Journal of Accountancy Podcast

Stephanie Hughes doesn't want anyone, especially families, to face an unforeseen crisis when it comes time to retire. Her family's own struggles, when she was in college, helped shape that view. Hughes, CEO of the Wealth Management & Family Office at the firm Wiss & Co. LLP, said she's teaching her daughter about money, saving, and thinking early about retirement. Dedicating a little bit of time n...

Nicole Davis isn't your typical CPA firm owner. She has five children, owns three businesses, and has zero work experience in a public accounting firm. She has crafted a presence on social media including an account with more than 12,000 followers on X, formerly known as Twitter. How has Davis done all of this, launching the firm Butler-Davis Tax & Accounting and two other businesses? And what has...

In the spring, two technology-focused accounting educators wrote an article about ChatGPT's ability to answer hypothetical client questions . Now, they're joining the JofA podcast to look into the future of generative AI. Mfon Akpan, CGMA, DBA, an assistant professor of accounting at Methodist University, and Scott Dell, CPA, DBA, an assistant professor of accounting at Francis Marion University,...

Ryan Bogner, EY's Americas digital sustainability leader, is the keynote speaker at the AICPA & CIMA Oil & Gas Conference in November in Las Vegas. He explains on this episode of the JofA podcast how the regulatory landscape will affect reporting going forward, the link between cost efficiency and carbon efficiency, and why, even with more focus on sustainable energy sources, demand for oil and ga...

Plenty of CPAs can say they learned something from Sid Kess, who died last week at age 97. Some earned CPE credits from a Kess conference session, others read his book, and some learned simply how to treat other people. Kess was passionately devoted  to the profession; he continued serving on conference planning committees well into his 90s. As recently as 2022, Kess was honored with others in the...

On Thursday, the IRS suspended the processing of new employee retention credit (ERC) claims to combat the prevalence of fraud. These measures will help protect small businesses and aim to stop fraud by promoters of ERC mills. In this episode, Kris Esposito, Director — Tax Policy & Advocacy, AICPA & CIMA, joins April Walker, CPA, CGMA, Lead Manager — Tax Practice & Ethics, AICPA & CIMA, to discuss...

For Kevin Martin, CPA, the many happy memories of his father — also a CPA named Kevin Martin — outweigh the grief that accompanied the elder Martin's death in 2019.   An otherwise healthy 78-year-old, the grandfather to Kevin and Lisa Martin's four children was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a debilitating disease that has no cure. He died about a month later.   Kevin Martin,...

It's not a rosy outlook by any means, but the mood of finance decision-makers has brightened in the past three months. That's according to a third-quarter survey of CPA decision-makers in business and industry. Optimism is rising, along with projections on revenue for the coming 12 months. Also, inflation is no longer the top challenge chosen by respondents.  Ken Witt, CPA, CGMA, AICPA & CIMA's as...

The AICPA's Digital Assets Working Group published the first iteration of its digital assets practice aid in late 2019. Since then, much has changed related to digital assets, and so the practice aid has evolved with timely updates. The latest update , member-locked content published in late July, continues that evolution.  On this episode of the JofA podcast, Kyle Sewell, CPA, a member of the Dig...

When Rand Greenblatt, PA, assumed the role as CFO of Elixir Solutions in early 2022, he set out to improve finance operations while empowering team members. He said that seeing direct reports improve through taking on stretch roles is a key part of talent development – and something that's gratifying to him. Greenblatt shared what it's like to manage a team that's fully remote, why he considers th...

Future-focused consultant and entrepreneur Scott Klososky admits he doesn't know exactly what the future holds as it relates to artificial intelligence. But he is definitely more upbeat about the productivity possibilities AI offers than down about the jobs AI might eliminate He believes AI will cut out parts of jobs, not entire ones. Klososky will talk more on this topic in September at the AICPA...

Lexy Kessler, CPA, CGMA, is the chair of the National Pipeline Advisory Group, a group of accounting stakeholders formed to help shape strategy to address the profession's talent shortage. Kessler is mid-Atlantic leader for the firm Aprio and a member of the board of directors of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. She is a former chair of the Maryland Association...

Johanna Sweaney Salt, CPA, CGMA, used to work 100 hours a week during busy season. As the founder and managing partner of Gray, Salt & Associates LLP, she believed it was her responsibility to put in the time needed to make her small firm a success. Today, Johanna remains a full-time partner at the firm, and her son, Dalton Sweaney, CPA, is now the managing partner. His desire a few years ago to s...

This episode is a midsummer look back at insights from selected 2023 podcast guests, from a Super Bowl CFO to the AICPA vice chair.  

A survey report that focuses on enterprise risk management (ERM) and offers tools for risk practitioners is the focus of this episode of the JofA podcast. The 14 th edition of The State of Risk Oversight , a report produced jointly by the AICPA & CIMA, together as the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, and the ERM Initiative at North Carolina State University, shows t...

In this podcast episode, a collaboration between the JofA and the Tax Section Odyssey podcasts, Tony Nitti, CPA, partner—National Tax at EY, joins April Walker, CPA, CGMA, lead manager—Tax Practice & Ethics at AICPA & CIMA, from ENGAGE 2023.   The main topic of their discussion is Rev. Rul. 2008-18, delving into S corporation reorganizations.   Related resources   Rev. Rul. 2008-18 — Postulates tw...

Donny Shimamoto, CPA/CITP, CGMA, the founder and managing director of Intraprise TechKnowlogies LLC, recently co-hosted a conference session on feedback – specifically, how high performing employees sometimes get a low amount of valuable feedback. Such high performers can have their development halted if they fail to seek out the right feedback to advance in their careers, Shimamoto said. Shimamot...

As the components of a company's value change, the role of finance must adapt to what it reports and how it manages tangible and intangible assets. That shift was underscored with the release of new global sustainability standards by the International Sustainability Standards Board, and it's the topic of this episode of the JofA podcast. Ash Noah, CPA, CGMA, FCMA, managing director—Management Acco...

Advising legal cannabis-related businesses is a growing opportunity for CPAs. The landscape is ever-changing, on regulatory and other fronts. Andrew Hunzicker, CPA, the founder and CEO of Dope CFO Certified Advisors in Oregon, and Ron Seigneur, CPA/ABV, founder and partner at the firm Seigneur Gustafson LLP in Colorado, joined the JofA podcast recently to provide an update on what has changed in t...

Chris Ortega is an upbeat person, as anyone who's seen him present at a conference knows. But he also understands that, economically, times are tough, and he has advice for finance professionals to manage through the uncertainty. Ortega also shares how his role at conferences has changed since he first began volunteering, why he likes coming back to AICPA & CIMA ENGAGE, and what he sees for the fu...

Carla McCall, CPA, CGMA, was a prominent speaker at AICPA & CIMA ENGAGE 2023 for good reason. On this episode of the Journal of Accountancy podcast, McCall, recently named AICPA vice chair, discusses her career path and interest in volunteering while also serving as managing partner of the firm AAFCPAs. McCall shares some of the key traits of leaders, what her firm is doing to address capacity iss...

CPA decision-makers in business and industry weren't optimistic at the end of last year, but their outlook grew a bit sunnier as 2023 began. Now, as 2023's midpoint approaches, the outlook of finance executives is again taking on a more pessimistic tone in a quarterly survey. Contraction plans are more common, and projections for revenue and profit have declined . Ken Witt, CPA, CGMA, AICPA & CIMA...

ChatGPT and other generative artificial intelligence bots have made a big splash this year, with ChatGPT even passing the CPA Exam earlier this month, but there is another kind of bot accountants need to know about. Cybercriminals have started using bots to identify zero-day vulnerabilities in routers, servers, smartphones, Windows, web browsers, and antivirus software. Once the hackers discover a...

Technology experts in the accounting space have plenty to say about the assets that organizations should protect from cybercriminals, what Web 3.0 could mean for the profession, and what skills future CPAs will need. This is part two of a two-part conversation with: n   Amanda Wilkie of Boomer Consulting; n   Wesley Hartman of Kirsch Kohn & Bridge LLP; and n   Donny Shimamoto, CPA/CITP, CGMA, of I...

Technology experts in the accounting industry have plenty to say about ChatGPT, staffing issues and a push toward more automation, and how organizations can decide which projects are done in house or through outsourcing.  This is part one of a two-part conversation with: n   Amanda Wilkie of Boomer Consulting; n   Wesley Hartman of Kirsch Kohn & Bridge LLP; and n   Donny Shimamoto, CPA/CITP, CGMA,...