today's features

tax pros take the edge in e-filings

data table

refunds up 5+ percent.

by beth bellor
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

the machine that is the internal revenue service keeps clicking along. as of march 15, the irs had received 71.6 million individual income tax returns, down 0.4 percent from the same period in 2023, and had processed 70.6 million, down 1.2 percent.

more: tax pros handle 46.4% of e-filing | tax refunds, tax pro market share trending up | refunds up as tax pros tackle 41.5% of e-filings | tax pros handle 37.7% of e-filings | tax pros file 33% of early returns
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e-filings

electronic filings totaled 69.5 million, down 0.3 percent.
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lenovo readies new thinkbook laptop with a transparent display

 

will see-through screens become the latest trend? 

by rick richardson
technology this week

lenovo’s translucent laptop is said to revolutionize laptop design. but until the company can demonstrate how useful this is compared to more conventional models, the novel idea risks being dismissed as a gimmick.

more: breakthrough implant uses excess blood sugar to generate electricity | one state is now america’s clean energy paradise | did ancient romans find a solution for climate change? | telehealth advances with ai-powered clinics | fcc approves superfast wi-fi tethering | bill gates says america has a math problem | what is an heic file? | bill gates behind next-generation nuclear plant | congress: tax prep companies shared private data with google, meta for years | what an a.i.-powered workforce means for accountants | smartwatch saves two lives
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there are rumors that lenovo will present the world’s first transparent laptop at the mobile world congress in barcelona this month. according to leaked photos obtained by windowsreport, the laptop may have a see-through keyboard and display, introducing transparent technology to pcs for the first time. read more →

are you correctly identifying the relevance intersection?

you may be prioritizing the wrong factors. that could cost you clients. worse, it could make you and your audits irrelevant.

by alan anderson, cpa
transforming audit for the future

if we can’t demonstrate to our clients that our work is relevant, then the audit will go the way of the dinosaur. relevance underpins the other attributes.

relevance is not a one-time event. it’s a continuous process, woven through everything your firm does. you build it one step at a time. this should be done with every audit, so this becomes core to the fabric of the firm’s culture.

more: lack of relevance drives audit commoditization | five crucial attributes for successful audit leadership | traditional audits don’t deserve premium billing | four basic understandings every auditor must master | put the ethics code to work for your clients and your firm | turning audit & accounting into assurance & advisory | wanted: great audit mentors | is audit in crisis because of definitions? | stop sending the wrong message to audit teams | closing the audit expectations gap
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without understanding what’s relevant to the client, we can’t practice business-mindedness and help improve our client’s business. with an understanding of the relevance and how the standards impact the client’s business and industry, the quality of audits goes up. relevance helps you evaluate innovative audit methodologies because you understand how they can be used to obtain the required audit evidence. finally, relevance empowers your staff to do their best work because audit isn’t reduced to filling out endless checklists.

but what does relevance mean?

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how to raise your rates

clients who complain aren’t walking away, just haggling.

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

question: i haven’t raised my fees in three years. how do i suddenly go about it now and how much should i raise them?

more: courting a client? don’t give too much away for free | 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 | thirteen things to consider before you sell your practice | uncooperative partner might not be the problem
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also, i have many business clients where the individual returns are done as part of the yearly service with extra billing. how can i start charging for this?
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make sure you know what you will get from your marketing

 

smiling man speaking into microphone in front of laptop

are you spending your time effectively?

by august j. aquila
price it right: how to value accounting services

i once knew a firm that was spending a significant amount of money on marketing and was experiencing little or no growth. they could not understand what was going wrong. they tried all sorts of marketing activities. they presented webinars, sent out a client newsletter, did some advertising and public relations, and so on.

more: ten questions to refine your successful marketing plan | ‘sales’ is not a four-letter word | maybe what you need is a marketing audit | three types of marketing message, and which is best | why you need progress billing | five tips for cross-selling and upselling | five keys to successful marketing | twelve fundamentals of planning | one question to guide your growth plans | four ways to prepare for new business development
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the problem was that this firm did not know what to expect from their marketing activities. sometimes they wanted clients immediately, and when that did not happen, they then tried another marketing activity, never staying with an activity long enough to see results. the moral of the story is that marketing takes time to produce results, and if you are not patient, it can eat up your hard-earned dollars and time.
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