The Latest

Research shows what drove accounting firms to start offering financial planning services

New kinds of technology and new standards are changing the face of this core service

How five firms are changing the internship model for the mid-tier

No one knows how far states' pursuit of new revenue streams can -- or will -- go

Accountants are very careful with other people's secrets, but willing to share their own at the drop of a hat.

No one can deny that over the last several years, there have been more mergers and acquisitions in the accounting profession than ever before. The real questions, however, are whether these transactions are really delivering the promised marketing and competitive results.

Tax identity theft has grown exponentially over the past several years. Identity theft has topped the Internal Revenue Service's "Dirty Dozen" annual list of tax scams for both 2012 and 2013, and also appeared on the list in 2011. According to the National Taxpayer Advocate Service, identity theft grew by more than 650 percent between fiscal years 2008 and 2012.

Letters to the editor

A roundup of accounting firm mergers and acquisitions from the previous month

While Professors Miller and Bahnson continue their work on their top secret project (and, hopefully, slip in a little well-deserved vacation time), we're happy to share another of our favorite columns of theirs. This one is from November of 2004, but it describes a moment of understanding that could happen at any time.