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The Internal Revenue Service has significantly improved its ability to identify and replace aging computers, according to a new government report.

MY INTRO TO THE PROFESSION

I frequently get questions from partners, high potentials and others in CPA firms about how to handle sticky management issues. Here are three situations that won't go away, and keep showing up in my "Ask Rebecca" inbox - along with my advice on how to handle them.

Beware the tax GAAP.

I get questions daily from CPAs asking if their firm should consider a merger or if it is possible for their firm to compete as an independent or local firm. My current answer is, "It depends!"

It's often referred to as the Holy Grail of an accounting firm - a crucial, almost revered document that legally defines the organization and serves as the cornerstone for many critical areas of its operation - yet, inexplicably, many firms rarely refer to it, or neglect it when it's badly overdue for an update.

If your gut tells you a client is risky, you're probably right.

While the late December tax cut extension slowed down the beginning of tax season for some, it brought a welcome degree of certainty to the tax landscape.

Question: Are the Big Four and national audit firms better off with regard to reputation and public trust than they were eight years ago at the height of the Enron and WorldCom debacles?

Now that the drama has ended and year-end legislation to extend the Bush-era tax cuts has been enacted, work remains for those "in the trenches" to sort out appropriate reactions. For most businesses, the response will be multifaceted.