This book provides an introduction to the key elements of the Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) legislation which was introduced in the United States in 2002, to improve the governance, controls and financial reporting for companies.It includes a summary of the SOX legislation, an outline of the management certifications required under SOX, a guide to setting up and maintaining a SOX 404 annual compliance framework with advice on planning, testing and reporting. It also provides a guide to testing of IT general controls. This guide also provides handy practical tips to help organizations successfully comply with SOX legislation.This book will be useful to students who are studying accountancy, law, business studies and management. It will also be helpful to risk management personnel, auditors and senior managers tasked with ensuring companies maintain SOX compliance. It will also assist CPAs and external auditors who must carry out audits under the SOX legislation.

Praise for Sarbanes-Oxley Guide for Finance and Information Technology Professionals "Effective SOX programs enlist the entire organization to build and monitor a compliant control environment. However, even the best SOX programs are inefficient at best, ineffective at worst, if there is a lack of informed, competent finance and IT personnel to support the effort. This book provides these important professionals a needed resource for and road map toward successfully implementing their SOX initiative." —Scott Green Chief Administrative Officer, Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP and author, Sarbanes-Oxley and the Board of Directors "As a former CFO and CIO, I found this book to be an excellent synopsis of SOX, with impressive implementation summaries and checklists." —Michael P. Cangemi CISA, Editor in Chief, Information Systems Control Journal and author, Managing the Audit Function "An excellent introduction to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act from the perspective of the financial and IT professionals that are on the front lines of establishing compliance in their organizations. The author walks through many areas by asking 'what can go wrong' types of questions, and then outlines actions that should be taken as well as the consequences of noncompliance. This is a good book to add to one's professional library!" —Robert R. Moeller Author, Sarbanes-Oxley and the New Internal Auditing Rules "Mr. Anand has compiled a solid overview of the control systems needed for not only accounting systems, but also the information technologies that support those systems. Among the Sarbanes books on the market, his coverage of both topics is unique." —Steven M. Bragg Author, Accounting Best Practices "An excellent overview of the compliance process. A must-read for anyone who needs to get up to speed quickly with Sarbanes-Oxley." —Jack Martin Publisher, Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance Journal

Quick and easy implementation and maintenance guide for ongoingSarbanes-Oxley compliance For most companies, achieving compliance to the Sarbanes-OxleyAct (SOX) has proven to be more challenging, and more costly, thaninitially anticipated. In many cases, initial and second-yearcompliance efforts were found to have strained company resources,causing a shift of focus away from such areas as internal audit inorder to meet SOX requirements. Sarbanes-Oxley Ongoing Compliance Guide: Key Processes andSummary Checklists provides controllers, CFOs, and auditorswith step-by-step guidance to setting up an ongoing complianceprogram for SOX in a quick, easy-to-follow manner. This essentialbook discusses crucial issues such as who should spearheadSarbanes-Oxley compliance, how it should be set up, and which SOXissues need to be monitored by function. Highlighting the key issues that need to be addressed, this bookprovides your organization with practical tools includingcustomizable checklists sorted by function for the SOX implicationsthat correspond to various business functions, such as finance,accounting, IT, and management fields. Today, more than ever, a properly structured internal auditfunction can be a tremendous benefit to an organization, impactingnot only regulatory compliance, but also operational excellence.Concise and clear in presentation, Sarbanes-Oxley OngoingCompliance Guide: Key Processes and Summary Checklists showsyou how to help your organization put in place a successfulenterprise risk management program. This important book arms youwith the vital components of a detailed compliance plan that makesthe most of technology to assist in reducing ongoing compliancecosts.

As of the end of 2006, small businesses, which were once exempt, now have to comply with Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX). Under Sarbanes-Oxley, they will now be exposed to audits, reviews and will have to make their profits, losses, and compensation packages public. The Complete Guide to Sarbanes-Oxley will answer the following questions: How do companies comply with SOX? How does SOX effect relations within the firm? Should a public company go private to avoid SOX? The Complete Guide to Sarbanes-Oxley is a nontechnical, "plain English" guide for the managers and directors of the 13,000 publicly held corporations now subject to SOX. No business owner should be without it!

Now fully revised and updated, the Third Edition of How to Comply with Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404: Assessing the Effectiveness of Internal Control is the perfect starting point for companies with no previous SOX experience. Packed with practice aids including forms, checklists, illustrations, diagrams, and tables, the new edition leads auditing professionals through every step of the audit processes associated with Section 404 compliance.

What is the importance of Sections 302 and 404? "Implementing" SOX using COSO and COBIT SOX's impact on foreign companies andnonprofits Achieving cost-effective sustainable compliance The evolving role of the SEC and the PCAOB Praise for ESSENTIALS OF SARBANES-OXLEY "Since its enactment in 2002, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and its Section 404 internal control requirements have caused many a great deal of 'pain and suffering!' With its emphasis on what Sanjay Anand frequently reminds us is the 'real world,' this book should reduce some of that pain as it provides a practical and very realistic approach for an effective implementation of Sarbanes-Oxley internal control processes. The book has references to the new changes in auditing standards and emphasizes achieving sustainable compliance-practical and realistic approaches." —Robert R. Moeller, President, Compliance & Control Systems, Inc. "Sanjay Anand has provided what every busy executive needs, a concise overview of Sarbanes-Oxley Act essentials. His book is a terrific reference text that I recommend to anyone who needs to quickly understand the substance of the Act." —Scott Green, Chief Administration Officer Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP "If you are looking to put together the various pieces-finance, accounting, audit, legal, IT, ethics-and understand the 'big picture' of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, there is no other book like this. With 'Tips & Techniques' and 'In the Real World' examples, this book brings lively, practical, tangible, and compressible dimensions to a complex, multifaceted (and often dry) subject. This is essential reading for those new to the process and old hands going into their third and fourth years of SOX. It will also help those in other countries adopting SOX-like internal controls and regulations." —Dr. Anthony Tarantino, Governance, Risk, and Compliance Center of Excellence, IBM, Financial Services Sector, Silicon Valley and New York City Written by Sanjay Anand, one of the world's leading corporate governance, risk management, and regulatory compliance experts, this simple to use book is designed with appreciation for demanding professional obligations, with information always easy to find and at your fingertips. Essentials of Sarbanes-Oxley equips you with the knowledge you and all your company members need to initiate a SOX project, allocate a budget, and help your company achieve compliance.

A step-by-step approach for planning and performing an assessment of internal controls Filled with specific guidance for small-business compliance to SEC and PCAOB requirements relating to Sarbanes-Oxley 404, Complying with Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404: A Guide for Small Publicly Held Companies provides you with specific guidance on working with auditors to achieve benefits and cost reductions. This practical guide helps you knowledgeably interpret and conform to Sarbanes-Oxley 404 compliance and features: Clear, jargon-free coverage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and how it affects you Links to current guidance online Specific guidance to companies on how to work with auditors to achieve benefits and cost reductions Coverage of IT and IT general controls Examples and action plans providing blueprints for implementing requirements of the act Easy-to-understand coverage of the requirements of the SEC and PCAOB Discussion of the requirements for assessing internal control effectiveness A look at how the new guidance will reduce your costs In-depth explanations to help professionals understand how best to approach the internal control engagement Practice aids, including forms, checklists, illustrations, diagrams, and tables Continuing to evolve and bring about business and cultural change, this area of auditing and corporate governance is demystified in Complying with Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404: A Guide for Small Publicly Held Companies, your must-have, must-own guide to SOX 404 implementation and an effective tool and reference guide for every corporate manager.