Compliance: Page 39


  • Study: Higher-paid consultants recommend higher CEO compensation

    Regulators tend to see conflicts in cross-selling by multi-service firms, and new research suggests single-service firms might have conflicts, too.

    By Robert Freedman • June 9, 2020
  • SEC fines insurance company $900K for misstating CEO perks

    In proxy statements, Argo Group said it had provided $1.2 million in perquisites and personal benefits to its then CEO, but the amount was $5.3 million, the SEC says. 

    By Robert Freedman • June 6, 2020
  • PPP loans now only require 60% of funds to be used for payroll

    The federal government enacted several sought-after changes to make the small loan program more useful to businesses as mandatory closures ease. 

    By Robert Freedman • June 5, 2020
  • CARES Act tax breaks are great — unless they're not

    The new retention credit, payroll tax deferral, and expansion of net operating losses, among other tax assistance to help during the slowdown, might not sync with your company's financial situation. 

    By Robert Freedman • May 28, 2020
  • SEC hits PE firm Ares with $1M compliance fine

    The firm's investment advisory arm used non-public information about a portfolio company from its private equity arm without adequate controls.

    By Robert Freedman • May 27, 2020
  • Deep Dive

    Need and eligibility keys to avoiding PPP loan liability risk

    Document what goes into your decision to apply for a loan to protect yourself and your company if you're hit with an audit or lawsuit, an attorney says. 

    By Robert Freedman • May 25, 2020
  • As going-concern opinions rise, so too could debt covenant defaults

    Audits that question the likelihood of a company's survival during the downturn could inadvertently cause a breach in credit terms.

    By Robert Freedman • May 21, 2020
  • Delay in lease, revenue recognition rules made official

    A one-year delay in new standards mainly affects private companies and nonprofits that haven't yet put them in place. 

    By Robert Freedman • May 21, 2020
  • Morningstar hit with $3.5M fine for conflicts of interest

    The credit rating agency, in several instances, failed to separate its analysts from selling and marketing to potential clients. 

    By Robert Freedman • May 18, 2020
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    CFOs urged to buy back debt if it is trading below par value

    Credit market dislocations make now a potentially good time to deleverage balance sheets.

    By Robert Freedman • May 18, 2020
  • SEC charges companies for making false COVID-19 claims

    The actions signal a stepped-up federal effort to curb marketing ploys playing on fears of infection.

    By Robert Freedman • May 17, 2020
  • Timing of stimulus tax deferral payback could cause liquidity crunch

    Companies can expect to take a liquidity hit in 2021 and 2022, when payroll tax deferrals come due.

    By Robert Freedman • May 14, 2020
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    IRS: Business expenses not deductible under PPP loans

    The chairs of the House and Senate tax-writing committees are expected to challenge the IRS' interpretation of the program to help small businesses survive the pandemic.  

    By Robert Freedman • May 12, 2020
  • Q&A

    CFO in the Know: Are CFOs ready to go with the EU's medical device regulations?

    Requiring fewer applications to submit for approval, the new process could ultimately cost companies less.

    By Ed McCarthy • May 12, 2020
  • Wages holding back repatriation of foreign profits, study finds

    The drop in the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% is unlikely to lead to a boom in repatriation of foreign profits by U.S. corporations. 

    By Robert Freedman • May 11, 2020
  • Closed sign outside of a small business during the coronavirus pandemic of 2020.
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    Alabama Extension. (2020). "The image" [Photograph]. Retrieved from Flickr.
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    75% payroll rule makes PPP loans useless, business owners say

    Small business owners need help with operational costs, which the government's program fails to cover without risking loan forgiveness.

    By Robert Freedman • May 3, 2020
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    Deep Dive

    Goodwill impairment testing during COVID-19 times

    Economic uncertainty is forcing finance chiefs to rethink the impairment testing process.

    By Suzanne Northington • April 30, 2020
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    When to reprice or replace equity-based compensation awards

    If your executive team members' compensation includes stock options or other equity awards, don’t rush to change them; values have plummeted, financial planners say. 

    By Robert Freedman • April 30, 2020
  • CFOs cautioned on post-lockdown tort risk

    Plaintiff attorneys face a high bar to show someone contracted COVID-19 after workspaces reopen, but defending against their claims is expensive.

    By Robert Freedman • April 29, 2020
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    Getty / Edited by Industry Dive
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    Tax expert: Maximize operating losses to get most from stimulus

    Carrying back losses under the federal government's pandemic-response rule changes can get your company a bigger tax refund, according to BDO partner Randy Schwartzman. 

    By Robert Freedman • April 23, 2020
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    As pandemic eases, expect uptick in tax collection woes

    Online sales might be on the rise, but so are tax obligations for each state in which you have economic nexus. 

    By Robert Freedman • April 21, 2020
  • Study: Pandemic impact on small companies worsened by Sarbanes-Oxley

    A provision in the 2002 federal law to improve corporate accounting leaves companies reliant on debt at a time when credit markets are wobbling.

    By Robert Freedman • April 14, 2020
  • SEC charges Ironclad CEO, CFO with fraud

    The CEO, CFO and senior vice president of Texas-based Ironclad Performance inflated revenues by more than $6 million, the Securities and Exchange Commission has charged.  

    By Jane Thier • April 12, 2020
  • Citing pandemic, FASB to delay lease, franchisor standards

    Lease accounting changes for private companies and nonprofits have already been delayed once even though analysts prefer they be treated the same as public companies.

    By Robert Freedman • April 12, 2020
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    Shutdown-impacted businesses taking PPP loans may risk losing CARES Act tax benefits

    Until rules are out, it's not clear paying expenses with stimulus loan funds will help your business come tax time.

    By Robert Freedman • April 7, 2020