October 1998 - Journal of Accountancy

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY TECHNICALLY, INTRANETS ARE WEB SITES with access limited to an entity’s employees. However, this reduces them to mere technological devices. A truly useful intranet is a tao—a way to organize the information for a company, firm or client, not a product. EVERY COMPANY HAS AN INTRANET ALREADY: all

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CASH FLOW RATIOS ARE MORE RELIABLE indicators of liquidity than balance sheet or income statement ratios such as the quick ratio or the current ratio. LENDERS, RATING AGENCIES AND WALL STREET analysts have long used cash flow ratios to evaluate risk, but auditors have been slow to use

A little more than a decade ago, the only productivity tools available to accountants—aside from an endless supply of black coffee—were a calculator, a sharp pencil and an eraser. Today, thanks to the personal computer, scores of programs can help CPAs carry out most of the diverse projects they regularly

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY THE TAXPAYER RELIEF ACT OF 1997 made a number of changes in the U.S. transfer tax system, including new rules taxpayers must follow for filing gift tax returns. UNDER A TAX COURT RULING IN Smith v. Commissioner, the IRS has the right to revalue a gift for estate

Disclaimer: The facts in this article were obtained solely through interviews with people quoted or companies discussed in the article. The Journal of Accountancy does not endorse or recommend any particular turnkey providers, investment advisers, broker-dealers or money managers. It’s only natural that CPAs, who know so much about clients’

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY HAVING A GREAT DEAL OF KNOWLEDGE and experience in a niche is helpful, but being the industry champion (a “go-to” person) has a greater impact in the marketplace. A go-to person is perceived as one of the most knowledgeable experts in the field DO ENOUGH RESEARCH BEFORE you

Because e-commerce is so new, much of what the experts say about it is really in theory: Consumers will buy many different products online because of the convenience, in theory. Once consumers are assured of a reasonable level of security, they won’t hesitate to send credit card numbers over the

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY SMALL FIRMS ARE FINDING FEWER PEOPLE in the talent pool, and those seeking work may not have the proper backgrounds or are unwilling to take on some of the demands of a career in public accounting. However, firms can continue to thrive by taking innovative approaches to hiring