United States: Accounting Standards

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Article
SEC Forms Beefed Up Enforcement Unit To Focus On Public Companies
The Securities and Exchange Commission has consolidated its accounting and financial reporting enforcement resources into a dedicated unit, signaling heightened scrutiny of public company disclosures, internal controls, and audit quality. This organizational shift concentrates previously dispersed expertise into a specialized team positioned to investigate financial reporting misconduct more efficiently and aggressively.
United States Commercial
SA
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP
Article
CAS Board Raises Contract Thresholds To $35 Million And Eliminates CAS 407: What Federal Contractors Need To Know As DoW Demands Cost And Pricing Transparency
The CAS Board has raised contract thresholds to $35 million and eliminated CAS 407, fundamentally changing cost accounting requirements for federal contractors. At the same time, the Department of War is demanding unprecedented cost and pricing transparency through new memoranda requiring actual cost information for negotiations valued at $10 million or more, creating a complex landscape where contractors face fewer formal CAS requirements but heightened scrutiny of their pricing data.
United States Accounting
BB
Bass, Berry & Sims
Article
SEC Establishes New Financial Reporting And Accounting Unit In Enforcement Division
The SEC has established a specialized Financial Reporting and Accounting Unit within its Division of Enforcement to investigate accounting fraud, financial reporting misconduct, and failures by auditing professionals. Led by experienced enforcement personnel, this unit signals intensified scrutiny of public company financial statements, audit quality, and gatekeeper accountability across high-risk accounting areas.
United States Accounting
WT
Winston Taylor
Article
The Working Capital Question: How To Protect Deal Value In M&A Transactions
Bringing clarity, consistency, and financial discipline to one of the most negotiated elements of a transaction. Mergers and acquisitions are built around agreed expectations. A buyer agrees to pay a particular price based on its understanding of the business being acquired, while the seller expects to deliver that business under an agreed set of financial and operational conditions. Working capital is naturally an important part of that equation.
United States Commercial
IG
IR Global
Article
FASB Proposes New Guidance On Stablecoin Classification As Cash Equivalents And Enhanced Disclosure Requirements
On August 18, 2026, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued a proposed accounting standards update (“ASU”) titled Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Cash Equivalents—Disclosure Enhancement and Evaluation of Certain Digital Assets. The proposed ASU seeks to clarify whether certain digital assets meet the definition of “cash equivalents” on the balance sheet, and to increase the transparency of the significant components of “cash equivalents.”
United States Accounting
MB
Mayer Brown
Article
NYSE Proposes Extending Internal Audit Function Transition Period From One Year To Five Years
The New York Stock Exchange has proposed extending the transition period for newly listed companies to establish an internal audit function from one year to five years. This significant change aims to provide issuers with adequate time to develop effective internal controls while balancing competing regulatory obligations and operational demands faced during the critical early years of being a public company.
United States Commercial
MB
Mayer Brown
Article
CAS Board Publishes Final Rule Rescinding CAS 404, 408, 409, And 4117
The CAS Board has published a final rule rescinding several Cost Accounting Standards while retaining specific requirements to protect government interests, marking a significant step in aligning CAS with generally accepted accounting principles. The changes will impact how contractors account for compensated personal absence, material acquisition costs, and tangible asset capitalization and depreciation. Contractors directly affected by the rescission of CAS 408 will benefit from an express exemption from
United States Accounting
CM
Crowell & Moring LLP
Article
Q2 2026 Accounting Advisory Guide: Anchoring Financial Reporting As Standards Shift And AI Accelerates
This comprehensive mid-year update examines critical accounting standards, regulatory changes, and emerging trends that finance leaders must navigate in 2026. From new FASB guidance on PIK dividends and environmental credits to SEC proposals reshaping reporting requirements and filer classifications, the landscape is evolving rapidly. The analysis also explores the surge in mega-IPO activity, AI integration in finance functions, and strategic priorities for building resilient accounting operations.
United States Accounting
R
Riveron
Article
You’ve Found Your Property — Now What? 8 Steps To Structure Your Real Estate Acquisition For Long-Term Success
Successful real estate acquisitions require more than finding the right property. Strategic decisions made during the acquisition phase—from entity structure and purchase price allocation to compliance planning and operational integration—can significantly impact reporting accuracy, audit readiness, tax efficiency, and long-term investment performance.
United States Real Estate
MG
MGO CPA LLP
Article
Proposed FASB Clarification Affecting Market-Return Cash Balance Plans
The Financial Accounting Standards Board has proposed changes to how market-return cash balance pension plans are measured on corporate balance sheets. Currently, these plans can show liability measurements that significantly deviate from actual participant account balances, potentially misrepresenting a plan sponsor's true financial obligations. The proposed update aims to align accounting treatment with economic reality by allowing these plans to use their assumed interest crediting rate as the discount r
United States Employment
GL
Groom Law Group
Article
Are Your Real Estate Books Costing You At Tax Time?
Poor monthly accounting practices can quietly increase tax liabilities for real estate owners by limiting visibility into key financial decisions throughout the year. Without timely, accurate financial data, opportunities to optimize expense timing, properly classify deductions, and align tax strategy with operations are often lost. Strong monthly accounting processes enable proactive tax planning rather than reactive year-end adjustments, potentially saving significant amounts in overpaid taxes.
United States Accounting
MG
MGO CPA LLP
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