Blogs

The Journey to Self-Accountability: Lessons from the NJCPA Managing Partner Retreat

By Carolyn Hook posted 04-04-2016
Be the first person to recommend this.
Sam Allred, CPA, is a Director at Upstream Academy , Founder of Upstream Academy Network, an international association of accounting firms, and was the central figure in the development of methodology and best practices now practiced by hundreds of firms throughout the United States and Canada. Sam Allred has been regularly recognized as one of the major influencers of the accounting profession and has been listed for the past six years as one of Inside Public Accounting’s “Most Recommended Consultants.” So when, at the NJCPA Managing Partner Retreat, Allred told of a time when he was his firm’s “least accountable partner,” New Jersey’s top CPA firm leadership ...
0 comments

NJ CPA Firms Complete Second Annual "Month of Service"

By Don Meyer, CAE posted 06-16-2015
Be the first person to recommend this.
On May 31, the NJ CPA Month of Service came to an end. Organized by the New Jersey Society of CPAs, the second annual volunteer service program represents the CPA profession's ongoing commitment to serving the communities where its professionals live and work. CPAs from 14 firms across the Garden State, as well as NJCPA staff, volunteered for a whole day or a few hours at locations encompassing a variety of organizations. CPAs raised money, collected clothing, constructed homes for people and bats (read below), cooked meals, walked, ran, dressed down and painted. Here are some highlights: Alloy, Silverstein, Shapiro, Adams, Mulford, Cicalese, Wilson ...
0 comments

Accounting Professionals to Take Part in “NJ CPA Month of Service”

By Don Meyer, CAE posted 04-22-2015
Be the first person to recommend this.
Organized by the New Jersey Society of CPAs (NJCPA), the second annual “ NJ CPA Month of Service ” will take place during May 2015. This volunteer service program represents the CPA profession's ongoing commitment to serving the communities where its professionals live and work. CPAs from all across the Garden State can volunteer for a whole day or just a few hours at locations encompassing a variety of organizations. They can volunteer for a community organization of their choice and can participate as individuals, groups or firms. To date, the following firms have committed to participate: Bedard, Kurowicki & Co. Friedman LLP The ...
0 comments

End of the Triennial Alert: Myths and Facts about CPE

By Don Meyer, CAE posted 12-15-2014
Be the first person to recommend this.
In 16 days, the ball drops on the 2012-14 CPE triennial, meaning that New Jersey CPAs have just over two weeks to complete their 120 credit-hour requirement and renew their CPA licenses. If the questions received from NJCPA members the last few weeks are any indication, there are many CPE rules that are misinterpreted or forgotten. For clarification, I'll turn to NJCPA member Kenn Heaslip , who wrote an article for the January/February issue of New Jersey CPA magazine, "14 Myths and Facts about CPE", which is excerpted below. I tried to pick out the myths/facts most relevant to this triennial period. Myth: A course sponsor must be approved by the NJ ...
2 comments

News from the NJ Division of Taxation

By Don Meyer, CAE posted 12-10-2014
Be the first person to recommend this.
The NJ Society of CPAs (NJSCPA) and our members are fortunate that not only is the Director of the NJ Division of Taxation, Michael Bryan, a member of the NJSCPA, he also reads and responds to posts on the Society's Member Open Forum . Below is a post from Director Bryan in response to a question about "NJ E-Filing and Pro Series Software" NJSCPA Members - We at the Division of Taxation are aware of the issue complicating the filing of NJ returns without corresponding NJ K-1's. Firstly we're not "establishing a preparer penalty" for not e-filing. It's been on the books for some time and we've not enforced it. Nor will we penalize any preparer that fails ...
0 comments

30 Days and Counting

By Don Meyer, CAE posted 12-01-2014
Be the first person to recommend this.
In honor of Cyber Monday, I'm encouraging all NJSCPA members to head to their computers, laptops and tablets to renew their CPA licenses and complete their IRS Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) registration. As hopefully everyone reading this message knows, there are just 30 more days until the end of the triennial CPE reporting period . In late October, the New Jersey State Board of Accountancy mailed the instructions for renewing your CPA license via its secure MyLicense website . Remember that individual CPA license and firm license renewal pages on the State Board website require different logins and passwords. If you don't think that you'll ...
0 comments

Tracking Your CPE as the End of the Triennial Approaches

By Don Meyer, CAE posted 11-15-2014
Be the first person to recommend this.
By now, all New Jersey CPAs should have received license renewal information in the mail from the NJ State Board of Accountancy. If you haven't received your packet, contact the State Board directly at (973) 504-6380. Remember that individual CPA license and firm license renewal pages on the State Board website require different logins and passwords. For more information about license renewal, visit the CPE triennial FAQs page on our website. It's well known that New Jersey CPAs need to take 120 continuing education credits during the triennial reporting period, including 72 credits in technical subject areas (24 of which must be in Accounting ...
0 comments

Problem with the Board of Accountancy Website

By Don Meyer, CAE posted 10-30-2014
Be the first person to recommend this.
The NJSCPA was contacted by a member who received his New Jersey CPA license renewal information in the mail today. When he went to the New Jersey State Board of Accountancy website to renew his license, the profession/business menu did not include an option for Certified Public Accountant or Accountancy, making it impossible for him to renew his license. We contacted the State Board and were told that the website should be updated after November 2. CPAs should check the website periodically after that date. We will alert members if other problems arise. If you haven't received your CPA license renewal information in the mail yet, don't panic. The information ...
1 comment

Preparing for the End of the Triennial and CPA License Renewal

By Don Meyer, CAE posted 10-27-2014
1 person recommends this.
As I mentioned in last week's blog , next week the New Jersey State Board of Accountancy will mail instructions for renewing NJ CPA licenses via the State Board's secure MyLicense website. Before I go on, let's cover the obvious: The end of the current New Jersey triennial reporting period is December 31, 2014. CPAs must complete 120 hours of CPE with an approved CPE sponsor , which includes providers that have a sponsor number issued by the State Board, are registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA), or a waiver for an individual course has been granted to the licensee by the State Board. If you ...
1 comment

Is Your Mailing Address with the State Board Current?

By Don Meyer, CAE posted 10-21-2014
1 person recommends this.
One of the most common CPA license renewal problems that the NJSCPA hears about is CPAs not receiving the license renewal information from the NJ State Board of Accountancy. Why? Because they didn't update their address of record with the State Board. While license renewal is done online, the State Board mails you information detailing its procedure on how to renew your license. If the State Board does not have your current mailing address, that information will not follow you to your new address, even if the post office is forwarding your mail. Technically, licensees must notify the Board by mail or electronically no later than 30 days following a change ...
0 comments

NJ CPA Firms Complete First Annual "Month of Service"

By Don Meyer, CAE posted 06-03-2014
1 person recommends this.
On May 31, the NJ CPA Month of Service came to an end. Organized by the New Jersey Society of CPAs, the first annual volunteer service program represents the CPA profession's ongoing commitment to serving the communities where its professionals live and work. CPAs from 18 firms across the Garden State, as well as NJSCPA staff, volunteered for a whole day or a few hours at locations encompassing a variety of organizations. CPAs raised money, collected shoes and food, painted classrooms, read to children, sent care packages to the troops, and much more. Here are some highlights: Members and supporters of the Society's Southwest Jersey Chapter participated ...
0 comments

A Few Thoughts on New Year's Resolutions

By Don Meyer, CAE posted 12-31-2013
2 people recommend this.
January 1st is one of my favorite days of the year. It’s a day when we can all hit the reset button and start fresh. At least that’s the plan. Naturally, the first day of the year provides the perfect opportunity to make that pledge to build better habits or tackle that allusive project that we’ve been meaning to get to, also known as the New Year’s Resolution. Here's a list of the top 10 resolutions for 2014, based on a study from the University of Scranton in the Journal of Clinical Psychology: 10. Spend more time with family 9. Fall in love 8. Help others fulfill their dreams 7. Quit smoking 6. Learn something exciting 5. Stay fit and healthy ...
0 comments

Hey Gmailers - Are You Missing NJSCPA Emails?

By Rachael Bell, CAE posted 10-03-2013
Be the first person to recommend this.
If you have a Gmail account, you may be missing out on important emails from the New Jersey Society of CPAs. Earlier this year, Gmail rolled out “tabs,” an effort to organize your incoming mail into categories. The three default tabs are Primary, Social Messages and Promotions, and Gmail is automatically sorting and sending your mail to the tab it corresponds to. Messages from the NJSCPA are being sent to the Promotions tab by default. Don’t miss out on registration confirmations, CPE credit letters, E-NEWS , the Open Forum and other important emails you’re entitled to as part of your NJSCPA membership. If the Promotions tab is not one you ...
0 comments

Have you heard the one about the marketers and the accountants?

By Don Meyer, CAE posted 10-01-2013
2 people recommend this.
When I write a blog, I typically try to be insightful or thought provoking. And then there's this time. I just thought this joke was funny...if you're a marketer like me. Here we go: Three marketers and three accountants are travelling by train to a conference. At the station, the three accountants each buy tickets and watch as the three marketers buy only a single ticket. "How are three people going to travel on only one ticket?" asks an accountant. "Watch and you'll see," answers a marketer. They all board the train. The accountants take their respective seats but all three marketers cram into a restroom and close the door behind them. Shortly after ...
0 comments

NJ Recruiters Provide Helpful Tips for CPAs in Transition

By Don Meyer, CAE posted 09-23-2013
2 people recommend this.
From time to time, NJSCPA staff members and I receive emails and read posts from Society members who are experiencing difficulty finding work. Ironically, these messages often materialize when we post articles about how “great” the accounting job market is. Although it's difficult to develop a profile of these members, many have 15-25 or more years of experience and were either laid off or are trying to transition into accounting. In the abstract, experience is viewed as a positive attribute, but in the real world "experienced" is often a synonym for "old". To see what I mean, read my exchange with a professional on LinkedIn. Other staff members ...
2 comments

Thinking about the Firm of the Future

By Don Meyer, CAE posted 07-24-2013
Be the first person to recommend this.
Last week, I attended the 2013 Interchange Conference, a four-day gathering of state CPA Society and AICPA staff where we exhange ideas and hear from informative and interesting speakers. One of the more compelling presentations was offered by the AICPA's PCPS staff. The topic was "CPA Firm Evolution - What's next on the road ahead?" . The seminar asked several fundmental questions, including "How will the firm of the future be different from past generations or even now?" and "Can we analyze trends in public accounting technology, services, and the competitive landscape in order to anticipate a model for the firm of the future?". Here are some of the ...
0 comments

Have Professional or Career Questions? Try Facebook

By Don Meyer, CAE posted 06-11-2013
Be the first person to recommend this.
Last week, the New Jersey Society of CPAs (NJSCPA) page on Facebook surpassed 5,000 likes. Hooray! We launched our Facebook group in 2008 as a way for us to communicate and interact with NJSCPA student members and recent grads, who we often lose touch with after they graduate. Basically, we went where our members and future members were. In the beginning, we posted comments, pictures, etc. about our scholarship program , college campus visits, student and young professional events , and other member activities. But we quickly discovered that Facebook and its users have minds of their own and that while we were trying to build a page for students and ...
0 comments

How Moneyball Can Help Us Do Our Jobs Better

By Don Meyer, CAE posted 02-27-2013
Be the first person to recommend this.
It's in the mid-40s and raining outside as a I write this, but about 1,000 miles to the south and about 2,000 to the west, baseball is being played at spring training sites throughout Florida and Arizona. The start of the baseball season -- officially March 31 -- can't come soon enough for me. To quench my thirst for baseball while I wait for that first real pitch to be thrown, I recently decided to reread one of my favorite baseball books, Michael Lewis' " Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game . " The best-selling 2003 book, and later a great 2011 movie, turned Oakland A's General Manager Billy Beane and his associate Paul DePodesta into celebrities ...
0 comments

Diversity: Why the Profession Needs to Change and How to Do It

By Don Meyer, CAE posted 01-21-2013
2 people recommend this.
From the November/December issue of New Jersey CPA magazine. Diversity in the CPA profession has changed very little in the last 25 years. According to the American Institute of CPAs 2011 Trends in the Supply of Accounting Graduates and the Demand for Public Accounting Recruits , minority hiring in the profession has seen slight improvements, but overall stagnation. From 2008 to 2010, total minority hiring rose from 22 percent to 25 percent. Broken down by ethnicity, Hispanic hiring increased from 4 to 7 percent of total hires over the two-year span; African-American hires stayed steady at 4 percent; Asian/Pacific Islander hires also remained fixed, at ...
0 comments

A New (NJSCPA) Spin on a Holiday Classic

By Don Meyer, CAE posted 12-21-2012
1 person recommends this.
I hope that you enjoy my take on “The Night Before Christmas.” ‘Twas ten days before New Years, when all through the state The NJSCPA was stirring before the big date; Conferences and seminars planned with such care Not fulfilling education requirements, CPAs do not dare; The members were nestled all snug in their classes For ethics and tax, they show up in masses; More rapid than eagles CPAs they volunteer Profession and Society in their hearts they hold dear; In earnest, members converge with one aim You know who they are, you know them by name; Now Technology! Now, Coop with Bankers! Now Chapter Ops and Federal Taxation! On Nonprofit! ...
0 comments