Build a Better Engagement Letter: Standard Terms and Conditions When applied to an engagement letter, standard terms and conditions may better protect a CPA firm by eliminating inconsistencies and mitigating confusion with clients.

Estate Planning? The Benefits and Pitfalls of Gifts to SLATs With the looming sunset of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts (SLATs) have become a very popular estate planning tool for high-net-worth taxpayers.

Telling Our Story Beyond the Numbers and Balance Sheets The accounting profession has a branding problem—fixing it will require a collective voice to showcase all the good it has to offer future-driven professionals.

GEN NEXT: Embrace Risk: Pursue Opportunities Tied to Your Passions Along your career journey, the people you meet and opportunities you pursue will define your impact—make sure they align with your passions.

IN PLAY: Jeffery Mowery, CPA, JD, LLM, CFP As one of the nation’s top 200 CPAs, this firm leader says his success is the direct result of building a strong, talented team.

Hashing Out Illinois’ New Sales Tax on Leases Following years of negotiations, changes to the sales tax on leases of tangible personal property will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025.

3 Investing Strategies for the ‘Peak 65 Zone’ A growing segment of the population will be turning 65 this year, forcing financial advisors to rethink their clients’ retirement investment strategies—here are three to consider.

Navigating the Path to Audit and Attest Quality Management Four new standards will soon require firms to take a risk-based and scalable approach to designing, implementing, and operating a system of quality management. Here’s some guidance to get you started.

Why Don’t Young Professionals Want to Be CPA Firm Partners? If we can get the next generation to look beyond the oft-noted negatives of the partner role, they’ll see a brighter, positive narrative awaiting them.

Essential Fraud-Fighting Strategies That Promote Ethics and Trust With these proper controls in place, your organization can prevent, detect, and reduce fraudulent activities.

Build Your Leadership on a Strong Personal Foundation Your capacity for growth as a leader requires a strong foundation—start building it by answering these four questions.

Bringing Value to Your Organization as a Financial Partner To advance the overall organization, the finance function must serve as a valuable partner. Here are a couple ways to support this endeavor.

Flipping the Script: How CPAs Can Rewrite the Profession’s Story While an accounting career can lead to exciting, rewarding work, too often the profession’s negatives get highlighted. Here’s how CPAs change the narrative and tell a better story to support the talent pipeline.

Edging Closer: Preparing for the Labor Cliff For years, accounting leaders have been sounding the alarm on a major labor force shift expected to take a toll on the already weakened CPA pipeline. Here, experts share what firms can do now to prepare.

Exploring the Corporate Impact of Board Gender Diversity New research examines whether gender diversity on boards plays a role in corporate outcomes.

Unveiling Your Layers: A Journey to Authentic Self-Discovery Authenticity isn’t a destination—it’s a continuous exploration of the many selves we embody.

What You Need in a CAS Tech Stack Combining the right software and applications can help your CAS practice produce higher earnings and bring added value to your clients.

Office Evolution: Tracking the New Normal in Corporate Real Estate The rise of remote and hybrid work arrangements is pushing many accounting firms to rethink their physical real estate assets. Here’s what firms should consider to better manage their office spaces.

Navigating the Cliffs Ahead As the college-age population shrinks, and baby boomers retire, the accounting profession has some major demographic cliffs to traverse as it seeks the talent it needs.

Heading Toward a Professional Services Tax A series of budget pressures are creating the perfect storm for a professional services tax to surface in Chicago.