Tag: South African Institute of Professional Accountants (SAIPA)

In the challenging economic circumstances that South Africa currently faces, the impact of fiscal responsibility – the balanced use of government spending and tax to influence the economy – on taxpayers, businesses, and the nation's overall economic well-being cannot be overstated.

Even in the best of times, companies may engage in financial statement fraud for various reasons. Management might want to avoid the wrath of their head office for poor performance, attract undeserved but much needed investment, reduce tax contributions, or even skim off money for themselves.

The government’s latest critical skills list includes the occupations of 'Tax Professional', 'External Auditor' and 'Forensic Accountant'. The full list comprises 101 occupation codes and these critical skills are open to South Africans and foreign nationals that meet the skills requirements.

The first part of the State Capture Commission’s report, released earlier this month, documents an account of events where many sectors and individuals colluded to create an environment in which billions could be pilfered. This was achieved by deliberately sidestepping constitutional and regulatory checks and balances.

The primary responsibility of every accountant is to serve the public interest first. But, as asked by the Roman poet Juvenal, 'Who will guard the guards themselves?' Who ensures accountants remain accountable? This is the function of professional accountancy organisations (PAOs), and it is the reason every accountant should be a member of such an association.

As the SARS collection process becomes more technologically advanced, tax practitioners must advise clients to avoid tax evasion and remain compliant. SARS will soon become so efficient at detecting tax evasion and recovering hidden revenues, it will no longer be worth it to lie on returns.

We have begun thinking differently about what accountancy is and needs to be in a world marked by advanced technological capabilities and extreme socio-economic conditions.

Changes to the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) are aimed at avoiding another global financial crisis. This is in response to the backlash against IFRS 17 Insurance Contracts from critics in the insurance industry.

On the 18th of June, Facebook announced its plan to launch its Libra cryptocurrency in 2020. Bitcoin, the popular digital currency, has been around for over 10 years but hasn’t significantly changed how we trade. However, Facebook’s massive global user base could usher in wide-scale adoption of Blockchain, the technology behind modern cryptocurrencies.