Vol. 24 I No. 6 I May 24-June 6, 2010
webcpa.com
Ramping up tax research
The proliferation of Tax Code changes,
rules and regulations at the federal and state
level has made the availability of services that
can provide quick answers and extensive research to support a position on a tax return
more necessary than ever. And thankfully for
most researchers, flipping through — and filing — loose-leaf paper tax services is a thing
of the past.
“Back in the day, we would get two-inch-
thick updates from the major service provid-
ers every week,” said Cindy Hockenberry,
research coordinator for the Appleton,
Wis.-based National Association of Tax Pro-
fessionals. “Most of the replacement pages
were for a page here and there, so it was very
time-consuming. And once you got behind
on your filing, it was nearly impossible to get
up to date.”
Hockenberry subscribes to content from
BNA, CCH and Thomson Reuters, as well
as Tax Notes from Tax Analysts. “They’re all
becoming more user-friendly as they add to
their platforms,” she said.
“Our research is nearly 95 percent online,”
she said. “We still have some desk books in
BY ROGER RUSSELL
Improved tax research platforms leave paper far behind
print even though we also have them online.
And a number of books that we used to have
were bought by either CCH or Thomson Reu-
ters, so we won’t be getting them in paper.”
Moreover, she noted, Web searches on
Google or other free platforms can generate
quick answers. “We’ll do a search on one of
these platforms particularly when it’s some
obscure issue that wouldn’t be on one of our
fee-based tax resources.”
Meanwhile, the major publishers of In-
ternet research products are adding content
to their platforms, as well as enhancing the
platforms themselves.
WORKING WELL WITH OTHERS
BNA makes its content available not only on
its own platform, but also on CCH’s Intelli-
Connect, RIA’s Checkpoint, LexisNexis and
Westlaw, according to Holly Flater, product
manager for BNA Tax & Accounting: “In that
respect, we’re platform-balanced. We want to
make sure that our content is available in the
way that users prefer to do research.”
“We’re aware that people love our print
See TAX RESEARCH on 37
NASBA’s Costello to retire in 2012
David A. Costello, CPA, president and CEO
of the National Association of State Boards
of Accountancy, has announced his plans to
retire from his executive role with NASBA,
effective Jan. 1, 2012.
Costello made the formal announcement
before the NASBA board of directors during
the board’s quarterly meeting on April 23.
To effectively prepare for the transition of
leadership, the NASBA board has approved
a formal process and a Selection Advisory
NASHVILLE, TENN.
Committee to determine his successor. The
committee will represent each of the eight
NASBA regions.
Beginning in June 2010, the SAC will vet
its formal selection process with state boards
and obtain feedback from state board representatives during NASBA’s 2010 regional
meetings. Following the vetting, a formal
candidate search will be launched, with
consideration being given to current NASBA
staff, as well as other qualified candidates.
Upon receiving finalist recommendations
from the SAC and the NASBA Executive
Committee, an announcement of Costello’s
successor will be made after approval by the
NASBA board of directors.
INSIDE
4 FORENSIC SKILLS
An AICPA report outlines what
it takes to be a successful
forensic accountant
21 T&B REVIEW
Time and billing software
is getting better at getting
you paid
25 INSIDE THE T100
We uncover how four firms
made it to the top — and how
they stay there
