Evidently the SEC just announced rules which make SOX less complex and costly.
Compliance with SOX just got easier
from Management R&D by Luke Froeb
Laws passed in response to crises are almost always over-reaching and Sarbanes-Oxley is no exception (Economist article). Since the law was passed, foreign firms are less likely to list in US markets, small public US firms are much more likely to go private, and there has been a big increase in demand for auditors, e.g., Vanderbilt’s new program.
However, with enough subsequent study, a flexible regulatory mechanism, and the short attention span of the US electorate, reform usually occurs. In this case, the SEC just announced changes in the auditing rules for implementing Sarbanes-Oxley, making it much less costly to comply, especially for smaller firms.