How often do you visit other accounting firms? Many firm associations, when holding a meeting in a city where a firm member is located, often arrange for the attendees to visit that firm’s office in a guided presentation. The Practical Accountant editorial staff also periodically visits accounting firms, and the payoff for us, and also ultimately for our readers, is astounding. The last firm that we visited was Weiser in New York City, and the result was the same.

SurePayroll has upgraded its online payroll service for accountants with same-day enrollment, Saturday customer support hours, and free human resources and compliance tools.

KPMG has established an IFRS Institute to address the needs of companies, investors and academics affected by the transition to International Financial Reporting Standards.

CPA firm Marcum & Kliegman has expanded into the executive search industry, launching M&K Executive Search.

A survey of accounting and finance professionals shows a decreasing level of confidence in the economy and the job market.

Private businesses across the U.S. and around the world are paying significantly more for staff than they did a year ago, according to a report by Grant Thornton.

New York — The American Institute of CPAs has ramped up its mobility efforts to allow CPAs to practice in other states, with mobility bills enacted now in 12 states and legislation pending in 22 other states.

The Senate has confirmed Douglas H. Shulman as the new commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service. Shulman, formerly vice chair of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, was nominated in November to replace Acting Commissioner Linda Stiff.“For the majority of Americans who pay their taxes willingly and on time, there must be clear guidance, accessible education and outstanding service,” Shulman said in a statement. “Our aim should be to make it as easy as possible for citizens to pay the correct amount of taxes in the most efficient and least burdensome manner possible. For taxpayers who intentionally evade paying taxes, there must be rigorous enforcement programs.”

There’s encouraging news for firms interested in pursuing strategies to retain and promote women: You don’t have to re-invent the wheel.In fact, the timing couldn’t be better, as dozens of top programs are under way at firms across the country. We talked with leaders at three of those firms who were eager to share what they’ve learned.

A team of accounting students from Brigham Young University has captured first place honors as winners of the Deloitte National Student Case Study Competition.

The U.S. added 8,000 jobs in the private sector in March, according to a report by payroll giant ADP.

National University is launching its first-ever masters of accounting program both online and on campus.

The Treasury Department has been pilot testing a free interface between its Electronic Federal Tax Payment System and Intuit's QuickBooks software and plans to expand the interface to other software.

DiCicco, Gulman & Co. Gets World Series Trophy Visit

Baruch College's Zicklin School of Business plans to introduce an executive master's degree program with a specialization in financial statement analysis and securities assessment, aimed at working professionals.

African-Americans comprise just 3 percent of CPAs nationwide — but Dr. Frank K. Ross is working to help change that.After a 38-year career with KPMG, where he held such posts as mid-Atlantic area managing partner for audit and risk advisory services and managing partner of the Washington, D.C., office, Ross retired and now serves as director of the Howard University School of Business’ Center for Accounting Education, an entity that is focused on boosting the number of minorities in the accounting profession.

As CPA firms grapple with ongoing staffing challenges and the norm of a “traditional” workplace begins to erode, management must be more flexible and innovative than ever.

Helped by gains of 8 percent and 18 percent in its core payroll and human resources services units, respectively, payroll and benefits outsourcing concern Paychex Inc. posted a 13 percent rise in third-quarter profits, to $142.5 million for the period ended February 29.

Accounting firms and jurors have something in common. Judges are now instructing jurors not to go on the Internet to research any aspect of the case. This direction is made necessary because many deliberating jurors, when they go home at night, are improperly looking up on the Internet definitions of legal terms, reading the text of the applicable law, researching cases, and searching for information about parties to the case. This urge to go on the Internet is quite natural and expected, but can result in a mistrial. With so much information easily accessible, it is an almost automatic reaction to go to the Internet when a question pops up in one’s head.

The American Payroll Association has launched a new association for accounts payable professionals.