2015 - Journal of Accountancy

The magazines

December 1, 2015

Gain recognized from repossession of principal residence

The repossession of a taxpayer’s former principal residence more than one year after its sale triggered the recognition of previously excluded gain.

December 1, 2015

GASB moves toward relief

The proposal would aid certain governments with pension accounting.

December 1, 2015

New tax on expatriates’ gifts and bequests gets prop. regs.

The highest gift or estate tax rate applies after the gift tax annual exclusion amount; the marital deduction and QTIPs are among the possible exclusions.

December 1, 2015

Starting a women’s initiative

Follow these tips to make your firm’s initiative focused and successful.

December 1, 2015

Business tax quick guide—tax year 2015

Download and print this quick guide PDF for use during tax season and look for our quick guide for individual taxpayers in the January 2016 issue.

December 1, 2015

Printers: Goodbye, printer cartridges

Q: I’m in the market for a new color printer, and I’d like to buy an affordable one that doesn’t require me to constantly install expensive new cartridges every other week—any suggestions?

December 1, 2015

How to admit new partners: A fresh approach

Accounting firms seeking long-term viability must infuse the partnership ranks with fresh blood when the time and terms are right. A method called AAV can help with this process.

December 1, 2015

IRS to implement donee reporting for charities

The Service issues prop. regs. and will develop a new information return.

December 1, 2015

Per-diem rates issued for 2015–2016 travel The IRS issued its annual update (Notice 2015-63) of per-diem rates for substantiating certain business expenses taxpayers incur when traveling away from home on or after Oct. 1, 2015. The per-diem rate for the incidental-expenses-only deduction remains unchanged at $5 per day for any

December 1, 2015

The importance of gauging a client’s tone at the top

Even a flawlessly executed engagement can be placed at risk by a client with poor tone at the top.

December 1, 2015

Risks to watch during 2015 audit cycle

Professional skepticism and ICFR are among the topics of scrutiny.

December 1, 2015

Preparing for what’s next

CPAs do a masterful job of taking care of their clients’ business, but they also need to make sure they look out for their own. Practice-continuation agreements can minimize the chaos in the transfer of a CPA practice to a successor.

December 1, 2015

Businesses and tax ID theft

Businesses may need CPAs’ help in protecting against and remedying tax-related identity theft.

December 1, 2015

Microsoft Excel: The highly coveted ceramic chicken award

Q: At the June AICPA Tech+ Conference, you began your Excel presentation by asking the audience if they had ever used specific Excel features and functions; can you please share that list with me? A:I frequently begin my Excel presentations to large audiences by finding the most Excel-savvy CPA in the

December 1, 2015