Accounting technology news and resources

TOPICS

September 1, 2020

Stymie hackers with these 6 steps

Here is a list of the steps your business should be doing at the absolute minimum when it comes to cybersecurity.

September 1, 2020

Microsoft Excel: Record macros to quickly perform routine tasks

If you have simple tasks that you need to perform in Excel often, you can actually “teach” Excel to do them for you by recording a macro.

September 1, 2020

Tips and tools for eliminating duplicate files

The goal of a good file management system is to ensure that you can find not only the file you want but also the “latest and greatest” version of that file.

August 31, 2020

Blockchain not seen transforming accounting processes — yet

Blockchain is often misunderstood. For instance, there is not one blockchain but many. Similarly, there are many opinions about how blockchain will affect the practice of accounting. Participants in the our annual technology roundtable add their voices to the debate.

August 11, 2020

Use conditional formatting in Excel to visualize letter grades

Highlight different letter grades with different colors so you can see at a glance how your students performed.

August 4, 2020

TIGTA critiques IRS’s protection of taxpayer data

The IRS continues to have challenges protecting taxpayer data, and especially ensuring that its various applications provide complete and accurate audit trails, according to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).

August 4, 2020

Evaluating blockchain and internal control through a COSO lens

Although blockchain technology creates new risks, organizations also can use it to improve risk management and create better controls.

August 1, 2020

Obtain a Distinct Count

How to obtain a Distinct Count in Excel using a basic PivotTable.

August 1, 2020

Adding bullet points to an Excel spreadsheet

Kelly L. Williams, CPA, Ph.D., explains how to insert bullets into an Excel spreadsheet.

August 1, 2020

Understanding PivotTables and Excel’s Recommended Charts

These quick tips related to PivotTables and choosing the best charts for your data can help you become more efficient in Excel.

August 1, 2020

Laura Felice, CPA, CGMA

Asking good questions and providing direction for strategic decisions is essential for finance employees in today’s business environment, according to Laura Felice, CPA, CGMA, senior vice president and controller at BJ’s Wholesale Club Inc.

July 24, 2020

Why Zoom meetings really do leave you exhausted

Videoconferencing fatigue is just one of several types of technostress that have been plaguing workers since personal computers hit it big. The problem has grown worse due to the COVID-19 lockdowns, but Marc Staut of Boomer Consulting offers some remedies.

July 16, 2020

AICPA issues nonauthoritative guidance on auditing digital assets

Accounting firms should consider many factors when considering whether to accept auditing engagements that involve digital assets such as cryptoassets. Nonauthoritative guidance published by the AICPA helps firms evaluate whether such engagements are worth the risks.

July 14, 2020

Use Excel’s sparklines to quickly show trends in data

Simple to create, sparklines are tiny graphs that help you make sense of data at a glance.

July 9, 2020

New audit evidence standard recognizes evolving nature of business

The AICPA Auditing Standards Board issued a new standard that recognizes the evolving nature of business, including use of technology.

July 7, 2020

A 6-point security checkup for working from everywhere

Quarantines prompted by the coronavirus pandemic have forced many organizations to deploy and configure technology to support 100% remote work and/or a mix of working remotely on certain days.

July 1, 2020

Creating a data-entry form in Excel

The use of a data-entry form makes data entry faster and more efficient because you don’t have to go to multiple different cells to enter data, row by row.

July 1, 2020

Technology lessons from the pandemic — and beyond

The upheaval of the coronavirus crisis caused the accounting profession to turn to technology like never before. Our technology roundtable discusses what was learned — and what the future holds.

July 1, 2020

Ergonomics for the home office

The human connection can be difficult to accomplish remotely, but the right workspace can ease some of the challenges and ensure you are at your best.

June 29, 2020

5 ways accountants can track cryptocurrency

This article discusses how accountants can spot the telltale sings that increasingly mainstream virtual currencies are being used to squirrel away illicit funds.

FROM THIS MONTH'S ISSUE

4 ways solo practitioners can stand out

Five years ago, a grieving Angel Zhen started his own CPA firm with no clients and no revenue. Today, he has 300 clients, $600,000 in revenue and 12 weeks of annual vacation. In this JofA article, he shares how he set up his firm and how you could do the same.