The AICPA Tax and Personal Financial Planning membership sections, together with a number of prominent legal and financial services organizations, have established the Synergy Summit, a think tank that will advise national policymakers and others on financial planning and wealth preservation issues. The group’s other members are the National Academy
Advertisement
The magazines
Found Money Not Fun Money
SURVEY SAVVY orty-eight percent of U.S. households with $1 million or more in investable assets planned to invest rather than spend their 2005 holiday bonuses. Of those surveyed, 16% received an average bonus of $49,600. Less affluent households, with at least $250,000 to invest and/or $150,000 in income, said the
Nobody Asked Me, But…
Here are a few tidbits that readers might find useful: A gem of a calculator: Microsoft quietly introduced a powerful little conversion calculator that not only adds, subtracts and divides but also converts all the major world currencies to the currency of your choice. The exchange rates are current—downloaded in
BV Engagement Research
Gathering data is a key element of a business valuation analysis—and you must assemble enough to analyze your subject company from all sides. Client data. Once you’ve gathered the audits, the tax returns, the business descriptions and marketing materials, you will realize—with apologies to Joni Mitchell—that “you’ve looked at the
Discovery: Retrieving Electronic Documents
Electronic evidence often can provide vital information about the activities, motives and intent of individuals and businesses. Electronic documents thought to be deleted or lost by the user often can be recovered. In the case of electronic mail, casual and candid correspondence may be frozen in time. Additionally, the background
Now Presenting…Your Firm!
GOLDEN BUSINESS IDEA I f you lack marketing, publicity and presenting skills or experience, here are some tips to help polish your image. Give your firm name recognition by volunteering at a charitable event. Any time you add a new service, sponsor a charitable event or promote a staff member,
Alternative Routes to the ABV
In just a few short years “CPA/ABV” has become synonymous with competent, credible valuation service. The market recognizes practitioners with the credential as leaders in the valuation community. The AICPA’s new ABV Sponsor Program allows CPAs to obtain the ABV credential without taking the ABV examination. The CPA must be
Seven Strategies for Negotiating Success
In this article, Robert Half CEO Max Messmer offers seven tips to ensure the best possible outcome, whether you’re looking for a new job or staying in your old one.
Telecommute Safely
Use virtual private network technology to link telecommuters, clients or customers to your office network.
Excel Shortcuts
Ctrl+1: Displays the Format Cells dialog box Ctrl+9: Hides selected rows Ctrl+0: Hides selected columns Ctrl+(: Unhides any hidden rows within the selection Ctrl+): Unhides any hidden columns within the selection Ctrl+~: Applies the general number format Ctrl+$: Applies the currency format with two decimal places (negative numbers in parentheses)
Search Out Files Across A Network With Google
In theory, going paperless is a great idea. In practice, however, the biggest obstacle, at least in my office, is not the work to convert documents into electronic files; it’s finding them afterward and retrieving them. We try to get everyone in the office to agree on a unified way
Accounting
For news from the AICPA and state societies, visit www.cpa2biz.com , which also offers online CPE, AICPA professional literature, practice management aids and links to state society Web sites. The Institute submitted comments on IRS technical advice memo (TAM) 200603027, which holds that a taxpayer’s LIFO election must be extended
More Female E-Filers
Source: The Conference Board, www.conferenceboard.org , survey of 10,000 households.
Gulf Opportunity Zone Act of 2005
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Gulf Opportunity Zone Act of 2005 provides significant tax relief to those who were affected by hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma. Central to the legislation is the establishment of the Gulf Opportunity (GO) Zones, the areas hit hardest by the hurricanes for which there are tax
The Last Word: Vinay and Puneet Behl
Vinay and Puneet Behl, CPAs Vinay—Senior manager, finance and accounting, R Systems Inc. Puneet —Finance manager, Bickmore Risk Services Vinay’s story: I WANTED TO MARRY PUNEET THE DAY I MET HER. On the second day I proposed and on the third I left for America. I came back two months
AICPA Names 2005 Public Service Award Winners
Ralph B. Bender, CPA [center, top photo], of Baton Rouge, La., and KraftCPAs PLLC of Nashville received the Individual and Firm 2005 AICPA Public Service Awards, respectively. At the spring council meeting in Salt Lake City, Doyle Z. Williams, chair of the AICPA Awards Committee, presented the awards as AICPA
Innocent Spouse Relief Reversed
TAX CASE ongress enacted the innocent spouse provisions to expand the relief available to certain taxpayers. The technical requirements for this relief, however, have resulted in numerous lawsuits. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently reversed the Tax Court, thus denying relief in certain situations. Gwendolyn Ewing and Richard Wiwi
Interviewing Techniques: Tips from the Pros
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A skillful interview consists of Preparation. Collect information about the job you’re trying to fill; Know what the duties are and what experience, credentials and core competencies are required to fulfill them. Know the type of clients and industries the candidate will be working with so you
Data Point: 245
The number of public companies that went private in 2004— up from 143 in 2001, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO)—due largely to the cost of Sarbanes-Oxley compliance.
Features
SPONSORED REPORT
How to find the right CAS clients
The key to success with CAS is selecting the best clients. Tools like ideal client profiles (ICPs), buyer personas, and even artificial intelligence can help identify the businesses that best fit each CAS practice.
From The Tax Adviser
March 31, 2026
Current developments in taxation of individuals: Part 1
March 31, 2026
Current Developments in Taxation of Individuals: Part 1
March 6, 2026
