The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 -- commonly called SOX or Sarbox -- was a legislative reaction to corporate accounting scandals that unraveled in 2001. Named after sponsors Senator Paul Sarbanes (D-Md.) and Representative Michael G. Oxley (R-Oh.), the law was approved by the House by a vote of 423-3 and by the Senate 99-0. The Act is overseen by the Securities and Exchange Commission. It contains 11 titles covering auditor independence, corporate governance, financial disclosure, and creates the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. Many of the requirements of the law are considered controversial, such as Section 404, which requires public companies to explain the effectiveness of their internal controls and an outside auditor to attest to its effectiveness.

 

 

 

 

87% of Not-for-Profit Organizations Have Made Governance Policy Changes (12/04/07)

 

Corporate America Making Strides on Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance (11/26/07)

 

Internal Audit Departments "Return to Roots" as They Rebalance Away from Sarbanes-Oxley Focus (11/07/07)

 

PwC: Economic Crime Costs U.S. Companies $223M (10/19/07)

 

Research Examines Business Ethics, SOX Connection (10/17/07)

 

Corporate Gatekeepers Must Stand Up to Executives (10/09/07)

 

CPA Industry Growth Boosted by SOX (09/06/07)

 

SOX 404 Compliance: Easy as 1-2-3? (08/2007)

 

Study Reveals Continued High Cost of Being Public (08/08/07)

 

SEC Appoints Financial Reporting Committee Members (08/01/07)

 

KPMG: Some Companies Outpace Market With Lower Compliance Costs (08/01/07)

 

SEC Chairman Says He Prefers No Delay in Auditing Rules for Small Companies (07/30/07)

 

Nasdaq Suggests AS5 Changes (07/25/07)

 

Ease FIN 48 Costs With Training, Guidance, Say Tax Execs (07/10/07)

 

SEC Seeks Comments on Int'l Accounting Proposal (07/06/07)

 

SEC Launches Effort to Simplify Accounting, Give Companies Clearer Guidelines (06/28/07)

 

Kerry, Snowe: Give Small Firms More SOX Compliance Time (06/08/07)

 

First SOX Whistleblower Loses Case (06/07/07)

 

Study Outlines SOX Threats for Smaller Cos. (05/29/07)

 

SEC Approves Revisions That Ease Compliance Burden for Companies (05/23/07)

 

PwC Study: Internal Audits Lack Strategy for Risk Assessment (05/21/07)

 

Sarbanes Compliance Costs Decline Again, Auditor Fees Unchanged (05/17/07)

 

FAF Warns of SOX Compliance Scam (04/20/07)

 

SEC Approves Framework That Would Ease SOX Rules (04/05/07)

 

Report Finds Restatement Trends Show Sarbanes-Oxley Works (03/05/07)

 

FEI Calls for SEC-PCAOB Alignment on SOX (02/27/07)

 

PCAOB Votes 5-0 to Revise Section 404 (12/19/06)

 

SEC Easing Key Control Rules for Smaller Companies; Tightening Hedge Fund Requirements (12/14/06)

 

Survey: Sarbanes Hiring Boom May Be Over (12/14/09)

 

Paulson: SOX Enforcement Needs to Change, Not Law (11/27/06)

 

SEC, Accounting Board Eye Differences (11/14/06)

 

SEC, PCAOB Chiefs Testify on SOX (09/20/06)

 

Why SOX Matters to Small Private Companies (07/2006)

 

IMA Study: SOX Costs Derailed by Poor Management (05/10/06)

 

Cos. Cite SOX Benefits, Detail '06 Goals (02/03/06)