new record: u.s. accounting industry tops 1 million workers

wages rise 6%. double-digit expansion in payroll agencies.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

the number of people employed in the accounting industry has topped 1 million for the first time ever.

sounds great, doesn’t it? there are a million of us. savor that for a moment.

top talent strategies
join the survey. get the results

in this report, 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 covers:

  • current hiring trends in each of the bookkeeping, tax, payroll and cpa segments of the industry, indicating growth and shrinkage among sectors.
  • average hourly wages for key segments, with trends in employee pay rates.
  • typical hours worked per week, showing utilization and productivity.
  • trends concerning women in the workforce, including hiring rates.

read more →

25 things customers love

the best strategies from the best companies.

by arnold sanow
arnoldsanow.com

arnold sanow
sanow

in today’s fast-changing and competitive environment, excellent customer service is not only nice but essential for success.

in fact, the only way to differentiate yourself and to become less of a commodity in the marketplace is through outstanding customer service.

after studying more than 500 companies and organizations – as diverse as lexus/toyota, bristol meyers squibb, lockheed martin, homeland security, forever broadcasting, the medical college of georgia, aspen institute, marin county realtors association, and choice hotels – a few strategies emerge again and again.

here are 25 of the best practices used by some of the world’s best companies to get new customers, keep them, and turn them in enthusiastic fans and referral sources: read more →

tax professionals find it increasingly difficult to keep up with late-changing tax regs

the number of practitioners reporting major issues with code & reg changes doubles.

z_tax key issues

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

across the country, a lot of cpas felt downright punished this busy season as they got hit by problems from all sides. nobody reported earthquakes or tsunamis, but it seems a bunch got slammed by something worse than a tectonic pounding.

bam! pow! oof! yes, it was that dynamic duo, that tyrannical twosome, that yoke of you-know-whats: the united states tax code and the internal revenue service.

according to the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 busy season survey, 12% percent of respondents report a busy season “much worse than last year.” another 24% had a “somewhat worse year.” add them up, and more than a third of the nation’s tax preparers suffered a painful busy season.

and the most commonly cited complaint are difficulties with the tax code, ranging from the requirements of the affordable care act to the new repair regs. read more →

the new normal: a busy season that never ends

staff woes contribute to major tax season problems

z_tax defining differences

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

the 2015 busy season may be one for the records. according to this year’s 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 busy season survey, more than a third of the nation’s tax preparers report a busy season that was much worse or somewhat worse than last year, and it wasn’t just the cold and the snow. read more →

comparing winners and losers in the tax business

tax code changes emerge as prime cause of ‘worse’ tax seasons for many professionals.

z-tax metrics

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

a fresh analysis of the data from the 2015 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 busy season survey turns up several worsening situations in american tax preparation.

among those who report a “much worse” tax season, the worst-and-getting-worse cause of aggravation is the u.s. tax code and changes—especially mid-season changes—to the tax code.

but the worst among all respondents is their clientele, or more specifically, clients who are late or unprepared. a staggering 49% of respondents report client problems, a 7% increase over last year. and the percent is nearly the same for those who report a much worse season—51%—and those who had a “much better” season, 45%.

read more →

check yourself: how to reality-test client satisfaction levels

arnold sanow
sanow

to keep both your staffers and clients happy, tax and accounting firms need to gain a thorough understanding of their perceptions and perspectives — and to make they align.

customer service guru arnold sanow suggests 15 questions to ask yourself, your staff, and, above all, your customers. servicethe biggest opportunities will surface when you compare and contrast their responses.

be prepared for an eye-opening, sometimes gut-wrenching, exercise in hard truth: read more →

new poll: the tech habits of highly successful accountants

join the survey. get the results. early results from the new 2015 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 technology trends survey are already suggesting some tantalizing clues to today’s pressing questions on: competitive factors in growth, profitability, and salaries, best practices in operations and productivity, and technology … continued

accountants worldwide report business challenges

chart about nations' business risk aversion

everyone wants their government to get out of the way.

while u.s. accountants certainly rank high in entrepreneurial spirit, with 49 percent calling themselves risk-seeking in the sage accounting index, they were tied by brazil and edged out slightly by their canadian counterparts at 50 percent, with the spanish topping everyone at 58 percent. the four countries also ranked lowest in risk aversion from 27 to 31 percent.

read more →

class-action lawsuits return with a vengeance

filings and share of accounting cases, 2015-2014 (cornerstone research)
filings and share of accounting cases, 2005-2014 (cornerstone research)

weak internal controls at the heart of a surge in new cases of accounting fraud.

the number of accounting class-action lawsuits is returning to historical levels as the sec focuses on accounting fraud the markets react against restatements. read more →