Most senior tax executives see significant international tax changes over the next two years spurred by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) project, according to a survey released by EY at its 34th Annual International Tax Conference.
The corporate payments world has experienced a significant evolution over the past decade. This now allows procurement to be a key contributor of top line revenue growth as well as traditional bottom line savings.
Mid-sized manufacturers show continued optimism about revenues and employment, according to the 14th edition of the Purchasing and Manufacturing Survey from Prime Advantage, a buying consortium.
Free-market capitalism says that the only purpose of business is to create shareholder value and that the unfettered market can regulate itself. In the last 30 years, that definition changed to, "the only purpose of business is to create shareholder value measured by short-term results and with little or no regulation."
Many European companies are working hard to solve their "captive cash" problem, improve their cash-to-cash cycle, and manage their financial and supply chain risk across complex markets and supplier agreements. But the two primary approaches they take - supply chain finance and working capital reduction - result in very different supply chain outcomes.
While large businesses have resumed international trade at levels seen before the financial crisis, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have not fared as well. For these firms - the backbone of economies everywhere - growth is impeded by the limited availability of bank loans to finance trade.
A majority of UK business owners find it too time-consuming or expensive to borrow cash from their bank, according to the Working Capital Outlook Survey from C2FO, a working capital exchange.
In the "Benefits of Lean Accounting in a Lean Manufacturing Company," author Dan Anthony discusses the major differences between traditional and lean accounting, starting with a quote from Taiichi Ohno that says "costs do not exist to be calculated; costs exist to be reduced." This really gets to the core of the difference between traditional and lean accounting: traditional accounting focuses primarily on the cost of goods sold, whereas lean accounting focuses on the value stream from customers to suppliers.
While cash remains king at the point-of-sale, a variety of other digital payment methods are preferred by consumers, with 25 percent of all smartphone owners now using mobile wallets.
A few years ago, the OECD embarked on a multiyear effort to create an international tax framework that closes perceived gaps in international tax rules. This includes combating base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) to ensure companies pay their "fair share" of taxes. Many of the BEPS Project's action items are expected to be finalized later this year.
