1-Hour Program

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Overview

Creating appropriate documentation for complex accounting judgments and decisions is an important part of every company’s financial reporting and crucial to documenting the effectiveness of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting.  Creating accounting white papers for such decisions can be a challenging process depending on the subjectivity of such decisions.  In addition, the wide variety of issues they must address, ranging from the application of GAAP to a company’s specific situation to materiality decisions, makes this writing process extremely complex. This One-Hour Briefing will review the appropriate timing for the drafting process and structure for accounting white papers.  Examples will be provided. 

Please join Carol A. Stacey and George M. Wilson, both directors at PLI’s SEC Institute Division for this presentation.  Topics to be discussed include: 

  • Areas that are ripe for white paper documentation
  • Importance of writing the white paper contemporaneously with the decision(s)
  • Structure of typical white papers
  • Articulating your writing objective
  • Performing appropriate research
  • Enumerating the alternative treatments
  • Evaluating pros and cons of each treatment
  • Drawing an overall conclusion that supports the accounting treatment
  • Who reviews and approves and how to document
  • Developing controls to monitor past decisions

Credit Details