On the rare night when my wife and I can escape to see a movie, often my favorite part of the evening are the pre-show trailers, those two-to-three-minute preview clips that take what may ultimately turn out to be mediocre or even bad movies, and make them appear like Academy Award winners.When we last spoke, I offered a look back at the profession in 2006. Now I'd like to preview 2007, which, coincidentally, will mark our 20th anniversary as the premier news vehicle for the tax and accounting community. Since a large majority of start-up publications rarely see their second birthday, we're nearly senior citizens when measured by publishing chronology.
So we've decided to complement that special milestone with a new look and format.
The accounting profession has changed radically over the past two decades, and Accounting Today has evolved along with it.
From our debut as a brash newcomer in 1987 serving a profession that had been largely ignored by conventional media, Accounting Today has matured into a known and trusted brand, and has been a front-row spectator to the rise of the accounting profession's role in the corporate arena.
Our redesign will make it easier for you to locate critical information to help grow your practice and keep you updated on critical issues, while continuing to underscore the quality coverage you've come to expect from the profession's pre-eminent newspaper.
Over the course of the year, we'll offer our readers a mix of news and features, including a new series that spotlights a number of technology vendors, as well as coverage of traditional practice issues such as disaster recovery, litigation support and business valuations, and articles on the progress of women and minorities in the profession.
On the news front, 2007 will undoubtedly have a profound effect on the profession, as the Democrat-controlled 110th Congress mulls key tax initiatives such as alternative minimum tax reform and the future of the Bush tax cuts, as well as calls for repeals of estate and capital gains taxes and one of their oft-repeated marquee projects - hiking the minimum wage.
And let's not forget the ongoing mini-drama between the Christopher Cox, the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson over the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
So, from myself and the staff at Accounting Today, we hope you enjoy our new look and we encourage any and all reader comments. Tell us what you like and what you don't.
Since we're on the subject of movies, let me close with a quote from the late Bette Davis in the classic All About Eve: "Fasten your seat belts - it's going to be a bumpy night."
Enjoy!
