Blog

Impostor syndrome has become a recent topic of conversation in business. However, psychologists Pauline R. Clance and Suzanne A. Imes actually started researching the topic in 1978. More recent studies have shown that 70% of all professionals have felt like an impostor at some point in their careers.

As a soon-to-be CPA you are probably aware that CPAs don’t spend all day crunching data in Excel spreadsheets, but you may not have considered how good communication skills improve your professional value. Read on for a few tips on how to polish your presentations.

As you look around you at our accounting community, is there someone you can connect with to have an impact on? Kirsten Duke, 2018-2019 WSCPA Board of Directors Chair, encourages you to ask yourself who can you connect with and where you can get involved to have an impact.

The Washington CPA Foundation Board met for a daylong retreat in early September to discuss issues affecting the profession and Foundation as well as to identify strategic issues moving forward, including updating the Foundation’s purpose statement. Read about exciting changes that have been implemented.

Ron Tilden, CPA, is an accounting professor at the University of Washington Bothell. Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, he moved to Washington during his junior year of high school. When not teaching and introducing young people to the accounting profession, Ron’s greatest joy is being outdoors. He was quite athletic in his youth, playing baseball and bicycling. Read more about another hobby of his: wine-making.

The WSCPA is excited to announce that three WSCPA members have been appointed to the Business Advisory Council, recently formed by the Department of Revenue. Each member brings years of expertise and experience and will provide valuable feedback and insight.

Looking for an excuse to take a break? Why not take a few minutes to try to solve the latest WashingtonCPA crossword puzzle? Here’s the puzzle and the solution for your puzzling pleasure.

The personal stories of our members are fascinating. Kimberly Scott, WSCPA President & CEO visited many different areas of the state this summer and early fall to meet with members, and left every event with a new list of members to follow up with, or interesting stories she could not wait to share.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), signed into law on December 21, 2017, resulted in sweeping changes in the US tax laws for the first time since 1986. While much of the focus has been placed on TCJA’s impacts on domestic activities of individuals and businesses (e.g., 20 percent pass through deduction, lower corporate tax rate), the impact on international activities also warrants a similar level of attention and analysis.

On August 8, the IRS released taxpayer-friendly proposed regulations on the new qualifying business income deduction (QBID). The QBID is generally allowed for 20 percent of an individual or trust’s business income. In total, the regulations were 184 pages long. This article focuses on a few of the more interesting provisions of the regulations.

Disasters are an unfortunate reality of life that you can never fully prepare for. Knowing that there are safeguards in place both as a CPA and taxpayer can ease the recovery process. The AICPA has made several recommendations to the IRS for effective disaster relief tax provisions.

Determining how to begin your accounting career is a personal decision. To help you figure it out, here are five things you may not have considered that could make an internship or entry-level position at one of our region’s smaller firms the right choice for you.

With today’s breakneck pace of technological change, marketplace globalization, regulatory complexity, and workforce changes, disruption is real. It is transforming all business and the CPA profession.The WSCPA is committed to support you in this journey in a thoughtful way. Follow the WSCPA as we change too.

See our new logos for WSCPA, CPAPAC, Washington CPA Foundation, and logos you can use as a member of the WSCPA.

Be on the lookout over the next few years for the following updates to WSCPA programs and services as the new strategic plan is implemented. Our Purpose: We are a community of CPAs and financial professionals cultivating authentic relationship, unique learning experiences, and purposeful advocacy for our future.

The U.S. Supreme Court decision in South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc. allows states to require out-of-state retailers to collect sales tax. While there are still unknown implications, the Department of Revenue recently issued several statements on this issue.

Tax practitioners have been waiting for guidance from the IRS regarding the qualified business income deduction section since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was passed last fall. This morning, regulations for Section 199A have been released.

Despite what Schoolhouse Rock would have you believe, passing legislation is not an easy task. Bracing from a long 2017 session that lasted 105 days and three additional special sessions each 30 days long, the legislature prepared itself for 60 days of nonstop activity, fearing another ominous series of special sessions if they failed to pass supplemental budgets and resolve key issues such as McCleary and Hirst.

Abby Sanders, CPA, is a sole practitioner and active roller derby enthusiast. She first got her start in roller derby in February of 2015. Though she barely knew how to skate at the time, Abby was inspired to join her local team, the Wine Country Crushers, after watching them play. Read more about this inspiring life practice.

For businesses today, change is not an option. Customer expectations, the fast pace of innovation and the competitive, complex business environment require organizations to be agile. They need to make decisions and act on them quickly.