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Upcoming Conferences, Seminars, Events & More

By Amy Pitter posted 11 days ago
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It’s hard to believe that we only have one big conference left before busy season — our Nonprofit Virtual Conference January 21-22.     Thanks to a great slate of speakers and topics, our annual State Tax Virtual Conference this week was a hit. I always love to hear from the Department of Revenue — especially ahead of tax season — and I appreciate the opportunity to hear the perspectives of Karl Frieden, with the Council on State Taxation, and Joe Crosby, with MultiState Associates, Inc., on trends in tax policy at the state and national level. I really enjoyed my conversation with State Sen. Adam Hinds, and I am pretty sure I heard him agree with me that ...
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Society Staff and Legislative Updates

By Amy Pitter posted 18 days ago
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Happy New Year! After an exceptionally challenging 2020, 2021 is presenting its own strains. The acceptance of free and fair elections and the peaceful transition of power are key hallmarks of our representative democracy. The Society joins with what I am sure is the sense of our membership in condemning the violence and lawlessness we witnessed at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, and we share in the hope that the tragic events will spark the same sense of community and resiliency that Americans of all political parties and walks of life have displayed over the past 10 months.   In brighter news for the new year, Kara Kieran is officially the Society’s new chief ...
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Goodbye 2020 and Hello 2021

By Amy Pitter posted 12-18-2020
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I am writing to you as we wrap up notes from our annual board retreat. In addition to talking about priorities and goals for next year, we all took some time to reflect on the craziness that was 2020. Everyone agreed that if there was one bright spot to the year, it was that it helped us gain perspective, to not sweat the small stuff and to focus on the things that really mattered. What matters to us at the Society is you, our members. I hope you all feel like we helped you in some way this year, that we advocated for you, delivered the information and education you need and provided opportunities to grow your networks and your careers. If there are ways you ...
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Member Benefits: Pooled Employee Retirement Plan (PEP), HR Hotline & More

By Amy Pitter posted 12-11-2020
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Last week, our friends at Integrated Partners held a webinar explaining the new pooled employee retirement plan (PEP) exclusively for MSCPA members. We’ve been working on this for a while, since the PEP rules came out of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and not all the rules were clear.   Things have settled down now, and we are able to offer this great benefit to our members. When you join PEP, your retirement assets will be pooled with others for purposes of investment. This means that you will get the lower management costs previously available only to larger firms and that there will be a single filing. This will greatly cut down on red tape that you have to endure ...
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Becoming a Peer Reviewer

By Amy Pitter posted 12-04-2020
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Today I’m going to talk about something completely different. We are running out of peer reviewers and that is putting the entire program in jeopardy at a national level.   So many of our peer reviewers have retired or are approaching retirement, and new folks are not stepping up to take their place, so I am writing today to ask our members to think about becoming a peer reviewer and to assure you that it will be worth it.   Becoming a peer reviewer has many unique advantages to help grow your business and build your reputation as a firm that stands behind its commitment to providing high-quality services. As a peer reviewer, you can leverage your expertise ...
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COVID-19 High School Educators Resources & Information

By Hannah Naranjo posted 11-30-2020
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COVID-19 High School Educators Resources & Information New York Times Free Access for Students: The New York Times is available to high school students and teachers across the United States — FREE! LEARN MORE High School Counselor Connect recently conducted a national survey in response to COVID-19, to better understand how institutions of higher education can serve high school counselors’ needs during this challenging time. Over 2,600 counselors responded with their most pressing concerns, as well as their advice for colleges and universities.  LEARN MORE High School Counselor Week: Weekly stories, facts, trends and other ...
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Giving Tuesday

By Amy Pitter posted 11-25-2020
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It’s hard to believe Thanksgiving is already here, but the holiday season has officially begun. For the past eight years, Giving Tuesday has become a part of the spirit of giving this time of year, growing into a global movement of generosity.   This year’s Giving Tuesday, which takes place this coming Tuesday, December 1, is a great time to consider which nonprofits and charities you’d like to support. I’d like to ask you to think about future CPAs and our profession and consider donating to the MSCPA Educational Foundation’s Scholarship Program on Giving Tuesday.  This year has been a particularly tough one for college students , especially among low-income ...
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Recap: 2020 New England Practice Management (MAP) Virtual Conference

By Amy Pitter posted 11-20-2020
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Greetings from my home office! This afternoon we wrapped up our successful 2020 New England Practice Management (MAP) Virtual Conference . While I missed hanging out with all of you and wandering through the halls to greet friends old and new, it was wonderful to connect this week from our homes and offices across the state.     More than 100 firm leaders, emerging leaders and firm operations staff joined the event to hear from experts in the accounting industry. Conversations centered around the pandemic, of course, and how you can continue to run your firms successfully and efficiently, while providing the services your clients need and continuing ...
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Webinar Recordings: CPA Corner Series

By Hannah Naranjo posted 11-19-2020
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CPA Corner is a webinar series for students to meet MSCPA members, learn new skills and have their questions answered. We will be exploring different topics each month, all with the goal of increasing your knowledge and understanding of the accounting profession and preparing you for success in your future career as a CPA! Recordings of each series are included below: Managing Partner Q&A Session (11/18): During this webinar, students heard perspectives from two managing partners, learned more about the managing partner role and had the opportunity to ask any questions in a relaxed environment. To listen to the webinar, click here . You Got the ...
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MSCPA Virtual CPE

By Amy Pitter posted 11-13-2020
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You may not see us, but your MSCPA CPE team is hard at work on some of our most popular conferences of the year. The 2020 New England Practice Management (MAP) Virtual Conference is on for next week, and while I’m disappointed that we won’t be having a drink (or two) together, we’re still going to have all the great speakers and timely topics you need and expect from us. We’ve learned a lot since March about what makes a great virtual experience, and you will see it all on display in a very innovative virtual MAP. I think one of the most exciting innovations this year is the addition of emerging leaders and firm operations team tracks. Leadership teams know ...
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Upcoming Virtual Conferences & More

By Amy Pitter posted 11-06-2020
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Well this has been an election day — an election week — that could only happen in 2020. Just one more thing for us all to get through. I want to remind you all, through everything we have endured this year, for the most part, we have endured. The profession is doing extraordinarily well, which is a testament to the hard work, adaptability and commitment of everyone reading this message. It is also a testament to your ability to listen to your clients and pivot to adapt to what they need — and what they have needed in this wild year is solutions to new and unprecedented problems.   We have been trying to do the same at the Society! In addition to helping our ...
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Webinar Recording: Jumpstart Your Accounting Career: Community College and Beyond

By Hannah Naranjo posted 10-30-2020
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On October 29, we held our first-ever community college webinar where students learned what to do now to set themselves up for success prior to transferring into a four-year institution and how to hit the ground running when they do. They heard from CPAs who began their academic careers in community college and how they have advanced in the profession.   To listen to the webinar, click here .
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2020 New England Practice Management (MAP) Virtual Conference

By Amy Pitter posted 10-30-2020
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MAP 2020 is almost here!     I can’t believe we’re only a few weeks away from the 2020 New England Practice Management (MAP) Virtual Conference . While MAP will look different than previous years, the MSCPA staff has worked hard to give you an outstanding experience. Have you registered you and your team yet?     As we developed this year’s event, we combined the best parts of MAP with new ways for you to take advantage of the offerings online. This means we brought back top speakers and the popular roundtables. But new this year, we created customized tracks for emerging leaders and firm operations staff , to make it easier for you to get your entire staff ...
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MSCPA 2020 Member Needs Assessment Study

By Amy Pitter posted 10-23-2020
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I’m sure many of you feel like you are constantly being asked for feedback from everything and everyone. If you answer one survey this year, please make it ours. It’s been five years since we’ve done a comprehensive member needs assessment, so we are about to launch the MSCPA 2020 Member Needs Assessment Study. So much is changing — between emerging business lines and changing technologies and the impact of COVID-19 — that your feedback is more important to us than ever. And, it will help ensure MSCPA’s resources and efforts are relevant and beneficial to you and to the profession. You’ll receive your survey sometime next week. It should take about 10 minutes ...
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2020 General Election Information and Voter Resources

By Amy Pitter posted 10-16-2020
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With one deadline past us, there are a couple of others coming up that I wanted to remind you of. First and most important, it’s time to vote! Early voting in Massachusetts starts tomorrow and is available by mail and in person to all registered voters. No excuse is required in our state to take part in early voting.    You can get all the info you need on early voting in your city or town here . Of course, regular election day is Tuesday, November 3; all the general information you need can be found here .    And I want to recommend another resource to you. I personally got somewhat confused by all the heavy advertising on Question 1, Expanding the Right ...
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Volunteer Opportunities Available

By Amy Pitter posted 10-09-2020
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We know our members receive a lot of personal satisfaction from giving back to your communities, and the MSCPA works hard to support your efforts. Throughout the year, we have numerous ways you can get involved and share your expertise with your peers, students and the public. One way you can give back this fall is by volunteering at our student member webinars! We are looking for members to share their stories with the next generation of CPAs, providing a great way for you to give back to future accountants as well as to highlight your firm or organization. We are keenly aware that this year has been a tough road for many students, and this is just one way ...
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2020 New England Management of an Accounting Practice (MAP) Virtual Conference

By Amy Pitter posted 10-02-2020
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I’m excited to announce that registration is now open for the  2020 New England Management of an Accounting Practice (MAP) Virtual Conference !   You’ll still get the same quality learning and networking you have enjoyed at MAP over the past several years in a virtual environment, including roundtables, one-on-one time with solution providers and lots of fun (and tasty) surprises.   This year’s four-day conference was developed by firm leaders and is the perfect opportunity to learn from the experts and network with your peers. Managing partners and other firm leaders will examine effective strategies to lead staff in the “new normal,” identify opportunities ...
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A Few Important Reminders

By Amy Pitter posted 09-25-2020
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It seems we are all facing one deadline after another, but please don’t forget that next Wednesday, September 30 , is the deadline for even-year licensees to fulfill your CPE requirements and renew your license with the Board of Public Accountancy. You can access the online renewal portal here . Thanks go to our government affairs team of Zach Donah and Larry Liuzzo, who successfully advocated on your behalf for this deadline extension because of COVID-19. Kudos to them! Don’t forget that you can use the CPE Tracker — free for all members — on our website to check your CPE credits now and prepare to finalize your requirements. When ready, you can ...
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Support College Students during the Pandemic

By Amy Pitter posted 09-18-2020
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If you are a parent, grandparent, student or teacher, you know that this academic year comes complete with confusion, disruption and plenty of other changes. The only thing that hasn’t changed is that college is still expensive and the cost can be a barrier to many students who aspire to a career in accounting. Our Educational Foundation offers students support to make it easier for them to stay in school, compete their degrees and join the profession. We do this entirely through the generosity of our members. Firms of all sizes provide the bulk of scholarship money with sponsorships ranging from $500 from small firms to $10,000 from some of our global partners. ...
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Webinar Recording: Career Fair Prep

By Hannah Naranjo posted 09-18-2020
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On September 8, students attended our Career Fair Prep Webinar to learn how to perfect their first impression, pitch and resume to impress employers in a virtual setting, find out what to expect from the CPA Exam and learn how to get the most out of their MSCPA student membership! To listen to the webinar recording, click here .
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