Technical Accounting Center of Excellence (TACE)

The Technical Accounting Center of Excellence (TACE) is BDO's policy department for national (German Commercial Code - HGB) and international (IFRS/US GAAP) accounting.

„Through our engagement in various expert committees as well as our involvement in the Global IFRS Policy Committee, we are always informed about the latest developments. We can guide our clients and colleagues through these developments.“
 (Dr. Niels Henckel) 
 

Range of Services

The range of services offered to clients by TACE include the following in particular:

• Expert opinions on accounting issues (HGB/IFRS/US GAAP), as well as second opinions.
• Of course, we are pleased to make our expertise available to you in the context of client-specific workshops and further training courses on national and international accounting standards (updates, basic trainings, etc.).
• Advice and support in the context of enforcement proceedings. 

We regularly inform you about all developments in accounting with our news@bdo:

• „IFRS Bulletin“ (quarterly)
• “Accounting and Auditing” (approx. 3 issues per year)
• “Accounting & IT Blog”

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We are happy to support you in other accounting related questions, please feel free to contact us using our contact form.

TACE provides, among others, the following internal services for the engagement teams of BDO's Audit & Assurance, Tax & Legal and Advisory departments:

• Internal consultations (for technical alignment between engagement team and TACE experts) with the aim of assessing specific accounting issues with certainty. Auditors are obliged to obtain internal or external expert advice on doubtful issues that are significant for the audit opinion, insofar as this is necessary in the auditor's dutiful assessment of the circumstances of the individual case (Chapter 4.6.6.1 IDW QS 1)
• Responding to "other technical inquiries" from engagement teams outside of a formal consultation process
• Conception and delivery of training courses and continuing education (advanced and basic) covering national and international financial reporting issues
• BDO internal IFRS certification
• Contribution to legislative, standardization, and standard-setting processes through comment letters and committee activities
• Internal newsletters on national and international accounting news
• Support for report reviews
• Supporting the National Office Audit & Assurance in formulating Key Audit Matters as well as designing and updating selected audit checklists
• Supporting the engagement teams in selected audits of public interest entities (PIEs)

BDO Global – our participation in the network

BDO is a permanent member of the BDO Global IFRS Policy Committee. TACE is a member of the IFRS Policy Committee and is therefore informed about developments and practical issues in the application of IFRS. Through our active involvement in the international BDO network and the close cooperation, we can solve specific application issues across borders.

„The TACE employees are experts in national and international accounting with long experience in auditing and are an integral part of BDO's quality assurance system.“
 (Dr. Stefan Bischof)

Our engagement in professional boards of the profession

Several employees of TACE as well as the Accounting & Reporting Advisory Group are involved in numerous technical boards of the profession (excerpt):

• International Accounting Standards Board (IASB): IFRS Interpretations Committee, IFRS 17 Transition Resource Group
• Accounting Standards Committee of Germany (ASCG): ESEF User Forum, Management Report User Forum, IFRS 16 User Forum
• Institute of Public Auditors in Germany (IDW): Technical Committee Financial Reporting, Working Group HGB Accounting, Working Group IFRS Accounting, Working Group Financial Instruments under IFRS, Working Group Sustainability, Working Group Pension Obligations under HGB, Working Group Compensation Reporting, Working Group ESEF, Working Group Replacement of IBOR Reference Rates
  

„For all questions regarding the interpretation of IFRS, US GAAP, and German Commercial Code, TACE is the central internal contact for our colleagues at BDO. TACE and Accounting & Reporting Advisory Group are not the only ones who work closely together. We also have intensive technical exchanges with colleagues from the industry sectors such as Banks & Financial Service Providers, Insurance Companies, Health & Social Services, Public Companies & Administration, and Energy Supply.“
 (Sebastian Weller)

Team members

Your contacts are:

• WP/StB Dr. Norbert Lüdenbach (Head of TACE)
• WP/StB Dr. Niels Henckel
• Sebastian Weller
• Stefano Strampelli
• Jana Michel
• Jordi Geuken
• Clemens Pelster
• Daniel Viljoen
• Dr. Robert Walter
• WP StB Dr. Stefan Bischof

Dr. Lüdenbach is editor of the "NWB Kommentar Bilanzierung" and the journal "NWB Unternehmenssteuern und Bilanzen" (StuB). Dr. Lüdenbach and Dr. Freiberg are editors of the "Haufe IFRS Kommentar" and the journal "NWB Internationale Rechnungslegung" (PiR). All members of TACE are authors of numerous articles in professional literature.

We work closely with our colleagues in the Accounting Advisory Group (AAG), led by Dr. Jens Freiberg, and involve them as required.

„Standard-setting bodies and legislators, including but not limited to, ASCG, IDW, the Supreme Court of the Federation for Taxes and Customs (Bundesfinanzhof - BFH), the Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof - BGH), the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) and other courts, together ensure sustained momentums. TACE informs you about the latest developments in national and international accounting, so that you can stay up to date without losing your attention on current tasks“  (Jana Michel)