When accounting goes unaccounted for
“So in my opinion, this is a good bill. And I hope that my fellow Democrats will support it.”
~ Former President Bill Clinton, at press conference today with President Obama (who bailed early), on the tax cut compromise. Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders, at the time of publication, is still going strong.
Poor Andy Baldwin, he’s gonna hate this news. As former cheerleaders of Project Everest make […]
~ Calling it a day people. We’ll be back Tuesday to help you cope with the post-holiday depression.
Why the SEC Won’t Flip the IFRS Switch [CFO]
We approve of prognostication in all its forms.
Bernanke Says He Failed to See Financial Flaws [NYT]
About as close to a “my o get from the Beard.
Montvale: Police Blotter, Sept. 2 [NorthJersey.com]
More car trouble associated with KPMG. This time it was a stolen Beamer. With an iPod inside!
Who is short selling Medifast stock? [Fraud Files Blog]
A show of hands, please.
H&R Block Surges as Chief Says Firm Can Handle Mortgage Refunds [Bloomberg]
“Concern about potential losses tied to buybacks of home loans ‘is not based on fact,’ and reserves to protect the company against claims ‘are adequate,’ Chief Executive Officer Alan Bennett said yesterday during a conference call about fiscal first-quarter earnings. The call included repeated queries about claims, which have totaled more than $680 million.
‘There’s nothing that we’re seeing anywhere that would lead to the kind of phone calls we just listened to other than speculators that, in my mind, have probably sold our stock short and then stirred this up,’ Bennett said in an interview after the call. Mortgage buyback claims ‘are getting better,’ he said.”
The Truth About SAS 70 [CFO]
They’re worthless. Well, not completely.
I.R.S. Looks at Finances of Planned Parenthood [NYT]
“The criminal division of the Internal Revenue Service is looking into the finances of Planned Parenthood Golden Gate, while the organization has brought in forensic accountants to evaluate its books.
The local nonprofit became Golden Gate Community Health on Friday, as the national Planned Parenthood organization stripped the Bay Area clinics of their affiliation, citing financial and administrative problems.”
Paul Hogan cleared to return to U.S. [CBC]
Mick is safe.
Peter Orszag Goes From the Obama White House to the New York Times [Daily Intel]
“Apparently, what that Times opinion section needs is another liberal-leaning economist to cheerlead for progressive economic policies from the White House — or one who provides another visible tie between the two institutions.”
Under the hood [NYP]
Tim Geithner gets the giggles and might have Tourette’s; Larry Summers called the shots on GM/Chrysler fiasco and NEWSFLASH: Rahm Emanuel says “fuck” a lot.
Dave & Buster’s, Inc. Appoints KPMG LLP as Independent Auditor [Business Wire]
D&B didn’t waste any time announcing their new auditors. As of now, there is no filing.
During tax season, many accounting firms attempt to provide their employees with “fun” things to do. Ordinarily a boss would rather you just qwitcherbitchin and do your job than take you to Dave & Busters or splurge for pizza but when employees are suffering from exhaustion, Excel-induced eyestrain and pants that grow tighter with each passing day, sometimes violence has ensued (or, at very least, passive-aggressiveness so frightening that it borders on assault). While we applaud the effort by firms to make things more pleasant, many of them suck at “fun.”
Las Vegas-based Johnson Jacobson Wilcox, for one, is trying to not suck in the fun department and it appears that they’ve been successful since they were named Best Accounting Firm to Work For in 2010 (15-49 employees) by Accounting Today.
JJW’s managing partner Gary Johnson realizes that most people are still hung up on the old accountant stereotypes and he’d like to debunk those (after rehashing them, of course), “Most people think of accounting firms and accountants as dull, without much of a personality — people with their heads down and green eyeshades on, who work all day long and don’t talk to too many people unless the phone rings. We’re just not like that. We like to have fun once in a while.”
In this particular case, fun includes a $500 clothing allowance for new hires, free lunch during tax season and a Wii bowling tournament.
Johnson Jacobson Wilcox runs a stress-busting Wii bowling tournament every tax season — 2011’s edition kicked off Monday — complete with a trophy. During the 24-employee firm’s busy season from mid-January to April 15, the company brings in free lunch for employees every day. The company also sends new hires an orientation binder complete with business cards two weeks before they start, and a $500 clothing allowance awaits them as soon as they walk through the door.
Obviously the $500 clothing allowance would come in handy for most of you (especially the fashion-handicapped types) but this bowling tournament – and the trophy – is what really got our attention. Of course the Wii hasn’t been around forever and prior to such technological miracles, JJW had actual bowling tournament every tax season. And fortunately for you all, we were able to obtain some footage of two JJW partners from the late 80s in an especially competitive match:
Trade journal chooses Las Vegas accountant best place to work in U.S. [LVRJ]