Accounting Research Guide

The SEC issues guidance and regulations on the accounting methods to be used in financial statements that are filed with it by publicly traded companies pursuant to the federal securities laws. Instead of issuing standards itself, the SEC is primarily concerned with enforcing accounting and auditing standards in the context of financial statements it receives from public companies under the federal securities laws. It also oversees the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. SEC regulations and guidance documents have not been superseded by FASB's Accounting Standards Codficiation. Accounting and auditing documents issued by the SEC include:

• Regulation S-X (17 C.F.R. Part 210) govern financial statement presentation and disclosure in SEC filings.
• Staff Accounting Bulletins (SAB) provide guidance on the SEC's views regarding the proper application of accounting standards in public company disclosures.
• Accounting and Auditing Enforcement Releases are documents related to administrative enforcement proceedings the SEC initiates against persons who have allegedly violated accounting standards in financial statements submitted to the SEC under the federal securities laws.
• Public Company Accounting Oversight Board Rulemaking regulate PCAOB actions.

Many SEC releases (including Accounting and Auditing Enforcement Releases) and all current SEC regulations are available in: