“The growth rate is phenomenal.”
By CPA Trendlines Research
What’s hot? Pot’s hot.
How hot? Big-time hot.
Maybe hotter than the tech boom of the 90s hot.
CPA Wayne Harding may not go so far as to compare the pot boom to the tech boom. But he knows both first hand.
The best strategies from the best companies.
By Arnold Sanow
arnoldsanow.com
In today’s fast-changing and competitive environment, excellent customer service is not only nice but essential for success.
In fact, the only way to differentiate yourself and to become less of a commodity in the marketplace is through outstanding customer service.
After studying more than 500 companies and organizations – as diverse as Lexus/Toyota, Bristol Meyers Squibb, Lockheed Martin, Homeland Security, Forever Broadcasting, The Medical College of Georgia, Aspen Institute, Marin County Realtors Association, and Choice Hotels – a few strategies emerge again and again.
Here are 25 of the best practices used by some of the world’s best companies to get new customers, keep them, and turn them in enthusiastic fans and referral sources: READ MORE →
The number of practitioners reporting major issues with code & reg changes doubles.
By CPA Trendlines Research
Across the country, a lot of CPAs felt downright punished this busy season as they got hit by problems from all sides. Nobody reported earthquakes or tsunamis, but it seems a bunch got slammed by something worse than a tectonic pounding.
Bam! Pow! Oof! Yes, it was that dynamic duo, that tyrannical twosome, that yoke of you-know-whats: the United States Tax Code and the Internal Revenue Service.
According to the CPA Trendlines Busy Season Survey, 12% percent of respondents report a busy season “much worse than last year.” Another 24% had a “somewhat worse year.” Add them up, and more than a third of the nation’s tax preparers suffered a painful busy season.
And the most commonly cited complaint are difficulties with the tax code, ranging from the requirements of the Affordable Care Act to the new Repair regs. READ MORE →
Staff woes contribute to major tax season problems
By CPA Trendlines Research
The 2015 busy season may be one for the records. According to this year’s CPA Trendlines Busy Season Survey, more than a third of the nation’s tax preparers report a busy season that was much worse or somewhat worse than last year, and it wasn’t just the cold and the snow. READ MORE →
Tax code changes emerge as prime cause of ‘worse’ tax seasons for many professionals.
By CPA Trendlines Research
A fresh analysis of the data from the 2015 CPA Trendlines Busy Season Survey turns up several worsening situations in American tax preparation.
Among those who report a “much worse” tax season, the worst-and-getting-worse cause of aggravation is the U.S. Tax Code and changes—especially mid-season changes—to the tax code.
But the worst among all respondents is their clientele, or more specifically, clients who are late or unprepared. A staggering 49% of respondents report client problems, a 7% increase over last year. And the percent is nearly the same for those who report a much worse season—51%—and those who had a “much better” season, 45%.
To keep both your staffers and clients happy, tax and accounting firms need to gain a thorough understanding of their perceptions and perspectives — and to make they align.
Customer service guru Arnold Sanow suggests 15 questions to ask yourself, your staff, and, above all, your customers. serviceThe biggest opportunities will surface when you compare and contrast their responses.
Be prepared for an eye-opening, sometimes gut-wrenching, exercise in hard truth: READ MORE →
Everyone wants their government to get out of the way.
While U.S. accountants certainly rank high in entrepreneurial spirit, with 49 percent calling themselves risk-seeking in the Sage Accounting Index, they were tied by Brazil and edged out slightly by their Canadian counterparts at 50 percent, with the Spanish topping everyone at 58 percent. The four countries also ranked lowest in risk aversion from 27 to 31 percent.
Auditing and tax rates continue to inch upward.
Pricing Strategies and Trends in Tax and Accounting
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By CPA Trendlines Research
The pricing index at CPA firms stands at 116.8, just one-tenth of one point below the six-month average for the year, suggesting firms are maintaining their strong grip on fees. READ MORE →
Weak internal controls at the heart of a surge in new cases of accounting fraud.
The number of accounting class-action lawsuits is returning to historical levels as the SEC focuses on accounting fraud the markets react against restatements. READ MORE →
Clients benefit when CPAs and investment advisors work together.
By Martin E. Levine, ChFC, CPA, MBA
4Thought Financial Group, Inc.
Even if the client isn’t always right, helping clients understand and make the best financial decisions is always the right course of action.
CPAs understand the implications of financial decisions and strive to advise clients in ways that improve their financial well-being. However, clients frequently have multiple – sometimes conflicting – financial goals, and use other financial professionals, including financial advisors, attorneys and business consultants, to achieve them. READ MORE →
Even as overall restatements remain steady.
The number of restatements by public companies has leveled off and severity has remained low in the last five years, but restatements have increased from accelerated filers for the fourth straight year, according to Audit Analytics, a research firm. READ MORE →