Archive for June, 2009

What is a SAS 70? Who Needs a SAS 70?

Wednesday, June 10th, 2009

A SAS 70 audit report assesses the design and operating effectiveness of a service organization’s controls.  A Type I SAS 70 only assesses the design of controls.  A Type II SAS 70 assesses both the design and operating effectiveness of controls.

Consider the following scenario – Your company provides a service that may materially affect your customer’s financial statements.  Naturally, your customers, your customer’s auditors, and your potential future customers want to make sure their financial information is accurate, complete, and recorded properly.  As such, each of these parties requests to inquire or audit your processes and systems.  What a nightmare, right?

Well, that is where a SAS 70 comes in.  Since the SAS 70 audit report assesses the design and operating effectiveness of a service organization’s controls, the audit report can be provided to customers as evidence of the effectiveness of your controls.  You may not want to provide the report to potential future customers, but letting them know that you received a clean SAS 70 audit report would certainly provide them some comfort regarding your operations.

So what type of organization would need or even want a SAS 70?  Usually the following organizations would consider obtaining a SAS 70: payroll service providers, claims processors, benefits administrators, third party administrators, clearinghouses, transfer agents, trust administrators, data centers, application service providers (ASPs), and outsourced IT departments.

Here is a pretty good link that provides some more details.

Have your customers requested assurance that your processes and systems are controlled?  
Do you feel comfortable that the business processes and IT processes you have in place are controlled to prevent/detect unnecessary mistakes, unauthorized transactions, unauthorized modifications to data, and fraudulent activity?

New Form 5500 Requirements for 403(b) Plans Beginning in 2009

Wednesday, June 10th, 2009

Beginning with December 31, 2009 Form 5500 filings, employee benefit plans sponsored by charitable organizations, under Section 403(b) of the Internal Revenue Code and covered under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), will be subject to the same Form 5500 reporting and audit requirements that currently exist for 401(k) retirement plans.

The number of participants in your plan determines whether your organization will be required to file audited financial statements for the plan.  “Large” ERISA-covered 403(b) plans (generally plans with 100 or more eligible participants) will be required to file audited financial statements.  “Small” 403(b) plans (generally fewer than 100 eligible participants) will be able to use a new Short Form 5500 and will not be required to have an audit of the plan’s financial statements.

For large 403(b) plans, there may be significant challenges in establishing the documentation needed for your first Form 5500 filing and the related audit requirements.  The AICPA’s Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center has developed a 10 step guide for organizations to prepare for the upcoming changes “Section 430(b) Retirement Plans ~ Getting Started: Meeting the New Form 5500 Reporting and Audit Requirements.

Virginia Angel Credit Available for Some Businesses

Wednesday, June 10th, 2009

There is a credit available for those investing in the form of equity and subordinated debt that you may not know about.  The Virginia Qualified Equity and Subordinated Debt Investment (Angel) Credit allows a credit equal to 50% of the cash investment in a qualified business in the form of equity or subordinated debt.

Interested businesses and investors need to know that there are specific limitations and deadlines that need to be met. This includes a two-step process with starts with the business submitting Form QBA at least 90 days prior to the issuance of equity or subordinated debt, and then the issuing a copy of the Virginia Department of Taxation certification to each investor/taxpayer, who must then submit their own application on Form EDC before April 1 of the following calendar year.

However, if you meet the credit and qualified investment limitations, this process could prove very beneficial to those who are able to obtain the tax credit.