A property manager needs to maintain the accounting records for a number of property owners, which calls for a unique chart of accounts, journal entries that pertain to specific property transactions, and periodic reports that convey the financial essentials to owners. Property Management Accounting addresses these topics and more, giving the accountant a firm grounding in how to deal with any property-related accounting issue that may arise.

The accounting for and reporting of transactions for a homeowners’ association, as well as other common interest realty associations, is quite extensive. In Accounting for Homeowners’ Associations, we cover all aspects of the accounting for many types of common interest realty associations, with an emphasis on homeowners’ associations. The book addresses the accounting for all types of assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses, as well as financial statements, disclosures, and c...

Accounting for a major project presents the accountant with a multitude of difficult accounting issues. The Project Accounting manual shows how to deal with these concerns by describing the ideal cost collection system and how to record expenses and revenues within it. The manual also addresses the management of change orders, allowances, and contingencies, while noting the impact of GAAP requirements on specific project issues, including interest capitalization and the treatment ...

There are many opportunities for failure in a cash receipts system, possibly resulting in the theft of cash or the incorrect recordation of receipts. In the Cash Receipts Controls manual, we discuss all aspects of the cash receipts process flow, the forms used, and the controls needed to ensure that cash receipts activities are properly conducted. The manual also addresses systems of internal control, control principles, types of controls, and several related issues.

The divestiture or spin-off of a business unit can cause major problems for the parent company, or represent a golden opportunity to streamline and focus on its core capabilities. In the Divestitures and Spin-Offs manual, we discuss the problems with divestitures and how to resolve them by focusing on specific concerns in many functional areas, including accounting, human resources, legal, and treasury. This manual is intended to concentrate the attention of the reader on the key ...

Standard costs are commonly used in many accounting applications. In the Standard Costs and Variance Analysis manual, we address the situations in which standard costing can be used, its advantages and disadvantages, and how to create a standard cost. We also cover the various types of variances that can be derived from standard costs, including materials, labor, and overhead variances. Finally, we address which variances should be reported, and how to report them to management.

Errors and fraudulent transactions can be remarkably difficult to spot. In the Forensic Analytics manual, we provide a number of tools for teasing out these problem transactions from the masses of data in which they are normally hidden. Techniques covered include Benford’s Law, outlier analysis, round numbers analysis, growth spurt analysis, policy threshold analysis, and time-series analysis. The manual also gives extensive coverage to the process of importing data into Excel, so...

The financial markets support the worldwide economic system, so it makes sense to have a basic understanding of how they operate. In the Guide to the Financial Markets, we explore the major financial markets, including the bond, equity, foreign exchange, futures, international debt, and money markets. The manual addresses such matters as how bonds are sold, the yield curve, the requirements of the different stock exchanges, dark pool trading, short selling, foreign exchange invest...

Government entities present significant auditing challenges, since they may operate a multitude of funds, deal with grant funding, and account for significant infrastructure assets. In Auditing State and Local Governments, we examine how the auditor can navigate these challenges by delving into government controls and using targeted audit procedures. Particular attention is paid to component units, fund classifications, interfund activity, and the government budget.

The quality of an organization’s supply chain will drive its overall success. In the Supply Chain Management manual, we cover the components of a supply chain management system, and how it can be configured to enhance overall effectiveness. The topics covered include inventory reduction concepts, risk reduction, supplier ranking systems, quality management, and several related software applications.

Ship owners must deal with a massive number of accounting transactions to operate their ships. In the Accounting for Ship Owners manual, we cover the essentials of revenue recognition, as well as the accounting for operating expenses, ship construction costs, depreciation, dry-docking, day-to-day maintenance, vessel impairment testing, and several related issues.

The founders of a business have a number of business entity types from which to choose. In Types of Business Entities, we describe the essential elements of the sole proprietorship, general partnership, limited partnership, C corporation, limited liability company, and S corporation, and note the circumstances under which they will be most suitable. This manual is designed for the person who needs to quickly gain an understanding of each business type, and which one works best for...