Investigative Accounting [antikvár]

PREFACE This book originated from conversations the author had with his wife, Janet, which involved some of the intricacies and interesting aspects of investigative accounting. It seemed obvious during those discussions that this subject would make an enlightening accounting text. Also, the information garnered through various investigative assignments put the author in the position of being able to develop such a book. Interestingly enough, there was no book on the market entirely devoted to the field of investigative accounting. The field of investigative accounting, also known as forensic accounting, has grown significantly in the past several years. This is largely due to the nature of our litigious society; the increase in the magnitude of awards; the amounts at risk in insurance situations; and the expanding of spousal (generally meaning women's) rights in divorce cases, especially in the area of equitable distribution. It is a rare accountant who hasn't, at some time, done some degree of investigative work, and it's a rare attorney or insurance company that hasn't used an accountant to do investigative work. SCOPE OF THE WORK Investigative accounting is commonly practiced in the following areas: matrimonial cases; partnership dissolutions (which is also what a matrimonial litigation situation is); minority stockholder suits; insurance claims (whether on behalf of the claimant or on behalf of the insurance company), as regularly practiced by the 1RS; audits or inspections by corporate internal audit staffs, of various branches or divisions; and acquisitions or mergers. It has been our experience that the most common source of business for investigative accountants is through either attorneys or the courts in the matrimonial cases. Consequently, while much of what is discussed can be applied in virtually any type of investigative situation, the basis for most of the information comes from the matrimonial area.