CPA Now Blog

Explore the challenges of professional writers to identify and apply their lessons to our work in accounting. This may seem odd, but contrary to public opinion, accountants are, in fact, creative. And the solutions other creatives rely on can be helpful for us too.

Personal branding plays a pivotal role in shaping and supporting the organization's strategic goals and objectives. It highlights what makes you unique and, ultimately, what sets your firm apart from others.

When we set goals, many of us do not push far enough to build the right plan to help us achieve our goals. Find out how to amplify your goals by identifying and focusing on the steps needed to hit them.

CPAs are no strangers to high expectations and rigorous demands. Yet, despite our qualifications and achievements, sometimes we feel like an imposter in our own career. Find out how to combat imposter syndrome when it rears its ugly head.

Pennsylvania's 2024-2025 budget agreement presents a mixed bag for taxpayers. While it includes a few positive tax changes, it falls short of delivering broader, more comprehensive improvements to the state’s tax system. A missed opportunity.

The mission of the Pennsylvania CPA Foundation is to inspire and support future CPAs as they embark on their professional journeys. This blog offers a peek into what the Foundation has been working on and the successes that we've been building.

More than $200,000 worth of scholarships and financial support were provided to 135 recipients.

In its recently published Insights white paper, the PICPA interviewed five technology and accounting experts about why technology is not leveraged more as a growth driver of efficiency, quality, risk management, and client retention. More importantly, the new research addresses key technological challenges and offers advice on how to overcome these challenges.

This blog is part of a series designed to serve as a foundational guide for CPAs who are new to the nonprofit space, enabling them to navigate the sector and gradually deepen their knowledge. This post on state regulatory compliance examines the key filing requirements necessary for managing state-level obligations for nonprofits.

The PICPA regularly formulates responses to proposed regulatory and professional standards on your behalf. This blog highlights several that the PICPA sent in during a very active spring among various standards boards.

Since our country is a federation of independent states, that means we have 50 different state-level taxing statutes, regulations, rules, and policies. Even when several state tax laws are substantially similar, there are always nuances that must be considered in complying with each one's tax laws. It can be a bit chaotic. This blog addresses several areas of state taxation where uniformity is desirable.

When it comes to partnerships, there is relative flexibility in contributing and distributing property without incurring tax. But there are limits to that flexibility, and this blog looks at a few property contribution situations that can result in an unexpected tax liability.

The demand for multifamily properties remains strong, reinforcing its reputation as a “safe” investment. Often overlooked, though, are the significant tax benefits. Tax strategies include accelerated depreciation, which can be used to offset a portion of predictable rental income. Cost segregation is the vehicle for these tax savings.

The journey toward CPA licensure recently underwent a significant transformation, reflecting shifts in the accounting industry and educational landscape. This blog looks at updates to the CPA Exam and some of the profession’s initiatives aimed at strengthening the pipeline of future CPAs.

If you work in the finance department of a manufacturing facility, or you advise someone who does, you need to know how to access R&D tax credits. Manufacturers claim the lion’s share of R&D tax credits annually, and you don't want to miss out on this opportunity.

PICPA announces Matthew Melinson to serve as President and announces new President-elect, who will spearhead key accounting profession priorities.

Whether on the buy-side or the sell-side, the weeks leading up to an acquisition can be riddled with obstacles. Part of the process is identifying potential risks, and one of the biggest is sales tax. When you consider up to 10% of a business’s overall revenue could be exposed – compounded by penalties and interest for noncompliance – sales tax issues are quite a significant risk.

The Pennsylvania Voluntary Disclosure Program (VDP) provides an opportunity for businesses and individuals who have recently become aware of a Pennsylvania tax obligation to voluntarily come forward. Unfortunately, many CPAs’ professional liability claims are based on accusations of failing to advise with respect to tax rulings, opinions, and special programs such as the VDP.

This blog is part of a series designed to serve as a foundational guide for CPAs who are new to the nonprofit space, enabling them to navigate the sector and gradually deepen their knowledge. This post, understanding federal filing requirements, focuses on key forms and concepts, common pitfalls, and strategic practices when it comes to federal filings for nonprofits.

The sequence of returns risk is the phenomenon where the order in which investment returns occur can significantly impact the longevity of a retirement portfolio. Poor investment performance, especially early in retirement, can deplete assets rapidly and jeopardize income throughout retirement. This blog looks at five strategies to mitigate the sequence risk that comes with converting retirement investments to spendable funds.