CPA Now Blog Archive

Believe it or not, it’s easy to create beautiful financial statements in Excel with a little bit of setup and a few simple steps.

PICPA's CPA Conversations podcasts continue to be a robust information-sharing resource for the organization. If you haven't been listening in, you don't know what you're missing.

If you are one of the many U.S. taxpayers who wait until the last minute to file your taxes, make sure you are aware of some very important changes that are new this year.

The 2019-2020 Pennsylvania General Assembly committees are beginning to kick out legislation for consideration by the full House and Senate. Of the hundreds of bills already introduced, the PICPA is actively following more than two dozen.

Pennsylvania Treasurer Joe Torsella assembled a task force to analyze the problems and barriers many Pennsylvanians have accumulating sufficient funds for a financially secure retirement. The PICPA was proud to be a part of it.

PICPA members Mike Lamb and Kathy Rue discuss the brand new PICPA Government & Not-for-Profit Conference, and what CPAs can expect to learn at this combined conference this summer.

Cybercriminals continue to get more creative in their schemes to access confidential data. At a recent PICPA Corporate Finance Cabinet meeting, CPAs swapped stories of recent breaches and lessons learned.

When considering combined federal and state effective tax rates for particular choices of entity, most search results usually do not consider Pennsylvania’s high C corporation income tax rate and relatively low personal tax rate. Weighing both can significantly affect choice of entity recommendations.

Section 199A of the tax law that passed in December 2017 includes a provision for a personal income tax deduction equal to 20 percent of a small business’s income. This was further defined by the IRS, reinforcing the basic simplicity of the deduction. However, it also left open a great many questions about the details.

Bonus time can be a difficult few weeks, especially if our bonuses don’t meet our expectations. Often, any expectation shortfall can be pinned on management missteps.

Maintaining an inquisitive nature is a major strength for CPAs. And taking the time to learn the "why" behind various principles and practices in industry will help you think holistically on all areas of business and open your thoughts beyond just the finance discipline.

PICPA’s Federal Taxation Committee wanted to share with members how students today are preparing for careers that may include taxation as an area of interest. There certainly have been changes for the better over the years.

A recent Pennsylvania Supreme Court case could make any entity collecting and storing personal information of Pennsylvania citizens liable for the breach or theft of such data. CPA firms in Pennsylvania should start taking action now to ensure that they are taking reasonable measures to protect their clients’ personal information.

Owning rental real estate can help diversify a portfolio and provide additional cash flow, but there are numerous considerations for how this activity is reported and how it interacts with other items on a tax return.

Public accounting is built upon a legal and regulatory foundation that governs its members and their conduct. This well-established system that bolsters CPA professional integrity is under attack in many state legislatures.

Stay healthy during tax season, and you’ll finish feeling empowered. Here are five ways to increase your energy and productivity during your busiest season.

When employees in your organization raise concerns regarding management or leadership, do you have a system in place to engage with workers to understand what's going on? Not sure? Consider an objective measurement of your employee engagement and investment to maintain or improve your organization’s culture.

The Pennsylvania CPA Foundation, in its efforts to support a talented and diverse pipeline of CPAs, has expanded the scholarship program to help even more aspiring CPAs.

Whether you do contract work or have your own small business, tax deductions for the self-employed can add up to substantial tax savings. Here are six tax write-offs to which self-employed people are entitled.

When young CPA leaders encounter a conflict between working on their long-term goals and the immediate needs of busy season, how do they respond? Find out how several Pittsburgh-area CPAs approach the dual demands on their focus.