CPA Conversations podcast

The research and development (R&D) tax credit is available to many organizations to help reduce their tax liability and overall financial expenditures. Unfortunately, many organizations don’t know everything they need to know to fully take advantage of the credit. To help educate these organizations, as well as the CPAs who represent them, we spoke with Ashley Chikes, director of operations for R&D experts EPSA USA, about steps CPA...

In a wide-ranging discussion about professional ethics, “Ethics Sage” Steven Mintz, professor emeritus with California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, Calif., highlights professional and personal behavior that would be considered injurious to the profession. Mintz also touches on how the current societal landscape can challenge CPA ethics as well as the positives and negatives of the AICPA Code of Professional Cond...

In this episode of CPA Conversations, Jonathan Zigman, senior CPA content developer for UWorld LLC, provides an update on the current status of CPA Exam and the CPA Evolution initiative. He touches on what the CPA Exam is now and what the AICPA and NASBA hope it will become, the immediate benefits of the new proposed model, the advantages for would-be CPAs looking to move into specializations, and much more.

To read the transcrip...

Accounting work, like so many other fields of business, has been drastically changed by the coronavirus pandemic. Many CPAs are working from home and seeing no measurable drop in their productivity and efficiency. However, when it comes to auditing, John Mulcahy of FMC Corporation in Philadelphia says there is no substitute for working in tandem with your client in their office. In this podcast, get more details on the primary bene...

Eighteen months after the release of the Paycheck Protection Program, it is fair to say the program has been generally successful. However, one giant drawback is its susceptibility to fraud. According to our guest, Allison Greenfield of Forensic Resolutions Inc., the fraud is widespread enough to raise red flags. Get her view on who is responsible for monitoring for PPP fraud, why time lags may be preventing us from getting a full ...

Nothing can be more injurious to a CPA firm’s reputation – not to mention its bank account – than a client introducing a large malpractice claim. Based on her article for the Journal of Accountancy by Sarah Ference, CPA, risk control director for the accountants program at CNA Insurance, explores the signs that a large malpractice claim could be on the horizon as well as potential damages that can take place if the situation is not...

The accounting internship is one of the many aspects of the CPA experience that has been changed dramatically by COVID-19. Still, it remains a great way to set a would-be CPA’s career on the path to success, whether it is conducted virtually or in-person. Get tips for ensuring an internship becomes a full-time offer and learn about skills that can be acquired during an internship from our guests, Eryn Conard and Tara Heller of Bake...

Joseph Ragan, professor of accounting and Edward G. Sutula chair in accounting at Saint Joseph’s University Erivan K. Haub School of Business, joins us to talk sustainability reporting and environmental, social, and governance measures. Specifically, he details why businesses are looking at these issues more closely, the specific role CPAs have to play in conservation efforts, and what colleges and universities need to do to prepar...

The evolution of the accounting profession requires new and innovative ways to teach aspects of accounting that may have previously received little exposure. One of these that is of growing importance is data visualization. Our guests – PICPA member Michael Ozlanski, associate professor and accounting department chair for Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pa., and Suzanne Seymoure, associate professor of accounting at North Ce...