The 2021 PCPS CPA Firm Top Issues Survey polled firms of all sizes to get a pulse on the top pressing issues impacting them.

In this Tax Section Odyssey episode, April Walker, CPA, CGMA, from the AICPA Tax Section and Brad Barbour, CPA, from the AICPA Private Companies Practice Section, and host of the Small Firm Philosophy podcast discuss tax-related challenges that emerged in the 2021 CPA Firm Top Issues Survey.

What you’ll learn in this episode

• Overview of the survey and highlights of results (1.18)
• What’s happening with tax law that is keeping practitioners up at night (2.07)
• Advice from the AICPA Tax Section to help tax practitioners remain up to date and communicate tax changes with clients (3.07)
• Challenges when working with the IRS (5.01)
• Relevant AICPA Tax Section resources (8.00)
• Resources available to help practitioners deal with workload and deadlines (10.24)
• Staffing issues (13.20)
• A page from Brad’s travel journal (15.41)

AICPA resources

• Resources to address CPA firm top issues — The PCPS and the AICPA provide a variety of resources that can help address the issues identified in the 2021 PCPS CPA Firm Top Issues Survey. Also included in this toolkit is the Client Evaluation Tool.
• PCPS CPA Firm Top Issues Survey — Professional insights highlighting the results of the biannual firm top issues survey conducted in May and June of 2021.
• Small Firm Philosophy podcast — This podcast shares big ideas about small firms. You'll hear from leaders of small accounting firms about their philosophies on running a successful practice in today's rapidly changing environment.
• AICPA tax hub — Compendium of tax guidance and resources.
• IRS Hotlines Quick Reference Chart — Summary of contact telephone numbers for various IRS departments to help practitioners resolve IRS tax matters for their clients.
• Contacting the IRS FAQs — Answers to frequently asked questions help you navigate your correspondence and activities with the IRS.
• Client Termination Practitioner Checklist and Notification Letter — This checklist will guide you through some important items to keep in mind when terminating a client relationship. The notification letter is used to notify a client about the termination of your professional relationship with them and remind them of other unsettled matters.
• Extension Reminder Letter for Client Tax Return — Customizable letter to send to your clients to help them understand the tax return extension process and inform them of what financial information you need from them and when.

Other resources

• IRS Operations During COVID-19: Mission-critical functions continue — COVID-19 continues to cause delays in IRS services. The page is kept up to date to inform taxpayers and practitioners of the status of IRS functions.

Note: If your podcast app does not hyperlink to resources, visit https://taxodyssey.libsyn.com to access show notes with direct links.

This episode is brought to you by the AICPA’s Tax Section, your home base to maintain your professional edge. To learn more about the Tax Section, check out aicpa.org/tax or sign up for a free web tour.