Click here for a PDF of detailed survey responses for TaxSimple. Tax program name TaxSimple Vendor name TaxSimple Telephone 973-989-8955 E-mail address jvora@taxsimple.com Web site taxsimple.com Price on Federal 1040 $100 – $695 Is this an increase from last year? By how much? No Renewal price $100 – $695 State
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TOPICS
Information management and technology assurance
Two Better Ideas
Ali Allison, CPA, tax practice manager at Singer Lewak LLP in Los Angeles, had some useful ideas about the Tech Q&A item “Generate Duplicate Changes in Multiple Excel Worksheets,” which appeared in the December 2008 issue, page 104. The article is about keeping several similarly laid out spreadsheets along with
Combine Data From Multiple Cells
Q: I have an inventory-tracking problem. We record the inventory in our retail stores with Excel. Each item is identified with three sets of numbers. For example, a three-digit code (248) indicates the store’s identity, another three-digit code (564) signifies the department, and a four-digit code (1223) is for the
How to Leverage Social Networking
When the IRS announced in June that it would launch a review of tax return preparers, the Maryland Association of CPAs (MACPA) spread the word to its members with a news item on the association Web site. But it didn’t stop there. The association posted the IRS news on its
Enlist Excel’s Fill Handles to Save Time
Q: I have a problem with Excel’s fill handle: All I want to do is drag the fill handle so that it fills every other row with a value (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.)—leaving one blank cell in between each incrementing value. It seems so simple, but the solution eludes
Windows 7: The Good and Not-Quite-So-Good News
The good news is that the beta, or so-called Release Candidate, of Windows 7, is available as a free download. I took the plunge and within minutes I exclaimed: “Wow, this operating system is so easy to use. It actually feels like a Mac.” Aside from zipping along far faster
Auditing
The AICPA’s Auditing Standards Board issued Statement of Position (SOP) 09-1, Performing Agreed-Upon Procedures Engagements That Address the Completeness, Accuracy, or Consistency of XBRL-Tagged Data. This interpretative SOP, drafted with the assistance of the XBRL Assurance Task Force of the AICPA Assurance Services Executive Committee, provides guidance regarding the
Blogging for a Better Tax Practice
Some CPA tax practitioners find they are able to garner new clients and better maintain ties with existing ones by blogging on tax topics. Beyond providing an electronic soapbox, they say, a blog can be a powerful way to disseminate information to existing clients while revealing to prospective ones the
Psst! Click (or Mouse Over) Here for a Hot Tip
Q: You know those little identifying messages that pop on the screen when I hover my cursor over some icons? Is there some way I can create a similar feature in Word or Excel so readers can get more information about some material in the document or financial statement? A:
Shortcuts in Word
Apply List Bullet style: Ctrl+Shift+L Apply or remove space above current paragraph: Ctrl+0 (zero) Make selected text all caps: Ctrl+Shift+A Double underline the selected text: Ctrl+Shift+D Toggle subscripting for selected text: Ctrl+ = Toggle superscripting for selected text: Ctrl+Shift+ +
CPAs Embrace Twitter
Twitter has taken the Internet by storm. Like LinkedIn and Facebook, Twitter hosts a growing community of CPAs and financial professionals, but unlike its social-networking peers, the microblogging Web site limits users’ messages, questions and conversations to 140 characters (including spaces). To put this limit into perspective, this paragraph has
In a Noncompete Bind?
If you find yourself out of a job in this downturn, keep in mind that restrictive covenants may limit your next move. If you are a party to such an agreement, you could face a costly lawsuit if you go to work for a competing company or firm or start
Cloud Computing, Social Networking Highlighted at AICPA TECH+ Conference
This year’s AICPA TECH+ Conference in Las Vegas proved that, while accountants are using more Web-based applications, security remains a top concern when moving client information online. It’s also apparent that most CPAs aren’t quite sure what to do on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. The following
New Law in New York May Affect Out-of-State CPAs
Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the July 17 AICPA News Update. On July 26, 2009, a new law goes into effect in New York state that significantly changes the regulation and practice of public accountancy. The law includes many new or expanded provisions that affect CPAs practicing in New
FASB Introduces Disclosure Project
FASB introduced a project Wednesday that is intended to make financial statement disclosures more useful, organized and consistent, and less redundant. The project will focus on developing a framework for improved GAAP disclosures, according to FASB Chairman Robert Herz. The vision for the framework is for it to allow companies
CPA Firms Name Their Top Issues
For the first time in several years, staffing is not the most pressing concern for many CPA firms, according to information released in the PCPS CPA Firm Top Issues Survey. Instead, client retention dominates the list, suggesting that “the weakened economy has shifted CPAs’ concerns from staffing to client retention,”
Safe Password Practices
Editor’s note: This is a Web-exclusive exhibit for “Password Management Strategies for Safer Systems.” Advise users to never put their password on a Post-it Note or in another unsafe location. Tell users to always say “No” when Windows or any other software offers to save their password.
Supercharge Your Excel Sum Operations: Worksheets and Exhibits
Editor’s note: These are Web-exclusive exhibits for “Supercharge Your Excel Sum Operations.” Click here to download sample Excel worksheets. Each of the article’s four exhibits is an individual worksheet in a single downloadable Excel file. It includes: Exhibit 1: Sales by person using SUMIF Exhibit 2: Basic functioning of SUMPRODUCT
Social Media Panel Outlines Tips for Accountants
Do accountants need to be on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, or is it OK for them to sit on the sidelines? That question was posed by Bill Sheridan, e-communications manager for the Maryland Association of CPAs, during a social media panel he moderated at the MD
Password Management Strategies for Safe Systems: Offense and Defense
Editor’s note: This is a Web-exclusive exhibit for “Password Management Strategies for Safer Systems.” Primary Security Risks Effective Countermeasures Failing to enhance password security in order to focus on searching for a “perfect” security system and obtaining more funding. Immediately improve password security procedures. Implementing new system security procedures or
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