» 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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Information management and technology assurance
Accounting for Second Life
Jump to Web exclusives: Training in Second Life Now a Virtual Reality Second Life Trailblazers EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Second Life is a virtual world with education, public relations, and economic implications. CPA Island is the center of the public accounting profession in Second Life. At a minimum, CPA Island presents a
Interstate Mobility and the CPA Tax Practitioner: It Does Apply to You
Which of the following statements is true about CPA tax practice? Interstate licensing requirements apply only to CPAs who perform attest services. Tax return preparation, tax planning services and tax advocacy are not the practice of public accounting so can be performed wherever needed without an authorization to practice. A
Data Engine Chugging Along
The cornerstone of the IRS’s efforts to modernize its computerized return-processing system is progressing in capacity and performance, the IRS said in a news release. The Customer Account Data Engine (CADE) had handled more than 15 million individual tax returns by March 7 in the 2008 tax filing season, more
Consider the alternatives to Microsoft Office 2007
I need to upgrade my office computers, but I dread the thought of having to switch to Vista and Microsoft Office 2007. I tried out the software, and I’m convinced it’s not for me. Aside from the expense, it’s too complicated; I’m uncomfortable with the applications. I’m told they’re
Fast way to create an e-mail distribution list
I have a large e-mail list of business contacts in an Excel spreadsheet. When I send some of them an e-mail, I really don’t want to copy and paste each one into Outlook’s To … box. Is there some easy way to plug them into a list? There are
XBRL
The SEC launched a Web page that enables investors to more easily read, analyze and compare the information provided by mutual funds related to fund cost, risk and past performance. The Mutual Fund Reader follows on the SEC’s new rules that permit mutual funds to voluntarily provide information to
Could You Give Up E-Mail?
Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project, www.pewinternet.org.
XBRL
n The SEC launched a Web-based tool called Financial Explorer to help investors analyze the financial results of public companies. The tool, which uses XBRL, allows investors to automatically generate financial ratios, graphs, and charts depicting important information from financial statements. Users can also compare information including earnings, expenses, cash flows,
Government
n FASAB has issued Technical Release 8, Clarification of Standard Relating to Inter-Entity Costs, and Technical Release 9, Implementation Guide for Statement of FASAB 29: Heritage Assets and Stewardship Land. TR8 provides guidance to federal entities on three aspects of full costing specified in SFFAS 4: (1) guidance on costs that
Smart Stops on the Web
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS BUILDING HR KNOWLEDGE www.hrtools.com Choose the “Insight” tab at this HR portal to access blogs and articles from seasoned HR professionals, including Jennifer Blanchard’s “Generation Y” column. As a new feature, content is organized by broad category, such as benefits and compensation, staffing or legal compliance, then more
A Global Standard for Professional Ethics
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Standard setting organizations in more than 100 countries have adopted the International Federation of Accountants’ (IFAC) Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants, while others are in the process of converging with the code. The code applies to professionals in public practice, business, academia and government. The IFAC code’s
Taking a Systemic Approach
For the better part of two decades ending in the late 1990s, I was responsible for university recruiting at KPMG LLP. While we worked to increase diversity in the firm, it was frustrating because so few people of color were studying business and, therefore, there was little diversity among the
Help! I’m Running Out of Disk Space
» 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
Tax Software Survey To-Dos
I’d like to make a few suggestions for next year’s tax software survey (“Users Grade Tax Software ,” Oct. 07, page 34). For example: Ask how well the software handles multistate corporate returns. Ask if the alternative minimum tax adjustments and preferences seem to flow. Ask how well the error
A Better Idea & Shortcuts
A BETTER IDEA In the January 2008 issue (page 81), I offered some suggestions for solving the My Document folder default-location problem, and Amanda Adams, CPA, tax manager at Blazek & Vetterling in Houston, suggested another solution for assuring that files are saved in a default location of your choosing.
DVD Stuck in Computer? A Paper Clip to the Rescue
Yes, there is a nondestructive way to open a stuck tray-loading drive door. You’ll notice that the face of the door has a tiny hole; unfold a paper clip and gently push the end of the clip into the hole until you feel a click that signals the unlatching
Is It Unwise to Use Low-Cost or Free Software?
It depends, and by that I mean there is no easy yes or no answer to that question. While it’s true that some free programs are worthless or even dangerous, many others do an outstanding or at least an adequate job. It’s usually hard to tell in advance which are
Stamp Out the Annoying Macro Warning
That notice is part of Excel’s security system; it helps protect you from unknowingly admitting a virus attached to a macro. So while it’s a pain to respond to the question, it has a legitimate value—but only when the files contain macros. The reason Excel keeps asking the question
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Agentic accounting has arrived: What’s hype and what’s real?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is moving beyond chatbots and into accounting workflows. A new generation of agentic AI tools can plan, execute, and adapt as they complete tasks, raising expectations for what automation can do inside firms and finance departments. What can agentic AI realistically do today and what challenges are there in its implementation? Find out in this Journal of Accountancy sponsored report.
From The Tax Adviser
August 31, 2026
2026 tax software survey
July 31, 2026
