March 2014 Newsletter
President's Message
Amy Cooper, CPA
“People always ask me, 'Were you funny as a child?' Well, no, I was an accountant.” ~Ellen DeGeneres
It’s March…that time of year when the days are getting longer and we can feel the first hint of spring. We are spending weekends exploring Alaska on our cross-country skis, snowshoes, or snow machines. We are going to dog-sled races, cheering on the mushers. We are gearing up for spring break getaways with our families. We will be spending our evenings oohing and aahing over the ice sculptures. Oh wait…that is what other Alaskans might be doing. For most CPAs, March is right in the middle of the chaotic fun we call “busy season”. And whether you are in public accounting or private industry, you are busy!
As a follow up to my January newsletter, I want to share with you a few things that might make you laugh or smile. 
If you are music person, I found Bill Sheridan’s playlist about tax season (yes, you did read that right). Songs include the following.
•Welcome to the Working Week – Elvis Costello
•Taxman – Stevie Ray Vaughan
•1040 Blues – The Robert Cray Band
•Tax Paying Blues – J.B. Lenoir
•Me and the I.R.S – Johnny Paycheck
•Tax Free – Jimi Hendrix
•Sunny Afternoon – The Kinks
•Money (That’s what I want) – Barrett Strong
Bill Sheridan’s article can be found at http://www.macpa.org/blog/3351/songs%20about%20money%20-%20that-s%20what%20i%20want
If you feel the need to get out and show off your firm’s dance moves, watch the videos below from a firm on the East Coast. If any of you diligent readers out there do something like this, please send a video to me or Linda.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1osnKQ9lHIhttp://www.withum.com/popupvid_music-video.html
And in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, I leave you with this Irish blessing…“May the dreams you hold dearest, be those which come true. The kindness you spread, keep returning to you.”
Accounting Week at UAA
Accounting Week 2014 is a great opportunity for public, private, not-for-profit, and governmental entities to recruit UAA students who are graduating in December 2014 or May 2015 or seeking internship opportunities in summer 2015! Your organization will be able to review online applications and select your top candidates to interview on campus during the week of September 22nd. You are also invited to participate in the spring 2014 schedule of office visits and campus meet and greets to introduce students and faculty to your organization and become familiar with potential candidates. Don’t miss the chance to interview qualified accounting students for internships and/or staff positions! To recruit during Accounting Week 2014, please contact Danica Bryant of the UAA Career Services Center at (907) 786-6174 or dmbryant2@uaa.alaska.edu by 5 pm on Tuesday, June 1st.
Get Covered Alaska
Better Health Care Options Are Here!
To Enroll, go to: www.healthcare.gove
or call: 800-318-2596
Finally! Alaskans have an opportunity to get health care coverage. Especially for those who have previously been turned down, this is a new day!
Get Enrolled Now! Time is running out!
You have until March 31,2014 to get signed up during open enrollement forthis year. You can get coverage on your own through the new Marketplace website. Help is also available in person and by phone to walk you through the process.
What is the Marketplace?
The Health Insurance Marketplace is a new way to find quality health coverage. It allows you to compare your health insurance options in one place. It can help if you don't have coverage now or if you have it but want to look at other options.
With one application, you can learn if you can get lower costs based on your income, compare your coverage options side-by-side, and enroll. Fill out the Marketplace application and you will find out if you qualify for:
- Private health insurance
- Lower costs based on your household size and income
- Medicaid and Denali KidCare
- Exemptions
Join us and Celebrate AKCPA
60th Anniversary!
2014 AKCPA Annual Meeting
May 28– May 30, 2014
Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge
Talkeetna, Alaska
Register for only $395 by May 1st
Recommended 11 hours of CPE
Optional Session (4 hours CPE)
AON Risk Control Seminar
(not included in the registration fees)
SIGN UP NOW!!
Join us in Talkeetna, Alaska, to celebrate our 60th Anniversary. Wednesday, May 28th will kick off the celebration with an optional session sponsored by AON Insurance. They will be presenting Accountants Liability – Raise your Risk IQ on Wednesday morning. Please register directly with AON at http://www.cpai.com/risk-management/seminarschedule . Wednesday afternoon, Bill Balhoff, Chairman of the AICPA will lead a Town Hall meeting and discuss the AICPA priorities, initiatives, activities, major programs, advocacy and volunteerism. A reception, sponsored by AON, on Wednesday evening will start our “Walk Down Memory Lane”.
A full day of CPE led by Donny Shimamoto, CPA and founder of Intraprise TechKnowlogies will be on Thursday. Donny’s main focus is on organizational development and advisory services for the middle market. Donny helps many organizations by bridging accounting and IT to strengthen organizational governance and risk management, improve business processes through IT and increase the effectiveness of decision-making through business intelligence and evidence-based management. Thursday evening will continue our 60th celebration with a banquet and Bill Balhoff as the guest speaker.
We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to contribute to your professional organization and let your voice be heard. All Society members are encouraged to attend and participate.
There will be plenty of time to meet and mingle throughout the meeting. We have some fun surprises planned. We look forward to seeing you at these events and are excited to introduce the new board and committee chairs. Please plan on joining us for a successful and fun annual meeting.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014 9:00 am to 12:30 pm
Accountants Liability – Raise your Risk IQ
The objectives are :
- Raise awareness of behaviors that create professional liability risk exposure
- Provide practical ways to address exposure
- Utilize examples to illustrate how easily claims can occur
Please register directly with AON at http://www.cpai.com/risk-management/seminarschedule
Link will be available for registration by late February.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm
AICPA Town Hall Meeting
Speaker: William “Bill” E. Balhoff is Chairman of the American Institute of CPAs for 2013-2014.
Balhoff has an extensive history of service to the CPA profession. From 2003-2004 and from 2008-2009 he served as a Member at Large of AICPA’s governing Council and from 2005-2007, he served as a member of the AICPA’s Board of Directors. Bill has been heavily involved in the AICPA’s Private Companies Practice Section (PCPS), having chaired the Executive Committee from 2001-2004 and the Strategic Assessment Task Force from 2002-2004. He has also served as a member of the Major Firms Group, Private-Held Company Financial Statements Task Force and Finance Committee, and on the AICPA Peer Review Board.
Balhoff is a past President of the Baton Rouge Chapter of the Louisiana Society of Certified Public Accountants and has served on their Board of Directors. He is a former Chair of the International Accounting Standards Board’s Assessment Special Task Force.
Balhoff is the Managing Director and CEO for Postlethwaite & Netterville, APAC. He joined P&N in 1976 and became a director in 1986. Bill has 36 years of experience in technical audit, accounting, and consulting activities. He frequently speaks on topics including professional standards and managing practices.
Bill graduated with a B.S. in Accounting from Louisiana State University.
Thursday, May 29, 2014 CPE Sessions Recommended for 8 total CPE Credits
IT Strategy & Technology Update for Non-Techies (200 minutes)
Description: Technology is constantly changing and evolving. How do I determine how and where to invest my IT budget to not have something that’s going to be obsolete next year? When is the right time to make certain IT purchases? What impact will the new technologies or even just new versions of software have on how I work, and when should I switch or upgrade? Do I stay on premise, move to the cloud, or work in a hybrid/half-cloud environment? This session will provide you with a business (not technical) framework that includes decision factors and guidelines, as well as updates on the current developments and trends that impact technology-related decisions.
Key Takeaways & Insights:
- Learn to utilize an IT decision-making (IT governance) framework to guide your IT staff or service providers.
- Look at current developments in Microsoft’s and other key technologies and how they may impact your IT plan and budget.
- How to analyze your “cloud options” and decide which ones are the best fit for you and incorporate them into your organization’s strategy.
- Understand the risks of cloud computing and different approaches to mitigating them.
- Switching the IT paradigm from cost to investment and tying to organizational strategy.
8 Keys to Success for Technology Adoption (75 minutes)
Description: Is your firm looking to improve realization rates and staff productivity? Strategically leveraging technology to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the services you provide are key. However, many firms experience difficulty in realizing the full value that technology can provide. This session explores the lessons learned from a variety of firms that were both successful and unsuccessful in utilizing technology to automate their work processes. Learn about the eight keys that should help guide firms as they strive to maximize the return from their technology investments.
Key Takeaways & Insights:
- Learn how high performing firms perceive technology
- Learn how to develop an IT Strategy
- Learn about the 8 keys to ensure successful technology adoption
Social Media for Accountants (50 minutes)
Description: Many of us are being told that Social Media is a “must adopt” technology in the business world. Many of you probably use it on a personal level to keep in touch with family and friends, and share pictures. And many of your also may want nothing to do with Social Media. However Social Media has reached a maturity point where for some people it has replaced newspapers and, especially in the accounting world, one can often get word of new developments faster via social media than other sources. Attend this presentation to learn a strategy for using social media as an accounting resource.
Key Takeaways & Insights:
- Social media basic concepts
- The implications of social media for professional and business use
- How to use Social Media as an Accountant's Resource
- Using Twitter as a trusted news feed
- How to ask questions via LinkedIn Groups
CPA Firm Horizons: Are you setting or rising in the horizon? (50 minutes) + state society strategy exercise (25 min group)
Description: The CPA firm of the (not too distant) future looks different than today’s CPA firm. Tax preparation is not a core CPA service. Audits will be more automated and technology utilization is a must rather than nice-to-have. Increased specialization and collaboration among specialists will be necessary to service clients. Scared yet? Get yourself ready for this change through a glimpse of how the CPA profession is expected to evolve as we review the results of the AICPA’s CPA Horizons 2025 research study and key insights from thought leaders in the profession. Walk away with insights into what you need to do to ready your firm to be CPA firm of the future.
Key Takeaways & Insights:
- Learn how the CPA profession is expected to evolve over the next decade
- Understand the major trends impacting the profession and your firm’s strategy
- Obtain insight into the skills and knowledge you will need to build in your staff to maintain your firm’s relevance and win & retain clients in a competitive market
Discussion Leader
Donny Shimamoto, CPA.CITP, CGMA, is the founder and managing director of IntrapriseTechKnowlogies LLC, a CPA consultancy focused on organizational development and advisory services for the middle market. An active CPA, Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP), and Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA), Donny is a recognized national expert in IT management and international author/speaker on business intelligence initiatives. Donny helps many organizations by bridging accounting and IT to strengthen organizational governance and risk management, improve business processes through IT, and increase the effectiveness of decision-making through business intelligence and evidence-based management.
Donny is a current member of the AICPA Council, chairman of its IT Executive Committee, and former member of its Assurance Services Executive Committee. He has worked on several international collaborations between the AICPA and CIMA related to business intelligence and is also a frequent speaker on how management accountants can help add-value to their organizations. Donny was recognized as a Top Thought Leader in Public Accounting by CPA Practice Advisor in 2012 & 2013, received the 2009-2010 President’s Award from the Hawaii Society of CPAs, was named to CPA Technology Advisor’s 40 Under 40 list in 2007 & 2009, and was also a Hawaii Top High Tech Leader in 2004. Most recently, Donny received the AICPA's first Maximo Mukalebai Award for service to the CPA profession. Donny was part of the inaugural class of the AICPA’s Leadership Academy program and was also a member of the CPA Horizons 2015 Advisory Panel, where he served as an active voice for upcoming and emerging professionals.
Hotel Accommodations – Identify yourself as part of the Alaska Society of CPAs to receive the group rate starting at $165.75 plus tax. Reservations must be made by May 14, 2014. Book your reservations by calling 1-866-845-6338
Registration Fees
Early Registration by May 1st –
AKCPA Members Only…………………....………$395
Does not include Optional Session
Full Registration after May 1st –
AKCPA Members Only…………………..……… $450
Does not include Optional Session
Full Registration
Non Member …………………………………….. $550
Does not include Optional Session
Guest….................………………………..…......... $200
Includes meals only
Business meeting only …….........…….… no charge
Optional Session – Not included with registration fee
Register directly with AON Insurance at
http://www.cpai.com/risk-management/seminarschedule
Link will be available for registrations by late February.
Registration Form
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