surveys & research

after an economic pause, the accounting industry restarts expansion engines

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the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 busy season barometer
click to join the survey; see the results

but many cpa firms appear to be missing out on the recovery.

by rick telberg
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间  research

the nation’s tax and accounting industry appears to have re-started expansion with new hiring in january, after a two-month pause at the end of 2012 in november and december, according to 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research. but the gains appear to be concentrated in non-cpa-owned offices.

analysts are attributing the 2012 year-end economic stall to two major storms which slowed economic activity: one, hurricane sandy, and, the other, congress, which has been gridlocked under a bubble of hot air.

卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 pro members:
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full report (pdf, 20 pages), here.

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survey results: busy season outlook 2013

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what accountants talk about when they talk about busy season 2013

mergers, tech and the economy create a volatile mix in forecasting filing season.

by rick telberg
join the survey; get the updates.

washington gridlock, last-minute tax changes and continuing economic uncertainty are undermining tax professionals’ outlook for the 2013 filing season, according to new 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 survey results.

the new survey results shed light on:

  1. the changing mood of the profession and it’s leading competitors and decision-makers,
  2. the effects of mergers and new technologies,
  3. the chief operational, competitive and economic concerns,
  4. expectations for key financial metrics, including revenues, profits and number of clients, and
  5. the strategies firms are implementing to cope with the issues and opportunities.

despite political gridlock and economic uncertainty, practitioners are trending increasingly confident about how well their firms will perform this season. most are looking at advances in total revenue, net profit, number of clients, number on extension, revenue per client, and profit per client.

for example: read more →

survey results: despite fiscal cliff, accountants remain relatively upbeat for the year ahead

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not so sure, however, about their clients or the rest of the u.s.
click here to take survey and get the results.

tax and accounting professionals are entering 2013 with deep concerns about the u.s. economy, but are more confident about their abilities to survive and thrive nonetheless, according to a new 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 poll.

how confident are you…?

the poll compares the industry’s confidence levels for the economic outlook in four areas: themselves and their families, their firms or organizations, their clients and customers, and for the nation in general. the discrepancies are sometimes jarring – and their remarks reveal much about the industry’s psyche, as well as some business strategy. read more →

survey results: accountants’ new year’s resolutions — 2013 edition

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‘tis the season for new promises and plans. 

we’ve been asking finance and accounting accounting professionals about what 2013 may hold, and you’ve been answering. to get all the details, click here to join the survey and get the results.

meanwhile, here are a few sample new year’s resolutions from colleagues and peers. some may sound all too familiar from resolutions made in 2012. personally, i’m still working on the lose-15-pounds resolution from 2012, and, er, 2011, 2010, 2009… oh well.

— rick telberg
president / ceo 

new year’s resolutions from finance and accounting professionals:

  • new seo plan for getting higher ranking on google.
  • working with tax resolution professional and preparing returns for them at a split fee.
  • work more on marketing
  • downgrade expectations.
  • get more audits of private companies.
  • work, work and work, because of so much competition and unemployment, the best bet is to keep busy by working and get the maximum out of colleagues/sub ordinates. i will not be carried away with number 13, this is my lucky number so i will capitalize on this number. read more →

five skills that separate winners from losers in the accounting business

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super-successful firms are experts at achieving one or more these…

by marc rosenberg, cpa
the rosenberg map survey

if cpa firms did everything “right,” they could easily double or triple their income. doing things right includes effectively bringing in clients, charging high billing rates, maintaining strong realization, high leverage of staff to partners and keeping expenses down. it’s the rare firm that does well in all of these categories.

more practice management strategy: compensation issues for the new managing partner | 20 decisions for your firm’s new partner compensation committee | three ways to break partner gridlock in an accounting firm | what partners are entitled to, and what they’re not entitled to | how to make partner? | why accounting firm partners are “popping prozac like m&m’s” | more…

the path to profitability is different for every firm. but the truly profitable firms are successful at achieving one or more of the following: read more →

top five tax season problems

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form 8949 2011no. 1: big headaches in form 8949. 

after getting off to a fast start, many tax practitioners are still smarting from seemingly unnecessary difficulties late in the season, according to findings by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间.

complete findings are published in the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 practitioner’s tax season performance review and outlook report. (learn more here)

read more →

how to survive tax season: 100 real-life ideas… and counting

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how do you survive tax season?

you’ve been answering, by the hundreds. here’s a sampling of the responses we’re getting in the busy season barometer poll.

  1. forge ahead.
  2. take personal weekend in middle of march to catch a breather.
  3. i workout every evening/night for about 2-3 hours, and the routine seems to eradicate any negativity
  4. exercise and a good meal.
  5. yes been easier this year many clients came in early
  6. keep on top of clients requirements, evaluate risk/return(advice) trade offs.
  7. by learning how to still be breathing on 4/16 read more →

busy season runs smooth and fast into march

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majority of practitioners reporting improved results.

complete findings are published in the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 practitioner’s tax season performance review and outlook report. (learn more here)

by rick telberg

the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 busy-season mood-barometer is showing significantly higher satisfaction and confidence ratings as the profession grinds through one of its best performances in years.
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survey update: busy season shifts to hi gear

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red pencil survey

and so, too, the mood of the accounting profession.

 by rick telberg

the outlook for a better busy season is improving among tax and accounting practitioners, with 16% reporting “much better” operations in january, up from 11% in the year-ago month and continuing a string of monthly year-over-year advances in the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 polling.

complete findings are published in the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 practitioner’s tax season performance review and outlook report. (learn more here)

overall, practitioners are headed into the jaws of the february busy season with 57% of them reporting generally positive results. only 19% are calling for worse and 25% forecast no change.

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