Category: Accounting
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Ignorance among professionals is a growing problem
Is it just me? I’m increasingly shocked with the collective level of ignorance surrounding us. In my work, naturally, I see it most often among people who call themselves tax and financial professionals. The details of behavior described as the Dunning-Kruger effect make the problem worse. Back in the 1980s and early 90s when professional…
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Rules for CPAs who handle clients’ PPP loans
Last year the AICPA issued ethics guidance to CPAs who handle PPP loan application and forgiveness applications for their business clients. This has become a significant issue for me lately. The guidance reminds practitioners that assisting the client in this capacity is considered a nonattest service requiring application of the independence and related rules in…
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People: stop meeting with your accountant!
Last night a peer tax accountant reported in an online professional group that she is sick and taking time off after contracting COVID. Then she related the story that she continued to meet with clients to do their taxes this year and that sometimes they take their masks off during the meeting. She had that…
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CNBC published incorrect tax advice about reporting of cybercurrency
SHAME ON @CNBC editors and author @sahahtobrien! This type of inaccurate reporting of tax policy and procedure in this article should be called out for the misleading information portrayed as public advice. At best it is sloppy reporting. At worst it represents a lack of understanding of the topic covered and the spreading of incorrect…
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Rude tax effect of divorce or death of spouse
Sometimes it makes sense to share an actual real client story (with identify removed of course). This widow was shocked by the effect; she expected to get about $2,000 back as usual. Instead the net refund is about $100.
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Pattern on PPP2 loan applications?
I noticed a pattern on PPP round 2 applications these past few days and wonder if others are experiencing the same. This morning I posted the observation on a NJCPA peer private discussion group and a Facebook public nonprofessional group seeking feedback. I know of 9 small business clients that applied for PPP round 2…
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Four basic principles of small business bookkeeping
a quick look at the most basic legal and operational principles of modern bookkeeping.
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Update on new Bitcoin reporting requirement
This blog post uses “Bitcoin” in the title that actually could refer to all types of virtual currency. On December 23, 2020 the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) issued a notice of proposed rules that would require money service businesses (“MSBs”) to keep records and submit reports that verify the identity of customers involved in…
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January 2021 Paycheck Protection Program update
This information reposted from the Journal of Accountancy: The SBA and Treasury issued guidance late Wednesday night (1/6/2021) for the new PPP, which shares many of the same rules as the old PPP but also has some significant differences. The guidance came in the form of three documents: An 82-page interim final rule (IFR) called “Business Loan…
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4 new concerns for small business owners
(The short Facebook Live presentation of this topic is published at https://fb.watch/2Y8-AzhgVE/ ). Here’s where we are in the small business world today based on brand new developments in the past month. It does not inspire confidence for a smooth start to 2021: 1) SBA’s special priority small business PPP application acceptance processing period begins…