Spreadsheets: Converting Dates

Editor’s Note: To read more about spreadsheets, share a tip with other readers, or suggest a topic for Bill Jelen to cover in an upcoming column, click here to visit CFO.com’s Spreadsheet Tips Page.Reader Doug H. wins an autographed copy of Excel for Auditors from CFO and MrExcel for his question...

By Bill Jelen • Dec. 22, 2010

Spreadsheets: Converting Dates

Editor’s Note: To read more about spreadsheets, share a tip with other readers, or suggest a topic for Bill Jelen to cover in an upcoming column, click here to visit CFO.com’s Spreadsheet Tips Page.Reader Doug H. wins an autographed copy of Excel for Auditors from CFO and MrExcel for his question...

By Bill Jelen • Dec. 22, 2010

Explore the Trendline➔

Tax policy shifts: What CFOs need to know to stay ahead

Discover how evolving tax policies are creating new opportunities and challenges for CFOs.

By CFO.com staff

Private-Company GAAP: Another Set of Standards to Ignore?

Over the past year, a blue-ribbon panel has been working to solve some of the problems associated with private-company financial reporting in the United States. The panel has focused on the current process by which the Financial Accounting Standards Board sets generally accepted accounting princi...

By Bruce Pounder • Dec. 21, 2010

Private-Company GAAP: Another Set of Standards to Ignore?

Over the past year, a blue-ribbon panel has been working to solve some of the problems associated with private-company financial reporting in the United States. The panel has focused on the current process by which the Financial Accounting Standards Board sets generally accepted accounting princi...

By Bruce Pounder • Dec. 21, 2010

Liquidation Without Tax Consequences

Thinking about year-end tax planning? Consider a case examined by the Internal Revenue Service last year that provides insight into a useful tool for companies that expect to liquidate assets.When a corporation completely liquidates and distributes its assets (subject to its liabilities) to share...

By Robert Willens • Dec. 20, 2010

Liquidation Without Tax Consequences

Thinking about year-end tax planning? Consider a case examined by the Internal Revenue Service last year that provides insight into a useful tool for companies that expect to liquidate assets.When a corporation completely liquidates and distributes its assets (subject to its liabilities) to share...

By Robert Willens • Dec. 20, 2010

Software Expensing Grows, Study Finds

Falling in line with a recent trend to more conservative cost accounting, software companies are recording more product-development expenses immediately rather than booking them over time, new research suggests. The reason? Having suffered the consequences of past write-downs, they’d rather not r...

By David Katz • Dec. 16, 2010

Software Expensing Grows, Study Finds

Falling in line with a recent trend to more conservative cost accounting, software companies are recording more product-development expenses immediately rather than booking them over time, new research suggests. The reason? Having suffered the consequences of past write-downs, they’d rather not r...

By David Katz • Dec. 16, 2010

Spreadsheets: Hate Arrays? Then Hijack “SUMPRODUCT”

Editor’s Note: To read more about spreadsheets, share a tip with other readers, or suggest a topic for Bill Jelen to cover in an upcoming column, click here to visit CFO.com’s Spreadsheet Tips Page.Reader Jerome K. wins an autographed copy of Learn Excel 97-2007 from MrExcel for his comment on la...

By Bill Jelen • Dec. 15, 2010

Spreadsheets: Hate Arrays? Then Hijack “SUMPRODUCT”

Editor’s Note: To read more about spreadsheets, share a tip with other readers, or suggest a topic for Bill Jelen to cover in an upcoming column, click here to visit CFO.com’s Spreadsheet Tips Page.Reader Jerome K. wins an autographed copy of Learn Excel 97-2007 from MrExcel for his comment on la...

By Bill Jelen • Dec. 15, 2010

Tribune’s ESOP Trustee Violated Its Fiduciary Duties

In a case heard this year entitled Neil v. Zell et al, _F.Supp.2d_ (N.D. Ill. 2010), the transaction at issue relates to the Tribune Corp.’s employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). Specifically, on April 1, 2007, the ESOP purchased from the company 8,928,571 newly issued unregistered Tribune shares...

By Robert Willens • Dec. 13, 2010

Tribune’s ESOP Trustee Violated Its Fiduciary Duties

In a case heard this year entitled Neil v. Zell et al, _F.Supp.2d_ (N.D. Ill. 2010), the transaction at issue relates to the Tribune Corp.’s employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). Specifically, on April 1, 2007, the ESOP purchased from the company 8,928,571 newly issued unregistered Tribune shares...

By Robert Willens • Dec. 13, 2010

Private-Company GAAP: Setting the Right Goal

Stakeholders of private U.S. companies are increasingly dissatisfied with generally accepted accounting principles as set by the Financial Accounting Standards Board. Dissatisfaction with GAAP, coupled with the freedom to ignore it, has led private companies to report financial information in div...

By Bruce Pounder • Dec. 10, 2010

Private-Company GAAP: Setting the Right Goal

Stakeholders of private U.S. companies are increasingly dissatisfied with generally accepted accounting principles as set by the Financial Accounting Standards Board. Dissatisfaction with GAAP, coupled with the freedom to ignore it, has led private companies to report financial information in div...

By Bruce Pounder • Dec. 10, 2010

Spreadsheets: Many Formulas into One with a Top-Secret Move

Editor’s Note: To read more about spreadsheets, share a tip with other readers, or suggest a topic for Bill Jelen to cover in an upcoming column, click here to visit CFO’s Spreadsheet Tips Page.Curtis H. wins an autographed copy of Excel Gurus Gone Wild for his question: “How do you count dates b...

By Bill Jelen • Dec. 8, 2010

Spreadsheets: Many Formulas into One with a Top-Secret Move

Editor’s Note: To read more about spreadsheets, share a tip with other readers, or suggest a topic for Bill Jelen to cover in an upcoming column, click here to visit CFO’s Spreadsheet Tips Page.Curtis H. wins an autographed copy of Excel Gurus Gone Wild for his question: “How do you count dates b...

By Bill Jelen • Dec. 8, 2010

Punitive Damages Are Not “Losses Incurred”

In a November court ruling, State Farm Mutual Insurance saw its argument shot down when judges sided with the Internal Revenue Service in a case related to contingent liabilities. In the case, which was decided on November 8, petitioner State Farm claimed that based on its method of accounting, $...

By Robert Willens • Dec. 6, 2010

Punitive Damages Are Not “Losses Incurred”

In a November court ruling, State Farm Mutual Insurance saw its argument shot down when judges sided with the Internal Revenue Service in a case related to contingent liabilities. In the case, which was decided on November 8, petitioner State Farm claimed that based on its method of accounting, $...

By Robert Willens • Dec. 6, 2010

The Big Risks of Little GAAP

Over the past year, a blue-ribbon panel has been exploring potential changes to the process by which financial accounting and reporting standards are set for private U.S. companies. The panel’s mission reflects private-company stakeholders’ growing dissatisfaction with generally accepted accounti...

By Bruce Pounder • Dec. 2, 2010

Chasing Away the Excess-Inventory Blues

The day after Christmas is still weeks away, but that’s close enough for finance and supply-chain executives to start worrying about merchandise returns and excess inventory. How will they get the best value for the unwanted goods?One answer is to auction them off. By posting returned or overstoc...

By David Katz • Dec. 2, 2010

The Big Risks of Little GAAP

Over the past year, a blue-ribbon panel has been exploring potential changes to the process by which financial accounting and reporting standards are set for private U.S. companies. The panel’s mission reflects private-company stakeholders’ growing dissatisfaction with generally accepted accounti...

By Bruce Pounder • Dec. 2, 2010

Chasing Away the Excess-Inventory Blues

The day after Christmas is still weeks away, but that’s close enough for finance and supply-chain executives to start worrying about merchandise returns and excess inventory. How will they get the best value for the unwanted goods?One answer is to auction them off. By posting returned or overstoc...

By David Katz • Dec. 2, 2010

Taking the “Ease” Out of “Lease”?

Accounting-standards setters are under fire, again. The new leasing standard, proposed jointly by the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the International Accounting Standards Board, has been characterized as naïve, lacking value, and in need of serious reevaluation. The outcry comes not fr...

By Marie Leone • Dec. 1, 2010

Taking the “Ease” Out of “Lease”?

Accounting-standards setters are under fire, again. The new leasing standard, proposed jointly by the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the International Accounting Standards Board, has been characterized as naïve, lacking value, and in need of serious reevaluation. The outcry comes not fr...

By Marie Leone • Dec. 1, 2010

Spreadsheets: The Column Name Game

Editor’s Note: To read more about spreadsheets, share a tip with other readers, or suggest a topic for Bill Jelen to cover in an upcoming column, click here to visit CFO.com’s Spreadsheet Tips page.Cindi M wins an autographed copy of Guerilla Data Analysis Using Microsoft Excel for her question: ...

By Bill Jelen • Dec. 1, 2010