Accounting

Accounting News & Professional Insight

Accounting Today delivers news, rankings, thought leadership, and analysis for accounting professionals so they can navigate change in standards, firm strategy, technology adoption, talent, and the overall business environment.

Accounting professionals are facing rapid transformation, including shifting professional standards, demographic change, technology disruption, practice consolidation, and changing expectations for advisory services. Our coverage surfaces these strategic dynamics and provides insights and analysis for firms, leaders, and the accounting profession.

CPAs

AICPA names 'Gold Medal Award of Distinction' recipient

The American Institute of CPAs recognized Lester McKeever Jr., of Chicago, with the Institute's highest honor.

By Sean McCabe
Senior Editor

October 23
Data breaches

After a breach: How tax preparers should respond to being hacked

The IRS offers tips on what practitioners should do immediately after discovering they’ve been breached.

By Jeff Stimpson
Freelance writer

October 23
AT Think 3 reasons accountants don’t need to ‘do it all’

Specialization, curation, and intelligent workflow will make for a better practice — not trying to meet every client’s every need.

October 22

Ben Richmond

Xero
International accounting

U.S. charges Russian accountant with conspiracy to interfere in elections

A Russian national was charged by the U.S. for allegedly being one of the masterminds behind a conspiracy to interfere in both the 2016 and 2018 elections, marking the first charges related to next month’s congressional midterm vote.

October 19
Student loan debt

Young CPAs burdened by student loan debt, survey finds

A New Jersey Society of CPAs poll of over 100 members found that approximately 75 percent of respondents still have debts of over $20,000.

By Sean McCabe
Senior Editor

October 19
Accounting standards

Some companies take advantage of hedge accounting changes early

The Financial Accounting Standards Board’s new hedge accounting standard is prompting some companies to adopt the standard ahead of the Jan 1, 2019 effective date, though many companies are still not using hedge accounting at all.

By Michael Cohn
Editor-in-chief, AccountingToday.com

October 18
Accounting students

AICPA announces 2018 John L. Carey Scholarship winners

The American Institute of CPAs' annual award is given to non-traditional accounting students pursuing CPA licensure.

By Sean McCabe
Senior Editor

October 17

Resources

The latest Accounting Today research and discussion:

Predicting the next 15 years in accounting

Take a look at what the accountant and the accounting firm of the future will look like with AICPA chief Mark Koziel.

Sponsored by BILL
The changing world of government financial reporting

The serious new pressures facing governments of all sizes are changing their financial reporting, says GASB Chair Joel Black.

Sponsored by Intuit Quickbooks
Special Report Technology and CAS

Handling the compliance work that is the foundation of modern CAS while also creating time and insights for the advisory overlay that really drives its value to clients requires the careful deployment of a suite of technology tools — and that suite is constantly evolving, meaning accountants need a strategy to keep up.

Sponsored by Canopy

Accounting: Key Questions & Analysis

What are the key trends and strategies emerging from accounting industry leaders?

Top leaders are focused on structural challenges facing firms, including succession planning, evolving service mix, and long-term sustainability of traditional models.

How are accounting firms positioning themselves for the profession’s next phase?

Firm leaders are redefining and evaluating their strategy for growth. This includes investing in people and systems as well as rethinking how firms deliver value to address changing client needs and competition.

What role does professional identity play as accounting continues to change?

Debate continues over how accounting defines itself. This is due to accounting expanding into advisory, consulting, and technology-enabled services. These changes can raise questions about standards, training, and long-term credibility.

How are accounting firms managing leadership and succession risk?

Demographic shifts are accelerating in accounting. This means more firms are confronting leadership transitions and ownership succession which can create critical strategic risks that influence growth, culture, and valuation.