tech and fintech

the newest top ten tech trends in tax and accounting

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beyond paperless: cpa firms launch a new arms race for cloud and mobile technologies.

by rick telberg
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

leading cpa firms have clearly broken the going-paperless barrier and are adopting cloud and mobile technologies at a record pace, according to new data obtained by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research.

indeed, the question for practitioners is no longer “have you gone paperless yet?” or even “how paperless have you gone?” it is now “how much of your workflows have you moved to the cloud and made mobile and accessible everywhere and any time?” and the rest of the firms are asking themselves, “can i catch up?”

the trend is, of course, a daily challenge for the profession, which 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 covers in depth: 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 analysis: 40% of firms going to the cloud  |  how apple is changing your business  | accounting firm leaders agree: the cloud is here  |  11 things you take for granted today that technology will kill within six years  |  top 10 tech predictions for your business clients  |  cloud & mobile technologies drive change in tax and accounting  |    five questions to ask before going to the cloud  |   “the cloud is real”  |  the powerful mega-trends behind the upheaval at sage software  |   cpas in top 100 accounting firms get an “a” for adoption of cloud, portable document scanners and workflow management technologies    |    top tech habits of high-performing firms  |  seven tech lessons for busy season   |

but the pace is astonishing. a new survey of 115 of some of the best-managed firms in the business shows:

  • smart phones for handling email, contacts and schedules are all but universal.
  • email now dominates client communications, not the phone call.
  • paper w2’s and 1099’s are practically extinct, having been scanned at first touch.
  • and if you’re using only two monitors on your desk, you’re getting left behind. most of the advanced firms are now using three per person. and that’s not counting the smartphones or ipads that are always nearby.

the survey shows, for instance: read more →

what your liability policy probably doesn’t cover

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insurance company beats accountant in court over lost client data. how to make sure it doesn’t happen to you.

卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

in yet another warning to firms about safeguarding client databases, insurance policies won’t necessarily protect you if the data gets lost or stolen, according to a 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 reading of a new legal case.

the highly influential u.s. court of appeals for the seventh has ruled that nationwide insurance co. has no duty to defend or indemnify an accountant who lost sensitive personal information from client files.

here’s the case, analysis and comment: read more →

top 10 tech predictions for your business clients

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and why you need to be more demanding of your it vendors.

with technology constantly changing the rules of the game, it’s almost impossible to keep up. let alone to stay a step ahead. but here, from the analysts at smb group, are a few trends to watch with your small-business and mid-size-business clients and stakeholders. some also apply to accounting firms. many of these trends will need more investment and evangelism from vendors for cpas and their clients to obtain maximum benefits.

— rick telberg
president / ceo 

1. be prepared for the most progessive-thinking clients to sprint ahead of their peers. and watch out for the accounting firms that are doing the same.

last year we identified a distinct correlation between investments in technology and business performance. progressive companies and firms are more growth driven, invest more in technology and use technology for competitive advantage. they are also much more likely to anticipate revenue gains than peers whose tech investments are flat or declining—and the gap is widening. read more →

ask the geek: a couple great gadgets for saving money on all your other gadgets

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two inexpensive gadgets that could save you big money.

more from ed mendlowitz, author of “implementing fee increases,” plus: three and a half ways to get your own cpa practice | novice manager needs to know: how to do it all? | why no one listens to you | fun reads for busy season  |  when not to offer a free initial consultation | measuring growth in yourself, staff and partners  |  what do you think you’re doing?  | can you teach judgment?  |  clients’ calls at home  | what you need to know before expanding into business valuation |

question: i’m having a long-standing ‘disagreement’ with my husband about whether we should turn off our home computer when we leave for the day. i like to be as green as we can, but he’s read somewhere that it causes more ‘wear and tear’ and energy use to be constantly turning things on and off. i think he just doesn’t like to wait for it to start up! what’s your take?

answer: i’d rather not take sides in a domestic (ahem) power struggle, but as your husband may have found when googling around on the topic, pc power saving can be a complicated business. still, i have some tips that may result in a household compromise. i went to a geek colleague, scott dare, for his suggestions. read more →

three strategies to improve buy-in for change

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feeling the frustration?

by dustin hostetler
flowtivity

dustin hostetler

how many times has your cpa firm implemented a process change or new technology, only to find out on the back-end after implementation, that only a fraction of the firm is following the new process or using all the features?

related: the coming storm in staff turnover (video)

if you answered something along the lines of “all the time” don’t worry, you are not alone. obtaining the much needed buy-in for process and technology improvements within firms is a concern i hear regularly. read more →