Andersen Worldwide is a network of independent member firms in 84 countries. These separate country-wide practices are coordinated through Andersen Worldwide to provide a seamless offer to Andersen's clients. In light of a new series of defections of these independent country firms to other members of the Big Five, Andersen Worldwide has conceded defeat in its plans for a worldwide mass merger with KPMG. This table will help you keep track of the pieces of the Andersen Worldwide Network and the merger options they are selecting individually.

The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) has named the members of its new International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB).

A survey of U.S. insurance executives conducted by Ernst & Young found that more than two-thirds (67%) of companies have someone tracking developments of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). In addition, almost half (44%) have someone within their organization participating on committees related to International Accounting Standards (IAS), and almost a third (30%) have developed an internal task force on IAS.

Last month, AccountingWEB reported on some inventory control issues at the IRS ("IRS 'Misplaces Over 2300 Computers" - January 9, 2002) that led to congressional calls to halt the IRS budget until they are found.Now, the Bush administration is proposing to take 1,000 of the IRS' two year old laptops and desktop computers and ship them to Afghanistan to help the new government in its modernization efforts.The situation in Afghanistan is desperate, because the outgoing Taliban regime apparently looted government offices before they left, leaving behind

Europe’s highest court recently backed a Dutch ban on bundling auditing with legal services, thereby dampening the hopes of U.S. accounting firms who seek to provide legal services as part of "one-stop shopping" for clients. Separately, the head of the European Commission spoke out against U.S. accounting principles and said he will ask the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to recognize International Accounting Standards (IAS) as an alternative to U.S.

The Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA) last week announced an agreement with the Canadian Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Professionals (CAIRP) that accredits CAIRP as the only body whose designation leads to recognition as a CA-designated specialist in insolvency and restructuring.CAs who are also CIRPs (Chartered Insolvency and Restructuring Professional) and who register as specialists with their provincial institutes will be eligible to be recognized as C

Accepting that transfer to your company’s Paris office could have far-reaching career benefits, according to a recent survey. Fifty-six percent of chief financial officers (CFOs) polled said international experience will be at least somewhat necessary for accounting and finance professionals five years from now.

PricewaterhouseCoopers today announced that partners worldwide have ratified the selection of Samuel A. DiPiazza, Jr. as Global Chief Executive Officer. Mr. DiPiazza, 51, was previously chairman and senior partner of the global organization's U.S. firm and will assume his new responsibilities on 2 January 2002. Mr. DiPiazza succeeds James J. Schiro who announced his intentions to step down as CEO last July. Mr. Schiro served as Global CEO since the formation of PricewaterhouseCoopers in July 1998 with the merger of Price Waterhouse and Coopers & Lybrand. Commenting on his selection, Mr.

Developing connections between practices and introducing innovative new service areas can help small- and medium-sized practitioners extend their global presence, the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) has urged.In a review of the seven member bodies from across the world, IFAC found that an effective forum for smaller practices, a database of shared knowledge, and a strong advocacy role could help bolster the profile of such practices.The study - available to download i