SOX: The times they are a changing....Are you ready?

Smaller public companies and non-accelerated filers grapple with plenty of priority initiatives. Most likely, compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) 404 hasn’t been one of those hot priorities. In light of revised guidance, however, extensions for compliance have vanished. External financial auditors must now certify the effectiveness of internal controls over financial reporting (ICFR), regardless of a company’s size, starting with fiscal years ending on or after December 15, 2009. This paper provides practical recommendations and best practices for meeting that challenge.