This course provides an overview of key U.S. GAAP accounting principles and SEC reporting requirements, focusing on topics that are important for financial reporting professionals. Participants will explore the presentation of financial statements, including the balance sheet, income statement, cash flow, discontinued operations, segment reporting, as well as Accounting Standards Updates (ASUs), accounting estimates, accounting principle changes, and error corrections. Key U.S. GAAP areas such as revenue recognition, leasing, business combinations, goodwill, software (both internal use and resale), held-for-sale assets, loss contingencies, guarantees, derivatives, hedge accounting, blockchain, and crypto assets will be covered. This course also addresses important SEC Regulations, Form 8-K & Form 10-K requirements, as well as best practices related to MD&A and non-GAAP financial measures.
Learning Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:
Recognize overall financial statement presentation requirements
Identify requirements for discontinued operations
Determine when certain balance sheet accounts can be offset
Identify presentation requirements for the income statement and comprehensive income
List the different methods used for statement of cash flow presentation
Differentiate between operating, financing, and investing activities in the statement of cash flows
Identify standard elements included within each FASBASU
Distinguish between different transition requirements
Recognize SEC disclosure requirements relating to pending ASUs
Identify best practices for effectively tracking ASUs
Identify key areas in U.S. GAAP where accounting estimates are required
Recognize the potential risks and challenges associated with accounting estimates
Differentiate between the proper use of estimates and instances of misuse or manipulation
Determine the impact of inaccurate accounting estimates on financial statements
List the different types of accounting changes and how they affect an entity's financial statements
Differentiate between the requirements for the different types of accounting changes
Identify disclosure requirements related to changes in accounting principles
Identify the steps involved in the required assessment for a correction of an error
Differentiate between the iron curtain and rollover methods for quantifying a correction of an error
Recognize the different types of restatements required as a result of accounting changes
List the five steps involved in the new revenue recognition model
Recognize the considerations involved in identifying whether a contract exists
Identify the considerations involved with measuring the transaction price
Recognize the steps involved in allocating the transaction price to performance obligations
Determine whether an arrangement contains a lease
Identify the criteria for finance leases and short-term leases
Recognize the recognition and measurement requirements for both lessees and lessors
Identify the requirements related to lease modifications
Identify presentation and disclosure requirements for both lessees and lessors
Identify the definition of a business as it relates to a business combination transaction
List the steps involved in the acquisition method
Recognize how to measure goodwill and gains from bargain purchases
Recognize financial statement disclosures related to business combinations
Recognize overall characteristics of goodwill impairment testing
Differentiate between the qualitative and quantitative test of goodwill impairment
Identify key characteristics of the accounting alternative for goodwill
List the key disclosure requirements for goodwill and goodwill impairment losses
Distinguish between software that is considered internal-use and not considered internal-use
Recognize how implementation costs are accounted for in various stages of software development
Identify when capitalization and amortization should commence
Recognize how implementation costs of hosting arrangements are accounted for differently
Recognize software that is within the scope of ASC Topic 985-20
Identify how software costs are recorded prior to and after establishing technological feasibility
Recognize how amortization is recorded for capitalized software costs
Identify general disclosure requirements related to software for resale
List the specific criteria that must be met for an asset to be classified as held for sale
Recognize the accounting and reporting impacts from held for sale classification
Identify potential reporting impacts from changes to a plan of sale
Identify when to accrue a liability for litigation-related contingencies under ASC 450-20
Differentiate between probable, reasonably possible, and remote litigation outcomes
Recognize the role of legal counsel in the litigation process
Identify the appropriate financial statement disclosures for litigation-related contingencies
Identify the primary types of guarantees
Recognize the guarantees that are within the scope of ASC Topic 460
Identify the recognition, measurement, and subsequent measurement requirements of guarantees
Recognize key disclosure requirements for guarantees
Identify the various types of derivatives and their key characteristics
Recognize the strategic role of derivatives in financial risk management
Determine the financial reporting implications of using derivatives in an organization's financial statements
Distinguish fair value, cash flow, and net investment hedges in practice
Determine key steps in hedge accounting: designation, documentation, and effectiveness testing
Differentiate how fair value, cash flow, and net investment hedges mitigate financial risks
Identify key components and concepts of blockchain technology
Recall steps in blockchain transactions and consensus mechanisms
Distinguish between blockchain and traditional databases
Recognize use cases of blockchain for CPAs
Recognize the criteria for determining what constitutes a crypto assets based on U.S. GAAP
Identify the recognition requirements for crypto assets
Recognize the way in which crypto assets are presented on an entity's financial statements
Identify disclosure requirements with respect to crypto assets
Identify key requirements related to the Securities Act of 1933and Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Recognize specific requirements included in Regulations S-X, S-K, and FD
Distinguish between requirements included in Regulation S-X and S-K
Identify key characteristics of operating segments and the chief operating decision maker
Identify the quantitative thresholds used for reportable segments
Recognize disclosure requirements for reportable segments as well as entity-wide disclosures
Recognize the overall purpose of the Form 8-K
Identify the filing deadline for Form 8-K triggering events
Identify triggering events that require the filing of a Form 8-K
Recognize overall disclosures requirements for a Form 8-K
Identify the key components of SECForm 10-Kand their relevance to financial reporting.
Recognize the regulatory requirements and compliance aspects associated with filing Form 10-K.
Distinguish between the filing deadlines for Form 10-Kand the consequences of non-compliance
Recognize the significance of Form 10-Kfor investorsand stakeholders
Identify key elements of MD&A
Distinguish between liquidity and capital resourcesin MD&A
Recognize best practices for drafting effective MD&A disclosures
Identify common challenges in MD&A reporting
Recognize the significance of critical accounting estimates in MD&A
Differentiate between a GAAP financial measure and a non-GAAP financial measure
Recognize examples of different types of non-GAAP financial measures
Identify which SEC guidance is applicable to different types of non-GAAP financial measures
Recognize disclosures within the scope of Regulation G
Identify key requirements included within both Regulation G and Regulation S-K related to these measures