Sarbanes-Oxley For Dummies Second Edition

You may not believe that there’s a fun and easy way to comply with Sarbanes –Oxley, but once you have Sarbanes-Oxley For Dummies, Second Edition in front of you, you’re sure to change your mind. This friendly guide gets you quickly up to speed with the latest SOX legislation and shows you safe and effective ways to reduce compliance costs.


In plain English, this completely reliable handbook walks you through the new and revised SOX laws, introduces compliance strategies for changed and unchanged guidelines, and gives you an effective framework for implementation You’ll find out how to create an efficient audit committee, purchase and use SOX software solutions, and make practical, cost-effective decisions in your initial compliance year and beyond. You’ll also find proven strategies for staying public or going private and learn how to deal with all those SOX forms. Discover how to:


* Establish SOX standards for IT professionals

* Minimize compliance costs in every area of your company

* Survive a section 404 audit

* Avoid litigation under SOX

* Anticipate future rules and trends

* Create a post-SOX paper trail

* Bolster your company’s standing and reputation

* Work with SOX in a small business

* Meet new SOX standards

* Build a board that can’t be bought

* Comply with all SOX management mandates



Complete with invaluable tips on how to form an effective audit committee, Sarbanes-Oxley For Dummies is the resource you need to keep your SOX clean.

Jill Gilbert Welytok, JD, CPA, LLM, practices in the areas of corporate, nonprofit law, and intellectual property. She is the founder of Absolute Technology Law Group, LLC (www.abtechlaw.com). She went to law school at DePaul University in Chicago, where she was on the Law Review, and she picked up a Masters Degree in Computer Science from Marquette University in Wisconsin, where she now lives. Ms. Welytok also has an LLM in Taxation from DePaul. She was formerly a tax consultant with the predecessor firm to Ernst & Young. She frequently speaks on nonprofit, corporate governance, and taxation issues and will probably come speak to your company or organization if you invite her. You may e-mail her with questions you have about Sarbanes-Oxley or anything else in this book at jwelytok@abtechlaw.com. You can find updates to this book and ongoing information about SOX developments at the author’s Web site, located at www.abtechlaw.com.

Introduction.


Part I: The Scene Before and After SOX.


Chapter 1: The SOX Saga.


Chapter 2: SOX in Sixty Seconds.


Chapter 3: SOX and Securities Regulations.


Chapter 4: SOX and Factual Financial Statements.


Chapter 5: What’s New for Non-Accelerated Filers.


Part II: SOX in the City: Meeting New Standards.


Chapter 6: A New Audit Ambience.


Chapter 7: A Board to Audit the Auditors.


Chapter 8: The Almighty Audit Committee.


Chapter 9: Building Boards That Can't Be Bought.


Chapter 10: SOX: Under New Management.


Chapter 11: More Management Mandates.


Part III: Scaling Down Section 404.


Chapter 12: Clearing Up Confusion about Control.


Chapter 13: Surviving a Section 404 Audit.


Chapter 14: Taking the Terror Out of Testing.


Part IV: SOX for Techies.


Chapter 15: Getting Technical with SOX.


Chapter 16: Surveying SOX Software.


Chapter 17: Working with Some Actual SOX Software.


Part V: To SOX-finity and Beyond.


Chapter 18: Lawsuits under SOX.


Chapter 19: The Surprising Scope of SOX.


Part VI: The Part of Tens.


Chapter 20: Ten Ways to Avoid Getting Sued or Criminally Prosecuted Under SOX.


Chapter 21: Ten Tips for an Effective Audit Committee.


Chapter 22: Ten Smart Management Moves.


Chapter 23: Ten Things You Can’t Ask an Auditor to Do After SOX.


Chapter 24: Top Ten Places to Get Smart about SOX.


Part VII: Appendixes.


Appendix A: Selected Sections, Auditing Standard No. 5.


Appendix B: Sample Certifications.


Appendix C: Sample Audit Committee Charter.


Appendix D: Sample Code of Ethics.


Appendix E: Sample SAS 70 Report.


Index.