In Canada, starting salaries in accounting and finance are projected to rise an average of 2.5 percent in 2006, according to the 2006 Salary Guide from Robert Half International, Incorporated. The 2006 Salary Guide is based on an analysis of the thousands of job placements managed by the company’s Canadian offices.“Business expansion and corporate governance initiatives are driving recruitment in the accounting and finance industries,” says Jeff Holloway, a vice-president with Robert Half International.

“The best way to accelerate global leadership development is to have a sound framework,” Robert Kramer, Principal Researcher, The Conference Board and author of the report Developing Global Leaders: Enhancing Competencies and Accelerating the Expatriate Experience, says.

Sir David Tweedie has been re-appointed as the chairman of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) for another five years.Tweedie has led the massive project of developing a uniform set of International Financial Reporting Standards, and during his next term he will focus on the convergence project with the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the standard-setter in the U.S.Des Hudson, chief executive of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland, supported Tweedie's reappointment and the IASB's work on developing international standards.“Sir David is in charge

The European Parliament has passed strengthened accounting rules to increase transparency and to avoid some of the pitfalls of the Enron and Parmalat scandals. The Financial Times reports that companies in the European Union will have to disclose off-balance sheet arrangements and their financial impacts. Listed EU companies will be required to publish annual corporate governance statements, as well.

A Treasury Department report released last week shows that capital inflows into U.S. assets surged to $106.8 billion following last month’s revised record $101.7 billion figure. These numbers offset the October trade deficit of $68.9 billion, with room to spare. Analysts had expected the October figure to fall to $75.4 billion. Foreigners increased their investments in U.S. equities and corporate bond holdings by $10.6 billion and $34.1 billion in net purchases, respectively, in October. Net official foreign purchasers picked up $4.9 billion in U.S.

Who wouldn’t welcome some extra help around the house this holiday season? If you are thinking of hiring baby-sitters, cleaning people, yard workers, drivers, health aides/private nurses, or similar domestic workers, there are some things you should know to help minimize tax implications later on.The most important thing to know is how the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) defines an employee. According to the IRS a “worker is your employee if you can control not only what work is done, but how it is done.” That’s it. It doesn’t matter if the work is full-time or part- time.

Speaking at the European Federation of Accounting’s Seminar on International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in Brussels last week, Charlie McGreevey, EU Internal Market Commissioner suggested that the EU may defer accepting US Generally Accepted Accounting Standards (GAAP) as equivalent to the IFRS, the International Herald Tribune reports.

The Certified General Accountants Association of Canada (CGA-Canada) this month published an update to their seminal report on defined benefit pensions plans in Canada.

Just two months after Congress passed a massive energy bill supporting increasing supplies of oil and gas, homeowners and businesses in the Northeast and Midwest are bracing for huge projected cost increases for natural gas for heating and electricity this winter, and are scrambling to find ways of conserving energy. Children have been encouraged by the U.S. Department of Energy to be on the lookout for “EnergyHog” in their homes, RedOrbit.com reports.