Blog

For more than 25 years Julie Phipps has administered the Peer Review Program for Washington CPA firms on behalf of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA). Julie plans to retire in May 2023, and the WSCPA has made the decision to outsource the administration of the Peer Review Program to the Colorado Society of CPAs. How will this affect your firm? Read on.

The Great Resignation has been a hot topic of discussion in firms around the country. People are leaving their current jobs — not just for other firms, but for other careers. It’s more important than ever to focus on increasing our ability to get work done with limited resources.

There has been a seismic shift in the role of accountants. Today’s accountants need to continuously adapt, evolve and improve to keep up with business’ accelerated pace of change. Continuing education is a tool accounting professionals can equip themselves with to build a future-ready career.

When thinking of the organizations and companies that have survived and thrived during COVID, practicing agility is usually the most common attribute of success. Here are few of tips for remaining agile, and how the WSCPA is providing resources to guide you through obstacles.

The AICPA has proposed significant changes to AU-C 600 and the requirements of a group audit. Some changes are definitional but the new standard also includes a more risk based approach for addressing financial statements that contain multiple components. Comments are due June 21, 2022.

The WSCPA building was a gathering place. It was a destination for past chair socials for those that built our profession. It was a venue for board meetings and committee collaborations. Tom Sulewski pauses, reflects and smiles about the WSCPA building that triggers great memories for so many members.

The AICPA has proposed significant changes to AU-C 600 and the requirements of a group audit. Some changes are definitional but the new standard also includes a more risk based approach for addressing financial statements that contain multiple components. Comments are due June 21, 2022.

It is WSCPA membership renewal time! Maintain your connection to a supportive community of accounting professionals across the state and keep saving on top-tier CPE and business services. Take just a few minutes to renew today.

On March 9th, President Biden issued an executive order encouraging the federal government to research and respond to the use of digital assets including cryptocurrency. The order, which focused primarily on research requirements, asks the Federal Reserve to research Central Bank Digital Currencies.

As the Student Outreach & Initiatives Coordinator with the WSCPA, I have spent a lot of that time speaking to students across Washington State who are either just beginning their education in accounting or who are just learning about the accounting profession. One question that these students regularly ask is, “Why did you choose accounting?”

The SEC has proposed new environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting and disclosure requirements for public companies. For larger companies, it would also include an attestation requirement regarding greenhouse gas disclosures. Comments are due 30 days after publication in the Federal Register, or May 20, whichever is later.

In February I announced that after 40 years the WSCPA would be selling its 9,000 square-foot building. The day the building went up for sale offers starting coming in. We accepted an offer and the building sold at the end of February. There is still time for you to say goodbye to the building before the end of June, when we will be moving. I hope you can join us at an upcoming event.

On Friday, March 4, 2022, House Bill 1648 and Senate Bill 5519 were each passed unanimously in the State Legislature. These bills were previously passed unanimously as they worked their way through the legislature. Both bills are identical and will implement a new CPA – Inactive license status while phasing out the previously issued Certificates. They have been sent to Governor Jay Inslee where he is expected to sign one of the bills into law in the coming weeks.

As NASBA gets ready to transition the CPA exam to its new format, current students are eager to know what happens if a part they passed changes and how that would be considered for the new exam.

The AICPA's Government Audit Quality Center (GAQC) has released four tools that can help auditors make sense of auditing provider relief funds. It addresses the unique HHS audit requirements as well as how to handle parent/subsidiary relationships. The GAQC has made these available to the public and you do NOT need to be a GAQC member to access.

The Board of Directors is pleased to announce the nominees for the Society's 2022-2023 Board of Directors. All nominees will be declared elected by the secretary at the annual meeting unless other nominations, supported by at least one percent of membership, are received by April 1, 2022.

On February 24, 2022, the AICPA and 52 state CPA societies sent a letter to Assistant Treasury Secretary Lily Batchelder and IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig regarding widespread concerns on the Schedules K-2 and K-3 reporting.

While much of the focus of the implementation of SAS 134-140 has been on the financial statement report and the Single Audit report, it is important to note that the when the AICPA issued updated examples in their A&A guide, it included changes to the Yellow Book report as well.

The AICPA's Healthcare Expert Panel has issued a Technical Q&A regarding the accounting for vaccines that were provided during the pandemic. The guidance applies to nonprofits and for-profit entities.

Many of the students slated for spring and summer 2022 internships will sit for the new, CPA Evolution-aligned CPA Exam, which is expected to launch in early 2024. This has implications for firms in a variety of areas, from recruiting considerations to engagement with academia. The time to start plotting out your firm’s strategy is now.