Journal of Accountancy Podcast

“We have to focus on culture,” says Jennifer Wilson, partner and co-founder of Convergence Coaching LLC. She’s talking about firm leaders and how they can better position themselves to take advantage of the growing opportunities related to client advisory service (CAS) offerings. Also, get article overviews on the following news items: A new process for appealing partial PPP loan forgiveness An announcement on IRS staff reassignments. Government warnings about potential cyberattacks. Comments sought by the AICPA Auditing Standards Board on a proposal related to compliance audits. An update from the AICPA Peer Review Board on clarified standards.

Two CPAs are featured in this episode, which also highlights news of a rapid rise in malware attacks related to Microsoft Excel add-ins. First, Di Krupica, CPA, CGMA, of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, discusses the creation of the Blockchain Universal Glossary. Next, Mark Koziel, CPA, CGMA, the CEO of Allinial Global, shares some of the ways CPA firms can integrate with technology, how business models and firm structure might change, and more.

As humans, “we are wired to see change as a warning sign of danger,” says Britt Andreatta, Ph.D. Andreatta is the author of Wired to Resist and other books, and she is a speaker and consultant to a wide variety of organizations. She was a featured speaker at the Future of Finance Summit, a meeting of finance executives, in December. With all the change and uncertainty people have faced because of the COVID-19 pandemic, employees are, to use another Andreatta description, “crispy.” In this podcast episode, she explains why change is difficult and why now is the time for leaders to spend even more time focusing on employee well-being.

Sales tax compliance is complicated and ever-changing. Diane Yetter, CPA, the president of Yetter Tax and the Sales Tax Institute, shares knowledge on the current landscape related to several sales tax topics. Hear or read the discussion on compliance since Wayfair, how some states are supplying resources to automate sales tax compliance, and advice for remote sellers when considering sales tax risks.   Also, hear more about the AICPA’s role in pointing out taxpayer frustration to the IRS, more on IRS procedures for employee status determinations, and audit committee members’ opinions on audit quality.

Nancy Bagranoff, CPA, DBA, didn’t think she was going to become an accountant. But a General Electric training program opened doors for her, and she learned that she was well suited to the CPA profession. These days, Bagranoff passes on accounting lessons as a university professor.   Plus, learn some of the highlights of the January issue of the JofA: an overview of the annual tax filing season quick guide, knowing when and how to raise fees at your firm, and tech-based tips to improve expense reporting.

Favorite books, a craving for constant change, and building a finance “powerhouse” — all of those topics and more are part of this interview with Tanner Johnson, CPA, CGMA, vice president–Global Finance Operations at Nike. Johnson explains how his upbringing shaped him, what the phrase “there is no finish line” means to him, and how he manages a remote team. The episode is a continuation of a series of interviews from finance leaders who attended the Future of Finance Summit in December in Nashville, Tenn.

Ginnie Carlier, CPA, EY’s Americas vice chair for Talent, says that leadership’s focus has expanded beyond four walls and into being understanding of employees’ work and home lives. In this podcast episode, hear her thoughts on developing empathy, the importance of “office hours,” and why a focus on well-being is growing in importance.

One key to implementing change initiatives is understanding the why and what problem you’re trying to solve, according to Jennifer Elder, CPA/CFF, CGMA. Another component, Elder says, is having a way to measure a change initiative’s success. In this podcast episode recorded in Nashville, Tenn., Elder offers advice on the best approach to implementing change and comments on some of the ways organizations’ change initiatives can go awry. Also, get up to date on news coverage of what’s new in federal taxes for 2022, what the IRS says about digital returns and filing dates and why tax season could be frustrating. And hear a summary of a recent GASB announcement regarding going concern standards.

Pascal Finette, an entrepreneur and consultant, recently spoke at the Digital CPA Conference and the Future of Finance Summit in Nashville, Tenn. In this podcast conversation with the JofA’s Neil Amato, Finette shared innovation lessons from interviews with other leaders, a story about how Pepsi quickly set up a direct-to-consumer business, and why those fortunate enough to be able to work remotely can develop a routine that leads to better quality of life.

James Miln, ACMA, CGMA, a finance executive at Yelp, identified several key takeaways from the recent Future of Finance Summit in Nashville, Tenn., which featured a collection of executives and outside experts discussing the ongoing transformation of the finance function. One point that was clear to Miln as it relates to transformation: “We’re all eyes wide open this is a journey, and it is hard.” His voice is one of several from the Future of Finance Summit and the Digital CPA Conference that you will hear in 2022 episodes of the podcast, which will continue to cover accounting news and trends and highlight Journal of Accountancy content, such as new FASB accounting concept statements and single audit clarity related to pandemic relief programs.