Vacation rental company, Airbnb, said that it would begin offering free accommodation around the world to some 20,000 refugees forced to flee Afghanistan amid the Taliban’s rapid rise to power. Questions: How does the company plan to cover the costs of the initiative? By how much did the European Union indicate that it would increase… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Behavioral and Social Issues Related to Accounting
A Valuable Mineral for Electric Vehicles
As the first new large-scale lithium mine in the United States in more than a decade is preparing for blasting in Nevada, the project, known as Lithium Americas, is in the courts and has drawn protests from members of a Native American tribe, ranchers and environmental groups. Questions List the bullet point objections to the… Read more »
Milkshake woes for McDonalds
According to The Guardian, milkshakes are off the menu at McDonald’s in England, Scotland and Wales. Questions: Why are milkshakes off the menu at McDonald’s in England, Scotland, and Wales? What are lorry drivers? What other restaurants and sectors mentioned in the article are having the same types of problems? If there is a shortage… Read more »
New York Audits of Remote Workers
According to Accounting Today, the New York Tax and Finance Authority sent out thousand of notices since the filing season ending in May to individuals earning as little as $100,000 a year. What do these individuals have in common? They have claimed to have left the state during the COVID-19 pandemic and New York wants… Read more »
The Employee Retention Tax Credit for Employers
According to Accounting Today, IRS and Treasury Department guidance was released for employers who paid qualified wages after June 30, 2021, and before Jan. 1, 2022, as part of the CARES Act. Questions: What was the objective of including employee retention credits (ERCs) as part of the CARES Act? During the COVID pandemic, what program… Read more »
What are NFTs and why should tax accountants care?
According to Accounting Today, tax rules surrounding NFTs or nonfungible tokens are not clear. NFTs are basically digital assets whose data is stored in a blockchain, similar to cryptocurrency like Bitcoin and Ethereum. Questions: What can NFTs digitally represent? Why are NFTs a kind of a goldmine for the IRS? What Internet sites specialize in… Read more »
E & Y Charged
According to Accounting Today, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged Ernst & Young (EY), one of its current partners, and two of the firm’s former partners Monday with violating auditor independence rules and improper professional conduct. Questions What was the public company audited by EY according to this charge? What were the auditor independence… Read more »
Facebook’s Victory
According to Reuters, Facebook hits $1 trillion value after the judge rejects antitrust complaints. Questions: Federal and state antitrust complaints sought to have Facebook sell what apps? Where did the judge find flaws in the arguments? What was the bright spot for the FTC in the case? Source: Bartz, D. and E. Culliford. (2021). Facebook… Read more »
Inconsistent Sustainability Assurances
According to Accounting Today, a new report posits that sustainability reporting standards, as well as assurance services to verify that reporting, vary widely across jurisdictions and individual practitioners and require better standardization. Questions: Which organizations presented the report? According to the report, what percentage of companies report some level of sustainability information, and what percentage… Read more »
KPMG’s Most Recent Fine
According to Accounting Today, KPMG faces a 15M pound fine (or $21M), for gross misconduct in the U.K. Questions: What were the name of the company and the private equity firm that relied on misstatements by KPMG? What was the name of the partner at the head of the consulting engagement? How many times did… Read more »