This Week in Accounting & Auditing

This Week in Accounting & Auditing

This week found our regulatory agencies working hard to address COVID-19. OMB expanded its administrative relief to entities impacted operationally by current conditions. The AICPA provided guidance on how to audit inventory when you can’t be on site. The SEC provided disclosure guidance to address COVID. GASB has indicated potential delays of two major standards in response to operational issues. FASB has worked with the federal agencies to address loan modifications and TDRs in light of banks helping customers dealing with COVID fallout. Standard setting may be on hold while they all take the time to address the current situation.

FASB Codification Improvements

FASB Codification Improvements

FASB has issued a new set of Codification Improvements, File Reference No. 2019-800. The proposal was issued on November 26, 2019 and comments are due December 26, 2019. Codification improvements are a standard project that is always on the FASB’s agenda to fix minor issues with Codification. There are three sections in the proposal – Section A which removes references to Concepts Statements; Section B which includes all disclosure guidance in Section 50 and Section C that contains various minor edits. Most of these changes should not have a material impact on entities.

FASB Proposal – Codification Improvements to Hedge Accounting

FASB Proposal – Codification Improvements to Hedge Accounting

FASB has issued a proposal addressing implementation issues for its new hedge accounting rule. This technical correction addresses issues related to documentation, dual hedges and provides clarifications that forecasted transaction and hedged risk are distinct. Comments are due January 13, 2020.

Reference Rate Reform & Balance Sheet Classification of Debt

Reference Rate Reform & Balance Sheet Classification of Debt

This week’s blog covers two big proposals from FASB that just came out. The first proposal relates to the movement away from LIBOR. As LIBOR has come under scrutiny there has been a movement to replace LIBOR as a reference rate. However, changing the reference rate can cause significant issues for hedging and other relationships. As a result, FASB is proposing a gentler approach to reference rate reform that will help those impacted by LIBOR’s replacement. The second proposal addresses the never-ending drama related to balance sheet classification of debt. While it sounds like an easy area, the movement to a principles-based approach has identified some impacts that may be unexpected. As such, FASB is reproposing the standard to gather feedback. Both standards will impact many entities so we wanted to get them out there in a timely manner!

Two Proposals to Delay Effective Dates for Private Entities

Two Proposals to Delay Effective Dates for Private Entities

This blog addresses two proposed ASUs that will delay effective dates for private companies. Now that private companies have started to implement revenue recognition, we know that it takes more effort for private companies to go through the adoption process. In addition, private companies struggle with the back to back nature of these major changes and have to triage each standard. As a result, the FASB is proposing delaying the CECL, hedging and leases standard for private companies. During this process, the Board also updated its framework for effective dates for private companies. In addition, to the three standards, FASB issued a separate exposure draft delaying the effective date of long-duration contracts for all entities. 

Jaclyn Veno CPA | Auditing Level Training | CPE

Melisa Galasso, CPA, CSP, CPTD

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.