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Two Important June 30 Deadlines

By Amy Pitter posted 3 days ago
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It seems like the time since May 17 has flown by, and now we are facing some important June 30 deadlines, including license renewals. We do not anticipate an extension of the deadline this year, so for odd-year licensees, it’s less than two weeks away! If your renewal is coming up, please remember to access MSCPA’s CPE Tracker , free to all MSCPA members, for a simple way to make sure you have the credits you need. For directions on how to export your CPE record to your license renewal form, click here . For easy access to our entire library of CPE seminars, webinars and conferences, click here .   The code to renew your license with the Board of Public ...
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June is our DEI month!

By Amy Pitter posted 10 days ago
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I’m thrilled to announce that June is the Society’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Month! It is also the fourth anniversary of CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion and the third anniversary since the Society signed the CEO Action Pledge , cementing our commitment to DEI. We spoke with Shannon Schuyler, U.S. Chief Purpose & Inclusion Officer at PwC and one of the founders of CEO Action about its beginnings and rapid growth. Read the interview here . Throughout the month, we’ll recognize various ways the Society and our members are working to increase DEI in the accounting profession. Here are four things to know:  Inclusion drives diversity ...
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Three Important CPE Updates

By Amy Pitter posted 17 days ago
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The June 30 deadline is just around the corner! If you are renewing your license this year, or if you’re simply looking to earn quality CPE and get the latest developments on hot topics, I encourage you to browse our expansive CPE library .  There are also three important CPE updates you should know about:   The State Workforce Training Fund Express Program , which will reimburse 50% of your training costs, no longer has a limit on firm or company size! All MSCPA CPE programs qualify for this program, so take advantage of this opportunity to save while developing critical skills your staff needs to be successful at your firm or company. To learn ...
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2021 Women to Watch Awards

By Amy Pitter posted 24 days ago
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With Massachusetts lifting its COVID-19 restrictions, I am so excited to announce that in-person events will resume in this fall! We can’t wait to see our members and share a laugh (and a glass of wine). One of my favorite events that is returning is the Women’s Leadership Summit, and the highlight of that event is celebrating our exceptional 2021 Women to Watch . Nominations are open right now, and with so many outstanding women in the profession, I encourage you to submit one. We are looking to recognize women who represent the diversity in our profession – from all sizes of firms and companies throughout the state – who are making a real impact in their communities. ...
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New Member Benefit: MSCPA Knowledge Center

By Amy Pitter posted 30 days ago
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I’m excited to tell you about a brand-new member benefit we just launched: the MSCPA Knowledge Center .    This online library is full of free downloadable content that will help you get the information you need to provide your clients the best service around. The library includes — all in one spot — white papers, webinars, product guides, case studies, industry analysis and much more.    This valuable information is provided by our trusted experts and vendors in the accounting industry. These advisers are both local and national. Some of the documents focus on specific technical topics, while others are related to practice management and soft skills (Please ...
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Our Employee Benefit Plan Virtual Conference is next week!

By Amy Pitter posted 05-14-2021
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Happy last Friday of extended tax season!     For our members in public accounting, I hope all of you will be getting some well-deserved rest and relaxation after three consecutive “worst tax seasons ever.” While you are recovering, there are a few things going on at the Society that I know you won’t want to miss!     First, it seems wild, but our annual Employee Benefit Plan Conference is next week (Tuesday and Wednesday). This virtual, two half-day conference will cover the CARES Act, the SECURE Act, accounting and auditing updates, legal and regulatory updates, remote auditing, employee benefit plan governance and much more! Top-level speakers will discuss ...
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Vote on the 2021–2022 Board of Directors Nominees

By Amy Pitter posted 05-07-2021
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I would normally be writing to remind you of our Annual Meeting and Networking Reception, but in a year that has been anything but normal, that is on hold until in-person events can safely resume. However, we still have the “business” of the event to attend to, so just like we did last year, the MSCPA will again hold an online vote to ratify the 2021-2022 Board of Directors officers and new class of directors .  Our Nominating Committee has produced an outstanding slate of nominees, and you can learn about them here . We ask that you take this brief survey before Friday, May 21 to cast your vote to approve these nominees. Please also look for an email ...
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CPE PLUS Program Kicks off May 13

By Amy Pitter posted 04-30-2021
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Our team has been hard at work developing a new benefit just for our new and renewing members. Now that our new membership year is here, I’m so excited to share it with you…introducing CPE PLUS! CPE PLUS is our brand-new benefit that gives MSCPA members access to 20 free CPE credits throughout the membership year (May 1, 2021 – April 30, 2022). These credits are from a group of pre-selected webinars covering a wide range of topics designed to provide you with the information you need to stay current on trends and the latest changes affecting the accounting profession.  The series kicks off on May 13  with a webinar on the 10 things CPAs need to know about ...
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CPE PLUS

By Amy Pitter posted 04-23-2021
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A new membership year is here! I hope that you’ll take this time to reinvest in you by renewing your membership with us. Your dues notice was emailed to you, but you can renew right now by clicking here .  New this year, as a perk of your 2021/2022 membership, you will get up to 20 hours of FREE learning through CPE PLUS ! This brand-new program gives new and renewing members access to a select group of free webinars, just for being a member. The webinars are spread throughout our membership year (May 1, 2021 – April 30, 2022), so the earlier you renew, the more credits you can earn on us! You can learn more about CPE PLUS here and make sure to check back ...
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New Membership Season

By Amy Pitter posted 04-16-2021
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Remember when April 16 meant the first day of vacation? Welcome to the new normal. Let’s hope this is our last extended tax season for a while and that the new normal starts to get more, well, normal. Speaking of normal… At the Society, we are gearing up for our new membership season, which means we have been figuring out what our new normal will look like and how we can make your membership even more valuable. This includes figuring out where it makes sense to remain virtual while we look forward to returning to some of our favorite in-person events in the late summer and fall.  We’ve seen interesting trends in committees and roundtables. Committee participation ...
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Governor Baker Signs COVID-19 Relief Bill Into Law

By Amy Pitter posted 04-09-2021
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It’s now official. Last Thursday, Governor Baker signed the long-anticipated COVID-19 relief bill into law. The legislation includes language to conform to the federal tax treatment of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans forgiven in 2020, Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) advance grants received in 2020 and the Small Business Administration (SBA) debt relief payments made in 2020.    The bill also includes unemployment income forgiveness up to $10,200 for Massachusetts residents whose household incomes are at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. We know many of you have outstanding questions, and we are working with the Department of Revenue (DOR) ...
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2021-22 MSCPA Board of Directors

By Amy Pitter posted 04-02-2021
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Our new membership year kicks off in less than one month, on May 1. Each year starts by welcoming new officers and directors to the Board of Directors, and I am so excited for the incoming class. This insightful team helps shape the direction of our organization, and their strategic guidance supports us as we adapt to ongoing changes in the profession and our world. We have an incredible slate of officers stepping up, and I am thrilled to work more closely with each of them:  Leading us as Chair will be Rob Miller, CPA, CFE, managing partner at Stone & Company, LLC . We hope to leverage Rob’s insights, both as an owner of a small firm and as a long-term ...
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Recent Changes in the MSCPA's Learning and Development Department

By Amy Pitter posted 03-26-2021
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Spring is a time of change and new beginnings, and that’s especially true at the Society. We’ve made a few changes in our Learning and Development department to improve your member experience, and I’m excited to share them with you today. First things first – our 2021 seminars are now live on our website! Head on over to browse our full list and sign up for courses that will help you stay on top of your game. And, because you’re an MSCPA member, you get exclusive discounts on all our courses and conferences! As in the past, we will continue to add programs on hot topics throughout the year, so feel free to share your feedback with us. You will notice that ...
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A Few Things in the Pipeline

By Amy Pitter posted 03-19-2021
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Many of you are still heads down for busy season, but I wanted to highlight a couple of things that are underway.     We’re happy to share that the state and federal filing date for personal returns has been extended to Monday, May 17. The AICPA is still lobbying for additional relief that would include estimates, trusts, etc., and we will work to ensure Massachusetts follows any additional federal action. We will send you alerts as we get important updates and provide in-depth details in our weekly Legislative Brief .    While you are in your busy season, we are getting ready for our new membership year, starting on May 1, and reflecting on what we accomplished ...
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Massachusetts Legislature: PPP Loans Will Not Be Taxed

By Amy Pitter posted 03-12-2021
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This week we were welcomed with long-anticipated news: Income on forgiven Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans will not be subject to Massachusetts tax .   Though this may have taken a bit longer than we had hoped, I believe that it was your collective voices that carried this across the finish line. Because of your outreach, 54 additional legislators — for a total of 102 — co-sponsored the piece of legislation making PPP loans nontaxable at the state level. That is remarkable.   I truly believe in the power of personal stories, and this success reaffirms that belief. You know the struggles and triumphs of your clients better than anyone — especially ...
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Women’s History Month

By Amy Pitter posted 03-05-2021
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March is Women’s History Month, a special time to commemorate the vital role of women in our society. At the MSCPA, we take special note of women in accounting and recognize you for all that you give to the profession. We thank you!   We heartily support all efforts for diversity, equity and inclusion, including those that aim to increase the role women play in accounting and at the MSCPA. We have made great strides, yet there is still work to be done. Even though men and women are entering the profession in equal numbers, women still represent only 23% of partners. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this challenge, as women are disproportionately bearing ...
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March is Industry Month!

By Amy Pitter posted 02-26-2021
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We have over 1,000 members of the Society who are corporate financial professionals who serve in a range of industries—from financial services to retail to manufacturing and more. You make up 13% of our membership and are vital to our continued vitality as an organization. Since I started here, one of my personal goals is for your membership to be as integral to your professional lives and contribute as much to your professional success as it is for our members in public accounting.   So, we are dedicating this month to you! Our first-ever Industry Month takes place in March. We are using this time to focus on you, your benefits and your education. If there ...
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MSCPA Fitness Challenge and HR Hotline

By Amy Pitter posted 02-19-2021
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As many of you are going heads-down into a busy season that is likely to be only slightly less chaotic than the last one, I want to assure you that the MSCPA is here for you.   As you work to keep your firm or company culture intact and help relieve stress, we can help through our annual fitness challenge. There is still time to register by emailing our fitness guru, Hannah Naranjo at hnaranjo@mscpaonline.org . She is here to help!  And remember, if you are hitting a brick wall with our friends at the Department of Revenue (DOR) this season, MSCPA Government Relations Manager Larry Liuzzo can step in to assist you. He has experience working with DOR on members’ ...
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A Few Legislative Updates

By Amy Pitter posted 02-12-2021
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As one tax season ends, another begins. After what seemed like a never-ending 2020 tax season, this year’s busy season officially opens today as the IRS starts to accept and process 2020 individual tax returns. I hope this year goes as smooth as possible and with fewer curveballs than last year. Please know we are here to help should you have any questions or concerns.   There have been a few rumblings about, and requests for, an extension to this year’s April 15 filing deadline. The IRS has maintained that it does not plan to extend, although with the looming possibility of additional federal relief that may change. The feedback from our members remains split, ...
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Black History Month

By Amy Pitter posted 02-05-2021
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As you all know, February is Black History Month. While the Society’s commitment to building a more diverse and inclusive profession is a year-round priority, we plan to take some extra time this month to join our colleagues from across the country in celebrating and honoring all of those who have contributed to the progress we have all made so far.     This year is a particularly special time as 2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the first African American CPA, John W. Cromwell Jr. As the first, John took this responsibility to heart and spent his life continuing to break down barriers and lifting up countless future Black CPAs who followed. His contributions ...
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