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| November 12, 2009 |
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| Preparing for the CPA Exam? Get a Free BEC Review Course |
| Why Most Accountants Need a New Firm Website |
| Publisher's Note |
With yesterday being Veteran’s Day, and with Thanksgiving right around the corner, we all certainly have many things for which to be thankful.Has your accounting firm or company done anything to honor the country’s veterans? Troops overseas right now? If so, please tell us. It may inspire accountants in other parts of the U.S. to do something in support of our soldiers. Rob Nance Publisher publisher@accountingweb.com |
| Top News |
| New life and new rules for the Home Buyer Credit |
 Just as the door was about to slam shut on the First Time Home Buyer Credit, Congress not only extended the deadline, but also expanded it to include those who are not first time buyers. |
| Congress extends homebuyer tax credit; expands eligibility |
| President Obama signed into law last week an extension of the first time home buyers tax credit until April 30, 2010. The credit was set to expire on December 1, 2009. Contracts signed by April 30 must close by June 30 to allow home buyers to qualify for the $8,000 refundable credit. For qualifying purchases in 2010, taxpayers have the option of claiming the credit on either their 2009 or 2010 return. |
| Joe Francis free: Was he a victim of accountants gone wild? |
| In spite of a future that looked pretty dismal, “Girls Gone Wild” producer Joe Francis will not serve another day of jail time for tax evasion. The charges against him included underreporting his income by about $20 million, and later, bribing jail workers in Nevada while he was being held on the tax charges. |
| IRS reports two out of three individuals using e-file |
| The IRS is reporting that individuals e-filed a record 95 million federal income tax returns during 2009, up almost 6 percent from last year’s total of nearly 90 million. About two out of three taxpayers e-filed this year; out of the 141 million returns filed so far this year, over 67 percent were e-filed, compared to 59 percent last year. |
| Preparing for the CPA Exam? Get a Free BEC Review Course |
 For a limited time, AccountingWeb readers have the opportunity to enroll in the BEC section of Kaplan’s Online CPA Review Course for FREE (a $399 value). For course options, details, and enrollment instructions, visit www.FreeBEC.com/Aweb. |
| Featured Articles |
| Can Facebook make you a better learner? |
 A study published in December 2008 by global think tank, the Human Capital Institute (HCI), revealed that over half of all organizations are experimenting with communities of practice for business purposes, along with other popular applications such as social networks (49%), blogs and/or wikis (39%). |
| Wanted: Taxpayers who want to claim their refunds |
| The Internal Revenue Service is looking for taxpayers who are due to receive a combined $123.5 million in the form of 107,831 refund checks that were returned to the IRS by the U.S. Postal Service due to mailing address errors. |
| Hiring an outside mentor |
| Why bother? Of course, if managers were not so occupied with doing things and devoted some more time to the way team members worked together, how the team developed, the strengths and weaknesses of each individual member and their own development needs, there would be no reason for bringing in an ‘outsider’ as a mentor, right? |
| Why Most Accountants Need a New Firm Website |
 • Is there any reason presently why your clients should visit your website regularly?• Did YOU visit your firm's website recently? • Have you acquired any new clients lately from your website? If the answers to these questions are "NO" - you need Emochila's help. Click here to learn more and request your free trial. |
| Firm/State/People News |
| How to be a hero to your clients |
 “The job of the accountant is to make the client successful and more profitable. As their trusted advisor, it’s the accountant’s responsibility to go the extra mile and help turn obstacles into opportunities for clients,” said Barry Schimel, author and president of BizActions. |
| Virginia CPAs recognized as "Super CPAs" |
| Thousands of extraordinary certified public accountants (CPA) work in Virginia, but this year’s “Super CPA” contest in Virginia Business magazine identifies nearly 300 “best of the best” of the CPA profession. |
| Accounting Library launches software selection Web site |
| Earlier this fall, Solutions announced the launch of The Accounting Library On-Line Edition, a Web-based program that helps end-users select accounting systems. In tandem with the launch of the application was a new look and feel for The Accounting Library's Web site, www.accountinglibrary.com. |
| Phone Call from Mrs. Claus |  |
| It's almost that merry time of year again, and Mrs. Claus is on the lookout for all good boys and girls! All sons and daughters of accountants can sign up for a real, live phone call in December from Mrs. Claus. You know, she's got Santa's ear! Click here for full details. What a great way to make this holiday season a cherished memory for a lifetime. Spread this page to co-workers, clients and your referral sources. To be eligible, the entry must be submitted by an adult, for a child 13 years or younger. |
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| Blogs! What do you have to say today? |
| Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009 |
| Last week congress overwhelmingly passed the “Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009.” This bill, which is expected to be signed into law shortly, includes several important tax law changes (one of those changes could result in a windfall for your business). |
| Building "Marketing Energy" in Your Firm - Include Everyone |
| When I speak with partners at firms across the country, one of the greatest challenges they face is the inability to build a robust marketing culture. |
| IFRS vs. U.S. GAAP vs. A Better Option |
| As I've discussed in my previous posts, anyone who's asking whether the United States should stick with current U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) or switch to current International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) is asking the wrong question. |
| The 10 strategy tenets for developing a customer-driven workforce |
| Turning a customer service strategy into reality is a key challenge for organisations. Today, most senior managers realise that customer service is the competitive strategic weapon but achieving this is sometimes a major challenge. |
| Kaplan Weekly Quiz |
 Are you prepared for the CPA exam? Test your knowledge and keep your skills sharp by taking the weekly CPA Exam Quiz, brought to you by Kaplan Schweser CPA Review and AccountingWEB Education & Careers Zone. New questions will be posted for each section weekly.
Take this week's quiz. |
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