It’s All About Cash Flow! Tax Pros Share Tips…

Posted by Kelley Lear on May 16, 2012 in Compliance, Empowerment Series, Tax Planning | 0 comments

It’s All About Cash Flow! Tax Pros Share Tips…

Was just getting ready for an upcoming conference and discussion on creating a proper business case for securing tax department budget for tax technology and other tax department projects.  One of the concepts we cover is understanding what your CFO and C-Level executives care about so that you can present your projects more effectively.  In recent discussions with folks, I got a bit of a chuckle as pretty much everyone told me “it’s all about the cash”, “cash is king” or “all they care about is increasing cash flow”.  Since we are coming into summer projects season, I thought I’d share some of the discussions we have been having with Tax Pros out there about cash flow.  Maybe you can get started on planning a summer project that will result in a sizable bonus for you at year end!

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Tax Pros…Do You Know What your Kids are Doing Online?

Posted by Kelley Lear on May 10, 2012 in Empowerment Series, Humor, Innovation, IT | 0 comments

Tax Pros…Do You Know What your Kids are Doing Online?

OK, so this one is just because I am a Mom who happens to be in the “oh so busy” tax industry…and if most of you are like me, you don’t have an exorbitant amount of free time in which to search through all the new and interesting technology, websites and “apps” that your children can now get access to.  Thankfully, my son is eight and it is still easy to know/monitor what he is getting online to see and do.  So far, he love YouTube for ridiculous videos and http://www.addictinggames.com/.  And, by the way…when they call it “addicting games” they mean addicting.  I think my husband and son are both addicted for sure!  I also have nieces and nephews in the their teens though, who are a bit more mobile and able to enter a whole new world of social media.

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Gamification: Will It Give Tax Departments a Leg Up in the Future?

Posted by Traci Wheeler on May 9, 2012 in Empowerment Series, Innovation, May, Tax | 0 comments

Gamification: Will It Give Tax Departments a Leg Up in the Future?

Have you heard of Farmville?  How about Angry Birds?  Unless you haven’t been paying attention, you most likely know about or have played one or both of these highly addictive social games on Facebook or your iPad.  Yes, for the most part, social games like these are huge time wasters…..but not always.  My first-grade son has been excelling in math by playing an online game called VMath, where he can log on, compete in math races with kids all around the world and then use the points he has earned to buy fun things in a virtual store.  So, what do these games have in common?  They all employ gaming techniques, such as leaderboards, points and rewards and levels, which tap into basic human behavior and have those playing repeatedly coming back for more.

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Outsourcing and Insourcing – What are Companies Doing Out There?

Posted by Kelley Lear on May 2, 2012 in Compliance, Empowerment Series, Finance, IT, Process Improvement, Tax | 2 comments

Outsourcing and Insourcing – What are Companies Doing Out There?

Two years ago we started an outsourcing service for fixed assets management – calculating book/tax (Federal, AMT, ACE, States, E&P…) depreciation calculations, bonus, Mid-Quarter, Section 179, etc. as well as providing data for monthly reporting, quarterly provision and all tax compliance forms.  We started this service as we heard from customers that they were interested in outsourcing this part of their tax departments.  Most of our current clients keep Federal and State Income Tax compliance in-house, but actually outsource some of their narrower functions which they have difficulty staffing, and/or those that they believe they can outsource and spend more time on greater value add activities such as analysis and planning for tax saving.  We actually hadn’t originally planned on providing this service, as this was completely customer driven. 

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Spring has Sprung!

Posted by Kelley Lear on Apr 25, 2012 in April, Empowerment Series, Humor, Leadership, Motivation, Tax | 0 comments

Spring has Sprung!

Aside from  finishing your individual income taxes, looking forward to ever more beautiful weather, budding flowers and summer vacations, what does spring make you think of?  Spring cleaning perhaps?  OK, not as exciting as planning your summer vacations and day dreaming about laying on a beach slowly sipping a frilly umbrella drink, but spring cleaning can be fun.  And, it can end up being pretty darn productive.  Especially for tax professionals!  Look around your office.  Look around your desk.  Don’t run past the files in the hallway with endless rows of file cabinets and the old offices that have been gutted to incorporate ever more rows of daunting grey file cabinets.  Don’t hide those eyes. 

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Who Needs Inspiration After a Long Tax Season?

Posted by Traci Wheeler on Apr 24, 2012 in April, Empowerment Series, Motivation | 0 comments

Who Needs Inspiration After a Long Tax Season?

There are some times at work where it is hard to get through the day.  I watch the clock.  I drink too much caffeine.  My mood isn’t the best.  If you just wrapped up tax season, you may know what I am talking about.

When I have days like that, I look for some inspiration to turn things around.  Often times, I turn to my e-mail inbox where I typically have enough reading material, in the form of blog subscriptions and newsletters, to keep me busy for the next month.  One of my favorite go-to sources for inspiration is Seth Godin.  His words of wisdom are frequently all I need to snap out of my funk. 

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