Blog

This morning I was feeling a bit frustrated as I worked on my weekly take away so I “popped” it into ChatGPT.  I wasn’t asking for advice and didn’t give it any parameters, but it totally picked up on my mood.  “It sounds like you and your team are facing a challenging situation as you approach the tax filing deadline, and I can understand how stressful it must be to…  Read more

As our clients plan their summer vacations we get calls about the potential to “write off” some of the costs as a business expense.  Just last week I extended my trip.  When the tax conference I attended in Seattle ended Friday evening, I took advantage of being on the west coast and flew down to San Diego for a visit with my daughter and additional training.   Check out the tax…  Read more

Yes, once again I am admitting:  I am a tax nerd; attending the 15th annual Certified Tax Coach (CTC) conference in Seattle is/was the highlight of my week so far.  I can say this, as this morning starts day 2 of the conference and then tonight I head to San Diego to visit my daughter Jessie, her boyfriend Eric and my granddog Sampson.  It was a day of connecting with…  Read more

It been another crazy busy summer week starting with a Town Hall panel web presentation on IRS/NYS tax collections mitigation.  Even through we had the framework set from prior presentations a lot of time and energy went into preparing for this one and I love participating. I had a great time yet again presenting with Karen Tenenbaum, esq, CPA, Moshe Zupnick, esq, and Marisa Friedrich, esq, of Tenenbaum Law, P.C.. Town…  Read more

We see many news reports, blog posts and webinars discussing AI, Bots, and ChatGPT.  Most highlight the benefits of having AI assist in the repetitive data entry and review, while others point out the concerns staff members have about being replaced by evolving technology.  This week I attended a webinar hosted by my professional group and we were once again reminded that this type of technology is a tool that…  Read more

Tax season is finally over and I love having more free time again.   I am back to taking walks on the beach where the sunrise is great, even on a foggy day, but nothing beats the amazing colors of fall foliage… Thank you Jeff and Emily for sharing this amazing shot from Telluride, Colorado, safe travels home. Thank you Ilene for sending me some great photo’s from your walk on…  Read more

The sukkot dinner Sunday evening was really lovely, with special red wine from the Ukraine for toasting and blessings I have also joined in for the  daily ritual of shaking the lulav and etrog.  The first 2 and last 2 days are the most strict, so I waited until Wednesday for photos. It was really nice to understand the meaning behind the traditions. Even as I am getting tired of picking, photographing, and…  Read more

It’s been the week of 100+ figs, some days I pick 5 or 6 and others 20 to 30, then a friend will stop by and find yet another ripe one and pop it in their mouth.  My favorite way to eat them is split in quarters, sprinkled with feta cheese and then grilled; very easy, very delicious, very healthy, they can pass for dessert.  It’s also been a week…  Read more

A recent New York Times business section article “Peloton Regrets? You’re Not Alone”, featured various household items in a garage sale, so of course I had to read it.  As many of you know, my exercise equipment gets plenty of use; being able to cross train has kept me “mostly” injury free for years.  I hope the exercise equipment that others bought as an alternative to their usual gym workouts served them…  Read more

For once I am glad that tomorrow is NOT the filing deadline.  We accounting professionals usually look forward to closing the office and going on vacation on April 16th.  This year the deadline is actually April 18th and this little bit of extra time means that families can get together for the Easter/Passover holiday and include their favorite accountant without guilt. This lovely vase of flowers sits in my office…  Read more

With the more contagious Omicron variant rapidly becoming the dominant strain, many experts are recommending upgrading from cloth to N95 masks. This article in Popular Science explains what to look for in a mask, how long they can be worn, how to safely reuse them, and when they should be discarded. Masks designated as KF94, N95, or in the FPP family are all subject to strict government oversight and quality control. However,…  Read more

The pandemic may change business travel as we know it forever. The Global Business Travel Association reported a nearly 90% drop in business travel last spring, as businesses were forced to conduct business via video chat software like Zoom or Webex.  While travel is increasing compared to a year ago, it is still sharply down from pre-pandemic levels. Post-pandemic, virtual business meetings may continue to be the norm, but those special…  Read more

The recent announcement by the Biden administration of a plan that mandates COVID vaccinations or weekly testing has drawn both phrase and critizim from the business community.   Some business leaders applaud the plan as a way to keep the surge in COVID cases from hurting the economy, although smaller employers may find the mandate difficult to enforce. Expanding testing may not be possible unless capacity is also significantly increased. Some business leaders…  Read more

The COVID-19 pandemic wasn’t the first to sweep the globe, nor is it likely to be the last one. Throughout history, pandemics have shaped our world, as this historic lookback in the Washington Post explains. One such plague likely contributed to the fall of the Roman Empire, when disease –likely measles and smallpox – swept through the ancient world and killed 5 million people over 15 years. The Black Death…  Read more

When the novel coronavirus hit last winter, doctors were unsure of the most effective treatments. But as the pandemic has continued, doctors are learning, as the fatality rate continues to drop, the best way to survive COVID-19 seems to be to delay catching it, as this article in The Atlantic describes. According to a study cited in the article, the fatality rate in New York City was 25.6% back in…  Read more

Security has always been important to me as my firm started using: cloud based accounting software more technology solutions for transferring data between my clients, the tax authorities and my staff more technology solutions for client business efficiencies communicating between remote staff and clients As read through my on-line newsletters this morning I was reminded that although I have been writing and talking about the importance of protecting client data…  Read more

Congratulations to my staff! I’m thrilled that we were able to attend the Intuit Boot-camp on the QuickBooks Online Program. We spent 2 days watching the experts show us the new enhancements and some tips and tricks. We think these enhancements will help ourselves and our clients in our cloud-based accounting software.  Watch this quick video and then check out the bullet points below… Some important new enhancements: +NEW –…  Read more

I spent my mother’s day morning with a friend on a plant buying expedition Mother’s Day Greenhouse Plants garbed in gloves hats, masks and glasses and as we practiced social distancing while meeting other gardening enthusiasts at the Brooklyn Terminal Market. I know others who hosted mother’s day dinners via video chat software or FaceTime. It was not quite “business as usual” but it was good to be out among…  Read more

This video is a portion of a recent panel discussion with Andrea and other tax professionals on how they set up their offices and were able to support their clients during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Andrea also discusses how cloud software, payroll portals, and document portals enabled her team to support their clients’ grant applications. We are not sure what the new normal will look like once we “open our doors”…  Read more

It seems appropriate to discuss this topic as the news this week is focused on “returning to work”.   I wonder what that will look like for people, I believe it depends on our ability to be flexible, creative, careful, courageous, determined and considerate  as we  continue to work remotely or create processes for a sustainable remote/onsite system. I was asked to contribute to a recently published online article here is…  Read more