During poor economic times, management of various companies may be under pressure to produce good results, and may use various means to justify the fair value of goodwill and indefinite life intangible assets. In these circumstances, the auditor should proceed with skepticism and caution when reviewing the impairment tests prepared by management for these elements…

Bruce Freer CA(SA) was nominated for membership of the Commonwealth Secretariat Audit Committee (AC) by the SAICA UK region, through the South African High Commission and was elected Chairman at the 3 December 2009 AC meeting. The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 54 countries that enables member states to support each other and work…

Today, cellphone viruses are not regarded as a big deal. But if you think your phone will always be safe… think again. You might be carrying a virus around in your pocket. A professor made the comment, during one of his lectures, that technology has changed to such an extent that a couple of years ago…

The accounting dilemma facing Zimbabwe in the midst of severe limitations to financial reporting Recently Zimbabwe set several world records. Swimmer Kirsty Coventry set the world record in the 200m backstroke at the Beijing Olympics and broke her own record in Rome this year. Cricketer Charles Coventry equalled the highest individual ODI score with a…

In Review Name: The Black Swan Author:Nassim Nicholas Taleb Publisher: Penguin This book, first published in 2007, has already become a business classic. Nassim Nicholas Taleb was born in Lebanon and lived much of his childhood years through the Lebanese Civil War. These experiences caused him to view life and events in a very different…

Sparkling wine, whether made by injecting with carbon dioxide, much in the same way sparkling mineral water is made, or by the classical “Méthode Champenoise” or second fermentation in the bottles, known in the Cape as Methode Cap Classique [MCC], is becoming more popular as a drink to have without a reason. Previously regarded as…

So you call yourself an adventurer? Well, in training for our adventure, my wife and I faithfully did regular weekend hikes in our new hiking boots. Bring on the Amazon, Peru, Boliva, the four day Inca trail hike, and the Nazca lines! Our 18-day tour was going to be no walk in the park. Here…

For many years South Africans were perhaps a bit happy-go-lucky when it came to tax matters. You know the sort of thing; “discount for cash”, nudge, nudge, wink, wink. Or stick a student into your converted garage – now a “garden cottage” – and make a bit on the side. No need to bother the…

A thought leadership issue “Everything that is counted does not necessarily count; and everything that counts can not necessarily be counted” Albert Einstein We can count the profit we make, but we cannot count the happiness that a customer gets from good service. We can count sales, but we cannot count the cost of the…

It has been said many times before that property is one of the biggest investments one can make in a lifetime. So when it comes to divesting yourself of one of life’s biggest assets, do you go it alone or use an estate agent? Adrian Goslett, CEO of RE/MAX of Southern Africa, asks if you…