MACPA Statement // January 2012

STATEMENT MACPA’S

January 2012 | Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants, Inc. | 1st Quarter Edition

CGMA: READY TO TAKE FLIGHT

Understanding the new Chartered Global Management Accountant Designation PAGE 4

PLUS

AN INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR TIM SANDERS PAGE 6

MARYLAND NATIVE EARNS TOP 10 SCORE ON 2010 CPA EXAM PAGE 21

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CONTENTS

January 2012 | Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants, Inc. | 1st Quarter Edition

CHAIR’S COLUMN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

FEATURES

2

Understanding the new Chartered Global Management Accountant designation . . . . . 4 Success isn’t rocket science: An interview with author Tim Sanders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 The new MACPA logo: Behind the scenes of our identity development . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

DEPARTMENTS Tax Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

News & Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Personal Financial Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Practice Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

High Tech Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Member Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

New / Young Professionals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

12 18 22 26 30 36 37

MEMBER NOTES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

ADMINISTRATION

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

Amy Stumme amy@macpa.org

Akesha Brown akesha@macpa.org

TECHNOLOGY

Megan Gratz megan@macpa.org

Doug Shaner doug@macpa.org Michael Tobias mike@macpa.org COMMUNICATIONS Amy Moran amym@macpa.org Bill Sheridan bill@macpa.org FINANCE Margaret DeRoose margaret@macpa.org Laura Swann, CPA lauras@macpa.org

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DIRECTORS Samantha Bowling, CPA

Donna Lewis donna@macpa.org

Marianela Del Pino-Rivera, CPA

Marsha Draa marsha@macpa.org

Amy Puente amyp@macpa.org

Kara King-Bess, CPA

Debbie Zizwarek debbie@macpa.org

Paige Sawicki paige@macpa.org

Dr. James McKinney, CPA, Ph.D.

TECHNICAL SERVICES

Laura Dorsey-Shaner laura@macpa.org

Robert Tarola, CPA

Terri Smith terri@macpa.org

SENIOR STAFF

MaryBeth Halpern marybeth@macpa.org Cora Edwards cora@macpa.org PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Dee Day dee@macpa.org

MEMBER SERVICES

Pamela C. Devine pam@macpa.org

Chris Critzman chris.critzman@macpa.org

Chris Dougherty chrisd@macpa.org

Jeannie Richardson jeannie@macpa.org

MaryBeth Drusano marybethd@macpa.org

Ashlee Stem ashlee@macpa.org

Emily Groncki emily@macpa.org

JANUARY 2012

Jill S. Hoch jill@macpa.org

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Katoria Tinsley katoria@macpa.org

2011-2012 BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS Allen DeLeon, CPA, PFS, Chair Anoop Natwar Mehta, CPA, Vice Chair Byron Patrick, CPA.CITP, MCSE, Secretary / Treasurer Kimberly Ellison-Taylor, CPA, Immediate Past Chair

Mark Edward, CPA, FCA Michael Manspeaker, CPA

Renee Winsky MACPA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR J. Thomas Hood III, CPA tom@macpa.org MACPA DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jacqueline E. G. Brown jackie@macpa.org DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION Skip Falatko, CPA skip@macpa.org

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! See below to submit content Bill Sheridan MACPA Dulaney Center II 901 Dulaney Valley Road Suite 710 Towson, MD 21204 For content submission: bill@macpa.org www.macpa.org/submit feedback@macpa.org P: 410.296.6250 F: 410.296.8713 Toll free: 800.782.2036

The MACPA reserves the right to edit all submissions for grammatical style and / or length.

Statement of fact and opinion are made by the authors alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of the officers or members of MACPA. The Statement is published four times a year by the Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants, Inc. Bill Sheridan, Editor Ashley Stearns, Graphic Designer Amy Moran, Advertising Sales

1

CHAIR’S COLUMN CPA DAY AND LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY: THEY’VE NEVER BEEN MORE IMPORTANT.

BY ALLEN P. DELEON, CPA, PFS, PARTNER AND FOUNDER, DELEON AND STANG, CPAS No more excuses, CPAs. We simply can’t ignore our legislative obligations any longer.

For years now, we’ve been emphasizing how important it is that CPAs be a part of the MACPA’s legislative team. And why?

• More voices means a more powerful legislative message.

• More change and complexity bring greater risk of legislative meddling.

• If CPAs don’t step up, politicians will be crafting accounting-related legislation on their own. Does that sound like a good idea to you?

Those are all solid reasons. But this month’s Statement offers a couple more to add to the argument.

The first comes from the AICPA’s CPA Horizons 2025 project, in which CPAs from coast to coast identified 10 “key insights and directions for the future” of the profession (see page 18). Among them: CPAs must address continual changes in the marketplace, economy, businesses, and regulations by managing change.

I would argue that one of the key ways of doing so is by being actively involved in MACPA legislative initiatives.

I’m not alone, apparently.

In October, the MACPA’s 2011 Leadership Academy, a group of 40 young Maryland CPAs, said “an increased importance of legislative / regulatory advocacy” is among the key challenges that today’s CPAs are facing (see page 19). Such challenges always present opportunities, and in this case, Leadership Academy

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participants said the opportunity is this: To deal with ever-present change, CPAs must become “proactive, anticipating problems before they occur, having the foresight to see what is happening in the global business community, then acting on what they see and following through.”

Do you see where I’m going here?

Legislative activism involves way more than glad-handing legislators and passing out position papers. It’s about protecting our profession from a never-ending, always-growing wave of legislative and regulatory changes – and keeping it relevant for years to come.

In short, the profession’s future depends on our ability to step up.

How do we do that? I can think of four key ways:

1. ATTEND CPA DAY IN ANNAPOLIS. This one is a no-brainer. We can’t successfully protect CPAs in Annapolis unless CPAs join us in Annapolis and make their voices heard. This year’s event is planned for Jan. 18.

You’ll have an opportunity to meet your legislators, learn more about key issues (including sales taxes on CPA services, tort reform, and more) and earn two free hours of CPE. Get complete details and register at www. macpa.org/primer.

2. MAKE SURE YOUR YOUNGER STAFFERS ATTEND CPA DAY, TOO. There’s no better way to groom your future CPA leaders than by getting them involved in the legislative process. They’ll meet our state’s political players, learn the

issues inside and out, and gain a deeper understanding of how politics impact their profession. Sign them up at www.macpa.org/CPADay.

3. GIVE TO OUR PAC. The MACPA has one of the strongest grassroots efforts in Maryland, and the CPA Committee on Political Action is an important part of that effort. Our PAC enables the profession to support legislators who share our views. It does this by making contributions to key leaders and members of the legislature.

The profession has enjoyed a long list of legislative victories, but none of those successes would have been accomplished without legislators who listen to and support our position.

Your contributions help us do that.

Give now at www.macpa.org/pac.

4. SIGN UP ALL OF YOUR CPAS AS MACPA MEMBERS. Your membership increases our ability to represent you and the CPA profession right here in Maryland.

There are plenty of special interest groups that have tried to change your profession in the last few years; we provide the strength in numbers that amplify your voice to the public and the legislative and regulatory bodies that affect your license. Get details at www.macpa.org/100percent.

Join us at CPA Day. Give to our PAC. Get your new CPAs involved.

These things are more important than ever.

And why? It isn’t about this year, or next year, or the year after that. As our Leadership Academy discovered, our profession’s very future is at stake.

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CGMA: Ready

to take flight Understanding the new Chartered Global Management Accountant Designation

A N E W D E S I G N AT I O N W IL L S O O N B E AVA I L A B L E T O CPAS. The Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA), developed through a joint venture between the American Institute of CPAs and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) — two of the most respected accounting bodies in the world — will offer CPAs the opportunity to be further recognized for the critical role they play in companies of all sizes.

Launching at the end of January, the designation will demonstrate to employers how CGMAs add value by supporting and driving the right decisions in all areas of the organization to achieve sustainable success.

A NEW ERA AND ROLE FOR MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTANTS In the past, management accounting was often focused on cost reductions and improving

efficiencies. Today’s management accountants meet organizational needs by maintaining competencies and experience that goes well beyond financial accounting.

The CGMA will indicate that designation holders are strategic business partners and emphasize that their understanding of the numbers — and their implications — has tremendous impact on the future of the organization.

“Management accounting is broad, encompasses many disciplines and areas of expertise and builds on the CPA’s technical skills,” said Tom Hood, CPA, executive director of the Maryland Association of CPAs. “The CGMA acknowledges this broad skill set and elevates the strategic role management accountants play within their organizations.”

In addition to management

accountants, the CGMA may appeal to CPAs working in other environments. For example, members in public accounting whose primary responsibilities are focused on the management and operations of a firm may consider pursuing this designation to highlight their unique qualifications to their clients and within their markets.

STRONG AICPA-CIMA ALLIANCE In the United States, the CGMA is available to AICPA members and provides significant benefits to joint AICPA-state society members.

CIMA, the AICPA’s partner in establishing the CGMA, is a London-based accounting organization, known around the world for supporting management accounting as an esteemed profession. CIMA’s thought leadership efforts in the area of management accounting includes improved decision making, risk mitigation, talent and building world class organizations.

Representing more than 183,000 members and students in 168 countries, CIMA has a long history of developing a broad range of resources to help individuals pursue exceptional careers and distinguish themselves in the job market.

The AICPA-CIMA joint venture will leverage the collective power of more than 550,000 members and students to further advance, promote and support management accounting as well as promote CGMA and the U.S. CPA. Together, the two organizations are creating a highly influential alliance that will increase advocacy on behalf of the management accounting profession and in the public interest, and ensure a more JANUARY 2012

powerful voice around the globe.

CGMA PRESENTS RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITY CGMAs worldwide will have access to the CGMA.org website, which will house a robust set of resources, including thought leadership publications, a career guidance tool and a new online magazine that will help them continue to support CGMAs’ passion to continuously sharpen their business competencies.

Leveraging the collective knowledge of designation holders, and providing them a networking forum, the website will also be home to an exclusive global online community where CGMAs can network, share ideas, ask questions, comment on and share resources and seek career and technical guidance.

“We recognize that many of our members are interested in the global prospects the CGMA has to offer and are excited to be a partner in introducing the CGMA designation to the marketplace,” said Hood. “To support our CGMAs, help them broaden their skillset and build their professional network, the MACPA will explore opportunities for shared CPE, local CGMA networking events and other possibilities.”

“The CGMA puts me on the ground floor to take advantage of a new accounting designation that demonstrates my commitment to employers and helps me grow further professionally,” said Tom Foard, CPA, a member of the AICPA Business and Industry Executive Committee, which initiated the credential. “Knowing that the CGMA will be backed by two international leaders in the accounting profession and supported by the MACPA, I trust that the designation will further

reinforce the strength of my CPA and build my personal brand as a management accounting professional.”

DESIGNATION TO LAUNCH JANUARY 2012 From Jan. 31 through July 31, 2012, CPAs will be eligible to participate in a free introductory period for the CGMA designation by verifying they meet the threeyear requirement for qualifying experience and also have met the requirements for being an AICPA voting member.

To renew the CGMA beyond the introductory period, members will pay the annual fee of $150.

CPAs who are members of both the AICPA and their state CPA society will receive a special $50 discount off the annual fee. It is anticipated that, after Jan. 1, 2015, there were be additional eligibility criteria for entry into the CGMA, similar to what has occurred with other designations and credentials offered by the AICPA. TO LEARN MORE For more information about the CGMA and what it means for the

MORE ABOUT THE CGMA You’ll find complete details about the new Certified Global Management Accountant designation – including frequently asked questions, details on how to qualify, and a soon-to-be-released toolkit – by visiting www.CGMA.com.

profession, we invite you to visit www.CGMA.org.

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Success isn’t rocket science:

Be nice.

That will do. an interview with author Tim Sanders

By Bill Sheridan

Nice guys finish last? Not in Tim Sanders’s world.

He’s not alone, of course. The antiquated notion that you have to be a bastard to get to the top has been rotting in the corporate landfill for a while now.

Sanders, though, goes even further: Not only is it OK to be nice -- it is absolutely essential.

The best-selling author of Love Is The Killer App, The Likeability Factor, and most recently Today We Are Rich gave an inspiring keynote address at the 2011 CCH User Conference in San Antonio.

His message was simple: Relationships matter.

Check that: Relationships don’t just matter. They might be the only things that matter.

“Your network defines your net worth,” Sanders said. “Relationship quality is everything.”

So if relationships are the only things that matter, what do we have to do to take advantage of that fact?

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Sanders has some ideas. In an interview with MACPA Editor Bill Sheridan and Executive Director Tom Hood, Sanders offered some insights into the importance of relationships, their connection to personal confidence, and what CPAs should be doing to not only their success, but the success of their clients as well.

HERE IS A TRANSCRIPT OF THAT CONVERSATION. MACPA: What does being rich mean to you?

Sanders: As I grew up on the farm, I was taught that there are two kinds of rich in the world.

There’s bank-account rich, which you measure in money, and there’s rich in meaning; you measure that in the contributions you make over the course of your life. I was taught that the only difference between bank-account rich and poor people is that the bank-account rich can tell you for a fact that money won’t make you happy.

I learned my entire life that meaning is the thing we should

change. When I applied that to my business life, I realized that being rich as a professional means that I’ve leveraged my talents and my network of relationships to make a real contribution, either in my community or in my industry. ... The secret lies in becoming the greatest so you can give it away.

MACPA: In your book, you talk about your “new assignment -- to inspire a new generation to model total confidence at a time when fear is spreading like a virus.”

That sounds a lot like what we’re dealing with today -- there is a lot of change and uncertainty out there now. What do you mean by “inspire a new generation to model total confidence” in uncertain times?

Sanders: I remember it like it was yesterday. It was in October 2008. I was standing backstage at a convention with a friend of mine -- Dave Ramsey, radio host and advisor to folks on personal finance -- and this convention had thousands of people, mostly mortgage professionals and real estate agents, and the crowd STATEMENT

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looked thunderstruck. I believe the market was down 500 points that day; you can remember the events of October 2008.

I remember Ramsey looked at me and said, ‘Son, there are a lot of people out there who have circumstantial confidence. Show me a person who’s confident because he’s on a roll, and I’ll show you a person who’s a worldclass runner because he’s being chased by a tiger.’ That really hit me.

Napoleon Hill wrote his book Think And Grow Rich in 1937 because he was frustrated by what the fear of poverty was doing to an entire generation.

He had studied for 20 years at that point how highly successful people always found their opportunities at the bottom, not at the top. So he wrote his book to create the idea that confidence and positive thinking wasn’t a prescription that you gave people.

It was the outcome of conscious lifestyle design.

In October 2008, I became convinced that I should write a book updating a lot of Napoleon Hill’s theories, augmenting them with a lot of current psychological theories to help a new generation of people understand that lifestyle design is the key to being an effective leader or an effective professional when times get rough. I’ve learned through the course of my career, going through three recessions, that adversity is the great equalizer. It thins the herd and it allows certain people to rise up like the phoenix.

MACPA: What role can CPAs play in all of that? How can they help their clients deal with that adversity?

Sanders: There are a lot of things CPAs can do make a difference during these troubled times.

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The first thing they can do is become a mentor, to go beyond adding value as a CPA and learn how to multiply the value by passing on that which you know to people who are struggling.

Make things personal and always be mentorizing.

The second thing CPAs can do is show empathy for people who are afraid, upset, angry or merely surprised by changes in their financial picture. It’s so easy for us to roll our sleeves up and tell people, “You shouldn’t feel that way” or “Look on the brighter side of things.” But what research

way. Spend a lot of prospecting to trying to find people who need to meet other people to find business opportunities, new jobs, or solutions to their pressing business problems. Be more of a connector than a prospector or a broker of people. You can make a tremendous difference in your local community by leveraging your address book, your Facebook following, and all of those resources you’ve built up over the years to become part of the solution. You will be remembered during the next marked top for the kindness and the investments

“I learned my entire life that meaning is the thing we should change. When I applied that to my business life, I realized that being rich as a professional means that I’ve leveraged my talents and my network of relationships to make a real contribution, either in my community or in my industry. ... The secret lies in becoming the greatest so you can give it away.” -Tim Sanders says is that when a person is experiencing negative emotions -- and the fear of poverty can sure illicit a lot of those these days -the most important answer from a professional is “I’m sorry.” Period.

Carl Rogers, the great psychologist, on the subject of empathy said that for most of us, empathy is best expressed in the space between the words. So when we encounter people who are very afraid or upset, let our pause be one of the ways in which we really make a difference in that relationship.

Third, CPAs have a opportunity to make a real contribution to the communities they live in through progressive networking.

I challenge everyone to dedicate yourself to introducing three people a week who *should* meet and then getting out of the

and effort you made during the bottom.

MACPA: What’s the most important first step that people need to take in building total confidence?

Sanders: Be accountable for our lifestyle and what it does to our thinking patterns. Henry Ford once said, “If you think you can do a thing or you think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.” Our thinking patterns determine our attitudes and behaviors and they shape consequences in our lives.

But your thinking patterns aren’t something you can just will by design. Your thinking patterns are a product of what you put into your head. You should be as judicious about what you put into your head as what you put into your mouth. ... One of the STATEMENT

things my former boss, Marc Cuban, taught me was that when a recession sets in, you need to reduce the amount of information sources about finance by about 95 percent, or you will be crushed by the weight of the media and all of those Chicken Littles out there.

You need to be very careful about what you read. You need to be very conscious about how much cable television news you take in. The answer, in my opinion, is, “None.” You need to be very, very cautious about the people you hang out with. And don’t hire depressed, unhappy, downon-their-luck people, because once the honeymoon is over, they will spread that attitude around your organization, and your organization will come down with a funk.

We must treat people who spread bad news like we respond to people in airplanes who sneeze in our face, instead of rewarding them for being the most paranoid person at the office.

Improve the lines of information you take in and stop obsessing about the bad news, face the worst case, and realize that all of what you call bad news in your life is really “You’re going to have to get busy and change” news, and that’s really where the opportunities lie.

MACPA: CPAs are dealing with some really extraordinary changes these days. Some might see intensely personal changes like these as “just one more thing” they need to do amid all of the other changes in their lives. How would you react to that notion?

Sanders: Confidence is the secret to embracing change. The more your outlook is positive -- that is, the more your outlook says all of these changes are really opportunities because your CPA firm is more execution-oriented JANUARY 2012

than the rest of the gang -- the more it changes your mind to be less resistant to all of those things you’ve got to stop doing, start doing or keep doing.

So many times, the reason we struggle with change -- be it regulatory, demographic, talentbased, market-based -- is because we fundamentally lack confidence in capitalism, we lack confidence in the way government fixes itself over time. Once we begin to restore confidence, everything gets demonstrably easier.

This isn’t one more thing we have to do in the face of everything else. This is THE thing that all of the greatest business people in the history of our culture recognized. Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Benjamin Franklin -- they all first and foremost focused on their thoughts. They focused on being responsible for the language they put out into the world. They focused on personal momentum to become successful.

Benjamin Franklin once wrote, “Success is not a destination. It is a direction, and the direction is forward.”

MACPA: What advice would give those who are starting down the path to building future leaders in our own organizations?

Sanders: The key is to make sure that when you pick a leader for succession, they are aligned in their personal values with the values of your organization. A disconnect between your values -the criteria by which you allocate resources -- and the values of the people who sit on your bench, that is the most important decision you’ll have to make.

That is why I believe it’s important that when you hire important people in your organization, you should never have the resume in front of you during the first interview. It ruins

everything in a culture. It is the enemy of diversity of all types.

That first interview, the critical interview for succession, should all be about the person. Do they socially fit? Do they have emotional intelligence? What do they do in certain situations?

How have they responded to challenges in the past?

I’ve seen competitors to Yahoo, like Google, run past us in terms of the quality of talent and depth of leadership by taking resumes away from hiring managers and forcing them to actually have a real conversation to assess: Does he fit? Is she a natural born leader? If we get this wrong, all of our leadership tutelage will fail.

Secondly, make sure you offer something more than money to induce people to become leaders. It’s important for people, especially in the CPA culture, to have a real burning desire to deliver service, to deliver peace of mind, to deliver profitability. They must really love the industry if they are going to be successful.

If I may add one more piece of advice: Create a mentorship culture insider your organization.

Mentors aren’t just bosses and their direct reports. A mentor is a person who shows the ropes to someone else who’s in transition.

When you look at succession strength, you should always look at who has a tendency to mentorize the most. Who is willing to jump in, empower people with information and be willing to listen for feedback. That is the person who can become a great leader, because a learning person is fearless when it comes to change.

Bill Sheridan is editor of the Statement.

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THE NEW MACPA LOGO: BEHIND THE SCENES OF OUR IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT

BY BILL SHERIDAN

WE BELIEVE THAT THE MACPA EXISTS TO HELP OUR MEMBERS CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER IN STRATEGIC WAYS, TO BE THE ORGANIZATION TO PROTECT OUR MEMBERS’ INTERESTS, AND TO HELP OUR MEMBERS ACHIEVE GREATER SUCCESS. It’s a changing and complex world, and the MACPA has grown in recent years to meet those challenges. We are a bigger and better organization, and we are doing more to help CPAs throughout Maryland and across the country.

Our brand is strong. Our staff is top-notch, and we are consistently delivering a high-quality member experience.

However, our existing logo did not communicate the quality and personality of our brand.

It was time for a change. It was time for new life and a new focus for our visual identity.

The MACPA is launching a new branding campaign in 2012, and the process starts with our logo.

We asked our new creative agency, Blue Ocean Ideas, to lead us through the process, and we couldn’t be happier with their work.

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As with any new logo, there will always be voices who believe they have “better ideas” or who might even be disappointed with the result. As exciting as the process is for developing a new logo, there can sometimes be disagreement along the way. This is normal.

Please know that we worked very hard to act in the interest of our members, and that our entire staff is very excited about our new logo.

The MACPA’s job is to connect members in strategic ways, protect members’ professional interests, and help them achieve continual and increasing success.

Connect. Protect. Achieve.

That’s the “CPA” in MACPA. That’s our promise to members.

The association’s brand must embody and communicate that promise, and it starts with our corporate identity. It is incredibly important that our logo — the primary visual cue for our brand — communicate who we are and what we believe.

Here’s the story behind the new logo, beginning with a look at each of its parts.

First, the font selection. The modern type face reveals the

MACPA as an organization that is relevant today. While we have no interest in being “trendy,” we are committed to the future of the profession, and we want to communicate this to our members. The font is all lowercase — humble and approachable.

Yet it is balanced with a bold font weight to communicate strength and long-standing service.

We include a subtle darkening of the letters “CPA” to reinforce exactly what we do and who we serve. The character spacing, consistent font size, and the gentle separation of color communicate with clarity the best depiction of our name.

Next, the symbol above the typography. The colorful elements above our name alludes to a depiction of our tagline, “Connect. Protect. Achieve.”

Each dot is a different color to reflect the diversity of the association and our members. The dots are connected by a single thread, offering this message: We are all in this together, and the MACPA is the foundation for our connections.

The MACPA also helps protect our members and the profession.

The seamlessly connected dots are an umbrella above the “macpa” — a buffer from threats.

STATEMENT

Just as you read left-to-right, so, too, does the logo mark “move” left-to-right. It is not a static symbol off to the side of our name. We move together. We achieve together.

and professional. As you follow the connection line, it flows to our final color of blue. There are still bigger seas, brighter skies, and better days ahead. The MACPA, with its rich history of success, is just getting started!

Our mark starts with the color green, a cultural archetype meaning “go.” While colorful, the colors are muted, tempered, grounded, time-tested, secure,

We hope you love the logo as much as we do. We worked very hard to create something that you, our members, can be proud of. We hope this new mark

inspires you in your work and your membership. We also hope that this logo will help create more and better opportunities for the MACPA because of its appealing qualities.

The team at Blue Ocean Ideas constantly reminds their clients that “brand development is telling the truth about who you are, faster.”

Our new logo feels like “us.”

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TAX CORNER CORNER

Giving cash to friends and family?

Proceed with caution As a tax practitioner, how often have you found a client to be totally in the dark on how to make a simple cash advance to another individual, such as when a close friend or family member comes and asks for a cash fix in a time of need? Hoping to do the smart thing tax-wise, the client often asks, “Should I (a) give him/ her an outright gift, or (b) make a loan with the expectation of repayment?”

Questions like this have become increasingly common among individuals who want to secure the best tax advantages possible in light of the changing income and estate tax rules. But in spite of the uncertainty, the accounting professional continues to be relied on to provide the best tax advice possible on the playing field that we are on.

FIRST, A LOOK AT THE OUTRIGHT GIFT Let’s say one of your client’s adult children (Junior) is in a tight spot and comes to Dad for a cash advance. Dad, of course, is well aware that small cash gifts generally don’t have to be reported to IRS. However, like some taxpayers, he might not be aware that a gift tax return is required whenever an individual is given more than $13,000 in a single year. For some, this could have an impact on their overall

12

estate plan.

But hold on: Many taxpayers are starting to ask, “Why would anyone bother reporting a gift when their estate will clearly not be taxed under the friendly new tax rules?”

that IRS will not be monitoring the gifts that he makes to anyone in the months ahead, even though he doesn’t have any tax liability right now.

Surprisingly, this question continues to be asked by seasoned financial professionals who believe nearly everyone will be free from federal estate taxes under the new law. It is true, when the president signed the new law on Dec. 17, 2010, the government deigned to provide every individual with a $5 million lifetime exemption for estate and gift transfers. However, no one said you don’t have to file a gift return when gift transfers exceed $13,000 in any one year.

As Dad’s tax adviser you will need to take a look at his overall financial picture before deciding if it would be advantageous for him to treat a planned cash advance as a loan rather than an outright gift. For one thing, a properly documented loan will set the record straight with Junior about the loan terms and the expectation of repayment.

HERE’S THE KEY Many of our clients need to be reminded that the generous $5

million lifetime exemption is only on the books until Dec. 31, 2012.

And, in light of the sputtering economy, they should be aware of the dreaded “claw back” rule that many experts fear will prevail after that. This could mean that all of the reportable gifts that you make during your lifetime will be “clawed back” into your estate after 2012, regardless of how much exemption Congress will allow at that time.

Hence, Dad should not assume

WHAT ABOUT THE LOAN OPTION?

Tax professionals are well aware that the IRS can be sensitive about the legitimacy of loans, especially when they are between family members. The loan document should make it clear that the lender is making an arm’s-length loan (not a gift) and it is truly expected that the loan will be repaid. The payment terms should be spelled out clearly along with any interest that is to be charged.

And, if at all possible, collateral should be obtained for the note.

WHAT ABOUT INTEREST CHARGES ON THE LOAN?

All too often, good-intentioned lenders will try to keep things simple by making loans interestfree, especially within the family.

STATEMENT

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TAX CORNER CORNER This may not be a good idea.

The IRS is well aware that, with true bona fide loans, a reasonable interest rate is usually charged and paid by the borrower. In fact, many of our clients are shocked to learn that an “interest free” loan that is more than $10,000 could cause the IRS to step in and fill in the blanks. And, as practitioners

taxable gift. That means more tax reporting might be required.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A LOAN GOES INTO DEFAULT?

Understandably, many of our clients will resent all the paperwork that is needed just to make a simple loan.

“However, they still might ask, ‘Is it really worth all the paperwork?’” well know, the interest will be “imputed” for the lender and borrower based on rates set under AFR rules (the applicable federal rates). The end result: Your client / lender could wind up paying income tax on fictitious interest that was never received.

OBSERVATION:

Code Sec. 7872(d)(1) essentially allows you to disregard the rules for imputing interest when loans are under $100,000. However, keep in mind that this special exception might not apply if a borrower (such as Junior) happens to have investment income over $1,000. And, there could be one more glitch. For gift tax purposes, there are separate rules to follow.

The foregone interest, based on the AFR rates, will be treated as a

14

to start up her own business, he didn’t follow all the recommended legal steps – like executing a note, setting payment terms, securing collateral, etc. However, by inference, he was able to show that an agreement did indeed exist with his daughter and that she would attempt to repay the loan when her business became successful.

In short, the taxpayer prevailed over the IRS because his intentions were proved with business-like actions and by making informal notations, such as marking “loan” on checks and deposit slips, etc. Most important, he and his daughter were recognized as creditable witnesses with a prior debtor-creditor relationship.

PLANNING TIP Well, guess what? If that loan becomes uncollectible, they wish that they had a file full of records to prove the legitimacy of their loan. That is, of course, after you inform them of their eligibility for the attractive (bad-debt) tax deduction that is allowed under Code Sec. 166(a)(1).

However, they still might ask, “Is it really worth all the paperwork?”

Here is some good news: Practitioners need to keep in mind that a landmark tax court decision made it clear that a valid debt could indeed exist without all the legal formalities, even when related parties were involved. When a taxpayer loaned his daughter more than $36,000

Although your client might be able to use alternate means to prove his intention to make a valid loan, he could save himself much cost and aggravation by having a few properly drafted loan documents on hand.

FOOTNOTES

1. Under the existing law, it is reminded that there are provisions for inflation adjustments. IRS has just announced (under Rev. Proc.

2011-52) that the $5,000,000 lifetime exemption is scheduled to increase from $5,000,000 to $5,120,000 starting next year on Jan. 1, 2012.

2. Loy E. Bowman, ux. V. MORE ON TAXetISSUES Commissioner, TC Memo 1995Visit our online tax resource centers 259 –forCode Sec(s) 166. more tax-related information: www.macpa.org/tax

STATEMENT

TAX CORNER

The government confirms that your client’s foreign worker is not using a valid SSN. A simple solution, right?

BY EDWARD E. SHARKEY, ESQ. It is illegal, pursuant to federal immigration law, for an employer to knowingly employ an unauthorized worker. It is also illegal to discharge an employee based on national origin.

As a result of these two principles, it is unclear what an employer should do upon receipt of a no-match letter for an employee of foreign origin (or any protected class).

In 2011, the Social Security Administration resumed the practice of issuing no-match letters to advise employers when the name or Social Security number reported for an employee does not match the SSA’s records.

A no-match situation may arise when an unauthorized worker uses a fake SSN or a number assigned to someone else. For this reason, ignoring a no-match letter could subject an employer to liability for knowingly employing an unauthorized worker.

Terminating an employee due to receipt of a no-match letter, however, could subject the employer to a discrimination claim if the employer is part of a protected class. This is so because no-match situations may also arise as a result of mistake or unreported name change.

16

Unfortunately, the government has not issued clear or consistent guidance for an employer who has received a no-match letter.

For example, guidelines issued by the Department of Justice, available at http://tinyurl. com/4al7xcq, tell employers not to use a no-match letter as the sole basis for taking any adverse action against a worker. Instead, the guidelines tell employers to permit the worker reasonable time to cooperate with SSA to resolve the no-match.

issue. If you have any questions about this topic, please feel free to contact us.

Edward E. Sharkey is founder of the Law Office of Edward E. Sharkey, LLC, a Bethesdabased firm focusing on business transactions, including the negotiation and documentation of business financing. He can be reached viawww.sharkeylaw.com.

The Department of Justice fails to offer guidance to employers in the event that the employee is unable to resolve the no-match issue with SSA. As a result, even after following the Department of Justice’s guidance, an employer could find himself back at square one, with two unattractive options: • continue to employ the worker at the risk of being accused of knowingly employing an unauthorized worker; or • terminate the employee at the risk of being accused of discrimination.

We are continuing to monitor the government’s guidance on this STATEMENT

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NEWS & VIEWS

Forward-looking ‘CPA Horizons 2025’ report outlines future of the profession PHOENIX, Ariz. -- The AICPA has released the findings from a yearlong initiative to examine what’s on the horizon for CPAs and the accounting profession.

CPA Horizons 2025 leveraged insights from more than 75,000 comments from CPAs in all segments of the accounting profession, regulators, thought leaders and futurists to highlight key trends and chart what the profession will face in the years leading up to 2025.

The findings were announced at the fall meeting of the AICPA governing Council.

The visionary exercise used the information collected to identify global and local trends and the steps CPAs can take to plan for the challenges and leverage the opportunities the future will hold.

The profession can expect to face the greatest impact from longterm trends such as technology, globalization and expanded service offerings, according to an analysis of the data.

“The CPA Horizons 2025 project was created for the accounting profession, by the accounting profession,” said AICPA Chairman Paul Stahlin, CPA, who presented the results. “The visionary insights contained in this report will serve as a compass to guide current and future CPAs on a path of success in the profession.”

Ten key insights and directions for the future which emerged from

18

the research are: 1. Technology: Understand and leverage relevant technology in conjunction with core CPA competencies to deliver superior services.

2. Pre-certification and Lifelong Learning: Evolve the educational framework to keep pace with the changing dynamics of business, government and our profession.

3. Worldwide profession: Position the CPA as a premier designations of the accounting and finance profession throughout the world.

4. Pride in the profession: Encourage pride among CPAs in the CPA profession and in the value CPAs create throughout society.

5. Trusted attester: Preserve the role of the CPA as the trusted attester of financial and other information.

6. Trusted advisor: Promote the CPA as the trusted advisor who develops solutions to complex problems.

7. Market permission: Leverage the strengths of the profession to expand market permissions.

8. Marketplace: Address continual changes in the marketplace, economy, businesses, and regulations by managing change.

9. Value proposition: Increase the visibility of the profession’s value proposition by demonstrating the profession’s core values in multiple areas of business and

society.

10. Demographic shifts: Continue to offer opportunities that enhance the appeal of the profession and be proactive in addressing both US and global demographic shifts.

CPA Horizons 2025 built upon and extended the work of the CPA Vision Project, which took place in the late 1990’s and created a roadmap for the profession which led to 2011. The Vision Project defined the profession’s core values, competencies and services, which were refined in the CPA Horizons report.

“The overarching theme that emerged from the research is that the entire profession has an incredibly bright future,” said Stahlin. “CPAs will continue to serve as trusted advisors helping others make sense of an increasingly complicated and everchanging world.”

Over a six-month period, research for the CPA Horizons report was conducted through in person forums, online discussions, focus groups and an online survey which generated more than 75,000 total comments from CPAs about the current state and the direction of the profession. These findings were then reviewed and synthesized by a 21-member Advisory Panel, representing a wide and diverse swath of the profession.

The full CPA Horizons 2025 report is available at www. cpahorizons2025.org.

STATEMENT

NEXT-GENERATION CPA LEADERS CHIME IN ON PROFESSION’S FUTURE MACPA’S 2011 LEADERSHIP ACADEMY RELEASES WHITE PAPER OUTLINING KEY OPPORTUNITIES – AND THE SKILLS CPAS WILL NEED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEM With the pace of change and complexity on the rise, CPAs must become more globalminded, proactive, future-focused, balanced, and tech-savvy to maintain their competitive edge, say a team of graduates from the Maryland Association of CPAs’ 2011 Leadership Academy.

Getting there, they say, will require a brand new set of skills and characteristics. Among them: Unity and flexibility, the ability to collaborate and crowdsource, a mind shift from history to possibility, and a new techfocused mindset.

Those are among the findings in a new MACPA white paper, “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: Maryland’s Young CPAs Create a Vision of the Profession’s Future.”

Forty members of the MACPA’s 2011 Leadership Academy collaborated on the paper, which highlights the Academy’s vision for the future of the profession and the steps CPAs must take to get there.

“These young CPAs care deeply about their profession,” said MACPA Executive Director Tom Hood, CPA. “They know we’re facing an increasingly complex

JANUARY 2012

and challenging future, and they see each challenge as an opportunity not only to help clients and employers, but to position CPAs as the world’s most trusted business advisor.”

The white paper comes on the heels of the profession’s CPA Horizons 2025 project, which leveraged input from CPAs, regulators, thought leaders and futurists to identify key trends and map what the profession will look like in 2025.

The MACPA’s Leadership Academy took that report a step further. Using the trends identified in the CPA Vision 2011 and Horizon work as a foundation, participants mapped those trends and corresponding opportunities from a future CPA leader’s point of view. Then, they dove deep with action plans, timelines and desired results for each of those opportunities.

The result is a wholly unique “bold future” of the profession that goes beyond the trends and identifies exactly how CPAs should take advantage of the opportunities presented by what futurist Andrew Zolli calls “the weak signals of disruptive change.”

Most importantly, the Leadership Academy taught participants how to be nimble and think strategically so that when the trends and opportunities change – and we all know they will – they will be able realign quickly, navigate through the changes and stay on course. Another key component was personal leadership development that focused on their unique strengths and ways to develop and access positive energy that is so essential to leading in a high-stress environment.

“There have been a lot of questions swirling about the next generation of business leaders.

Topping the list is, ‘Are they ready to lead?’” said Hood. “Our Leadership Academy provides the answer: Not only are they ready to lead, they’re hungry to lead, and this white paper is their starting point.”

The white paper can be downloaded at http://cpa.tc/ whitepaper.

Information about the Leadership Academy can be found at http:// cpa.tc/ldrship.

19

NEWS & VIEWS

New IFRS Certificate Program helps CPAs demonstrate global expertise Businesses from Wall Street to Main Street are increasingly being affected by the global business environment. That’s leading many CPAs to seek opportunities to broaden their knowledge of International Financial Reporting Standards. With IFRS expertise and experience, CPAs can carve out a niche with multinational corporations or companies doing business abroad, both public and private.

The AICPA’s new IFRS Certificate Program presents a solution to help CPAs meet the financial reporting demands and gain a competitive advantage.

A VITAL ROLE For several decades, the AICPA has been a leader in supporting the goal of one set of high-quality global accounting standards and stands ready to support a smooth, orderly transition from U.S. GAAP to IFRS in the U.S. for public companies.

Since 2008, the AICPA has stepped up its efforts to help prepare CPAs for the eventuality as the Securities and Exchange Commission studies possible incorporation of IFRS into the U.S. financial reporting system for issuers. The SEC is progressing on its IFRS work plan and has said it will announce its decision on IFRS use sometime this year.

The new certificate is designed to enable CPAs to play a continued vital role in financial reporting around the world. Private compa-

20

nies in the U.S. may use IFRS (the AICPA governing Council recognized the International Accounting Standards Board as an international standard setter under the Code of Professional Conduct’s Rule 203 in May 2008) and some U.S. multinational companies use IFRS for foreign subsidiaries, as do U.S.based subsidiaries of foreign companies. More than 120 countries and reporting jurisdictions permit or require IFRS and the list continues to grow. As more countries and organizations turn to IFRS, it’s clear that knowledge of these standards will be critical in the global marketplace.

For many CPAs who are interested in taking part in this rapidly expanding service opportunity, the challenge has long been how best to arm themselves with the knowledge they need to succeed. The new AICPA certificate is awarded for the completion of a comprehensive, integrated curriculum of 25 online self-study training courses. The multimedia courses are interactive, engaging and scenariobased, with nearly 50 IFRS experts involved in their development.

CPAs who successfully complete all the courses in the curriculum receive a Certificate of Educational Achievement and approximately 42 hours of continuing education credit. Non-CPAs receive an Award of Educational Achievement after completing the program.

A UNIQUE PROGRAM

The certificate reinforces CPAs’ commitment to quality perfor-

mance in a growing practice area, but it also serves to distinguish those who earn it as knowledgeable about IFRS. Current and potential clients and employers will look to the certificate as a measurable standard of IFRS competence.

“CPAs who stay ahead of the curve on IFRS will find themselves in high demand,” said Tom Hood, chief executive of the Maryland Association of CPAs. “As more and more companies explore this reporting option, IFRS expertise will become a valuable, highly coveted skill. And CPAs are uniquely suited to consult on international reporting issues with employers or clients.”

All courses qualify for continuing professional education credit. It is not necessary to have a detailed background in IFRS, although a basic understanding is advisable.

The IFRS certificate and CPE credit are not the only benefits of the program. Active participants also are enrolled in eIFRS, which provides online access to IFRS and International Accounting Standards as well as additional educational materials and advanced electronic search capabilities. They also receive access to IFRS Connection, a library of podcasts featuring practical advice from experts on IFRS application, in addition to discounts on other AICPA IFRS products, including conferences, publications and webcasts.

For more information on the educational opportunities, visit IFRS.com.

STATEMENT

LEARN MORE ABOUT IFRS

MACPA, IASEMINARS TEAM UP ON IFRS TRAINING IASeminars, the MACPA and the Business Learning Institute are collaborating to offer the following two important IFRS training events: Jan. 9-10: Major IFRS and U.S. GAAP Differences: This two-day course provides a comprehensive comparison and review of critical technical differences between US GAAP and IFRS. Get details and register at www.MACPA.org/IFRS1.

MARYLAND NATIVE EARNS TOP 10 SCORE ON 2010 CPA EXAM You don’t need an official proclamation to know that Maryland is a hotbed of accounting excellence, but we’ve got one anyway.

It comes courtesy of Mike Berryman. The 23-year-old CPA in Ernst & Young’s Baltimore office is a winner of one of the AICPA’s 2010 Elijah Watt Sells awards. The prestigious honor is given annually to the candidates with the 10 highest cumulative CPA exam scores in the nation.

JANUARY 2012

Feb. 28-March 2: IFRS Fundamentals: This four-day course provides a rigorous and detailed overview of all major technical IFRS requirements, and includes illustrative financial statements, case studies, examples, coverage of the most significant IFRSs, and interactive participation from the delegates. Get details and register at www.MACPA.org/IFRS2.

“I’m really surprised and honored,” the Sykesville native said, and why not? No more than half of all candidates even passed any of the four sections of the exam during 2010.

Simply passing the exam is a major accomplishment. A top 10 score? That’s just downright awesome.

In Berryman’s case, though, we probably shouldn’t be surprised. The University of Maryland graduate has a pretty good head on his shoulders, especially when it comes to the state of the profession.

“Our profession is changing significantly, and I don’t think that’s ever going to stop,” he

The MACPA offers a number of IFRS-related CPE programs. Get details by visiting www.MACPA. org/search and searching for “IFRS.” Customized training also available The MACPA’s Business Learning Institute can also customize your onsite IFRS training for you.

Visit www.BizLearning. net and click on “Search the Customized Training Catalog” for a full list of available options.

said. “What’s going to make us successful going forward is our ability to be flexible and see opportunities in those changes.”

It sounds as though he took some lessons from author Tim Sanders. “(A)lmost all of what you call ‘bad news’ in your life is really ‘You’re going to have to get busy and change’ news,” Sanders told the MACPA recently. “That’s really where the opportunities lie.”

Berryman is already strolling down that road. Wherever he ends up, he has a bright future ahead of him.

Congratulations, Mike.

Maryland is proud of you.

21

PERSONAL FINANCIAL PLANNING

MACPA’s 26th annual Advanced PFP Conference: Understanding your clients, addressing their concerns in a volatile market

BY SETH HAMMER, CPA, PH.D. PROFESSOR, TOWSON UNIVERSITY The MACPA’s 26th annual Advanced Personal Financial Planning Conference, held Oct. 28 at Martin’s West, addressed a variety of issues of concern to financial planners operating in today’s highly volatile markets.

The opening keynote speaker, Joe Navarro, president of JNForensics, former FBI agent and internationally renowned expert on nonverbal communication, took conference participants to a deeper level of understanding of client communication by explaining key tenets of the nonverbal signals our clients generate in our in-person meetings. The conference’s second speaker, Ned Sullivan, investment consultant for Clark Capital Management, discussed his company’s creative approaches to “embracing” volatility as techniques for managing investment risk.

Brief discussions of Mr. Navarro’s and Mr. Sullivan’s presentations are shown below.

The conference also featured timely presentations that addressed a variety of client concerns including the latest status on Medicaid compliant annuities, Social Security benefits and estate planning.

The conference concluded with an economic update from one of the region’s most highly regarded economists, Anirban Basu of Sage Policy Group.

22

JOE NAVARRO: THE ART OF NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION IN BUSINESS

Financial advisors, in gathering information, have traditionally taken the approach of asking their clients a range of questions and then listening closely and carefully for their client’s response. Advisors also often follow their initial broader questions with more probing ones in order to ensure that the client’s stated responses represent, in fact, his or her true perspective.

A source of concern and frustration for financial advisors, however, is that clients, despite their earlier claims to the contrary, may frequently, during periods of significant market declines, be psychologically incapable of “staying the course,” resulting in the failure of a plan to serve his or her best interests. The potential to avoid such failure may lie, according to Joe Navarro, not in attempting to pay even closer attention to the client’s verbal statements but instead by focusing, from a trained perspective, on the client’s nonverbal signals.

Mr. Navarro, in his presentation, discussed the science of nonverbal communication with special emphasis on the limbic brain, the emotional center that is considered to be the “honest brain” because of its reactive nature. While, Mr.

Navarro explained, some individuals may be particularly adept at adopting a “poker face” or similarly emotional face masking, the limbic brain’s reactive nature may, nonetheless, signal truer emotions through actions of the legs, hands, or other body parts. These types of signals were broadly discussed at the conference and are discussed in more detail in Mr. Navarro’s book, What Every Body is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent’s Guide to Speed-Reading People.

A fortunate point for financial advisors is that, unlike Mr. Navarro, whose work in counterintelligence brought him in contact with individuals trained in the art of deception, advisors’ work typically brings them in contact with clients whose only deception, should one wish to describe it as that, is simply to put on a brave front with respect to their concerns about individual financial risk. Importantly, according to Mr. Navarro, advisors, with training and practice, may achieve a reasonable proficiency in identifying and understanding their clients’ nonverbal signals, thus allowing them to meet their real, as opposed to stated, objectives.

This final point was apparently well taken and affirmed by the conference participants who purchased all 30 available copies of Mr. Navarro’s book. (continued on page 24)

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410-828-CPAS (2727) | katzabosch.com Katz, Abosch, Windesheim, Gershman & Freedman, P.A.

PERSONAL FINANCIAL PLANNING NED SULLIVAN: RISK MANAGEMENT STRATEGY– EMBRACING VOLATILITY Mr. Sullivan, in his presentation on utilizing volatility to manage risk, began by presenting some interesting contextual concerns for investment planning. He noted, for example, that while on Aug. 12, 2011, the University of Michigan’s Consumer Confidence index dropped to 54.9, the worst reading since 1980, from a historical perspective such sentiment does not necessarily portend bad news for the financial markets. During the last 10 times, for example, that the sentiment index fell below 60, the S&P 500 rose by a median level of 20.7 percent in the next 12 months (Standard and Poor’s Equity Research). This counterintuitive example (low consumer confidence, shortly followed by

above average returns), illustrates again the extraordinary difficulty of attempting to predict short-term market performance.

A bigger challenge for advisors, however, especially those who focus more on risk management than market movements, may be that high correlations between asset classes may make traditional methods of asset allocation, less effective as a risk reduction strategy.

One opportunity, though, Mr. Sullivan notes, that may reduce portfolio correlation through asset allocation is to include investments based on the CBOE Market Volatility Index. The CBOE Market Volatility Index correlation with the S&P 500 Index, for example, was -0.71 during the period of July 1, 2007 through Feb. 28, 2009 (Morningstar Direct).

As Mr. Sullivan points out, there is, of course, a price to be paid for such potential downside protection. During bull markets, costs incurred for investments based on the Index, such as those for unused expired puts, may cause a drag on earnings.

The price, however, may make sense and be a reasonable one for investors who, otherwise, may be too uncomfortable to participate in the equities markets.

Seth Hammer, CPA, Ph.D., is a professor at Towson University.

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PRACTICE MANAGEMENT

10 key changes for the new firm leader

BY SANDRA WILEY

The future leaders in our profession are sending us a message about how leadership is changing.

The question is, are we listening?

sible to create all of this change; it will be a collaborative, “groupthink” mentality that is based on intellectual openness.

They are saying, “We don’t know everything and we don’t have to.

What we have to do is develop our unique talents and let others develop theirs while blending them collaboratively together. That is how we will lead the firm of the future.”

So what are the changes that will take place in the future?

At first blush, many current firm leaders might say, “They are naïve.

Just wait until they grow up.”

I would respond by simply saying, “Read on.”

The future leaders in our firms have a keen understanding of self, and they understand that while they have many fantastic traits, they are not superstars at everything. They push back strongly, saying the firm they build will function vastly differently than the one they work in today. Their firms of the future will be more collaborative and cohesive. These young leaders have been fearless about change in their lives and that will carry through to the way they build their firms. Culture, systems and processes will all change for them, and ultimately will change the entire industry.

The secret to all of this change is that one person will not be respon-

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CHANGE NO. 1: COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS ARE KING

“No lone rangers allowed” will be the battle cry from leaders.

Today, when a new idea develops in a firm, it is often one leader coming to the group and selling his or her idea. Then, the idea is implemented by a committee.

In the future, the idea will be developed by a group of people from the inception. Then the entire group will continue to support and nurture the idea by bringing in other team members as needed to make the idea better. The thought process is, “Let’s all sit down at the table and figure this out together.”

The pattern that will develop and make a good idea a great idea is that by pulling together everyone’s ideas, thoughts and intellectual capital, the firm will benefit from “group think” rather than “individual think.” As you might imagine, there will be little room for individual egos in this environment. Silos within the firm will deteriorate and power teams will emerge.

CHANGE NO. 2: GLOBALIZATION AND DIVERSITY WILL BE THE NORMS

Firms today have a reputation for being predominantly male, white and aging at the partner level, female, middle-aged and white at the manager level, and slightly more diverse in race, gender and nationality at the staff level.

Given the changing demographics of our country today and the reality that our younger leaders have a more diverse and global outlook of the world, it is safe to say that the “look” of our firms will change in the future. We are going to be more colorful and widespread in our human resources. This is a welcome change by our younger leaders who have gone to school and often traveled the world with friends of different nationalities and cultures.

This change will require that we put a stronger emphasis on retention, attraction and motivation of the best talent and find new ways to solidify our teams.

CHANGE NO. 3: DIGITAL LIFESTYLES AND SKILLS WILL SHAPE THE FIRM

We all realize that digital skills are changing the leaders of the future. The fact that our future leaders don’t understand why this

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is a game-changer should tell us something. The majority of our young leaders have never known a time when they did not have a computer in their home, and many don’t have any idea what it would be like to go out for an evening and not have a cell phone with which to communicate. This digital lifestyle will never go away; it just is.

Keep in mind that as our young leaders are built this way, so are the young clients with which they will interact. This new digital reality is certain to shape the firm of our future.

CHANGE NO. 4: A SENSE OF PURPOSE AND DEDICATION FOR ALL

CHANGE NO. 5: MENTORING IS OUT, SPONSORING IS IN

Future leaders are not uneducated. They are realistic that not everyone is going to want to grow at the same time or the same pace as the next person. They also realize that not everyone has the aptitude to be promoted to leadership positions.

Rather than developing mentor-

ment in which everyone received a blue ribbon or a gold medal, they understand that one-on-one sponsorship will provide an individual with the training that is best for them and far more productive and valuable than a one-size-fits-all program.

CHANGE NO. 6: HEALTH AND WELL BEING ARE ESSENTIAL

In a world where obesity seems to be the bane of our existence, the next-generation leaders will understand and support a work environment that promotes the physical and mental health of their teams.

Through education, experience and a world that is fighting to control the balance between life and work, this new leadership group will put more emphasis on healthy lifestyles both in the office and outside the office. The reward will be higher productivity, morale and retention rates.

“The pattern that will develop and make a good idea a great idea is that by pulling together everyone’s ideas, thoughts and intellectual capital, the firm will benefit from ‘group think’ rather than ‘individual think.’”

One interesting trait that will be a game-changer for the leaders of our future firms is that these leaders will be less concerned about their own goals and more concerned about their overall team. This goes back to building relationships, but it also emphasizes that this group of people have been programmed from their youngers years to care for their community and others.

Think about the youth of today and how they are taught, motivated and rewarded in school to care for their community and work with their classmates on projects. They will never be satisfied in their work JANUARY 2012

life if they are not using these skills to develop a sense of purpose and dedication for the overall firm and team, not just themselves.

ing programs in which everyone is treated exactly the same, they will opt for picking the best players and developing a close relationship with those people to sponsor them and grow them into leadership positions that are required in the firm.

Even though some of our future leaders were raised in an environ-

With all of these changes upon us, how can the current leadership group help prepare and start implementing them today?

CHANGE NO. 7: TEAM DEVELOPMENT AND HIRING CHANGES Profile your current team and begin to look critically at the skills

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PRACTICE MANAGEMENT that are not in your firm today. Is yours a firm that is full of researchoriented people but lacking in process-oriented project leaders? Do you have a firm full of introverted followers who take direction well, but not many individuals who are hungry to “own” responsibilities and want to lead initiatives in the firm?

After you analyze your current situation, prepare to hire for the technical needs of today and the leadership needs of the future.

Firms absolutely need skills and abilities, but they also need emotional intelligence. This will require analysis, new hiring skills, and a dedication to changing old habits.

Remember, if you continue to hire, promote and motivate the way you have in the past, you will get the same talent you have had in the past, and that will not be good enough in the future.

CHANGE NO. 8: FORM A FUTURE LEADER INITIATIVE

Leaders must listen carefully and hear what their people are telling them. Leaders must also understand that putting together the leadership of the future requires that they look at each person as a separate and unique individual, identifying the unique characteristics that they have and allowing them to develop those skills.

Just because someone is not the best business developer does not mean he or she is not valuable.

They may indeed have a gift for putting processes in place that will save the firm hours in productivity and efficiency. Another person who is a superb business developer may

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not like to research new systems, and the leader may see that his or her motivation will come from front-stage projects dealing with client and prospect interactions.

One is not wrong or less valuable; both are equally amazing.

A positive way to find out what is floating around in your future leaders’ minds is to form a “Tomorrow’s Leaders” initiative in your firm. Give them objectives, but let them figure out the strategies, ideas and timelines for initiatives that will help the firm prepare for the future.

CHANGE NO. 9: GET FLEXIBLE WITH LEARNING AND TRAINING

While some firms are still struggling to develop cookie-cutter learning ladders and training plans that will work for everyone in the firm, the firm of the future will have career planning and learning ladders that are much less linear and far more individualized. Flexibility will be imperative and lateral moves will be much more accepted and encouraged. This would be an excellent project for a Tomorrow’s Leaders group to work on.

CHANGE NO. 10: REPLACE PEN AND PAPER WITH REAL WORDS

We live in a paper-and-pencil world when it comes to feedback and performance management.

Ours is an industry that is nice and caring. Often, this translates to thinking through how you want to nicely give someone feedback on their performance, writing it down and then delivering by letting them read what you wrote.

The verbal exchange is short, sweet and to the point, and often has no intrinsic value to the team member. Progressive firms today are teaching their leaders to have verbal exchanges with their team members and using the paper as simply backup to the conversation.

These conversations are critical to developing the relationships that are valued by the individual and to enact the performance that we desire from each person.

Some will think this is contrary to the digital lifestyle that younger leaders are accustomed to, but it plays well with the close relationship they are hungry for within their work environment.

CONCLUSION

Is this new leader and new leadership style of the future complicated? Yes. Is it rewarding?

Absolutely!

As we approach a new year, I challenge each of you to rethink your current leadership style and commit to making changes that will assist your firm is taking positive steps toward a firm that future leaders will be attracted to, and will be excited about helping to build.

Sandra Wiley is COO, senior consultant and shareholder of Boomer Consulting.

MORE FOR FIRMS YOU’LL FIND MORE PRACTICE MANAGEMENT RESOURCES BY VISITING WWW.MACPA.ORG/FIRMS.

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HIGH-TECH SOLUTIONS

Encouraging a move to information service delivery BY: ERIC BENSON Information technology is one area of any business that is marked by these characteristics:

• Excellence is largely determined by a lack of issues.

• The skills and knowledge to understand the complexities are not understood by most people (it’s a specialty field, after all).

• The most consistent trait is change, and this trait can be controlled but seldom stopped.

This article covers the idea that information technology has never truly been about the technology itself. Computer science and computer engineering are about the computer and software. IT professionals may be viewed in many instances as manufacturing personnel (put this here, insert this, type this, install this). However, most IT people are really in the business of information service delivery. That’s “endpoint delivery” in geek terms.

In business terms, it simply means that the end result is a small step from face-to-face communication.

IT people are just delivering information through screens instead of direct communication, but it’s still a service.

To make this change from IT as a product to IT as a service, new terminology may be needed. Since accounting is a service, let’s call our new model “information service delivery” (ISD for short). This term suggests a shift from the computer (or screen, as we shift to multiple

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delivery platforms) to the point at which the screen and the person interact.

Looking at technology as ... well, technology tends to reduce the quality of output to the end user (translate this as “person”). In other words, since you aren’t providing a service, you can get away with fixing the computer and call the problem fixed. If you look at IT as ISD, you also have to qualify if the information was delivered properly after the service is performed, not just that the computer is working. This leap from technology to people can radically improve the level of service, the understanding of your job and the contribution to the people working in the firm.

Let’s revisit the three statements above and look at how shifting to a service model can improve the quality of IT.

EXCELLENCE IS LARGELY DETERMINED BY A LACK OF ISSUES.

Many technology issues can be benchmarked on this alone. Help Desk ticketing solutions are set up to let you resolve tickets when the issue is gone. They’re even called “issues” or “tickets” in most systems because you’re dealing with computers or other devices, right?

Punch in your work and you are like an assembly line.

Contrast this with information service delivery. In this instance, a problem isn’t fixed until the infor-

mation is resolved, not the issue.

So, an issue with a computer driver not working might not just stop at the driver being updated. It will stop when the displays are verified as working by the user. I think this, in many cases, is very different from the way the IT person uses the displays. A follow up two days later may uncover that the assumption for the fix wasn’t quite correct. Is the information flowing again? This followup can be automated, but is that good service? Selecting a subset of tickets to call on might be a great way to see if you are truly providing what you think you are.

Other issues are not pure IT and shouldn’t involve just IT. A failed patch is an IT issue, let’s say. But when the patch has been rolled back, what if you find out someone is having trouble using writeup properly during the patch removal (since you have to do it in person on the one machine that didn’t take)?

That’s an ISD issue and might not involve you directly, but you can be accountable to make sure the issue gets resolved.

THE SKILL AND KNOWLEDGE TO UNDERSTAND THE COMPLEXITIES ARE NOT UNDERSTOOD BY MOST PEOPLE

As an IT professional, specialized knowledge is crucial to the completion of projects. However, communication is crucial to the successful delivery of these projects.

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On teams, this may not be the person who does the work, but a successful information service delivery should include the business and information delivery reasons why a project was completed successfully, not just what was done.

Most often, the heavy lifting in IT is not communicated because of the specialty knowledge needed to understand what happened.

However, this often bleeds over into areas that don’t need specialty knowledge. Thinking with a service delivery mindset may allow these areas to shine through, which will allow for improved communication in turn.

In addition, that communication, since it is part of the service, will need to be catered to the recipient. You wouldn’t sell a highly technical watch that needs some assembly to someone looking for a stopwatch, so why would you want to communicate more than you need to in order to let someone know their problem is resolved?

There is a balance between what was done and why that change was important to the person reading or listening to the message.

THE MOST CONSISTENT TRAIT IS CHANGE, AND THIS TRAIT CAN BE CONTROLLED BUT SELDOM STOPPED

In the IT world, the reaction to change often is loudest in gadget arenas as well as in the camps that are stalwarts for technology that is tried and true. In the business world, technology often is delivered too often for comfort or not frequently enough to keep up with the times.

Think “change” using an information service delivery mindset.

Will this change help the inforJANUARY 2012

mation being delivered? If not, it might be a good candidate for reevaluation. Sometimes it’s a patch that will fix a lingering issue. Other times you may be switching out a system without a strong information case, which in some instances is not evaluated properly in the business case for an upgrade.

“This will give us a competitive advantage because we’ll be ahead of our competitors” is business language, but it says nothing about the quality of information being delivered. Let’s say the software upgrade mentioned here fundamentally changes the three key screens of an application. Although it gives a competitive advantage, the information will not flow as cleanly after the upgrade. Understanding this and acting on it will help improve IT from installer to enabler.

Consider information service delivery as a great way to consider how IT provides value to a firm.

An example would be “a change is happening Saturday morning to improve the review process during x.” This is much easier to digest than, “Release 6.208 of x package will be installed on Saturday morning.” The first sentence states how information delivery changes; the second merely states what is being installed. The typical IT response is what was done, not what value the change provides. This shift in communication is crucial to helping your firm adjust to whatever change is coming.

Communication using an information service delivery model may initially increase ticket resolution times. In the long run, however, that communication improvement will help everyone in the firm. Issues will be completely

fixed, reducing re-emerging tasks.

Updates and system downtime will be assessed based on what is being improved, not what dot release is coming online. And you and your firm can start to benchmark the success of technology on metrics beyond uptime, service SLAs and other metrics. Things like Net Promoter scores, satisfaction indexes and quality feedback will start to drive an improvement in service that may have an impact across all departments in the firm.

The longer information as a service is taken into account during IT projects, the more end users will become allies in transitions and updates. Translation will become easier between technology and business, and understanding of IT projects will improve. Look for people on your team (or in your firm) who can view IT as information service delivery and use those people to increase the quality of information you deliver. You will be part of the engine in your firm that develops people because your service and communication will be concerned with how they work, not what they use.

Look at ways you can start improving service to your firm.

The change will take time, but the change is worth the cost.

Eric Benson is director of Interactive Communications for Boomer Consulting.

MORE ON TECHNOLOGY TECH-RELATED NEWS, ARTICLES AND RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEB SITE: WWW.MACPA.ORG/ TECHNOLOGY

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MEMBER NOTES / FIRM NOTES

Member Notes Three employees at Snyder Cohn have been recognized as SmartCPAs by Baltimore’s SmartCEO magazine. Steven M. Braunstein, CPA, managing partner and president, Edward L. Snyder, CPA, chairman and past President, and Lauran I. Penn, CPA, PFS, partner, were honored as industry experts. The award recipients are chosen by the readers of SmartCEO. Paige Beck, CPA, Chief Financial Officer of IWIF, was promoted into a dual role of CFO and Chief Administrative Officer. As CFO and CAO, she will oversee all financial activities for IWIF, as well as administrative and support departments.

Alan Brickel, CPA, a Manager in the Ellin & Tucker’s Audit, Accounting, and Consulting Department, and Steve Manekin, CPA, Director in the Audit, Accounting, and Consulting Department at Ellin & Tucker, were recently featured speakers at the D.C. Bar Association’s Business Law Training Series held in Washington, D.C. Their program entitled “Accounting and Fiscal Controls” was presented to small, closely held business owners from the Washington metropolitan area and was one of eight sessions offered in the training series.

Allen DeLeon, CPA, PFS, a founding partner of DeLeon & Stang, will be speaking at the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) National Conference on Credit Unions. He will be offering a workshop on allowances for loan loss disclosures and discussing the new FASB Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses (ALLL) disclosure rules.

David P. Dorsey, CPA, Scott M. Price, CPA, and Lawrence R. Beebe, CPA, all principals at Bond Beebe, each participated in separate speaking engagements at the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans’ (“IFEBP”) 57th Annual Employee Benefits Conference, which took place on October 30 through November 2, 2011 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Mark Edward, CPA, FCA, has joined Hertzbach

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& Company, P.A. as a partner and now leads the Complete Financial Outsourcing Group.

David A. Goldner, CPA, CFP(R), CVA, managing partner with Gross Mendelsohn, has also been appointed to the board of directors of BKR International, a global association of independent accounting and business advisory firms with over 300 offices in over 70 countries.

Jennifer H. Elder, CPA, CMA, CIA, CFF, president of The Sustainable CFO, has been appointed to serve as a member of the IMA Foundation for Applied Research for a twoyear term through June 30, 2013. Ms. Elder will participate in the committee’s charge of assisting with funding, development, and dissemination of practical, relevant and timely research that enables management accounting professionals to be more successful in their roles.

David A. Goldner, CPA, CFP(R), CVA, managing partner with Gross Mendelsohn, and Christina P. Haiss, CPA, MCP, CITP, a partner in the firm’s Technology Solutions Group, have been named to SmartCEO magazine’s list of “SmartCPAs.” CPAs who were nominated for this recognition were evaluated by an independent judging panel based on their expertise, leadership, innovation and relationship development.

The managing partner at Gross Mendelsohn, David A. Goldner, CPA, CFP(R), CVA,’s article, “Year-End Charity Giving” was published in Pages for Pratt, a publication for donors and friends of the Enoch Pratt Free Library. The article discusses strategies to take advantage of every tax opportunity available when making charitable contributions.

Carmen Graves, CPA, a Senior Manager with Reznick Group in Baltimore, has been selected to be a 2011 Leading Women winner by The (Maryland) Daily Record. Graves earned the distinction based on her professional experience, community involvement and commitment to inspiring change.

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Sean Griffin, CPA, a Manager at Councilor, Buchanan & Mitchell, competed in the Make-A-Wish Triathlon at Bethany Beach, DE to help raise money to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of the MidAtlantic on September 24, 2011.

a director; Steven Manekin, CPA, a director; and Michael Strauss, CPA, a principal. R. Christopher Rosenthal, CPA/ABV, ASA, CFF, AEP, a director in the firm’s Forensic and Valuation Services Group, has also been named as a SmartCPA by the magazine.

Debra J. Hale, a senior staff accountant for Stoy, Malone & Co., P.C., has been named the Professional Development Chair of the Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants’ New / Young Professionals Network.

Mary M. Keirn, CPA, a manager for Stoy, Malone & Co., P.C., has been appointed to the St. Joseph’s Hospital Planned Giving Advisory Council and was asked to serve on Progress Unlimited Board of Directors.

Five employees in the Baltimore office of Reznick Group have been recognized as SmartCPAs by Baltimore’s SmartCEO magazine. Those honored are Ryan Henigan, CPA, senior manager; Carmen Graves, CPA, senior manager; Karen Harris, CPA, senior manager; Amy Jo Morris, CPA, senior manager; and William T. Riley Jr., CPA, principal.

Each year, the magazine selects the top area CPAs who excel in their profession and in their service to the community.

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants announced Charles E. Keller, CPA, is one of 51 CPAs to receive the Sustained Contribution Award this year. All recipients of the award have served on an AICPA volunteer group for 20 years or more, and have served as a chair on a committee, task force, or resource panel at least once.

Stan Holzman, CPA, a partner with Berman, Goldman & Ribakow, has celebrated his 55th employment anniversary with the firm.

Three Ellin & Tucker, Chartered, professionals were featured speakers on accounting for not-for-profit organizations at a program supported by the Board Diversity Apprentice Project. Carl Kampel, CPA, director in the Audit, Accounting, and Consulting Department; Kimberly Fusco, a manager also in the firm’s Audit, Accounting, and Consulting Department, and Susan Keller, a principal in the firm’s Tax Department, presented “Accounting and Fiscal Controls,” which also included discussions on internal controls over financial reporting; the Form 990 and other tax-related matters; and the relationship between an accountant, the Board and management of not-for-profit organizations.

Three directors and principal in the Audit, Accounting, and Consulting Department at Ellin & Tucker, Chartered, have been named SmartCPAs by SmartCEO Magazine. They are Carl Kampel, CPA,

JANUARY 2012

Seth Kossman, CPA, JD, a tax lawyer with Ober/ Kaler, has been appointed to the IRS Practice and Procedures Committee of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA).

Jeffrey M. Lawson, CPA, a shareholder of Stoy, Malone & Company, P.C., has been appointed to the University of Baltimore Accounting Advisory Board.

Steve Manekin, CPA, Director in the Audit, Accounting, and Consulting Department at Ellin & Tucker, Chartered, and Jenelle Conaway, CPA, MBA, a Senior also in the firm’s Audit, Accounting, and Consulting Department, were recently featured speakers at the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s Solo and Small Business School CLE Conference and Webcast held at their National Office in Washington, D.C. Their program entitled “Financial Boot Camp for Immigration Practitioners” presented to new practitioners as well as seasoned veterans. Mr. Manekin and Ms. Conaway were also recently featured speakers at the Baltimore County Bar Association’s Continuing Legal Education Program entitled “Basic Accounting for Lawyers” held at the Baltimore County Courts Building.

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MEMBER NOTES / FIRM NOTES Trevor McEvoy, CPA, has been promoted to senior in the Audit, Accounting, and Consulting Department at Ellin & Tucker, Chartered.

Sharon Paul, CPA, MCP, the leader of Gross Mendelsohn’s Technology Solutions Group, has been elected to the board of directors of the Edward A. Myerberg Senior Center, a comprehensive, multipurpose senior center providing quality programs and support services designed to meet the needs of older adults in Northwest Baltimore.

managing principal for the Baltimore office of Reznick Group.

Kevin Q. Williams, MBA, CPA, PFS, CFP, has been listed in SmartCEO Magazine as one of the Top Certified Public Accountants in the Washington Region for 2011. CPAs selected for this honor exemplify their roles as leaders, innovators and trusted advisors for the businesses they serve. Three clients nominated Mr. Williams for this honor.

Albright Crumbacker Moul & Itell is pleased to announce the promotion of Jordan R. Pearson, CPA, to Senior Accountant.

Reznick Group announced that Gary Perlow, CPA, has been named Regional Managing Principal (RMP) of the firm’s East Region.

Melissa Pitchford, CPA, Chief Financial Officer with Katzen Eye Group, was recently re-elected to the Maryland Medical Group Management Association’s Board of Directors. She will serve as a Medical Practice Director.

Richard M. Shank, CPA, CMA, supervisor in Gross, Mendelsohn & Associates, P.A.’s audit and accounting department and member of Gross Mendelsohn’s Manufacturing & Distribution Group, earned the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) designation from the Institute of Certified Management Accountants.

Yi M. Shrestha, CPA, a staff accountant with Stoy, Malone & Company, P.C., recently earned an M.S. in Taxation at the University of Baltimore.

Anna Szmajda, CPA, a manager at Berlin Ramos and Company, has been promoted to Assistant Vice President.

Ira Weinstein, CPA, has been named co-office

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STATEMENT

FIRM NOTES For the second consecutive year, Bond Beebe participated in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night Walk which took place in Rockville, Maryland on October 22, 2011. A team of 40 employees raised over $2,700 to support cancer research. Light the Night Walk is the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s annual fundraising event that pays tribute and brings hope to people battling cancer; the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) funds lifesaving research that has contributed to major advances in the treatment of blood and other types of cancer.

Clifton Gunderson and LarsonAllen, ranked as two of the nation’s top 20 certified public accounting and consulting firms, announced plans to merge and form one of the top 10 accounting firms in the United States. The partners of both firms have agreed to the combination, and pending final approvals, the merger will take effect Jan. 2, 2012.

The new firm will be named CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA).

DeLeon & Stang was recently named one of the “2011 Best Accounting Firms to Work For” by Accounting Today Magazine and Best Companies Group. The survey and award program was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in the accounting industry, benefiting the nation’s economy, its workforce and businesses.

Gross, Mendelsohn & Associates, P.A. has been named to INSIDE Public Accounting’s “Beyond the IPA 100,” a list of the largest CPA firms in the nation.

“Beyond the IPA 100” identifies the largest firms ranking from number 101 to number 200.

Today, also for the third year. Both contest results were based on an employee satisfaction survey conducted by outside research firms.

Payroll Network has formed a new partnership with iTransact, a premier provider of merchant accounts, to offer credit card processing and merchant services for Payroll Network’s clients. A highlight of the partnership is a free evaluation of credit card processing and merchant service fees for any business in the region.

Smith Elliott Kearns & Company, LLC, has been named one of the “2011 Best Accounting Firms to Work For.” The annual list of “Best Accounting Firms” was created by Accounting Today and Best Companies Group.

Snyder Cohn, PC, was recognized as one of the 2011 SmartCPA companies in the September edition of SmartCEO. SmartCEO is a regional business news publication and the award recipients are chosen by the readers of SmartCEO. Partners, CPAs, Accountants, and Administrative Staff from Weyrich, Cronin & Sorra spent a few hours preparing for the Salvation Army’s Thanksgiving meal program. The event was coordinated with the help of Business Volunteers Unlimited (BVU) and involved working with Peggy Vick, Director of Family Services and Volunteer Services for The Salvation Army.

IN MEMORIAM Jan T. Engel, CPA, an MACPA instructor and member since 1978, president of A-SYS Consulting and a former partner at Stegman & Company, has died. He was 62.

Hertzbach & Company, P.A. won first place in the Baltimore Business Journal’s “2011 Best Places to Work Contest” for the third year in a row.

Hertzbach has also been named one of the “2011 Best Accounting Firms to Work For” by Accounting

JANUARY 2012

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MEMBER SERVICES WELCOME, NEW & REINSTATED MACPA MEMBERS! ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY

ABLA KPETIGO, CPA

CPA

CPA

STEPHEN H. LEVIN, CPA

CENTRAL MARYLAND CHAPTER

LYNN KENNELLY, CPA

KAREN T. TEWELL, CPA

KENNETH D. HOUSTON, CPA

MICHELLE A. LOGSDON, CPA

WHITNEY W. ALDRICH, CPA

EVGENIA V. LOPUSHANSKAYA, CPA

RICHARD A. WAGNER, CPA

BRIAN W. MCDONALD, CPA

JAY T. WANG, CPA

JAMES W. KERR, CPA

NEIL B. MARKOWITZ, CPA

RYAN S. ALTENBURG, CPA

MICHAEL R. LYNCH, CPA

JEFFREY T. WELLENER, CPA

DEWEY L. WELCH, CPA

ORHAN OMER, CPA

WARREN F. MAY, CPA

TRENT J. WALKLETT, CPA

SHAY MEADOR, CPA

TERRENCE J. CANNON, CPA

KATHRYN MURPHY, CPA

MRS. MARY B. WIEDEL, CPA

WILLIAM E. CARTER, CPA

BUAGU G. MUSAZI, CPA

NICHOLAS P. WIERONIEY, CPA

FRANCIS X. CUOMO II, CPA

LISA J. NOEL, CPA

PHILIP G. WOHLFORT, CPA

GEORGE W. BLUM JR., CPA SCOTT K. HYMAN, CPA

MARGARET J. WALKUP, CPA CAPITAL AREA CHAPTER MAKSIM ALTMARK, CPA JOHN S. BENNETT, CPA RUSSELL G. BREGMAN, CPA STEVE G. CALLAS, CPA HEATH M. CHAVIS, CPA DAVID J. GUZMAN, CPA TIMOTHY J. HARE, CPA LORNA M. JOHNSON, CPA BRENDA M. KAECHELE, CPA SAMUEL KIM, CPA

SUZANNE M. MENSER, CPA LINDSEY MOYER, CPA ULOMA NWAUCHE, CPA CODJOVI A. OTOGLO, CPA CRAIG M. PETERS, CPA ROANNE PITLUK, CPA ANDREW S. PLATOU, CPA ZACHARY POND, CPA JULIAN I. ROSENBERG, CPA CYNTHIA SAGGAR, CPA SAVEDRA N. SCOTT, CPA RAJ S. SINGH, CPA ROBERT J. SPEECE, CPA KAREN M. WITCHER,

ELISABETH J. DEMPSTER, CPA LINDA M. DIERSEN, CPA FRANCES E. DINATALE, CPA DANIEL C. GILL, CPA JENNIFER GRANEK, CPA BONNIE G. HATAMI, CPA KEVIN HEBBEL, CPA GERALD G. HERTKORN JR., CPA DONA J. IZER, CPA THOMAS C. JOHNSTON, CPA MICHELLE L. JONES, CPA

MARY K. OHLMACHER, CPA

MICHELLE WOLFE

UGOCHUKWU OSOH, CPA

BROOKS P. WUNDER, CPA

MICHAEL J. PETRY, CPA

EASTERN SHORE

KIMBLE A. PIKA, CPA

CYNTHIA A. SMITH, CPA

EDWARD L. PINDER, CPA

PATRICIA A. IOTT, CPA

ELIOT E. POWELL, CPA

PATRICIA M. SUMMERS, CPA

BRUCE W. RUPP, CPA

JANE K. TOWERS, CPA

EUGENE P. RUTTER, CPA

MID-MARYLAND CHAPTER

ROSEMARIE SCHWARTZ, CPA

JAMES O. BAILEY, CPA

SYRIL H. STEINGROOT, CPA CHRISTOPHER J. TETRAULT, CPA

JASON H. KAPLANIS,

ADAM J. CROWLEY, CPA MEGAN D. DEMENT, CPA PATRICIA M. DRIVER, CPA

THOMAS A. YOUNG, CPA SOUTHERN MARYLAND DANA M. CANNON, CPA MICHAEL A. GUY, CPA JOSEPH L. JOHNSON, CPA OUT OF STATE LAWRENCE M. ENTIS, CPA ROBERT D. GARTRELL, CPA CAROL HEDG-PETH, CPA DAVID J. LANE, CPA RANDALL C. RIFFE, CPA LYNN O. TUBMAN, CPA R D. WALSH, CPA GUAN WANG, CPA JOSHUA B. ZADER, CPA

WELCOME, NEW CPA CANDIDATE MEMBERS! ANNEARUNDEL COUNTY EMILY GREEN LEAH HAHN BARBARA B. HARTFORD JOSHUA W. HARTMAN BRENDA K. JONES CAPITAL AREA CHAPTER

LINDSAY ABBETT LISA ARONOFF JOJO ARTHUR RALPH E. BOND IV

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MICHELLE BRAWNER

ANN F. RECHT

GAVRILIS-OLIPHANT

JONATHAN BRVENIK

ANCA G. STRADLEY

EDWARD K. GYAMFI

BRITTANY CRAFT

RENEE T. SWEENEY

WEI LI

CHRIS CROUTHAMEL

RODRICK WEST

ZACHARY B. LUST

ELEONORA P. DAILEY MELEK EDIB JOSEPH T. ENTWISTLE

CENTRAL

MARYLAND CHAPTER

KATIE E. NEELY TENESHIA J. RICHARDS

ARSHAD ABBAS

MIKE SCHRAML

MAN CHEE LAM

AGYEMANG BOATENG

CHRISTINA STRAVINO

JONATHAN LEON

MICHELLE D. BOLTIK

LOUIS LITZ

ELIZABETH CONVERSE

SIREENUCH TENGAMNUAY

CATRINA MOUTON

KALMAN S. DANZIGER MR. TRENT D. DIXON

PAULA L. WILLIAMS

UNA LEE PENNINGER MATTHEW PETERSON BARTLO T. PRESSEL

RUSSELL H. FISHER KRISTYN A.

DARREN W. WATTS EASTERN SHORE

MID-MARYLAND CHAPTER HERB ADDY

MICHELLE A. BURKER SARA LEE BRIAN C. PENNINGTON SARA SPRING SOUTHERN MARYLAND

JAMIE E. BUCKLER MICHELLE SMITH OUT-OF-STATE

STEPHEN M. SITES

MICHELLE MUIR

STATEMENT

nypn news // The MACPA’s New / Young Professionals Network celebrated the holiday season recently, hosting the MACPA Holiday Spectacular on Dec. 15, 2011.

NYPN would like to thank everyone who attended and shared in the holiday joy of the season. It was a great opportunity to network with friends and colleagues while enjoying the elegance of The Engineer’s Club in the Mt. Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore. Also, in the spirit of giving, the MACPA and NYPN collected food and funds to benefit The Maryland Food Bank at this event.

On Jan. 18, come out and help us advocate for the CPA profession at CPA Day in Annapolis. Visit MACPA.org for more details.

you’re invited // UPCOMING EVENTS

NYPN WINTER HAPPY HOURS

When: Thursday, Jan. 19, 5-7:30 pm Where: BlackFinn American Saloon – 4901 Fairmont Ave., Bethesda When: Thursday, Jan. 26, 5-7:30 pm Where: Seven West Bistro – 7 West Chesapeake Ave., Towson There is no cost to attend, but CPAs should register at www.macpa.org/nypn. For more information, contact Chris Critzman at nypn@macpa.org or call (443) 632-2332.

Please: No recruiting at NYPN events.

And don’t miss the networking opportunities at our happy hours. Our first happy hours in 2012 are on Jan. 19 in Bethesda at the BlackFinn Saloon and Jan. 26 in Towson at 7West Bistro. Check out the NYPN section of the MACPA web site for details and updates on these and other events.

Bring the NYPN Road Show to Your Office!

The MACPA’s New / Young Professionals Network has a presentation we would like to share with your company or firm. Our Road Show tells new / young CPAs the details and benefits of getting involved in the MACPA and NYPN. Please e-mail nypn@macpa.org to sign up for a NYPN Road Show visit and learn more about the MACPA and NYPN. NYPN is on FaceBook, LinkedIn, and Twitter

what is NYPN? // NYPN is an organization committed to connecting new / young professionals to the MACPA, protecting the integrity of the profession, and helping new CPAs and CPA candidates achieve their goals. NYPN is a place where new CPA professionals can make contacts in the profession, get involved in the community and get the support they need to be successful. The requirements to be a part of NYPN are CPA candidates (working on or having achieved the 150hour threshold) or current CPAs under the age of 40 and/or licensed for fewer than five years.

TOP 10 REASONS TO GET INVOLVED: 1. Camaraderie

6. Commitment

2. Insight

7. Charity

3. Professionalism

8. Community

4. Development

9. Responsibility

5. Growth 10. FUN!

get involved // Get to know our NYPN advisory board and find out first-hand what we’re all about: Chair: Diana Scatliffe, Reznick Group: Diana.Scatliffe@reznickgroup.com Vice chair / chair-elect: Jeff Klima, SC&H: jklima@scandh.com Secretary / treasurer: Eric Nigro, PricewaterhouseCoopers: eric.nigro@us.pwc.com Past chair: William Kinney, SB& Company: wkinney@sbandcompany.com Leadership Board Activities chair: Debra Hale, Stoy, Malone & Company: Dhale@stoycpa.com Public relations / outreach chair: Nick Hollander, L&H Business Consulting: nhollander@lhbusinessconsulting.com Professional development chair: Stephen Hohne, Hertzbach & Company: Stephen.Hohne@gmail.com At-large member: Jennie Hammett, Gorfine, Schiller & Gardyn: jhammett@gsg-cpa.com

Who offers the best on-site training for your team?

For more information about the MACPA’s Customized Learning Solutions and the Business Learning Institute, visit MACPA.org and click on LEARNING! WE LOVE HELPING ORGANIZATIONS THRIVE THROUGH LEARNING SOLUTIONS.

Ask how MACPAs customized learning team & BLI can save you up to 50%.

For general questions and onsite learning, please contact Pam Devine at pam@macpa.org.

2012 Gover nment & Not-For-Profit Conf erence

K E Y N O T E S P E AK E R

Friday, April 27, 2012 UMUC – the Marriott Inn & Conference Center 7 concurrent tracks 28 session choices

Save the Date!

FREEMAN A. HRABOWSKI, III President of UMBC (The University of Maryland, Baltimore County) Recently featured on 60 minutes

2012 BUSINESS & INDUSTRY CONFERENCE Friday, April 20, 2012 (Earlier Date!) – Turf Valley Resort, Ellicott City

KEYNOTE

TOPICS INCLUDE

Ed Burchell, Vice President, Regional Partnerships & Sales, Baltimore Ravens

• A&A

• Smart Technology

• Social Media

• Economic Update

• Enterprise Risk Management and more…

CLASSIFIEDS mergers & acquisitions LOOKING TO START OR EXPAND YOUR OWN PRACTICE? 15-20 monthly Write-Up/

QuickBooks clients. $60,000 – 70,000 gross.

Baltimore metro area. Call 410-539-1147, or e-mail LT4040@comcast.net.

QUALITY CPA FIRM WISHES TO ACQUIRE PRACTICE OR ACCOUNTS IN BALTIMORE / WASHINGTON / ANNAPOLIS area or possible association with retirement-minded practitioner.

“Top dollar paid.” Reply in strictest confidence to (410) 539-7100 or File No. 63-87.

THINKING OF SELLING YOUR PRACTICE?

Accounting Practice Sales is the leading marketer of accounting and tax practices in North America. We have a large pool of buyers, both individuals and firms, looking for practices now. We also have the experience needed to help you find the right fit for your firm and to negotiate the best price and terms.

To learn about our risk-free and confidential services, call Bradley Holmes at 1-800-397-0249, or email Bradley@accountingpracticesales.com.

PEER REVIEWED ROCKVILLE, MD CPA firm interested in acquiring practice or accounts in Washington metropolitan area, from retirementminded sole practitioner. Reply in confidence to File no. 28-91.

job openings FIDUCIAL, A DIVERSIFIED PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FIRM offering its clients a full range of

professional services to support their operational goals, has an EXCELLENT opportunity for an experienced CPA / Senior Accountant to fill the role of Branch Manager in our Hampstead, MD office.

Branch Managers are responsible for leading the day to day activities of a public accounting office. Ideal candidate will be a team leader with an active CPA, experienced in public accounting with the ability to train, supervise and oversee the work of the office staff. In addition to managing the office the Branch Manager is tasked with business development; therefore ideal candidates will enjoy interacting with people, will be sales oriented who possess the ability to find and close business in support of the growth goals of the office.

40

Interested candidates apply today by sending your resume and cover letter to recruiting@fiducial.com, and be on your way to a successful new opportunity!

MCLEAN/TYSONS CPA FIRM SEEKS AN AUDITOR WITH AT LEAST TWO YEARS OF SUPERVISORY EXPERIENCE Candidate must be a currently licensed CPA. Salary commensurate with experience. To apply contact: Jeff Hayden at JPH@rlmcpa.com.

office space ROCKVILLE- COMPLETE OFFICE SUITE TO RENT TO SOLE PRACTITIONER OR SMALL FIRM Three private offices, secretarial/reception area, storage room and restroom. Lovely second floor view of Route 355 and the Metro trains. Use of first floor conference room. Jackson Place Office Condominium in front of Montgomery College. Lots of parking and easy access. Alan Zipp, CPA, (301) 340-0084, or AlanZipp@aol.com.

employment CPA, MASTER’S DEGREE IN TAXATION, SEEKS PER DIEM WORK Contact: Allan Wood.

Home 410-484-0200, or Cell 410-598-3335, or email sunnywood@verizon.net.

WANT TO SUBMIT A CLASSIFIED AD? To submit a classified ad, please visit our Web site under advertising, www.macpa.org/ content/20909.aspx, or contact Amy Moran at 443-632-2319, amym@macpa.org.

CONFIDENTIAL ADS:

Replies to confidential ads will be addressed to the file number in care of: Amy Moran MACPA 901 Dulaney Valley Road, Suite 710 Towson, MD 21204 Properly addressed replies will be forwarded to the advertiser unopened. Replies that are not properly addressed will be opened only to determine contents and then forwarded to the advertiser.

STATEMENT

USS

UNIVERSAL SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS, INC. TEL: (410) 358-8851

P. O. BOX 5866

www.ussi-md.com

BALTIMORE MD 21282-5866

MARYLAND PERSONAL PROPERTY SOFTWARE 2012 EDITION

Prepares and Prints Maryland Personal Property Tax Returns Features: ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

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Multi-User-Network Compatible.

Easy installation.

Full screen editing and Pull-Down menus make data entry simple and efficient.

Data files can be stored on any drive/folder.

Error checking routines prevent common mistakes.

On screen totals - Updated with each entry.

Prints government approved returns on plain paper: Form 1—Corporations, LLC’s, LLP, etc.; AT3-51— Partnerships and Sole Proprietorships; AT3-75— Bank, Saving & Loans and Trust Companies.

Multiple location capability for all entities.

Assessment calculations with user adjustable tax rates and assessments.

On screen print preview.

Print from print menu or Preview screen.

Print options - Entire return, Batched returns, single and multiple pages.

Prepares and prints a collated signature ready return.

Prints Extensions-Selected Client(s) or all Unfiled Returns.

Prints client lists - All clients, filed returns and unfiled returns.

Information saved and updated annually.

Multi-featured word processor for user designed forms - Transmittals, filing instructions, billing, etc.

User friendly - Screens simulate actual return.

Unlimited number of clients.

Concise, easy-to-read user’s manual.

Automatic Internet updates.

Free unlimited support.

HEAD START EDITION : available at no cost or obligation.** ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺

Build client history from prior year returns.

Have all data updated and available for current filing season.

Enjoy the time saving and ease of use.

Print professional looking returns.

** Available July 1, ....

FREE SOFTWARE ! at: 410-358-8851

2012 Edition — $225.00 plus 6% MD Sales Tax.

Please send one copy of MD “TPP” - 2012 edition to:

N a m e ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ C o m p a n y ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ A d d r e s s____________________________________________________________________________________________________ C i t y / S t a t e / Z i p___________________________________________________________________________________________ Telephone __________________________________________________________________________________________________

Md residents: Add 6% sales tax.

Please enclose full payment with order.

Credit card payments—Please call 410-358-8851

Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants, Inc. Dulaney Center II 901 Dulaney Valley Road Suite 710 Towson, MD 21204 | www.macpa.org (410) 296-6250 | Fax: (410) 296-8713