FIN 48, now included in ASC Topic 740 (Income Taxes) under the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s Codification, was issued in 2006 and after two one-year deferrals became effective for all entities issuing financial statements under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) for years beginning after December 15, 2008.  FIN 48 was issued as an interpretation of FASB Statement 109, Accounting for Income Taxes, with the intent of reducing the diversity of practice in financial accounting for income taxes, including U.S. federal, state and local taxes as well as foreign taxes.  A major component of FIN 48 is that its reach includes all statutory open tax years, not just the accounting reporting year.  This requires that each year is looked at on a cumulative basis.  Entities that report on a non-GAAP basis, such as International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), are not subject to FIN 48.  FIN 48 has become a hot topic for fund managers and their auditors.  Given the complicated nature of fund structures, global investment strategies and the variety of financial products that managers invest in, it is an important area, and one to which managers should allocate sufficient resources.  In a guest article, Michael Laveman, a Partner at EisnerAmper LLP, discusses in detail the four-step process for adoption of and compliance with FIN 48.