» Key to Instructions To help readers follow the instructions in this article, we used two different typefaces: Boldface type is used to identify the names of icons, agendas and URLs. Sans serif type shows the names of files and the names of commands and instructions that users should type into
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TOPICS
Information management and technology assurance
Report Says IRS Fails to Protect Sensitive Data
The agency tasked with processing more than 220 million tax returns annually is not doing an adequate job of protecting the sensitive personal financial information of the taxpayers submitting those forms, according to a report from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). TIGTA said IRS employees reported the
Shunning Spam
As technology advances, so do the tricks spammers use to deliver junk mail to your inbox. Save time, energy and IT resources by following these tips to reduce the unsolicited, and sometimes dangerous, messages: Don’t reply to spam, even to request removal. Any reply to spammers will confirm your e-mail address
Stay Connected on the Road
When traveling on business, it would be great if you could receive and send e-mail and easily perform other simple office tasks, like sending and receiving faxes or scanning documents into your computer—all without lugging around a ton of equipment. It would be even better if none
A Better Way
The January column included an item (page 73) that described a way to repair Word. After it ran, I realized there is a faster, easier way to do the job. So if any Office application appears in need of repair, open Control Panel and click on Add or Remove Programs.
Use Power Efficiently at the Office
Have a long-term goal to reduce your overhead and operating budget? Every few years firms can schedule professional energy audits, which pinpoint where your office is wasting energy and suggest how to increase efficiency. Follow these simple tips to keep your employees comfortable while cutting your summer energy bill: Install
Look at a Document in a New Way
You’re right on both counts: Those buttons (see screenshot at right) are a bit mysterious, and they can help you browse. Speaking of browsing, you should know that if you press Shift+F5, Word will take you back to the last place you worked on an open document. If you press
Effective Websites for CPAs: Grow Your Practice and Profits
by Kristi Stangeland, CPA RJ Thompson Publishing, 2006, 177 pp. Shortening the client development cycle is one of the most compelling reasons for a CPA firm to develop a Web site if it does not already have one, according to author Kristi Stangeland. Keeping clients abreast of change, increasing sales
Prepare an Instant Organizational Chart
Word has a well-hidden tool for that. Click on Insert, Picture and then Organization Chart. That will bring up a conventional four-part chart. To adjust the design to suit your needs, right-click on an empty space between the blue labels and an Organization Chart toolbar will appear (see screenshot below).
Time to Rethink Your 401(k) Plan?
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The PPA has made it easier for plan sponsors to automatically enroll employees in a retirement plan by eliminating the worry over state withholding laws. It delineates a new safe harbor automatic enrollment provision that starts the automatic deferral at 3%, raising it by
Incentives for Businesses in Distressed Communities
Since the mid-1990s, Congress has tried to help businesses operating in certain low-income and economically disadvantaged areas. This has taken the form of tax credits and deductions for businesses that locate in, and hire residents from, those areas. These inducements may be of interest to companies looking
Create a Custom Envelope
I wouldn’t dismiss Word’s envelope function. It’s very useful and can be customized easily by clicking on the Options button (see screenshots). But if you want even more customization—such as an added graphic —I suggest creating a template that can be evoked with a single click. Here’s how:
Get Ready for Vista
et ready, accountants! Like it or not, your basic Microsoft computer tools—from the operating system to all the workaday applications—will soon be history. Replacing them will be the recently introduced Vista operating system and Office 2007, which includes, among other things, Word, Excel, Access, Outlook and
XBRL
The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA), the council of the securities regulators of Canada’s provinces and territories, has launched a voluntary Extensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) filing program. Under the program, participating companies will begin filing their financial statements in XBRL this month. The XBRL statements will be available to the
See Double By Design
I believe your decision to go with a dual monitor arrangement is wise. You’ll find they will make your work proceed smoother and faster. In fact, if you have a laptop in addition to a desktop, you can link the laptop monitor to the desktop instead of buying a new
Smart Stops on the Web
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS SAVINGS SAVVYwww.401khelpcenter.com This is your one-stop shop for 401(k) information. Browse two of the site’s most helpful features: the Daily Digest, continually updated with pension and retirement news; and Collective Wisdom, handpicked resources from the site’s researchers. Sole practitioners and small-firm CPAs can find single-participant 401(k) providers or
Reorder Lineup in a Table
I hesitate to use tables in Word because they are so hard to edit. For example, it’s a real pain to change the sequence of names from one place to another. Do you have any suggestions? The trick is in the Alt and Shift keys. If you want to move
Highlights
FASB issued a standard that gives companies the option to report selected financial assets and liabilities at fair value. Statement of Financial Accounting Standards no. 159, The Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities, is designed to reduce complexity in accounting for financial instruments and
Talent-Tempting Web Sites
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CPA firms have long sought answers to problems in recruiting and staffing. Some have used their Web sites to attract and inform prospective hires by adding features and content that highlight aspects of a career there. A survey of Web sites of the 50
Are Extended Warranties Worth The Cost?
In my opinion, no. I know they sound awfully attractive. After all, wouldn’t it be great to just pick up the phone and have the insurance company send a repairperson? But in my experience and in the experience of the editors of Consumer Reports, new computers—and all high-tech items, for
Features
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Data governance: How finance builds trust in data
Learn how finance can use data governance to improve data quality, strengthen internal controls, and build trust in business data.
From The Tax Adviser
July 31, 2026
Current developments in S corporations
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