EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Act now. Start planning for succession several years in advance. Don’t wait until you’re almost ready to retire. As soon as a potential successor candidate has been identified, start the grooming process. Look for someone who is decisive, assertive and entrepreneurial. Consider an acquiring firm and
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Information management and technology assurance
Data Point: 39
Companies whose securities have been suspended from trading since the launch of the SEC’s Anti-Spam Initiative on March 8. Source: www.sec.gov.
Perform A Find and Replace Across Multiple Files and Directories
» 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
Software Revenue Recognition on the Rise
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Statement of Position (SOP) 97-2 provides guidance on applying GAAP in recognizing revenue from software and software-related transactions. The SOP provides instruction on recognition for licensing, selling, leasing or otherwise marketing software. As technology becomes further entrenched in consumer and enterprise products, companies outside of the traditional
Practical Training Tips for Smaller Firms
Implementing a training program in a smaller firm does not require a significant financial investment and can be done without hiring a trainer. A standardized training process can help ensure that all new employees coming into the firm are on the same page and improve retention. Consider these tips for
Compensation as a Strategic Asset: The New Paradigm
by August J. Aquila and Coral L. Rice AICPA, 2007, 190 pp. Compensation is a complex matter for most firms, with money being only one aspect of the equation. This book begins with a look at recent (past 25 years or so) paradigm shifts that have contributed to changes in
Make Direct Marketing Pay Off
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Direct marketing has become a popular and successful form of CPA firm marketing with the following potential benefits: The process encourages you to define a very specific target audience of prospects most likely to buy your services. The format enables you to develop a specific message
The Human Element: The Weakest Link in Information Security
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Social engineering attacks involve the use of deceptive or manipulative tactics on an individual to gain a result—often to gain unauthorized access to information assets. The practice sometimes is referred to as soft hacking and often is used to gather intelligence for a subsequent hacking
Tools for Financial Analysis
What do you do when a client asks you to look beyond the standard financial statements and help develop financial goals, forecasts and what-if scenarios? If you’re like many accountants, you’d hunker down with a spreadsheet and begin cobbling together an array of custom worksheets. Then you’d probably spend several
Banking
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. Loan-loss provisions totaled $11.4 billion in the quarter, a 75.3% increase from the year-ago period. The value of loans and leases
Toggle the Web Page Toolbar Off and On
» 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
Points for Retention
Retaining valuable staff members is becoming increasingly difficult in today’s competitive environment. In addition to ideas about flexible work arrangements, compensation and benefits, consider these recommendations for retaining valuable employees: Re-recruit top performers before they get a better offer. Retaining valued staff means being proactive. Remind top performers of their
TIGTA: IRS Passwords at Risk
Investigators posing as IRS computer help desk personnel were able to persuade 60% of Service employees they contacted to change their password to one the investigator suggested, a violation of IRS computer security rules. The findings by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) echoed those of a similar
The Cost of Computer Crimes
Consumer Reports projects that U.S. consumers lost more than $7 billion to viruses, spyware and phishing schemes over the last two years. Source: Consumer Reports’ 2007 State of the Net survey, www.consumerreports.org/security.
Customize The Menus In Your Toolbar
» 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
Data Points: 33 and 25
33Percentage of U.S. private companies that expect to change hands in the next 10 years. 25Percentage of those businesses that expect to do so within the next two years. Source: Grant Thornton International Business Report , www.internationalbusinessreport.com .
Users Grade Tax Software
A record number of CPAs responded to our fourth annual professional tax software survey in which we invited AICPA members to disclose, among other things, what tax-preparation software they use and how they evaluated various aspects of their products. In past years, only members of the Tax Section were included
Gauging Security ROI
The InformationWeek /Accenture Global Information Security survey asked more than 1,100 business technology professionals, “How does your company measure the value of your security investments?” Fewer worker hours spent on security-related issues—43% Better protection of customer records—35% Decline in breaches—33% Decline in amount of network downtime—33% Improved protection of intellectual
Smart Stops on the Web
TAX BIG RESOURCES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES www.irs.gov/businesses/small Whether you own a small business or work for one, this IRS site sorts out tax-related information so you don’t have to. There’s an A–Z index that lets you search by business type or by subject. It lists the
Untying the Knot: Planning for a De-Merger
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A merger process should include planning for a de-merger and establishing a sound agreement if a de-merger subsequently becomes necessary. De-merger agreements define how to treat specific issues if a de-merger has to take place. Items to consider addressing in a de-merger agreement include: Protecting
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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
