Committee to Address Interstate Practice IssuesThe AICPA has created a volunteer Special Committee on Mobility to identify and address state mobility requirements that do not benefit the public, but block interstate practice by CPAs. “To serve their clients and meet their own business needs, today’s CPAs must be able to
Advertisement
TOPICS
Information management and technology assurance
Financial Literacy
Slightly more than one-third of those polled were members of Generation X, born between 1964 and 1980. Most of them were skeptical about government and corporate benefits. Fifty-five percent said they will save and invest to fund their retirement, 65% didn’t expect Social Security to provide retirement benefits and 68%
Accounting
For news from the AICPA and state societies, visit www.cpa2biz.com , which also offers online CPE, AICPA professional literature, practice management aids and links to state society Web sites. FASB issued two staff positions (FSPs). One, Accounting for Life Settlement Contracts by Third-Party Investors, provides guidance on the investor’s
How Not to Hate Your Computer
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Always keep your computer upgraded with the latest software. Sometime this year Microsoft is scheduled to introduce its next operating system, Vista. Consider waiting six months or so for the worst of the bugs to be worked out, and buy a new computer with Vista already installed. Be
Katrina’s Harsh Lessons.
Those of us who lived through Hurricane Katrina’s devastation in the Gulf states also experienced countless acts of kindness. We want to acknowledge that tremendous outpouring of support. We regret we don’t have the space to recognize individually the thousands of stories of helpfulness and courage. —Grady Hazel, executive director,
Business Valuation
The AICPA has entered an agreement with the publisher of the Daubert Tracker, an online database of information on the admissibility and effectiveness of expert testimony in judicial proceedings. Under the arrangement, members of the AICPA business valuation and forensic litigation services (BV/FLS) section are eligible for substantially discounted subscriptions
Get Close to Your Clients
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Customer relationship management (CRM) is about organizing client information so you can readily use it in appropriate, thoughtful communication and actions that strengthen the bond between the firm and the client. There are a variety of software packages to help manage a CRM program. Software can be hosted
Professional Issues
The AICPA Work/Life & Women’s Initiatives Executive Committee issued “Women’s Summit: Helping Women Professionals Succeed,” a collection of valuable data and best practices resulting from the first AICPA Women’s Summit, held October 2005 in Chicago ( www.aicpa.org/worklife ). The managing partners, human resources professionals and female CPAs in attendance shared
XBRL
XBRL International, an AICPA-founded, not-for-profit global consortium of more than 400 companies and agencies working to promote technology for better and easier financial reporting, established the XBRL Standards Board to strengthen the quality, consistency and stability of the group’s technical materials and increase the openness and formality of the process
FYI
The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) named two CPAs deputy chief auditors. Laura Phillips will provide technical direction on the development of the board’s standards and ensure they and related information are available and appropriately communicated to public company auditors and other interested parties. Jennifer Rand will oversee and
International
The International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board of the International Federation of Accountants released a paper, “The Road to Accrual Accounting in the United States,” that offers practical insights for jurisdictions making or considering a conversion from the cash basis of accounting. It outlines the development of administrative arrangements for
Highlights
The Securities and Exchange Commission approved the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s (PCAOB) new rules concerning ethics, independence, tax services and contingent fees. The SEC said it expects the PCAOB will issue additional guidance to facilitate implementation of the rules, which generally require a PCAOB-registered firm and those associated with
Rate Yourself in the Paperless Race
The pace of the changeover is mixed in some areas and quickening in others, but on average accountants are using more paperless methods to save time and money.
Excel Shortcuts
FF2+Shift: Edit comment F3+Shift: Paste function F4+Shift: Find again F5+Shift: Find F6+Shift: Previous pane F8+Shift: Add to selection F9+Shift: Calculate worksheet F10+Shift: Context menu F11+Shift: New worksheet F12+Shift: Save Stanley Zarowin, a former JofA senior editor, is now a contributing editor. His e-mail address is zarowin@mindspring.com . Do you have
Recruiting Made Easy
A talented recruit may be your next partner. You never know. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Porter Keadle Moore LLP established a comprehensive campus recruiting presence on eight college campuses to recruit hires directly from schools. That way it can train staff in its unique processes from the very beginning. A first step
Add More Colors To Your Background
I like to use background color because it enhances my documents. But when I click on the background-color icon on the toolbar, I get a meager choice of 15 colors. I’d like more options. Any ideas? You want more colors? I’ll give you more colors. How about an infinite number
Small-Firm Technology Tips
Increase your competitive edge without breaking the bank. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Telephone systems are moving beyond the traditional hard-wired and expensive PBX. By combining computer and Internet technology with voice calls, a small firm can manage more incoming calls and sound like a larger organization. There are many choices and services
Dispose of Old Computers
I plan to replace all my office computers when Microsoft comes out with its new Vista operating system and Office suite this year. Do you have any suggestions about how I can get rid of my old computers? In the past I tried selling them, but I only got a
Useful Information
Laptop protection : Although LoJack won’t protect your laptop from being stolen, it can help retrieve it. When you install LoJack software it is programmed to hide in the laptop’s memory. When someone turns on the computer without also entering a code, LoJack silently goes into the detective mode. Then,
Features
FROM THIS MONTH'S ISSUE
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
July 31, 2026
