Podcast appearances and mentions of erik asgeirsson

Topics include:  DC update: Latest developments from Capitol Hill and their potential impact.  Profession update: Insights from AICPA CEO.  Technical update: Actionable guidance for your practice.  Strategic planning: Actionable tips and resources to support business model transformation.    Speakers:   Erik Asgeirsson, President and CEO, CPA.com  Mark Koziel, President and CEO, AICPA  Mark Peterson, EVP, Advocacy, AICPA  Lisa Simpson, VP, Firm Services, AICPA  Kassi Rushing, Owner, Kassi Rushing Consulting 

Topics include:  Profession update: Key issues areas of focus for the profession  DC update: Insights from the fast-changing D.C. landscape  Technical updates: Essential IRS news and resources for busy season     Speakers:   Mark Koziel, President and CEO, AICPA  Erik Asgeirsson, President and CEO, CPA.com  Mark Peterson, EVP, Advocacy, AICPA  Melanie Lauridsen, VP, Tax Policy and Advocacy, AICPA  Robert Durak, Director, Audit and Accounting Technical Services – Public Accounting, AICPA Michael Brand, Member, BMSS, LLC

Topics include:  DC and profession update   Talent pipeline   AI trends and impacts on critical infrastructure  Evolving technology trends across the profession   Key technical updates  Speakers:   Erik Asgeirsson, President and CEO, CPA.com  Lisa Simpson, VP, Firm Services, AICPA  Rachel Dresen, Senior Director, Congressional & Political Affairs, AICPA  Lexy Kessler, Vice Chairman, AICPA  Avani Desai, CEO, Schellman  Pascal Finette, Co-founder, be radical  

Topics include:  DC and profession news  Technical updates  Discussion on innovation, transformation and evolving business models    Speakers:   Barry Melancon, President and CEO, AICPA  Erik Asgeirsson, President and CEO, CPA.com  Lisa Simpson, VP, Firm Services, AICPA  Lindsay Stevenson, Chief Transformation Officer, BPM   Okorie Ramsey, VP, Sarbanes/Oxley (SOX), Kaiser Permanente 

Topics include:  DC and profession news  Technical updates  Updates on system of quality management standards (SQMS) and audits  Tech practice aid and risk assessment  Employee retention credit (ERC) news    Speakers:   Barry Melancon, President and CEO, AICPA   Erik Asgeirsson, President and CEO, CPA.com  Mark Peterson, EVP, Advocacy, AICPA  Melanie Lauridsen, VP, Tax Policy and Advocacy, AICPA  Jennifer Burns, Chief Auditor, AICPA   Jan Lewis, Partner, Haddox Reid 

Topics include:  Employee Retention Credit (ERC) update  Technical updates  Trends in firm mergers and acquisitions and private equity activity  CPA Evolution and talent pipeline    Speakers:   Erik Asgeirsson, president and CEO, CPA.com  Melanie Lauridsen, VP, Tax Policy and Advocacy, AICPA   Lisa Simpson, VP, Firm Services, AICPA   Allan Koltin, CEO, Koltin Consulting Group  Mike Decker, VP, Examinations, AICPA 

Topics include: • DC and profession news  • Technical developments • Beneficial ownership information reporting  • The top 5 small business economic trends Speakers:   • Erik Asgeirsson, president and CEO of CPA.com  • Rachel Dresen, director  of congressional and political affairs of the AICPA • Melanie Lauridsen, director of tax practice and ethics of the AICPA • Gene Marks, president of the Marks Group  

Topics: • DC and profession update • Technical developments • Chat GPT and the accounting profession • Firm top issues and strategies for advisory services  Speakers:  • Erik Asgeirsson, President and CEO, CPA.com  • Lisa Simpson, VP-Firm Services, AICPA  • Rachel Dresen, Director of Congressional and Political Affairs, AICPA • Jason Staats, CPA, Founder of Realize • Mark Koziel, President and CEO, Allinial Global

On this AICPA Town Hall Barry Melancon, AICPA president & CEO,  joined Erik Asgeirsson, CPA.com president and CEO, and Mark Peterson, AICPA EVP, Advocacy, live at the news desk for a DC and profession update. Plus, NYSSCPA - The New York State Society of CPAs CEO Calvin Harris joined to discuss top takeaways from the AICPA Council meeting.  Speakers: Erik Asgeirsson, president and CEO, CPA.com   Barry Melancon, president and CEO, AICPA   Lisa Simpson, VP, Firm Services, AICPA   Mark Peterson, EVP, Advocacy, AICPA  Calvin Harris, CEO, New York State Society of CPAs    

On this AICPA Town Hall, Erik Asgeirsson, CEO, CPA.com, was joined by Lauren Pfingstag, Director of Congressional and Political Affairs, AICPA who provided an overview of the potential year-end tax bill. Lisa Simpson, VP, Firm Services, AICPA, provided technical updates. Susan Coffey, AICPA CEO of Public Accounting, moderated a discussion with PCC Chair Candy Wright. And Mike Decker, AICPA VP of CPA Examination and Pipeline, joined Susan and Lisa to share the latest on the pipeline and upcoming changes to the CPA Exam.  Speakers: Erik Asgeirsson, CEO, CPA.com   Susan Coffey, CFO, Public Accounting, AICPA   Lisa Simpson, VP, Firm Services, AICPA   Mark Peterson, EVP, Advocacy, AICPA   Mike Decker, VP, Examinations, AICPA  Candy Wright, PCC Chair   

Erik Asgeirsson, Lauren Pfingstag and Kari Hipsak were joined by Sarah Ference, Risk Control Director of Accountants Professional Liability at CNA and Stan Sterna, Vice President of Aon. Sarah and Stan provided a practice liability update, which covered trends in the profession, lessons from 2021 claims, tips for dealing with challenging clients during extension season, future predictions and best practices for engagement letters as well as expanding advisory services.  

Client accounting services has been hugely successful as a service offering, but CPA.com president and CEO Erik Asgeirsson and vice president of growth and professional services Kalil Merhib say firms need to evolve toward the next stage: client advisory services.

Presenters:  Erik Asgeirsson  Mark Peterson  Lisa Simpson  Ron Baker  DC/Profession Update –  Bipartisan competitiveness package of reconciliation  Implications on other bipartisan bills  Retirement package, data privacy bill, crypto regulation bill at risk  IRS Service Technical Updates  New e-file requirements & fingerprinting PPP accounting Subscription Economy & Business Models with Ron Baker

Last week's AICPA Town Hall was broadcast live from the AICPA ENGAGE conference. CBS Analyst and host of Jill on Money, Jill Schlesinger, joined CPA.com CEO Erik Asgeirsson and AICPA CEO Barry Melancon to provide the latest news from DC and discuss the economic outlook for the remainder of 2022.     AICPA VP of Firm Services, Lisa Simpson presented the 2022 PCPS Top Firm Issues survey results.   New AICPA Chair, Anoop Mehta, joined the panel to discuss the future of finance in business & industry.  

Presenters: Erik Asgeirsson, President & CEO CPA.com Mark Peterson, EVP, Advocacy AICPA Lisa Simpson, VP Firm Services AICPA Kari Hipsak, Senior Manager AICPA Brent Forbush, CPA, Managing Partner of Forbush & Associates Brandon Lagarde, CPA, JD Tax Director of Postlethwaite & Netterville Accounting Today Editor-In-Chief Dan Hood Topics: DC and Profession Update Technical Updates Busy Season Debrief Strategies Client Advisory Services (CAS) Growth Key Insights on the May 5, 2022 #AICPATownHall: • CPA.com CEO and President Erik Asgeirsson and Mark Peterson, AICPA EVP of Advocacy, provided the latest legislative and profession updates. • Kari Hipsak, AICPA Sr. Manager of Firm Services, delivered technical updates and guidance. • AICPA VP of Firm Services, Lisa Simpson, CPA, CGMA, discussed busy season debrief strategies with Brent Forbush, CPA, Managing Partner of Forbush & Associates, and Brandon Lagarde, CPA, JD Tax Director of Postlethwaite & Netterville. • Erik and Lisa welcomed Accounting Today Editor-In-Chief Dan Hood to discuss the growth in Client Advisory Services and why firms should be taking steps now to expand into this practice area.

Presenters: Erik Asgeirsson, President & CEO CPA.com Mary Foelster, Sr. Director, Governmental Auditing and Accounting AICPA Barry Melancon, President & CEO AICPA Lisa Simpson, VP, Firm Services AICPA Topics: Profession & DC Update Post Tax Season Reflections Expanding service opportunities: SOC Technical Update GAQC Update on Auditing Federal Funding Key Insights on the April 21, 2022 #AICPATownHall: CPA.com CEO & President, Erik Asgeirsson, and AICPA President & CEO, Barry Melancon, CPA, CGMA, discussed the latest legislative updates and federal agenda items through 2022, plus tax season reflections. AICPA VP of Firm Services, Lisa Simpson, CPA, CGMA, provided technical guidance, and discussed new service opportunities in SOC. AICPA's Mary Foelster, CPA, CGMA discussed developments in GACQ, the status of economic recovery programs and compliance.

Presenters: Erik Asgeirsson, President & CEO CPA.com Michael Faulkender, PhD, Professor University of Maryland, Former Chief Economist & Assistant Secretary for Economic Policy, U.S. Treasury Edward Karl, VP, Taxation AICPA Barry Melancon, President & CEO AICPA Lisa Simpson, VP, Firm Services AICPA   Topics: Discussion with Michael Faulkender, Former Chief Economist & Assistant Secretary for Economic Policy, U.S. TreasuryProfession & DC Update Tax & Technical Update Key Insights on the March 31, 2022 #AICPATownHall: CPA.com CEO and President, Erik Asgeirsson, and AICPA President & CEO, Barry Melancon, CPA, CGMA, discussed the latest legislative and profession updates. The hosts welcomed PPP architect Michael Faulkender to the episode for a strategic discussion. AICPA VP of Firm Services, Lisa Simpson, CPA, CGMA, and VP of Taxation, Edward Karl, CPA, provided technical updates.

Presenters: Erik Asgeirsson, President & CEO CPA.com Jim Bourke, Partner Withum Kari Hipsak, Senior Manager AICPA Carl Peterson, VP, Small Firms AICPA Mark Peterson, EVP, Advocacy AICPA Deborah Rood, Risk Control Consulting Director CNA   Topics: Profession & DC Update Technical Update Last 30 Days of Tax Season Heightened Cyber Risk Key Insights on the March 17, 2022 #AICPATownHall: CPA.com CEO and President Erik Asgeirsson and AICPA's EVP of Advocacy provided a real-time update on DC legislative issues Kari Hipsak, CPA, CGMA of the AICPA Firm Services team gave relevant technical guidance Carl Peterson, CPA, AICPA VP of Small Firms, and Deborah Rood, CPA, of CAN discussed important items for CPAs to consider in the last 30 days of tax season, including the legality of extensions Withum's Jim Bourke, CPA, CITP, CFF, CGMA, discussed how firms should proceed during times of heightened cyber risk, as we are experiencing currently

Presenters: Erik Asgeirsson, President & CEO CPA.com Erin Collins, National Taxpayer Advocate Edward Karl, VP, Taxation AICPA Melanie Lauridsen, Senior Manager, Tax Policy and Advocacy AICPA Carl Peterson, VP, Small Firms AICPA Lisa Simpson, VP Firm Services AICPA   Topics: Profession & DC Update National Taxpayer Advocate, Erin Collins K-2/K-3 & Other Technical Updates Carl's Corner: Tax Season Strategies Key Insights on the March 3, 2022 #AICPATownHall:  CPA.com's CEO Erik Asgeirsson provides an update from DC. National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins and AICPA's Melanie Lauridsen discuss current IRS matters. Carl Peterson discusses the latest tax season trends and tips.

Presenters: Erik Asgeirsson, President & CEO CPA.com Amy Miller, Sr. Manager, Tax Policy & Advocacy AICPA Mark Peterson, EVP, Advocacy AICPA Kirk Phillips, Managing Director Global Crypto Advisors Lisa Simpson, VP Firm Services AICPA   Topics: Profession & DC Update IRS Actions/K-2/K-3 Preparation New Crypto Guidance & Tax Reporting Key Insights on the February 17, 2022 #AICPATownHall: CPA.com CEO and President, Erik Asgeirsson and AICPA's EVP of Advocacy and Tax Policy Senior Manager Amy Miller, JD, CPA, discussed the latest from DC including current AICPA Advocacy work, AICPA testimony at Senate Finance Committee hearing and an important update on relief coming for schedule K-2 and K-3 reporting. AICPA's VP of Firm Services, Lisa Simpson, CPA, CGMA, provided an update on PPP and answered top ERC questions. Kirk Phillips, CPA, CGMA, TheBitcoinCPATM and Managing Director at Global Crypto Advisors joins to provide insight on new guidance around crypto and tax reporting.

Presenters: Erik Asgeirsson, President & CEO CPA.com Mary Foelster, Sr. Director Governmental Auditing and Accounting AICPA Barry Melancon, President & CEO AICPA Lisa Simpson, VP Firm Services AICPA   Topics: Profession & DC Update IRS Service Issues & Advocacy Tax Filing Hot Topics Single Audit for Relief Programs Key Insights on the February 3, 2022 #AICPATownHall: CPA.com CEO and President, Erik Asgeirsson and AICPA President & CEO, Barry Melancon, CPA, CGMA, discussed IRS service levels and AICPA's advocacy efforts, the opportunity in integrating financial planning into tax engagements, and commented on a recent audit quality study. AICPA's Vice President of Firm Services, Lisa Simpson, CPA, CGMA, highlighted some tax filing season topics AICPA's Senior Director of Governmental Audit and Accounting, Mary Foelster, CPA, CGMA, addresses common questions related to audits of business relief funds.

Presenters: Erik Asgeirsson, President & CEO CPA.com Mark Peterson, EVP, Advocacy AICPA Carl Peterson, CPA, CGMA VP, Small Firms AICPA Steve Saah, Executive Director, Finance and Accounting Placement, Robert Half Lisa Bodell, CEO FutureThink Kari Hipsak, CPA, CGMA, Senior Manager AICPA   Topics: Profession & DC Update Labor Trends & Seasonal Work Strategies Time Management & Complexity with Lisa Bodell Technical Updates Key Insights in the January 20, 2022 #AICPATownHall: CPA.com CEO, Erik Asgeirsson, and AICPA EVP of Advocacy, Mark Peterson, discuss the latest happening in DC and in the profession. Kari Hipsak, CPA, CGMA, Senior Manager of Firm Services at AICPA, provides up-to-date technical guidance for CPAs. Steve Saah, Executive Director at Robert Half, provides important information on the state of hiring, salaries and the overall labor market in accounting & finance. Lisa Bodell, CEO of FutureThink, discusses how firms and professionals can lean into simplicity as a time management strategy.

On this episode of the Small Firm Philosophy podcast, you'll hear a clip from the AICPA's November 18th Town Hall series featuring the AICPA's Lisa Simpson, VP of Firm Services, Carl Peterson, VP of Small firms, Bill Pirolli,  AICPA Chair and CPA.com's CEO Erik Asgeirsson. This panel of experts discuss client acceptance and continuation decisions small firms can make before busy season. Resources mentioned in this episode: Surviving Tax Season Checklist Client continuance evaluation tool Client acceptance evaluation tool Client termination practitioner checklist and notification letter This episode is brought to you by the AICPA's Private Companies Practice Section (PCPS), the home of small firms. To learn more about PCPS, email pcps@aicpa.org and schedule a free webtour. Register for the next AICPA Town Hall series. Note: If your podcast app does not hyperlink to resources, visit https://aicpasmallfirm.libsyn.com to access show notes with direct links.

Presenters: Erik Asgeirsson, President & CEO CPA.com Edward S. Karl, VP Taxation AICPA Barry Melancon, President & CEO AICPA Lisa Simpson, VP Firm Services AICPA   Topics: Profession & DC Update Top Potential Tax Implications of Pending Legislation; effective date issues Technical Updates Key Insights: CPA.com President & CEO, Erik Asgeirsson, and AICPA President & CEO, Barry Melancon, CPA, CGMA, provided the latest updates from DC and on the profession. AICPA VP of Firm Services, Lisa Simpson, CPA, CGMA, discussed the latest technical guidance relating to PPP. AICPA VP of Taxation, Edward Karl, CPA, CGMA, joined to highlight 5 potential implications of upcoming legislation, including IRS penalty relief, service levels and effective dates.

On this week's #AICPATownHall, live from the 10th Annual Digital CPA conference in Nashville, TN.  CEO & President of CPA.com, Erik Asgeirsson, and Barry Melancon provided the latest update from DC.  AICPA VP of Firm Services, Lisa Simpson, provided a technical update & up-to-the-minute legislative news.  Mark Koziel of Allinial Global discussed the transformation of firm services  Lindsay Stevenson, Chief Transformation Officer at BDM, provided best practices for firms. 

Erik Asgeirsson of CPA.com and Jennifer Wilson from ConvergenceCoaching discuss what firms need to do to make the most of Client Accounting Services, and to share insights from CPA.com's latest CAS benchmarking study.

Small firms face familiar challenges in unprecedented times What's keeping you up at night as a firm owner? Listen to this clip from the AICPA's September 2nd Town Hall series as the AICPA's Lisa Simpson, VP of Firm Services, Carl Peterson, VP of Small Firms, Barry Melancon, CEO, and CPA.com's CEO Erik Asgeirsson discuss the results from the 2021 CPA Firm Top Issues Survey. 2021 Top Issues commentary: Familiar challenges in extraordinary times Resources to address CPA firm top issues This episode is brought to you by the AICPA's Private Companies Practice Section (PCPS), the home of small firms. To learn more about PCPS, visit aicpa.org/pcps or email pcps@aicpa.org for a free web tour. Note: If your podcast app does not hyperlink to resources, visit https://aicpasmallfirm.libsyn.com to access show notes with direct links.

The AICPA Town Hall Series provides the latest news and updates on pressing issues facing the accounting profession. Presenters: Erik Asgeirsson, President & CEO, CPA.com Carl Peterson, CPA, CGMA, VP, Small Firms, AICPA Lisa Bodell, CEO, FutureThink Jennifer Burns, CPA, Chief Auditor, AICPA Kari Hipsak, CPA, CGMA, Sr. Manager, AICPA Mark Peterson, Executive Vice President, Advocacy, AICPA Topics: DC Update Fireside Chat with Lisa Bodell Technical Guidance & Updates ASB Exposure Draft: New Quality Management Standard Key Insights: CPA.com President & CEO, Erik Asgeirsson, was joined by AICPA's Executive Vice President of Advocacy, Mark Peterson, to discuss breaking news from Washington and the latest in legislation as Congress works to resolve fiscal issues as critical deadlines loom. Special guest Lisa Bodell, a globally recognized keynote speaker and CEO of FutureThink discussed how simplicity can be used as a competitive advantage and how to make better use of time. Kari Hipsak, AICPA's Senior Manager of Firm Services provided technical guidance, including how to handle accounting for economic recovery programs Jennifer Burns, AICPA's Chief Auditor, and Carl Peterson, AICPA Vice President of Small Firms, gave an update on proposed quality management standards and related top issues

The AICPA Town Hall Series provides the latest news and updates on pressing issues facing the accounting profession. Presenters: Erik Asgeirsson, President & CEO, CPA.com Edward S. Karl, CPA, CGMA, VP, Taxation, AICPA Barry Melancon, CPA, CGMA, President & CEO, AICPA Lisa Simpson, CPA, CGMA, VP, Firm Services, AICPA Carl Peterson, CPA, CGMA, VP, Small Firms, AICPA Topics: Profession & Legislative Update Technical Updates & New Guidance 2021 CPA Firm Top Issues Practice Strategies Key Insights: CPA.com President & CEO, Erik Asgeirsson, and AICPA President & CEO, Barry Melancon, provided a profession and legislative update, including discussion on the Senate infrastructure bill and 2021 key deadlines and expirations. AICPA's VP of Taxation, Ed Karl, joined to discuss AICPA's Top Tax Advocacy priorities, including IRS service levels and penalty relief. Lisa Simpson, AICPA's VP of Firm Services, gave a rundown of up-to-date PPP forgiveness statistics, plus technical guidance on the SBA forgiveness portal and ERC. Carl Peterson, AICPA's Small Firm VP, discussed 2021 CPA Firm Top Issues and provided practice strategies.

The AICPA Town Hall Series provides the latest news and updates on pressing issues facing the accounting profession. Presenters: Erik Asgeirsson, President & CEO, CPA.com Barry Melancon, CPA, CGMA, President & CEO, AICPA Jill Schlesinger, Business Analyst, CBS News, Host, Jill on Money Jim Bourke, CPA, CITP, CGMA, Partner, Withum Lindsay Stevenson, CPA, CGMA, Chief Transformation Officer, BPM LLP Lisa Simpson, CPA, CGMA, Vice President, Firm Services, AICPA Topics: Economic Outlook with Jill Schlesinger Legislative & Profession Update with Barry Melancon Technical Updates & Guidance Practitioner Insights from ENGAGE Key Insights: On this episode of the AICPA Town Hall podcast: The first-ever in-person AICPA Town Hall was conducted live at the 2021 AICPA ENGAGE Conference at the ARIA Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. CBS News Business Analyst, Jill Schlesinger, discussed an economic outlook with CPA.com Erik Asgeirsson including societal impacts, inflation, the federal reserve and markets. AICPA President and CEO, Barry Melancon, CPA, CGMA, provided the most recent legislative updates, including Biden Infrastructure & Tax proposals, IRS Services & Penalty relief and ERC. 2021 AICPA ENGAGE Chair & Chief Transformation Officer at BPM, Lindsay Stevenson, CPA, CGMA reflected on the past year and a provided a forward look on the workforce. Jim Bourke, CPA, CITP, CFF, CGMA, Partner at Withum, discussed the technology and cybersecurity landscape.  

The AICPA Town Hall Series provides the latest news and updates on pressing issues facing the accounting profession. Presenters: Erik Asgeirsson, President & CEO, CPA.com Susan S. Coffey, CPA, CGMA, CEO, Public Accounting, AICPA Kelly Grier, CPA, US Chair and Managing Partner, EY Barry Melancon, CPA, CGMA, President & CEO, AICPA Lisa Simpson, CPA, CGMA, Vice President, Firm Services, AICPA Topics: Strategic Discussion with Kelly Grier, EY US Chair Legislative & Firm Strategy Discussion with Barry Melancon Technical Updates & Guidance Key Insights: AICPA's CEO for Public Accounting, Sue Coffey, CPA, CGMA had a strategic discussion with EY's US Chair, Kelly Grier, about how Big 4 navigated the pandemic and the future outlook. Barry Melancon, CPA, CGMA, AICPA's President & CEO, and Erik Asgeirsson, CPA.com President & CEO, provided the latest legislative and IRS update including discussion around the Biden infrastructure & tax proposals, IRS service & penalty relief, and employee retention credit. Lisa Simpson, CPA, CGMA, VP of Firm Services for AICPA, provided a detailed technical update, specifically around FTE reduction calculation.

The AICPA Town Hall Series provides the latest news and updates on pressing issues facing the accounting profession. Presenters: Erik Asgeirsson, President & CEO, CPA.com Michael Faulkender, Ph.D., Professor Univ of Maryland, Former Chief Economist & Assistant Secretary for Economic Policy, United States Treasury Mark Peterson, Executive Vice President, Advocacy, AICPA Lisa Simpson, CPA, CGMA, Vice President, Firm Services, AICPA Topics: Strategic Discussion with Michael Faulkender Legislative and Tax Update Technical Guidance & Updates Key Insights: Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Treasury Department, Dr. Michael Faulkender, an architect of the Paycheck Protection Program, joins CPA.com CEO, Erik Asgeirsson, for a discussion on the defining moments and lessons learned in creating the largest business relief program in U.S. history. Mark Peterson, AICPA's Executive Vice President for Advocacy, presents the latest legislative and regulatory updates including the Biden Infrastructure and Tax Proposals, IRS Service & Penalty Relief, paid preparer tax legislation, and simplifying estimated tax deadlines. Lisa Simpson, AICPA Vice President of Firm Services, provides a technical guidance: addresses unanswered questions about employee retention credit, the PPP loan forgiveness landscape, and updates on Restaurant Revitalization Fund.

The AICPA Town Hall Series provides the latest news and updates on pressing issues facing the accounting profession. Presenters: Erik Asgeirsson, President & CEO, CPA.com Barry Melancon, CPA, CGMA, President & CEO, AICPA Kari Hipsak, CPA, CGMA, Sr. Manager, AICPA Tom Hood, CPA, CGMA, EVP, Business Growth & Engagement, AICPA Jennifer Reilly, CPA, CGMA, Business Area CFO, TIAA Topics: Changing Role of the CFO, Post-Pandemic Business Relief and Tax Updates Key Insights: Barry Melancon and Erik Asgeirsson give an update on legislative and regulatory developments in D.C., the unfolding parameters of the economic recovery, and the latest regarding the Paycheck Protection Program TIAA CFO Jennifer Reilly and Tom Hood, the Association's executive vice president of growth and engagement, talk about the changing role of the CFO Kari Hipsak, a senior manager with the AICPA, discusses the latest technical guidance on business relief programs

Barry Melancon of the AICPA and Erik Asgeirsson of CPA.com review the successes of the Paycheck Protection Program, and how accountants should be thinking about the future to guide their clients out of the pandemic.

The AICPA Town Hall Series provides the latest news and updates on pressing issues facing the accounting profession. Presenters: Erik Asgeirsson, President & CEO, CPA.com Michael Cerami, VP, Strategic Alliances, CPA.com Marci Rossell, PhD, Expert Economic Forecaster, Former CNBC Chief Economist Lisa Simpson, CPA, CGMA, Vice President, Firm Services, AICPA Dixie McCurley, Partner, Cherry Bekaert Travis Miskowitz, Manager, CFO Advisory, Wiss & Company, LLP Topics: Economic Outlook with Dr. Marci Rossell Legislative Update Lending, Tax, & Business Relief (PPP, RRF, SVOG) Updates Practitioner Perspectives Key Insights: Economist and former CNBC commentator Marci Rossell talked about economic trends related to the pandemic and recovery, including increased productivity due to remote work and the resiliency and enhanced prospects of surviving small businesses Erik Asgeirsson, president and CEO of CPA.com, and Lisa Simpson, the AICPA's vice president of firm services, discussed the latest policy developments from Washington, including infrastructure funding plans and the close-out of funding for the Paycheck Protection Program Dixie McCurley of Cherry Bekaert and Travis McCurley of Wiss & Co. talked about the impact of the $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund and other practitioner issues

The AICPA Town Hall Series provides the latest news and updates on pressing issues facing the accounting profession. Presenters: Erik Asgeirsson, President & CEO, CPA.com Barry Melancon, CPA, CGMA, President & CEO, AICPA Stephanie O'Rourk, CPA, Partner, CohnReznick Lisa Simpson, CPA, CGMA, Vice President, Firm Services, AICPA Topics: Opening Comments & Broad 2021 Outlook Legislative Update & Tax Season Discussion PPP Final Stretch Update Business Relief Program Update (PPP, RRF, SVOG) Key Insights: AICPA President and CEO Barry Melancon gave an overview of the economic outlook for the second half of the year, and discussed activities firms will be most focused on in the coming weeks. Erik Asgeirsson, president and CEO of CPA.com, walked participants through the final stretch of the Paycheck Protection Program and talked about how lenders are dealing with the approaching May 31 loan application deadline. Lisa Simpson, the AICPA's vice president of firms services, gave an update on PPP developments and also answered common questions about business relief programs. Stephanie O'Rourk, a partner with CohnReznick, talked about the mechanics of the $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization.

The AICPA Town Hall Series provides the latest news and updates on pressing issues facing the accounting profession. Presenters: Erik Asgeirsson, President & CEO, CPA.com Kristin Esposito, CPA, Dir., Tax Policy & Advocacy, AICPA Mark Peterson, Executive Vice President, Advocacy, AICPA Lisa Simpson, CPA, CGMA, Vice President, Firm Services, AICPA Cari Weston, CPA, CGMA, Director, Tax Practice & Ethics, AICPA Topics: Opening Comments & Policy Maker Update Relief Programs Discussion Final Stretch PPP, ERC, EIDL, SVOG, RRP Hot Tax Topics Key Insights: Mark Peterson, the AICPA's executive vice president of advocacy, talked about legislative efforts to reconcile disparate tax deadlines that would help firms and taxpayers Erik Asgeirsson, president and CEO of CPA.com, and Lisa Simpson, the AICPA's vice president of firm services, talked about the final stretch for the PPP and what firms should be doing now to help clients with other programs, such as the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Kristin Esposito, the AICPA's director of tax policy and advocacy, discussed the latest developments with the Employee Retention Credit and its interplay with other relief programs Cari Weston, the AICPA's director of tax practice and ethics, gave attendees an update on hot tax topics for practitioners

The AICPA Town Hall Series provides the latest news and updates on pressing issues facing the accounting profession. Presenters: Erik Asgeirsson, President & CEO, CPA.com Barry Melancon, CPA, CGMA, President & CEO, AICPA Mark Peterson, Executive Vice President, Advocacy, AICPA Lisa Simpson, CPA, CGMA, Vice President, Firm Services, AICPA April Walker, CPA, CGMA, Lead Manager, Tax Practice & Ethics, AICPA Topics: Significant Activities with Policy Makers and Regulators State of Lenders and PPP Updates & Recommendations on New Guidance New Tax Provisions (ERC, etc.) Key Insights: AICPA President and CEO Barry Melancon, CPA, CGMA, CPA.com President and CEO Erik Asgeirsson and Mark Peterson, the AICPA's executive vice president of advocacy, discuss the need to extend the March 31 deadline for Paycheck Protection Program loan applications and also highlight issues with the May 17 limited tax deadline extension by the IRS. Lisa Simpson, CPA, CGMA, the AICPA's vice president of firm services, gives the latest updates and recommendations regarding PPP. April Walker, CPA, CGMA, lead manager of tax practice and advocacy for the AICPA, talks about tax developments with the American Rescue Plan, the Employee Retention Credit and other topics.

The AICPA Town Hall Series provides the latest news and updates on pressing issues facing the accounting profession. Presenters: Erik Asgeirsson, President & CEO, CPA.com Kristin Esposito, CPA, MST, Dir., Tax Policy & Advocacy, AICPA Barry Melancon, CPA, CGMA, President & CEO, AICPA Mark Peterson, Executive Vice President, Advocacy, AICPA Lisa Simpson, CPA, CGMA, Vice President, Firm Services, AICPA Topics: Updates from Policy Makers New Administration State of Legislation Business Relief Tax Extension Updates & Recommendations on New Guidance New PPP IFR and forms New ERC Guidance Key Insights: AICPA President and CEO Barry Melancon talks about the pressures on the IRS and SBA with tax and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) issues, respectively, and the need for easing some deadlines for CPA firms and their clients. Erik Asgeirsson, president and CEO of CPA.com, discusses the state of PPP loan approvals and the SBA's focus on the smallest businesses. Lisa Simpson, the AICPA's vice president of firm services, gives the latest updates on PPP guidance. Kristin Esposito, the AICPA's director of tax policy and advocacy, talked about the Employee Retention Credit and its interaction with PPP.

The AICPA Town Hall Series provides the latest news and updates on pressing issues facing the accounting profession. Presenters: Erik Asgeirsson, President & CEO, CPA.com Daniel Martini, VP, Congressional Relations, American Bankers Association Dixie McCurley, President & Co-Founder Carl Peterson, CPA, VP, Small Firms, AICPA Lisa Simpson, CPA, CGMA, VP, Firm Services, AICPA Topics: Lender Update Discussion with the ABA Latest Updates & Recommendations Firm Strategies Key Insights: Daniel Martini, the American Banking Association's vice president of congressional relations, discusses lender activity and SBA system integration issues surrounding the latest Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) application round. Erik Asgeirsson, president and CEO of CPA.com, and Lisa Simpson, the AICPA's vice president of firm services, gives the latest updates on PPP developments. Carl Peterson, the AICPA's vice president of small firm interests, and Dixie McCurley, principal and co-founder of Trusted CFO Solutions, talk about the view from the ground and the extensive “layering of work” for firms assisting small businesses on PPP, the Employee Retention Credit and upcoming tax matters.

We’re approaching the third wave of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) relief, and while we’ve seen these before, there’s good reason to be prepared for what’s new this time around. Erik Asgeirsson is the president and CEO of https://www.cpa.com/ (CPA.com). Joining him is Lisa Simpson, who leads the American Institute of CPAs’ Private Companies Practice Section in the development of practice management tools that address topics that are most important to firm owners. They talk about where we stand with this latest round of funding, what they’re hearing from firms and their clients, what CPAs should know at this point in the process, whether they’re expecting things to go a little more smoothly than they did in earlier PPP rounds, and how things are going with the new CPA Business Funding Portal, which is designed to help CPAs better manage their clients’ loan applications and forgiveness requests. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit https://blionline.org/blog (blionline.org/blog). Resources: https://www.cpa.com/ (CPA.com) https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikasgeirsson/ (linkedin.com/in/erikasgeirsson) https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisasimpsoncpa/ (linkedin.com/in/lisasimpsoncpa) https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/01/19/business/us-economy-coronavirus ("$5 Billion in P.P.P. Loans Were Approved Last Week") https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/paycheck-protection-program-reopens-tuesday-for-second-round-of-small-business-loans ("Paycheck Protection program reopens Tuesday for second round of small-business loans") https://www.accountingtoday.com/list/cpa-firms-its-time-to-reset-your-approach-to-ppp ("CPA firms: It’s time to reset your approach to PPP") Future-Proof is a production of http://crate.media (Crate Media)

The AICPA Town Hall Series provides the latest news and updates on pressing issues facing the accounting profession. Presenters: Rohit Arora, CEO and Co-Founder, Biz2Credit Erik Asgeirsson, President & CEO, CPA.com Barry Melancon, CPA, CGMA, President & CEO, AICPA Lisa Simpson, Director, Firm Services, AICPA Topics: PPP Reopening Latest Updates & Recommendations Lender Update 2021 Outlook with Barry Melancon Key Insights: AICPA President and CEO Barry Melancon talks about how the profession can be a “settling voice” for businesses as a new administration grapples with economic recovery and other challenges. Lisa Simpson, the AICPA's vice president of firm services, discussed the latest developments on the Paycheck Protection Program, including updated guidance on calculating PPP loan amounts, second draws, and calculating gross receipts. Erik Asgeirsson, president and CEO of CPA.com, offers insight on the opening of the latest round of PPP applications to all participating lenders, and what 2021 looks like for further business stimulus plans.

Accountants played a crucial role in helping millions of organizations, most of them small businesses, receive $525 billion in Paycheck Protection Program loans last year. Now, the PPP is back and businesses will again be looking to CPAs for advice and assistance in accessing the program, which provides forgivable loans that borrowers can use for payroll and other essential expenses as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to roil the economy. What do CPAs need to know about the new PPP? How is it different from the program that ran for five months before its loan application window closed in August? And what should accountants be doing to help businesses access the $284 billion available in the PPP’s second iteration? Those topics and more are addressed by Erik Asgeirsson, president and CEO of the AICPA’s business subsidiary CPA.com, and Lisa Simpson, CPA, CGMA, the AICPA’s vice president–Firm Services. What you’ll learn from this episode: When lenders can start submitting PPP loan applications to the U.S. Small Business Administration. Details about the new PPP second-draw loans. Why many banks won’t be submitting PPP applications at the beginning of the application period. What the AICPA has been doing to support the accounting profession with the PPP over the past nine months. Why it is important for PPP borrowers to have two paths they can take in pursuing a second-draw PPP loan. More information about the CPA Business Funding Portal (see link in resources below). What CPAs can do to help businesses prepare for increased SBA scrutiny of PPP loans. The importance of helping businesses know their E-Tran number from their first PPP loan. Why firms will play a more important role in the second round of the PPP. The importance of keeping the intent of the PPP in mind when choosing the accounting method for calculating the decline in gross receipts to determine whether a business qualifies for a second-draw loan. Whether a business seeking second-draw PPP loans must spend all its first-draw PPP loan before the second-draw funds are disbursed. That some banks may require PPP borrowers to file for forgiveness on their first loan before processing a second-draw application.

The latest stimulus package includes a number of provisions that make some major adjustments to the Paycheck Protection Program. Erik Asgeirsson of CPA.com and Lisa Simpson of the AICPA discuss the latest changes, and how accountants should be working with clients to make the most of them. 

In this episode, Tony Kirsch, Head of Professional Services at GoDaddy Registry talks with Erik Asgeirsson, CEO and President of cpa.com which is the technology arm of the trade association for Certified Public Accountants in the United States, about the launch and future plans of their TLD, .CPA.

The AICPA Town Hall Series provides the latest news and updates on pressing issues facing the accounting profession.  Presenters:  Erik Asgeirsson, President & CEO, CPA.com Aaron Boker, Partner, Aronson, LLC Jim Bourke, Partner, Withum Susan Coffey, EVP, Public Practice, AICPA Kari Hipsak, Sr. Manager, AICPA Topics: Opening Comments & High-Level Update FAQs and Guidance Update EIDL  Cybersecurity Awareness Month Practitioner Discussion

"This is a very significant step for the profession; it's a LEADERSHIP step." (130). What's the security value of a name? CPA.com CEO Erik Asgeirsson outlines the many security and branding benefits of .cpa, a new top-level domain for the finance and accounting profession. Talking Points. These are just some of the topics discussed in this episode. what a top-level domain is. why it's been developed. who'd find it useful. the benefits to members of the accounting and finance profession. its cybersecurity value, especially in assurance, credibility and verifiability. Our Guest. Erik Asgeirsson has been President and CEO of CPA.com for the past fifteen years and was part of the original founding team. Under his leadership, CPA.com has established itself as a leader on emerging technologies and as a key solution provider to accounting firms in the United States, with a growing global focus. Erik also led the creation of RIVIO, a private company financial information clearinghouse, and is overseeing the launch of .cpa, a new top level domain for the profession. Before joining CPA.com, Erik held a variety of positions over a ten-year period at AT&T in business development, operations, and product management. He holds an MBA in Finance from The New York University Stern School of Business and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from George Washington University, where he was elected to the Eta Kappa Nu engineering honour society.  Connect with him at www.cpa.com/speakers/erik-asgeirsson Resources. Use these links to find out more about this topic, or to access free guidance and resources to implement in your own team or organisation. Learn more about .cpa at domains.cpa. Find technology and cybersecurity resources for CPAs at CPA.com. Discover how Cybersecurity Month is being marked in the USA as "NCSAM", and the EU as "ECSM". Visit dedicated coronavirus online resource centres for our AICPA and CIMA networks. Share. Know someone who should hear this podcast? Click on these links to automatically share this episode with colleagues and friends. Recommend it to your LinkedIn connections, send to Twitter, auto-share on your Facebook page, or simply tell someone via email. Social. Use #GoBeyondDisruption, @AICPANews or @CIMA_News. About Our Podcast. These conversations with expert guests are recorded by different members of the AICPA & CIMA team from our offices around the world. While the sound quality may vary, we hope that the insights will be consistently useful. Get in touch. How did you discover our podcast? Where do you listen? What would you like to hear more of? Finance pro or not, we're keen to know what you think. Email us here. ©2018-2020 Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (AICPA & CIMA)

There are some important changes coming to the internet in the form of top-level domains. These are the parts of a website that come after the dot in a domain name. There are seven original top-level domains, which were created in the early days of the Internet — .com, .org, .net, .int, .edu, .gov, and .mil. Today, the number of top-level domains available has exploded, and now, .cpa has finally arrived, and it is one you will want to pay attention to. Like everything else with the profession, there are elements of verification and trust embedded in .cpa that don’t exist in other domains. Erik Asgeirsson is president and CEO of CPA.com (https://www.cpa.com/), and he shares why the world needs another top-level domain, and why you need to seriously consider securing yours now, because there’s never been a better time than now. If you’re a CPA or work for a CPA firm, the changes happening will affect your brand, your SEO, your marketing, and, most importantly, the trust and integrity you’ve built with your clients and customers. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog (https://blionline.org/blog). Resources: CPA.com (https://www.cpa.com/) Twitter: @ErikAsgeirsson (https://twitter.com/ErikAsgeirsson) LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/erikasgeirsson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikasgeirsson/) Read "The Cybersecurity 202: Internet domain names are ripe for scam during coronavirus crisis" (https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/09/08/cybersecurity-202-internet-domain-names-are-ripe-scam-during-coronavirus-crisis/) Future-Proof is a production of (http://crate.media)

As the AICPA rolls out .cpa, a new internet domain for CPAs, CPA.com president and CEO Erik Asgeirsson explains the value, and the application process.

The Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (the Association), the global accounting organisation formed by CIMA and the AICPA, and CPA.com are seeking applicants for their 2021 startup accelerator programme, which specialises in accounting, finance and regulatory technology. Launched in 2017, the accelerator is open to early-stage companies across the globe. Successful applicants can tap business intelligence about the accounting profession from senior leaders of both the Association and CPA.com and gain insight from the programme’s advisory board members, who have diverse backgrounds and complementary skills in entrepreneurship, startup tech companies, accounting and finance. In addition, companies can qualify for up to $25,000 (circa £20,000) in funding. Fintech-Focused Startup Accelerator Apply for 2021 “This was a great programme and opportunity for our company,” said Joey Ryan, CFO and cofounder of Gilded, a member of the 2020 accelerator cohort. “We were able to leverage the knowledge and resources of the Association and CPA.com, receive feedback from CPA firms on our service, and connect with thought leaders who are helping to drive acceptance of digital payments.” Gilded, based in New Orleans, uses blockchain to offer seamless invoicing, payments, and accounting for global businesses. Applications for the 2021 accelerator close on 30 November 2020, and selections will be announced in January. Companies that are chosen will be featured next summer at ENGAGE 2021, one of the leading accounting and finance conferences in North America, and later in the year at the AICPA/CPA.com Digital CPA Conference, which specialises in accounting technology and practice development topics. “The 2021 programme has particular value for early-stage companies because of the lingering challenges of the pandemic,” said Erik Asgeirsson, president and CEO of CPA.com. “As a global organisation, we have the ability to advise startups so they’re well-positioned to take advantage of new opportunities. We have strong relationships throughout the accounting and finance technology field that are invaluable and hard to replicate. The profession, meanwhile, benefits by getting an early look at innovation from some really smart companies.” The startup accelerator programme is open to entrepreneurial companies worldwide. To be eligible, companies should be: At seed or pre-Series A stage (with some exceptions) Have a working product or service Focused on financial or regulatory technology solutions For questions about the programme, please contact Kacee Johnson, strategic advisor for CPA.com, at kacee.johnson@hq.cpa.com. To apply, please visit the startup accelerator programme page at cpa.com/accelerator. About the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants The Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (the Association) is the most influential body of professional accountants, combining the strengths of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) to power trust, opportunity and prosperity for people, businesses and economies worldwide. It represents 650,000 members and students across 179 countries and territories in public and management accounting, and advocates for the public interest and business sustainability on current and emerging issues. With broad reach, rigor and resources, the Association advances the reputation, employability and quality of CPAs, CGMAs and accounting and finance professionals globally. About CPA.com CPA.com brings innovative solutions to the accounting profession, either in partnership with leading providers or directly through its own development. The company has established itself as a thought leader on emerging technologies and as the trusted business advisor to practitioners in the United States, with a growing global focus. Our company’s core mission is to drive th...

The AICPA's Dynamic Audit Solution is on track to transform the field; Sue Coffey of the American Institute of CPAs and Erik Asgeirsson of CPA.com offer an update on this ambitious project.

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, accounting firms have played a key role as advisors for their clients. For many firms this has been a defining moment, being able to continue operating remotely to help their small business clients navigate these tough times. In this episode, CPA.com President and Chief Executive Officer, Erik Asgeirsson, talks with Gene Marks about the importance of technology and cloud-based platforms as it relates to the accounting industry. Listen as Erik talks about how accounting firms who had technology in place have fared during the past few weeks, how COVID-19 has pushed other firms to invest and build their technology offerings, and what the future holds for accounting firms working as trusted advisors for businesses moving forward. For more information regarding COVID-19 and your business, including workplace health, business continuity, payroll processes, health insurance, financial assistance, new legislation, and more, visit our Coronavirus (COVID-19) Help Center. DISCLAIMER: The information presented in this podcast, and that is further provided by the presenter, should not be considered legal or accounting advice, and should not substitute for legal, accounting, or other professional advice in which the facts and circumstances may warrant. We encourage you to consult legal counsel as it pertains to your own unique situation(s) and/or with any specific legal questions you may have. For more information regarding COVID-19 and your business, including workplace health, business continuity, payroll processes, health insurance, financial assistance, new legislation, and more, visit our Coronavirus (COVID-19) Help Center.

Signed into law by President Trump on June 5, 2020, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Flexibility Act provides business owners with greater freedom for when and how loan funds must be spent. This new act increases the time borrowers have to spend their loan and reduces the percentage of the loan that must be spent on payroll. Listen in as CEO of CPA.com, Erik Asgeirsson, talks with Gene Marks about these new changes, as well as how this will positively impact businesses as they begin to reopen, how the PPP should be looked at as more of a grant program than a loan program, when you should start thinking about the forgiveness application, and his thoughts on the success of the PPP.  Visit Paychex WORX to learn more about the PPP Flexibility Act. For more information regarding COVID-19 and your business, including workplace health, business continuity, payroll processes, health insurance, financial assistance, new legislation, and more, visit our Coronavirus (COVID-19) Help Center. DISCLAIMER: The information presented in this podcast, and that is further provided by the presenter, should not be considered legal or accounting advice, and should not substitute for legal, accounting, or other professional advice in which the facts and circumstances may warrant. We encourage you to consult legal counsel as it pertains to your own unique situation(s) and/or with any specific legal questions you may have.

The evolution continues with the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). In this episode we discuss with Roxanne Sexton the newly released Forgiveness Application released by the SBA on May 15th. Many of the previously issued guidelines are clarified, new guidelines are provided and other questions remain. While there is talk and speculation about further changes to the rules, like extending the 8 week covered period and the 75%/25% split of how the money should be spent. However, at this point, those changes are just speculation.  SBA Releases PPP Forgiveness Application and Makes Critical Clarifications and Documentation RequirementsThere is now improved guidance on calculation methods, definitions of forgivable expenses and the documents that must be submitted with the forgiveness request. CONTRIBUTORCEO & Attorney at Directed IRA & Directed Trust Company     May 18, 2020 10 min readOpinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.The SBA released its Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan Forgiveness Application and clarified a few critical definitions and documentation requirements in their instructions. The forgiveness application is completed by the small-business borrower and is submitted to their bank or lender whom they received their PPP loan from. The application consists of 11 lines that when calculated results in the amount of forgiveness a small-business owner will be eligible for. The forgiveness component of PPP is what attracted small-business owners to take out PPP loans in droves, as the program promised forgiveness of amounts loaned so long as the small business used the funds for payroll, business mortgage interest, rent and utilities. For a summary on forgiveness rules please refer to my prior article here.Three-Part Calculation MethodThe application consists of a three-part calculation to determine the amount eligible for forgiveness. First, the application asks for the payroll and qualifying non-payroll costs that the business has spent over the eight-week period since it received its PPP funds (more on the updated definition of these costs later). The second step is a reduction in the forgiveness amount if you have reduced pay for employees greater than 25 percent or if you have not brought back the same number of full-time equivalent employees (more on that definition later). The full-time equivalent employee (FTE) rule requires a small business to reduce its forgiveness request if it does not bring back the same number of employees that it had pre-pandemic. The application does provide for a waiver of this reduction if the business failed to bring back its same employee count during its eight-week period but later brought back the same number of employees by June 30, 2020.Step three is the 75 percent payroll cost test, which states that the forgiveness request must be comprised of at least 75 percent payroll costs. The other 25 percent can only be rent, mortgage interest debt and utilities. If the forgiveness request in step three exceeds 75 percent, then you will instead take the amount of your payroll costs and will divide that by .75, and this will give you your total forgiveness amount. For example, if you had payroll costs of $70,000 and non-payroll costs $30,000, you would only be at 70 percent and would not meet the 75 percent rule and the $30,000 in non-payroll costs would need to be reduced. The application calculation ($70,000 divided by .75) would bring the total forgiveness amount to $93,333. This calculation is effectively reducing the non-payroll costs from $30,000 to $23,333, and now the forgiveness request consists of 75 percent payroll costs ($70,000) and 25 percent non-payroll costs ($23,333).Rent Includes Leases of Personal and Real PropertyMany small-business owners and their accountants and lawyers were unclear whether the lease of personal property was an amount that could be included in rent, and thus forgiven. The forgiveness application specifically states that rent incudes the following: “Business rent or lease payments pursuant to lease agreements for real or personal property in force between February 15, 2020 (business rent or lease payments).”It was clear that rental payments for office, storefront and other real property was going to be included, but the application now makes it clear that personal property items such as copiers, servers, autos and other common items of personal property that are leased by a business will be includable in the bucket of non-payroll costs that may be forgiven. Similarly, a business “mortgage interest payment” includes loans for real property and personal property, and as a result interest paid on loans for equipment, autos and other personal property items are includable and can be forgiven.   Utilities Definition Includes Internet, Transportation and TelephoneThe application also defines what utility expenses may be added to the application. These expenses include “...electricity, gas, water, transportation, telephone or internet access, for which service began before February 15, 2020.”Most of these utility expenses are straightforward. What falls under transportation is uncertain, but SBA guidance appears to define transportation costs as gas and other auto expenses that would usually be part of the auto deductions on the business-tax return.Average FTE CalculationIn determining your full-time equivalent employees before the pandemic and during the eight-week period, the SBA has given two alternative methods of calculation. The first method takes some math and seems complex at first, but will give flexibility and will meet the intent of the rule — that those small business who retain or bring back all of their employees during the eight-week period or by June 30, 2020 will not have their forgiveness request reduced.  The first option is to take the average number of hours paid each week for each employee, divide by 40 and round the total to the nearest 10th. The maximum number of hours per employee is 40 or 1 FTE. Let’s run a quick example for a small business with three employees.                Employee 1 Average Weekly Hours = 40                40 hours divided by 40 = 1                1 FTE                 Employee 2 Average Weekly Hours = 37                35 hours divided by 40 = .875                Round to nearest tenth = .9                .9 FTE                 Employee 3 Average Weekly Hours = 21                20 hours divided by 40 = .525                Round to nearest tenth = .5                .5 FTE                 Total FTE = 2.4 FTE Since the calculation method tracks each employee by the hours they worked, and since it is the same method to use pre-pandemic and during the eight-week period, it will fairly reflect the small businesses payroll costs and the hours worked without having to worry about whether an employee makes the cut as a full-time equivalent or if they are part-time.  The SBA is also allowing for a simpler method that assigns 1.0 for employees who work 40 hours or more per week and .5 for employees who work fewer than 40 hours. While this may work for some small businesses, there can be some losers in this method, as you may have someone who worked working 35 hours who is now only being counted at .5 under the simple method but would be .9 under the traditional method.Documentation of Payroll CostsThe application outlines what documentation will be required with the forgiveness request. For payroll costs, the business must outline these in a PPP Schedule A Worksheet and must identify each employee paid during the eight-week period. The business must also identify employees paid at an annualized rate below $100,000 in 2019 on one schedule and employees paid at an annualized rate over $100,000 on another schedule. The business owner’s compensation is included on a separate line on the forgiveness application, but still calculates into the application like any employee. Because of the per employee compensation restriction $100,000, no employee or owner can have cash/wage compensation that is forgiven greater than the annualized eight-week amount of $15,385. Consequently, the maximum cash compensation forgiveness request per employee on the Schedule A worksheet will be $15,385. Note that this $15,385 cap does not include health insurance and retirement contributions paid by the business.The forgiveness application gives flexibility to small businesses who have a bi-weekly payroll, such that they will be able to ensure that they can get four pay periods of two weeks into their eight-week covered period regardless of when they receive their PPP loan funds and when their regular bi-weekly payroll schedule hits. This was an important provision and instruction in the application, as many businesses were realizing that their payroll schedules weren’t in synch with the eight-week period, and as a result of their loan funding date and their regular payroll dates, they were only going to have three pay periods representing six weeks covered.To document the payroll costs, the SBA is requiring each of the following:Bank accounts or third-party payroll service reports documenting the cash compensation paid to employees.Tax forms (or equivalent third-party payroll service provider reports) for the periods that overlap with the Covered Period or the Alternative Payroll Covered Period. For tax forms, the SBA is requesting payroll tax forms (usually 941) and state quarterly wage and unemployment filings.Payment receipts, cancelled checks or account statements documenting the amount of employer contributions to employee health insurance and retirement plans.For many small businesses, there will be a significant time lag from when their eight-week period will be up and when a small business will file its quarterly 941s. As a result, many small businesses may have to wait for a month or two after the eight-week period before filing their forgiveness loan application. For example, if your PPP loan was funded on May 15, your 8-week period will run into July and will be part of second quarter (April-June) and third quarter payroll reporting (July-Sept.). This means you won’t have complete 941s to submit to your bank with the forgiveness request until October even though your eight-week period was up in July. We will have to see what flexibility the SBA is going to allow in this instance or if small businesses will just have to wait until October to submit their forgiveness application.It is unclear what documents a sole proprietor or partnership that does not have payroll and does not file 941s will use.Documentation of Rent, Mortgage Interest and UtilitiesTo document the approved non-payroll costs of rent, mortgage interest and utilities, the SBA is requiring existence of the obligation/service prior to February 15, 2020 and evidence of payments during the eight-week period. To document a business mortgage obligation, the business would provide a lender amortization schedule and receipt of payments as well as statements from February 2020 and during the eight-week covered period.To document rent or lease payments, a copy of the lease agreement must be produced showing it was in force before February 15, 2020. To document the payments, the small-business owner will need to produce copies of account statements from its landlord/lessor showing the payments or cancelled checks evidencing the payments made during the eight-week period. Small businesses who are paying rent monthly will generally be able to request two months worth of expenses during the eight-week period.The documentation required for utility payments includes an invoice or statements from February 2020 showing the utility service in place. To document payments made during the eight-week period, the business can use account statements showing the payments made, cancelled checks or bank-account statements showing the payment.Small-businesses owners will submit their forgiveness application and their supporting documentation to their bank, and their bank will have 60 days to approve or reject the forgiveness request. Attention to detail and a correctly completed forgiveness application will be key to ensuring the maximum amount forgivable. Understanding what is in the application now will greatly increase a small business's chances of receiving maximum PPP loan forgiveness. There are still many unanswered questions, but seeing the PPP forgiveness loan application is a big step ahead. 20,845 views|May 19, 2020,08:10am EDTFirst Look At PPP Loan Forgiveness ApplicationKyle WestawayContributorEntrepreneursI write about entrepreneurship, innovation and impact. On May 15, the Small Business Administration (SBA) released the long-awaited Payroll Protection Program Forgiveness Application. Under the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) entrepreneurs may apply to have up to 100 percent of their loan forgiven. However, the SBA has failed to give clear guidance on the details of loan forgiveness, and this has caused entrepreneurs to question what they need to do to prepare for PPP loan forgiveness. The new application provides clarity on a few points. Time Period for ForgivenessYou must spend the money on authorized expenses in a specific period of time in order to be eligible for forgiveness. There has been a slight update to the time period in question. Historically the window was eight weeks from the day the loan hit your bank account. However, if you didn’t receive your money the day before your regularly scheduled payroll period, you may have trouble deploying the full amount of payroll within the eight-week period. So, the new guidance allows you to choose the eight-week period that begins on your first payroll date following the loan disbursement.On May 18, restaurant owners met with President Trump and requested the SBA to extend the eight-week period to 24 weeks. This is especially important for restaurateurs since most of their restaurants are currently closed by government order. Trump seems to be considering it, noting that, “That should be easy," he said. "That's like one of the easiest requests I've ever heard." $2MYou must certify whether or not the total loan amount of your business, and/or your affiliated businesses, is $2M or above. The SBA has previously notified small businesses that loans of $2M or above will likely be audited, and the application shows how they will be flagging those companies.Payroll Reduction ExemptionIn general, you are required to maintain the average number of employees, and any reduction in headcount will result in a reduction in the forgivable amount. However, the new guidance makes it clear that your forgiveness amount will not be reduced for employee reductions related to: Individuals to whom the borrower has made a written offer in good faith to rehire but the employee declined (see FAQ 40);Employees whose employment was terminated for cause; orEmployees who voluntarily resigned.  Owner’s CapMany entrepreneurs have been struggling to calculate payroll costs because they pay themselves through owner’s draws, not a traditional payroll. SBA clarifies that any owner-employee or self-employed individual/general partner may calculate payroll costs as eight weeks of 2019 compensation. However, the total forgivable amount is capped at $15,385 per individual. 75/25 RuleThe 75/25 Rule states that at least 75 percent of your total forgivable amount must be comprised of payroll costs, and only 25 percent can be authorized non-payroll costs. Though many small business groups and the SBA Inspector General are recommending removing this rule, the SBA has made no change at this time. More Clarity Needed“It’s clear the application form and instructions provided yesterday are not enough,” said Erik Asgeirsson (president and CEO of CPA.com, and the American Institute of CPA’s business and technology arm) in a recent news release. “Some of the most pressing issues are not addressed. And in other areas, it appears new questions have arisen.”

The Paycheck Protection Program continues to evolve — and there are other ways to help business clients, according to Erik Asgeirsson of CPA.com and Mark Koziel of the AICPA.  

This week we’re talking about the Paycheck Protection Program. A provision of the CARES Act — the massive coronavirus relief bill that was signed into law on March 27 — the PPP is a loan that’s designed to be an incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll. We know some of our listeners may be applying for it, and if you are, you probably have a few questions. So we sat down for a conversation with two people who can help put this all into proper context. Erik Asgeirsson is the president and CEO of CPA.com, the technology arm of the American Institute of CPAs, and he is going to give us some perspective on the massive and almost unprecedented legislative undertaking to get this bill passed, as well as recommendations for the types of documents that lenders are looking for under various circumstances during the loan application process. And Tom Hood, the president and CEO of the Maryland Institute of CPAs and the Business Learning Institute, is going to talk a bit about the role that CPAs can play in this process, and give us some guidance of his own for people in the profession as the rest of this crisis plays out. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog (https://blionline.org/blog) . Resources: SBA Paycheck Protection Program resources for CPAs (http://bit.ly/PPPresources) MACPA.org/COVID-19 (http://macpa.org/COVID-19) AICPA recommends lender documents and key calculations to use in PPP applications (http://bit.ly/PPPdocuments) Future-Proof is a production of (http://crate.media)

Erik Asgeirsson, CEO at CPA.com, and Mark Koziel, EVP of Firm Services at the AICPA, join the show for an episode all about the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was created by the CARES Act two weeks ago to help small businesses pay their employees through the COVID-19 pandemic. We ask: Is the PPP working? How much of the PPP's $349 billion has actually been disbursed? What is the AICPA doing to support accounting pros struggling through this difficult time? Why didn't Congress go with the AICPA's plan to use payroll processors to distribute funds? What's up with banks not paying agent fees, and much more.

Erik Asgeirsson, president and CEO of CPA.com, and Ron Quaranta, founder and chairman of the Wall Street Blockchain Alliance, examine tax and accounting issues related to cryptoassets and explore assurance opportunities blockchain is creating for accountants.

Erik Asgeirsson describes the new audit tools and many other developments coming out of CPA.com and the American Institute of CPAs.

Erik Asgeirsson of CPA.com and Sue Coffey of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants examine the broader evolution of auditing, and the specifics of the AICPA's Dynamic Audit Solution.  

Ron and Ed are excited to be joined by Erik Asgeirsson and Ron Quaranta. Erik is the President and Chief Executive Officer of CPA.com. He has more than 20 years of experience in leading technology organizations and driving business growth. Over the past ten years Erik has driven CPA.com's focus on cloud computing and the transforming opportunities available to accounting firms and their business clients. Erik is a frequent speaker at professional conferences and is regularly quoted in the accounting and business trade press. Ron Quaranta is the Founder and Chairman of the Wall Street Blockchain Alliance. He is a recognized expert in the area of blockchain innovation, particularly its impact on the world of financial markets. He has over 25 years of experience in the financial services and technology sectors.

Ron and Ed are excited to be joined by Erik Asgeirsson and Ron Quaranta. Erik is the President and Chief Executive Officer of CPA.com. He has more than 20 years of experience in leading technology organizations and driving business growth. Over the past ten years Erik has driven CPA.com's focus on cloud computing and the transforming opportunities available to accounting firms and their business clients. Erik is a frequent speaker at professional conferences and is regularly quoted in the accounting and business trade press. Ron Quaranta is the Founder and Chairman of the Wall Street Blockchain Alliance. He is a recognized expert in the area of blockchain innovation, particularly its impact on the world of financial markets. He has over 25 years of experience in the financial services and technology sectors.

Ron and Ed are excited to be joined by Erik Asgeirsson and Ron Quaranta. Erik is the President and Chief Executive Officer of CPA.com. He has more than 20 years of experience in leading technology organizations and driving business growth. Over the past ten years Erik has driven CPA.com's focus on cloud computing and the transforming opportunities available to accounting firms and their business clients. Erik is a frequent speaker at professional conferences and is regularly quoted in the accounting and business trade press. Ron Quaranta is the Founder and Chairman of the Wall Street Blockchain Alliance. He is a recognized expert in the area of blockchain innovation, particularly its impact on the world of financial markets. He has over 25 years of experience in the financial services and technology sectors.

This week is all about financial statements, which may not seem like the sexiest subject in the world... but humor us for a few minutes! Because we’re talking about some of the most important documents that exist today, at least in corporate America, and they’re feeling the sting of disruption just like everything else these days. There are academics out there questioning whether traditional financial statements are still relevant in a world where business models are evolving and innovating, and new types of businesses are emerging almost daily. Can a traditional financial statement serve these types of businesses and their audiences well? And then there’s technology: Artificial intelligence and blockchain are poised to disrupt not just how financial statements are prepared, but what types of information are reflected in those financials and how they are audited. So this is about as sexy as subjects go these days, at least from an accounting and finance standpoint. Joining us this week to help make sense of all of this chaos is Erik Asgeirsson, the president and CEO of CPA.com, which is the technology arm of the AICPA. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog. Resources: Learn more at (http://cpa.com/) Connect with Erik on LinkedIn Read Erik’s article: “What’s the future for financial statements in a digital world?” RIVIO Clearinghouse: (https://www.rivio.com/) Future-Proof is produced by Podcast Masters

The advent of blockchain’s ledger technology brings both opportunities and challenges for accountants. A set of working groups has been tasked this summer to sort through those technical challenges—as many as 200 issues have been identified so far. The groups are expected to make recommendations to the American Institute of CPAs later this year. Accountants' work is expected to change dramatically in the future because of the distributed ledger system. The initiative aims to help accountants prepare to use the technology and find market opportunities for them. Erik Asgeirsson, president and CEO of CPA.com—a technology subsidiary of AICPA—and Ron Quaranta, chair of the Wall Street Blockchain Alliance, joined Bloomberg Tax’s Amanda Iacone on May 30 to talk about the working groups, the technical questions they are set to explore, and what accountants can expect.