AMELIA ISLAND, Florida, May 19 /PRNewswire/ --

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants announced the
introduction of IFRS.com, a new Web site developed in partnership with its
marketing and technology subsidiary CPA2Biz to help members and financial
professionals learn about and stay informed on International Financial
Reporting Standards (IFRS).

"It is increasingly clear that as international standards gain wider
acceptance and use in the United States, the accounting profession must keep
pace," said Barry C. Melancon, president and chief executive officer of the
AICPA. "Our hope is IFRS.com will provide the information and resources CPAs
need."

The new IFRS.com site was officially launched May 15 and publicly
announced today at the Spring meeting of the AICPA's governing Council. IFRS
is set by the International Accounting Standards Board in London, the
international equivalent of the U.S.'s Financial Accounting Standards Board
in Norwalk, Conn.

Council voted May 18 to designate the IASB for the first time as an
accounting body for purposes of applying IFRS in the U.S. Multimedia content
on the new Web site IFRS.com includes informational videos, explanatory
material about IFRS, training programs and links to useful resources.

"Recognizing the accelerating pace of global acceptance of IFRS, we at
the AICPA are working to provide the U.S. accounting profession with the
tools CPAs need to learn about, understand and apply IFRS," Melancon said.

While a 55 percent majority of CPAs said in an April 24 - May 12 survey
by the AICPA that they expect U.S. introduction of IFRS will have a direct
impact on their firms and their work, 59 percent said they have not begun to
prepare for IFRS adoption. A minority of 17 percent said they were actively
preparing and 24 percent said they were having preliminary discussions about
how to get ready for IFRS, according to the survey of 1,240 respondents. The
survey had a margin of error of plus-or-minus three percentage points.

The AICPA introduced an 8-hour CPE course titled "International Versus
U.S. Accounting: What in the World is the Difference?" designed to teach CPAs
the significant differences and similarities between U.S. generally accepted
accounting principle (GAAP) and IFRS, analyze financial statements prepared
in accordance with IFRS, and standardize reporting in an international
environment.

On May 1, the AICPA released a draft proposal for public comment
outlining proposed content updates for the CPA exam. The proposal increases
emphasis on ethics and provides more in-depth descriptions of the skills
necessary for entry-level CPAs. It proposes including IFRS on the exam for
the first time.

About CPA2Biz

CPA2Biz is a majority-owned subsidiary of the American Institute of
Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). The company provides leading-edge
marketing and technology services to the AICPA to support its wide array of
products and services. CPA2Biz also develops and manages client-focused
programs under its Trusted Advisor and Business Solutions brands that enable
CPAs to build stronger relationships with their clients. For more
information, visit http://www.cpa2biz.com.

About the AICPA

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants 
(http://www.aicpa.org) is the national, professional association of CPAs, with
more than 350,000 members, including CPAs in business and industry, public
practice, government, and education; student affiliates, and international
associates.

The Institute sets ethical standards for the profession and U.S. auditing
standards for audits of private companies; federal, state and local
governments; and non-profit organizations. It develops and grades the Uniform
CPA Examination nationwide.

The AICPA maintains offices in New York, Washington, D.C., Durham, N.C.,
Ewing, NJ, and Lewisville, TX.

Media representatives are invited to visit the AICPA Online Media Center
at http://www.aicpa.org/mediacenter

CONTACT:
    William Roberts
    Director - Media Relations
    +1-202-434-9266
    wroberts@aicpa.org


    Web site: http://www.aicpa.org
              http://www.cpa2biz.com
              http://www.ifrs.com
              http://www.aicpa.org/mediacenter