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Editor's blog

Editors Blog : Read CA Mag editor Rob Outram's online diary

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CA Magazine

Every article from your latest print edition of CA Magazine

October 2008

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Editor's desk: Big money's gambling habit

It's fair enough for Wall Street and the City to play for enormous stakes in the world's money-market casino, but not with taxpayers' money, writes Robert Outram

In my view: Business and HMRC - friends?

Relations with the Revenue haven't always been cordial. But, says Douglas Flint, global economics demand co-operation between corporations and tax-gatherers

President: Making sense of the future

Food for thought for Glenn Allison after the CA Conference at Gleneagles

Letters: Finance directors who's who update

Peter Rose, FD with Hunting Group, should have been included in our FDs' Who's Who

Office Auntie: Strategy for promotion

What do you do when you are acting up in a job with little prospect of a permanent promotion?

SEC plans for IFRS global accounting

US companies are set to switch to international accounting rules by 2014 under a roadmap propsed by the SEC.

Deloitte embarks on joint venture in the Middle East

Deloitte has announced a joint corporate finance venture between its UK and Middle East firms

Corporate recovery will be top Scottish earner for Tenon

Insolvency and corporate recovery services are due to become the biggest part of Tenon's business in Scotland.

HBOS rescue

Lloyds TSB has agreed in principle to a £12 billion takeover of HBOS after a Governmnet-brokered deal to save the country's biggest mortgage lender from a crisis of confidence.

Insolvency group

Deloitte's Judith Howson has set up the Scottish Women in Insolvency Group (SWIG).

Grossart agrees to chair new public project body

Sir Angus Grossart is to chair the Scottish Futures Trust.

Stamp duty holiday

The Treasury hopes to kick-start the housing market by suspending stamp duty on properties costing £175,000 or less.

McCorquodale back from London

KPMG partner David McCorquodale is returning to Scotland.

Spiced-up tale of how Charan got his start in life

Curry entrepreneur Charan Gill tells some tall tales about life in the restaurant trade

Taxiing problem

You would not believe what people will leave in the back of a cab.

Business travel

A roundup of news and ideas for the business traveller

Enriching experience

Working overseas can be a great career move, as well as broadening the mind, to the point that many CAs may choose to stay there.

How time abroad can help your career

Career advice for those seeking a move overseas.

Away wins

A falling pound should be tempting UK companies to test the export markets.

Please stay, don't go

An economic squeeze can make it harder for smaller accountancy firms to hold onto staff.

Banking on Islam

It's estimated that between 1.5 and 1.8 billion people are Muslim. John Willsdon looks at how the principles of Shariah law affect banking, and the global efforts to set up a compliant finance industry. Islamic finance, despite its name, is not a religious product. It is a growing series of financial products developed to allow Muslims to invest savings and raise finance in a way that does not compromise their religious beliefs

Principled products

What opportunities does Islamic finance create for UK institutions?

Onwards and downwards

Standard & Poor's offers a downbeat view of banks' prospects.

Bridging finance

If the loan waters are at all troubled, commercial bridging finance could be the answer

Building can't be allowed to collapse

Taylor Wimpey's troubles are typical of a sector facing tough times

Interview: Conrad Hewitt

The US is moving towards IFRS and Conrad Hewitt, chief accountant at the SEC, has a crucial role in guiding the process.

Conference report: Back to the future

Studying how we got here is key to understanding where we are going, Niall Ferguson told delegates at the CA Conference.

Alternative investments: Game for growth

Toys, wine, cars, art and even racehorses are being seen as alternatives to the stock market.

Burst of investment

Scotland's business conference venues are investing in the future.

Attacking tax

Software options for filing tax returns online

Plus CA change

Donald Drysdale looks at the future of tax and technology

Labour's SDLT amnesty

The Government has introduced a temporary increase in the starting threshold for stamp duty land tax.

How will the stamp duty exemption work?

Your SDLT questions answered

Charities benefit

The gift aid top-up that resulted from income tax cuts should now be paid automatically.

Companies slow over VAT reclaims

Many comanies are failing to take up their entitlement to VAT refunds.

Plan looks good for beauty parlours

The way has been cleared for European countries to slash VAT on a range of business sectors - if they want to.

Agency tax rules may hit hospitals

Hospitals and schools face higher temporary staff costs under new VAT rules.

Poor non-doms need to worry

Those affected by the remittance basis basis rules have important decisions to make.

US closer to convergence

Leading US regulator, the SEC, has laid out a road map that could mean adopting IFRS by 2014

Research shows drawbacks of IFRS

The move to international standards has added to the complexity of accounts, research shows.

Fresh look at going concern

The FRC is consulting on proposals to revise guidance to directors on going concern and financial reporting.

Public law: Building up hope

There is much to applaud in the Scottish Futures Trust, but it must be put into action soon

Views please

The APB is suggesting moves towards global converegence in auditors' opinions.

Law: Reconstruction

What can Scotland learn from the new English approach to construction disputes?

Debt or equity?

Presenting preference shares in compnay accounts can be problematic.

When a new auditor is appointed

ICAS, ICAEW and ICAI have produced joint guidance for predecessor and successor auditors

Experts' future shocks at CA Conference

Report from the CA Conference at Gleneagles

CAs "can help restore Scottish farming"

The Scottish Governmnet's director-general for the environmnet says CAs can play a key part in restoring the fortunes of Scottish agriculture.

When disaster strikes a CA...

How the Scottish Chartered Accountants Benevolent Association helps ICAS members in trouble.

Monitoring for improvement

How ICAS monitors continuing professional development

"Surge" warning on redundancies

A few lay-offs can cause large-scale staff turnover, warns the CIPD's chief economist.

Company insolvencies "should return to London"

Corporate insolvency policy should be a power reserved to Westminster, ICAS says.

Grampian's gift

The Grampian Area Society has raised more than £4,400 to help blind people in the north east of Scotland.

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