ACCOUNTING QUALITY MODEL
Sam Ferguson
Regis University
Innovation in the Era of
“Big Data” provided a standardized
Computer Readable
Language
&
eXtensible
Business
Reporting
Language
Oversight
&
The U.S. Securities &
Exchange Commission’s
“RoboCop”
Introducing...
XBRL
In 1998, Charlie Hoffman, the
“father of XBRL,” combined XML with HTML for user-defined data tagging Each tagged element offers currency, balance type, and period.
Layer in taxonomies linking the data to accounting principles.
Offers standardized financial report format. XBRL becomes a “Twitter hashtag for the financially savvy”
THE ACCOUNTING QUALITY MODEL
THE SEC”S
“ROBOCOP”
ANALYZES DISCLOSURES WITHIN 24-HOURS POSTED TO EDGAR
Provides quantitative analytics to degree of anomalies in filing
GENERATES RISK SCORE AS TO LEVEL OF POSSIBLE FRAUD
RISK SCORE USED TO COBORRATES/INVALIDATES FRAUD TIPS
SEC EXAMINERS FURTHER REVIEW FLAGGED FINANCIALS
SEC RESPONDS WTIH COMMENT LETTER, INFORMAL INQUIRY, OR AUDIT
“RoboCop’s” Profiling Techniques
Earnings Management Analysis
• Revenue Earned but not
Received
DISCRETIONARY
&
NON-OBLIGATORY
• Add Expenses incurred but not
Paid
Accrued
Revenue
Accrued
Expense
s
ACCRUALS
Deferred
Revenue
• Transfer to a Liability Revenue but not Earned
Risk Indicators:
Earnings Quality Management
Quality & Quantity of
Discretionary Accruals
Comparative to Peer Industry
Group
NON-DISCRETIONARY
&
OBLIGATORY
Deferred
Expense
• Transfer to an Asset Unused
Expense Amount
Risk Inducers:
Decrease of Market Share
Lower Profitability Margins
FALSE POSITIVES*
*”RoboCop” analysis produces risk score for benign anomalies
PROS
CONS
✚ Customizable factor-based analysis to specific needs
✚ Includes discretionary accruals factors in its regression analysis
-
Costly disruptions of sec inquiries damaging effects to reputation
EVOLUTION OF THE “ROBOCOP”
Creation of Financial Reporting & Audit Task Force and Microcap
Fraud Task Force
Provides accounting & legal oversight to “RoboCop”
Expands policing to securities issued by microcap companies
New analytical tool to review supporting written documentation to disclosures Parses the word & phrases common in past fraudulent activity
Seek out overuse of words & “under-disclosure of risk”
Recommendations for compliance File Accurate XBRL Reports
Implement Conservative
Accounting Policies
Conform to Peer Industry
Group Practices
Adequately Document
Policies
Stay Current on SEC
Regulatory Activity
Be Prepared for an SEC
Inquiry
Bibliography
ACFE. (2013, August). The Fraud Examiner. Retrieved July 15, 2014, from ACFE: http://www.acfe.com/fraudexaminer.aspx?id=4294979300&terms=(check)
Anderson, G. (2014, August 15). Retail Wire. Retrieved August 16, 2014, from Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/retailwire/2014/08/15/will-amazon-be-using-merchants-who-use-amazon-localregister/ Brands, C. K. (2012, December). The SEC and Interactive Data. Strategic Finance , pp. 56-57.
Brands, CMA., K. (2013, September). XBRL SEC Filings Are Hampered By Errors. Strategic Finance , pp. 56-57.
Brands, K. (2014, June 28). Discussions. Retrieved June 30, 2014, from Regis University World Class: https ://connect.regis.edu/p66ymuyj580/?launcher=false&fcsContent=true&pbMode=normal
Brands, K. (2014, June 27). Discussions. Retrieved June 30, 2014, from Regis University World