TAX
A TAX TOOLBOX
www.irs.gov/taxpros/article/0,,id=118004,00.html
This Smart Stop from the IRS provides a host of basic tools for
tax professionals, handily compiled onto one page for easy access. The
information ranges from recent tax law changes to standards of
practice and Circular 230 information to the contact info for the
Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (see “The
Taxpayer Advocacy Panel: An Opportunity to Collaborate With the
IRS,” JofA, Sept. 08, page 68). The page contains a host
of publications on representing clients before the IRS, as well as
requesting client transcripts and copies of their tax returns. Also
look under “IRS Collection Tools and Your Clients Rights” for rules on
representation and disclosure and Offer in Compromise guidelines.
HOMEBUYERS TAKE NOTE
www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com
Visit this new site from the National Association of Home
Builders for an overview of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of
2008, which authorizes a tax credit for qualified first-time buyers
purchasing homes before July 1, 2009. The “Frequently Asked Questions”
page answers both general and technical questions regarding the
credit, or click on “The Law’s Other Provisions” to go beyond the
act’s tax credit provisions and learn about its implications for
property taxes, mortgage revenue bonds and Federal Housing
Administration modernization. If you’re still looking for information,
the “Home Buyer Resources” page hosts a list of links to helpful
government Web sites, including state and local homebuyer assistance programs.
GENERAL INTEREST
BACK TO SCHOOL
www.adsphd.org
Check out this Smart Stop for information on the new Accounting
Doctoral Scholars program, which aims to reverse the shortage of Ph.D.
accounting faculty at U.S. colleges and universities and will enroll
its first class in the fall of 2009 (see “Highlights,”
JofA, Sept. 08, page 18). The site provides a list of
participating universities, firm sponsors, frequently asked questions
and the program’s online application. More than 70 of the country’s
biggest accounting firms and several state societies have committed
almost $15 million to the program, which is administered by the AICPA Foundation.
ITEMIZE YOUR INVENTORY
www.knowyourstuff.org
Sure, you save receipts, write down serial numbers and generally
know what you own, but could you list everything in your home or
office after a disaster or freak accident? The Know Your Stuff
software from the Insurance Information Institute (III) lets you take
inventory with ease. Download the software and watch the “Taking
Inventory” video guide to get started or print the home inventory
lists created by the III by clicking “Download.” As you buy or cast
off possessions, it’s easy to update the list. Follow instructions to
upload photographs and receipts. Once complete, the inventory can be
printed and saved at another location or uploaded to an external
drive. As a privacy safeguard, the III does not have access to your
personal home inventory files.
A VIEW FROM THE INSIDE
http://viewpoints.bonadio.com
For practical, hands-on observations and information on
contemporary accounting, financial management, and wealth management
issues, try this site’s “Viewpoints.” Each podcast, from the partners,
principals and staff of The Bonadio Group, an upstate New Yorkbased
CPA and financial services firm, includes a printable PDF with a
downloadable audio file (which can also be played in your browser
window). The site has several “channels,” including ones for medium
and large private companies, small businesses, not-for-profit
organizations and public companies. The Bonadio Group offers free
subscriptions to each channel, which pushes new Viewpoint programs to
you as soon as they’re available.
ACCESS IFRS
http://pwc.blogs.com/ifrs
Read articles such as “Interim reporting— is compliance enough?”
and “U.S. move to IFRS—the ball is rolling” from
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP’s Global Chief Accountant Richard Keys at
the firm’s IFRS blog. Keys, also a PwC partner and member of its
Global Assurance Leadership Team, delivers IFRS news and analysis from
a European perspective. You can link to other PwC blogs on topics such
as corporate reporting and finance, and access other IFRS sites and
publications, including PwC’s U.S. IFRS Web site, www.pwc.com/usifrs,
which has an interactive IFRS financial statements demo.
