May1
Crime and (No) Punishment: Julie Guindon v. Her Majesty The Queen
Some time ago I posted the fascinating case involving the Third Part Civil Penalty. This review is from CCH’s Financial Planning Newsletter. The Court found that the penalty imposed under section 163.2 of the Act is a criminal penalty, not a civil one ...
CGA-Canada
May1
Fair value measurement of financial instruments under IFRS 13
I have always found the concept of what fair value is and how to determine it an interesting subject. This Deloitte newsletter explores practical and technical aspects of applying IFRS 13 Fair Value Measurement in four specific areas affecting financial instrument valuations and disclosures ...
CGA-Canada
Mar26
Identifying Career Opportunities
Career opportunities can be hard to identify. This article will help you recognize them by using a thoughtful and deliberate approach.
CGA-Canada
Mar26
Positioning Yourself for Career Advancement
This article provides you with some steps to showcase yourself as opportunities for promotion become available within your current employment, even if your company does not put focus on succession planning and career development.
CGA-Canada
Mar26
Cost Management: Implementing Target Costing
Target costing, a concept used by many successful Japanese automotive, electronic and other businesses is a fundamentally different way to look at the relationship of prices and costs. this arcle will outline target costing, it's benefits, process and tools to help implement this method in your organization. A very helpful article for any company looking to reduce costs.
CGA-Canada
Feb26
2011 National Business Ethics Survey
This annual survey, by the Ethics Resource Centre, revealed both ominous warning signs of a potentially significant ethics decline ahead as well as some positive news when it comes to employee reporting.
CGA-Canada
Feb26
The Canadian Business Law Blog
This blog by the law firm LaBarge Weinstein, LLP, which is headquartered in Ottawa, discusses the latest trends and developments in business law.
CGA-Canada
Feb26
Mid-sized Firms Need to be in Consulting
You’re a mid-sized accounting firm that’s never considered making a significant commitment to developing a consulting side. Why not, argues this article in Accounting Today?
CGA-Canada
Feb26
Impact of Millennials on CPA Firms
The Millennial generation (18 to 29) may be the newest generation in the workforce, but they are already having an impact everywhere, including the accounting profession, and probably in your firm as well.
CGA-Canada
Feb26
The Journal of Accounting and Organizational Change
Looking for solid advice on how to effect change in your organization? The Journal of Accounting and Organizational Change is designed to provide a platform for researchers and practitioners from multiple disciplines to disseminate information on organizational and accounting systems change.
CGA-Canada
Feb26
Three Key Tech Strategies of Successful 21st Century Accounting Firms
Technology is a key differentiator for today’s accounting firms from those of ten years ago, argues author James Bourke in this report. Today, the right technology, and how that technology is deployed within the firm, can be instrumental in determining success or failure, Bourke stresses.
CGA-Canada
Feb26
Top Practice Trend Initiatives to Watch and Embrace
Not your father’s CPA firm! This article boasts that times have certainly changed in the past generation, and challenges readers to ask if their firm is evolving at a sufficient pace for the times.
CGA-Canada
Feb26
Sir Richard Branson — Out of This World
High profile and transformational entrepreneur Richard Branson reveals what drives his entrepreneurial spirit, how he is challenged, and a few secrets of his success.
CGA-Canada
Feb26
It’s Time to Manage the Business
The world of professional services, including accounting, has changed, with competitors apt to come and challenge from anywhere at any time, according to this article in Accounting Today.
CGA-Canada
Feb26
Planning To Avoid Withholding Obligations on Tips
Recently CRA conducted a project looking at the reporting of tip income by servers at four restaurants in Southern Ontario. The project is purported to have uncovered $1.7 million in unreported tips. CRA is now reviewing the results to consider their next steps. Most service staff ...
CGA-Canada
Feb26
How to Lead Change: 3 Simple Steps
To be an effective leader, managing change effectively is crucial. This article will give you three steps to put the change you want to implement in practice.
CGA-Canada
Feb4
Non-Compete Agreements: Handle with Care
This article profiles the Quebec Court of Appeal case of Jean v. Omegachem, under which an employee challenged his dismissal from a Quebec pharmaceutical company because he refused to sign a non-compete agreement that was only presented to him three years after he commenced employment with his company.
CGA-Canada
Feb4
CRA Challenging Individual Pension Plans
Specific types of individual pension plans (IPPs) are being challenged by Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), for example where the IPP may have been established to hold funds from a previous employer pension plan.
CGA-Canada
Feb4
Why Ethics Hotlines Are Considered a Best Practice
An ethics hotline can make an enormous difference in your business. It can not only cut down on the incidence of fraud, it also sets in motion a whole litany of ethical best practices to help ensure that your company has the best chance of policing itself over the long term against fraud and other malfeasance.
CGA-Canada
Feb4
Employment Contracts
This article by the employment law firm Minken discusses a number of solid foundations that Canadian businesses need to follow when constructing an employment contract.
CGA-Canada
Feb4
Termination of Distribution Agreements
Manufacturers who need to terminate a distribution agreement with another party in Canada need to beware of their specific contractual obligations. That means ensuring that they provide a period of reasonable notice prior to termination; and if they are going to terminate an agreement for cause without notice, that they meet the high threshold established under Canadian common law.
CGA-Canada
Jan29
Otar Retirement Calculator
Financial planner Jim Otar's retirement calculator creates scenarios based on about one hundred years of actual market performance.
CGA-Canada
Jan7
Highlights of Finance and Accounting Ethics Research
This article in Journal of Accountancy illustrates some of the changes in thinking that have occurred in ethical practices affecting finance and accounting, with perhaps a surprise or two in the mix.
CGA-Canada
Jan4
Lead Us Not to Temptation
In a global economy, it’s inevitable that you and your company will be exposed to very different cultural practices than here in North America when dealing overseas. Attitudes towards corruption, such as bribery, are key areas where these differences can be pronounced, points out this eye-opening CGA Magazine article.
CGA-Canada
Nov30
uValue — The Corporate Valuation App
uValue is a free corporate valuation app for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch to help value businesses with widely-used analytical tools.
CGA-Canada
Nov30
Level 5 Leadership — Achieving "Greatness" as a Leader
What makes great leaders? Truly great leaders have a specific blend of skills. This article examines Level 5 Leadership, a powerful resource that will give you tips on going from good to great in a leadership role.
CGA-Canada
Nov30
Emotional Intelligence — Developing Strong "People Skills"
What is emotional intelligence and how do we get there? As more and more people accept that emotional intelligence is just as important to professional success as technical ability, organizations are increasingly using EI when they hire and promote. This is a great article on the topic of self-awareness.
CGA-Canada
Nov28
How Leaders Become Self-Aware
Self-awareness is critical in business-building success. Without self-awareness, you cannot understand your strengths and weakness, your super powers; versus your kryptonite. This article breaks it down and provides you with three key ways to become more self-aware.
CGA-Canada
Nov28
Everyone Into the Pool
Even as the IPO market languishes, the TSX Venture Exchange’s capital pool program (CPP) is bringing a steady stream of companies to market.
CGA-Canada
Nov28
Calculating Investment Returns
Understanding how investment returns are calculated is essential for making comparisons and measuring portfolio performance.
CGA-Canada
Nov28
Learning is the Job
Many prospective directors have no idea what educational skills are required, what resources and opportunities are available, and what can be expected as a new director.
CGA-Canada
Nov27
Characteristics and Skills of the Forensic Accountant
Do you think you have the skills to become a forensic accountant? It’s a fast growing field with a lot of demand, and could offer a great career. But according to this study by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), it’s not a specialty for everybody with an accounting degree.
CGA-Canada
Nov27
Embracing Change in the Accounting Profession
To get ahead in today’s world, accountants not only have to accept change, they need to embrace it, Jason Blumer emphasizes in this article for Accounting Web. One of the key areas driving this change is technology.
CGA-Canada
Nov27
CPA Horizons 2025: A Road Map for the Future
Accountants are finding significant changes occurring with their roles and responsibilities; consequently adjustments are needed in the skill sets required to fulfill those. This comprehensive study by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) ...
CGA-Canada
Nov27
CFOs Embrace Major Process Improvement Again
According to research conducted in March 2012 by APQC in partnership with IEG, 81 percent of large corporations are currently investing in at least one major program to improve financial management processes. This is a marked departure from previous efforts and has significant implications for CFOs and financial managers across all industries.
CGA-Canada
Oct29
Value Chain Analysis for Assessing Competitive Advantage
This article from the Institute of Management Accountants is a great refresher and eye opener on the importance of the value chain in competitive advantage and cost reduction. It is a comprehensive, in depth article full of real world examples.
CGA-Canada
Oct29
Termination of Distribution Agreements
This article, written by Steven Rosenhek, a senior litigation partner with the law firm Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP in Toronto, provides an overview of Canadian law as it relates to terminating distribution agreements.
CGA-Canada
Oct29
Canadian Business Contracts Handbook
This book, published by Self-Counsel Press in 2011, has been written as a resource guide for the multiple small businesses across Canada that CGAs serve.
CGA-Canada
Oct29
Breach of Contract
This article, which appears on the website of the law firm Blake, Cassels and Graydon LLP, provides a general description of contract law in Canada (with the exception of Quebec, which is governed by civil law), as well as various remedies for breach.
CGA-Canada
Oct29
Six Secrets of High-Performing Firms
In an article for cpa2biz.com. Telberg interviews Sam Allred, a CPA with Montana-based firm Anderson ZurMuehlen, who offers six key performance indicators he believes can provide excellence to accounting firms in these tough economic times.
CGA-Canada
Oct29
Performance Measurement: Making It Work
As an accountant, your business and client trust depends on your proficiency at being able to keep hard numbers and accurate records. So why should your employee evaluation process be any different? That’s the argument put forth by Troy Waugh, CPA, in his book Leading an Accounting Firm: The Pyramid of Success.
CGA-Canada
Oct29
ERM in a CPA Practice
This article, examines the benefits that can accrue when service companies prioritize corporate sustainability and environmental performance.
CGA-Canada
Oct29
The Death of Cash
New and established technology companies are vying for position to permit mobile payments, particularly at the retail level.
CGA-Canada
Oct29
Motivating Employees
One of the keys to performance management is motivated employees. How do we motivate employees when we are dealing with individuals? This article provides multiple techniques to help you find your success in motivating others.
CGA-Canada
Oct29
Teaching that Sticks
When training, why do some ideas or lessons stick while others get lost in the course? This article and book explains why ideas stick and how you can make your ideas and training memorable.
CGA-Canada
Oct15
Charities and Giving — What's new
A best practice we should all follow is making sure our applications to CRA are full and complete. But what happens when they are not? The Application review process web page for charities has been updated to reflect new procedures ...
CGA-Canada
Oct2
Firms Dip Their Toes into Social Media
The results of Investment Executive’s annual brokerage report card provide some insight into how (and whether) financial advisors are actually using social media.
CGA-Canada
Oct2
Risk Management Guide for Small to Medium Business
If you are looking for a comprehensive checklist of potential risks faced by small and medium sized enterprises (SME), this report by CPA Australia is thorough in its content. It identifies a multitude of potential risks faced by SMEs, along with suggestions on possible strategies to mitigate or manage those risks.
CGA-Canada
Oct2
Risk Management Is More Than Just Risk Mitigation
We have all been trained as accountants to think of risk mitigation as being a key component of risk management. But as this interesting article posted by Jim Haughwout points out, managing risk involves more than just mitigating possible threats. All risks are not created equal.
CGA-Canada
Oct2
Leadership and Conflict
This blog post addresses how dealing with conflict effectively is integral to any leadership role. It is an attention grabber as it is an area many shy away from. Highlighting how important it is to develop effective skill sets, it examines two major causes of conflict and provides you with tips to put healthy resolution into practice.
CGA-Canada
Oct2
Leadership by the New Generation
This article focuses on bridging the multigenerational gap within the workplace. From telling us what Generations X and Y care about to examples of how to attract and retain them, providing us with successful tips from the industry. It ends with insight into our new generation’s leadership styles, giving a well-rounded overview of a very common workplace scenario.
CGA-Canada
Sep20
The Importance of Board Support for Enterprise Risk Management: Part 3
This video contains an interesting perspective on how aspects of enterprise risk management are conducted at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. This segment, the third of three parts, focuses on the audit committee’s leadership role in assessing risk, compliance and controls in place throughout the university.
CGA-Canada
Sep20
What Kills Startups?
Entrepreneurs of small and medium sized start-ups face a high failure rate almost out of the starting gate. But understanding organizational risk and how to handle that can greatly increase odds of survival. This article nicely encapsulates some of the risks faced by start-ups, as well as the potential risks each might entail.
CGA-Canada
Sep20
Basics of Activity Based Management
With ABM; businesses can make dramatic improvements in measuring product and process costs as well as customer profitability. This article covers Activity Based Management, provides a refresher on what it is, why it is applicable to business and provides a coparison along with examples to traditional product costing.
CGA-Canada
Sep20
Top 10 Issues Selecting a Carbon Management System
This article lists the top ten considerations that can help companies when considering a carbon management system. The article also lists ten implementation best practices for your carbon management system as well as where to obtain furthur information.
CGA-Canada
Sep20
Cell Lockdown
Use these tips to help get a grip on spreadsheet security.
CGA-Canada
Sep20
NIRP — The Financial System Death Knell?
Government bond auctions for select countries have seen overwhelming demand, resulting in what the authors term Negative Interest Rate Policy (NIRP), or yields below zero.
CGA-Canada
Sep20
The Importance of Board Support for Enterprise Risk Management: Part 1
This video contains an interesting perspective on how aspects of enterprise risk management are conducted at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. This segment, the first of three parts, focuses on how the university’s board of directors is involved and has a leadership role in implementing strategic risk and mitigation strategies.
CGA-Canada
Sep20
Contract Law
This eight-part article, written by Vancouver-based lawyer Lloyd Duhaime, discusses various aspects of contract law in Canada.
CGA-Canada
Aug20
Social Checks on Potential Candidates
Have you ever faced a situation where you were hiring a prospective employee and came across questionable personal information about them on a social media site like Facebook or Twitter? This article discusses how you might handle that dilemma.
CGA-Canada
Aug20
Social Media in Your Business
By now, you’ve probably discovered the potential benefits of incorporating social media like Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn into your business ...
CGA-Canada
Aug20
Social Crunch: The Accountants Guide to Social Media Marketing
Have you just gotten over the hurdle of thinking about social media exclusively in terms of professional networking? And are you now ready to embrace it as a means of mainstream business communication? This guide, by Top Dog Social Media, which is based in Kelowna, BC, can help you.
CGA-Canada
Aug20
Social CPAs: Social Media Insights for Accountants
Now here’s something unique, incorporating two concepts that a few years ago you might have thought were mutually exclusive. It’s a website devoted exclusively to social media insights, but one that is written exclusively for accountants!
CGA-Canada
Aug20
Getting Social: Tips for Implementing Social Accounting
Having decided your firm is going to get proactive with its use of social media, what are the next strategic steps? This article by Tom Brennan in Accounting Today can help you assess some of the technical considerations you need to take into account.
Other
Aug20
Who’s Out There?
Many companies are using social media but struggling to turn their efforts into business strategy.
CGA-Canada
Aug20
Managing Customer Profitability
Businesses are well aware that not all customers are equally profitable. This article from the Journal of Accountancy demonstrates five reoccurring steps in the customer value management cycle to help you determine which customers are most valuable to your organization.
CGA-Canada
Aug17
THE GAAR SAGA
With the appearance of the Supreme Court decision in Canada With the appearance of the Supreme Court decision in Canada Trustco Mortgage Co. v. The Queen, 2005 DTC 5523, the rules for the application of the General Anti-Avoidance Rule (“GAAR”) were clarified, and the courts have subsequently treated the law relating to these rules as well settled ...
CGA-Canada
Jul24
Environmental Issues in the Service Sector
Corporate success is no longer measured solely by the financial bottom line. Social and environmental considerations also need to be taken into account. Your role as an accountant reflects this evolution. This article, published in Management Ethics, a magazine published by the Canadian Centre for Ethics and Corporate Policy ...
CGA-Canada
Jul24
Good Practice Checklist for Small Business
Looking for a good practice checklist to offer your small business clients? This publication, from the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) offers a concise checklist format of various activities businesses need to undertake to ensure success.
CGA-Canada
Jul24
Is Decision-Based Evidence Making Necessarily Bad
Many managers think they’ve committed their organizations to evidence-based decision making — but have instead, without realizing it, committed to decision-based evidence making. Is that all bad? What can be done to fix it?
CGA-Canada
Jul24
New ISO Standard for Business Continuity Management
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has, for the first time, published an International Standard for business continuity management. ISO 22301:2012. This link provides a shortcut to this new standard.
CGA-Canada
Jul24
Best Practices in Fraud Prevention
While one cannot predict why or when an organization may become a target, there is a lot one can do to reduce the opportunity for fraud in financial transactions and dealings with the bank.
CGA-Canada
Jul24
Implementing Change
As stated by The Leopard - If you want things to stay as they are, things will have to change.
CGA-Canada
Jul24
Why Ethics Hotlines Are Considered a Best Practice
Ethical practices have always been a strong suit for most accounting professionals. Unfortunately some well publicized lapses of ethical behaviour involving accountants were documented in financial collapses early in the 21st century (i.e. Enron, WorldCom).
CGA-Canada
Jul24
Work/Life and Retention
The culture where accounting partners were expected to sacrifice much of their personal life to meet work demands may not have entirely disappeared. But there is certainly a growing awareness that in order to attract the best and brightest young professionals, today’s firms need to allow time for both quality work and home life.
CGA-Canada
Jul24
Client Acceptance Procedures — Best Practices Among Accounting Firms
Know thy client is a maxim that can be applied to any number of professional organizations, and as every practitioner knows, the accounting firm is no exception. You need to get to know your prospective clients before entering into a formal relationship, or risk falling into any number of traps destined to cause major headaches later on.
CGA-Canada