January 2010 - Journal of Accountancy

Cooking the books. Fudging the numbers. Taking a big bath. Thanks to myriad high-profile cases of financial statement fraud, phrases like these have become familiar jargon for the investing public. Likewise, most CPAs are acutely aware of the fine line separating aggressive earnings management from earnings manipulation. But how well-versed

High-performing firms include technology in their strategic plans and leverage those tools to help them succeed in areas such as client service, practice management and staffing, according to a survey by Opinion Research Center commissioned by CCH. The survey included quantitative interviews with 100 partners at firms ranging in size

Following a flurry of tax legislation that enacted changes for tax years beginning in 2009, this tax season requires heightened attention to make sure your clients don’t miss any of the new and extended deductions and credits to which they’re entitled. Most of the changes for 2009 were directed at

Poor processes directly affect client service and client satisfaction. You see it in delays in completing jobs, responding to client requests, or when a partner fails to communicate a piece of client-related information, causing an unnecessary mistake down the line. Inefficient processes can result in your firm’s inability to bill

Jack is agitated. He has been a client for 10 years, and is now 80 years old. He lost his wife of 40 years a year ago.   At your last meeting six months ago, Jack was engaged and paid close attention. Today, he is easily distracted. While he has

The stress of economic hardship can cloud corporate priorities. As a result, corporate citizenship activities may suffer at a time when the help is most sorely needed. Accounting firms and other businesses may lose sight of the fact that these volunteer activities make a positive difference in the community at

Optimism among CPA financial executives about the U.S. economy flattened in the fourth quarter of 2009 after two quarters of improvement as managers paid more attention to potential challenges and concerns associated with the federal budget deficit, tax reform and regulatory requirements. The proportion of executives who don’t see a

This year will be the Year of the Tiger, according to Chinese custom, but it also could be remembered by investors as the Year of the Roth Conversion, a decision that can have a large impact on investors’ ability to build wealth during their lifetime and preserve wealth for beneficiaries.