Are you interested in what’s going on at the FASB and GASB? Then this section of the blog is for you. We’ll look at the active projects of these financial reporting standard setters and maybe a few other interesting topics that are important for CPAs!
If you thought we were done with Revenue Recognition and Topic 606, you would definitely be surprised to hear that the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued an exposure draft this morning to address revenue recognition for franchisors by offering a practical expedient. This standard was foreshadowed in the discussion for ASU 2020-05 which delayed revenue recognition by one year for private entities. Comments are due November 5th.
The AICPA has issued a Technical Q&A (TQA) titled Accounting for Lease Components in Type A Life Care Contracts by Continuing Care Retirement Communities. Issued August 2020, the TQA addresses common questions in the healthcare arena related to the application of lease accounting (Topic 842) for Type A Life Care Contracts. The TQA provides CCRCs with common considerations to determine whether there is a lease and if so, what the appropriate accounting would be. This has been a hot topic for the CCRC industry and many will be grateful to have some guidelines for accounting purposes which should reduce diversity in practice.
Cryptocurrency is becoming a more recognized transaction with more entities participating in this ecosystem. The AICPA has issued non-authoritative guidance on accounting and auditing digital assets. Current FASB does not have authoritative guidance in this area, so the practice aid addresses some common considerations. In addition, it addresses the questions firms need to address before accepting a client and provides procedures to ensure that digital asset risks are properly identified and an appropriate audit response is performed. We’ll take a high-level look at some of the considerations for those contemplating moving into this area.
FASB has proposed its newest PCC alternative for private company GAAP. The proposal would permit the use of 409A valuations for GAAP purposes when valuating equity based options. Comments are due October 1.
FASB has issued a proposed Concept Statement addressing the definition of elements of financial statements. The 10 key elements (assets, liabilities, equity etc.) are getting an update to better define the key components that describe an element. Comments are due November 13th.
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Money Matters for Nonprofits demystifies financial statements and basic accounting, empowering nonprofit board members to better advise their organizations and make an even greater difference in the world.
Melisa F. Galasso is the founder and CEO of Galasso Learning Solutions LLC. A CPA with nearly 20 years of experience in the accounting profession, Melisa designs and facilitates courses in advanced technical accounting and auditing topics, including not-for-profit and governmental accounting.
Her passion is providing high-quality CPE that is meaningful, creates efficiencies and improves quality, and positively impacts ROI. She also supports essential professional development, audit level training, and train the trainer efforts.
Melisa is a Certified Speaking Professional, a Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD), and has earned the Association for Talent Development Master Trainer™ designation. Her passion for instructional design and adult learning techniques is one of the differentiators that set her apart from other CPE providers.
She also serves on the FASB’s Not-for-Profit Advisory Committee (NAC), AICPA Council, and the AICPA’s Women’s Initiative Executive Committee (WIEC). She also serves as a Subject Matter Expert for the Center for Plain English Accounting. She previously served on the AICPA’s Technical Issues Committee (TIC), the VSCPA’s Board of Directors, and is a past Chair of the NCACPA’s A&A committee. In addition, Melisa is the author of Money Matters for Nonprofits: How Board Members Can Harness the Power of Financial Statements by Understanding Basic Accounting which is available on Amazon or anywhere you purchase books online.
Melisa received a Top 50 Women in Accounting Award in 2021 by Ignition, is a 2020 Enterprising Women of the Year Award recipient, and was honored as a “40 under 40” by CPA Practice Advisor in 2017, 2018, and 2019. She was also named the 2019 Rising Star by her regional NAWBO chapter, received the Don Farmer award for achievement in technical content instruction, and earned several other awards for public speaking and technical training.
