
PwC Briefcases Look Absolutely Stunning On the Oscars Red Carpet
All polished up and ready to go for their big night. Hopefully the PwC briefcases’ handlers have a better night at the Oscars tonight than Brian Cullinan and Martha Ruiz did five years ago. Related article: Happy Fifth Anniversary of PwC F*cking Up the Oscars

Life at PwC Involves Again Not Giving ‘La La Land’ the Oscar For Best Picture
I know I’m a day late and a dollar short, but I just wanted to congratulate PwC for not screwing up an Academy Awards show for the third straight year. People seem to have lost interest in the PwC accountants at the Oscars since the debacle on Feb. 26, 2017, the night Tim Ryan was […]

PwC Not Talking Up Its Role in the Academy Awards This Year, Obviously
The Golden Globes were a few weeks back, and it caused me to reflect on how an awards show should go for the accounting firm that tabulates the ballots: Congrats to Ernst & Young for not being in the news this morning. #goldenglobes — Caleb Newquist (@cnewquist) January 8, 2018 Last week, the Academy of […]
Accounting News Roundup: Japan Adopting International Fair Value; GAO Not Down with PCOAB Risk Standards; Oscar Gift Bags = $91k Income | 03.08.10
• Japan embraces new fair value rule [Financial Times via Accountancy Age]
Here’s a novel idea: making a decision on IFRS! Japan’s Financial Services Agency will be allowing companies to adopt the international version of the new fair value rule developed by the IASB, starting Wednesday. Since the world’s second largest economy is opting to pull the trigger on IFRS it may throw the G20’s request/demand for the world to get all kumbaya when it comes to accounting rules.
“Fair value accounting…as unleashed one of the most divisive debates to have emerged from the credit crisis, threatening to disrupt a pledge by the G20 group of leading economies to create a single, global accounting system by mid next year,” reports the FT and judging by the SEC’s indecisiveness, they may be right. With this latest development, now leaders will be able to blame each other’s securities agencies for their particular actions that will likely lead to divergence.
The allowance of Japanese companies to adopt IFRS 9 could also give Knight of the Accounting Roundtable, Sir David Tweedie, even more leverage when dealing with countries around the world to adopt the IFRS.
Right or wrong, the Japanese are sending a signal that they are prepared to move forward while the SEC prepares to have more meetings.
• GAO Criticizes PCAOB Approach to Audit Risk [Web CPA]
The General Accountability Office, never shy to point out the faults of others (that’s kind of what they do, after all), isn’t so keen on the PCAOB’s latest “risk assessment” audit standards. This after the PCAOB originally proposed standards in 2008 and then revised and re-released them late last year.
The GAO feels that the ‘duplication and inconsistencies’ created by the PCAOB’s new standards would likely lead to…more billable hours! So, as you might imagine, some firms are on board:
PricewaterhouseCoopers told the PCAOB, “We fully support the board’s objective to update interim standards regarding risk assessment,”
And some, not so much:
McGladrey & Pullen…warned that “unnecessary differences between the board’s standards and those of other standard-setters increase the costs of performing all audits because firms must develop and maintain two, and even three, audit methodologies and training programs, with no corresponding benefit to audit quality.”
Personally, we’re skeptical of anything that has the unmitigated support of the biggest players in the industry but from a more practical standpoint, do auditors really need more rules to follow? And now this could add to the workload? Is that really necessary?
• Oscar Swag Bags to Result in $91k Income to Celebrity Presenters [TaxProf Blog]
Celebrities have enough tax trouble the way it is, how is giving them gifts going to make their tax returns easier? We’re guessing most of them have smart CPAs working for them that will suggest that they give it all to charity but we may be underestimating the temptation of free luxury swag.
Quote of the Day: PwC Just Better Make Sure The Dude Wins Best Actor | 03.05.10
“We just don’t tell anyone. Not even our wives.”
~ Brad Oltmanns, PricewaterhouseCoopers partner, on keeping the Oscar results secret.