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By Mike Varney, Vice President, Finance and Operations at Extend. The alarm bells in accounting have been ringing for years: fewer people want to join – or stay – in the profession. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) said in its “2023 Trends” report that the percentage of accounting graduates fell 7.8% between 2021 and 2022, after steady decreases of 1-3% since 2015-16.
New entrants to the profession face more decisions more often than ever in building their accounting careers. Expert weigh in with their best career advice.
Most general practitioner accountants I talk with (and I talk with a lot of them) are, obviously, generalists rather than specialists. They typically started out as general practitioners and often stay that way as their client base has always been quite disparate. Many accountants who develop a specialisation do so only because they originally trained in firms that encouraged them to specialise – often quite early in their career.
Starting in January, cryptocurrency will need to be reported to the IRS on an account-by-account basis versus the "universal wallet" approach most had been using.
Traditional budgeting and forecasting methods can no longer keep pace with today’s rapidly evolving business environment. Static budgets, rigid annual forecasts, and outdated financial models limit an organization’s ability to adapt to market shifts and economic uncertainty. To stay ahead, finance leaders must leverage a future-forward approach—one that leverages real-time data, predictive analytics, and continuous planning to drive smarter financial decisions.
According to a new report from top six accounting firm BDO USA, company finance leaders are expecting technology like artificial intelligence to be used by their external auditors now to enhance their audit engagement and consider it the second-most important factor when choosing an audit firm. In fact, according to the inaugural 2024 BDO Audit Innovation Survey , released on Oct. 7, the ability to leverage new technologies was a slightly more important factor that influences audit firm selecti
A survey of internal audit and IT leaders found that while they identity AI as a growing technology risk, they have the least confidence in their ability to evaluate and handle its risks versus other technologies.
The IRS has been increasing its audit efforts, focusing on large businesses and high-income individuals. By 2026, it plans to nearly triple its audit rates for large corporations with assets exceeding $250 million. Under these plans, partnerships with assets over $10 million will also see audit rates increase tenfold by 2026. This ramp-up in audits is part of the IRS’s broader strategy, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, to target wealthier entities and high-dollar noncompliance.
The IRS has been increasing its audit efforts, focusing on large businesses and high-income individuals. By 2026, it plans to nearly triple its audit rates for large corporations with assets exceeding $250 million. Under these plans, partnerships with assets over $10 million will also see audit rates increase tenfold by 2026. This ramp-up in audits is part of the IRS’s broader strategy, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, to target wealthier entities and high-dollar noncompliance.
The three profits included in accounting textbooks: gross profit, operating profit and net profit are a good start for accountancy students. Limiting them to just three types of profit is intended to avoid overburdening young accountants at the beginning of their studies. If they told them up front that more than 15 different types of profit exist, our poor accounting students would all abandon their studies and probably open trendy wine bars instead.
You may trust your executive management team implicitly. But the research is clear: In organizations where executives turn to fraud, the results are very costly. According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners’ (ACFE’s) Occupational Fraud 2024: A Report to the Nations, owner/executive fraud makes up only 19% of all cases but has a median loss of $459,000 per incident.
Despite soaring concerns about their business’ financial security and personal job security, the survey found that small to midsize businesses across the country are investing in technology more now than the past three years, both foundational and emerging. This is according to the fifth annual Verizon State of Small Business survey. In the past year, the number of SMBs using AI has more than doubled (39% of SMBs are using AI in 2024 compared to 14% in 2023), in large part due to the growing fam
Income tax often seems to grab most of the headlines, but sales tax can make for a hefty crime – and punishment – too. A famous case recently examined in the TaxConnex podcast It Depends episode, “Sales Tax Crimes - Pt. 2: The Eccentric TYCO CEO’s Sales Tax Scheme,” clearly shows how you shouldn’t do the sales tax crime if you can’t do the time. Big numbers, common crime Unscrupulous vendors often collect and not remit sales tax (as in one recent case with a juice store owner in the District of
As businesses increasingly adopt automation, finance leaders must navigate the delicate balance between technology and human expertise. This webinar explores the critical role of human oversight in accounts payable (AP) automation and how a people-centric approach can drive better financial performance. Join us for an insightful discussion on how integrating human expertise into automated workflows enhances decision-making, reduces fraud risks, strengthens vendor relationships, and accelerates R
Acterys has been named a Champion in the 2024 Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) Quadrant by SoftwareReviews. For the second consecutive year, Acterys has been voted into the top spot by its customers. Each year, SoftwareReviews presents the Data Quadrant Awards to top-performing software products based solely on authentic user reviews, without any paid placements or analyst opinions.
Enrolled Agent: Comprehensive Tax Services for Individuals and Businesses When it comes to managing your taxes, finding a qualified and reliable tax professional is crucial. An Enrolled Agent (EA) is a federally-authorized tax practitioner who has technical expertise in the field of taxation and is empowered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury to represent taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for tax issues including audits, collections, and appeals.
Jump to ↓ Why tax season resources matter How to make the most of these resources Tax season success starts here Tax season is here, and with it comes the familiar rush of deadlines, complex returns, and endless questions from clients. You know the drill all too well. But what if you had a comprehensive place with tools, guides, and expertise to help you navigate the chaos and stay ahead of the curve?
As the end of the year approaches, many people start to think about their finances and tax strategies. One effective way to reduce potential estate taxes and show generosity to loved ones is by giving cash gifts before December 31. Under tax law, you can gift a certain amount each year without incurring gift taxes or requiring a gift tax return. Taking advantage of this rule can help you reduce the size of your taxable estate while benefiting your family and friends.
Based off SkyStem's popular e-Book, the book of secrets to the month-end close will be revealed in this one-hour webinar. Learn leading practices when it comes to building a strong and sustainable month-end close that has room to grow and evolve. Learn about the power of precise estimates, why reconciliations are critical to closing the books, how and when to automate, and how the chart of accounts play into your close process.
Updated: Oct. 17, 2024, with comments from Intuit and the AICPA. TurboTax, the most widely-used do-it-yourself tax preparation in the U.S., is out with a new advertisement in which it is telling Americans that maybe they should save money and have a “tax break up” with their professional preparer by using one of TurboTax’s live experts. The irritation factor for some tax professionals and CPAs who provide tax preparation services is that Intuit, the maker of TurboTax and several other consumer b
In recent years, tax planners have increasingly been recruited to work alongside family offices. If you’ve heard about this trend or received an invitation yourself, you may be wondering what exactly working with a family office would entail. First, let’s start with a simple definition of a family office: A family office is a specialized company that is focused on managing the wealth and the personal affairs of a family.
Reliable financial data is the compass that guides strategic decisions. But what happens when that compass is inaccurate? Errors in financial planning and analysis (FP&A) reports can set entire departments, or even the whole company, off course. More than half (59%) of accountants admit to making several errors per month, Gartner research found.
7 min read October 15th, 2024 All business expenses represent money out the door, but the way you categorize these expenses has greater implications than reduced net income. Key Takeaways How to Calculate and Identify a Capital Expenditure: CapEx = (Prior Period PP&E - Current Period PP&E) + Current Period Depreciation. The Key Differences Between CapEx and OpEx: For most businesses, both capital expenditures and operational expenditures are necessary for success, and finding the right b
AI is reshaping industries, yet finance remains one of the slowest adopters. Concerns over compliance, legacy systems, and data silos have made finance teams hesitant to embrace AI-driven transformation. But delaying adoption isn’t just about efficiency—it’s about staying competitive in a rapidly evolving landscape. How can finance leaders overcome these challenges and start leveraging AI effectively?
In the fast-paced world of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and startups, reliable accounting services are crucial. Recently, a new trend has emerged—accounting firms operated with the help of venture capital funding. On the surface, these services may appear attractive due to their low costs and initial benefits. However, SMB owners, entrepreneurs, and finance professionals need to tread carefully.
Skimming, where criminals use hidden digital readers to steal debit and credit card information, is a pervasive threat that can result in significant financial losses for businesses. The FBI estimates that ATM and point-of-sale (POS) skimming generates more than $1 billion for criminals annually. So if your business offers or operates these machines, you need to assess your risk and take steps to prevent skimming from happening on your premises.
Acumatica has launched its new Professional Services Edition , built to enable small and midsized professional services firms to increase efficiency and accelerate growth. This new solution marks an important expansion of the company’s industry-specific product line, delivering tailored features and capabilities designed to enhance collaboration and boost operational efficiency for firms in architecture, engineering, IT and beyond.
Established, wealthy families have long leveraged the concept of a “family office” to preserve their wealth, ensure business succession, establish governance and control, and foster their family legacy. This type of specialized company has been gaining popularity—and many of them have been on the lookout for a tax planner to complete their financial advisory teams.
Is your tech stack working for you—or are you working for it ? 🤖 In today’s world of automation and AI, technology should simplify workflows—not add complexity. Seamless integration and interconnectivity are key to maximizing productivity, optimizing workflows, and improving collaboration. Join expert Joe Wroblewski for a practical and insightful session on how you can build a smarter, more connected tech stack that drives efficiency and long-term success!
You may have heard that Nevada LLC taxes are favorable to business owners. This is true if you plan to do business there, but keep in mind it’s rarely advantageous for out-of-state businesses to incorporate somewhere other than their home state; taxes accrue where you do business, not where you incorporate. In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about Nevada LLC taxes, from pass-through treatment to self-employment, sales, and payroll taxes.
…Mark Koziel, CPA, CGMA. Surprising, our bets were on Kimberly Ellison-Taylor. Announced by the AICPA yesterday , the current president and CEO of Allinial Global — described in the press release as “an association of independent accounting and advisory firms with $6 billion in collective revenue and 268 member firms worldwide” — will be taking over for Barry Melancon in January.
We’ve all heard the common reasons people stick with Excel: it’s easy to implement, easy to use, and, most appealingly, easy on the budget. However, these reasons only scratch the surface of why Excel remains the go-to tool for many organizations, despite more robust software alternatives. In fact, 32.8% of respondents in our 2024 FP&A Snapshot Survey said they still relied on Excel, even when using BI tools, FP&A software, or ERP systems.
Discounts for lack of marketability are well established when valuing minority interests in closely held businesses. But many valuation experts believe that controlling business interests also warrant a marketability discount to reflect the uncertainty and risk associated with the timing of the sale and the ultimate price. Here’s a closer look at this issue.
Finance isn’t just about the numbers. It’s about the people behind them. In a world of constant disruption, resilient finance teams aren’t just operationally efficient. They are adaptable, engaged, and deeply connected to a strong organizational culture. Success lies at the intersection of people, culture, adaptability, and resilience. Finance leaders who master this balance will build teams that thrive through uncertainty and drive long-term business impact.
A new survey from Big Four firm EY reveals that CFOs’ and corporate tax leaders’ stances on generative artificial intelligence have shifted over the past year—from mostly negative to mostly positive. Of the more than 1,600 professionals who participated in the 2024 EY Tax and Finance Operations Survey, 87% say they believe integrating GenAI will drive increased efficiency and effectiveness within the tax function, up significantly from 15% in 2023.
Every year there are thousands of investigations launched by the IRS in their fraud prevention campaign. IRS criminal investigations during the 2023 tax filing year identified potentially $37.1 billion in tax fraud and the conviction rate was 88.4%. While these statistics might make business owners like you sweat a bit, the IRS knows that not everyone is out to commit fraud and that mistakes can happen to anyone.
In the current competitive environment, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) must leverage every possible advantage to succeed and expand. Forecasting is a powerful tool that can greatly influence a company's financial success.
Footnotes is a collection of stories from around the accounting profession curated by actual humans and published every Friday at 5pm Eastern. While you’re here, subscribe to our newsletter to get the week’s top stories in your inbox every Tuesday and Friday. Comments are closed on Friday Footnotes and the Monday Morning Accounting News Brief by default.
In the accounting world, staying ahead means embracing the tools that allow you to work smarter, not harder. Outdated processes and disconnected systems can hold your organization back, but the right technologies can help you streamline operations, boost productivity, and improve client delivery. Dive into the strategies and innovations transforming accounting practices.
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