Why Pets Make the Best Coworkers

My dog Peaches, a cuddly beagle mix, is the love of my life. As with most pet owners, I spend a lot of time with my dog and miss her when I’m not at home. The days that I telecommute are often the highlight of my week because I can relish her company all day. Having a dog at home is beneficial in many ways:  I stand up and walk around more often, get outside for fresh air a few times a day and feel less stressed because I can give Peaches regular snuggles.

One of the benefits of being a CPA sole practitioner, or working for a firm that utilizes virtual offices, is that you can often work from home, allowing you to be with your pets all day. Some CPA firms even allow employees to bring their dogs to the office.

Financial Statement Changes: 5 Steps for Nonprofit Boards

As accounting and finance professionals, we’ve been talking about the coming changes to not-for-profit financial statements for some time now. But many others haven’t heard about the changes, including some not-for-profit board members. Board members are responsible for oversight of the financial reporting process, and as such, they’ll want to take an active role during implementation of the new guidance.

The Financial Accounting Standards Board's (FASB) Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2016-14, Not-for-Profit Entities: Presentation of Financial Statements of Not-for-Profit Entities, was issued in August 2016. The standard applies to all not-for-profits and is effective for years beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted.

The Next Generation: Empowering Future Firm Leaders

“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” –John F. Kennedy

Who represents your future? What’s your professional legacy? How do you know whom to trust with your business when you retire?

Most firm owners know the future of their business relies on the strength of their successors—the individuals most capable of growing and maintaining both client relationships and the service teams within the firm itself. What’s less understood is HOW to identify, nurture and promote the best and brightest candidates in practical terms. What can firm founders and owners do to ensure they’re selecting and preparing the right people to carry on their firms as eventual partners and even owners themselves?

The first task is to recognize the rising stars within your firm. These people are the strongest innovators, always looking for new opportunities to expand client services and grow the business. They’re the ones who naturally lead, and embrace opportunity to build strong teams within their professional circle. And they’re never afraid to assume more responsibility—for not only the daily workings of the firm, but also for the long-term prospects of the business—which includes being personally invested in both client relationships and the firm’s reputation. But once you’ve identified these potential stars, how do you invest in them?

8 Ways Reading Can Help You Get Ahead at the Office

Reading is good for your career. Don’t believe me? Think of all the successful people who make reading a priority – Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Mark Cuban, Warren Buffet and Mark Zuckerburg, to name a few. And they aren’t just reading Facebook updates, emails and tweets. They are committing time to reading actual books.

Why does reading a book matter? The benefits are plentiful and aren’t just limited to reading non-fiction. One important way reading helps your career is by helping you develop empathy. When you connect with a character and begin to understand their feelings and emotions, you are increasing your empathy. You gain valuable exposure to other perspectives, which can help you better relate to your coworkers and clients.

Are You Overlooking Prospective Clients?

There is a huge opportunity that most practitioners are ignoring, or worse, dismissing: an untapped client base.

This population doesn’t fit the profile of the typical client. They aren’t in their early 60s, near retirement and don’t fit the typical client profile. They haven’t worked and earned and leaned on you to help them make it to the retirement “finish line,” where they’ll begin to really enjoy the fruits of their labor. In fact, perhaps to the chagrin or confusion of their baby boomer parents, they’re quite different.

As you may have guessed, I’m talking about millennials. Before you tune out, consider the following:

Help After a Hurricane: Disaster Resources

CPAs are no strangers to helping: it is what they do every day for their clients, the public, small businesses and others. As those affected by recent hurricanes or other disasters begin the arduous process of recovery, there are things the CPA community can do to help those living and working in affected areas—including fellow CPAs—get back on their feet. We’ve compiled a list of resources, articles and more to aid in the recovery from this unfortunate disaster.

AICPA Benevolent Fund

If you are facing financial hardship because of a hurricane or other disaster, you can apply for assistance.

Want to help? You can make a charitable contribution to the fund.

The Firm of the Future: Building Value by Evolving

When starting an accounting practice, it’s important to think about the long-term value of the firm. True forward thinkers might even ponder what their end game looks like; is their goal to merge with another firm or sell their firm? To be succeeded by a partner or family member? In real-world terms, that means thinking about inventive and even unconventional opportunities to expand services beyond the realm of tax preparation, auditing and advice with the goal of appealing to the broadest possible client base. In a world where insurance companies, stock brokers, banks and even franchises like H&R Block are expanding client services to include planning for retirement, education or even simply, how to manage cash flow to maximize financial security, no firm can afford to neglect these areas of their clients’ lives. Competition is becoming too intense.

16 Work/Life Hacks for CPAs

As a CPA at a small firm, you’re constantly charged with finding the most efficient ways to get everything done and stay organized. From tracking mileage to arranging the supplies on your desk, the following low- and high-tech life hacks can help you make the most of your workday – so you can dedicate more time to what’s going on with your clients and less time to what’s going on with your desk and office space.

1. Gain an extra monitor through your iPhone or iPad using Duet Display. If you want to increase your productivity with an extra Mac or PC screen, you can multitask by using the Duet Display app, which allows you to use your iDevice as an extra monitor.

2. Organize cords with toilet paper rolls. Cords that you don’t use on a regular basis can be neatly stored away in empty toilet paper rolls placed in a shoebox.

Rethink Your Nonprofit’s Chart of Accounts, Part II

Last month we published the first installment of a two-part series discussing implementation of the new not-for-profit financial reporting model, as viewed through the lens of the entity’s chart of accounts. 

By now, you likely have taken some steps to prepare for implementation of the new not-for-profit financial statement presentation standard:

• Read through the standard. 
• Attended training to understand the forthcoming changes. 
• Had auditor/client discussions regarding the impact on audit timing and planning. 
• Selected team members to lead implementation of the new standard. 
• Decided whether to early-adopt. 

When you’re ready to dig in further, the chart of accounts is a smart place to go. The standard will affect several financial statement line items, so it’s important for not-for-profits to create a plan to adjust their chart of accounts during 2017 or 2018.

Top 3 Millennial Money Woes

Do you ever feel like people are constantly saying what you should be doing, without actually telling you how to do it? Same. I bet your clients feel the same way. That’s why I love our Feed the Pig campaign – it’s more like a best friend giving a subtle nudge in the right direction, instead of the typical guilt trip.

To get a better idea of exactly how millennials feel about their finances, we hit the streets to ask the hard-hitting questions that most prefer not to discuss. In doing this, our hope is to help others feel more comfortable discussing their own finances, and provide resources to reach their financial goals.

Here are a few millennial money woes we’ve come across while filming, along with strategies you can share with your clients to help guide them back to the path toward financial success.

11 Things to Know About Gen Z Workers

Just when you thought you were beginning to understand Millennials, it’s time to prepare for Gen Z to enter the workforce and they’re very different from their predecessors. Born between 1994-2010, this generation is known by many names—Post-Millennials, iGeneration, Founders, Plurals, Homeland Generation and Gen Z. Just like the generations before them, the characteristics of Gen Z are shaped by parenting trends, historical events and technology.

Gen Z are the children of Gen X, a cohort that was thought to be skeptical and perhaps even cynical in their youth as they came of age post-Watergate and post-Vietnam. Yet, Gen X has grown up to be balanced and healthy despite facing the strains of the Great Recession of 2008. As parents, Gen X have been concerned about raising their children in a safe environment, which has led Gen Z to be more cautious than previous generations. Other major influences shaping their development and world views include the Great Recession, the War on Terror, the first African American president and the legalization of gay marriage. But, probably the most significant factor is the advent of the smartphone.

How to Fail in Your Tax Practice

Many people are intimidated when meeting with professionals such as doctors, lawyers and CPAs. While CPAs don’t see them undress, their detailed financial situation is laid out and for some can be even more uncomfortable.

So a professional with a good bedside manner (or deskside in this case) has an advantage. The ability to listen, understand, and empathize puts people at ease and forges a bond early in the relationship. The professional may also be inspired to work harder to find the best result. This bond may lead to friendship or at least the feeling of friendship, and who doesn’t need more friends?

 

Providing Assurance Services in an IA World

Part I – Control Principles

Intelligent automation (IA) is getting the attention of finance teams, operational environment leaders, and shared service center executives across the world. Not to mention, it makes regular appearances in most major business periodicals.   

Think IBM’s Watson – IA covers all technologies from robotic process automation to artificial intelligence. It is a set of technologies that enables accountants and process owners to configure a software robot to execute, manage, control and audit process tasks. It analyzes data required to manage business and reports on business operations to an experience-based, decision-making software robot.

AICPA Announces ‘18Q1 Score Release Dates

The Q1 2018 score release dates are posted to the Score Release Timeline page of the AICPA’s CPA Examination page. For complete information regarding scoring, please visit the Examination Scoring and Scoring FAQ pages

Getting Ready for Assurance Has Its Benefits

 

In recent months, sweeping global cyberattacks have taken thousands of businesses offline, compromising valuable data and blocking access to critical services and information assets. If it wasn’t clear before, it is now: cybersecurity is a business imperative with direct implications for overall company value. Prior to this spring, and without a common language or benchmark for cybersecurity, how do you quantify and communicate your cybersecurity risk in a meaningful way?

Enter the AICPA’s cybersecurity risk management reporting framework. Unveiled in April, the framework is intended to standardize the way organizations define their cybersecurity objectives and report against those standards in a format that works for all stakeholders.

Fighting His Way Out of IRS Penalties. Literally.

IRS penalties and fees have caused a fair amount of consternation among taxpayers in the past, but in what might be a bout for the record books, we could witness the first time a taxpayer literally fights to pay what they owe and reduce penalties.

Floyd Mayweather, widely regarded as one of boxing’s greatest, apparently owes the IRS unpaid 2015 taxes. The boxer’s recent tax court petition seeking an installment agreement with the IRS might represent his first foray into the super heavyweight category.

Mayweather’s 2015 fight against Manny Pacquiao reportedly earned him as much as $220 million, and likely represents a significant portion of his income to which the taxes are due. The $22 million Mayweather reportedly owes is tiny relative to his estimated net worth, but net worth doesn’t need to be liquid. And as penalties and interest accrue over time, it’s a safe wager the bill could amount to a knock-out blow.

The boxer has requested in his petition that the IRS await payment until his August 26 fight with Conor McGregor, which he claims will provide the liquidity he needs to meet his tax obligation: the fighter’s guaranteed purse from the 2015 Pacquiao fight was $100 million, and his upcoming fight with McGregor is expected to earn him a similar amount. Again, keep in mind, that’s the guaranteed purse—win or lose. The final amount to the winner is a composite of various factors that could boost Mayweather’s take as high as $400 million.

Tips for Eclipse 2017

On Monday, August 21, a total solar eclipse will move across 14 states of the country. The last time this was visible in the United States was on February 26, 1979. The next won’t happen until October of 2023. Given their rarity, it’s understandable why a total eclipse has people excited and even taking time off from work to watch.

Even if you’re not in the path of the total eclipse, you’ll at least be able to see a partial eclipse from most places in the U.S. Below are some tips to prepare for the event and make the most of your experience.

Check what you’ll see in your location.

Take a look at this website prior to the eclipse to see what percentage of the eclipse you’ll be able to view. The website recommends looking at multiple zip codes around you to make sure you get the best view possible. This will also determine if you want to make travel arrangements or stay put.

3 Tips for Millennials Who Want to Give Back

As a young accountant who recently passed the Exam, things are going very well for you. You have gotten into a rhythm and you know the ropes. But, you’re looking to make a difference in your community – have you considered volunteering at a nonprofit?

David Almonte, CPA, CGMA and member of the AICPA’s National CPA Financial Literacy Commission, knows the merit of giving back. He was taught from an early age the value of education, a strong work ethic and volunteerism. Additionally, his skills as a CPA have given him the opportunity to make a difference in peoples’ lives. He frequently gives presentations across the country, many of them focusing on his main passion: financial literacy. By providing free and accessible resources from websites like 360finlit.org and feedthepig.org, Almonte hopes to break down the walls that very often lead to financial insecurity.

Like Almonte, you too can use the skills you’ve gained throughout your career to give back. Not sure where to begin? Here are three tips to jumpstart your community service:  

• Brag a little. You’d be surprised by how many of your talents align with activities you genuinely enjoy. Write down your talents, then research various volunteer opportunities that utilize your skills. For example, are you a pro at creating a résumé, or know exactly how to nail an interview? Oftentimes, local homeless shelters seek out professionals to lead workshops that help clients get back on their feet. Or maybe you love writing – so find a small nonprofit that needs help keeping up its blog. Just as David uses his passion for financial literacy to give back, there are countless other needs in your community. All you have to do is look.

6 Planning Ideas for Advising Entrepreneurs

If you work with entrepreneurs or small business owners, you likely have an appreciation of their vision, determination and work ethic.  You may also have run into some common hurdles that can derail their finances.  By focusing on the following planning considerations, CPAs and advisers serving entrepreneurs can keep their clients’ business and personal finances on track.

Choose an appropriate business form

Helping entrepreneurs evaluate key tax and nontax factors when selecting a business entity is not only important to the business’ financial success, but also the owner’s.

Should they operate as an S or C corporation, partnership, limited liability company or sole proprietorship? What are the classes of ownership, special allocations, basis, liability, elections and distributions for each structure and the impact of these factors on the owner? Navigating these complex decisions is crucial to getting their business off on the right foot. If you are an AICPA Personal Financial Planning Section member or CPA/PFS credential holder, see Chapter 18 of The Adviser’s Guide to Financial and Estate Planning for a comprehensive overview of entity selection.

How Relaxation Can Improve Concentration

It’s not surprising that National Relaxation Day (Aug. 15) is observed in the thick of summer because, for many, ideal relaxation involves lounging on a tropical beach and just feeling away from it all. For me, however, snowboarding is a great way to relax. When I’m carving down a beautiful snow-covered mountain, I’m able to allow my concerns to drift off into the background. From these two examples, it’s plain to see that perceptions of what constitutes relaxation vary.

Relaxation does not inherently require us to be inactive or unplugged from our normal routine. Perhaps you make room in your weekly schedule to take a morning run, practice yoga or spend some time in your garden. These activities may be great when we can engage in them, but how can we find other ways to help us relax the rest of the time, which is most often spent at work? One way to find some space and peace, no matter where we are, is through the practice of mindfulness.

Most Passwords Are Easy to Guess. Do This Instead.

You’re doing your passwords all wrong.

So says the developer of the guidelines most internet users have been following for 15 years, anyway. Passwords that L00K l!ke tHi$ are actually much more susceptible to hacking than most people realize, says Bill Burr, former manager of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and author of the NIST’s 2003 recommendations for password management.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Burr said that his previous advice to use numbers, symbols and randomized capitalization resulted in people creating passwords that are easy for computers to predict.

A more secure option is to use four random words, such as “that purple monkey dishwasher.” Such a phrase is actually much more complicated for computers to guess, The Wall Street Journal reports. (Cartoonist Randall Munroe explained the math in a comic six years ago.)

Some password advice remains relevant, however: avoid using birthdays or anniversaries, your kids’ names or your address, as all of this information is easy for hackers to locate. Additionally, use different passwords for each of your accounts and avoid storing them where they can be easily seen or stolen.

4 Things You Need to Know About Gender Equality

For decades, women and men have been entering the accounting profession in equal numbers. As a result, you might reasonably assume that women are now at or near parity with men at the leadership level. However, that assumption would be wrong. Only 24% of CPA firm partners are women, according to AICPA statistics. Another recent study found that only 17% of audit partners are women. If these qualified professionals aren’t reaching the top levels, firms are clearly missing out on a lot of talent.

The AICPA Women’s Initiatives Executive Committee’s (WIEC) CPA Firm Gender Survey, first distributed in 2015, is designed to identify trends in women’s leadership over time. It informs practical solutions for firms that want to make the most of their talent and prevent the loss of leadership potential. The results provide a unique spotlight on trends related to diversity in leadership and suggest solutions on how best to address them. As we launch the second iteration of the survey this year, I’m reminded of a few of the many valuable insights that the last survey revealed, along with some of the questions firms might want to ask themselves in light of those findings. The lessons learned—and the value and perspective they can offer to CPA firms—underscore the benefits of participating in the survey. Outlined below are a few key takeaways from the inaugural CPA Firm Gender Survey.

One Attestation Engagement that Can Save the Planet

Sustainability assurance is a growing field for CPAs. While reporting on this topic remains voluntary, over 82% of the S&P 500 publish some type of sustainability report, up from 20% in 2011. Furthermore, 73% of portfolio managers and research analysts take sustainability matters into account when making investment decisions and 69% of them believe it is important that such information be subject to independent assurance.   

Sustainability reporting encompasses information about an organization’s environmental, social and governance performance and can range from a full sustainability report to a greenhouse gas statement to information about select sustainability topics. As companies look to increase the credibility and reliability of their reported sustainability information, they are engaging CPAs to provide assurance on this information.  

Discounting Tax Services: Good or Very, Very Bad?

People love discounts, coupons and the perception of saving money, even when they actually aren’t. But there is another side to the discount, and that’s the product or service provider’s. When they discount their offering, they are losing money, right? Not always.

The Good

The discount is a common and time-honored marketing tactic. It can be a powerful tool. There are a few ways discounts are used to the benefit of the provider. A few of these include: loss leader, introduction/new business and reconciliation.

The loss leader is a simple concept: by heavily discounting an offering (sometimes to cost), you get clients in the door where they will hopefully purchase additional, non-discounted offerings or upgrade from the discounted offering to a superior one that is full price.

In product or service introductions, either the product or service is new, or the client is. The idea is that the discount is used to lure the client in, give them a taste of how good the offering is, and hopefully turn them into a regular customer who pays full price.

FASB Addresses Accounting for Grants and Contracts

The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) recently issued an exposure draft, Clarifying the Scope and the Accounting Guidance for Contributions Received and Contributions Made, which is intended to address questions stemming from their revenue recognition standard (ASU No. 2014-09) regarding its implications on the grants and contracts of not-for-profit organizations. Specifically, do not-for-profit grants and contracts fit the definition of a contract with a customer, such that the new revenue standard would apply? Or are they more appropriately classified as contributions, which would exclude them from the scope of ASU 2014-09 and instead require the application of contribution guidance? More on that below.

The FASB exposure draft clarifies that the first decision to consider is whether the transaction is reciprocal (an exchange) or non-reciprocal (a contribution). That is, does the donor or grantor “receive commensurate value in return for the resources provided?” If so, then the asset transfer is an exchange transaction. It is important to note that societal benefit—even if it furthers the resource provider’s charitable mission—is not commensurate reciprocal value.

Plan Smart: Banishing Time Wasters

“I cannot make my days longer so I strive to make them better.” –Henry David Thoreau

Time is money

We’ve heard the proverb many times. But when it comes to balancing client needs along with all of the nuances of leadership in a practice, time often really IS money. How many times have you looked at the clock and realized the day was half over before you’d had a chance to accomplish even a fraction of what you’d initially planned? A 2014 study found that only 13% of advisers report feeling in complete control of their time. Alarmingly, an overwhelming number of professionals frequently experience time drains that inhibit their relationships with clients, the growth of their business, and their own personal and professional productivity. Thankfully, there are some very easy-to-implement solutions that most CPAs can put into practice today to combat the time wasters in their daily schedule.

Key Facts about a New SAS on Exempt Offerings

A municipal government issues a bond offering after the audit report date. Or a franchisor is getting ready to prepare its annual update to its franchise disclosure document. What are the auditor’s responsibilities in each case? Practitioners with governmental clients are probably familiar with long-standing guidelines to address involvement with municipal securities offerings, however a recently issued auditing standard expands those best practices into required guidance for all exempt offerings.  

What’s the Background?

The Auditing Standard Board’s Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS) No. 133, Auditor Involvement With Exempt Offering Documents, applies to exempt securities or franchise agreements when the auditor is involved. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) oversees a significant regulatory framework for publicly traded offerings, setting rules on what types of information and documents must be filed and when, and on auditor involvement. Some offerings, such as municipal securities, franchise offerings, crowdfunding, and short-term commercial paper with a maturity of nine months or less, are exempt from SEC registration rules. Exhibit A in the new SAS includes a list of exempt offerings.

3 Factors Driving Single Audit Quality [Infographic]

Single audits are a highly specialized type of compliance audit performed on states, local governments and not-for-profit organizations that expend $750,000 or more of federal assistance in a single year. Given that both the public and federal agencies rely on single audits to confirm that these organizations are managing federal funds appropriately, it’s important that firms perform high-quality single audits.

That’s why the AICPA Peer Review Program recently conducted a study to determine which factors made a difference in single audit quality. Take a look at the infographic below to learn more about the three quality factors the AICPA identified and the steps firms can take to perform high-quality single audits. 

Nonprofit Challenges: Accounting for Gifts-in-Kind

Many not-for-profits receive gifts-in-kind—noncash donations—to supplement their programming needs. When used properly, gifts-in-kind can greatly extend the cash resources of not-for-profits, as they often consist of goods and services the organization would otherwise have to purchase.

Not-for-profits that receive contributions of in-kind goods and services should report them in compliance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (FASB) fair value measurement standard (ASC Topic 820).

Easy enough, right?

Not necessarily.

This blog post covers significant challenges that not-for-profits face when applying the accounting standards and related guidance for gifts-in-kind.

6 Reasons to Specialize in Employee Benefit Plan Audits

Since Torrillo & Associates, LLC, (of which I am the managing member) opened in 2004, our local 15-person firm has been dedicated almost entirely to employee benefit plan (EBP) audits. We began doing these audits early in our careers, and when we were ready to go out on our own and realized what a great specialty they would be for a small firm, we became even more passionate about them. Specialization has proven to be an excellent choice for our firm because we’ve been able to distinguish ourselves in a complex area. If you’re wondering if this niche is right for you, take a look at some of the benefits we’ve enjoyed.

Our time and energy are focused. Before beginning our practice, we had worked on EBP audits at a Big Four firm, so we were aware that this was a highly specialized field. However, by working in this particular niche, we were able to invest all of our energy into becoming experts, focusing our training needs and giving us an advantage in the marketplace. We spend a lot of energy keeping up with new developments in our niche. Our firm’s quality control director and I volunteer our knowledge for AICPA and state CPA society technical projects and committees, and we send our staff to local and national EBP conferences. When taking on work, we stick to what we know and reach out to other experts when necessary, including the AICPA, the Department of Labor (DOL) or our network of ERISA and fiduciary advisors and investment advisors.

How to Build Your Back-to-School Budget

Even though the beach is still calling, it’s almost time for students to think about the days when they’ll be loading up their backpacks, charging those computers and setting alarms for earlier than 10 a.m. – because the new school year will be here before you can say ‘fall semester.’

If that sound stressful to you, you’re not alone. On top of all the stresses associated with learning new material, meeting new people and challenging yourself intellectually, there is also a significant financial cost associated with the start of a new academic year. Regardless of whether you’re a parent thinking about your children’s back-to-school budget, a college student living away from home, or a full-time worker attending night school, the challenges are similar.

What Unlikely Pairings May Teach Us About Innovation

The last few years have been inundated with major acquisitions, each creating buzz from within and beyond the business world. To name a few, in June of 2016, Microsoft acquired LinkedIn (which had already acquired online learning site Lynda.com the previous year). Fast forward to last month when Walmart announced it would buy Bonobos – a mostly-online men’s upscale clothing retailer – and Amazon announced it was set to buy Whole Foods Market.

Scenarios in Quarterly Estimated Tax Payments

When people learn you’re a CPA, one of the first things they assume is that you “do taxes.” Often, they have a “quick tax question.” If you are a tax practitioner, you know a quick tax question is an oxymoron. It’s nice, however, to be able to translate some of our CPA lingo into easily understood information, both for clients and friends. One issue that stands out to me is: when and why does it makes sense to consider making quarterly estimated tax payments? 

Individual estimated tax payments – a primer

The government likes to get their money on a regular schedule. For most people, that means withholding from a paycheck. But if that’s not your situation, the IRS has estimated tax penalties in place that preclude you from waiting until April 15 every year to pay the balance due. In order not to be subject to those penalties, during the year you must pay at least 100 percent (or 110 percent depending on your level of income) of your previous year’s tax liability OR at least 90 percent of your current year’s tax liability. And unless there is a special circumstance where your income fluctuates during the year, those payments are expected to be paid in quarterly installments. 

3 Meh Ways to Promote Your Firm—and 1 Great One

We all get used to doing things a certain way. It’s easy. It’s comfortable. But over time, we lose sight of whether what we’re doing makes sense. Is it effective? Is it worthwhile? Does it take more time and energy than it returns? It’s worthwhile to take a hard look at how you market your services and ask tough questions.

Every day, CPA firms across the country rely on ideas for promoting their services that might not present the best value. Call them old habits or if-it-ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it syndrome, but the result is the same: results that are “meh.” What more could you do to promote the very real value you bring to clients on a daily basis? Let’s start with what you might be doing now that may not be effective.

Is Watching Shark Week Deadlier than Actual Sharks?

As a child, I loved watching movies about summer vacations. To someone from a low-income household whose summer adventures were circumscribed to the occasional elementary school-run day camp, the idea of vacationing was exotic – regardless of whether the family went to Walley World (National Lampoon’s Summer Vacation) or to a charming Massachusetts beach town like Amity (JAWS). Even the latter, where an insatiable Great White swallows poor beachgoers whole, seemed preferable to languishing away hours reading comics in my sweltering bedroom, ignoring my mom’s relentless nagging to ‘go play outside.’

 Although many cast JAWS aside as simply a horror movie, to me, it’s always been much more. It’s a classic-if-not-quintessential man vs. beast odyssey, not much unlike those found in Greek mythology. But whether you classify the film as horror or adventure, JAWS undeniably plays to certain fears. Galeophobia (the fear of sharks) is akin to a fear of the dark in that it taps into an anxiety of being unable to see those things which may harm us. In terms of sharks, however, this fear is largely misguided.

Rethink Your Not-for-Profit’s Chart of Accounts

Part I

By now, most professionals who serve not-for-profit organizations in governance or financial accounting roles have gained a basic understanding of the impending changes to the not-for-profit financial reporting model. This two-part series focuses on implementation and offers actionable recommendations to help not-for-profits prepare for the impacts of the new guidance. 

Look at the New Standard through the Lens of Your Chart of Accounts

The Financial Accounting Standards Board's (FASB) Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2016-14, Not-for-Profit Entities (Topic 958): Presentation of Financial Statements of Not-for-Profit Entities, will impact several line items in the financial statements of not-for-profit organizations. To accurately and efficiently reflect those changes, it’s important that not-for-profits create a plan to adjust their chart of accounts during 2017 or 2018.

Winning the Value War

Are you looking to expand your practice beyond financial statements and tax returns? If so, providing more personal financial planning advice and support, which will help clients plan for their financial future, may be the key to successful expansion. But how do you express the value you’ll provide to your clients? Here are some value propositions that CPAs can use to both describe and demonstrate value of those services.

Step One: Recognize the Difficulty of Selling an Intangible Value

In the world of investment advice, defining a value proposition is relatively straightforward because the return on investment (ROI) can be easily measured. And tax savings from effective tax strategies is similarly concrete.

However, when it comes to financial planning, defining a value proposition becomes far more difficult because it involves selling an intangible service and the results are hard to measure.

Myths about Personal Financial Planning Services

There is a good chance you have visited a physician for a routine check-up. At that appointment, your doctor asked many questions – inquiring about your diet, exercise, stress, and health history – and ran diagnostic tests to assess your overall health. Your physician may not have solved any problems at that appointment, but you undoubtedly valued and were willing to pay for an objective professional to assess your health status.

Why is it, then, that many CPAs doubt the value of offering similar diagnostic and planning services to assist clients in identifying potential problems and improving their overall financial health? Broadening your services by asking the right questions, understanding your clients’ financial situation and delivering advice (or making referrals to trusted specialists) is not only valuable to your clients – but also to your practice.

Before you tune out by citing common objections, allow me the opportunity to debunk some of the common myths about personal financial planning (PFP) services.

Not-for-Profit Gifts: Thanks or No Thanks?

Not-for-profit organizations are always thankful for the generosity of their donors. Sometimes, however, they must consider whether a proposed gift should be accepted. A gift of $100,000 in cash is easy to immediately direct toward the not-for-profit’s mission. On the other hand, a donation of real estate worth $100,000 may come with additional expenses and effort to sell the property before the proceeds are available to support the organization’s mission. Having a formal gift acceptance policy can help define when an organization should, or should not, accept a proposed gift.

3 Reasons to Embrace Cloud-Based Technology

New technologies offer ambitious professionals the chance to advance their careers, and their firms, to new heights. They can be especially beneficial to women and, indeed, any CPAs who want to set themselves apart professionally and preserve a healthy balance between their work and personal lives. In my own experience, I’ve used my cloud technology knowledge to expand my opportunities, accelerate my progress, boost my worth to clients and reinforce my relationships with them. How does the cloud enhance opportunities for CPAs?  

1. It can expand practice development options.

Cloud-based technology makes it possible to store and access data online where it can be accessed by authorized users from any computer. It’s the tool behind client portals that allows clients and firms to update and collaborate on data they share access to. You can use it to distinguish yourself and your firm.  

Reconciling Tax Reform and Reconciliation

Congress is not an ATM

-Robert Byrd, Former US Senator

The year is halfway through, but it doesn’t feel like we’re halfway to tax reform. Don’t get me wrong – tax reform might still happen. But as one Hill staffer said to me, “Health care is sucking the oxygen out of Washington.”

I’ve talked about the connections between ACA repeal-and-replace and tax reform several times on the video updates found on the Tax Reform Resource Center. In a nutshell, repeal of the ACA-related taxes, such as the Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT), before tax reform is undertaken, would make the tax reform baseline score less expensive.

The work on tax reform continues nonetheless, and the AICPA has testified at both a House Small Business Committee hearing and a Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee hearing. We’ve also supported the INVEST Act of 2017 (S. 1144). This tax reform legislation, introduced by Senator John Thune (R-SD), would simplify certain tax rules for small- and medium-sized businesses and their owners.

Qualified Charitable Distributions Reduce Tax Bills

CPAs are the frontline in mitigating the impacts of Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs)

CPAs have the opportunity to be proactive in helping their clients take advantage of the tax break for charitable IRA rollovers, technically known as QCDs (qualified charitable distributions). After my IRA update session at the AICPA ENGAGE conference, this topic generated the most questions of everything I discussed. It’s an easy provision to follow, and it’s even easier to know exactly which clients qualify.

The topic of QCDs is an important one for CPAs, because it’s an opportunity to provide real value to clients who are unaware of the provision. One of the most heavily emphasized messages from the ENGAGE conference was how to offer competitive services in the future. The answer always came down to relationships based on knowledge resulting in higher value services. QCDs fit perfectly into this.

Small Firms Make a Difference in Unexpected Ways

I recently heard a moving story about an acquaintance’s father who passed away unexpectedly. Married to his childhood sweetheart for more than 60 years, he was a dedicated father and husband. He had been the manager of his family’s accounts. Upon his death, his widow and family had to set aside their grief to grapple with urgent financial issues, including funeral expenses and insurance matters. Fortunately, a trusted advisor was able to help. The family’s CPA, a small firm practitioner who had known the family for years, was well acquainted with their finances, and immediately came to their aid, offering his technical expertise. The CPA restored order to the family’s accounts and eased their worries. They had peace of mind knowing their CPA was prepared to protect their interests during and after a highly emotional and stressful time.      

Stories like this one unfold every day in CPA firms across America. Whether they’re advising startups on growth opportunities or helping individuals handle life changes, small firm CPAs have a profound impact on their clients, supporting them as they strive for their goals, build for the future or deal with crises as they arise.

Helping College Graduates Reach Financial Independence

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” –Mark Twain

Ironically, the knowledge college students gain while studying for their careers is only one aspect of the education they’ll need to succeed in securing a healthy financial future for themselves. Learning how best to manage their finances and make wise decisions requires both individual effort and solid expert advice. That is where CPAs can serve as educators to help their clients – the parents – share tools with their recent college graduates to help them achieve financial success.

Getting started can seem overwhelming, but having an accurate idea of how much it costs a recent graduate to live monthly or annually is an essential first step. Suggesting clients’ children use simple money-tracking apps such as the one available at mint.com, where individuals can examine every aspect of their financial life in one place, can be helpful. After entering some basic information about their income and expenses, users can get a quick overview of their overall financial health.

Summer by the Numbers (With a Soundtrack)

Ever wonder how many hot dogs your fellow Americans eat on the Fourth of July? We've got answers.

5 Steps to Building Your Personal Brand Online

Some brands are almost universally recognizable. With just a glance at their logo, you know precisely the level of service or the quality of product you are going to get.

Wouldn’t it be great if your own personal brand could communicate the same trust and consistency? While top companies have huge teams (and usually more than a few agencies) devoted to the positioning and reputation of their brands, they all follow the same steps--steps you can easily implement into your personal brand today.

8 Tips to Determine Your Not-for-Profit’s Year-End

Not-for-profits have a luxury that most other individuals and businesses do not. They’re allowed to select their fiscal year-ends for IRS purposes. Partnerships, sole proprietorships, S corporations and other legal structures, with limited exceptions, may not. These groups generally are required to use calendar year-ends for tax filings. Read on to find out what a not-for-profit should consider when choosing a year-end date.

How does a not-for-profit choose its year-end?

By default, many not-for-profits are organized with a calendar year-end, but not-for-profits should assess if this is the best choice. A thoughtfully chosen year-end may produce more meaningful financial statements, ease reporting requirements and even save the organization money. Before deciding on a year-end, organizations should consider the following factors:

ICYMI: Protect Clients from Petya Cyberattack

Just as people are starting to recover from last month’s devastating WannaCry ransomware attack, Petya, another malware worm, is shutting down networks across the globe. No one is immune, international businesses and governments alike have been hit by this new attack. Unlike WannaCry, which spread via the internet, Petya spreads through computer networks and shuts down entire hard drives.

It is imperative that you not only take proper precautions yourself, but also help your clients fortify their defenses against cyberattacks. You can learn more about how to do so with these recent AICPA resources:

Where Will You be Financially in 40 Years?

What sounds more appealing to you – reading a bunch of boring facts online or playing a game to learn the same exact thing? You’d probably choose the latter. In fact, research shows a majority of millennials see clear benefits from playing digital games. Two in three (67 percent) say that games are important in helping them to learn how to create winning strategies and 7 out of 10 (70 percent) feel it aids them in learning how to solve problems. The proof is in the pudding, as they say – and that’s where gamification and personal finances come into play (literally!).

Today, the AICPA and the Ad Council launched a free digital game, ‘Yesterday’s Tomorrow.’ The game is a new resource from Feed the Pig to help millennials build savings skills, a product of the idea Scott Garner submitted for the Feed the Pig Game Design Challenge. The challenge invited people to submit ideas for digital games to help educate Feed the Pig’s target audience. More than 70 ideas were submitted, and his concept was chosen to help educate millennials through gamification.

Effect of Spending Habits on Retirement Planning

The traditional approach to retirement assumes that retirees will maintain their pre-retirement standard of living as they transition into retirement, and then sustain that lifestyle throughout retirement. But a growing base of research that analyzes the actual spending habits of retirees, reveals a different story.

In reality, retirees tend to experience a slow but steady decline in real spending throughout retirement. Spending decreases slowly in the early years of retirement, more rapidly in the middle years, and then slows again in the final years, in a path that looks like a “retirement spending smile.” Even the uptick of health care expenses in a retiree’s later years are generally not enough to offset all the other spending decreases that typically occur in retirement. That’s important, because it means your clients may not need as much money in retirement as they think.