today's features

try this clean slate exercise

clean slate with three pieces of colored chalk

spend a few minutes today to check your course.

by ed mendlowitz
tax season opportunity guide

we all get caught up with what we do. sometimes so much that we lose sight of what we are doing and the purpose.

more on tax season: offer your tax clients other services | can your tax reviewers answer these 10 questions? | the top 12 mistakes in tax return preparation | six types of person: which are you? | answer these two questions first | help your tax clients, help yourself | what’s your value to your tax clients? | are you excited about tax season?
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

also, work happens. many of us start out with lofty plans that go astray as the practice develops. many things cause it – clients we get, availability or lack of availability of the right staff, how we choose to learn or not learn new things, and even where we locate.
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keep business development going during busy season

man writing on a calendar

consistency is key.

by martin bissett
business development on a budget

you may be asking yourself how you will know when you are successful in your selling efforts. many people have asked me that, but it’s the wrong question because firms have different goals.

more: health, wealth, stealth: challenges on the path to partnership | it’s time to prepare the next generation | who are you more committed to, your firm or your clients? | nine checkpoints before every prospect meeting | three questions about conversion | six keys to turning prospects into clients | don’t overlook internal communication | four reasons people struggle with communication | why firm culture matters for partners | competence is step one of seven | three things that rich accountants do
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

some want to simply tick over and replace the clients they lose, some want to grow exponentially, some want steady and consistent growth they can measure and monitor. so there is no one definition of success. but no matter what yours is, you will never attain it if you are inconsistent in your process of winning new business.
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one state is now america’s clean energy paradise

if going green is your thing, you may want to move to this state.

by rick richardson
technology this week

americans don’t have to imagine living in a nation where one in three people has rooftop solar power, 15 percent of new cars are electric, and massive batteries store energy after the sun sets.

all they need to do is visit hawaii.

more: microsoft moves further into nuclear development with new director | nuclear battery could keep your future phone running for 50 years | mit tests new ingestible vital signs sensor | major websites blocking content from ai crawlers | electronic skin that can sense touch will transform robotics | four of today’s new technologies that will be tomorrow’s ‘norm’
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

hawaii promised to be “coal-free by ’23,” and in just 21 years, state law requires the use of only clean energy. this month, a massive 185-megawatt battery near honolulu hummed into full operation, bringing the aim closer to reality.

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tax chat: eric green reveals the tax rep guide to tax season

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seth fineberg
with eric green

renowned tax attorney eric l. green delivers a roadmap for seizing tax resolution opportunities this tax season in the new video from last week’s first tax chat of the year, hosted by seth fineberg.

more tax season: ftc nails turbotax for ‘free filing’ scam | | offer your tax clients other serviceshigher fees to start: ten ways to make your tax season better | tax pros handle 37.7% of e-filings | if only the irs’s tax pro were usefulcan your tax reviewers answer these 10 questions? | tax pros file 33% of early returns | can’t irs online accounts be more useful?

in this live webinar, attendees – and now you – get the fundamentals for catching lucrative tax rep engagements without adding to busy season workloads. with live, real-time q&a, everyone’s questions got answered.
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four basic understandings every auditor must master

make your audits more relevant and provide value-added insights and services to your clients.

by alan anderson, cpa
transforming audit for the future

the question professionals should always ask is, “are we leaving the profession better than we found it?” so, let’s ask: are we leaving the audit profession in better shape than it was when we inherited it?

more: 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
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

right now, we’re not providing value, but i honestly believe it’s not too late. the future of audit is ours to create or a future that will happen to us, and not necessarily a future we would prefer.

it will take leadership to change the future of audits. we have to take ownership of the process.

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refunds up as tax pros tackle 41.5% of e-filings

* total refunds issued represent returns received and processed in 2024 – the current year only. the number of direct deposit refunds represents returns received in the current and prior year but processed in 2024.

also: the irs realizes a footnote is in order and we are shocked.

by beth bellor

average tax refunds are on the rise, so the weekly filing data has one uptick besides the amount of traffic to the irs website – an increase that perhaps isn’t a positive.

more: tax pros handle 37.7% of e-filings | tax pros file 33% of early returns
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

the internal revenue service had received 34.7 million returns, down 5.7 percent from the same period one year ago, as of the week ending feb. 16, the latest data available. lower numbers are no surprise, of course, because there had been only 19 days in the 2024 filing season, which opened jan. 29, compared to the 26 days there had been in the 2023 season, which opened jan. 23.
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how to start providing family office services

couple meeting with investment advisor.

including a sample engagement letter.

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

question: some of my clients are getting older and are becoming unable to handle their own financial affairs and i have been asked if i could assist them. what is involved and how do i charge for it?

more: higher fees to start: ten ways to make your tax season better | nine tips for a healthier tax season | fifteen strategies for first-time supervisors | measure knowledge gaps (then close them) | should you offer financial services? | ready to retire? selling your practice is no strategy | 20 things you need for a business valuation
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

response: many large firms provide “family office” services. this is a complete one-stop financial service that helps clients manage their money, pay their bills, collect their dividends and interest, and make sure insurance isn’t cancelled, mortgage, car lease or condo fee payments aren’t skipped, and tax payments paid on time.

following is a sample engagement letter that i use with clients needing such services. also, this letter provides a detailed description of what the service involves.
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why would anyone become a cpa?

the competition between cpas and non-cpas is about to get more aggressive.

with steven sacks
the new fundamentals: thriving in disruption

the cpa profession, or just plain old accounting profession, is currently facing challenges of getting more people to become cpas or even having young people think about accounting as a career.

more steve sacks: 150 hours revisted: the profession needs a makeover | how do you value your most important asset? | which is better: a year of education or a year of experience? | sell service, not hours | private equity vs. the cpa firm partnership | cas or caas? getting clarity | fine-tuning the subscription fee modelwhen cyber-crime hits close to home | how to build a winning proposal | six ways to fix your firm agreement | the great resignation or a reshuffling? | listen to learn | build the framework to a solution with five answers | try for success, not a win
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

we hear about the slow drip of the professional pipeline; all sorts of remedies or suggestions have been offered. is it because the profession still suffers an identity crisis exacerbated by an additional (if questionable) fifth year?  there are those already in the profession who are bemoaning low pay, long hours, and doubts about whether gaining a partnership is achievable (or worth it).

oh, yes, there is the extra tuition load that must be taken on. so, higher debt, stagnant pay, long hours, and increased competition (think mbas, cfas) is a perfect storm.

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survey shows that tech remains the great divide

casually dressed man working at laptop, money stacks covering surrounding desk space

why are the non-adopters not adopting?

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

wolters kluwer tax and accounting has issued its annual tax and accounting survey. the results show an industry re-evaluating its criteria for success as firmwide changes occur.

technology is the driver of those changes, and its rapid evolution is enabling, and even necessitating, innovation.

more: is the cpa business model the clog in the pipeline? | can big data spot financial fraud? | accountants torn over 2024 economy, offer advice | survey: are you offering the right services? | 42% of accountants turn away work over staff shortages | talent gap widening: be very scared | cpa biz is booming, but for how long? | survey: accountants economic outlook brightens
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

in her introductory letter, cathy rowe, wolters kluwer senior vice president, professional market, says, “those who embrace innovation will be able to redefine their firms, leave no spreadsheet untouched by the winds of change, and truly be future-ready accountants.”

the numbers back up the increasing use of and dependence on technology, but they also reveal a significant part of the industry declining to board the tech train.
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four questions for choosing your marketing audit strategies

smiling woman with head surrounded by question marks, exclamation points and yellow light bulb

what segments and services offer you the most potential?

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

let’s continue with our marketing audit discussion. now that we have some firmwide objectives, we need to select strategies. there are many ways to accomplish something, and it is necessary to select how you are going to go about doing it.

more: maybe what you need is a marketing audit | clients have six reasons for needing you | six ways to market your technology consulting practice | sixteen marketing activities to try | the four steps of your personal marketing process | how does your firm measure up? | six questions before asking for all the referrals you deserve | five rules for a marketing orientation | ten keys to marketing success
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

selecting your strategies

let’s look at four different strategies.

  1. cost reduction. as new forms of technology and artificial intelligence enter the workplace, it is increasingly possible to achieve a competitive advantage by using them to reduce the cost of service delivery. tax processing software is a common example that firms have used over the last 20 years. ai could help firms reduce costs in multiple areas of the firm, from tax research to improving processes.

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creating the perfect ad

man designing ads

here’s how to get it right.

by bruce marcus
professional services marketing 3.0

editor’s note: 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 was privileged to have a long relationship with bruce w. marcus, who was ahead of his time in his thinking and practice in marketing for accounting. we are publishing some of the late expert’s evergreen work, which retains wisdom for the present.

at last, the perfect law firm ad campaign. well, pretty much perfect. the 39-office, atlanta-based law firm has been running an ad campaign that embodies every principle of good advertising.

more: ten keys to crafting ads | eighteen things advertising can do for your firm | how and why client service teams work | manage knowledge as a marketing tool | secret marketing formula: get one client at a time | marketing a fixed position in a moving world | how to build a marketing culture | have you planned how to service your new revenue? | why is change so hard for firms? | why value pricing works | why competition matters most
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

its ad in the wall street journal has a picture of a man in front of a crossroad sign as if he were choosing which fork to take. the headline, which is really a callout in the middle of the copy, is in larger type than the rest of the text, which says “where you go now” (lower case as is).
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six rules for keeping partners happy and productive

group of four business people talking to each other during a business meeting, with one man holding an electronic tablet in his hands with graphs and charts on the display

plus the first nine questions they must embrace for optimal profitability.

by marc rosenberg
the rosenberg practice management library

“when a corporation says move left, everybody takes a step left. in a partnership, when you say move left, three people go to the bathroom, four people move right and five people leave the firm.”richard ungaretti, ungaretti & harris

more: why strategic thinking impacts your firm’s future | seven things good firms must do | don’t make firm profitability a goal | top 20 tough choices for the partner comp committee | tell potentials what partnership takes | disturb the present to improve the future
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

in cpa firms, as the partners go, so goes the firm. the partners

  • bring in most of the business,
  • manage most of the client relationships and engagements,
  • develop and mentor the staff and
  • manage the firm.

if the partners don’t perform these functions effectively, it is virtually impossible to be profitable and successful.
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