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Out with Tax Season & in with a New Membership Year

By Amy Pitter posted 3 days ago
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A big congratulations to our members in public accounting for making it through tax season! I hope you can now enjoy some downtime to recharge for spring. The end of busy season also means that a new membership year is here. On Monday, April 22, we will email your dues notice for the 2019-20 membership year, so keep an eye on your inbox and check our website for details . If you have questions, please contact Amanda Curtis at acurtis@mscpaonline.org or call 617.556.4000. Last year was a time of growth at the Society, and I hope each of you had a positive member experience. It was wonderful to see many new and familiar faces at our new regional ...
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The MSCPA Is Gearing Up for Busy Season

By Amy Pitter posted 16 days ago
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Did you know that the MSCPA’s busy season starts after the tax deadline? May and June are when we have the most networking events and conferences, and I’m excited to share two of our most popular programs that are coming up fast: the Annual Meeting and Networking Reception and our After Tax Bash in Boston and West Springfield ! This year’s Annual Meeting and Networking Reception will be on May 8 at the Warrior Ice Area, the brand new, state-of-the-art training facility for the Boston Bruins. At this incredible location, you will network with peers and recognize our new Board of Directors, firm ambassadors and newly certified CPAs as you ...
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MSCPA Leadership Series: The Route to the Top

By Amy Pitter posted 23 days ago
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Giving staff opportunities to grow is one of the best ways to keep them around, so I’m thrilled to announce our brand-new MSCPA Leadership Series: The Route to the Top . Developed with feedback from managing partners and firm ambassadors, this program is a progressive series of half-day courses featuring dynamic speakers and thought leaders which will provide the training, learning and development that young professionals need to move their firms and companies forward.  The Leadership Series launches this spring and incorporates networking at each half-day course for participants to sharpen their communication skills, which will help build confidence ...
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High School Students Attend Our “Is Accounting for Me?” Conference

By Amy Pitter posted 03-21-2019
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Today was a special day at the MSCPA. Over 90 high school students gathered at Suffolk University to attend the MSCPA’s “Is Accounting for Me?” Conference where they heard from CPAs about what it’s like to work in the profession, spoke to college accounting students about their work and experience and participated in exercises and discussions about CPA career paths and the work they do.  Sustaining a vibrant and diverse accounting workforce is one of the main goals of the MSCPA, and programs like this are crucial for building and retaining a diverse and a robust pipeline in Massachusetts. Compared to last year’s event, the number of students who attended ...
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Save the Date: The MSCPA's 2019 Annual Meeting and Networking Reception

By Amy Pitter posted 03-15-2019
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Spring is just around the corner and I’m so excited to announce that registration is now open for our Annual Meeting and Networking Reception ! Join 200 of your peers on May 8 for an unforgettable evening at the brand-new, state-of-the-art Warrior Ice Arena , the practice facility for the Boston Bruins. This event kicks off our membership year and is the place to connect with colleagues and old friends and make new relationships that can enhance your career. You won’t want to miss it!   In addition to networking, we’ll celebrate newly-certified CPAs and welcome our Board of Directors and new Chairman  John Micalizzi of RSM US LLP . We’ll also thank outgoing ...
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Happy International Women's Day!

By Amy Pitter posted 03-08-2019
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Today is International Women's Day, a time to celebrate, respect and appreciate women all around the world. On behalf of the MSCPA, I'd like to thank all the amazing women involved in the profession and our Society! We are committed to developing future leaders in accounting and are proud to offer several programs to help women all year long.   The Women in Accounting Committee , co-chaired by Krista Huebner, CPA (EY) and Katie Soule, CPA (Merrill Lynch), is responsible for developing meetings and networking events for women throughout the year. We also recently added women's mentoring circles to provide a confidential space for peer to peer learning, ...
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Not My Deadline Industry Networking Event

By Amy Pitter posted 03-01-2019
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Congratulations! You’re already one month through tax season and I hope all our members in public accounting are having a very smooth, productive and profitable busy season so far! As a reminder, members can access all resources of the MSCPA's tax season ad campaign and use them for your firm's marketing efforts to help spread the word about the value CPAs provide to clients. To view and share our “Real experts. Real results” ad campaign resources, click here . For those of you working in industry, academia or government, I am excited to share that we are having a one-of-a-kind event just for you! As always, we strive to find ways to assist and engage you, ...
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Making Your Firm/Company the Best Place to Work

By Amy Pitter posted 02-22-2019
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If I had to categorize the two types of issues facing firms of every size, they would be technology and staffing. Every firm struggles with questions like, “How do I hire, retain and develop the best staff who will help me deliver the greatest value to my clients?” While these issues are ongoing, progress is also being made, and so many of our member firms are at the forefront of this revolution. Flexible work hours and work from home options, unlimited PTO and “Shark Tank”-like programs to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship are just some of the initiatives I’ve seen that can make any firm a best place to work. And, I was thrilled to see all the Big ...
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The Importance of Guiding and Advocating for College Students

By Amy Pitter posted 02-15-2019
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I finally read The Boston Globe ’s riveting series on the fate of valedictorians from Boston public schools . The story of these valedictorians is one of wasted potential; kids we thought would set the world on fire as high school seniors haven’t come close to realizing their dreams, as many faltered in college or after. They lacked adequate preparation, mentors and advocates. This series reiterated the importance of guiding and advocating for college students, which is integral to their success as adults. At the MSCPA, we are committed to helping accounting students thrive in their careers by preparing them to enter the profession. While we have a team ...
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The New Paid Family and Medical Leave law

By Amy Pitter posted 02-08-2019
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We’ve been hearing from members who have questions about the new Paid Family and Medical Leave law. For those who aren’t aware, in 2018, Massachusetts signed into law a statute that provides paid family and medical leave (PFML) benefits to workers. This program provides temporary income replacement to eligible workers who are welcoming a new child into their family, are struck by a serious illness or injury, need to take care of an ill or ailing relative and for certain military considerations. Employers and employees must begin making contributions in 2019, with benefits becoming available to employees in 2021. Draft regulations were published late last ...
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The MSCPA CPE Tracker is Now Paperless!

By Amy Pitter posted 02-01-2019
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While earning CPE might take a backseat during tax season, I wanted to share some exciting news. Your CPE Tracker can now be saved as a PDF file, so you can easily upload and submit your record to the Board of Public Accountancy. We added this feature to help simplify the reporting process, which is now paperless. To get started, visit mscpaonline.org/tracker , select your renewal year or date range, and click “Save as PDF.” As a reminder, all MSCPA members have a CPE Tracker and every course taken with the MSCPA is automatically entered in your Tracker, and you can manually add any third-party course. You can check it out here (you will need to login to ...
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The New Qualified Business Income (QBI) deduction of Section 199A

By Amy Pitter posted 01-25-2019
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Big news this week: final regulations were issued on January 18, implementing the new Qualified Business Income (QBI) deduction of Section 199A. The new QBI deduction was enacted as part of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) and allows a deduction of up to 20% of QBI from a U.S. trade or business operate as a sole proprietorship or through a partnership, S corporation, trust or estate.   In response to arguably the most requested clarification from tax professionals, Notice 2019-07 separately issued a proposed revenue procedure containing a safe harbor under which a rental real estate enterprise will be treated as a trade or business solely for purposes ...
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The MSCPA's Find A CPA Directory

By Amy Pitter posted 01-18-2019
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With busy season drawing near, the MSCPA is taking to social media to promote the value of CPAs to your potential clients! With that being said, I’m happy to announce that during tax season, the we will continue to promote our Find A CPA Directory , where the public can search for a CPA based on their specific needs. If you are not currently in the Directory, you can sign up at mscpaonline.org/joinfindcpa .  I’m also pleased to share that we will be running four tax season videos on YouTube to drive traffic to the Directory. The videos are a part of “ Real experts. Real results ,” the Society’s advertising campaign that was created in 2017 for CPAs ...
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2019 MSCPA Fitness Challenge

By Amy Pitter posted 01-11-2019
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With tax and winter season upon us, it is our goal to help you stay happy and healthy during the next few months. That’s why I am excited to announce that this year’s third annual MSCPA Fitness Challenge will run Monday, February 4 – Monday, April 15. This friendly competition, sponsored by Harbor Strategies Group , is designed to help you stay active during tax season and winter, and we’re hoping you’ll join us for the challenge! The deadline to gather your coworkers and sign up a team is Sunday, February 3 at 11:59 p.m. Team totals are calculated by average and teams of any size are encouraged to participate. Award categories will once again be based ...
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Preparing for Busy Season

By Amy Pitter posted 01-04-2019
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Happy New Year! I hope your 2019 is off to a wonderful beginning. For many members in public accounting, the start of a new year is a sign that busy season is just around the corner, and I want to remind you that the MSCPA is here to help.   We've been working with the Department of Revenue (DOR) over the last year to help make this tax season run smoothly for both you and your clients. The DOR has taken measures to reduce the number of tax notices that will be sent to taxpayers this filing season and will only send notices when necessary. They also added a new contact email for tax professionals ( taxprofeedback@dor.state.ma.us ) to report any problems ...
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Make Your Year-End Gift Today!

By Amy Pitter posted 12-14-2018
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The holiday season is in full swing, and it’s a favorite time of year for many. In the spirit of the giving season, I am asking you to consider giving to the MSCPA’s Educational Foundation scholarship program , which provides funding to help Massachusetts accounting students pursue degrees and join our profession. The Foundation is backed entirely through donations, and we’ve been honored to get to know many students who have benefited from the generosity of our members and firms. Here are two of their stories: I ’m always looking for better opportunities for my future, and I know that one of the ways I could improve was in going back to school, getting an ...
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2018 National Management of an Accounting Practice (MAP) Survey Results

By Amy Pitter posted 12-07-2018
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Good news: the demand for CPA services is growing, and client fees are up 4.2% across all firm sizes. That’s according to the recently-released results of the 2018 National Management of an Accounting Practice (MAP) Survey , which was launched in June to help firms see how they stack up with the rest of the profession. Over 1,900 firms participated in the survey and the findings revealed some important practice management trends. For example, more firms are strengthening client relationships by focusing on the value of client services, such as value pricing/value billing and fixed pricing. In fact, the survey found that firms with $200,000 to $750,000 in ...
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This Week's New England Practice Management (MAP) Conference

By Amy Pitter posted 11-30-2018
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Greetings from Mohegan Sun! I’m writing to you from our New England Practice Management (MAP) Conference and have spent the last three days networking with 160 firm leaders and learning from industry experts. The buzz here is about new ways to think about the profession and practice operations. While session topics varied from giving effective feedback to lean tax, all revolve around a simple truth: For a number of reasons, including technology, new generations and globalization, our profession is changing and changing fast. It’s increasingly important for firms to be nimble and adaptive, and we’re learning strategies to help firms get ready for the future. ...
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How to Talk to Your Clients About Charitable Giving

By Amy Pitter posted 11-15-2018
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With the end of 2018 in sight, many of our members in public accounting are talking about charitable giving with their clients , and it's a complex, yet important topic. Understanding the client's perceptions of these discussions before you meet will help CPAs plan the best way to advise them, which ultimately strengthens the relationship. That is why we have partnered with the Boston Foundation, The Philanthropic Initiative and the Boston Estate Planning Council to present " The Philanthropy Talk: How Do I Do It & Why Do I Have To? " on Tuesday, December 11 from 8:00 – 10:00 a.m.  This free event is open to all members and includes a presentation ...
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Massachusetts Taxpayer Behavior Impact Survey

By Amy Pitter posted 11-09-2018
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As you may already know, the Society administers a periodic survey to gauge current and anticipated taxpayer behavior to help the Department of Revenue (DOR) predict monthly revenue collections. State officials are often unsure of taxpayer behavior in a given year or during a particular timeframe as it relates to capital gains, bonus activity, safe harbor or corporate investment, and your advice can make a difference as these leaders plan for the year ahead. Your expert input also elevates the CPA brand and helps position CPAs as valued thought leaders in the Massachusetts business community.  To complete the survey, click here . The feedback we’ve received ...
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