CPA Now Blog

The IRS is proposing alterations to Circular 230, the rules that govern those who practice before the IRS, including CPAs, attorneys, and enrolled agents. PICPA and AICPA member Ed Jenkins presented testimony before the IRS recently to share some concerns.

There are different paths to building a successful accounting practice. But all successful practices share one attribute: they have mastered the 3 P's of people, processes, and profits.

The Pennsylvania Board of Appeals is launching a new Online Petition Center for those taxpayers wishing to appeal state taxes or submitting a request for refund.

Artificial intelligence (AI) – particularly generative AI – has the potential to transform traditional business and accounting processes. In this blog, get a sneak peek into Eric E. Cohen's presentation on the topic at PICPA's CFOs & Controllers Conference.

The PICPA State Taxation Steering Committee brings PICPA members together to discuss key developments in Pennsylvania tax policy, recent court rulings, and legislative updates. As technical experts and strategic thought leaders, State Taxation Steering Committee members play a critical role in shaping state tax policy and providing guidance on complex tax matters.

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to review a decision of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that state income taxes paid to other states cannot be used to offset local income tax due. The key issue was whether state and local can be aggregated for the purpose of applying credits. There is a lack of consistency among states in this regard, which will continue until the Supreme Court settles the issue.

An R&D tax credit project is anything but common, routine, and nontechnical. Hardly an area one should trust still-unproven artificial intelligence to provide an accurate and comprehensive report.

The accounting profession has consistently supported community efforts over the years. In addition to the external positives, benefits exist for employees who take part, including skills and leadership development. But don't overlook the benefits to the firm when working with nonprofits: every interaction is a networking opportunity, thus growing potential business connections.

The latest PICPA Insights report highlights the growing importance of benefits and flexible work policies for accounting firms aiming to attract and retain top talent. It emphasizes that firms must adopt holistic compensation strategies, combining salary, benefits, career development, and work-life balance to remain competitive in the evolving workforce landscape.

Continuous Partial Attention is a pattern of behavior that keeps us from being fully present with our colleagues, family, and friends. And the modern work environment itself seems rigged to make us undermine our own work with self-imposed distractions.

AICPA’s Leadership Academy is a four-day program for emerging accounting and finance professionals to engage in an examination of leadership and what that means for their personal lives and the accounting profession. Read about the experiences of two PICPA members who attend in 2024.

The PICPA is proud to announce a bold initiative to modernize Pennsylvania’s CPA licensure laws. The proposed updates introduce a new pathway for aspiring CPAs to attain licensure while upholding the rigorous standards required as a professional CPA that maintain financial trust, transparency.

Project management tools help you connect the dots between what needs to be done and actually getting it done. Their true strength rests in their adaptability. These platforms can facilitate far more kinds of work than you might realize.

CFOs and their teams see the bigger picture, understand the challenges and opportunities facing an organization, and can map the best path to success. Strategic management is a business imperative, especially during times of uncertainty.

CPA Exam candidates will have a much easier scheduling experience in 2025 with the return of continuous testing for the three core sections of the exam. This change eliminates restrictive testing windows and opens up most of the exam to year-round scheduling. This blog provides a breakdown of what this update means for your CPA journey.

When it comes to artificial intelligence (AI) use in accounting, nothing yet has fully lived up to the early hype. In fact, what is out there only seems to reinforce the notion that AI will not replace accountants. However, that does not mean that those who effectively leverage AI won't surpass those who ignore it.

The Pennsylvania CPA Foundation offers scholarships for high school seniors interested in accounting, college accounting students, and CPA Exam candidates. These efforts help ensure potential CPAs receive the support they need throughout the critical first steps of an accounting career.

To gain a clear understanding of the economic impact from Pennsylvania's current tax system, as well as any proposed changes, effective tax rates (ETRs) are a useful tool. In this blog, the state's Independent Fiscal Office discusses its review of ETRs.

Annuity terms and rates of return may vary considerably between insurance companies, and can be confusing for some consumers. So investors and their advisers should investigate several annuities before purchasing. Calculating the internal rate of return is a good first step, and can be a tremendous help.

In complying with a company’s state and local tax filing obligations, local taxes are too often overlooked. This blog provides a brief overview of local business taxes imposed on corporations, specifically those based on income and gross receipts.