Blog Archives
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Practice Management...So Much More than Time & Billing
By M. Darren Root, CPA.CITP; Executive Editor - Thursday July 21, 2011For years, the profession has thought of practice management as simply time and billing. This is no longer a sufficient definition. True practice management encompasses the flow of all data in a firm—including contact information, scheduling, project due dates, document management, phone messages, and, yes, time and billing. Today’s leading solutions are designed to help firms manage volumes of data within a single space—creating a hub through which all data flows and can be managed efficiently. I recently hosted a webcast with Mike Giardina, CEO of Office Tools Professional. We discussed what practice management should mean to firms these days (as defined above), as well as what today’s solutions should offer. We identified four... -
CCH is giving the 2010 Tax Filing Season a Fist Pump!
By M. Darren Root, CPA.CITP; Executive Editor - Thursday June 9, 2011A CPA Trendlines article reported earlier this year that tax professionals were showing an increased concern for the 2010 tax season, as the result of ill-prepared clients, a scurry of tax code modifications, and the IRS’s general performance. As the door has closed on another busy season, one industry giant is claiming victory over the 2010 tax season based on the performance of their products ProSystem fx® Tax and Global fx®Tax. CCH announced that the current year was its strongest e-filing tax season to date. With both state and federal taxing authorities encouraging e-filing, thousands of practitioners relied on CCH’s tax and compliance solutions to electronically file more than 11 million tax returns. There were periods during... -
Learn, Connect, Discover at Sage Summit 2011
By M. Darren Root, CPA.CITP; Executive Editor - Monday May 16, 2011July 9-15 Gaylord National in Washington DC. For the first time, Sage is offering unprecedented interaction between partners, customers, product experts, Sage executives, exhibitors, and industry thought leaders—all under one roof, at one time. Conference attendees will be privy to insightful dialogue and interactive discussion on current industry trends and key issues facing the accounting profession as we look towards the future. Kicking off the conference is “Sensational Saturday” with two dynamic, information-packed workshops and a ground breaking editorial panel discussion with all the key players present. “Super Sunday” is no less meaningful, with leading industry speakers on a variety of topics that are vitally... -
There’s a New Application in Town—The Only IRS Response System Developed Specifically for Practitioners
By M. Darren Root, CPA.CITP; Executive Editor - Wednesday April 27, 2011New River Innovation is a new entrant into the accounting space, offering SaaS technology that promises to change how firms handle IRS issues and notices after the April 15th deadline. The application, Beyond415, is SaaS-based and designed to help accounting professionals quickly address IRS issues and respond to notices for clients. Beyond415 automates post-filing IRS issues from start to finish—helping practitioners save time, get it right on the first attempt, and better serve their clients. The company’s co-founder and 19-year veteran of the IRS stated, “The IRS issued 201 million notices in 2009; that’s a 670% increase since 2001. For practitioners, this means more IRS work is coming their way—work that many find... -
Bill.com Takes it Mobile
By M. Darren Root, CPA.CITP; Executive Editor - Tuesday April 12, 2011Bill.com, a premier online bill payment service, recently announced the official release of Bill.com Mobile. The mobile app enables users review and approve bills, schedule payments from authorized institutions, and access their Bill.com accounts from a single dashboard on their smart phone or other web-based mobile device. As with any mobile version, users will appreciate the convenience of working on the go with the same ease and efficiency as if in the office. It’s important to note that as with most SaaS-based mobile versions, Bill.com Mobile does not offer all features found in the full product. However, the company will continue to build on to the current offering going forward. It will be exciting to see the evolution of this... -
The E-Myth Accountant—Motivating Firms to Strive for Next Generation Status
By M. Darren Root, CPA.CITP; Executive Editor - Tuesday March 22, 2011The E-Myth Accountant was released last month and has sold thousands to date. The book was written with the core intent to inspire and motivate firm leaders to begin their transition into a Next Generation Accounting Firm™ by offering real-life examples and giving you a first-hand glimpse into my own firm. The E-Myth Accountant represents an outline of my own journey from a technician working in my firm to a savvy entrepreneur working on my business. It’s a compilation of sorts, comprised of my personal struggles and triumphs, as well as an overview of the time-tested concepts and philosophies I’ve implemented in my firm. You will read about adopting technologies that fuel efficiency, support true paperless workflows, and encourage... -
Thomson Enhancements Focus on a Paperless Tax Workflow
By M. Darren Root, CPA.CITP; Executive Editor - Monday February 28, 2011With new upgrades and system enhancements within the UltraTax CS and NetClient portal products, Thomson Reuters continues to forge a path down the paperless trail. In recent months we’ve seen many changes, and they all point to creating a true paperless tax process. Consider what Thomson is doing to make this happen: · Collapsed multiple portal logins to a single login screen. · Developed a more robust tool in UltraTax CS for monitoring the status of e-filed client returns. · Tightened integration between UltraTax CS and NetClient portals. · Added the ability to place the client’s invoice in the portal. It all points toward a paperless tax workflow. And that is exactly... -
Thomson Enhancements Focus on a Paperless Tax Workflow
By M. Darren Root, CPA.CITP; Executive Editor - Friday February 18, 2011With new upgrades and system enhancements within the UltraTax CS and NetClient portal products, Thomson Reuters continues to forge a path down the paperless trail. In recent months we’ve seen many changes, and they all point to creating a true paperless tax process. Consider what Thomson is doing to make this happen: · Collapsed multiple portal logins to a single login screen. · Developed a more robust tool in UltraTax CS for monitoring the status of e-filed client returns. · Tightened integration between UltraTax CS and NetClient portals. · Added the ability to place the client’s invoice in the portal. It all points toward a completely paperless tax workflow. And that is exactly what accountants need. For more information on... -
Intuit Offers Chance to Win Free Lacerte or ProSeries for a Year…Not a Bad Deal
By M. Darren Root, CPA.CITP; Executive Editor - Thursday December 2, 2010Intuit recently announced a sweepstakes campaign that awards one year of free Lacerte Tax and ProSeries Tax software. This equates to about 10k in value, so not a bad deal for the winners. Intuit has indicated that two winners will be named, and all you have to do to enter is register for and attend one of two new webinar offerings. The free webinars feature two of Intuit’s new web-based products—ProLine Tax Research and ProLine Tax Import. The sweepstakes is open to all tax professionals (over the age of 18) who are US residents. Intuit’s new campaign is centered on the company’s understanding that now more than ever tax professionals are in need of affordable resources that solve major pain points. Intuit’s products help support... -
SmartVault Unveils Software Developers Kit—This is Big
By M. Darren Root, CPA.CITP; Executive Editor - Monday October 18, 2010At the Intuit Solution Provider Summit today SmartVault announced the launch of its Software Developer Kit (SDK). This is another big move by the SaaS provider, who just this year also expanded its service scope from an add-on to QuickBooks to a complete online document management solution. The company’s vision is to become the preferred platform for integrating document management and file sharing capabilities across many of today’s widely used accounting applications—such as QuickBooks, Peachtree, Sage Simply Accounting, Method Integration, and more. Integration also spans technology mediums, including desktop, web, and mobile devices. “There are so many great applications and services out on the market today that it can be...
