CPA Now Blog Archive

Each and every tax season takes on its own personality and brings its own challenges. Learning from the pros and cons of each will only benefit your practice.

A CPA firm recently found itself in front of an unemployment compensation referee to determine if a seasonal employee was entitled to unemployment benefits. How could this be? Well, the Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Law does not recognize or define “seasonal” employees. What does this mean to your firm?

Whether you have been doing public speaking for many years or you’ve been invited to speak before a group for the first time, it’s important to stay connected with the audience. Reed these 10 tips to help you keep your audience engaged.

Giving back is not just becoming a nominal member of a committee or organization to build one’s résumé, but rather to be actively involved through contributions of one’s time and talents. Find out one member's story about what he has brought to the PICPA and what he has received in turn.

The Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) recently conducted a survey of its members to gauge satisfaction with the organization’s flagship publication, the Pennsylvania CPA Journal. It is clear that membership finds the magazine to be an important PICPA benefit.

The so-called “Property Tax Independence Act,” or Senate Bill 76, is once again vying for the attention of Pennsylvania lawmakers. To be clear, SB 76 would not eliminate all school property taxes as advocates claim.

In the tax world, having a child is definitely a significant change that could affect your tax status for more than 20 years. Here’s a quick summary of some immediate parenthood tax plans to think about, as well as some long-range strategies to consider.

The American Institute of CPAs has stated that the next version of the Uniform CPA Examination will launch April 1, 2017. Find out what some of the big changes will be.

The U.S. Department of Labor has proposed major changes to the white-collar exemptions to federal overtime pay requirements. The proposal, if allowed to go into effect, could have significant ramifications to PICPA members, their firms, and the clients they represent.

When it comes to education savings, it’s good to have a reminder of what is available in case changes in your financial situation have altered your eligibility for one or more programs.

The launch of the new CPA Exam next year has created what would appear to be a surge of applicants in 2015. Nationally, the number of new candidates in 2015 rose to the highest it’s been in the past five years. But what about Pennsylvania?

The implementation of a diversity initiative should make it easier every year to hire a diverse workforce and retain that talent. With a work environment that has been prepared for diverse hires, incoming talent will feel well received and will most likely be advocates for more diverse hires to join the company.

Who will stand with you if audited by the IRS? CPAs are specifically identified as professionals who are permitted to represent clients before the IRS.

It’s hard to win the trust and confidence of people who think and act differently than you, but if you want to be a leader, it’s critical to figure out how to do it.

New technologies that enable the analysis of huge quantities of data are poised to radically transform auditing. While the use of data extraction software has increased and provided incremental improvement to the audit process, advances in workflow automation and artificial intelligence will soon result in a complete overhaul of the audit process.

Whether you recently entered the workforce, you are leaving it to enjoy retirement, or you are somewhere in between, there are savings and tax issues to consider at every stage of your career.

What is the difference between an employee and an independent contractor? Who gets a W-2 and who gets a 1099? This can be surprisingly complicated. Read more for some general rules on employee classification.

A "part-time" role doesn't have to get in the way of success. But you'll never know unless you ask.

Companies see an increase in attendance and reduction in attrition when employees are given the option to telecommute. So how do you decide if it’s right for you or your company, and how can you succeed at working from home?

For those anticipating a tax refund, many enticing options may cross the mind. Not too many people think about using it to save for retirement, but that is a great use of the money!