CPA Now Blog

Death from unintentional injury ranks as the third leading cause of death in the United States. Forensic CPAs are frequently tasked with calculating the future earnings of these individuals for the purpose of litigation. This task is complicated when the person in question is an undocumented immigrant. In this episode of CPA Conversations, Marion Wickersham of Forensic Resolutions Inc. discusses this topic, which is derived from the Forensic Accounting column in the spring 2019 Pennsylvania CPA Journal.

Outsourcing accounting functions is not a new concept for businesses, but it’s also a legitimate option for understaffed CPA firms during tax season. Randy Kreider, CPA, president and founder of InHome Accountants, explains the types of work that can be outsourced, client disclosure requirements, and how outsourcers can be managed.

As the ages of baby-boomers in the United States rise, the rate of elder financial fraud is expected to grow as well. It’s the job of CPAs to know the signs of elder financial fraud and do everything within their power to ensure that it does not happen to their clients. Such is the premise of “Elder Financial Abuse Is a Growing Problem: CPAs Can Help Prevent It,” a feature from the spring 2019 Pennsylvania CPA Journal. We discuss the article with authors Howard Silverstone and Irina Balashova of Forensic Resolutions Inc.

With phishing still the preferred mode of attack for most hackers, it’s well past time to move beyond the simple email alert as the main way of telling employees not to click on suspicious emails. In this episode of CPA Conversations, Eldon Sprickerhoff, founder and chief innovation officer for eSentire, says firms and companies must consider detailed cybersecurity training for all employees.

The accounting profession has long been identified with long hours and challenging busy seasons. However, many people who are entering the profession (as well as a number of those who have been a part of it for years) expect a certain amount of balance between their professional and personal lives. In this podcast, we talk to Mike De Stefano, vice president of finance for Lucknow-Highspire Terminals LLC in Middletown, Pa., about the revitalizing nature of time off and how managers can keep their staffs engaged when hours away from the office may not be feasible.

Implementation of new revenue recognition standards was always going to be a challenge, no matter the timing. Hopefully, those companies who come later can learn a little bit from those brave souls who are showing the way: the early adopters. Rob Peters, senior director of Intelligize, discusses the findings of his company’s report on revenue recognition early adoption trends, Impact of Revenue Recognition Standards on Private Companies.

Members of the PICPA hold many different credentials and certifications that they proudly display with their names, but we’re confident that we have never seen MBE before. That’s because it stands for Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, and it’s awarded by Queen Elizabeth II. This unique honor was recently presented to PICPA member Howard Silverstone, director and cofounder of Forensic Resolutions Inc., and he joins us to discuss why he received it, what it’s like to meet Prince William, and how his family reacted when they got the news.

It seems like a pretty simple transaction. One business does a service for another business. The recipient then pays the service provider. How that transaction was traditionally made – using paper checks and the U.S. mail – is going the way of the dinosaur. Automated processes are on the rise. To walk us through this evolution, we spoke with Karla Friede, CEO of Nvoicepay.

More than 40 new members of the Pennsylvania House and Senate were sworn in Jan. 1, 2019. Peter Calcara, vice president of PICPA’s government relations team, details how these new legislators could address major issues affecting CPAs – like combined reporting and tax reform – in the 2019-2020 session.

What is the “Private Company Council election?” According to a new report from Pine Hill Group, it is “a proposal that sought to provide businesses with an alternative to the requirement that they separately recognize certain customer-related intangible assets and noncompetition agreements at fair value.” That’s the definition. To go deeper, we met with Curtis Farrow, a manager with Pine Hill Group, and discussed the benefits of the election, the impact on valuation fees, and more.

Tax planning is typically a year-round exercise for CPAs and their clients. One area that has gained momentum recently is preimmigration tax planning, which is relevant for nonresident aliens who are contemplating becoming either U.S. residents or U.S. citizens (collectively U.S. taxpayers). Planning focuses on the disparities in how nonresident aliens and U.S. taxpayers are taxed, both in the income tax and transfer tax context. Patrick J. McCormick, JD, LLM, a principal with Drucker & Scaccetti in Philadelphia, provides advice and strategies for practitioners in this area.

Mike Briglia, CPA, CFP, interviews Dr. Daniel Crosby on his latest book, The Laws of Wealth: Psychology and the Secret to Investing Success. They explore the behavioral factors that determine the success or failure of investors, the value of robo-investing platforms, and why “diversification means always having to say you’re sorry.”

Significant tax savings exist for companies seeking to “go green” via the EPAct’s Section 179D deduction. Bruce Johnson, founding partner with Capstan Tax Strategies in Jenkintown, Pa., and himself an engineer, discusses how this deduction – passed through the federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 – allows companies to save money while helping the environment.

Many people preparing for retirement don’t fully appreciate the cost of health care and Medicare. Kyle Stuckey, CPA, PFS, CFP, provides tips to personal financial planners on advising clients on these matters. Stuckey, of JFS Wealth Advisors in Camp Hill, Pa., shares his experiences of client challenges and how practitioners can overcome them.

The season for filing 2018 tax returns is almost upon us, which means tax practitioners will need to ensure they are properly securing their clients’ data. Torpey White, CPA, CISA, CITP, a partner with Wipfli and Consultants in Media, Pa., discusses potential new scams and what practitioners should do before, and during, tax season to protect sensitive data.

Nothing keeps firms, employees, and clients happier than a smooth, successful tax season. To accomplish that, it takes planning, especially in a year after momentous tax reform and the significant Supreme Court decision in South Dakota v. Wayfair. To discuss how you can ensure that your firm’s tax season goes off with minimal hitches, we talked to Debbie Rood, risk control consulting director with CNA Insurance in Chicago.

“Two heads are better than one” is a popular saying, but is it true when it comes to running a nonprofit? Some nonprofits are testing the theory by adopting the nonprofit co-leadership model, which takes decision-making power out of the hands of one person and allows multiple individuals to have a say before a final call is made. This episode of CPA Conversations looks inside the approach with Michael Cade, a strategy consultant and executive coach for MFCCoach LLC in Morrisville, Pa.

Blockchain is a hot topic in the accounting profession. CPAs are tantalized by its potential to provide data security, streamlining of processes, and other benefits. However, questions continue to swirl about blockchain’s advantages, misconceptions, and compatibility with modern cryptocurrencies. To address these concerns, CPA Conversations turns to Dr. Sean Stein Smith, CPA, DBA, assistant professor in the department of business and economics at Lehman College, a senior college of the City University of New York in Bronx, N.Y.

Many times when a person falls victim to a natural disaster it is not the end of their suffering. Their loss is often worsened by criminals who prey on their desperation via fraud schemes. In a preview of his Forensic Accounting column in the winter 2019 Pennsylvania CPA Journal, James A. Stavros, CPA, CFF, managing director of Forensic Resolutions Inc., joined us to discuss why victims of natural disasters become targets of fraudsters and what CPAs can do to help prevent these crimes.

For CPA tax practitioners, two general concerns weigh upon the minds of those nearing the time for an exit to retirement: tax season and the landscape for mergers and acquisitions (M&A). These two disparate concerns may not be as separate as they might seem. One can affect the other. But how? That’s the question we asked Ira Rosenbloom, chief operating executive for Optimum Strategies LLC in West Caldwell, N.J. He explains in-depth some of the tax season metrics both parties should be looking at during M&A negotiations, and what CPA firm leaders should be focusing on in the 2019 tax season if they are considering an exit in the near future.