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• Licensure News: Ignore the Laws and Rules Requirement When Reporting your CPE Online
• New York Legislation, Effective July 26, Could Affect Florida CPAs
• Signs of Optimism in Recent Economic Survey
• Renew Your Membership Now and Avoid Late Fee
• Leadership, Networking, Influence at Committee/Section Days
• Become a “50 for 50” Member of the Educational Foundation
• Leading Experts – Timely Topics at Summer Vacation Cluster
• Find an Infusion of Information at State & Local Government Conference
• Tax Preparer Registration May Not Be the Answer
• Tech Tip: Must-Have Apps for the Blackberry

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Licensure News: Ignore the Laws and Rules Requirement When Reporting your CPE Online

When using the DBPR online system (access online services here) to report your CPE, you will see that the “Total Laws & Rules Score” is still listed as a “Requirement.”  However, FICPA-sponsored legislation (SB 1640); unanimously passed the House and Senate, and signed into law by Gov. Crist May 27, removes the requirement to take a Laws and Rules Exam as a condition of license renewal. Please ignore the fact that the “Total Laws & Rules Score” displays as a requirement on the DBPR online system.  DBPR is in the process removing the requirement.

Report your CPE to DBPR Today
In early June, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) mailed to all licensees whose license expires on Dec. 31, 2009, information about reporting your CPE to the Department. The deadline to complete your CPE and avoid penalty hours is June 30, 2009. The required four hours of ethics must be taken from an approved BOA provider.

DBPR encourages licensees to use the online system to report CPE. Access online services here. License fees for licencees who report CPE after July 15, 2009, will include a $50 late reporting fee.

For assistance in reporting your CPE, contact DBPR at (850) 487-1395.

Additional CPE Requirements
If you are unable to complete sufficient CPE hours (80 total hours with at least 20 in accounting and/or auditing subjects and four hours of BOA-approved ethics), an automatic extension is available. If you utilize this extension, you must complete an additional eight hours in accounting/auditing for a total of 88 hours, with 28 in accounting and/or auditing and four hours in BOA-approved ethics. The hours must be completed and postmarked or submitted online to BOA by Sept. 15, 2009.  

If you are unable to complete your CPE by June 30 or Sept. 15, then you must complete an additional 16 hours of accounting and/or auditing for a total of 96 hours, with 36 in accounting and/or auditing and four hours in BOA-approved ethics. The 96 hours must be completed and postmarked or submitted online by Dec. 31, 2009.  

CPE Tracker Helps with June 30 Reporting Period
FICPA members have an easy, confidential online tool for tracking all continuing education hours in one place. Best of all, the personalized service is free. For your convenience, all courses taken through the FICPA automatically appear in the CPE Tracker. Manually adding non-FICPA courses you’ve taken throughout the year is a snap.

Log into your CPE Tracker.

For more information on any of the above legislative and regulatory issues, please contact John W. Johnson, FICPA’s Director of Governmental Affairs, at govaffairs@ficpa.org.

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New York Legislation, Effective July 26, Could Affect Florida CPAs

Because of a new New York state law effective July 26, CPAs practicing accountancy in New York state will be required to register with New York and take continuing professional education (CPE) courses. It is essential that all CPAs who are affected by the new law’s requirements be informed of these changes.

All New York licensed CPAs must now register with the New York State Education Department (SED) and take annual CPE to maintain their licenses. Failure to do so could mean a loss of license due to professional misconduct. Reach out to your colleagues, even those people who are not CPAs themselves but employ CPAs, and make sure they know they need to be in compliance.

Who is required to register and take CPE courses under the new law?

CPAs affected by the new law work in:

• private industry
• government
• education
• consulting
• tax preparation services

These CPAs all will be considered to be practicing public accountancy under the new law. This is because the new law expands the definition of public accountancy past the core attest and compilation services and into financial services that include any and all matters relating to accounting concepts and the recording, presentation or certification of financial information and data.

This law also applies to out-of-state CPAs who practice in New York.

In addition, those CPAs who do not fall under the auspices of the new law can no longer simply do nothing and be safe from the law’s reach. These CPAs MUST file a waiver with the SED.

More information on the regulations can be found on the New York State Society of CPAs’ Web site. You also may e-mail the NYSSCPA your specific questions at newlaw@nysscpa.org.

The NYSSCPA also has staff on hand who can offer a free CPE session — worth one credit that can be applied toward the new CPE requirement — instructing groups on the finer points of the new legislation. Those who want to set one up can contact Dominic Yung at the NYSSCPA at dyung@nysscpa.org for more information. 

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Signs of Optimism in Recent Economic Survey
AICPA

Respondents to the Second Quarter AICPA/UNC Kenan-Flagler Business and Industry Economic Outlook Survey expressed slightly greater optimism for the upcoming year than was reported during the first quarter of 2009. The survey of CPAs in business and industry is sponsored by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School.

Although 53 percent of CPA executives expressed pessimism about the U.S. economy over the next 12 months, this represents a 30 percent decline from the 83 percent of respondents who were pessimistic or very pessimistic during the first quarter, a record high. Optimistic and very optimistic views increased this quarter to 20 percent. In addition, respondents with a neutral view of the economy increased to 28 percent, a 16 percent change from last quarter.

Arleen Thomas, AICPA’s senior vice president for member competency and development, said the shift in sentiment indicates financial executives and CPAs see the economy contracting at a slower pace and suggests the U.S. recession may be reaching a bottom. “For the first time in a year, sentiment is improving in our quarterly economic outlook survey. We see a significant shift from pessimistic to neutral on the economy which suggests a leveling of confidence. At the same time, CFOs and CPAs are remaining cautious as they continue to grapple with difficult decisions within their organizations,” she said.

When asked what their spending priorities will be as the economy begins to recover, respondents indicated that taking care of existing employees by eliminating furloughs and increasing salaries will be the most important items, followed closely by new hiring. 

Another glimmer of hope in the survey is that the number of organizations expecting to increase the number of employees in their organizations over the next twelve months has increased from fifteen to nineteen percent. In addition, on a question asking respondents about their personnel spending priorities once the economy begins to recover, twenty-one percent said new hiring was very, extremely or the most important and another twenty-six percent rated it as important.

The second quarter Business and Industry Economic Outlook Survey, which was conducted via an online questionnaire from April 22 to May 5, included 1,071 CPAs who hold leadership positions as chief executives, chief operating officers, chief financial officers or controllers in their companies. View results of the Second Quarter 2009 Economic Outlook Survey.

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Renew Your Membership Now and Avoid Late Fee

Remember - your FICPA membership renewal is due by July 1. Renew online today and avoid the late fee. To renew over the phone, call the Member Service Center at (800) 342-3197 (within Florida) or (850) 224-2727.

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Leadership, Networking, Influence at Committee/Section Days
July 16-17, 2009
Tampa Airport Marriott

The 2009-10 Committee/Section Days will be held July 16 & 17 at the Tampa Airport Marriott Hotel. As a Committee/Section member, you are invited to work in person with other professionals on projects and discuss issues that will influence the CPA profession. Your participation is vital – fresh ideas and thoughtful insight into various aspects of the profession will make a positive impact.

Register online at Committee/Section Days Registration.  If you have any questions about your appointment(s), or about Committee/Section Days, please contact Mike Holland, Director of Chapter and Committee Relations, at hollandM@ficpa.org or (850) 224-2727, Ext. 500.

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Become a “50 for 50” Member of the Educational Foundation

During the Foundation’s 50th Anniversary, FICPA members who donate $50 or more to the FICPA Educational Foundation (EDF) through your FICPA member dues renewal become official “50 for 50” members and receive a commemorative 50th Anniversary pin and name recognition in Florida CPA Today.

Thanks to a one million dollar challenge grant by the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation, every dollar you contribute to the EDF will be matched by the Coulter Foundation to provide scholarships to accounting students in memory of the late James L. Wilcox, CPA.

To date, the 50th Anniversary Challenge has raised more than $235,000, but we need your help to make it to a million.  For more information about contributing to the FICPA Educational Foundation’s 50th Anniversary visit the FICPA Web site.

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Leading Experts – Timely Topics at Summer Vacation Cluster
July 30 – Aug. 1, 2009
Orlando

Mix business with pleasure: be sure to consider this year’s Summer Vacation Cluster. It offers access to top speakers in the area who will deliver critical information affecting all aspects of the CPA profession. Earn up to 20 hours of CPE Credit, including four hours of Ethics while taking a vacation! Agenda items include:

• Ethics: Protecting the Integrity of Today’s CPA – Pat Patterson

• Revised Form 990 for Nonprofit Organizations – Debie Leonard

• Financial Planning – Richard Newman and Tom Kirk

• Fair Value Accounting – Gene Ristaino

• A&A Update – Pat Patterson

• Estate & Fiduciary Accounting and Income Tax Update – Gordon Spoor

• Forensic Accounting – Odalys Lara

• Business Valuation for the Tax Practitioner – Linda Trugman

• Economic Update – Mark Vinter

• FIN 48 – Diane Reich

For information on this and other FICPA CPE events, visit our Web site or contact the FICPA Member Service Center at (800) 342-3197 (within Florida), or (850) 224-2727.

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Find an Infusion of Information at State & Local Government Conference
Aug. 20-21, 2009
Orlando

Learn about today’s most pressing governmental issues and earn 12 AA, four TB and one B hour of CPE at the FICPA’s State and Local Government Accounting Conference, Aug. 20-21, 2009 in Orlando.

For information on this and other FICPA CPE events, visit our Web site or contact the FICPA Member Service Center at (800) 342-3197 (within Florida), or (850) 224-2727.

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Tax Preparer Registration May Not Be the Answer
AICPA

Internal Revenue Commissioner Doug Shulman announced on June 4, 2009, in congressional testimony before the House Ways and Means Oversight Committee that the IRS plans to make recommendations by the end of the year to ensure that tax preparers adhere to high ethical standards. At the hearing on the tax filing season and 2010 IRS budget, Commissioner Shulman said the IRS has to ensure “all preparers are ethical, provide good service and are qualified.”  The announcement follows IRS National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson’s recommendations to Congress over the past several years that a registration program needs to be created for unlicensed tax return preparers.

The AICPA strongly supports the implementation of high professional standards for tax practitioners, including the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct and the Institute’s enforceable Statements on Standards for Tax Services. However, the profession’s leadership is not convinced that congressional or regulatory agency proposals calling for the regulation of unlicensed tax practitioners will accomplish the stated objectives of reducing errors.

The IRS announcement did not offer any specifics on what the proposals may entail. AICPA and congressional staff and IRS officials have met to discuss tax preparer registration in the past and will continue to do so. The IRS indicated it will use an open and inclusive discussion process – one that Commissioner Shulman described as “transparent.”  He emphasized that the IRS wants to “hear from the broadest possible range of stakeholders.”

"We have been monitoring this issue for several years and the AICPA will work closely with IRS Commissioner Shulman and his staff as they move forward,” said AICPA President and CEO Barry Melancon. “Clearly, we support the two goals of increasing compliance and maintaining high ethical standards. We have publicly expressed concerns about previous attempts to regulate tax preparers and we hope the IRS will avoid the pitfalls of those past efforts."

Additionally, at the hearing Representative Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.) said he plans to reintroduce his bill regulating unlicensed preparers.  Past legislation to regulate preparers has generally been proposed by members of Congress as a partial response to high error rates associated with the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and consumer protection concerns related to refund anticipation loans (RALs).

The IRS, however, has authority to regulate tax return preparers through the penalty authority under current law. The Internal Revenue Code permits the Service to assess (among others) penalties for the understatement of a taxpayer’s liability (section 6694); the failure to furnish a copy or to sign the return (section 6695); the promotion of abusive tax shelters and gross valuation overstatements (section 6700); the aiding and abetting of the understatement of tax liability (section 6701); and actions to enjoin certain conduct by preparers or promoters (sections 7407 and 7408).

The AICPA believes the IRS already has the tools necessary to ensure reduced-error tax returns and proper registration methods and should resist overburdening tax preparers with redundant and potentially costly regulation requirements.

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Tech Tip: Must-Have Apps for the Blackberry
http://www.geeks.com

While the iPhone is all the rage, no smartphone says business like the BlackBerry. It's a powerful little device that lets you send and receive e-mails, browse the Web, view documents, keep track of tasks and contacts, and even take photos and videos. You can also make phone calls with it.

The first thing that just about every new BlackBerry user does is load the device with as many applications as they can. Finding applications and choosing the ones that fit your needs can be a long, drawn out process. This Tech Tip looks at some useful BlackBerry software. Some of it will help you be more productive, and some will keep you better informed. Most of them are free.

Before you start installing

Before you put your first application on your shiny new BlackBerry, consider getting a microSD card. Most BlackBerries, especially newer ones, come with a decent amount of internal memory. But you can always use more – whether it's for the applications themselves or for your files and photographs.

A microSD card gives you that extra storage. It's relatively inexpensive (under $20). And it's easy to install. For more information, check out this video.

Keeping organized and synchronized

One of the great things about a BlackBerry is that it works well with a number of Web-based applications. Ask anyone who knows me, and they'll tell you that I do a lot of work in the cloud. But that's not to say that I completely trust Web-based applications. A number of high-profile outages have occurred and it's always good to have an offline copy of certain information.

Google Sync

If you use Google's applications, you can synchronize your calendar and contacts using the free Google Sync. It's not just for the BlackBerry; there are versions of the software for other mobile phones and smartphones, too.

Google Sync pulls the contacts from your Gmail account and adds them to the address book on your BlackBerry. That means you can send e-mail to those contacts from your smartphone. If you add a contact on your BlackBerry, that person's information will be added to your Gmail contacts. Google Sync also does the same for entries in your Google Calendar. It's quick and it's simple.

MilkSync

One Web-based application that many rely on is Remember the Milk. It's an online task management tool, which not only stores details about what needs to be done and there’s a reminder when something needs to be finished. You're probably wondering why I continue to use MilkSync. The biggest reason is that I can synchronize the task that I enter in Remember the Milk with those on my BlackBerry – you can set it up to do a two-way sync.  It's fast and efficient and it beats trying to maintain two sets of information.

While the MilkSync software is free, it will only work with a Pro account on Remember the Milk. The account costs $25 a year, and is worth every penny.

Reading news

Information. None of us can get enough of it, and it seems to be something that many BlackBerry users are addicted to. That's where a good news reader comes in. I've tried a number of them for the BlackBerry and the only one that I've found to be a keeper is Viigo. Viigo allows you to view content from literally thousands of sources. You can get news, weather, sports, entertainment, airline flight and travel information, stock quotes, blogs and podcasts, and a whole lot more.

The Viigo service has a library from which you can add information sources (called channels). Or, you can add your own channel. That can be just about anything – RSS, a Web page, or the feeds in a feed reader like Google Reader, My Yahoo!, or Bloglines.

One of the great things about Viigo is that it's easy to use. The interface is really designed for a mobile device, and it's one of the few interfaces (on any platform) that I've found to be anything close to being intuitive.

Additionally, Viigo is free, although you do have to sign up for an account. Vigo is supported by ads, which appear in the top left corner of the application. The ads are small, and easy to ignore.

Using the Web

Out of the box, every BlackBerry comes with a Web browser and (depending on your wireless provider) applications that connect you to such popular social networking sites as Facebook and MySpace. The browser isn't the greatest, although it is useful for installing applications over the air. While they have a lot of users, not everyone is interested in Facebook or MySpace.

The next couple of applications fill in a few gaps.

Opera Mini

Two weaknesses of the BlackBerry browser is that it doesn't handle Javascript, and it's kind of a little slow. The free Opera Mini browser, on the other hand, doesn't have those problems. It's leaner and meaner than the BlackBerry browser and a lot more flexible.

Besides the Javascript support (which is essential for Web applications), Opera Mini also compresses Web pages by up to 90% and lets you choose the quality of images. Lower quality images on a page mean faster loading times and you burn less of your monthly data limit.

For me, the biggest advantage of Opera Mini is that you can use it over a wireless connection. The default BlackBerry browser balks at that.

Twitter

Say what you will about Twitter but it's become a popular way for people to connect and express themselves on the Web. All you need to do is type 140 characters or less – sort of like a text message.

Of course, to use Twitter you need a free account. Many people post to Twitter by logging in – with a BlackBerry, you can use the mobile version of the site. But why do that when you can view and post messages at your convenience? That's where a good mobile Twitter client comes in.

An easy-to-use Twitter client is TwitterBerry. You can view the latest from the posters that you follow on Twitter and can quickly send your own posts to the service. TwitterBerry even gives you a character count, so you stay within the 140 character limit of a tweet.

The only drawback is that TwitterBerry doesn't work on a wireless-only connection. If you have a newer BlackBerry, and need to tweet over wireless, check out Yatca, which is a Twitter client and a lot more.

A Pair of Others

What other software is useful? That's definitely a loaded question. But here are a couple good choices:

Moving files around your BlackBerry can be a bit of a chore. The built-in Media application does a good job of managing audio, video, image, and music files. But it's not the best. File Manager Pro does a fantastic job of managing every kind of file on your handheld. You can move, copy, rename, and delete files; compress them; and send files by e-mail. It also enables you to create a new folder in both your BlackBerry's memory and on a microSD card. The drawback? File Manager Pro costs $11.95. But after the seven day trial period, you'll probably find it so useful that it's worth the cost.

One of the strengths of the iPhone is that it's backed by Apple's AppStore. You can literally download and/or buy hundreds of pieces of software for the iPhone. That's convenience. Until recently, to do something like that with the BlackBerry you needed to visit a handful (or more) of Web sites. In April, 2009, though, Research in Motion (the company behind the BlackBerry) launched BlackBerry AppWorld. It's both an online marketplace and an application for the phone. You can browser various types of software, and download free or trial versions. If you like the application, you can buy it from within AppWorld using a PayPal account. AppWorld is a little slow, but it does have a good search function and makes finding useful software a lot easier.

This Tech Tip is brought to you by the Business and Technology Section ... IT solutions for today's CPAs. For more information and to view an archive of previous Tech Tips, please visit us here.

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