Role Model

Posted by & filed under Accounting Careers, International Business Operations.

Description: Janet De Silva is the CEO of the Toronto Region Board of Trade. She recently offered several key observations about her career path and success. One particular piece of advice that stands out is don’t pretend you are an expert when you take on an overseas assignment. Date: March 5, 2017 Source: theglobeandmail.com Link: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/management/janet-de-silva-one-thing-that-has-enabled-me-to-succeed-in-business-is-not-pretending-im-the-expert/article34201870/… Read more »

Deceptive pricing at the Bay?

Posted by & filed under Accounting Careers, Ethics.

Description: The federal Competition Bureau is suing Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) under allegations of deceptive pricing. Apparently, HBC listed a sleep set with a sale price of $788, noting that the regular price was $1,998. The problem was, HBC hadn’t sold a single unit at the regular price, prompting the Bureau to believe the retailer… Read more »

The Taxman Cometh

Posted by & filed under Accounting Careers, Taxation.

Description: The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is coming; coming for taxes that is.  CRA is expanding an audit program to ferret out wealthy individuals and companies that may have been avoiding taxation, particularly through offshore activities. The federal government has directed an additional $444 million over the next five years to help the CRA’s audit… Read more »

What do you know about debt?

Posted by & filed under Student life.

Description: More than one third of Canadians don’t realize how beneficial it is to make more than the minimum payment on their consumer debt. According to a recent survey by TransUnion, a credit monitoring organization, 39% of Canadians surveyed didn’t realize the financial benefits of paying more than the minimum required by credit card companies… Read more »

How do you handle someone like this?

Posted by & filed under Accounting Careers, Ethics.

Description: In the news this week, we saw a couple of versions of President Donald Trump’s behaviour. Early in the week, we saw a rather uneventful meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Then, later in the week, we saw a rather unusual news conference with what we might call bullying of the news media. How… Read more »

Tim’s owner looking for acquisition

Posted by & filed under Accounting Careers, Marketing & Strategy.

Description: It might be Roll-up the Rim contest time, but Tim Horton’s parent company, Restaurant Brands International, is looking for more than free coffee and doughnuts. Restaurant Brands is looking to add to its  roster of Burger King and Tim’s  through acquisitions. Popeye’s was rumored to be on the take-over list, but talks may have… Read more »

Westjet expands in Quebec

Posted by & filed under Corporate Strategy, Managerial Accounting.

Description: In a move that challenges rival Air Canada, WestJet has announced it is expanding operations in the Province of Quebec. Westjet is adding over 100 new flights to its roster there, hoping to draw both business and leisure travelers through lower fares. Air Canada is expected to fight back, though low fares will be… Read more »

Every 20 years or so

Posted by & filed under Accounting Careers, Auditing.

Description: A lawyer friend of mine – who also happens to be a chartered accountant – has told me that roughly every 20 years or so, it seems that the Supreme Court of Canada deals with a case on auditor liability. Well, the 20 years must be up as on February 15, 2017, the Supreme… Read more »

Hide that news

Posted by & filed under Canadian Government.

Description: This week the Globe and Mail reported that  the Minister of Finance did not include information on government expectations regarding future deficits in his November 1st financial updates. Instead, the information projecting decades of future deficits was released to the public somewhat quietly, two days before Christmas. While deficits are expected to continue for… Read more »

Late warning

Posted by & filed under Auditing, Fraud.

Description: Perhaps it should not surprise us when government departments fail to implement a recommendation from the auditor general. But this one seems to defy imagination. In 2011, the federal auditor general informed the government that a consultant hired to manage First Nation finances had been part of an alleged fraud the previous year. Yet… Read more »