Blogging has evolved from hobby of basement-dwellers to corporate mandate, shedding new light on previously guarded niches, subjects and industries - including the mysterious world of accounting.
From this new bounty of opinion and expert Web sites, Accounting Today has chosen 10 of our favorite accounting-related bloggers, for their authority, frequency of posting, ease of read, and scope. Our picks range from the technical to the sardonic, and every HTML tag in between. While some are newcomers, others are practically grizzled veterans, having published informal missives as far back as 2006 - practically Jurassic times.
There are, of course, bloggers with impressive archives that most accountants already have firmly positioned on their Google Reader. For the purpose of this list, we've excluded those more-well-known URLs in favor of highlighting the somewhat-less-heard voices of the blogosphere. But just in case you somehow missed them, here's a short list of bloggers and blogs you should already know (or immediately add to your RSS feeds):
Michelle Golden (Golden Practices;
Paul Caron (TaxProf;
Caleb Newquist (Going Concern;
Rick Telberg (CPA Trendlines;
Francine McKenna (re: The Auditors;
David Albrecht (The Summa;
Tax Policy Center (Tax Vox;
/blog
Tom Hood and Bill Sheridan (CPA Success;
Once you've caught up with them, here are 10 more that we think are worth watching:
Jason Blumer
Blumer CPAs/THRIVEal
While Blumer serves up inspirational quotes and advice on the blog of his firm, Blumer & Associates CPAs, he also contributes to the blog of the THRIVEal+CPA Network, which he founded as a place for younger, "cloud people" accountants who have embraced new technology. Blumer's first post dates back to October 2007: a link to his father's own blog post announcing retirement. Since taking the reins of his firm, Blumer has sought out the advice of fellow Generation X firm owners, inviting them to contribute guest posts and video messages on the "accountancy revolution," about which Blumer recently posted a discussion-provoking six-part dissertation.
Adrienne Gonzalez
Jr Deputy Accountant
With her expletive-filled rants against D.C. traffic and Medicare, it's no wonder the Going Concern contributor's blog features a prominent disclaimer. But even that conveys her trademark snark: "If you are offended, the plan is working." Gonzalez has an accounting background, but readers click over for the self-described "30-nothing, tattooed, potty-mouthed" blogger's take on recent Fed headlines, rather than financial expertise - though not necessarily during work hours.
Michael Hsu
Deep Sky Co.
Any firm with an average staff age of 28 promises a robust company blog, and under-30 CEO Hsu delivers. With entrepreneurial vigor, Hsu explains new office software tools and embeds inspirational videos about creativity and innovation. He also encourages employee contributions, which means enthusiastic introductory posts for each new staffer and ruminations on economic theory - days after the writer has turned in her college paper on the topic.
Michelle Long
Long for Success
In the blog for her QuickBooks consulting firm, Long for Success, Long dispenses wisdom as an expert trainer, consultant and author for QB parent company Intuit. While her posts often market new products and company events, her more detailed instruction on specific software programs can be found under the "Tips & Tricks" tag.
Kelly Phillips Erb
Tax Girl
Erb has a surprising way of parlaying her technical expertise into conversational posts, connecting IRS form numbers, dates and percentages to relatable personal experience, often invoking her role as a mother to explain everything from the Amazon tax to school-related deductions. Earlier this year, her blog was picked up by Forbes and added to its Web site roster, where she continues to answer reader questions, address feedback and feature primers on different state tax systems.
Greg Price
From Greg's Head
The use of "leetspeak" in his blog banner alone is enough to identify Price, leader of PFK Texas's consulting solutions practice, as a member of the tech community. An archive dating back five years reveals greater depth, as Greg applies his knowledge of gadgetry and CRM to business processes. And as a board member of several Houston-area tech organizations and creator of the Fast Tech 50 Awards, Price also keeps an eye on developments in his local business community.
Eva Rosenberg
TaxMama
The Web site where Rosenberg's TaxMama holds court is more of a database than a singular blog, offering answers to tax questions through reader forums, a daily TaxQuips podcast and a weekly e-zine. There are three levels of membership to access the resources that Rosenberg also offers as a syndicated columnist for Dow Jones' MarketWatch and teacher of Enrolled Agent Exam review courses, for everyone from curious individuals to bookkeepers and business owners.
Tom Selling
The Accounting Onion
Selling's blog promises to peel "away financial reporting issues one layer at a time," and the co-founder and majority beneficial owner of Grove Technologies, a producer of Web-based collaboration tools, does find many in his lengthy posts on the subject. He also keeps an ear out for what Congress, regulatory bodies and other bloggers are saying, adding his thoughtful commentary to the conversation.
Robert Snell
Tax Watchdog for the Detroit News
There's no better place to find out what stage of the appeals process Wesley Snipes has reached in his ongoing tax litigation, to re-acquaint yourself with near-forgotten C-list celebrities, or to scope out the impressive mansions of financially embattled stars than Snell's Detroit News blog. There, the metro reporter posts updates on the latest public figure to evade income, business or property tax with helpful summarizing bullet points on what's owed and their side of the story - when they're not evading comment, too.
Gordon Krater (plus two)
Plante Moran managing partner Gordon Krater's blog is open to the public, and his insights into business, firm culture and more make us wish we could get a look at the internal blogs of fellow large-firm leaders Stephen Chipman (Grant Thornton) and Joe Echevarria (Deloitte).
