Q: I keep seeing green triangles in my Excel spreadsheet (pictured below); can you please tell me how to get rid of them? Thank you. A: The small green triangles displayed in the top-left corner of a cell are indicators of a possible error. By default, Excel 2010, 2007, and
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Financial reporting
FASB released its initial staff recommendations on whether and when it will be appropriate to adjust financial reporting requirements for private companies. The recommendations are contained in a paper, Private Company Decision-Making Framework: A Framework for Evaluating Financial Accounting and Reporting Guidance for Private Companies. FASB invited stakeholders to
Prop. regs. clarify application of meal and entertainment deduction limit
The IRS released proposed regulations under Sec. 274 clarifying which party is subject to the Secs. 274(a) and (n) limit on deductions for meals and entertainment to 50% of the expenses incurred (REG-101812-07). As the IRS emphasized, only one party is intended to be subject to the limitation when multiple
Scott Lampe, CPA, CGMA
I’ve driven race cars a couple of times. Driving is fun, but those cars don’t have speedometers and they’re so well-built, you don’t really have the sensation of speed. On the racetrack, when everybody is doing 80, 90, 100 mph, it doesn’t feel as fast. It’s a weird sensation. It’s
International
Very small companies are expected to receive IFRS financial reporting guidance tailored to their needs, as the staff of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) will develop guidance to help so-called “micro-sized entities” apply IFRS for Small and Medium-sized Entities (IFRS for SMEs) in their financial reporting. The IASB
Tax Court’s denial of easement deduction deemed unreasonable
The First Circuit recently held that a Tax Court decision disallowing a couple’s deduction for a qualified conservation contribution of a facade easement was an unreasonable and overly restrictive interpretation of the extinguishment provision of Regs. Sec. 1.170A-14. The First Circuit viewed the Tax Court’s reading of the regulation as
Cookies in red capes
Q: I found unwanted cookies on my Windows computer that I am unable to delete, and my security program does not detect or delete them either. How can I get rid of these persistent cookies? (Note: To view the cookies on your computer, from the Internet Explorer browser menu, select
Exactly!
Q: I am trying to write an IF function in Excel that compares two cells to determine if they are exactly the same, including capitals and lowercase letters, but Excel seems to ignore case when using the IF function. What’s the best way to accomplish this goal? A: Excel’s functions
IRS reviews whistleblower operations
The IRS is reviewing the operations of its Whistleblower Office to improve the timeliness and quality of its decisions on whistleblower claims, Deputy Commissioner for Services and Enforcement Steven T. Miller said in an internal IRS memo dated June 20. The review will yield a set of “expectations” for timely
Talent: A battle on two fronts
Finding the right talent—from knowledge industries such as pharmaceuticals to heavy industries such as industrial manufacturing—is a problem worldwide, despite a large, easily accessible pool of educated people. Forty-three percent of 1,200 global CEOs surveyed by PwC late last year said hiring workers had become more difficult. A quarter of
Appeals Court invalidates associated-property regs.
In a case of first impression, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (reversing the Court of Federal Claims) held that the “associated property” rule requiring capitalization of interest expense under Sec. 263A was invalid insofar as it applies to property temporarily withdrawn from service. The question of the
Confessions of a data hoarder
Q: How long should I keep email before deleting it from Outlook? A: I probably qualify to participate in one of those hoarding shows because I have every email I’ve ever sent or received, dating back more than 20 years (starting with my AOL email accounts). Emails sent or received
Jennifer Katrulya, CPA/CITP, CGMA
I grew up in an entrepreneurial environment. My dad was an accountant who had a small home-based practice. He worked with small businesses. I would play with adding machines while he was working. It was an environment that provided me with great entrepreneurial examples in my dad and his clients.
ThisWaytoCPA.com now includes information for international members
ThisWaytoCPA.com, a website designed to educate college students and CPA-exam candidates about the path to becoming a CPA, now offers information to help international students understand the process of registering for the CPA exam and becoming a U.S. CPA while living overseas. Additional features of ThisWaytoCPA.com include: Journals by individuals
Wi-Fi dead spots
Q: Our office has a few dead spots where computers have difficulty accessing the internet through our wireless router. What can we do to solve this problem? A: I had a similar problem with weak Wi-Fi signals in my office when my desktop computer managed only two (out of five)
Institute launches weekly global news service
The AICPA has launched a free weekly email news service called Global CPA Report. The quick-read briefing is the newest member of the Institute’s family of popular SmartBriefs and is modeled on the highly valued CPA Letter Daily. The new brief will have a unique global outlook, providing a weekly
Young CPA receives inaugural Maximo Mukelabai Award
Donny Shimamoto, 36, founder and managing director of IntrapriseTechKnowlogies LLC, received the first Maximo Mukelabai Award in recognition of his contributions to building the CPA pipeline, serving as an advocate of the accounting profession, and performing outstanding community service. The award was created to honor the legacy of Maximo Mukelabai,
Technology
Management should begin processes to guard against fraud and to manage risk before an organization contracts with a cloud-computing service provider (CSP), according to guidance provided in a new thought paper released by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). The paper, Enterprise Risk Management for Cloud
Ban on political activities: An election-year warning for charities
As the 2012 elections draw near, the IRS is once again increasing its oversight of the ban on political campaign activities by Sec. 501(c)(3) charitable organizations. An IRS work plan (Exempt Organizations 2011 Annual Report & 2012 Work Plan, available at tinyurl.com/bos7pb4) states that, in enforcing the ban this year,
Proposed regs. on basis for S corporation shareholders from bona fide indebtedness
On June 11, the IRS issued proposed regulations on when an S corporation shareholder can increase his or her basis in the S corporation’s stock based on loans to the corporation (REG-134042-07). S corporation shareholders, unlike partners, generally are not permitted to increase their basis by guaranteeing a loan made
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FROM THIS MONTH'S ISSUE
Flip out with the latest Tech Q&A
The September Technology Q&A column shows how to create dynamic to-do lists with Excel's checkboxes and also how to set up multifactor authentication texts that don't rely on phones. Flip through both items and view a video walkthrough in our digital format.
From The Tax Adviser
August 30, 2025
2025 tax software survey
July 31, 2025
