What a Difference a Day Makes
In our last issue, I wrote about change and how we have to be prepared to step up to the plate and break out of the “we always did it that way” frame of reference. The year 2020 hit us like a sledge hammer. One day we were sitting in our offices working and wondering, “Will we ever get to th... Donald Rosenberg, EA
Demand Better
Ordinarily, we wouldn’t be dropping on your doorstep (or laptop) with two weeks remaining in the filing season. These are not ordinary times, however, and we’ve been forced as a profession and an organization to adapt, rapidly. I couldn’t be more proud of what I’ve seen on our membe... Robert A. Kerr, EA
How We Tech
This year, our annual technology issue has collided with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Whether you consider yourself a techie or are tech-averse, COVID-19 has increased our need to use technology, for better or for worse. Our heightened dependence on technology during the pandemi... Janelle Julien
The Times They Are a Changin’
Apologies to Bob Dylan who wrote the song that was released in 1964 as the theme for systemic changes he saw coming. Each generation talks about change and each generation brings change to the world. This is my first column as president of NAEA and I would like to thank everyone for your ... Donald Rosenberg, EA
It Is Not Because Things Are Difficult…
Whether you put aside EA Journal through the filing season or whether you make time for us along the way, welcome back. On top of the usual tax law changes, security concerns, and software troubles—which were for some significant — the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and the ... Robert A. Kerr, EA
The New Normal?
The outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) has caused all of us to stop in our tracks, take stock of what’s important, and reassess the plans we set out for the year. This pandemic is changing our world. The novel coronavirus has disrupted modern working life for everyone. We’re all bei... Janelle Julien
March Madness – Not What It Used to Be!
Once upon a time, March was my favorite month of the year and the first weekend of the NCAA basketball tournament was my favorite weekend of the year. I would arrange to take time off from work, stock up on Mountain Dew and pizza and hunker down to watch 48 basketball games over the course ... Jerry Gaddis, EA
There’s No Crying in Tax Prep
Our readers fall into two buckets, those who read the March/April issue when it arrives and those who catch up later in the year. The magazine reflects this reality as well, as does this message. For those of you reading this when it falls on your doorstep (as the son of a postman, I have a rather romantic notion of mail delivery), the message is this: What gift are you going to give your future self? You are learning things during this fi... Robert A. Kerr
Spring Fever
When I think of springtime, several things come to mind: Increased daylight, warmer weather, and spring cleaning. As the temperatures rise, I’m eager to open all the windows and clean out all the closets. Most people probably groan at the thought of spring cleaning, but it... Janelle Julien
Faster Horses
Happy New Year! Typically the greeting—or exhortation— causes people to consider resolutions, which can range from the expected (my annual favorite: lose 15 pounds) to the sublime (change the world). As tax professionals, we ask different questions when we face a new year, and they are mostly centered on preparation for t... Robert A. Kerr, EA
It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!
With apologies to Andy Williams, I think you all know what I mean It’s TAX SEASON again! Time to start sleeping less, eating worse, and forsaking exercise for the privilege of serving our clients while cramming a year’s worth of work into a 90-day window. Are you excited yet? As you prepare ... Jerry Gaddis, EA, MBA
Progress, not Perfection
It’s believed the ancient Babylonians made the first New Year’s resolutions. It’s also a tradition for most people break their New Year’s resolutions by the time February rolls around. According to an Inc. survey, in 2019, the most popular resolutions were to - Di... Janelle Julien
Joy in the Doing
Holiday prep, for tax professionals, is inevitably something approached with mixed emotions. The holidays— whichever ones you celebrate, however ... Robert A. Kerr, EA
Looking to 2020
If you had a magic crystal ball, what would you see for 2020? The second filing season under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) will be interesting, to say the least, since more rules and regulations were enacted after the first filing season at both the federal and state levels. We’r... Janelle Julien
The Life Cycle
Legendary Hall of Fame football coach Lou Holtz likes to say that things are either growing or dying. Grass, trees, relationships, businesses, people—all growing or dying. Do you agree? As I write this, NAEA just wrapped up its 47th annual conference. This year the conference grew and ch... Jerry Gaddis, EA
Ch-ch-changes
I was playing around with my phone the other day and accidentally took a selfie – one of those two-inches-from-my-face-extreme-close- up selfies and it was startling. Who was that fat old guy on my screen and how did he get there? I couldn’t hit the delete button fast enough, but I couldn’t... Jerry Gaddis, EA, MBA
Focus + Determination = Success
Shortly after I left IRS, the agency came up with a new slogan: Service + Enforcement = Compliance. Not bad. Not great—not “We love to fly and it shows” but at least not “We love to tax and lien measure our hold time in hours and it shows,” either. Wags with fundamental math ski... Robert A. Kerr, EA
The Price of Doing Good
It may seem early to think about #GivingTuesday, but the giving season will be here before you know it. I have a few charities I contribute to every year and also to those that spring into action whenever disaster strikes. Several factors motivate people to make charitable donations, i... Janelle Julien
Increasing Enrolled Agent Awareness – Let’s Do This
About a year ago, I received a letter from a client that began as follows: “Dear Jerry, First of all, congratulations on being elected to the position of President of the NAEA! It confirms our faith in choosing you as our CPA!” I wasn’t sure if I should laugh or cry – and I’m sure yo... Jerry Gaddis, EA, MBA
It’s All Greek to Me
Monks in the Middle Ages (rather than middle-aged monks, which would be something else entirely), many of whom served as scribes, would say Graecum est; non legitur (“it is Greek, [therefore] it cannot be read”). Tax professionals, particularly in the wake of the Tax Cuts and Jobs ... Robert A. Kerr, EA
Tech Speak
Let me introduce myself: I’m NAEA’s new(ish) managing editor. You’ve noticed by now that EA Journal looks different these days. I know how protective readers can feel about the magazines they love, and I respect that. A serious, loyal readership may be our most valua... Janelle Julien
Your Guess Is as Good as Mine
Part one of the filing season is behind us. The extensions we have with us always, to paraphrase The Good Book. If I learned anything this season, I learned EAs are professionals who are paid to know things, not to think or feel things. When our clients come to us for advice and services, we need to resi... Robert A. Kerr
My Experience, Priceless
As I wrote this, my final president’s letter, I began by reflecting on the value of NAEA to my professional career. So, fingers to keyboard, I compiled a list of some of the reasons I'm fortunate to be a member. I share them here with you. I recently attended my fourth class on §199A. I ...
Once More Unto the Breach, Dear Friends, Once More: NAEAs GR Objectives for 2019 and Beyond
With the close of the 115th Congress and the pomp and circumstances surrounding the opening of the new Congress, it is a good time for NAEA’s Government Relations (GR) team to assess our strategic plan, adjust and then, of course, march back up that hill again. ... Jeff Trinca
Positive Professionalism
I usually begin my president’s letters with a quote. I am not going to this time because this letter is about what should not be written. I recently attended a cocktail party where I was introduced to a friend of a friend. When our conversation reached the point of careers, I learned that his career is that of a professio... Jean Nelsen
The Cruelest Month
T.S. Eliot once famously wrote April is the cruelest month—one would think him a tax professional and not a poet. In our business, March, though, vies for the title. And this March, as we roll up our sleeves and put last year’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) continuing education to w... Robert A. Kerr, EA
Making a Difference
NAEA is an organization of like-minded individuals who have come together to build a community and who would like to make a difference in their profession. NAEA makes a difference in a number of ways, both large and small. For instance, this issue includes info... Robert A. Kerr, EA
Ethics Rules, Penalties, and the Tax Preparers Engagement Letter
Perhaps one of the most important, but also one of the most overlooked, parts of the 1040 U.S. Individual Income Tax Return is the section near the bottom of the second page that states: “Under penalties of perjury, I declare that I have examined this return and accompanying schedules and statements, and to the best of my knowledge and belief, they are true, correct and accurately list all amounts and sources of income I received duri... Anthony Santullo, EA