September 2014

The Affordable Care Act and changes to the minimum wage in many states and for many federal contractors has made payroll compliance more complex than ever.

Frequently I hear that cloud technology and anytime/anywhere accounting is here now, it's great, it's what all accountants should be using and encouraging their clients to use, and this new technology will free the accountant to do what he or she was actually trained to do. But exactly what is that? Many accountants, particularly small practitioners, actually were trained to do compliance work - trial balances, write-up work, tax return preparation. Automate these services and what have you got left?

Conflict. Whether it is related to decisions about firm management, technology or personnel, most of us try to avoid it like the plague. After all, wouldn’t life be easier if we could just make decisions in a vacuum and not worry about what others thought?

Audit re-engineering has been around for decades and delivered significant increases in firm productivity and is now making another quantum leap in improvement by integrating the key tenants of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) into today’s digital audit workflows.

Payroll is not a four letter word. Human Resources (HR) is an additional opportunity to help clients and tie them closer to your firm and services. While many CPA firms use outsourced services for payroll and HR, technology has made providing these services easier and more profitable.

Darrell Layman made a bold move this year, and at the riskiest time: tax season. With a broad vision to significantly increase workflow efficiency across his firm, he transitioned from a desktop document management system to the cloud.

This article appeared along with, "Will You Succeed as a 21st Century Accountant?" In this installment, Gail interviewed Jennifer Warawa, VP and General Manager of Sage Accountant Solutions.

We seem to have reached a point in the accounting profession where accounting firms that want to grow and continue to be successful have embraced the need for technology. In doing so, they are turning over many of the mundane footing and ticking and balancing and reconciling and data entry activities to the software that runs on their various mechanical devices.

The small business owner continues to be at the heart of the QuickBooks ecosystem. With every product, service and feature released, Intuit seems to be determined to make the next step even easier than the previous. So, it was no surprise when Intuit launched QuickBooks Financing to help with what remains a big challenge for […]

As summer draws to a close, kids and young students aren’t the only ones who need to think about heading back to school. Your employees — even your top performers — can become stronger contributors by enhancing their abilities and expertise through professional development opportunities.

Historically, a business' gross revenues follow seasonal patterns and even a small change in gross revenue should result in a small change in the associated accounts. In an attempt to discover why one established contractor was selected for audit, I reviewed their sales tax filings and created the below table.

Each year, the 40 Under 40 program seeks to honor a diverse array of professionals who are helping to shape the profession they work in. How does one shape a profession? For these unique professionals, that question is answered in a variety of ways. For some, this is achieved through ardent support for and evangelizing […]

Fall is usually a calm, relaxed time of the year – the business of the summer activities are coming to a halt and the madness of the year-end hasn’t quite started up yet. This makes it the perfect time to examine your firm’s payroll solutions and services. Companies, including your existing clients and potential clients, […]

We are on the road to healthy eating, starting with the recent purchase of a Magic Bullet, a high-powered blender that pulverizes fruits and vegetables into a really gross-looking liquid. We’ve been putting in spinach, kale or carrots, plus any kind of fruit – melon, berries and bananas – and in just 30 seconds, we’re drinking our way to improved nutrition and a healthy glow.