BUSY SEASON MANAGEMENT

Accountants’ Top 10 Issues for Tax Season

CPAs brace for pain and uncertainty with cautious optimism, buoyed by signs the economy may have stabilized.

by Rick Telberg

As busy season lurches into high gear, accountants are expressing more confidence in the outlook for their own firms and organizations, buoyed by signs the economy may have stabilized.

Indeed, on a scale of one to five, with five being the best outlook for their organizations, accountants are reporting an average grade of 3.26, up a marked 20 percent from the year-ago 2.62 index level, according to CPA Trendlines research for the AICPA.

Top 10 Issues for Busy Season 2010
1. General economic situation
2. Setting aside enough time to plan
3. Staffing issues
4. Tax code changes
5. Personal or family issues
6. Technology/software problems
7. New accounting and auditing issues
8. New office, technology or software processes
9. Competition from others
10 Partner or office issues
Source: CPA Trendlines for AICPA