Technology

May 18, 2014 

For many years, states and local governments have been trying to rein in unlicensed income tax preparers, and the Internal Revenue Service joined a few years ago with the idea of a national testing and regulatory system that the agency would oversee. So, it created one.

Isaac M. O'Bannon

May 15, 2014 

His firm has seen around 70 new clients since it opened, and business increased by 50% last February. James says that much of his success lies in his team’s terrific focus on giving his customers what they want, something he feels is often overlooked in other firms who are too busy chasing the next prospect.

Hugh Duffy

May 15, 2014 

Intuit announced late Wednesday that it has acquired Invitco. The Australia-based company is the developer of Invitbox, an online system for managing accounts payable. Intuit is the company behind QuickBooks, TurboTax, Quicken, Mint and many other small business and financial management systems.

May 14, 2014 

On May 8, Intuit market the first-ever Global Accountant Day (Twitter: #accountantday), bringing the company's more than 250 accountant-facing employees a challenge to put aside their day-to-day work to reach out and interact with an accountant.

May 13, 2014 

After several years of head-scratching, the IRS has finally offered guidance on the tax treatment for virtual currencies like Bitcoin (IRS Notice 2014-21). In brief, taxpayers have been advised to treat Bitcoin as property for U.S. tax purposes. But accountants, particularly those with small business clients, are still struggling to get a better handle on…

Ken Berry, JD

May 13, 2014 

In quiet conversations, the concept of holistic accounting is being examined and considered as the next major trend in client services. In a nutshell, holistic accountant addresses the client as a complete entity and seeks to help in meeting all of their business needs.

Dave McClure

May 13, 2014 

When I look back on my time in practice, some of the biggest lies I ever told myself related to shoebox clients ever getting more organized on their own. I always wanted to believe that the client wanted to have a more structured organization system for their finances.

Brian Tankersley

May 12, 2014 

Another busy season is under our belts and one of the most productive things a firm can do in the next few weeks is to take time to formally debrief the past few months, acknowledging what worked well and identifying where there were bottlenecks that could be improved upon.

Roman Kepczyk

May 12, 2014 

Intuit takes a look back at Tax Year 2013 and projects what changes lie ahead for the tax profession and its products.

Taija Sparkman

May 12, 2014 

Innovation and growth are directly linked, and it should be no surprise that the most successful accounting firms commit focus, time, energy, and money to innovative services, processes, and technology.

Jim Boomer

May 12, 2014 

Most of the time in this column, discussion of the best or most promising technology tools is a primary source of interest. However, every once in a while a return to fundamentals is needed. One fundamental that has been consistently problematic for all size of firms is training. Frequently the need for training is either…

Randy Johnston

May 12, 2014 

BASIC SYSTEM FUNCTIONS – 5 Stars FUND E-Z is easily installed in just a few minutes, and potential users are able to download a 30-day demo from the website for a trial run.  A recent redesign offers users an easily navigatable ribbon-style menu similar to the ribbons found in the Microsoft Office products.  Fully customizable,...…

Mary Girsch-Bock