Tax, Audit, Firm and Regulatory News

Today’s Accounting and Audit Topic (March 30, 2018)

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Learn the warning signs of earnings “spin”

Management wants to paint the rosiest possible picture of a company’s financial performance. But aggressive earnings management, or “spin,” can mislead investors and lenders. Here are some ways U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) can be manipulated to obscure the truth.

Creative accounting vs. cooking the books

Earnings management usually starts out small, but it can become increasingly aggressive and eventually cross the line into fraud if it goes unchecked. An external audit may help detect the red flags of earnings management, including:

Premature revenue recognition. Some companies recognize revenue early to make the income statement temporarily appear more attractive. This ploy is common when a company is applying for bank financing or up for sale.

Miscellaneous “cookie jar” reserves. Management can create a hidden reserve of funds during good times. Then the reserves can be tapped into to nourish earnings in lean times.

“Big bath” restructuring changes. Some companies overstate the costs associated with restructuring. This enables them to clean up their balance sheets and create reserves for a rainy day.

Immediate acquisition write-offs. Acquired companies may classify a portion of the purchase price as “in process research and development,” which they immediately write off. This reduces the amortization of the purchase price to future earnings.

Overreliance on EBITDA. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) and other non-GAAP metrics have become popular ways to evaluate a company’s performance. But they aren’t usually audited, and they may be calculated differently from company to company.

EBITDA is generally intended to resemble cash flow. But this metric can obscure problems for start-up companies with major debt. Although their EBITDAs give these start-ups appeal, their debt service may mean they won’t be profitable for many years.

Too good to be true?

Pay attention when reviewing financial statements and corporate press releases — the opportunity and pressure to spin earnings is everywhere. Contact us for more information on how to identify when a business may have engaged in “creative” accounting practices to improve their financial picture.

New revenue, donor concentration, and expense allocation: Form 990 issues to watch

Nov 2, 2026

Changes in revenue, expense allocations, and donor concentration can create Form 990 complications that aren’t always visible in the financial statements alone. This article walks nonprofit leaders through three key areas to review before year-end: supporting expense classifications across program, management, and fundraising functions; evaluating whether new income-producing activities trigger unrelated business income tax; and monitoring public-support calculations when donor concentration is rising. Addressing these issues early keeps year-end surprises to a minimum and helps protect your organization’s tax-exempt status.

The pro-rata rule: the backdoor Roth IRA mistake that can create an unexpected tax bill

Oct 27, 2026

The backdoor Roth IRA strategy can trigger an unexpected tax bill if you overlook the pro-rata rule, which requires the IRS to treat all of your traditional IRA balances together when calculating how much of a conversion is taxable. A separate account, a prior 401(k) rollover, or even a year-end IRA balance you didn’t have at the time of conversion can all affect the result. Before contributing or converting, review your full IRA picture to avoid a costly surprise at tax time.

Charitable Giving After the One Big Beautiful Bill

Oct 22, 2026

Starting with 2026 returns, OBBB changes how charitable gifts are deducted. Our senior tax manager of tax policy, planning and research walks through the new 0.5% floor and the 2/37 limit on itemized deductions, and how bunching, donor-advised funds and gift timing can help clients keep more of their deduction.