Public Audit: A Comment and a Clarification of CIPFA's Views

This article aims to clarify CIPFA's views on the arrangements for 'public audit', as reflected in its submissions to the Nolan Committee and the subsequent Cabinet Office/Treasury Review of external audit in the public services. In particular, it attempts to correct perceived misapprehensions about CIPFA's attitude to the role of the private audit firms in public sector audit.     

Standard Setting and Economic Consequences: An Ethical Issue

This article examines difficulties associated with the Australian Conceptual Framework requirement that standard setters have to take into account the economic consequences of their decisions, particularly in relation to the possibility that qualitative criteria such as representational faithfulness might have to be sacrificed in the process. By identifying and assessing the ethical implications of the standard setting task, these difficulties are shown to be avoidable.     

Assessing professional ethics in tax: A case on uncertain tax positions

We develop and present an ethics case dealing with an uncertain tax position. The case can be used to assess professional ethics as part of an assurance-of-learning (AOL) plan as well as a component of a course grade. We present data on student performance on this case over a 5-year period. Students consider existing ethical frameworks to identify and frame the potential ethical “dilemmas” they might face in addressing whether to countenance a client’s suggested treatment and disclosure of an uncertain tax position. In addition, students evaluate the AICPA guidance and U.S. Treasury standards on taking and reporting uncertain tax positions in the tax return and the FASB and PCAOB standards on reporting and auditing uncertain tax positions in the financial statements. The case allows faculty to assess students’ ability to frame potential ethical dilemmas when clients engage in aggressive tax behavior, to recognize with whom and with what professional reference documents they should consult when an uncertain tax position arises, and to choose among alternative actions when faced with client/preparer conflicts.     

税务信息化发展的问题及对策探讨——基于“诺兰”阶段模型的分析

信息化是推动社会经济发展的重要力量,也是历史发展的一种必然趋势。税务信息化是税务部门顺应信息化时代的要求,主动迎接信息时代挑战而采取的积极措施。文章以”诺兰”阶段模型理论为基础,将我国税务信息化的发展历程分为起步、初步应用、快速发展和数据集中四个阶段。在此基础上,着重从思想意识、规划部署、征管改革和设备功能发挥四个方面分析了我国税务信息化建设中存在的诸多问题,并提出了推动和规范我国税务信息化建设的对策措施。     

农村公共服务对农村居民生活质量的影响研究

基于需求层次理论和中国综合社会调查（CGSS）数据,运用OLS模型实证分析农村公共服务对农村居民生活质量的影响。结果显示：农村公共服务能够通过促进农村居民社会参与进而提高其生活质量。异质性检验表明,农村公共服务对处于西部和中部以及60岁以上的村民生活质量的正向作用更为显著;进一步分析发现,农村公共服务与农村居民生活质量存在倒U形关系,即存在最优公共服务水平,偏离了最优的公共服务会对农村居民生活质量产生负面影响。鉴于此,建议通过提高公共服务水平、缩小公共服务供给的区域差异、重视社会参与来提升农村居民的生活质量并根据地区禀赋构建最优公共服务体系。     

Positioning codes of ethics on international corporations' websites: A six-year longitudinal study

This research examines the level of international website disclosures of corporate codes of ethics during the period of July 2002 and July 2003, which surrounds the enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) in United States. We also gathered similar data from these corporations' websites in April of 2006 through April of 2008 (i.e., three through five years after the effective date of SOX). In April of 2006 (2007 and 2008), 30 (34 and 36) of the 43 corporations listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) had readily available codes. While not required to have their codes on their corporate websites, 14 (18 and 23) of the 49 corporations that were not listed on the NYSE also had readily available codes. Our research also indicates that corporations headquartered in Europe were more likely to have readily available codes of ethics than corporations headquartered in the Pacific region in 2006 and 2007 but not in 2008.     

Office Capitalization Rates: Real Estate and Capital Market Influences

Focusing on the office capitalization rate, the central objective of this article is to shed light on two sets of issues that have not yet been fully researched. The first involves the importance of local-fixed and time-variant components of the office capitalization rate, and the significance of persistence in its time trends. The second centers on the relative importance of local office markets and the national capital market in shaping the various components of the office capitalization rate. Extensive econometric analysis of capitalization-rate series employed to address these issues highlights the existence of both local fixed and time-variant effects, while indicating differential persistence of time trends across markets. Moreover, such analysis uncovers the pivotal role of specific local office-market traits and the lesser role of national capital-market features in determining office capitalization-rate variations. Such findings on the role of local influences may provide a richer foundation for asset valuation and investment practices.     

分所审计是否影响审计质量和审计收费?

随着注册会计师行业的扩大和分所的不断增加,分所的执业行为值得关注。我们采用2005—2008年会计师事务所分所数据,考察了会计师事务所总所和分所在审计质量和审计收费上的差异,以及分所规模大小对审计质量和审计收费的影响。结论总体上表明,会计师事务所分所的审计质量和审计收费更低,并且,规模越小的分所,其审计质量和审计收费越低。在此基础上,我们根据样本是否由十大会计师事务所审计,进行了分组检验,结果显示分所审计质量和审计收费更低主要体现在非十大会计师事务所上。     

Auditing Standards in China—A Comparative Analysis with Relevant International Standards and Guidelines

The continuing and deepening economic reforms in China have brought many changes both socially and economically to the society. The primary function of auditing in China has begun to shift away from the traditional tax compliance assessment towards the credibility lending to financial statements. The economic reforms and the development of the Accounting Standards for Business Enterprises have necessitated the parallel development of auditing standards in China. While some significant differences exist, the new Chinese auditing standards are, in a number of important aspects, similar to the professional standards promulgated by the International Federation of Accountants. The development of a comprehensive body of standards, auditor independence, the role of certain auditing techniques, and certified public accountant (CPA) population are the major areas that China needs to improve. Opening up the Chinese accounting industry will trigger significant advances in the implementation of Chinese standards and the development of the Chinese accounting profession.     

企业参与制定国家标准对其出口贸易规模的影响——基于上市公司数据的实证研究

运用面板数据模型,依据制造业中的1796家上市公司样本数据,考量微观层面标准对企业出口规模的影响。结果发现：企业参与制定国家标准可以有效促进出口,并且制定与国际接轨的一致标准比制定国家特有标准更能促进出口。因此,企业宜更多参与国家标准的制定,更多地推动标准层面的国际接轨。     

New development: The conceptual underpinnings of international public sector accounting

The conceptual underpinnings of accounting standards are potentially very important for the future of public sector accounting internationally. The authors explain why and comment on the implications for public sector accounting.     

和谐生态伦理的经济学思考

随着世界生态环境危机的日益加剧,传统生态伦理观的经济学缺陷越来越明显.和谐生态伦理作为使经济社会可持续发展的新的生态伦理观念,它的存在是有经济学依据的.这种经济学依据可以从和谐生态伦理的内涵以及和谐生态伦理与实践的关系两个方面解读出来.和谐生态伦理的基本主张所蕴涵的经济学内涵使我们对它的存在不仅不能怀疑,而且要对和谐生态伦理发展的经济学思路作认真的思考.     

Compliance with flexible accounting standards

We examine to what extent firms adhere to the stated intent of noncompulsory accounting standards when reporting for intercorporate investments. The Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) in Norway strongly recommend that a 20-50% intercorporate investment is accounted for by the equity method rather than the cost method, if the investment is long-term, of strategic importance, and involves significant influence. Even so, we find that the actual use of the equity method is independent of the duration of the investment period, the fraction of equity held, its recent growth, and the investor's voting power. This lack of compliance suggests that one cannot use the observed choice between the cost method and the equity method to infer the underlying characteristics of the investment as specified by the accounting standard. Flexible GAAP may therefore not induce firms to disclose the information that the GAAP were designed to produce.     

New development: A game of responsibility? The regulation of health and social care professionals

The UK's law commissions in a recent joint report have recommended that individual regulatory bodies for medical and other healthcare professions receive more decision-making power and that procedural regulation (for example fitness to practice proceedings) be standardized. Patient wellbeing and professional standing of practitioners are likely to be deeply affected. The legislative process needs to be scrutinized closely to ascertain that government and regulatory bodies do not use the reform to shirk accountability and engage in a blame game.     

我国内部审计职业道德规范比较研究

从信息不对称原理及契乡钚完备理论出发,阐述了风险环境下实施内部审计职业道德规范的必要性。从内部审计基本原则、职业谨慎、审计技术规范、专业胜任能力规范、后续教育规范等方面论述了我国内部审计职业道德与政府审计职业道德规范、社会审计职业道德规范的相似性,进一步从审计人员的任职条件、违反职业道德规范、职业责任、外聘专家协助等方面比较了三者存在的差异。从而提出把内部审计人员职业道德规范纳入我国内部审计准则框架,制定对违反职业道德规范的内部审计人员作出相应处罚的规定,并合理借鉴其他相关的职业技术规范以完善我国的内部审计职业道德规范。     

Multiple Dimensions of Accounting in the Development of GAAP

The phrase 'accepted accounting principles' underlying financial statements is a forerunner of today's accounting standards. Here, it is argued that history shows that the term 'principles' is often most vague in debates on the development of those standards. The reasons for and consequences of that vague use are varied and complex. This article provides insights not highlighted in earlier analyses of the periods reviewed. While debates like the rule- versus principle-based standards are set up as two-dimensional, the many dimensions of accounting often allow argument to be easily diverted. The debate/argument thus remains unresolved. For progress to be achieved in the establishment of accounting standards the many dimensions of accounting must be acknowledged and attempts to divert debate minimized. Those with a stake in the development of accounting standards need to consider the total scene of the related accounting. In a particular debate, dimensions under scrutiny must be stated, with any others in that total scene being acknowledged even if kept constant.