REPORTING FOR GOVERNMENT PENSIONS

By Heather Drake Over the past several years, the public has focused increased attention on the accounting and reporting for employee pensions provided for state and local  governments.  Critics argued that government financial statements, prepared according to standards established by the Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB), did not clearly communicate the size of government pension [...]

TAX IMPLICATIONS OF SAME-SEX MARRIAGE

By Allison Turner As states begin to pass marriage equality legislation and the Supreme Court prepares to make a decision on the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), same-sex couples, and accountants alike, need to be aware of the tax implications and complications that same-sex marriage creates. While there is some debate as [...]

ACCOUNTING FOR CAP AND TRADE

By Andrew Yeoman Beginning this year, the state of California has mandated the distribution and sale of carbon pollution credits to the state’s largest industries, with the hope that a market-based system can stem air pollution from carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The European Union and some Canadian provinces have already started emissions trading [...]

COFFEE “BEAN COUNTING”

By Jamie Waters Starbucks is everywhere it seems.  We all know, and perhaps love, the mega coffee chain that happily provides us with our lattes and cappuccinos every morning.  With nearly 1800 retail stores in 60 countries,1 Starbucks Corporation raked in revenues of $13.3 billion in 2012 alone.2  But this giant has recently come under [...]

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PRESIDENT’S LETTER

Dear Readers, Our fourth issue is here, and we are so proud of all the hard work that our pledges and members have put into making the journal a success.  We have been overwhelmed by the positive response our publication has gotten from students, alumni, faculty and the local community. Both the outgoing and incoming [...]

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LIFESTYLE: PROFESSOR PROFILE DR. KRISTI YUTHAS

By Alex Bazor Dr. Kristi Yuthas is a tenured accounting professor at Portland State University, who specializes in business ethics, information systems, and microfinance.  She earned her Bachelors of Arts in Finance at the University of Utah, and her emergence into the professional workforce coincided perfectly with the advent of personal computers being adopted by [...]

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SPOTLIGHT: PER-MILE TAX & FUEL EFFICIENCY

By Sarvar Muratov National annual gas tax revenue continues to fall and might someday disappear altogether.  Why?  Perhaps it is due to the rise of fuel-efficient and electric cars that use less gas, a weak economy, increased gas prices that force drivers to use their cars less, or all of the above.  While ride sharing, [...]

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REPORTING FOR GOVERNMENT PENSIONS

By Heather Drake Over the past several years, the public has focused increased attention on the accounting and reporting for employee pensions provided for state and local  governments.  Critics argued that government financial statements, prepared according to standards established by the Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB), did not clearly communicate the size of government pension [...]

Read More Comments Off

TAX IMPLICATIONS OF SAME-SEX MARRIAGE

By Allison Turner As states begin to pass marriage equality legislation and the Supreme Court prepares to make a decision on the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), same-sex couples, and accountants alike, need to be aware of the tax implications and complications that same-sex marriage creates. While there is some debate as [...]

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PRESIDENT’S LETTER

Dear Readers, Wow, our third issue is out and it’s only the beginning of March!  We here at BAP are gearing up for our new officer elections to be held Wednesday March 13th at our last meeting of  winter term.  Not only should you come by and cast your vote, but Laura Brunner from Grant [...]

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LIFESTYLE: PROFESSOR PROFILE DR. KATHLEEN RUPLEY

By Rhiannon Wood Dr. Kathleen Rupley, CPA, always knew she was going to become an accountant.  In addition to the profession being a   family affair—her father taught accountancy at Montana State University in Bozeman, and her brother works in the field in Spokane—she saw it as a safe choice. “I guess I’ve always been more [...]

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SPOTLIGHT: INTERNAL VS. EXTERNAL AUDIT PART 1 INTERNAL

By Kristie Starr Internal Audit According to the standards setting body Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), Internal auditing is an independent,  objective assurance and consulting activity designed to add value and improve an organization’s operations. It helps an organization accomplish its objectives by bringing a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of [...]

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SPOTLIGHT: INTERNAL VS. EXTERNAL AUDIT PART 2 EXTERNAL

By Kristie Starr External Audit The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 created the Public Company Accounting Oversight Committee, which regulates the [...]

PRESIDENT’S LETTER

Dear Readers, We are pleased to bring you the second issue of our PSU BAP Journal!  I want to thank [...]

LIFESTYLE: FIRM FOCUS—GEFFEN MESHER

By Eric Skoro Geffen Mesher is  a mid-size accounting firm located in Portland, Oregon that provides audit, tax and advisory [...]

SPOTLIGHT: CASH OREGON

By Katie Sheffield As April 15th approaches, it means a lot of works for accountants, but for the average American [...]

THE SEC AND XBRL

By Yoon Chung Following the stock market crash in 1929 and in the midst of the Great Depression, Congress passed [...]

PRESIDENT’S LETTER

Dear Readers, Welcome to the very first issue of the Portland State University Beta Alpha Psi Journal!  We are excited [...]