Thursday, May 31, 2012

Housing and condominium cooperatives


Cooperative housing apartments came into vogue inside the late 1920s as an economical way for housing ownership or proprietary leasing arrangements in urban places exactly where housing was an situation. The idea gained substantial reputation when federal mortgage insurance coverage was extended to cover these arrangements. And starting in 1960, pretty much just about every state inside the United states of america adopted some kind of law with regards to condominium cooperatives.

The practical distinction among condominium ownership and membership within a condominium cooperative is the fact that a cooperative member has no direct ownership of true estate. As an alternative, he or she basically owns a cooperative share or membership certificate. The modern day trend is usually to use cooperative housing law for properties and self-standing dwellings within a neighborhood development exactly where true estate is owned, but guidelines are maintained for how points are performed. Plus, the fees for preserving streets, street lights, and prevalent places are shared.

Consumer cooperatives


The consumer cooperative is one particular exactly where members band with each other to comprehend economies of scale in getting or in competing. Some organizations comply with a horizontal kind of integration exactly where cooperative retailers band with each other to raise their potential to compete with sizeable box retailers (by way of example, combined marketing campaigns by independently owned hardware retailers aiming to compete together with the Dwelling Depots of your planet).

Other consumer cooperatives comply with a vertical process of integration in order that they're able to benefit as a group in wholesale or perhaps manufacturing activities. An example of this will be a large-scale grocery cooperative that purchases and warehouses food items as well as produces private brand-label merchandise to compete together with the name brand merchandise.

A principal purpose of consumer cooperatives is member participation and manage. Ideally, the member-owners periodically meet to set policies and elect directors. Directors then employ management to run the cooperative on a dayto- day basis.

Producing a margin for the members


The term “profit” is frowned upon in cooperative parlance. As an alternative, the term margin is made use of to describe what’s left more than just after accounting for the selling fees, operating expenditures, and capital requires of your cooperative. In the close of every single year, the cooperative frequently distributes the margin for that year to members. Just how much of your annual margin every single member gets is determined on a pro-rata basis, which can be determined by just how much business enterprise every single member did together with the cooperative through that year.

By way of example, if a member grocery retailer purchased 50 percent of all the dairy merchandise sold by the Fresh Cheese Cooperative through 2007, the retailer would get a distribution of 50 percent of your margin paid out by the Fresh Cheese Cooperative from its 2007 business enterprise. This can be what’s meant by the requirement that a cooperative ought to operate at expense.

Tracing the idea of cooperation


The idea of operating a business enterprise on a cooperative basis has been about for centuries. In truth, historians have identified evidence of cooperative organizations amongst cultures in early Greece, Egypt, Rome, and Babylon. Modern-day cooperatives comply with a set of guidelines that originated together with the Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers in Rochdale, England. The Rochdale Society was established by a group of textile weavers who had lost their jobs on account of automation inside the textile sector. The 3 principal modern-day principles of cooperatives derived from the Rochdale Society include things like the following:


  • Subordination of capital (which tends to make funding of your cooperative unimportant as far as manage is concerned)

  • Permitting every single individual one particular vote regardless of their percentage of cooperative ownership

  • Dividing income amongst the members in accordance with the percentage of business enterprise performed together with the cooperative organization for the year

Banding together to meet business objectives




Cooperative organizations normally exist to leverage their combined financial strength in an effort to share and cut down selling fees. By way of example, members of a promoting cooperative band with each other to deliver their merchandise for the cooperative, which in turn sells the merchandise to a specific market place. Grape growers may perhaps form a cooperative to sell tons of grapes to wineries, retailer grocers, or juice providers.

Members of a distribution cooperative acquire services from the cooperative in an effort to distribute to shoppers. By way of example, a telecommunications cooperative may perhaps acquire bulk, long-distance telephone service and sell it back to members who then make it out there to their shoppers.


Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Getting out of tax debt on your own – What steps to take?


According to recent reports, it’s getting tougher for the tax debtors in the US to negotiate a deal with the IRS and pay back a fraction of what they owe. But if you turn to a private company for help, this may backfire in the long run. It is said that the nation’s largest tax resolution company recently settled the allegations of 18 states about consumers being misled to produce results. Though the tax resolution firms can advertise about getting the tax collectors off your back by compromising a deal with the IRS, yet such pitches are most often ambiguous. So, if you’re going through debt problems with the IRS, make sure you take immediate steps to lessen your worries and avoid being under the gun of the IRS. Have a look at the steps that you can take.


  • Find a tax professional: If you can hire a tax professional, you can get his guidance throughout the process and thereby get out of debt in the near future. He should be a Certified Public Accountant, a tax attorney or an enrolled agent. The CPAs and the attorneys are limited to practicing in only those states where they’re licensed. You should ensure that he is licensed so as to get maximum benefits from him.


  • Keep the costs within your means: If you hire a tax professional, he will charge you some fees and unless you keep these costs low, you may start incurring further debt in the process. Ask your tax pro to focus only on the strategies through which you can negotiate your debts with the IRS. Ask him to minimize the overall fee so that you don’t have to fall in trouble in future.


  • Opt for installment agreement: This is usually the easiest way to set up an arrangement plan with the IRS to facilitate the debt repayment structure. There are usually 3 different types of installment agreements, the guaranteed installment agreements, the streamlined installment agreements and partial payment installment agreements. Through such options, you can repay the entire debt but in easy and affordable monthly payments throughout a stipulated period of time.


  • Offer in Compromise: Just as you settle your credit card debts, you can even settle for an amount that is less than what you actually owe the IRS. As you’re going through a financial hardship, you have to relate this cause to the IRS so that they know the actual reason that is barring you from making the timely payments. They will then waive off a portion of your debts and reduce the total amount that you have to pay.


So, if you’re trying to stay out of the IRS debt, you should make sure that you choose any of the above mentioned options. Weigh the pros and cons of each option so that you don’t select an option that is not tailored to meet your needs. Erase your debt problems as soon as possible so as to get back a firm grip on your finances.

Obtaining and selling in bulk


Getting in bulk delivers an chance to acquire goods and services at a higher discount than could possibly otherwise be on the market to person corporations. Cooperatives operate on a nonprofit basis, so obtaining and selling goods and services by way of a cooperative assures the cooperative members that they aren’t getting charged a markup by a middleman.

Selling in bulk will allow service providers and producers of goods and agriculture the assurance that there shall be a market place for their goods and services. It also ensures that a fair price tag shall be negotiated on their behalf by their cooperative.

Cashing In on Collaboration: How Cooperatives Operate


In its simplest form, a cooperative is known as a collaboration of men and women or corporations that band with each other to obtain a benefit by way of numbers. Countless several varieties of cooperatives exist, but they all have one particular related purpose: to operate at lowered fees for the benefit of their members or other individuals they do home business
with (named patrons).

A cooperative is not a charitable organization, nevertheless it does operate on a nonprofit basis. And while cooperatives are related in countless strategies to plain old corporations, one can find some essential differences as to how cooperatives do home business. (We clarify these essential differences inside the later section “Running a Cooperative: Is It Any Several Than a Corporation?”.)

Banding with each other to meet home business objectives
Cooperative organizations regularly exist to leverage their combined financial strength in an effort to share and cut down selling fees. By way of example, members of a promoting cooperative band with each other to deliver their merchandise for the cooperative, which in turn sells the merchandise to a specific market place. Grape growers could possibly form a cooperative to sell tons of grapes to wineries, retailer grocers, or juice providers.
Members of a distribution cooperative acquire services from the cooperative in an effort to distribute to shoppers. By way of example, a telecommunications cooperative could possibly acquire bulk, long-distance telephone service and sell it back to members who then make it on the market to their shoppers.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Terminating a Private Foundation


Not all foundations are forever. Some private foundations get started out using a distinct purpose in thoughts, and when that purpose is achieved, the have for the foundation ends. Other private foundations could possibly develop in size or transform directions such that the private foundation kind of operation could possibly no longer be suitable and public charity status could possibly be desirable. Nevertheless other private foundations could possibly run out of capital or worse but, engage in transactions that aren’t suited for tax exemption. Whatever the purpose could possibly be, one can find conditions exactly where private foundation status will terminate, either voluntarily or involuntarily - each of that are explained inside the following sections.

Giving it away
Think about that you just established a private foundation to finish planet hunger and lastly, just after years of tireless efforts, you in reality reach your purpose. Now you make a decision that it is time to terminate your private foundation. Your private foundation has a few solutions: It may give any remaining assets it could possibly must a public charity or one other private foundation, or it may convert itself into a public charity. It could also pick out to merge with one other private foundation or split up into a few private foundations.

Possessing it taken away
Suppose that your private foundation has failed to observe tax laws. Just after all it is your capital, perfect? Perfect, but if you ever intentionally disregard the guidelines by way of flagrant violations or willful failure to act appropriately, the IRS will involuntarily terminate your private foundation. And to top rated it all off, you will be socked with many different sanctions and can must spend a termination tax in an quantity equal for the foundation’s net assets. The take-away from this section
is usually to comply with the guidelines!

Operating Your Foundation


As with most corporations and nonprofit organizations, a private foundation is ordinarily headed up by a board of directors. The board delivers management and business enterprise oversight for the foundation, nevertheless it frequently is not involved inside the day-to-day activities which might be performed by way of the officers of your foundation. The board is an knowledgeable group of advisors that the foundation relies on for long-term direction and tactic.

The foundation directors are ordinarily chosen depending on their ability, knowledge, and potential to reach the foundation’s mission. But they may perhaps also be chosen depending on their relationship together with the founder of your private foundation. This suggests that they're able to be household members. The foundations may perhaps compensate their directors, and lots of do. Having said that, do not forget that the compensation should be affordable (and what’s affordable for the IRS may perhaps not appear affordable for the director or the foundation!)

One particular of your functions of your board of directors is usually to set the compensation for its officers. Compensation is ordinarily set by comparing related organizations and by taking a look at their salary and positive aspects information and facts that is published on an annual basis by the Council on Foundations (obtain out extra in regards to the Council on Foundations at www.cof.org). Cost-of-living adjustments for the distinct geographic region may perhaps also be suitable.

Complying with some more complicated requirements

Not all states is going to be happy just since your foundation has filed the IRS Form 990-PF and registered with all the state taxing authorities. Some states demand further items of data, which could contain the following:
  • A lot more economic statements: They could need to know the specifics for the items you've got reported on the other types.
  • Explanations about notes to economic statements: A state could ask you regarding the footnotes within your financials or inside the auditors’ reports.
  • A report by an independent accountant: The state could not demand a full-fledged audit, nevertheless it could request a report confirming what’s reported on your economic data.
As if all this wasn’t burdensome adequate, each and every state could demand the further material to become presented on types that they proscribe, or in certain formats, despite the fact that it does not have to be submitted with all the private foundation’s return as filed with all the IRS. If the necessary data is not offered to a specific state, or the state determines that its form wasn’t completed effectively, you'll be able to count on a terse note asking you to supply the missing data or submit an amended return.
If, for some purpose, your private foundation finds itself within a position exactly where it wants to file an amended Form 990-PF with all the IRS to get a provided year, you need to also send a copy of that amended return to any state that necessary a copy of the original return. The deadline for filing Form 990-PF with all the IRS typically differs from the time for filing any equivalent reports or the Form 990-PF with all the different states.

State-level compliance

Our glorious Union is comprised of 50 states, all with slightly distinct guidelines governing foundation activities. Your foundation need to comply with all the guidelines of each and every state in which it carries out any activities. Luckily, all 50 states also share some specific similarities that make compliance a little much less arduous. But understanding the differences is very important. 

Scoping out the state needs 
The go-to spot for figuring out what you've got to accomplish to satisfy the needs of each and every state may be the Internet web site in the National Association of State Charity Officials at www.nasconet.org. This can be the association of state offices which can be charged with all the oversight of charitable organizations. In case your state needs you to register, it is normally with all the state’s taxing authority, which typically also needs an inclusion of a copy of IRS Form 990-PF. Your foundation could be necessary to comply with the registration method of a provided state in case your foundation operates inside that state, solicits contributions inside that state’s borders, or is deemed to become carrying out enterprise inside the state. “Doing business” could contain soliciting contributions by mail or telephone, conducting activities or programs, possessing staff, keeping a checking account, or owning or renting a property within a certain state. The amount of connection your organization has using a certain state will decide regardless of whether or not your private foundation is topic to that state’s filing needs. In case your private foundation solicits donations or contributions for charitable purposes, you ought to also realize that most states demand you to register and file periodic economic reports. Though several states accept a copy of the IRS Form 990-PF to satisfy this reporting requirement, the foundation must double-check the laws of each and every state in which it does enterprise to make sure that
it is following each of the guidelines of each and every state in which it operates.

Monday, May 28, 2012

Imprest system meaning


Imprest system A method of controlling petty cash by keeping a 'float' which is topped up at intervals.

Balancing The process of inserting a closing balance into the ledger account to show the net value of the account at a specific date.

Account The individual record contained within the ledger.

Books of prime entry The location of the first stage of the bookkeeping process: the cash book, petty cash book, day books and journal.

Closing off Balancing accounts at the end of a financial period.

Trial balance A list of all the account balances, divided between debit and credit balances at a specific time. If the total debit balances equal the total credit balances, the trial balance is said to 'agree' and shows that the arithmetic of all the entries is correct. It is not a perfect check of overall accuracy.

Credit The right-hand side of a ledger account. Liability, capital and income accounts have credit balances. Abbreviated to Cr.

Cash book The book containing the bank account and cash account. Part of the general (impersonal) ledger.

Debit The left-hand side of a ledger account. Asset and expenses accounts have debit balances.
Abbreviated to Dr.

General ledger The impersonal ledger containing accounts for capital and types of assets, expenses, liabilities and revenue. Also known as the nominal ledger.

Impersonal ledger The general (or nominal) ledger.




Journal A book of prime entry used to record the correction of errors and other adjustments between ledger accounts.

Ledger A collection of individual records known as accounts.

Nominal ledger Another name for the general ledger.


Personal ledgers The Receivables (Debtors) and Payables (Creditors) ledgers, containing the individual accounts of customers and suppliers who trade on credit terms.


Payable A supplier of goods or services who is owed money by the business. Also known as a creditor.


Petty cash Small items of expenditure, usually shown in a separate book.

Posting A word used to describe the entering of information in the double-entry system.

Receivable A customer or client who owes an amount to the business. Also I~nown as a debtor.

Analysed cash book or petty cash book A cash book or petty cash book with additional colums to enable similar payments to be  grouped together to reduce the amount of bookkeeping entries needed.
T account Simple representation of the layout of a ledger account.

Purchases The name of an account in the general ledger which records goods bought for resale.

Self-dealing is a big no-no


If you’re the person who established a private foundation, you are, by definition, what’s called a disqualified person. If you’re a disqualified person, you can’t engage in self-dealing. The term self-dealing is generally used to describe deals between a private foundation and a disqualified person that involve one or more of the following types of transactions:  The sale or exchange of property: This transaction between a private foundation and a disqualified person is automatically an act of self-dealing, even if unintentional. For example, a disqualified person who’s a medical supplies salesperson can’t make any sales to his hospital’s private foundation, regardless of the amount of the sale.
  • Leases: Any lease between a disqualified person and a private foundation is automatically considered to be self-dealing.

  • Extending credit or making loans: These types of transactions between private foundations and disqualified persons are acts of self-dealing unless the loan is completely interest-free.

  • The provision of any goods, services, or facilities (including office space, cars, secretarial help, meals, parking, and so on): These transactions between a private foundation and a disqualified person is automatically an act of self-dealing unless these items are provided without charge and are used exclusively for the exempt purpose of the private foundation.

  • The payment of any compensation or expense reimbursement: This transaction between a private foundation and a disqualified person is considered to be self dealing unless the payment is for personal services necessary to carry out the private foundation’s mission and the payment isn’t excessive.

  • Transferring foundation income or assets to, or for the use or benefit of, a disqualified person: This transaction is automatically considered an act of self-dealing.

  • Certain agreements to make payments to government officials: This transaction would generally be considered an act of self-dealing unless such payments are logically excluded. For example, a prize doesn’t have to be included in gross income if the official receiving it is selected from the general public. Similarly, a scholarship grant would also be exempt. If a case of self-dealing is egregious enough, the tax-exempt organization could lose its taxexempt status. For example, if an officer of a nonprofit enters into a lease agreement for the headquarters of the organization that’s in a building she owns, and the rent for the space is way above market rent, this would constitute self-dealing

Establishing a Foundation: Time to Jump Through Some Legal Hoops


When establishing a private foundation, you could either set it up as a trust or a nonprofit corporation. Having said that, together with the heightened concern more than legal liability plus the truth that directors and officers of nonprofit corporations may perhaps have some degree of protection from liability beneath state law, the corporate form is most regularly made use of. As discussed in Chapter five, for an organization to qualify for tax-exempt status as a charity, it requires to become organized for educational, scientific, religious, or other particular purposes.

Federal-level compliance
The initial step to set up a nonprofit corporation is usually to prepare its articles of incorporation or articles of organization. The IRS looks closely at these when you ask it to grant you tax-exempt status. The IRS suggests that your soon-tobe private operating foundation’s articles of organization include things like the following provisions:
  • Distribute revenue each year: You will need to possess a clear statement that the foundation will distribute its earnings for every single of its tax years within a time and manner so as not to become topic to any tax on undistributed earnings.   
  • Stay clear of self-dealing: Include things like a directive that the foundation won't engage in any self-dealing (see the sidebar “Self-dealing is often a significant no-no” for extra facts on this practice).
  • Distribute excess business enterprise holdings: Be certain to place within a requirement that the foundation won't retain any excess business enterprise holdings (no extra than 20 percent of an interest within a business enterprise enterprise).
  • Only make permitted investments: Include things like a prohibition that the foundation won't make any investments that would jeopardize its charitable objective.
  • Do not make taxable expenditures: Include things like a statement that the foundation won't make any taxable expenditures, which include spending money on prohibited political activities (by way of example, endorsing distinct candidates).

For those who pick out to establish a trust as an alternative to a nonprofit corporation for the foundation, the trust document requires to deliver for substantially related provisions for the ones shown inside the preceding bulleted list.

Sunday, May 27, 2012

The history of the Carnegie Foundation


The Carnegie Corporation of New York is an example of a high-profile grant-making foundation. Made in 1911 by Andrew Carnegie, the Carnegie Corporation of New York promotes “the advancement and diffusion of expertise and understanding.” The foundation has an substantial Website at www.carnegie.org, exactly where you can actually read in regards to the history and philanthropic endeavors of your organization. The webpage consists of the biography of Andrew

Carnegie, born in Scotland in 1835, who immigrated with his household for the United states of america in 1848 and went to operate as a bobbin boy within a cotton mill at age 13. Just after attempting his hand at a quantity of several occupations, he established his personal home business in 1865 and went on to form the Carnegie Steel Provider, which started the Pittsburgh steel sector. At age 65, he sold the Carnegie Steel Provider to J.P. Morgan for $480 million, and from that point forward devoted his life to philanthropic activities. One particular of his big accomplishments was to establish zero cost public libraries in order that absolutely everyone could have access to self-education. Beneath his direction, more than $56 million was spent to create two,509 libraries in English-speaking nations all through the planet.

Grant-making foundations


Suppose you like music and prefer to use your capital to conduct zero cost concerts and also other related events that encourage the enjoyment and appreciation of music. The point is, you do not have the time or inclination to create or conduct distinct programs, and one can find a big quantity of charitable organizations actively endeavoring in these fields.

If this can be your circumstance, you could possibly prefer to give some thought to establishing a grant-making foundation, which can be oftentimes known as a private non-operating foundation. This way, you can actually basically give your capital to other charities which might be currently undertaking what you’d prefer to do.

Grant-making foundations are entities that give capital to other charitable organizations in place of directly carrying out their very own charitable activities. In case your organization is not a private operating foundation, it is going to even more than probably be classified as a grant-making foundation.

David and Minnie Meyerson Foundation


The David and Minnie Meyerson Foundation is a private operating foundation focusing on young children with physical disabilities. You can actually view the foundation’s Net webpage at www.meyersonfoundation.org. The Meyerson Foundation runs countless of its personal tasks, which comprise of investigation on disability challenges, the provision of assistance to young children with disabilities, and also other endeavors.

One other instance of a private operating foundation is definitely the Synopsys Silicon Valley Science Engineering and Outreach Foundation, which presents programs for teachers and education, administrative assistance, and students interested in producing science tasks for competition.

The foundation conducts seminars and diverse instructional activities for teachers. Examine out the foundation’s Net webpage at www.outreachfoundation.org.

Private Foundations


Private foundations are available in several flavors, plus the one particular you will like perfect will
be the one particular that matches your taste; that is definitely, the one particular that fits your requires and is most suited to achieve the targets that you just have in thoughts. The two key classifications are private operating and grant-making (or non-operating) foundations. Each sorts of foundations are discussed within this section.

Private operating foundations
Visualize to get a moment that you are eager to work with some spare money to set up a system that aids out a specific charitable system. Suppose additional that you do not certainly have any outside contributions to set up and run your system. Within this situation, you’d prefer to establish a private operating foundation. Private operating foundations often do not make grants to any outside organizations or men and women. They operate their very own programs and regularly make direct presents to other needy causes and men and women, that are frequently funded from  the revenue off of your return on investment from the original endowment to set up the foundation.

Your organization are going to be classified as a private operating foundation if it makes use of the majority of its resources to run its personal charitable programs or to supply its personal charitable services. So how do you understand if you ever qualify? From a technical standpoint, you require to devote at the least 85 percent of the adjusted net revenue (that is definitely, your gross revenue minus allowable deductions) straight on conducting your exempt activity. The Internal Income Service calls this the revenue test, and it is certainly one of these particular hoops you will need to jump by way of in an effort to get recognized as a private operating foundation. Also, you will need to also meet certainly one of the following
tests:
  • Asset test: This test is met if 65 percent or even more of the foundation’s assets are devoted to conducting its exempt activity, and these assets consist of corporate stock that is controlled from the foundation.

  • Endowment test: This test is happy in case your foundation distributes at least two-thirds of its minimal investment return straight in connection with actively conducting its exempt activity.

Assistance test: This test has 3 parts, all of which should be met:
  • At the least 85 percent of the foundation’s assistance is ordinarily received from the common public or 5 or even more unrelated exempt organizations

  • No greater than 25 percent of the foundation’s assistance is ordinarily received from any single exempt organization

  • No greater than 50 percent of the foundation’s assistance is created by way of investment revenue

Sound confusing? It is actually. If you ever really need to go anyplace close to this amount of detail,
suffice it to say that you just really need to operate with an accountant or lawyer to make sure that you do not get stuck in certainly one of the hoops you are supposed to become jumping by way of. After you file an application for tax-exempt status to get a new nonprofit organization, the IRS will presume your organization to become a private foundation unless your organization meets certainly one of the tests for non-operating private
foundation status.

Some famous private foundations




The model for present day day private foundations has its roots inside the Gilded Age, just after John Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie amassed sizeable fortunes and chose to work with their economic influence to enhance society. Carnegie had an interest in constructing libraries (see the sidebar “The captivating background of your Carnegie Foundation” for even more facts); Rockefeller was keen on regions which include education and medical investigation.

The Rockefeller Foundation was established in 1913 (precisely the same year that revenue tax was established) by Rockefeller himself. Before establishing his foundation, Rockefeller was currently a widely recognized philanthropist. In the turn of the century, he gave $80 million to a compact Baptist college, transforming it in to the University of Chicago. He also founded the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Investigation in New York City (that's now generally known as Rockefeller University), and he established the Common Education Fund in 1902 to promote nationwide education programs. 
The Rockefeller Foundation was funded with $250 million. The Foundation offered the endowment for the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Wellness and assisted make the Peking Union Medical College. It is estimated that more than the program of his life, Rockefeller gave away more than $550 million. Recall this even though: He was one particular of your rather wealthiest guys in background. When he died in 1937, his remaining fortune was estimated at $1.four billion, and considering the fact that that time no other American (like Bill Gates or Sam Walton) would come even close to that.
One other popular foundation is definitely the Ford family’s Ford Foundation, which was established in 1936 and funded largely by way of bequests inside the 1940s from Henry Ford and his son, Edsel. The foundation’s board, chaired by Henry Ford II,
commissioned a study of how the foundation will need to concentrate its future activities. The resulting recommendations formed the charter for the foundation’s modern-day mission, which included strengthening democratic values, minimizing poverty and injustice, marketing international
cooperation, and advancing human achievement.
Even more not too long ago, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and his wife Melinda (whose 2006 private net worth was estimated at $53 billion) founded the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000. Based on the principle that all lives have equal value, the foundation performs to cut back inequality about the planet. The foundation is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, and is led by co-chairs Bill Gates and Melinda Gates at the same time as Bill’s father, William H. Gates, Sr. Billionaire Warren Buffett was so impressed from the operate of your foundation and by Bill Gates personally that he announced that he would give around $30 billion of his fortune for the foundation.


Saturday, May 26, 2012

Comparing Private Foundations to Public Charities


You could possibly not be conscious of it, but public charities are all about you: They’re hospitals, schools, universities, and even more. Public charities regularly strive for visibility and recognition that buttresses their fundraising efforts. Frequently, public charities have active fundraising programs and get contributions from a range of sources, like the common public, diverse governmental sources, public and private companies, and also other public
charities and private foundations.
Public charities can earn revenue from conducting activities that additional their exempt purposes. One example is, a public charity established as a workshop for the blind can sell the goods it produces in furtherance of its exempt activity. (Yet, one can find limitations on the activities public charities can execute that compete together with the private sector.)


Public charities also can exist to raise funds for other charities. In contrast to public charities, private foundations frequently have the following characteristics:
  • Single funding supply: Private foundations are established from a single big supply of funding (which include a gift from one particular household or corporation).

  • Grant-making mission: Private foundations possess a principal mission in producing grants to other charitable organizations and men and women (as an alternative of operating a charity or engaging in direct charitable functions).

  • Low-key community presence: Private foundations are far much less visible in the community simply because they do not raise funds from the public. The fact is, some private foundations make anonymous presents to prevent continuous solicitation from other nonprofits.

  • Particular tax hoops to jump by way of: Private foundations have further federal tax filing and compliance needs. Some guidelines apply to all varieties of private foundations, and some guidelines apply only to specific sorts of private foundations (and could possibly effectively apply to other organizations at the same time).

Preserving privacy and manage


Keeping it all inside the household
The overwhelming majority of private foundations are independent household foundations which have been run from the individual who set up the foundation (or his or her household members). They're able to do beneficial points privately, and provided that they stick to the guidelines (largely tax guidelines), the foundation can go about fulfilling its mission inside the manner its sees fit.

Preserving privacy and manage
Manage and privacy are the two most significant motives why wealthy many people establish private foundations. The price of setting up and operating a private foundation is formidable, and if you are just “sort of” wealthy, you may just give some thought to producing an outright gift for your beloved charity (which may very well be an established private foundation) to achieve your objective. Yet, should you have “serious money” (consider a huge selection of thousands, millions, or a huge selection of millions), setting up your personal private foundation is known as a practical option to achieve philanthropic targets.

Drawing the legal lines among private and public charities


The present day guidelines governing private foundations came into getting way back when Congress passed the Tax Reform Act of 1969 and made particular guidelines to establish a presumption that just about every tax-exempt charitable organization (consider public charity) will be deemed a private foundation unless it fell into one particular of your following
predefined categories:
  • It's a common public charity, which include a hospital, school, or medical investigation organization.

  • It's a publicly supported organization, such as a youth system or even a medical investigation facility. This sort of organization receives at least one-third of its annual assistance from the public by way of presents, donations, and membership dues.

  • It's a supporting organization, which supports (and is drastically involved in) the activities of a distinct public charity. A booster club that raises funds to get a hospital or remedy nonprofit is an instance of a supporting organization.

The lesson right here is the fact that if you are thinking of beginning a private foundation to send your youngsters to college or care for your dog just after you die, forget about it. To get recognition as a private foundation from the IRS, you will need to jump by way of precisely the same hoops as if you ever had been applying to become recognized as a public charity. So, the objective of your foundation ought to fall into one particular of your similar categories that the IRS would recognize to grant public charity status (educational, religious, scientific, and so on).

Engaging Advisors

Your audit committee could possibly be involved in hiring greater than just the auditors. Underneath SOX, the committee ought to also have authority to engage independent counsel and also other advisors because it deems important to carry out its duties. Underneath SOX, if a provider does not possess a separately designated audit committee, it ought to state that the complete board of directors is acting because the audit committee.
 
This can be a common to which the public will probably hold bigger nonprofit organizations, in spite of the lack of any formal legal needs that apply especially to nonprofits.
 
At a minimal, your nonprofit will need to program on disclosing the following within your annual reports:
  1. No matter if you could have an audit committee
  2. No matter if the members of your committee, should you have one particular, are independent underneath the guidelines of your public stock exchanges

Ferreting out improper influence

SOX Section 303 regulates the relationship amongst the audit committee, the auditors, and management using a catch-all provision to discourage provider management from improperly influencing audits and auditors. SOX prohibits officers and directors of public providers from fraudulently influencing, coercing, manipulating, or misleading any outside auditor engaged in an audit for the objective of producing the audited economic statements misleading. This can be a fantastic practice for nonprofits to take into consideration voluntarily adopting.
 
Rotating the audit partners
SOX calls for public accounting companies to rotate specific men and women just about every 5 years. This could possibly be overkill for countless nonprofit organizations, nevertheless it is one particular that sizeable organizations with high-stakes audits which have been continuous fodder for the media interest could possibly seriously give some thought to.
 
This distinct SOX common calls for rotation of your following men and women:
  • The audit companion mainly accountable for a company’s audit
  • The audit companion accountable for reviewing the audit
The audit committee is accountable for ensuring that this rotation in reality takes place.

Considering of CEO and CFO certifications

Managers of nonprofit organizations aren’t essential to sign certifications affirming the organization’s compliance with legal and regulatory needs. Yet, this can be a requirement of SOX, and some nonprofits are voluntarily
following suit.

Underneath SOX, the chief executive officer and chief economic officer are essential to certify in annual and quarterly reports that they've disclosed the following for the auditor plus the audit committee:
  • All important deficiencies and material weaknesses inside the style or operation of internal controls that could adversely influence the nonprofit’s potential to record, course of action, summarize, and report economic information
  • Any fraud, no matter if or not material, that requires management or other personnel that have a important function inside the nonprofit’s internal controls Underneath SOX, an audit committee ought to make sure that that any relevant knowledge gleaned from the certifications is brought for the interest of your audit firm.

Friday, May 25, 2012

Handling complaints


Underneath SOX, private corporations are essential to possess procedures in spot for handing complaints abut the corporations accounting and audit procedures. This can be however a different “best practices” common that quite a few nonprofits are adopting voluntarily.

When you adopt theses standards, your audit committee is accountable for preserving policies in regards to the disposition of complaints in regards to the nonprofit. It is also essential to possess procedures in spot for receiving confidential and anonymous complaints by personnel.

The audit committee serves as a resource for personnel, management, and auditors, together with for the nonprofit’s constituency. Together with the complaint function, the audit committee complements whistle-blower provisions place forth by SOX.

Preapproving nonaudit services


Private providers which have been topic to SOX face strict guidelines about what accounting services an independent audit firm can and cannot execute to get a enterprise. Generally, Congress didn’t want auditors to become auditing their very own operate. Any functions that the audit firm cannot execute underneath SOX should be sent to a further accounting firm, performed by an outside consultant, or handled internally.

The audit committee has sign-off authority for audit services, which suggests that it ought to authorize just about every accounting service the company’s audit firm delivers, like confirmation letters and compliance together with the economic reporting needs of regulatory agencies. Your nonprofit audit committee may perhaps choose to take a cue from SOX and go over underneath what circumstances it is actually okay for the audit firm to execute the following services when undertaking an audit or overview for the organization:
  • Bookkeeping or other services associated with accounting records or economic statements
  • Economic information and facts systems style and implementation
  • Appraisal or valuation services, fairness opinions, or contribution-inkind reports
  • Actuarial services
  • Internal audit outsourcing services, management or human resources functions
  • Broker or dealer, investment advisor, or investment banking services
  • Legal services or specialist services unrelated for the audit

If a nonaudit service is not on this list, it is permitted underneath SOX provided that the audit committee approves the service ahead of the audit firm delivers it.

Interfacing together with the auditors


Applying SOX as a model, the nonprofit’s audit firm ought to report solely for the audit committee. This arrangement is often a departure from pre-SOX days, when auditors in private providers also reported to management on several different difficulties. Congressional hearings on SOX revealed an inherent conflict inside the interaction amongst management plus the auditors who had been, in impact, evaluating the effectiveness of management’s policies.

The audit committee is expected to avoid management from influencing audit outcomes. SOX especially states that the committee’s function contains the resolution of disagreements amongst management and outside auditors with regards to economic reporting. Applying the SOX model suggests that the audit committee ought to possess a complete understanding of occasions that influence the nonprofit and the nonprofit’s operations in an effort to adequately have an understanding of and resolve these disputes.

Additional, auditors are essential to report the following information and facts straight to the audit committee:
  • All significant accounting policies and practices to become made use of
  • All option treatment options of economic information and facts inside Frequently Accepted Accounting Principles which have been discussed with management, the ramifications of applying option disclosures and treatment options, plus the remedy preferred from the auditor
  • Any other material (important) written communications amongst the auditor and management, just like a management letter or schedule of unadjusted differences

Certified Public Accountant Examination Rating in the Philippines

A candidate for the examination obtaining a general weighted average of seventy-five percent and above shall be entitled to registration as certified public accountant and as such shall receive a certificate of registration from the Board of Accountancy; Provided, That in no case should the rating on any subject be less than sixty-five percent. In the event a candidate obtains the rating of seventy-five percent and above in at least four (4) subjects having a combined weight of eight (8) units as provided for in this Act, he shall receive a conditional credit for the subjects passed; Provided, However, That such candidates shall take an examination in the remaining subjects within two years from the preceding examination; Provided further, That if the candidate fails to obtain at least a general weighted average of seventy-five percent and a rating of at least sixty-five percent in each of the subjects reexamined, he shall be considered as failed in the entire examination.

Failing candidates to take refresher course. Any candidate who fails in two complete Certified Public Accountant board examinations shall be disqualified from taking another set of examination unless he submits evidence to the satisfaction of the Board of Accountancy that he has enrolled in and completed at least twenty-four units of subjects given in Certified Public Accountant Examinations.
For purposes of this Law, the examinations in which the candidate was conditioned together with the removal examination on the subject in which he failed shall be counted as one complete examination.

Scope of Certified Public Accountant Board Exam in the Philippines

The examinations shall be in writing and shall cover the following subjects with the corresponding weight in units unless otherwise modified by the Board upon approval of the Professional Regulation Commission.

subjects

Serving on an Audit Committee


When you serve on a nonprofit’s board of directors and meet the needs, you incredibly probably might be asked to serve on an audit committee. Undertaking so requires greater than basically rubber-stamping the company’s financials. For starters, you will be asked to play a relatively active function in recruiting and deciding just how much to spend the company’s auditors. You will also be a go-to individual inside the organization when economic matters arise.

Monitoring occasions and policing policies
The audit committee not simply should be a nonprofit’s internal moral compass, nevertheless it also ought to monitor external publicity and occasions which can influence the audit course of action. It is accountable for ensuring that the nonprofit responds
appropriately. Examples of what the audit committee is accountable for reviewing and monitoring include things like
  1. The annual audited economic statements and quarterly reports filed by the nonprofit
  2. Press releases and economic facts offered for the public
  3. Policies for threat management inside the nonprofit
  4. Complications that take place through an audit at the same time as management’s response to such complications
  5. The function and efficiency on the nonprofit’s internal auditors
  6. Alterations within your nonprofit’s accounting policies
  7. Matters with regards to internal controls and audit adjustments
  8. The policies and procedures on the audit committee itself

Audit Committee Membership Recommendations


So as to completely comply with SOX standards, an audit committee ought to be established in line with distinct membership needs. Members on the audit committee are drawn from the nonprofit’s board of directors. These independent directors (that have no economic interest inside the corporation) may well be eligible to serve on the nonprofit’s audit committee if they meet the needs discussed beneath

Independence is essential
To make sure that audit committees are fair and objective advocates for powerful audit procedures, SOX calls for audit committee members to become financially
independent from the corporation in two respects:
  1. Compensation: A committee member may well not get any variety of compensation or fee from the organization aside from payment for serving on the board of directors on the nonprofit. On the other hand, audit committee members is often paid for giving accounting, consulting, legal, investment, banking, or economic advisory services for the nonprofit or for operating for corporations that present these services.
  2. Affiliation: A member cannot be affiliated together with the corporation by way of household or employment relationships. However, SOX Section 302 does not clearly define the term “affiliated individual.” It merely states that if you are affiliated, you are prohibited from serving on an audit committee. On the other hand, the legislative background of SOX and past practices on the SEC make it doable to ascertain who might be deemed an affiliated individual and therefore ineligible to serve on your company’s audit committee. 
As an example, the definition on the term “affiliated person” that is applied in most other sections of securities laws applies to SOX at the same time. Underneath this definition, a director is deemed to become an affiliated individual if he or she features a direct or indirect influence more than the management on the company’s small business or affairs aside from solely by virtue of getting a director.

Figure within a economic specialist
At the least one particular individual on a company’s audit committee need to be a economic specialist. Commonly, someone is usually a economic specialist if he or she has, by way of education and knowledge, an understanding of Commonly Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), economic statements, and internal accounting controls. The SEC does not look at former CEOs to become economic authorities for corporations that happen to be essential to comply with SOX.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Do not take the CPA board exam if:



  1. You didn’t overview effectively
  2. You understand to oneself you are not prepared to take it.
  3. You are just according to luck.
  4. You cannot even resolve any accounting complications.
  5. You do not know tips on how to audit...
  6. You do not seriously wanna take it.
  7. You did not possess a breakfast.

11 Tips to pass the CPA board exam. I’ve listed the cpa exam recommendations to suit your needs.


Like accounting by heart. If it is gonna be your profession, it's essential to like it by heart. Loving what you are undertaking is an excellent essential to results.

Practice tends to make great. Generally the number one particular rule to results. Generally practice solving accounting complications. It is going to sharpen up your auditing expertise and you will get faster and tougher.

Start out your freshman year mastering it. All of us know accounting is usually a cycle. The earlier you began practicing and mastering all ideas and course of action, the superior you might fully grasp it and like it by heart. Accounting requires analytical expertise, does not call for everyone to become great at Math. You just must possess a sturdy foundation on the standard accounting ideas and mastering the fundamental accounting cycle, all else will stick to. It is a cycle that the moment you’ve missed a step, you will under no circumstances proceed for the subsequent or you will under no circumstances proceed at all. The later you began receiving considerable with accounting, the lamer you will pass.

Use precisely the same calculator you are comfy with. It is advisable to acquire comfy working with the one particular you are gonna use for the board exam. It should be suited to suit your needs. The board has issued a memo with regards to the allowed calculators to become applied inside the CPA board examination. Scientific calcu areen’t allowed. I recommend, know it though you are nevertheless in school so you will be comfy along with your calcu currently. This can surely conserve quite a bit of time.

Dedicate a time to study and also a time to play. Almost everything calls for dedication. It's essential to devote hours for accounting time in school and at household. Do not over-study also. Play and have entertaining.

Know your weakness and erase them weakness. The cpa board exam covers 7 subjects. Make every single one particular your beloved. Under no circumstances underneath estimate one particular topic -- for it may possibly be the purpose of the failure.

Possess a thorough overview. Apart from a self-review, it can be proposed to enroll within a reliable overview center to possess a deeper knowledge on the actual board exam. It is a cool CPA exam preparation to suit your needs. Overview schools also have the updated supplies and occasions with regards to what exactly is most up-to-date inside the board. They may also help you for the cpa exam schedule and needs to assure you are on the appropriate tracks.

Loosen up and chill ahead of the major day. Cost-free and set your thoughts prepared for the exam day. Do not strain. Just breathe and smile…A positive power will bring positive points.


Pray. It performs. It is not complete physical and psychological. You also will need spiritual guidance. Thank the Lord and accept His blessings of possessing a healthful and vivid thoughts.


Think in oneself. Think that you are shading the ideal answer simply because they are the appropriate answers. Think and trust in oneself. An exam is like a game, you must concentrate and think within your potentials to win it.

Prepare almost everything absolutely settled. Settle almost everything you'll need for the examination day. Further pencils, calculators, scratch papers, erasers, IDs, permits, and all points you must bring for the major day.




Scope of CPA board exam


The examination shall include things like but not restricted for the following subjects:

1. Theory of accounts
2. Business law and taxation
3. Management services
4. Auditing theory
5. Auditing problems
6. Practical accounting problems I
7. Practical accounting problems II

Based on Sec. 16 of Philippine Accountancy Act of 2004, in order to pass the examination, an examinee must obtain a general average of seventy-five percent (75%), with no grades lower than sixty-five percent (65%) in any given subject.

Requirement in CPA Board Exam:


The needs for taking the CPA licensure exam inside the Philippines prescribed from the PRC (Specialist Regulation Commission) and given from the Board of Accountancy are:

Applicants for CPA board examination shall establish to the satisfaction of the Board:
  • He/she is a Filipino citizen.
  • He/she is of good moral character.
  • He/she is a holder of the degree of Bachelor of Science in Accountancy conferred by a school, college, academy or institute duly recognized and/or accredited by the CHED or other authorized government offices.
  • The applicant has not been convicted of any criminal offense involving moral turpitude.

Tips on how to Pass the CPA Board Exam inside the Philippines - CPA Recommendations and Needs


Tips on how to pass the Philippine CPA board exam? It is uncomplicated as 1, 2,3 for an individual who seriously is deserving. This hub consists of the ideal recommendations to pass the CPA exam. You might pass it and you knew it from the start out, when you didn't then you under no circumstances would…

The Philippine CPA licensure exam is deemed by far the most tricky board exam inside the background of Philippine profession professionalism, yup I’d prefer to say even tougher and tougher than the bar exam. Lawyers’ exam may well include slightly bit of accounting however the CPA board exam covers one particular a part of Law which contains 60 to one particular hundred items of queries to pass. This suggests when you failed Law amongst the CPA exam subjects covered, you also failed the entire exam. So you wanna be a CPA lawyer huh? Lol

Ahead of we dig deeper, bear in thoughts cpa-wanna-be that nobody ever has passed the CPA licensure exam out of luck. So forget the eenie-meenie-minee-moe in shading the appropriate answers from the a number of possibilities since the board of accountancy is so conservative of luck. Ha, ok, like I told you, it is like playing Sudoku, when you know the guidelines, tactics plus the most important idea of accounting, you will surely delight in the shading element and you will not will need to wait for the official release of PRC’s CPA outcomes mainly because ninety percent of CPA passers are born than created. If the genes, the IQ plus the like of accounting is within your blood, getting a certified public accountant will surely be within your fate.

Interfacing with management


No matter no matter if an organization employs independent auditors, audit committees are accountable for objectively evaluating the relationship of management together with the accountants and auditors. The committee monitors the management’s effectiveness in giving auditors together with the facts necessary to ascertain no matter if the company’s economic statements are ready in accordance with Commonly Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and Commonly Accepted 

Auditing Standards (GAAS), that are the specialist standards to which accounting and auditing companies are topic in performing their duties. Audit committees need to not get involved in performing audits; rather, they need to facilitate them. The internal audit committee delivers an necessary objective interface amongst a company’s management and its independent (outside) auditors to make sure that, constantly, the auditors’ opinions and certifications are depending on complete and correct facts in regards to the company’s
operations.

Audit committees are accountable for making certain that the organization maintains
a operate surroundings that
  • Enables auditors to execute vital testing
  • Encourages personnel to come forward with matters that may well be relevant for the audit course of action (see the later section “Handling complaints” for additional facts)

Beginning using a charter


A charter is usually a document that serves as a road map for an organization, and it may well include things like a mission statement and description on the organization’s contemplated activities and facts as to how these might be carried out (one example is, monthly meetings, written reports for the board, and so on). These charters define the scope of authority on the audit committee and ascertain who can sit on it.

Right here are some essential components to include things like within your audit committee’s charter:

  • Objective: The objective and function on the audit committee desires to become clearly spelled out. The function on the audit committee need to be to make sure the integrity on the company’s economic statements.
  • Monitor compliance: The audit committee need to monitor compliance with legal and regulatory needs, for instance receiving the organization’s tax returns and annual reports filed.
  • Making certain that the accountants keep independent: A part of the function on the audit committee is ensuring that management and auditors do not get also chummy. A close relationship amongst these people could compromise the accountant’s objectivity inside the occasion that he or she does come across some sloppy accounting practices on the a part of management.
  • Policies for fixing complications: The charter ought to address the audit committee’s policies with respect to notifying the complete board of an issue and operating with management to determine identified dangers and complications. Instance complications may well include things like accounts that aren’t getting adequately monitored or distinct databases containing economic facts that aren’t secure.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Establishing audit committee standards

If you are on the lookout for guidance on producing standards and practices for an audit committee, a fantastic spot to begin is Section 301 of your Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX). Despite the fact that SOX does not technically apply to nonprofits, it might serve as a superb model. Three components identified in Section 301 of SOX are in particular adaptable to and handy for the nonprofit audit committee standards:
  • Responsibility: SOX states that the audit committee should really be straight accountable for the appointment, compensation, and oversight of your operate of any registered public accounting firm. This responsibility aids retain the independence of management from the auditors that are auditing the organization (and consequently the management’s actions).
  • Resolving disputes: SOX calls for audit committees to become accountable for resolving disagreements amongst management plus the accountants. Disagreements can come up as to how many items are reflected and reported on the economic statements, especially if management’s compensation is tied in any solution to that of your organization (one example is, a bonus).
  • Communicating together with the auditors/accountants: SOX tends to make clear that the audit committee is accountable for communicating straight together with the auditors or accountants and making certain that management is not filtering the information and facts in an try to portray it as rosier than it definitely is. Based on the size and activities of the nonprofit organization, it may perhaps employ an outside accounting firm to audit or overview its economic statements and books and records. A overview of economic statements is often a verification course of action that is much less substantial than an audit and is undertaken when federal and state law does not call for a formal audit.

Applying an independent accounting firm

An audit is often a process exactly where an independent accounting firm formally certifies no matter if an organization’s economic statements happen to be ready in line with Frequently Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Some states have audit needs for nonprofit organizations. Having said that, if the nonprofit has received federal funds (like entities that get federal funds that trickle by way of state or neighborhood government entities), they’re essential to comply together with the audit needs contained inside the Workplace of Management and Price range Circular No. A-133. 

This document was issued in response for the Single Audit Act passed by Congress in 1990 to make sure that nonprofits that get federal funds comply with specific minimal audit procedures. It is named the Single Audit Act for the reason that it is intended to supply uniform audit standards for every one of the entities essential to comply with it (as an alternative to a patchwork of person state standards). You could view a copy of your Workplace of Management and Price range Circular No. A-133 (which explains the single audit needs) at www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/a133/a133.html. Most bigger nonprofits voluntarily have their statements audited even when states do not call for them to accomplish so or they do not get federal funds. But, for the reason that audit opinions are highly-priced (they call for the organizations to spend their auditors on an hourly basis to test and verify the information and facts inside the economic statements), lots of nonprofits pick out not to possess their information and facts
audited.
 
But, recall, in case your organization does not have independent auditors, the function of your audit committee is usually a lot more vital, since the audit committee is charged with ensuring management has performed its job with respect to preparing correct economic statements.

The Function of your Audit Committee

Audit committees, within a nutshell, assure the accuracy and integrity of your economic statements of your organization upon which donors, members, and other persons rely. It is the job of your audit committee to come to be familiar with the economic statements and reports of your nonprofit and ask challenging queries of your accountants, the chief economic officer, and also other men and women involved in preparing them.
 
Audit committees are the norm amongst bigger nonprofits, but they’re becoming increasingly popular in smaller organizations at the same time. A 2005 survey by the National Urban Institute identified that 20 percent of all nonprofits surveyed had a separate audit committee. Not surprisingly, bigger organizations had been extra probably to possess audit committees than smaller ones. Fifty-eight percent of the bigger organizations (that have revenues with greater than $40 million in annual expenditures) had audit committees. In smaller organizations with annual expenditures of much less than $100,000, only 20 percent reported possessing an audit committee.
 
Most authorities agree that an audit committee is often a superior practice. It sends the message for your constituency plus the public at substantial that the activities of your nonprofit will normally be truthful and legal.

Philippine CPA Board Exam Requirements

To  be a Certified Public accountant will not be just as very simple as one particular click. Getting a graduate using a Bachelors degree in Accountancy will not make you an accountant either nevertheless it is just a door to get a new journey. To come to be a CPA one particular ought to take a CPA licensure exam and this can be correct not just inside the Philippines but in addition in other nations.
Beneath are the needs necessary to get a individual to become in a position to take the Philippine CPA Licensure Exam.
Admission Requirements for Examinations. No person shall be admitted to the examination unless he is:
  • a citizen of the Philippines;
  • of good moral character;
  • is a holder of the degree of Bachelor of Science in Accountancy conferred by a school, college, academy or institute duly recognized and/or accredited by the CHED or other authorized government offices; and
  • has not been convicted of any criminal offense involving moral turpitude.
  • Educational Qualification / Training / Experience:
  • B.S. in Accountancy or its equivalent
  • BSC, BBA, BSBA graduates as of Dec. 1994 with certificate of units earned.
The Scope of your examination plus the Subjects with corresponding weight in units plus the minimal hours necessary every single topic is offered below.
Scope of Examination. The examinations shall be in writing and shall cover the following subjects with the corresponding weight in units unless otherwise modified by the Board upon approval of the 

Professional Regulation Commission.
As of the moment all board subjects are given 2 units with a minimum exam hours of 3 hours each subject. Since their are 7 board exam subjects all in all a total of 14 units and 21 hours. The contents and coverage of these subjects shall be in accordance with the outline or syllabus prepared and issued by the Board of Accountancy containing the following:

Theory of Accounts - Accounting terminology, accounting principles and procedures, classification of accounts, valuation of assets and liabilities, income determination, developments in the science of accountancy, etc.
Business Law and Taxation - One-half on the subject of business law covering obligation and contracts, partnerships and corporations, negotiable instruments and other phases of the legal framework of business, and the other half on taxation dealing on income tax, business taxes, transfer taxes, and other taxes affecting accounting practice.

Management Services - Principles and procedures, methods, and techniques involved in management consulting services that may be rendered by Certified Public Accountants in areas such as managerial accounting, planning and control operations, design and appraisal of accounting systems, and financial -management related services.

Auditing Theory - Auditing concepts, auditing standards, internal control, auditing procedures and techniques, and the short-form audit report.
Auditing Problems - Problems on the application of auditing standards, techniques and procedures, preparation of working papers, completion of the audit, and preparation of audit report.

Practical Accounting I - Problems concerning financial statements and accounting for assets, liabilities and stockholder’s equity.

Practical Accounting II - Problems pertaining to partnership, joint ventures, fire insurance on the insured’s books, consignments, installment sales, agencies and branches, business combinations, cost accounting, financial analysis, and government accounting.
How the examination is rated is also provided in this article.

Examination Rating. - A candidate for the examination getting a common weighted common of seventy-five percent and above shall be entitled to registration as certified public accountant and as such shall get a certificate of registration from the Board of Accountancy; Offered, That in no situation will need to the rating on any topic be much less than sixty-five percent. Inside the occasion a candidate obtains the rating of seventy-five percent and above in at the least 4 (four) subjects possessing a combined weight of eight (8) units as offered for within this Act, he shall get a conditional credit for the subjects passed; Offered, Yet, That such candidates shall take an examination inside the remaining subjects inside two years from the preceding examination; Offered additional, That if the candidate fails to get at the least a common weighted common of seventy-five percent and also a rating of at the least sixty-five percent in every single of your subjects reexamined, he shall be deemed as failed inside the complete examination.

Failing candidates to take refresher system. Any candidate who fails in two complete Certified Public Accountant board examinations shall be disqualified from taking a additional set of examination unless he submits evidence for the satisfaction of the Board of Accountancy that he has enrolled in and completed in the least twenty-four units of subjects given in Certified Public Accountant Examinations. For purposes of this Law, the examinations in which the candidate was conditioned with each other together with the removal examination on the topic in which he failed shall be counted as one particular full examination.
An accountant ought to know his/her limitations. Know the limitations on the practice of Accountancy.

Limitations on the Practice of Public Accountancy. Single practitioners and partnerships for the practice of public accountancy shall be registered certified public accountants in the Philippines: Provided, That from the effectivity of this Act, a certificate of accreditation shall be issued to certified public accountants in public practice only upon showing, in accordance with rules and regulations promulgated by the Board and approved by the Commission, that such registrant has acquired a minimum of three (3) years meaningful experience in any of the areas of public practice including taxation: Provided, further, That this requirement shall not apply to those already granted a certificate of accreditation prior to the effectivity of this Act. The Securities and Exchange Commission shall not register any corporation organized for the practice of public accountancy.

Accounting and General Information