April
2015,
Vol.
II
|
The Future of CPAs in Utah Jonyce Bullock, CPA
Engaging New Professionals www.uacpa.org
The
Membership
Issue
Mission,Vision,Values
ExecutiveBoard
Mission
president................................................ Jonyce Bullock president-elect...........................Gavin E. Hutchinson vice president..................................... Hollie S. Andrus secretary...................................Sherie E. Charlesworth treasurer................................................. Kyle J. Pexton member-at-large.....................................Brett C. Hugie immediate past president..................... Paul O. Skeen AICPA Council..........................................Dan Griffiths pronet Council..................................Joshua Turnbow CEO........................................................ Susan A. Speirs managing editor.................................... Amy Spencer
The UACPA Leadership supports and challenges members through advocacy, professional education, leadership development, networking, and community service, to help them succeed in a competitive and changing world.
Vision At the UACPA, our vision is to be a world-class professional association essential to our members. We unite a vibrant community of CPAs to enhance the success of our members and champion the values of the profession; Integrity, Competency, and Objectivity.
Values Advocacy The UACPA represents the profession at the legislature and other regulatory bodies and promotes the value of the CPA to employers, the business community, and the public at large.
Leadership & Service The UACPA provides leadership and service within the profession, within the UACPA and within the community.
Professional Development The UACPA supports and encourages continuing education and leadership development.
Professional Community The UACPA reinforces peer accountability to encourage members to maintain integrity and high ethical standards. We ​​ provide member to member networking opportunities and networking opportunities with other professions. We value belonging to a distinguished organization and believe that we serve as the primary resource and point of contact for Utah CPAs.
The Journal Entry is published quarterly, by the UACPA 1240 E. 2100 South, Suite 500 Salt Lake City, UT 84106 tel: 801-466-8022 toll-free in Utah: 1-800-676-2776 e-mail: mail@uacpa.org or log on to www.uacpa.org Send address changes to UACPA 1240 E. 2100 South, Suite 500 Salt Lake City, UT 84106 email: membership@uacpa.org or log on to www.uacpa.org to update your address and member profile online Cover photo - Kristan Jacobsen, kristanjacobsen.com Correction: In the January 2015 issue, the spelling of Beuchert's name is incorrect.
UACPA Statement of Policy CPAs have common problems and interests. This magazine has been created to share information relating to the practice of accounting. The opinions, views and articles expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the Utah Association of Certified Public Accountants. This magazine should not be deemed an endorsement by the UACPA or its committees or editorial staff of any views, opinions or
Diverse Population Outreach
positions contained herein. Because of the complexity of tax laws and
The UACPA believes in reaching out to under-represented populations, those returning to the profession or choosing it as a second career, and other professions.
accounting transactions and the changing status of the law, as well as variations in practices and procedures among accountants, information in the magazine should not be used, acted or relied upon, as a substitute for independent accounting or legal research and advice.
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in this issue | April 2015
feature story
The Changing Profession and Association
127 New Members............................................................................................4 Movers & Shakers......................................................................................5 Board Bullets .............................................................................................6 Message from the CEO............................................................................. 7 Cover Story: Making a Difference for CPAs and Utah.........................8 By the Numbers: UACPA Members...................................................... 13
How 2015 is Looking Like a Good Year for CPAs
18
Engaging Young CPAs............................................................................ 14 How 2015 is Shaping Up for CPAs........................................................ 18 Developing a Post-Tax Season Strategy ............................................... 21 Nominate CPAs for Awards...................................................................24 The Four Ts for Managing Local Government Performance.............25 The Future of Peer Review.....................................................................27
Contribute to the Future of Peer Review
27
Women in Accounting: Nicole Gardner...............................................30 Meet the UACPA Board..........................................................................32 Five Minutes with Richard Jones, CPA.................................................33 Meet the UACPA Staff ............................................................................34 Five Minutes with Braden Thompson, UACPA Membership...........37 UACPA Photos Pages..............................................................................36 Education..................................................................................................38
Meet a Member: Richard Jones
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New Members
NewMembers Congratulations to the following individuals/CPAs who were approved for membership or affiliate status in the UACPA as of February 18, 2015.
Fellows
John Baer Hawkins Cloward & Simister, LC Carlos Bauer Savage Esplin & Radmall, PC Brent Braithwaite MonaVie LLC Morey Carlson American Express Bank, FSB
Tyson P Irwin PricewaterhouseCoops LLP
Christy J. Spangler Goldman Sachs
Jennifer Johnson Woods, Richards & Associates
Kent Thygerson Alpha Explosives
Chad Lambert Cook Martin Poulson, PC
Dustin L Wheeler
Maile Lauret ASEA, LLC
Judd Christensen
E. LaGrand Lauritzen Squire
Jill A. Corrigan
Michael Lemon
Rob Haertel
Matthew Madsen
Trevor Harbison Caldwell, Coombs & Foley, LLP
Jonathan Thomas Monson Mantyla McReynolds LLC
Derek G. Hardy Grant Thornton LLP
Cindy Lynn Morris
Warren C. Herrick Biesinger & Kofford CPAs, PLLC
Alex Mortensen PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Kristi Hogan
Elizabeth A. Paul Royal Street Corporation
Walter Benjamin Hokanson Tanner LLC
Jared Runia Intermountain Healthcare
Tyler William Hoskins PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
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Sheila Sawka Squire
Elizabeth Williams Non-CPA Professional Affiliate Dana T. Farmer Smith Knowles Attorneys
Student Affiliates
Brigham Young University – 1 Dixie State University – 1 Southern Utah University - 2 Stevens Henager - 7 University of Utah – 8 Utah Valley University – 5 Weber State University – 1 Westminster – 5
Movers & Shakers
Movers&Shakers Larson & Company has announced the addition of Christine Arthur, CPA as a new audit partner. With more than 25 years of experience in public accounting and auditing nonprofit organizations, Arthur has been Christine Arthur a leading figure in the nonprofit community, serving as treasurer, board member, and chair in several organizations. Before joining Larson & Company, Arthur built and managed the nonprofit services group of a national CPA firm before forming her own firm specializing in serving the nonprofit community. Arthur is a founding member of the Nonprofit Academy of Excellence at the University of Utah, and a founding council member of the United Way Women's Leadership Council. Larson & Company has also announced the addition of Ryon Jones, CPA as a new tax partner in the Moab location. Jones brings more than 14 years of experience in accounting and has been a leading independent CPA in the Moab area for 10 years. A native to the area, Jones specializes in tax planning and strategy. Tanner LLC has named James Guthrie as International Tax Director. Guthrie brings 19 years of experience in designing and implementing international tax strategies in a multinational environment. Prior to joining Tanner, Guthrie worked as an James Guthrie International Tax Advisor at Guthrie Tax Advisory and at Ernst & Young as an International Tax Senior Manager. Guthrie graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor's in accounting and received a Master's with a tax emphasis from Brigham Young University. Philip Peterson, CPA has retired from the City of St. George where he worked for 32 years. Peterson joined the UACPA in 1976 after earning his CPA license.
Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C. (MHM) has appointed David Hoopes as Attest Practice Leader Leader (APL) for the firm's Salt Lake City office. Hoopes assumes responsibilities for practice growth, financial management and operational matters as well David Hoopes as personnel development. He will also lead the areas of quality control, risk management and technical accounting and auditing matters. Prior to joining MHM, Hoopes spent 25 years with large international and local CPA firms and providing litigation support and expert witness testimony for financial services companies. Hoopes serves on the UACPA's Financial Literacy committee and educates inmates through the program at the Utah State Prison. Laura Weston has joined James & Co. as Audit Manager. Weston, who brings more than 10 years of experience, previously worked at a firm managing audits of public and private companies including those operating in the banking, manufacturing, mining, real estate, and retail industries. Her background also includes experience in tax return preparation and review as well as multi-state taxation, with a focus on investment partnership returns. Weston received a Bachelor's in accounting with a minor in finance and also earned an MBA from Utah State University. Utah Business Magazine recognized two UACPA Members in their 13th annual Forty under 40 program. Mike Criddle from Eide Bailly and Dan Griffiths from Tanner, LLC were recognized among other up-andcoming professionals who are rising through the ranks in Utah businesses. An awards luncheon was held February 26 to honor these leaders. Two CPA candidates from Utah have been recognized with the 2015 Elijah Watt Sells Award. Kyle Swenson from BYU and Corrine Sudbury from the University of Utah are recognized for obtaining a cumulative average score above 95.50 across all four sections of the Uniform CPA Examination. the journal entry | April 2015
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We're On the Move. Again.
Board Bullets
News from the UACPA Board The Executive Board met in February and discussed the following: • Update on the office space situation and potential sites that can best serve our member needs . The Association is in the final stages of negotiating a five-year lease of which board approval is expected in the April Executive Board meeting. • The annual budget for the year ending March 31, 2016 was approved by the board. Also approved was funding to re-construct the website and installation of a database that will be accessible from the Cloud and will integrate with the website. Expected launch date is April 1, 2015. • Mac Curtis will be rolling off the State Board of Accountancy and they have requested submission of three names to replace him. Mac’s replacement is expected to be announced in May 2015. • Greg Pearson was appointed as a trustee for the UACPA retirement plan. He has more than 20 years experience in retirement and pension plan accounting.
The UACPA is moving to 136 Main Street, Suite 510
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• One of the goals for our new year, beginning April 1, will be strategic planning. Leadership Academy alumni will be facilitating several groups across the state to gain the insights allowing us to move in the direction members need. The profession is in a state of flux and we need to be able to support our members as well as help them navigate through challenges as well as provide opportunities for growth and expansion.
CEO’s message
CEO's Message
Susan Speirs, CPA
I
n today’s professional environment, we often hear buzzwords like "sustainability" and "relevancy" being thrown around and for a good reason. We live in a season where technology is changing at exponential rates and we’re overloaded with more information that we’ll ever consume in a lifetime. We have the same 24 hours in a day that we did a decade ago, but we have to carefully choose how we allocate our time and resources to get the most out of our day. As times have changed, so have the roles of professional associations. No longer do they just provide professional education, but we see the role of professional associations — the Utah Association of CPAs included — are evolving as our members are overwhelmed with all they are assigned. Some of the shifts I’ve noticed can be found in: • Leadership development: Across the nation, we’re seeing that as baby boomers retire, there is a shortfall of individuals to take on the leadership roles that are left unfilled. Many of our members have expressed concerns for our state as well. To fill this void, we have created opportunities with our Leadership Academy program. In October, 24 applicants will have the opportunity to learn fundamental leadership and facilitation skills that they can take back to their places of employment to share with their colleagues. Candidates can also practice them in a safe environment as they volunteer on various committees within the UACPA. Learn more on pg. 17 • Advocacy: We have been very fortunate to form good working relationships with our state and national legislators. As issues arise that affect our profession, we’ve been able to go to the appropriate people and discuss issues and formulate solutions to the challenges we face. The process can be slow,
however, we’ve been able to make progress in the arenas of workforce mobility and issues that have affected our non-profit sector over the last couple of years. We thank our members who willingly help us navigate through hearings and reach those whom we need a bended ear. • Community: At the UACPA, we look to provide support for our members and encourage them to provide quality professional services to serve the public interest. The UACPA provides a community where CPAs can connect with other CPAs and advance the profession positively. Across the state, we have events in our chapters and conferences. We also collaborate with other organizations and participate in furthering their events and projects. Our members will find great opportunities to contribute to causes, volunteer, and participate in myriad committees to help regulate affairs, implement initiatives and support the development of current and future CPAs. We look forward to hearing your voice this coming year as we begin our strategic planning and implement the needs or our members and our profession. the journal entry | April 2015
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The Future of the Profession & Relevancy of the UACPA How the association and profession have evolved and where they are going By Jonyce Bullock, CPA
I
have always been fascinated by disruptive technology. The concept that a new idea, technology or product can completely change the way we do business or live our daily lives is both exciting and terrifying. Last fall, I had the opportunity to travel to New York City as a chaperone with my son’s drama group. In the four days that we were in NYC, my son and I took more than 1,000 photos. Additionally, there were more than 20,000 photos taken by our group collectively; the majority of which were taken on some type of phone. While these teens were busy snapping hundreds of photos of the Statue of Liberty, I couldn’t help but think of my first trip to NYC over 10 years ago. On that trip, I carefully packed my pocket camera and two rolls of film. I knew from the beginning of the trip that I would be able to take exactly 72 pictures. Each one was carefully planned and posed. We didn’t take duplicates of anything and there were definitely no selfies on either roll. Because we had a limited number of pictures, we truly hoped the photos would turn out and waited more than a week for the film to be developed before we knew what they would look like. What a difference 10 years made in the way I approached and documented my trip to the same city! The first digital camera was invented in 1975. It had a resolution of 10,000 pixels and captured only black and white images. At that time, Kodak was king of the film and camera industry. They considered digital photography a fringe technology and failed to adequately plan and prepare for changes that were coming in the industry. Unfortunately, in 2012, Kodak filed for bankruptcy and has largely become irrelevant in the world of photography. As CPAs, we find ourselves in a profession that is also in the middle of rapid change. Like Kodak, we have seen a few 10,000 pixel ideas introduced into our industry. However, unlike Kodak, these changes won’t take 35 years to impact us. We must be prepared now to identify the changes coming at us and find ways to respond and adapt in order to stay relevant. In 2011, the AICPA released the results of a large visionary undertaking titled The CPA Horizons 2025 Project. This major effort was designed to help us understand what is in the future of the CPA profession, and based on the trends we are seeing today, where we see ourselves 10 years from now. This project built upon the foundation the AICPA started in 1998 with the CPA the journal entry | April 2015
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Feature Story Vision Project. If you read through the original CPA Vision Project, you will find that it was remarkably accurate as to what it predicted would be happening in 2015, based on new trends in the late 1990s. Accordingly, it would serve us well to pay attention to the new CPA Horizons 2025 Project if we wish to stay relevant as individual professionals, as well as the profession as a whole. The project outlines ten key areas that are sure to cause disruption in our industry that we need to be paying attention to now. During the next year, as I serve as President of the UACPA, I am planning to focus on highlighting and addressing four of these key areas: Pride in the Profession, Demographic Shifts, Lifelong Learning, and Technology. I would also encourage each of you to visit the project’s website and download the entire report. It can be found at cpahorizons2025.org
Pride in the Profession There has never been a better time to be a CPA! The demand for the services we provide is at an all-time high, yet the AICPA reports that the number of accounting graduates who say they plan to take the CPA exam has been on a steady decline. As CPAs, we need to take pride in the contributions we make in serving the public interest at all levels. We need to work together to continually promote CPAs as trusted advisors, both to the public and to future professionals.
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Feature Story Demographic Shifts For the first time in the history of our profession, we have four (and soon to be five) different generations in the workplace. At the same time, the marketplace we serve is also becoming more diverse. While change is generally painful, the rate and extent to which the CPA profession needs to adapt to support the needs of the ever-changing marketplace may be overwhelming. Millennial generation employees are demanding more flexibility, greater work/ life balance and driving us to become early adopters of new technologies. Balancing these changes with the need to provide services within increasing regulatory standards and increased deadline pressures makes this particular disruption very challenging for our profession.
Lifelong Learning Last year, the AICPA Future of Learning Task Force made their case to AICPA Council members about the need for change in our learning processes. As technology changes, so does the way we learn. The 50-minute CPE hour will no longer be enough to get us where we need to go. We can’t just memorize facts; our learning programs must be adapted to help us immediately understand, analyze, and apply. In the past year, two states, Ohio and Maryland, have passed new CPE regulations that allow for 10-minute CPE increments. This new “nano” learning method allows CPAs to focus on competency-based learning, which can be obtained on an as-needed basis and applied immediately on the job. To learn more about other ways our learning models are adapting, I would encourage you to visit the AICPA’s Future of Learning website: futureoflearning.aicpa.org/
Technology There probably isn’t a CPA in the state who would argue that technology hasn’t already had a major impact on our profession. The rate at which new changes are coming is ever increasing. Additionally, these new technologies are fundamentally changing the dynamics of our profession. We are no longer tied to a physical office, face-to-face meetings are no longer required and social media is even changing the way we interact with each other on a daily basis. CPAs must react quickly to new technology
and take a leadership position in helping the market understand the risks and benefits of these changes. So, you might ask, what does all of this mean for the UACPA? What I have learned through my involvement with the association over the past 15 years is that while the CPA profession is rapidly changing, the role of professional associations has completely transformed almost overnight. As our profession changes, so do the needs and expectations of our members. The traditional revenue models of a professional association are built on membership dues and being preferred providers of required education. With easy access to online learning and networking through social media, these models are quickly becoming irrelevant in the marketplace. The time has come for us to look closely at our association and make sure that we are making appropriate adjustments so that we can stay relevant and continue to serve the needs of our members. The UACPA is at a pivotal point in our history; we can either continue to operate at status quo and run the risk of irrelevancy, or we can take the time now to take a good hard look at what the disruptions are in our marketplace and what we need to do to appropriately react to them. As members of the UACPA Board, we have been watching the trends in the marketplace and have begun to plan for the changes we know are coming. During 2015, we are undertaking a major strategic planning initiative similar to the AICPA Horizons Project. The goal of this initiative is to identify the strategic direction of the UACPA for the next 10 years. This past January, as the Leadership Council met in our semi-annual meeting, we discussed the changes we are seeing in the profession and the marketplace. We then asked the Council to provide us with feedback on the most important items we should be considering as we undertake this strategic planning initiative. We had quite a lot of passionate discussion and I was thrilled to see the excitement our members have for the future of the association. At the conclusion of Leadership Council, the group voted on the top initiatives that should be considered in our strategic planning process. The top ranked items we were asked to consider are below: • Increased personal networking and connection opportunities the journal entry | April 2015
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Feature Story
• Re-energize chapter meetings for increased engagement • Differentiate CPE offerings with more focus on soft skills, technology, and competency-based learning • Interactive conferences • Connecting CPAs with volunteer opportunities in the community • Partner with other associations and industries • Increase focus on giving back to both the profession and to the community • Re-evaluate the existing committees and their purposes. Strengthen and expand as necessary • Position the UACPA as a resource for change management Over the course of the next year, we will be involving our membership in this strategic planning process. We want to hear what you want from your association! What are we missing? Are we on the right track? Watch for opportunities to participate throughout the year through surveys, focus groups, and chapter luncheons. I am honored to have the opportunity this coming year to serve as your UACPA President. Please join me as we embark on this journey to adapt to the disruptive innovations in our profession and association. I would love to hear from each of you about what is on your mind. Please email me at jonyceb@squire. com if you have any ideas, feedback, or would like to participate in the strategic process. ■
Jonyce Bullock, CPA is a partner at Squire, where she has worked since 1999. The Brigham Young University graduate has been a recipient of Utah Business Magazine's 30 Women to Watch and CPA Practice Advisor's Top 40 under 40 in CPAs in America
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by the
Numbers
The Utah Association of CPAs has been growing and these numbers reflect the numbers of the organization as of March 6, 2015.
UACPA Members
2,620
UACPA Members, including retired, lifetime members and out-of-state and non-CPA affiliates
478 Female members of the UACPA
1,407 88
Student Members of the UACPA
Retired UACPA Members
137
Lifetime Award Winners and 40Year Members
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Engaging Young CPAs: Hands, Head and Heart By Dan Griffiths, CPA, CGMA
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ack Welch, former General Electric (GE) CEO, related the following: In the 1990s, GE created a program to solicit feedback from employees at all levels of the organization. Afterward, one of the factory workers commented, “For 25 years, you’ve paid for my hands when you could have had my brain as well — for nothing.” As CPAs, we lend our hands and heads to our employers every day. We’re used to tapping intellectual capital, but we often overlook the power of “emotional capital.” For CPA firms, tapping that emotional capital means figuring out how to engage young CPAs. How do we consistently engage the heart of each team member in pursuit of firm goals?
Why Engage the Heart? To some extent, don’t we just want people to put their heads down and get their work done? Wouldn’t that be easier? Perhaps, but employee engagement research performed by Gallup, at Harvard and elsewhere is compelling: Organizations with engaged employees outperform 14
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the competition by a wide margin. Truly successful organizations will find a sustainable competitive advantage when they figure out how to engage the heart of each employee. We don’t just need their head and hands. We’re after their discretionary effort.
How do we Engage Young CPAs? How do we get our younger team members to voluntarily offer their best efforts? Most of the tried and true hierarchical tools available to us — such as fear, incentives, intimidation, or positional power — simply don’t work with this generation. By definition, discretionary effort must be offered voluntarily, not through coercive means. Passion simply cannot be conjured up with just the right mixture of carrots and sticks. For the past few years I’ve participated in the AICPA EDGE Conference, where I’ve had the privilege of rubbing shoulders with some of the brightest young CPAs in our profession. I offer a few suggestions based on my observations there.
Engagement
Share Meaning Few things are more engaging than the feeling that we are “making a difference.” How do we help our staff connect the work they do with the difference it makes for clients, their team members, and the firm? Use staff meetings to share stories of client successes and highlight how the firm’s work contributed to those successes. Be sure to talk about the real people impacted, not just the business entities. Even when it may be difficult to connect their work to the difference it makes for clients, help them see how their work impacts other team members. Make sure they understand how their work fits into the overall process, and into the work of others at the firm.
Innovate A recent Deloitte survey1 found young professionals highly regard creativity and innovation. What are you doing at your firm to show that you’re willing to innovate? Do you embrace new technologies? Have you embraced social media? Are you staying on the leading edge of innovation in client-service offerings? Do the people at your firm feel like they’re a part of shaping the future of our profession?
Collaborate
“Think about how much better your team could be if you include people who are different than you,” Caturano said. This message resonated with the young CPA attendees as evidenced by the explosion of comments on Twitter tweeting and retweeting Caturano’s statements about the importance of promoting diversity in our profession. Firms that embrace diversity will instill a sense of pride in their young staff. What is your firm doing to promote diversity and inclusion?
As a profession, integrity is one of our core values. What a differentiator in a world where what leaders say often is different from what they do. As a profession, we aspire to a higher standard, but as individuals, we can fall short. Your staff is watching.
Walk the Talk
As a profession, integrity is one of our core values. What This is the “open source” generation. Young CPAs are very a differentiator in a world where what leaders say often is willing to work together. We understand that collaboration different from what they do. As a profession, we aspire to a and sharing create far more value than erecting barriers to higher standard, but as individuals, we can fall short. Your staff is watching. At EDGE, I heard some of the following idea sharing. In some cases, this means we need to consider changing older models that may control and restrict comments: the flow of information. “They tell you to record all of your time, but what they’re At the EDGE Conference, young CPAs openly share what really saying is, ‘don’t record anything over budget.’” is working and what isn’t in our profession. During and between sessions, they collaborate to come up with ways to make things better. One young CPA commented, “We should be doing this kind of brainstorming and collaboration in our own firms, but we need support from the top to do it.” Are you providing your staff with that support?
Embrace Diversity and Inclusion During one presentation at EDGE, former AICPA Chairman, Richard Caturano, emphasized the importance of diversity and inclusion.
“Every firm will say ‘we have a flex program,’ but heaven forbid you actually use it and get blackballed in your career.” As a firm, what are you doing to ensure that your actions fully reflect what you say and believe?
Share Your Knowledge and Perspective Young CPAs are hungry to learn from their experienced colleagues. During a discussion on succession planning, I the journal entry | April 2015
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10 Ways to Make the Most of your UACPA membership 1
Let us help you promote your events. Tell us what you have going on and we’ll share it on our social media networks.
2
Take advantage of member benefits, including discounts on technology, office supplies and insurance.
3 4 5
Stay current on hot topics through Facebook and Twitter. Join in relevant conversation through the UACPA LinkedIn group.
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Receive email alerts with information and news about upcoming events.
Receive discounts on CPE.
Contribute to Utah’s CPA PAC and be involved in promoting the UACPA's legislative agenda.
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Be visible to potential clients. The public can search for CPAs in their area at uacpa.org
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Volunteer for committees and task forces, such as the financial literacy task force, non-profit committee or help plan the Winter Conference.
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Seize the Opportunity Let’s contrast two approaches: •
Problem Focus – Our firm has a problem with engaging our younger team members. What should be done to address this?
•
Opportunity Focus – We have an opportunity to tap into the passion of young CPAs at our firm. What’s the one change that would make the biggest impact on engaging them?
Post job listings or find jobs on our website.
Meet Utah’s finest in the profession at UACPA conferences and events.
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heard a young CPA make this comment: “We’re not trying to kick you out. We just want to be sure we’re ready when you decide to leave.” To be fully engaged, young CPAs need to feel you have an interest in their career development and are open to sharing your wisdom. What is your firm doing to transfer knowledge and perspective from older partners and staff to the younger generations?
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It’s in our natures. Our society focuses on problems. We’ve become adept at diagnosing what is wrong. But does that really get us to where we want to be? Problems weigh us down. Opportunities engage our hearts. What are you doing at your firm to stay focused on opportunities? It’s time to tap into the latent emotional capital in our firms. Think of the legacy of opportunities you can offer the rising generation. What will you do to engage the young CPAs at your firm? The future of our profession depends on it. ■ Endnote 1 http://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/millennial-survey-positive-impact.html Dan Griffiths, CPA, CGMA is the Director of Strategic Planning at Tanner, LLC. Griffiths is a graduate of the 2010 AICPA Leadership Academy and in 2011-2012 served as the chair of the Young CPA Network Committee for the AICPA. He serves as Utah's elected member of the AICPA Governing Council.
FORGE THE PATH
Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality. — Warren Bennis Whether you are a big fish in a little pond or a little fish in a big pond, ProNet Leadership Academy will give you the skills you need to be a leader. This one-of-a-kind retreat is created for new professionals ready to take their career to the next level. ProNet Leadership Academy provides an opportunity to hone your leadership skills while earning CPE in an intensive, yet engaging program. Emerging leaders are encouraged to apply to join this elite community where they will enhance their business acumen, refine their communication skills, build their network of support and establish their influence in the community. Apply for the October 28 -30, 2015 retreat in Park City by visiting uacpa.org and filling out the application. Candidates must register by July 20, 2015.
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2015 Looks Good for the Accounting Profession Barry Melancon, CPA, CGMA AICPA President & CEO
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henever I think about all that is going on within our profession, I’m amazed at the breadth and scope of accomplishments and inspired by the people who make it all happen. From envisioning the future of learning to reinforcing a foundation of quality, we’ve never had a better opportunity to shape our future. The accounting profession achieved great success in 2014, thanks to several factors: hard work and quality services from CPAs, extensive advocacy efforts, forward-thinking initiatives and the joint efforts of the AICPA and the state CPA societies. Looking to 2015, I’m excited about the AICPA’s agenda and the steps our profession will take to continue our growth as future-focused and client service-driven advisers for modern business. At a time when individuals and businesses are battling unprecedented complexity and uncertainty, our profession has the expertise and the opportunity to build a pathway to prosperity for our businesses, CPA firms, clients and the public. Let’s commit to making this year even more successful. 18
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1. Quality For 128 years our profession has staked its reputation on quality services delivered by competent and knowledgeable professionals. Quality is our foundation and is essential to supporting future growth and success. One of the most significant developments in 2014 was the launch of the AICPA’s Enhancing Audit Quality (EAQ) initiative, a comprehensive and multifaceted effort designed to reinvigorate the profession’s commitment to quality. The basic EAQ framework was introduced in August in a discussion paper that solicited stakeholder comments on proposed short- and long-term quality initiatives. CPAs and other stakeholders provided suggestions now being considered by AICPA teams, committees and/or boards. In a second paper, “Evolving the CPA Profession’s Peer Review Program for the Future,” the AICPA offered a thought-provoking concept for what practice monitoring could become. The initial concept is meant to start a profession-wide dialogue about meaningful change;
Important Issues changes we hope will help ensure long-term relevance and quality.
House passed a bill last year, but the Senate failed to act. We expect this issue will be a priority in 2015.
Several factors – from the pace of change to the complexity of business and standards, from audit relevance to regulators’ scrutiny – made it clear that our profession needed bold action to shape the audit function of the future. We know that quality can only be achieved and maintained with vigilance and dedication and the EAQ is a principal part of the AICPA’s ongoing commitment to excellence.
3. CGMA
2. Advocacy Each year I’m privileged to see firsthand the partnership between the AICPA and state CPA societies as we address various issues from a legislative or regulatory perspective. I cannot overstate the importance of these efforts. When we lead proactive campaigns to shape legislation, we’re really shaping our profession’s future. The alternative is to wait for legislation to shape our future for us. I’ll share a few examples of what we achieved in 2014 and set up some of the issues that could see movement in 2015: Cash Basis: The profession successfully fought back an attempt to force some businesses to switch from the cash basis to accrual accounting for tax purposes. CPAs’ letters – more than 1,000 – brought significant attention to this issue and helped convince 46 Senators and 233 members of the House to sign bipartisan letters opposing the proposal. DATA Act: Signed into law in May, the successful implementation of the DATA act concludes a five-year effort in close partnership with the state societies to improve the accessibility and transparency of business information. It was a meaningful – and hard-fought – win that reinforced the importance of stakeholder collaboration within the profession. Mobile Workforce: The AICPA continues to support legislation that would establish a uniform national standard for any employee who works less than 30 days outside his or her state of residence. Patent Reform: The profession continues to fight against patent trolls who bring lawsuits against companies or firms for patent infringement for mundane daily uses of technology, such as scanning a document to email. The
This year also will be significant for members in business and industry because of new developments with the highly successful Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) designation. Before its third birthday, the CGMA designation became the largest management accounting designation in the world, with more than 145,000 CGMAs globally. Through our joint venture and the release of new CGMA components, including the first universal set of global management accounting principles and a CGMA case study exam, the AICPA and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) have built the foundation of the management accounting profession.
The most important part of our profession's success is its people, and attracting and retaining the best and brightest has never been more important.
4. Human Capital Of course, the most important part of our profession’s success is its people, and attracting and retaining the best and brightest has never been more important. A major demographic shift is underway in the United States, putting a rapidly increasing percentage of entrepreneurial capital into the hands of minority-owned businesses. This shift means clients and employers of CPAs will expect more diverse workforces. We have to build a business environment that reflects life. The AICPA and state CPA societies see diversity and inclusion as a critical issue for long-term viability and we’re committed to helping our members meet the changing expectations of those we serve. Here’s something else to consider — at a time when competition for top talent is both global and fierce, the advantage will go to the firms and companies that have a plan to recruit, develop and retain a diverse the journal entry | April 2015
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workforce. The AICPA continues to produce resources that can help CPAs gain that advantage, including two that were launched last year: an Accounting Inclusion Maturity Model that helps organizations evaluate their own D&I practices, and a recruiting and retention toolkit with resources to help accounting leaders and human resources professionals attract, recruit and retain a diverse workforce. State societies have been essential partners in
Succession is another critical aspect of the pipeline. Each of us wants our profession to enjoy long-lasting success, but that is only possible if we prepare younger generations to fill the shoes of leadership in firms and organizations in the future. Virtually all states are investing in our profession's future and today they develop future leaders through local leadership academies.
national diversity initiatives: several state volunteers have served on the National Commission for Diversity and Inclusion and many societies have launched local efforts to improve diversity and inclusion in their states. Succession is another critical aspect of the pipeline. Each of us wants our profession to enjoy long-lasting success, but that is only possible if we prepare younger generations to fill the shoes of leadership in firms and organizations in the future. Virtually all states are investing in our profession’s future and today they develop future leaders through local leadership academies. Many of these state academies are modeled after the AICPA’s Leadership Academy, which today boasts nearly 200 graduates, many of whom are currently serving on professional committees, boards or AICPA Council. With the surge of Baby Boomer retirements, our profession needs to prepare leaders in the next generations. On the topic of the talent pool, we have to make sure a sufficient number of CPAs are in the profession to continue the profession’s success. Over the last few years, increasing and record numbers of people have been majoring in accounting but the number of people taking 20
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the CPA exam has remained flat. A research project now under way will help us better understand the factors causing the gap so we can develop strategic solutions.
History of Excellence State society support will be critical this year as the AICPA tackles complex challenges and positions the profession for long-term success. In past years, AICPA and state CPA society collaboration has yielded many meaningful initiatives that have changed the accounting landscape: • Center for Plain English Accounting: The AICPA’s national A&A resource center for Private Companies Practice Section member firms. The Center’s resources provide local and regional firms the knowledge needed to succeed in today’s complex economic and business climate. • Financial Reporting Framework for Small- and Medium-Sized Entities: A special purpose framework that delivers robust and relevant financial statements in a simplified, cost-beneficial way when U.S. GAAP financials are not needed. Great successes are within our grasp when we unite in the pursuit of common goals. Ongoing support from state CPA societies is both critical and sincerely appreciated. We are brought together as a profession and bonded as CPAs. I thank all of our members for your contributions to the accounting profession, making it a model of service and quality, and for achieving success in 2014. The profession has a lot on its plate in 2015 and everyone at the AICPA and your state CPA society is committed to serving your interests and helping you achieve your goals. ■ Barry Melancon, CPA is the President and CEO of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA). Prior to joining the AICPA, Melancon served as an Executive Director of the Society of Louisiana CPAs. He began his accounting career in 1979 at a small CPA firm in Louisiana and in 1984 was elected a firm partner.
Post Tax Season Strategy How A WRitten Strategic Planning will help throughout the year By Eric Hunt
T
ax season is now over and firms I have spoken with are ready to move forward with the rest of the year. The biggest issue I have seen with many of these firms is they are coming out of the tax season with no set plan of how they are going to approach the rest of the year. When I asked why these firms didn’t have a written strategic plan, some of the responses were:
Improved Communication. Firms that have written plans, tend to have more open communication with their teams because they have a basis for goal setting and evaluations. Allowing team members to participate in discussions regarding the plan will increase the chances of meeting the goals on the plan. They can see what the expectations are for the firm and how they can assist in meeting them.
"We deal with issues as they come up and hit them while they are fresh.”
Laser focus. A solid plan allows for firms to focus on the most pressing items without getting lost in all the extra details and fluff. The best strategic plans are to the point and focused on items that will move the team forward on difficult situations.
"We have a couple Partners that don’t see the value in having strategic planning.” "We get so busy that we aren’t able to get to a good plan in place.” Listening to these firms, on the surface it appears that all of them are pretty solid and happy. Dig a little deeper and like every firm, they have things that need to be addressed. Succession planning, recruiting and retaining talent, technology, growth and plenty of others. Regardless of the issues, the main concern I have for these firms is the lack of a written strategic plan that actually addresses these issues. Although it may seem obvious as to why every firm should have a written strategic plan, I thought it would be a good exercise to create a list of reasons why they should. After looking at my initial list, I narrowed it down to my top 5 reasons. Accountability. It is much easier to hold the team accountable to written goals and objectives. If it is written down… you can’t hide from it! Team buy-in. If people can contribute to the planning process, they are much more likely to buy-in to the goals. Buy-in is extremely difficult to achieve if firm goals and initiatives are not written down.
Re-energizes your team. A strategic plan can help energize a team that may be stuck in a rut or doesn’t seem to be moving forward like they should. Great plans are built with items that will push firms to do things outside the normal comfort zones of the team. More often than not, this produces a positive boost to the team as it can pull them out of the normal routine. There are plenty more reasons to have a written strategic plan in place. Strategic planning, while essential for every good firm, shouldn’t be so difficult that it becomes a roadblock to progress. Every firm should have a plan that flows with its culture and vision. Having the plans floating around in the heads of the Partners doesn’t help the rest of teams as they work. If your firm is new to strategic planning or just needs a refresher course, I invite you to visit Boomer.com and download our Guide to Strategic Planning and see how you can get started! ■ Eric Hunt is a a Senior Business Development Specialist for Boomer Consulting, Inc. He serves as an adviser for many firm initiatives, including strategic planning, marketing and technology.
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discuss topics and planning among committees and task forces. 22
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Awards
Recognize Success
Nominate a UACPA Member to be honored At The annual awards Banquet
The UACPA Awards Task Force is gearing up to select members who deserve recognition at our awards banquet. While many CPAs are overly modest and prefer to remain unrecognized, it's important for us to recognize our best professionals and pay tribute to them as role models for those who are early in their careers. It also serves to promote the vital role CPAs play in the community. The UACPA wants your help in identifying candidates worthy of recognition. Please nominate the UACPA members who consistently go above and beyond what is necessary to serve their clients, employers, employees and communities. Any UACPA member that has contributed to the profession and/or community can be nominated. Nominations should be submitted by letter and provide relevant information in support of the nominee. Please send nominations to the UACPA Awards Task Force, 1240 E. 2100 South, Suite 500, Salt Lake City, UT 84106 or email them to Braden Thompson, bthompson@uacpa.org. All nominations should be received by July 10, 2015.
Please take time today to nominate your employee, boss or colleague for their accomplishments.
Award Categories
made at considerable personal sacrifice beyond that normally expected
Distinguished Service
• Achieved a broad-based recognition and respect for the contribution
• Demonstrated superior professional competence • Served in a key leadership role providing a significant and meaningful
Outstanding Educator
service • The service provided is beyond that normally expected in any association or career position • The nominee must have achieved a broad based recognition for the service or contribution • May also be used to give recognition for outstanding public service • The nominee must be from the general UACPA membership
Outstanding CPA in Public Practice • A member of the UACPA in public practice who has made a significant contribution to the growth and success of his/her employer’s firm • Demonstrated superior professional competence • Provided exemplary leadership through prominent UACPA positions • Made significant contributions to the growth and enhancement of the profession. Their achievement has created important positive changes in the public accounting environment. The contribution must have been made at considerable personal sacrifice beyond that normally expected • Achieved a broad-based recognition and respect for the contribution
Outstanding CPA in Business & Management • A member of the UACPA in industry or business and management who has made a significant contribution to the growth and success of his/her employer’s company • Demonstrated superior professional competence • Provided exemplary leadership through prominent UACPA positions • Made significant contributions to the growth and enhancement of the profession. Their achievement shall have created important positive changes in the business environment. The contribution must have been 24
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• Teaching: course development, teaching load, research, supervision, student motivation and perception • Research and Publication: number, type and quality • Academic Assignments: administrative, committee and special appointments • Professional Development: professional association offices held, services rendered, seminar or conference participation • Professional experience and public or civic service
Women to Watch: Emerging Leader* • A professional who has made significant contributions to the profession and her community, but who has not yet reached the highest levels of advancement • Demonstrated leadership, public/community service, contribution to the profession, creation and implementation of unique initiatives, involvement with alma mater or other local colleges and universities
Women to Watch: Experienced Leader* • One who has advanced to a higher level or leadership position – including partners, owners, executives and elected officials • Authorship of articles, major or unique contribution to the profession, public and/or community service, mentoring other professionals, improvement to the workplace, involvement with alma mater or other local colleges and universities *Presented by the AICPA. Nominees must be AICPA members to be considered.
The "Four Ts" for Managing Local Government Performance By Caroline Klein, CPA Provided by CGMA
M
etropolitan areas continue to grow and increasingly impact the global economy. Are their local governments up for the challenges ahead? In today’s global marketplace, closer alignments between businesses and local governments have never been more critical. But the often uneasy alliance between the two continues to be hampered by what businesses feel they need versus what governments are prepared to provide. While the majority of business leaders feel their local governments understand their needs for zoning, waste, technology and infrastructure, 70 percent do not think their efforts in service transformation, online processes or improved transparency add any value to their business. They believe government fails to recognize the investment opportunities that will support them. Finance management can change the status quo, creating new opportunities between businesses and governments. Success will require careful planning, execution,
monitoring, and analysis of results. Yet despite the obvious need, finance currently plays a limited strategic role in many local governments.
The “Four Ts” necessary to change the dynamic. New research by the AICPA and CIMA shows effective performance management and strong financial leadership will reverse the stagnation of local governments, and create sustainable public service delivery. There are four key areas where government leaders need to focus. Dubbed the “Four Ts,” they are: transformation, technology, transparency, and talent. The good news is that 70 percent of local governments are already undergoing or have recently gone through organizational transformation of their public services. Another 20 percent said they plan to do so within the next year and a half. They know the need for change
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CGMA exists. But does transformation add immediate value? So far, a third of government leaders report difficulty quantifying the financial benefits of such change. Adoption of technology is central to improving these transformation efforts. Technology quickly improves the communications, efficiencies and decision-making of local governments. Still, 40 percent struggle to manage data and share insights, and only 57 percent of them say they have the proper budget to execute their technology strategy, making it underutilized as an agent of change. Today, society demands much greater openness. As a result, local governments are making their operations more transparent. It’s a win-win for all involved, as it enhances both business and citizen trust while improving internal collaboration and organizational effectiveness. Over three-quarters of local government leaders believe transparency improves the quality of public service delivery.
CGMA. Boost your wow factor. Make it happen at cgma.org
CGMA, CHARTERED GLOBAL MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTANT, and the CGMA logo are trademarks of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. These trademarks are registered in the United States and in other countries.15484B-326
Unfortunately, an ongoing challenge for local governments is the recruitment and retention of top talent. While most believe they have a well-defined talent management strategy in place, almost half struggle to compete with their private sector rivals. The Four Ts can help finance leaders manage the forward accounting capabilities so necessary in today’s global marketplace. Working together, the four key areas help implement future-focused, evidence-based and agile decision-making, creating stronger alliances between businesses and their local governments. Learn more by viewing the infographic at cgma.org/ FourTs. CGMA designation holders can download the full report here. Not a CGMA designation holder? Find out how to become one at CGMA.org. ■
The Future of Peer Review
Provided by the AICPA
I
t’s 2025. You’re being introduced to Leslie, the quality control partner for her firm. She is in the midst of analyzing client work papers through the firm’s practice monitoring system. Relieved to see that a flag she raised in the system has been resolved by the audit manager, Leslie now understands that the concern had been a simple documentation issue and not a failure to perform a key audit procedure. With this overview of her firm’s engagements and the assurance that her team has addressed her concerns, Leslie can now approve the work papers with a simple voice command. Automatically, the system creates and routes her firm’s standard audit opinion letter tailored for the client. This scenario is what the AICPA asks stakeholders to imagine as they consider and provide feedback on how the 35-year old peer review program might be transformed. On December 15, the AICPA published a concept paper titled “Evolving the CPA Profession’s Peer
Review Program for the Future: A provocative vision of what practice monitoring could become,” as part of the Enhancing Audit Quality initiative and is seeking Utah Association of CPAs member input. The concept outlined in the paper was developed after two years of research and brainstorming by CPA profession leadership, staff, members and volunteers from across the country. “Today we’re faced with new levels of complexity in an increasingly fast-paced environment,” said Susan Speirs, CEO of the UACPA. “This thought-provoking concept challenges practitioners to consider and discuss an important transformation. By providing insights and putting our ideas together, we can keep our profession on the forefront of innovation and quality to protect the public interest.”
Elements of the Concept Practice monitoring as described in the concept could potentially increase public protection through enhanced audit effectiveness by: the journal entry | April 2015
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The Future of Peer Review • Highlighting potential quality risk indicators and detecting engagement issues earlier
able to access various levels of firm-related quality performance information.
• Reviewing all firms that perform accounting, auditing and attestation engagements
Influence the Program
• Monitoring all engagements subject to review A key aspect of the concept is a technology platform that joins with human oversight to provide near realtime, continuous analytic evaluation. Monitoring would initially be conducted by the firm itself. Analytic tools would notify the firm of potential quality risks or engagement issues prior to or during engagements. This notification would then lead to two levels of external monitoring. In the first level of external monitoring, AICPA-engaged practice monitors would assist firms in addressing quality issues and provide guidance to correct them. The second level would be performed by the firm’s external monitoring team, which would address unresolved issues and conduct periodic inspections of the firm’s system of quality control, including the use of technology and other resources within the firm. As currently outlined in the concept paper, the program would be developed and implemented in multiple phases. The first phase begins with a voluntary pilot group of small, medium and larger firms. The paper explains how future phases would transition from voluntary to mandatory participation. During all phases, a dashboard would provide a snapshot of useful information about the firm’s engagement activities and compliance with performance metrics over areas subject to monitoring. When implementation is complete, the cumulative results of the metrics displayed on the dashboard would generate a rating that would be displayed as a “quality seal.” Within the concept, the seal would visually confirm the firm’s participation in the practice monitoring program, the extent of services and the degree of compliance with performance metrics. Depending on access privileges and security rights, stakeholders would be
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The concept’s vision is meant to change and develop based on stakeholders’ feedback on the paper. Advances in technology and the pilot program’s impact on firms also will contribute to the maturation and transformation of that vision. In time, the AICPA hopes that, through iterative processes, it can enhance the future for practice monitoring by: • Leveraging and incorporating emerging technologies • Providing a platform for more timely and effective audit quality oversight • Delivering more timely and transparent information to stakeholders (clients and oversight bodies) regarding the quality of a firm’s audit performance, and, thus, protecting the public interest • Ensuring that the evolving process and its audit quality tools provide value to firms “The profession is at an early stage in imagining practice monitoring’s future. The concept itself hinges on the input and guidance of practice monitoring’s stakeholders, who are urged to read the paper and comment on it,” said Speirs. “UACPA members will be able to provide thoughtful and diverse perspectives on what the next generation of practice monitoring might look like.” To learn more, read the concept paper or visit the Future of Practice Monitoring resource page at aicpa.org/ practicemonitoringconcept, which features related news and information, including a video. Comments, due June 15, 2015, may be submitted by email to prsupport@aicpa.org or through the Web at aicpa.org/futurepracticemonitoring. ■
Give back to the Profession Join a UACPA Committee or Task Force
Volunteer online at uacpa.org — keyword search "committee" ✓ I would like to volunteer to serve on a UACPA committe or task force ❑ Committee/Task Force descriptions can be found online at uacpa.org. Identify the committee or task forces below. Check all that you would like to serve on (maximum 3). We will make every effort to assign you to the committee(s) of your choice. Send completed form to: UACPA, 1240 E. 2100 South, Suite 500, Salt Lake City, UT 84106; email: volunteer@uacpa.org. ❑ 100 Year Anniversary Task Force ❑ Accounting Issues/Conference Task Force ❑ Business Valuation Conference Task Force ❑ CPAs in Business & Management (BAM) Conference Task Force ❑ CPE Approval ❑ Editorial Committee ❑ Event Planning Committee
❑ Federal Key Person ❑ Financial Literacy Task Force ❑ Financial Ready Utah ❑ Golf Tournament Task Force ❑ Non-Profit ❑ ProNet Council Sub-committees ❑ K-12 Committee ❑ K-12 Volunteers ❑ ProNet Campus Ambassadors (Collegiate)
❑ ProNet Communications ❑ ProNet CPA Inauguration ❑ ProNet Leadership Development ❑ ProNet New Professionals
❑ State & Local Government Task Force ❑ Tax Issues ❑ Tax Symposium ❑ Winter Conference Task Force
Name: ___________________________________________________________ UACPA #: __________________________________ Firm/Company: __________________________________________________ Phone: _____________________________________ Address: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip: ___________________________________________________ Email: _______________________________________ the journal entry | April 2015
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Closing the Gaap — Women in Accounting
Nicole Gardner, CPA By Melanie Beuchert, CPA
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icole Gardner, an audit manager at Eide Bailly and current president of the Utah Chapter of the AWSCPA, talks about her career and how she has provided value as a woman in the accounting profession. She encourages women to say yes to new opportunities and to actively pursue career goals. Outside of work, Nicole has a passion for interior decorating and enjoys discovering new treasures for her home. She graduated from the MAcc program at Brigham Young University in 2003. What led you to a career as a CPA? I was lucky enough to have parents who paid for my undergraduate studies at Brigham Young University. During my second semester, I told my Dad that I was planning on majoring in Marriage and Family Studies. He wisely asked what I was planning on doing with that major after graduation, to which I had no reply. He calmly let me know that he was paying for me to have an employable skill once I graduated from college. I registered for my first accounting class the next semester. What would you be doing if you were not a CPA? If I were not a CPA, I would be an interior decorator. I could 30
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spend hours in furniture and home décor stores (much to the dread of my husband). I love finding unique pieces for my own home – the most recent being a silver rhinoceros head to hang in my living room. What advice do you live by? Always say yes! Opportunities present themselves when you say yes. On a professional level, I learn the most when I say yes to something I haven’t done before or that sounds like a challenge. If I spend too much time thinking about it, I can talk myself out of trying or lose out on an opportunity because I waited too long and it was given to someone else. Last year I said yes to serve as president of the Utah Chapter of the AWSCPA. It was overwhelming at first, but well worth it due to the amazing women I get to interact with. What do you like most about your career and what do you like least? I love all of the organizations and people I get to interact with. I work with quite a few nonprofit organizations, and I am inspired by the good people who are driven to make a difference in our community. As I work with these organizations, I learn about community efforts to end homeless-
Closing the GAAP — Women in Accounting ness, assist refugees settling into new environments and help individuals to overcome addiction. Although my work is on their audit, I feel rewarded to have small part in helping these organizations. My least favorite part of my career falls on every Saturday from about the third week in January through the end of March. I really like my coworkers, but I prefer to see them on a Monday through Friday basis. What advice would you give other women professionals? Figure out what you want and don’t be afraid to go after it. This is the same advice I continually give myself. I am not naturally assertive, and like most women, I tend to put my head down and work and wait to be recognized. It can be out of our comfort zone and scary to ask for what we want, but if you are confident and willing to ask for it, most likely you deserve it, and the answer will be yes. What advantages do you have as a professional woman in the accounting profession? The accounting profession has traditionally been dominated by men, but when a unique perspective is being sought, the person who is different is the most valuable. I have found that being a woman in the accounting profession affords me opportunities to share my opinion and participate in the decision-making process. In my current position, I participate in my firm’s women’s initiative, “First Focus.” The goal of the initiative is to retain and advance men and women equally. As part of the initiative, I lead monthly discussions with female colleagues from multiple offices throughout our firm, participate in women’s leadership trainings and interact and learn from firm leaders and partners outside of my local office. This opportunity helps me grow as an accounting professional and furthermore to become a resource and role model for those in my local office. ■ Melanie Beuchert, CPA, is a corporate tax manager at USANA Health Sciences. Before joining USANA, she graduated from BYU and spent several years in public accounting. She currently serves as a board member for the Utah Affiliate of the AWSCPA. Melanie can be reached at melanie. beuchert@us.usana.com
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Board Question
Meet the Executive Board
Q: How Has Being a UACPA Member Impacted You? Jonyce Bullock, CPA President
Hollie Andrus, CPA President-Elect
The association has given me the opportunity to meet with and work with CPAs throughout the state. I have especially enjoyed my work with the ProNet Council and the connections I have made through the Campus Ambassador program.
Have you asked "What have you done for me lately?" when it comes to membership? I Googled "symbiotic" and eventually landed at the definition of "mutualism" — a collective effort beneficial to me and the society. I am a better, more well-rounded CPA because of the opportunity the Association gives me to rub elbows with its members.
Sherie Charlesworth, CPA Secretary I learned some important leadership and organizational skills during my time as an officer in the Northern Utah Chapter of the UACPA early on in my career.
Dan Griffiths, CPA AICPA Council Representative
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Gavin Hutchinson, CPA Vice President
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I had the opportunity to live with my grandmother when I was in college. One thing she told me when I got my first job offer was to give back to my profession and it wouldn’t lead me astray. I’ve learned that by giving back, I’ve had the opportunity to help shape where the profession is going.
Paul Skeen, CPA Immediate Past President
Very early in my career, the UACPA was an invaluable source of leadership development for me personally. I had the opportunity to serve on committees, lead committees and otherwise practice leadership skills in a low-risk, professional setting. This provided me with the skills and confidence to be able to exercise leadership in other higher stakes settings.
Kyle Pexton CPA Member at Large
Susan Speirs, CPA CEO
Brett Hugie, CPA Member at Large
The greatest benefit I have received from being a member of the UACPA is the relationships I have developed with so many of the gifted CPAs in Utah. Serving alongside numerous members on various committees and task forces has made me a better professional and has provided experiences I treasure.
Josh Turnbow, CPA ProNet
MEet a uacpa member
Five Minutes with Richard Jones, CPA Richard Jones, CPA is the CFO for Costa Vida Restaurants and Fat Cats fun centers. He was previously the CFO at Nature's Way Products where he worked for 23 years. As a Torrance, California native, Jones was an avid bodysurfer prior to serving an LDS mission in Southern Mexico and later earning his Master's in Accounting at BYU. Jones and his wife Deborah have two children. What led you to become a CPA? I was inspired to be a CPA by my older brother. He was in the accounting program at BYU and since I always looked up to him, I followed in his footsteps. How did you become a singer/ songwriter? I learned guitar in college, as it gave me an audience with the opposite sex. I stopped songwriting when I got married (similar to not going to dances after you get married). It was some 30 years later that I began writing in earnest again, mainly due to the loss of my employment of 23 years.
I used songwriting as a coping mechanism and as a way to get out my anger and frustrations. I became so hooked on writing that I began writing at a frenetic pace and have written over 300 songs to date. Many people encouraged me to record my songs professionally and I began doing it during the 10 months I was unemployed. What musicians have inspired you? If you listen to my music you can guess that I listened to Neil Diamond growing up. I’m also told that I remind listeners of Gordon Lightfoot. Other artists who inspire me are Bread, Dan Fogelberg, The Beatles, Seals & Crofts, Carly Simon, Carole King, James Taylor, John Denver and other groups the old-timers would remember. What other hobbies do you enjoy? I love writing poetry (which is the genesis for many of my song lyrics). I also like to cross country ski, go fishing, and used to be an avid tennis player until I got hooked on songwriting.
What are your personal and professional goals? I’d like to help take a company public (if I can get an equity stake), and if I’m lucky, live the American dream and be able to make a living writing music. What have been your proudest accomplishments? My proudest accomplishments are marrying my wife of 33 years and raising two children. Others would be getting my albums online (iTunes, Google Play and Amazon), having a website (RichJonesMusic. com), and hearing myself on the radio. What advice do you live by? I admire Brigham Young and there is a quote attributed to him that I try to live by. “He who takes offense when offense was not intended is a fool, yet he who takes offense when offense is intended is an even greater fool for he has succumbed to the will of his adversary.” I sincerely believe most people have no premeditated intention of hurting others and so I always try to give others the benefit the doubt. ■ the journal entry | April 2015
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Meet the UACPA Staff
Q: What is Your Dream Travel Destination? April Deneault CPE Manager
Amy Spencer Marketing & Communications Manager
One of my dream travel destinations is Canada. My dad was born and raised in Montreal. I also have an aunt and uncle in Quebec that I haven’t seen since I was 8 years old. It would be neat to visit the place my dad was born and raised and also see family that I haven’t seen forever.
It's hard to pick just one, so here are four of my daydream destinations: Thailand for beaches, elephants and tigers, Iceland for Northern Lights, Costa Rica for beaches, nature and sloths and New Zealand for "Lord of the Rings" landscapes.
Braden Thompson Membership Development Coordinator
Merri Smith Director of Finance My fascination for a vacation destination brings Belize in mind. The aqua water as you breathe in the air, scuba diving, waterfalls, yoga and a beach. What more could one need, besides a partner in crime to enjoy with and a couple weeks off to explore the experience of this Caribbean island.
My dream destination would be any of the islands in the Maldives. I fantasize about owning an island there quite often. But honestly, I’d be happy on any island with a secluded ocean view, two trees to hang a hammock from and a supply of cold beverages.
e c n e r e f n o C t n e m n r e v o G l a c p. m . | 8 CP E H ou rs o 15 4: L . m & a. 8 e | t et a re t St SY 1 , 2015 | Little America Hotel, 500 S. Main
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Meet the UACPA Staff
MEet the uacPA Staff
Five Minutes with Braden Thompson
Braden Thompson is the Membership Development Coordinator at the Utah Association of CPAs. Prior to joining the UACPA, Thompson graduated from Utah State University with a degree in marketing. Thompson adds, "My favorite color is green and my favorite author is Malcolm Gladwell." What led you to the position in membership development? I thoroughly enjoy working with people and building new relationships. I have also worked in various marketing and event management positions for the past five years. The membership development position is the perfect opportunity to use my skills in an environment where I get to work with all kinds of people. I’m excited to meet as many people as I can in the ranks of the UACPA!
What do you like to do in your free time? I love watching sports. Whether I’m on a couch watching bowling or in a stadium watching football, I can’t get enough. I also enjoy relaxing with a good book in a hammock, smelling the fresh-cut greens of the golf course and writing my thoughts and ideas into thought-provoking blog posts. What are your 2015 goals? I want to talk with someone new every day, read 25 books and figure out exactly how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop. What famous people, dead or alive, would you invite to a dinner party? I would invite Abraham Lincoln because he lived an amazing life, Conan O’Brien because he is hilarious, Taylor Swift because I admire her
passion, and Phil Mickelson because I could always use some advice on my golf game. What is something that would surprise people to know about you? Sometimes I wish I was a cowboy. I love horses, being outside and working with my hands. When I retire, I’d like to live in a house in the mountains with horses and a dog named Malcolm. What advice do you live by? I’m always trying to find ways I can get outside of my comfort zone. I want to make a positive difference in the world and comfort is the enemy of progression. ■ Braden can be reached at bthompson@ uacpa.org or 801.833.6632. the journal entry | April 2015
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UACPA Photo Pages 1
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1. Shayne Miller and Aaron Clark catch up at Midwinter Leadership Council 2. Jon Daich and Jason Tomlinson share a table at Midwinter Leadership Council 3. UACPA staff, April and Braden, get ready for Tax Treat deliveries 4. Steve Smith from WSRP breaks away for a moment for the UACPA Tax Treat delivery 5. Students attending the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance conference in January bring strategic planning to the UACPA as one of their projects in January 6. Ariane Gibson, Daniel Greer, John Larson, Jeff Pickett and Richard Bradford (not pictured) discuss careers as a CPA with Wesminster College students 7. Daniel Greer talks to students after the panel event at Westminster College
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CPECourseSchedule
Register online at uacpa.org, then Education & Events or call the UACPA office at (801) 466-8022. Field of Study
Credit Hours Course Title
Instructor
Vendor
Member Fee*
NonMember Fee
June 6/11/15
8
Excel Tips, Tricks, and Techniques for Accountants
TBD
K2 Enterprises
$285
$340
6/12/15
8
Technology for CPAs - Don't Get Left Behind
TBD
K2 Enterprises
$285
$340
Sept 9/1-2/15
16
Excel Boot Camp
TBD
K2 Enterprises
$460
$550
9/22/15
8
Auditing Defined Contribution Plans
Melissa Critcher
AICPA
$285
$340
9/23/15
8
Annual Update for Preparation, Compilation and Review Engagements
Melissa Critcher
AICPA
$285
$340
9/25/15
8
FASB Review for Business & Industry
Marty Van Wagoner
AICPA
$285
$340
9/29/15
4
Frequent Frauds Found in Not-for-Profits
Bruce Shepard
AICPA
$165
$195
9/29/15
4
Annual Update for Governments and Not-for-Profits
Bruce Shepard
AICPA
$165
$195
9/30/15
8
Audits of State & Local Governments: What you Need to Know
Bruce Shepard
AICPA
$285
$340
10/1/15
8
Quickbooks for Accountants
TBD
K2 Enterprises
$285
$340
10/2/15
8
Excel Best Practices
TBD
K2 Enterprises
$285
$340
10/8-9/15
16
FASB Standards: A Comprehensive Review for All CPAs
10/19/15
4
Fraud: Recent Findings, Red Flags and Corruption Schemes
Oct
Marty Van Wagoner
AICPA
$460
$550
Renee Rampulla
AICPA
$165
$195
10/19/15
4
Engagement Essentials: Preparation of Financial Statements
Renee Rampulla
AICPA
$165
$195
10/20/15
8
Internal Controls and Risk Assessment: Key Factors in a Successful Audit
Renee Rampulla
AICPA
$285
$340
10/21/15
8
Basis/Distributions for Pass-Through Entities: Simplifying the Complexities
Michael Blackburn
AICPA
$285
$340
10/22/15
4
Analyzing a Company's Financial Statements
Arthur Pulis
AICPA
$165
$195
10/22/15
4
Analyzing Costs, Productivity, and Efficiency: Three Ways to Boost Your Bottom Line
Arthur Pulis
AICPA
$165
$195
10/23/15
8
The New Controllership: Keys to Boosting Corporate Performance
Arthur Pulis
AICPA
$285
$340
10/26/15
4
Tax Planning Strategies for Small Businesses: Corporations, Partnership, and LLCs
Michael Blackburn
AICPA
$165
$195
10/26/15
4
Estates and Trusts: Mastering Complex Income Tax Issues
Michael Blackburn
AICPA
$165
$195
10/27/15
8
Construction Contractors: Accounting, Auditing and Tax
Thomas Sheets
AICPA
$285
$340
10/28/15
8
Form 990: A Comprehensive Approach to Accurate Preparation
Thomas Sheets
AICPA
$285
$340
10/29/15
8
Hottest Tax Topics for 2015
Peter Towle
AICPA
$285
$340
10/30/15
8
Taxation Essentials of LLCs and Partnerships
Peter Towle
AICPA
$285
$340
11/2/15
8
Fraud Update: Detecting and Preventing the Top Ten Fraud Schemes
Glenn Helms
AICPA
$248
$340
11/3/15
8
Internal Controls and COSO Essentials for Financial Managers, Accountants and Auditors
Glenn Helms
AICPA
$285
$340
11/4/15
8
Revenue Recognition: Mastering the New FASB Requirements
Marty Van Wagoner
AICPA
$285
$340
11/5/15
8
Payroll Taxes and 1099 Issues: Everything You Need to Know
Pamela Davis-Vaughn
AICPA
$285
$340
NOV
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CPE Schedule Field of Study
Credit Hours Course Title
Instructor
Vendor
Member Fee*
NonMember Fee
NOV 11/6/15
8
Nexus Update: Latest Developments in State Income, Franchise, and Sales Tax
Pamela Davis-Vaughn
AICPA
$285
$340
11/9/15
8
Surgent's Advanced Critical Tax Issues for Limited Liability Companies and Partnerships
Bob Gilwee
Surgent McCoy
$285
$340
11/10/15
8
Buying and Selling a Business: Critical Tax and Structuring Issues
Bob Gilwee
Surgent McCoy
$285
$340
11/11/15
4
Excel Macros Part 1
TBD
K2 Enterprises
$165
$195
11/11/15
4
Tech Tools and Gadgets for a More Efficient You!
TBD
K2 Enterprises
$165
$195
11/12/15
8
Excel Pivot Tables for Accountants
TBD
K2 Enterprises
$285
$340
11/17/15
4
Capitalized Costs and Depreciations: Key Issues and Answers
Kevin Krantz
AICPA
$165
$195
11/17/15
4
Reviewing Individual Tax REturns: What Are You Missing?
Kevin Krantz
AICPA
$165
$195
11/18/15
8
Federal Income Tax Accounting Maximizing Tax Benefits and Minimizing Tax Costs
Kevin Krantz
AICPA
$285
$340
11/19/15
8
Annual Tax Update: Individuals and Sole Proprietors
Michael Blackburn
AICPA
$285
$340
11/20/15
8
Annual Tax Update: Corporations and Pass Through Entities
Michael Blackburn
AICPA
$285
$340
11/23/15
8
Analytics and Big Data for Accountants
James Lindell
AICPA
$285
$340
11/24/15
8
Transforming Your Role as Controller to Business Partner
James Lindell
AICPA
$285
$340
11/30/15
8
Not-for-Profit Accounting & Reporting: From Start to Finish
Brian Sheets
AICPA
$285
$340
DEC 12/1/15
8
Advanced Excel
12/2/15
8
Preparing Individual Tax Returns for New Staff and ParaProfessionals
12/3/15
8
Tax Forms Boot Camp: LLCs, Partnerships and S Corporations
12/4/15
8
GAAS: A Comprehensive Review for Auditors
12/7/15
8
12/8/15
8
12/14/15
TBD
K2 Enterprises
$285
$340
Jon Karp
Surgent McCoy
$285
$340
Jon Karp
Surgent McCoy
$285
$340
Marty Van Wagoner
AICPA
$285
$340
Forensic Accounting Investigative Practices
Robert Minniti
AICPA
$285
$340
Identity Theft: Preventing, Detecting, and Investigating Identity Theft
Robert Minniti
AICPA
$285
$340
8
Governmental and Not-for-Profit Annual Update
William Wagner
AICPA
$285
$340
12/15/15
8
Recognizing and Responding to Fraud Risk in Governmental and Not-for-Profit Organizations
William Wagner
AICPA
$285
$340
12/16/15
8
Annual Update for Accountants and Auditors
Marty Van Wagoner
AICPA
$190
$340
12/21/15
8
Annual Update for Controllers
Curtis Quickel
AICPA
$285
$340
12/22/15
8
Financial Forecasting and Decision Making
Curtis Quickel
AICPA
$285
$340
12/28/15
8
AICPA's Annual Federal Tax Update
Michael Blackburn
AICPA
$190
$340
12/29/15
4
Health Care Reform Act: Critical Tax and Insurance Ramifications
Michael Blackburn
AICPA
$165
$195
12/29/15
4
Social Security and Medicare: Maximizing Retirement Benefits
Michael Blackburn
AICPA
$195
$195
* Early-bird pricing available for all classes. Find dates at www.uacpa.org AICPA Members receive an additional $30 off the price of each 8 hour course $60 for 16 hour courses. (excludes 4 hour courses & core training courses) where the AICPA is listed as the vendor. Use promo code AICPA8 for 8 hour courses and AICPA16 for 16 hour courses.
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Education
Save The Date! May 1
State & Local Government Conference Little America Hotel
Aug. 19
UACPA Golf Tournament Bountiful Ridge Golf Course
Aug.
Accounting & Auditing Conference University of Utah
Sept. 17
CPAs in Business & Management Conference South Towne Expo Center
Oct. 28 - 30
Leadership Academy Deer Valley
Nov.
Home Builders Association Conference St. George
Nov.
Tax Practitioner's Conference St. George
Nov.
Succession Planning Conference
Nov. 13
Tax Symposium Salt Palace Convention Center
December 10 - 11
Winter Conference Salt Palace Convention Center
December 17 - 18 Technology Conference South Towne Expo Center 40
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UACPA Classes Excel Tips, Tricks and Techniques for Accountants
June 11, 2015
Excel is the accountant's tool of choice for analyzing and reporting financial data, yet most accountants have never received any formal Excel training. As a result, many accountants use time-consuming and error-prone processes to complete everyday tasks. This highly acclaimed course contains hundreds of tips, tricks and techniques to improve your productivity and accuracy. The course has six major areas of topical coverage: productivity tips and tricks, formatting essentials, customizing Excel, formula-building essentials, three-dimensional workbooks and printing essentials. If you are an Excel user, regardless of your level of experience, and you have never taken a formal Excel training course for accountants, you need this course!
Technology for CPAs — Don't Get Left Behind
June 12, 2015
How good are you with the technology you use daily? What new technology tools are available that could save you time and make you more effective? In this fast-paced, updatestyle course, you will survey today’s IT environment, learning about computer hardware, software, operating systems (including Windows 8 and Windows 10 and what they mean for you) and peripheral devices. You will also learn about significant trends in information technology and how to take advantage of the opportunities presented by these trends. Throughout the course, significant amounts of time are invested to demonstrate practical applications of the latest tools that provide CPAs in all disciplines with the information they need to harness the power of technology. Course Times: 7:30 – 3:45 CPE Credit: 8 hours Location: UACPA, 1240 E. 2100 South, Suite 500 Fees: UACPA Members – Early Registration, $257 UACPA Member – Standard, $285 Nonmember – Early Registration, $ 312 Nonmember – Standard, $340
Member Benefits
The UACPA Honors 100% Membership
AGILITY
Congratulations to the firms and businesses curerently participating in the UACPA's 100% membership program. This demonstrates their commitment to the profession, to the Association's high ethical standards and a commitment to life-long learning.
The UACPA's Affinity Partners help you get the most out of your membership Agility offers UACPA members and their clients a 10% discount on any of their ReadySuite solutions. Contact Trevor Mickelson, your Industry Specialist, at 720-4904531, or Trevor.Mickelson@agilityrecovery.com for further information.
Alamo
Firms with 10-or-more CPAs on staff are eligible for the inclusion of the 100% membership program.
Alamo auto rentals provides discounts and upgrades to UACPA members & affiliates. Call 800-GO-ALAMO (800-462-5266) to make reservations (ID Number 706768)
PUBLIC PRACTICE
Hertz
• PricewaterhouseCoopers
UACPA members and affiliates are entitled to receive a variety of benefits from Hertz auto rentals. Take advantage of your member discount by calling 800-654-2210 and mention CDP #1884442
JoS. A Bank Men's Clothing
The retailer offers UACPA members and affilicates 20% off all regularly priced merchandise
ADP
ADP offers free payroll and free 401k services to referring UACPA Members and its affiliates. Please reach out to Kenny McKenna directly at 801-956-7850 or email kenny. mckenna@adp.com for more information
Camico
The Mutual Insurance Company offers UACPA members a variety of benefits. To learn more, call 800-652-1772 or email inquiry@camico.com
Office Depot
UACPA members can save up to 40% on office products, printing, technology and furniture. Visit uacpa.org to learn more.
• Mantyla McReynolds
• HJ & Associates • Pinnock, Robbins, Posey & Richins • Davis & Bott • Stayner Bates & Jensen • Hawkins Cloward & Simister • Jones Simkins
INDUSTRY • Workers Compensation Fund Is your firm eligible to be a part of the 100% membership program? Learn more by talking to Braden Thompson, bthompson@uacpa.org or call 801.466.8022
Learn more about member benefits by talking to Amy Spencer, as @uacpa.org or calling 801.466.8022 the journal entry | April 2015
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ContactList Accounting Issues
When UACPA members have questions about accounting issues, help is available from the UACPA Accounting Issues Committee. Each month, a member of the committee is assigned to answer accounting questions and help you interpret the rules as they apply to your particular situation. The following members may be contacted during the months listed. April
May
Ted Rokich 801-263-3090 trokich@fdic.gov
Larry Deppe 801-626-7838 ldeppe1@weber.edu
June Mark Anderson 801-532-2200 manderson@eidebailly.com
CPE Approval — Does This Qualify?
When UACPA members have questions regarding CPE Approval and whether or not something may or may not qualify, they can turn to the UACPA CPE Approval Committee for answers. Each month, committee members are assigned to answer member questions related to CPE approval. Below are the members’ who may be contacted with your questions. April - June Steve Avis 801-532-2200 savis@eidebailly.com
Scott L. Robinson 801-990-5918 srobinson@tannerco.com
Tax Issues
The Tax Issues Committee focuses on legislative and regulatory issues and does not answer technical questions. For assistance with a technical matter, please refer to the UACPA referral tool at uacpa.org. Direct questions related to legislative or regulatory issues to taxissues@uacpa.org
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Classified Ads To place your classified advertisement and reach Utah CPAs, contact the UACPA at mail@uapca.org, Utah Practice For Sale: St. George Tax & Accounting Practice - gross $62K, tax (84%) accounting (12%) and various consulting/training services (3%). good cash flow to owner around 68%. St. George Area CPA Practice - gross $200K, Tax (53%) Accnting Svs (47%); 70%+ of the total revenues generated from business clients. Ogden CPA Practice - gross $71K, 50/50, between tax work and accounting & consulting services. For more information, please call 1-800-397-0249 or visit www. AccountingPracticeSales.com to see listing details and register for free email updates. 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 to help you find the right fit for your firm, negotiate the best price and terms and get the deal done. To learn more about our risk-free and confidential services, call Ryan Pannell with The Holmes Group at 1-800-397-0249 or email ryan@accountingpracticesales.com. Interested in Buying a Practice? See local and nationwide listings at www.AccountingPracticeSales.com and register for free email updates. Or call us at 800-397-0249. Experienced CPAs – Join Our Rocky Mountain Tax Practice Dalby, Wendland & Co., P.C., a progressive and growing public accounting firm in western Colorado, has Tax Manager and Tax Supervisor openings in our Glenwood Springs office. Candidates will be CPAs with 5 + years of public accounting experience, skills in income taxation, and a strong general accounting background. We provide competitive compensation, benefits, and ownership opportunities. If you like the idea of living in a mountain town atmosphere, you will like Glenwood Springs. We are ready to talk now, so don’t miss out on this opportunity! See www.dalbycpa.com/careers, or apply with your cover letter and resume at HR@DalbyCPA. com.
G olf Tournament W ,A 19 ednesday
ugust
Bring your swing to the UACPA's annual golf tournament where 36 teams of four will be playing to benefit the Utah CPA Foundation, supporting financial literacy in Utah. Prizes and raffle will take place during lunch.
Time: 8 a.m. Shotgun Start Location: Bountiful Ridge Golf Course, 2430 S. Bountilful, Blvd. Fees: $450 per team; $115 per individual Lunch & light breakfast included
For info about the tournament and sponsorships, contact Braden Thompson, bthompson@uacpa.org the journal entry | April 2015
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Utah Association of CPAs 1240 E. 2100 South, Suite 500 Salt Lake City, UT 84106
Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage
PAID Salt Lake City, UT
Address Service Requested
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Permit No. 1996