#GuardianCPA Tax Season Awareness Program Positions CPAs as Top Tax Advisors
The #GuardianCPA tax campaign is the brainchild of PICPA’s CPA Image Enhancement Committee. It describes some of the complicated tax changes that could require the assistance of a CPA to more accurately complete this year’s tax return.
By Maureen Renzi, PICPA Vice President of Communications
I know tax season is here because I’ve seen commercials and billboards from the chain tax preparer companies. The PICPA is ready too, with our #GuardianCPA tax campaign. The campaign, which is the brainchild of PICPA’s CPA Image Enhancement Committee, describes some of the complicated tax changes that could require the assistance of a CPA to more accurately complete this year’s tax return.
There are several components to the campaign that will help CPAs explain the issues that could affect individual taxpayers and small-business owners. One is the Top 10 Reasons a CPA Should Prepare Your Tax Return:
- Missing available deductions can be more costly in 2013.
- The Alternative Minimum Tax continues to affect middle-income taxpayers.
- The Affordable Care Act may affect your Social Security and Medicare tax responsibility.
- Long-term capital gains now have a top rate of 20 percent.
- The net investment income tax is a new tax.
- Certain business tax incentives were extended in 2013.
- Contribution cap levels for traditional and Roth IRAs went up.
- Mistakes can be costly.
- A tax return is more than a form that computes your taxes due.
- CPAs have a large network at your disposal.
Each of these tips is further explained in a PDF that PICPA members can download and post to their website, print and distribute at public speaking events, and share via social media.
Speaking of social media, the campaign also includes three videos. The first video, Tax Filing Tips for Individuals from a #GuardianCPA is available now. Additional videos will address the concerns of small business owners and investors. They are brief, humorous, and informative, and designed for CPAs to share on Facebook. CPAs can tweet, blog, and include in discussions on LinkedIn.
You’ll also notice that we are consistently using the hashtag (#) in all our references to this campaign. We encourage members to do likewise so that conversations evolve around the messaging that the CPA Image Enhancement Committee helped develop.
The PICPA does not budget for huge billboards and expensive TV commercials to deliver our message – we count on the power of the PICPA membership to spread the word. I’d like you to revisit number 10 above – PICPA members do have a large network of colleagues. There are more than 21,000 members that work together to advocate on behalf of their clients. By joining together the #GuardianCPA message can be deafening.
How will you employ these resources to help spread the word about CPAs this tax season and make our message heard?
PICPA Staff Contributors
Disclaimer
Statements of fact and opinion are the authors’ responsibility alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of PICPA officers or members. The information contained in herein does not constitute accounting, legal, or professional advice. For professional advice, please engage or consult a qualified professional.
