give advice while remaining independent

find the magic 20 percent that could create clients for life.

by alan anderson, cpa
transforming audit for the future

the pillars of our ethics are objectivity and integrity, and our profession has chosen independence to measure our objectivity as cpas. we can still offer advice and insight to our clients and remain objective. we cannot, however, act in the capacity of management. our clients must decide which ideas to use and implement them.

more: stop mixing up your v’s and losing your best people | empower your team by dumping c and d clients | eleven types of audit clients and which to fire | don’t take on audits in an industry you don’t understand | how ‘business expert cpas’ get their own business wrong | exceptional audit client service demands effective communication | five ways to prevent audit bottlenecks | how do we drive relevance in audit? | lack of relevance drives audit commoditization | four basic understandings every auditor must master
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the tricky part comes when something we recommend fails. for example, let’s say a client asks for software advice, and they choose one of the three options we suggest. but that package isn’t working. now, can we be objective enough to admit that the advice we gave them and they paid for was wrong? do we have the integrity to tell the client they must write off the cost of that capitalized software? can we be objective enough to face the possible negative consequences and not just protect ourselves?

read more →

don’t blame the client for your location

vehicles on both sides of a divided highway

charge for travel time and expenses at the risk of alienating clients.

by ed mendlowitz
202 questions and answers: managing an accounting practice

question: my practice is in central new jersey and i have a client about 2-1/2 hours away in pennsylvania. the mileage and tolls cost us $200 each month. can i bill for this?

more: realign partners with monthly meetings | i’m 76. should i slow down? how? | ask for what you’re worth | two options for collecting past due fees | when board service gets tricky | eleven ways new staffers can help bring in business | busy season is over, so it’s time for some resolutions | want to merge? six steps to take | how to start providing family office services | every accounting firm needs quality control | no one listens to you? change how you talk | 47 types of business valuation to provide
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

answer: are you crazy? you will lose the client. you would be “penalizing” the client for you not being local to their business.

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partner comp earnings gap: what’s the right spread?

people standing on stacks of coins, representing income gaps

how do you get it right at your firm?

by kristen rampe
partner comp: art & science

there are many reasons for a sizeable spread in partner income at a cpa firm. for example, at a firm with both a founder nearing retirement and a first-year partner, the spread would be wide. some firms are the opposite, with two to four founding partners agreeing to share all profits equally. there is no spread there.

more on partners: thirteen traits of partners you’ll want to keep | six rules for keeping partners happy and productive | five keys in compensating new managing partners | top 20 tough choices for the partner comp committee | voting on ownership basis? three better methods | what partners do and don’t deserve | tell potentials what partnership takes | five steps to transition to partnership
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

for most multipartner and multigeneration accounting firms, the situation gets more complicated. you’ll have some high performers and some who are on cruise control. you’ll have ones contributing notably more dollars to the bottom line and more to future leaders’ development.

but what about two partners who contribute relatively the same? should their income allocation be similar? how similar?
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main street accountants see turbulence ahead for small business

the avalara accountants confidence report points to difficulties.

via avalara

nearly 50 percent of accountants surveyed believe the outlook for over 80,000 small business clients they represent will turn sour over the next 1avalara (prnewsfoto/avalara, inc.)2 to 18 months, according to a new 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 study conducted with avalara, the sales tax automation provider.

full report: download (pdf)

fielded during the 2024 tax season, the survey shows accounting professionals flashing warning signs around key business issues, leading with clients’ abilities to hire and retain employees, manage costs and price increases, and keep up with technology changes ushered in by artificial intelligence. read more →