Advertisement
TOPICS

Family Business Transition Planning

Family relationships and values can make succession of family businesses even more challenging than for other enterprises. Here are some suggestions for family businesses that can make succession planning and execution less trying. (This article is adapted from a free white paper by the authors available at tinyurl.com/5uv6oy6.) By James

Technology 2012 Preview: Part 1

With 2012 just around the corner, the JofA gathered the three technology keynote speakers from the AICPA’s 2011 Practitioners Symposium/TECH+Conference to talk about tech trends heading into the new year. The nearly 90-minute conversation covered a wide range of technical issues critical to all CPAs. Participating in the call were:

Mobile Technologies: Tablets and Smartphones

With 2012 just around the corner, the JofA gathered the three technology keynote speakers from the AICPA’s 2011 Practitioners Symposium/TECH+ Conference to talk about tech trends heading into the new year. The nearly 90-minute conversation covered a wide range of technical issues critical to all CPAs. Participating in the call

Cloud Computing

With 2012 just around the corner, the JofA gathered the three technology keynote speakers from the AICPA’s 2011 Practitioners Symposium/TECH+ Conference to talk about tech trends heading into the new year. The nearly 90-minute conversation covered a wide range of technical issues critical to all CPAs. Participating in the call

CPA Horizons 2025: A Road Map for the Future

The AICPA on Wednesday released the findings from a yearlong initiative to examine what’s on the horizon for CPAs and the accounting profession.  CPA Horizons 2025 leveraged insights from more than 75,000 comments from CPAs in all segments of the accounting profession, regulators, thought leaders and futurists to highlight key trends

CPA2Biz to Launch “CPA.com” Email Service

CPA2Biz plans to offer a CPA-branded email service for AICPA members beginning this fall. Eligible members of the AICPA will be able to get an email account in their own name ending in the cpa.com domain. John Smith, for example, could get the address john.smith@cpa.com. Members with common names can

Favorite New Technology

With 2012 just around the corner, the JofA gathered the three technology keynote speakers from the AICPA’s 2011 Practitioners Symposium/TECH+ Conference to talk about tech trends heading into the new year. The nearly 90-minute conversation covered a wide range of technical issues critical to all CPAs. Participating in the call

Key Technology Issues for 2012

With 2012 just around the corner, the JofA gathered the three technology keynote speakers from the AICPA’s 2011 Practitioners Symposium/TECH+ Conference to talk about tech trends heading into the new year. The nearly 90-minute conversation covered a wide range of technical issues critical to all CPAs. Participating in the call

The iPad Decision

Ask one CPA, the managing partner of a 160-employee firm, what he thinks of using the iPad in his work, and he tells you “there’s no other way to practice right now.” Ask another, the IT head of a 400-employee firm, and he tells you that his iPad is no

Tablets: A Quick Look

Editor’s note: Also read “The iPad Decision” in the October 2011 issue of the JofA. To access a chart with details on more than 50 iPad applications and information on browser-based applications from major accounting-software publishers, click here. The following are profiles of some of the top tablets on the market. Please

Eight Ways to Expand Your Mentoring Network

Mentoring relationships are critical for success in the accounting profession, yet many CPAs overlook the benefits of a mentor/protégé connection. A mentor can provide guidance on tackling challenging assignments or insights into managing time commitments. In addition, mentors can recommend protégés for important and highly visible projects, sponsor protégés in

Retreat to Move Forward

With the slow economy still making times—and dollars—tight, it might seem counterintuitive for a CPA firm to take its staff to the beach for an annual retreat. But handled correctly, such off-site activities can be effective investments of time and money. Here are some ideas for making the most of

Traps for the Unwary in CPA Firm Mergers and Acquisitions

You can’t hold back the demographic tide. In the U.S., another baby boomer turns 60 every eight seconds. This translates into a leadership change in the near future at many CPA firms. Thousands of partners are at or reaching retirement age now and in the next five years, putting a

NASBA and AICPA Announce Launch of CPAmobility.org

The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) announced the launch of CPAmobility.org – an online tool designed to help Certified Public Accountants navigate the new practice privilege requirements that allow CPAs to more easily practice across state borders. A

PwC Investing $100M in Africa

PricewaterhouseCoopers International is rolling out a growth strategy for Africa that includes investing $100 million in people and infrastructure. The Big Four firm said it plans to hire an additional 8,000 partners and staff over the next five years as it builds an integrated advisory business for the continent. In

Polish What’s Dull, and Wax What Shines

For managers, the one activity more dreaded than receiving a performance review is writing one. So it’s no wonder many reviews fall short of their real intention: to provide a springboard for further growth and accomplishment. How can the performance review guide a productive discussion about an employee’s potential or

Revitalize Your Firm’s Marketing Strategy

If you think there is room for improvement in your accounting firm’s marketing and sales effort, you’re in good company. A recent study by Broderick & Co., consisting of in-depth interviews with leaders representing 130 well-known professional services firms in accounting, law, executive search, management consulting, architecture, financial services and

GAPP Targets Privacy Risks

As of early 2011, 46 states had enacted some form of privacy regulation. In particular, those enacted by Massachusetts and Nevada in 2010 significantly raised the bar in terms of business requirements. Even organizations that have no facilities or personnel in Massachusetts may be subject to the state’s regulations if

Seeking New Clients Rises to Top of CPA Firm Issues

Bringing in new clients has moved to the forefront of concerns among CPA firms with two to 20 professionals. That finding is among the highlights of the AICPA’s 2011 PCPS CPA Top Issues Survey, released Tuesday. The survey also found that while client retention remains a key priority for CPA

Accounting Enrollment, Hiring Increase

CPAs looking to hire talented young accounting grads as well as students preparing to graduate need to know what their competition looks like. The AICPA’s 2011 Trends in the Supply of Accounting Graduates and the Demand for Public Accounting Recruits, which was released in May, identifies key trends in accounting

FROM THIS MONTH'S ISSUE

How a CPA beat burnout after strokes, depression

Get ready for tax season with the JofA’s annual filing season quick guide, an easy-to-use compilation of dollar thresholds, tax tables, standard amounts, credits, and deductions. Download and print for quick reference this tax season.