In case you’ve forgotten, the new FASB Accounting Standards Codification is all up in your shit since it is effective for all financial statements dated after 9/15/09. One source is already less than enthused about the whole thing:
[From] what I can see it requires you to go through your financials and any place you referenced something like FAS 142 you have to change it to reference one of the like 5,000 topics, subtopics, sections, paragraphs, and subparagraphs within the standard. I think Operating Leases (Lessee) will now be labeled as follows (I am serious): “840-20-a”
After we got the vomit out of our mouths, we realized that this new reference has an uncanny resemblance to IRC referencing but maybe that’s just us. This is especially disheartening for those partners who spent their entire careers committing SFASs, EITFs, and APBs to memory so that they could be the go-to technical accounting wonk. So if that’s you, consider your life’s work completely ruined.
And the PCAOB has kindly reminded you that you get NO SAY in this matter, so just accept it. On the bright side, new associates will be starting or have already so replacing all those references on workpapers should keep them busy chargeable in between making copies and calling/emailing India to check on the cash reconciliations.
This will probably give more than a few of you heartburn this season but some of you may remain clueless about it until the eleventh hour which will make for some excitement. Discuss your excitement/melancholy in the comments.
UPDATE: We had short chat with one Big 4 auditor who summed it up this way, “its fuckin retarded espcially if convergence is happening soon.” Very poignant. Convergence and soon are obviously subjective but the point is duly noted since any sort of global standards would no doubt torch the FASB’s codification.