CPA Now Blog Archive

The PICPA recently hosted a series of virtual town hall meetings in all 11 of our chapters. The Legislator Town Hall series gave members an opportunity to hear from our elected officials and raise concerns in an informal setting.

For those responsible for developing new business at a CPA firm, how do you do your jobs in the age of COVID-19? Sometimes we get lost fretting about what we can't do any longer; instead, focus on what you can do.

As university students and professors prepare themselves for the first full semester under the COVID-19 cloud, teaching methods and understanding their nuances will be vital. Some say “The medium is the message,” and students and faculty are about to discover how online learning is vastly different than the in-person experience.

CPAs are uniquely qualified to be exceptional leaders. Not only are they extensively trained, but they also possess innate talents that draw them to the profession. Here are some tips to help CPAs focus on the leadership aspects of the profession that will pay huge dividends.

In the spring and early summer, the PICPA offered a series of virtual corporate finance roundtables as part of the PICPA Corporate Cabinet's efforts to improve connections among our members in corporate finance. Find out how the sessions went.

Entering the public accounting world can be a daunting step in one’s professional life, and the COVID-19 pandemic has not made it any easier as firms have adopted remote working arrangements. This blog includes tips for emerging CPAs in acclimating to this new environment.

When recessions come, the impulse among businesses is to keep a watchful eye on resources. One way to do this is to see if a business is eligible for one of several Pennsylvania business tax credits.

The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) supports local governments of all shapes, sizes, and types. The GFOA has developed a Fiscal First Aid toolkit to provide assistance to institutions struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic.

At some point you’ll likely have to purchase new technology for your business. Here are some tips and insights for navigating the process of choosing and implementing new software.

In May 2020, Kenneth Marblestone spoke at PICPA’s Employee Benefits Conference on IRS compliance updates and the SECURE Act. In this blog Marblestone provides an update on a several matters discussed during the conference.

The need for advisory services among your clients and potential clients increased notably during the COVID-19 pandemic. The need has always been there, but it jumped to the foreground this spring and summer. Advisory work can be more strategic than day-to-day accounting services, so expand your work with your clients on growth plans, hiring decisions, market trends, and new offerings.

Businesses that were required to close or operate at less than full capacity due to the COVID-19 protective stay-at-home orders are still trying to get a handle on this massive disruption. For one, they want to know how (and by how much) business interruption claims will be affected.

Multinational businesses invariably encounter questions as to whether their activities create a “permanent establishment” outside their country of domicile. This blog provides background on nonresident business from a U.S. perspective – specifically, the standards applicable to foreign businesses entering the U.S. market.

Bad actors know a crisis when they see one, and they are adept at quickly adapting their tactics to leverage current events. While many of us remain working from home, we must remain diligent of potential security threats.

From canceling in-person client appointments to working from home, the pandemic has upset nearly every physical dimension of the accounting field, all while clients needed our support. Despite the numerous difficulties, you still can build a loyal client base during times of crisis.

A single audit is an organizationwide financial statement and federal awards audit that is required when a nonfederal entity expends more than $750,000 of federal dollars in a year. There are numerous compliance responsibilities that rest with the auditee of these types of audits.

The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy and the American Institute of CPAs announced that the CPA Exam now will be administered all year round. The removal of blackout periods means an increase of 75 more days each year to take the exam.

The accounting and financial services industries have been navigating seas where unforeseen waves can wipe out firms too slow to adjust while keeping agile players afloat. Find out how the fastest-growing firms compare to their average- to slower-growth peers.

The federal government recently loosened the regulations covering PPP loans to give businesses more flexibility to spend the money and to qualify for loan forgiveness. This blog shares eight ways the federal government made it easier to use PPP loans and three recommendations for tracking how the funds are spent to help ensure maximum forgiveness.

The coronavirus crisis has sped up the accounting profession’s technology transformation. It remains to be seen, however, how much of this transformation will remain after the pandemic subsides. Particularly in the area of professional education.