share-based Payment – Scope of IFRS 2: Share plans with cash alternative at the discretion of the entity IFRS 2 Share-based Payment – Share plans with cash alternative at the discretion of the employees: grant date and vesting periods IFRS 2 Share-based Payment – Fair value measurement of a post-vesting transfer restriction (including comment letters) Recommendations by Agenda Committee regarding requests for IFRIC agenda items IFRS 2 Share-based Payment – Employee benefit trusts IAS 18 Revenue – Up-front revenue recognition IAS 32 Financial Instruments: Presentation – Classification of a financial instrument as liability or equity IAS 32 Financial Instruments: Presentation – Puts and forwards held by minority interests IFRS 3 Business Combinations – Are puts or forwards received by minority interests in a business combination contingent consideration IAS 39 Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement – Definition of a derivative: Indexation on own EBITDA or own revenue IAS 32 Financial Instruments: Presentation – Foreign Currency Instruments exchangeable into Equity Instruments of the Parent Entity of the Issuer SIC 12 Consolidation - Special Purpose Entities – Relinquishment of control IAS 11 Construction Contracts/ IAS 18 Revenue – Allocation of profit in unsegmented contracts

Mrs Kornasiewicz will complete the term of Jens Røder, who retired following the Trustees' meeting in March 2006. Mrs Kornasiewicz's term expires on 31 December 2007. Mrs Kornasiewicz is a member of the Board of CA IB Corporate Finance Gmbh, Vienna, and serves as CEO and Chairman of CA IB Group in Poland. She is also Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Bank BPH S.A., the third largest bank in Poland. Previously, until October 2000, Mrs Kornasiewicz was Secretary of State - First Deputy Minister of the Ministry of the State Treasury of Poland. Click for Press Release (PDF 53k). Click for Complete List of IASCF Trustees.

We have updated the following agenda project pages to reflect the discussions and the decisions reached during the IASB's April Board meeting (24-26 April 2006) and the joint IASB-FASB meeting (27-28 April 2006).

• Business Combinations II
• Conceptual Framework
• Consolidations, including special purpose entities
• Financial Instruments - Comprehensive
• Financial Instruments Puttable at Fair Value
• Insurance Contracts
• Leases
• Liabilities and Equity
• Revenue Recognition

Mr. Fleck is a partner with the international law firm of Herbert Smith. His three-year term begins May 2006. Click for Press Release (PDF 82k).

Those inspections will begin this month. The PCAOB said its inspectors will evaluate:

• the degree to which the audit of internal control over financial reporting and the audit of financial statements were performed as a single, integrated and mutually reinforcing process;
• whether auditors use a top-down approach in which company-level controls were identified as the first step in planning the audit;
• whether auditors properly assessed risk and used a risk-based approach to determine the nature, timing, and extent of internal control testing; and
• whether auditors took full advantage of the opportunities available to use the work of others, such as the company's internal audit staff.

The 2006 inspections will include the annual inspections of the nine firms – eight US and one Canadian – that audit more than 100 public companies. In addition, the PCAOB will continue its three-year cycle of inspections of smaller firms that audit at least one public company, including non-US firms. In 2005, the PCAOB inspected 281 firms, including 16 non-US firms. Click for:

• (PDF 46k)
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You will find past issues Here. Issues covered in the September 2006 edition include:

• Issue No. 06-6, Debtor's Accounting for a Modification (or Exchange) of Convertible Debt Instruments
• Issue No. 06-7, Issuer's Accounting for a Previously Bifurcated Conversion Option in a Convertible Debt Instrument When the Conversion Option No Longer Meets the Bifurcation Criteria in FASB Statement No. 133, Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities
• Issue No. 06-8, Application of the Assessment of a Buyer's Continuing Investment Under FASB Statement No. 66, Sales of Real Estate, for Sales of Condominiums
• Issue No. 06-9, Reporting a Change in (or Elimination of) a Previously Existing Difference Between the Fiscal Year-End of a Parent Company and That of a Consolidated Entity or Between the Reporting Period of an Investor and That of an Equity Method Investee
• Issue No. 06-10, Accounting for Deferred Compensation and Postretirement Benefit Aspects of Collateral Assignment Split-Dollar Life Insurance Arrangements Issue No. 06-11, Accounting for Income Tax Benefits of Dividends on Share-Based Payment Awards
• Issue No. 06-12, Application of AICPA Audit and Accounting Guide, Brokers and Dealers in Securities, to Entities That Engage in Commodity Trading Activities and Related Issues

The IAESB proposes to undertake three high priority activities, beginning in 2007. These are:

• Conducting a fundamental review of the Framework for International Education Statements (IESs), considering developments in accounting education and the accountancy profession as a whole since this was first written;
• Developing a benchmarking methodology to help IFAC members and others achieve the measurable implementation of IESs; and
• Reviewing existing IESs to determine areas where the clarity of standards could be improved and/or additional guidance most usefully developed.

Comments on the exposure draft are requested by 28 February 2007. Click for Press Release (PDF 82k).