Posts Tagged ‘cpa’

Taking The CPA Exam

July 20th, 2010

Prometric offers the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)’s Uniform Certified Public Accountant Exam (CPA Exam) at certain of Prometric’s test centers. The CPA Exam is given as a Computer-Based Test.

The CPA Exam has four parts: the Auditing and Attestation CPA Exam, the Business Environment and Concepts (BEC) CPA Exam, Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR) CPA Exam, and Regulation (REG) CPA Exam. To prepare to pass, you can take an unlimited number of CPA Exam simulations at CPAexcel.

Prometric is a company which is hired by a variety of government and professional organizations to offer their certification exams at Prometric centers. Microsoft, a national veterinary association, and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) all offer their certification exams through Prometric’s test centers. Prometric has thousands of test centers around the world but only 300 of those in the United States offer the CPA Exam.

The AICPA writes the exam. The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) maintains accurate databases of the requirements to sit for the exam as determined by the 54 jurisdictions* and the database of candidates for the CPA designation. After your state/jurisdiction approves you to sit for the exam, NASBA sends you the Notice to Schedule (NTS) which allows you to register for one of the Prometric test center locations, and select a day and time to sit for the exam. After you sit for the exam, Prometric sends your test data to AICPA for scoring. AICPA sends the scores to NASBA which in turn distributes the information to the jurisdictions. Your jurisdiction will send you your score.

(*The 54 jurisdictions are the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam.)

In 2004, the CBT format replaced the paper and pencil format which was the traditional method for delivering the CPA Exam.

CBT is the only format in which the test is offered but if requested at the time of application, certain accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) can be made for specific candidates.

There are three professional organizations which work together to create, present, and score the CPA Exam. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) writes and scores the exam. NASBA (National Association of State Boards of Accountancy) maintains the National Candidate Database and the database of state requirements to sit for the Uniform CPA Exam. Prometric provides the testing facilities for administering the CPA Exam.

Once you have your Notice to Schedule from NASBA, you need to know some basic facts before you contact Prometric:

1. When is the exam offered? The CPA Exam is given during testing windows which are the first two months of every quarter. That would be: January, February, April, May, July, August, October, and November.

2. Where the exam is offered? While Prometric has thousands of testing centers around the world, it only offers the CPA Exam at just over 300 testing centers in the U.S. and its territories. Check out your state Board of Accountancy website for testing locations.

3. What is the CPA Exam? As the name implies, the Uniform CPA Examination is indeed uniform from Virginia to the U.S. Virgin Islands and Washington state to Washington, D.C. Since the same CPA Exam is given at every Prometric CPA Exam testing center, you do not have to physically sit in a testing center in the state which approved you to sit for the exam. For instance, you can sit for the test when you are visiting relatives in Santa Rosa, California even though South Dakota approved your application to sit.

4. Who administers the CPA Exam? Prometric administers the giving of the CPA Exam in all 54 jurisdictions. (See “Jurisdictions.”) Contact the Prometric Candidate Services Call Center at 800-696-2722 or www. Prometric.com to schedule the exam.

5. For Guam, refer to the NASBA testing center. If you applying to the Guam test center, read the directions in the Candidate Bulletin.

At CPAexcel, the countdown to 2011 has begun. CPAexcel is the only CPA Exam which never expires, you can order it now and study for the current 2010 CPA Exam Review. If you have not passed all four sections by the end of 2010, you will have access to the new 2011 CBT-e content and functionality for free!


Things That Accountants Do On A Daily Basis

May 29th, 2010

Lots of people think that just because they are really good with numbers, that they should become accountants. You’ll need skills beyond this to enjoy being an accountant and being a successful one, too. Your daily routine will be pretty much the same, each day. You will be handling multiple accounts if you are a certified public accountant.

Though you’re going to be handling all of your clients’ monetary issues, there will be a little bit of difference in what you do, each day. Of course, different people and companies have different issues that arise.

You will need to be able to report to your clients and the Federal government exactly where each and every penny that was made by an individual or company went. You will have to track losses and gains to ensure that everything is balanced correctly.

You will pour through documents, searching for the smallest mistakes. You’ll need plenty of patience for this job. You will stare at a computer screen all day, scrolling through numbers on spreadsheets. You will be searching for changes or problems that would more than likely be overlooked by others.

You will be balancing the books, or so to speak, for your clients. Many of your clients are going to be individuals who have great amounts of wealth, spread over many different accounts. You’ll need to keep all of the money that comes in straight from the money that is going out.

You will be balancing check books, investment accounts, sales and purchases of stocks, bonds and other investments and all sorts of real estate transactions, making sure that the clients’ bottom dollar appropriately reflects their true value.

Your job duties will involve a lot of research. You must keep up to date on everything. This includes any new tax laws or information that is released by the IRS in addition to keeping current on all of your client’s accounts.

If you don’t mind having to deal with clients who have not done a very good job of record keeping in the past, you’re sure to enjoy this job. Organizational skills are huge when you’re an accountant. You may end up having to teach your clients about how to keep track of things.

When your client needs an advisor, you will be there for them. You will help with projected costs and figuring out their economic future. No one expects you to be a fortune teller, but you’ll be able to analyze flow and trends and come up with a good picture of what your client can expect.

You will be dealing with banks and brokerage firms, trying to get a firm grasp on your clients’ full economic picture. When necessary, you will be contacting the IRS regarding your clients back taxes and overpayments. You’ll have to go to bat for them when there’s a fight at hand.

Over all, you are going to be balancing ledgers. You will need a keen eye for the not so obvious errors and know how to quickly make everything right.

At the end of the year when it comes tax time, your losses will be weighed against your gains. Certified Public Accountant Arizona The accounting system that is being utilized should be simple and easy to follow. Having general business knowledge is also necessary for a cpa.


Free Your Mind With An Accountant

May 2nd, 2010

Many people hire accountants for a variety of reasons. It’s a very wise idea to hire an accountant if you have considerable wealth, investments or money being moved around. Small, medium and large business owners typically end up hiring an accountant.

Handling your money and financial issues can be a daunting task. It’s impossible to remember to keep every receipt, hold on to documents, track every single penny that comes in and goes out, even if you’re just an average individual without complex financial issues.

Many people think that they can simply use an excel spreadsheet to keep their numbers right. Unfortunately, the more numbers you have going on, the more likely you are to end up with human or even computer errors.

If a computer error occurs, or even worse, an operator error occurs, there is no one but you to blame. You’ll be held responsible for any mistakes that are made, computing the bottom line, especially when you are a business owner. Tax laws are much stricter on business owners than individuals.

You will be held liable for any inaccuracies that occur when you use a software program and try to track spending and funds through them. If you overdraft, if you have incorrect figures, no matter what, it all comes down to you being responsible. If you hire an accountant, you will have all of the human and computer errors removed from the equation.

You will need to gather all of your financial and investment information for your accountant. They will provide you with a checklist of items that they need to see. They will also need immediate and complete access to all of your financial records and accounts.

All of your checking, savings and investments accounts will need to be made open to your accountant. You can contact your financial institutions to find out what needs to be done. In most cases, you’ll need to sign releases, allowing full access to all records and account data by the bank or brokerage.

Accountants are not only degreed professionals; they are also bonded and certified by each state. When you go to meet with a prospective accountant, make sure to ask information pertaining to their background, education and certifications with the state you are residing in.

It’s a very difficult task, keeping track of sales and losses, dollars and cents, when you own a business or have an active financial profile. Hiring an accountant will help you get every cent of your money where it belongs.

Get back to the business of running your business and living your life. You can have complete confidence in your accountant to make things go smoothly. You can verify that your accountant is reliable with state and local agencies if you want to, before hiring them. Of course, word of mouth advertising is the best. Ask around. Ask other business owners and individuals who has a good reputation.

With your accountant at your side, you will never make another unsound or unsure financial judgment. You can feel confident in the fact that your money is safe and being tracked.

When your client needs an advisor, you will be there for them. Cpas Tucson Az The quicker that you can pick out the incorrect information, the better. An annuity is an investment that gives you the same amount, over time.


Several Accounting Terms And Their Meanings

April 22nd, 2010

There are lots of common accounting terms that you may hear used on a frequent basis that you really don’t understand. Being people, we tend to not want to ask too many questions, so below, you can find some easy to understand definitions for common accounting terms.

There are some elementary terms, or so the accounting folks say, that many of us just don’t know the definition of. So, let’s start at the beginning. An account has many different meanings. In accounting, the most common use means a record which stores and collects basic information.

An annuity is an investment that gives you the same amount, over time. You will get money from your annuity, once a year, and it is the same amount, each time.

Assets are things which an individual or company own that will convert to money, in the future, if it is not currently cash, itself. These are things that are considered to have value to a person or company and help determine their value.

An asset is something that renders value. You, as an individual or an entire company have things that are of value. These are things that either currently are in a cash state or can be liquidated to a cash state, easily.

When a company or person has debt, it is something that they owe to others. This amount is subtracted from your worth and assets. This amount is the price plus any interest payments you may owe a financial institution or lender. Debt is usually looked at most closely when you are applying for credit.

A gain is something that you acquire or receive. Typically, this is from the sales of your assets. When you receive compensation from selling these investments or other assets, the money that you receive is considered a gain and will be taxed accordingly by the Internal Revenue Service.

When you gain something, you get more value. For instance, if you sell some stocks that you paid a dollar per share for and then you sold those same stocks for twice that, you’d have gained a dollar per share. If those same stocks were sold for fifty cents, you’d have taken a loss on them.

One thing that you may hear people talk about is R and D. R and D stands for research and development. You will hear this discussed many times in a business climate. The reason that it is so heavily discussed is because research and development costs affect a company’s bottom line.

Standard cost is something that is a set cost for an item or service. It helps people estimate what sort of costs they will be incurring in the future for particular things that they know they will need. This can help business in large part, make budgets for the year.

These are several of the thousands of terms that are used in accounting. To find more, you can look online and learn all about the world of accounting and certified public accountants.

These are several of the thousands of terms that are used in accounting. Arizona Cpa Exam They know all about the stock market, wise investing and wise spending practices. CPA’s work with tax records, billing, and much more.


Some Minor Accounting Terms That You May Find Interesting

April 3rd, 2010

There are lots of common accounting terms that you may hear used on a frequent basis that you really don’t understand. Being people, we tend to not want to ask too many questions, so below, you can find some easy to understand definitions for common accounting terms.

Let’s start with the basics and define the word account. An account is a record that collects and stores general information. Companies have different accounts, such as cash accounts, account receivables accounts and sales account types. So, in this case, an account is the record of all money coming in and out.

An annuity is an investment that gives you the same amount, over time. You will get money from your annuity, once a year, and it is the same amount, each time.

Assets are things which are valuable to you; they can be sold and liquidated. This can also be cash, accounts or anything else that can be sold to get value and money for the owner.

An asset is something that renders value. You, as an individual or an entire company have things that are of value. These are things that either currently are in a cash state or can be liquidated to a cash state, easily.

Depreciation is a term that is used to describe an item’s loss of value. When something depreciates, it loses how much value it has. This can be said of accounts, cars and other investments.

Typically, a gain and a loss relate to your end of year ledgers. When you get something monetarily over and above what you paid for your investment or article that you sold, you call it a gain. Gains must be taxed or levied by the government and Internal Revenue Service.

When you gain something, you get more value. For instance, if you sell some stocks that you paid a dollar per share for and then you sold those same stocks for twice that, you’d have gained a dollar per share. If those same stocks were sold for fifty cents, you’d have taken a loss on them.

You’ll hear people talk about r and d and r and d costs. This simply refers to research and development, which is a huge part of any and all corporate infrastructure. It weighs heavily when dealing with businesses and accounting.

The standard cost is something that has been predetermined ahead of time. The cost of something that is expected to be a certain price is used in accounting for businesses for future planning.

These are several of the thousands of terms that are used in accounting. To find more, you can look online and learn all about the world of accounting and certified public accountants.

They will provide you with a checklist of items that they need to see. Arizona Cpa Firms If not, you’re not going to last long in this field. If you’re in doubt over a transaction, you can rely on your accountant to assist you in your decision making process.


Free Your Mind With An Accountant

March 25th, 2010

Are you a small business owner? Do you have complicated financial issues that include an investment portfolio? If you do, you should hire an accountant. It is the wisest financial decision that you’ll ever make.

Money makes the world go round, or so they say. It’s a numbers game, no matter how you look at it. You’ve got a lot going on; don’t try to keep everything in order, by yourself. Accountants can assist you with everything from basic check book ledgers to complex tax issues.

The more money you have coming in and going out, the more people you have money being paid out to, the more difficult the burden of tracking money becomes. It doesn’t make sense to rely on a computer program to track all of this information for you. Even computer programs fail and render errors.

If a computer error occurs, or even worse, an operator error occurs, there is no one but you to blame. You’ll be held responsible for any mistakes that are made, computing the bottom line, especially when you are a business owner. Tax laws are much stricter on business owners than individuals.

Don’t allow little mistakes cost money or worse. If you have financial discrepancies as a business owner, thanks to the IRS, you could be facing penalties, fees, even the loss of the business you’ve worked so hard to establish. Hand your money worries over to a professional accountant and you’ll have peace knowing that you can count on someone else to pick up the slack.

Your accountant will meet with you to find out just what your needs are. They will ask for records and documents that show them a full picture of your financial picture. You’ll need copies of all previous tax returns for your business and for several years past for individuals.

All of your checking, savings and investments accounts will need to be made open to your accountant. You can contact your financial institutions to find out what needs to be done. In most cases, you’ll need to sign releases, allowing full access to all records and account data by the bank or brokerage.

Unless you went to school to be an accountant, odds are good you really don’t have much of an idea about tax laws and what needs to be done with your finances. Accountants are certified, degreed professionals who have made their entire lives all about your money. Let someone else take over the details and free up time.

It’s a very difficult task, keeping track of sales and losses, dollars and cents, when you own a business or have an active financial profile. Hiring an accountant will help you get every cent of your money where it belongs.

You will have someone other than yourself to hold accountable for the figures that help your business run. It’s important to do what you need to, as a business owner. Time is precious these days and as the old adage goes, time is money. Make sure you’ve got someone else looking after yours so that you can go about the important business of running your company.

Leave the details to your accountant and move on to what is most important. Your time will be free to run a business, take a vacation, and just get on with your life. Don’t fret over numbers any longer. Hire an accountant and be free.

This is like when you get an interest check each year, at the same time of year. Certified Accountants You will help your client’s get money back that is owed to them from others, as well. Certified public accountants perform a wide variety of duties.


Being An Accountant Could Be For You

January 31st, 2010

Do you like working with numbers? Do you consider yourself more of an analytical person than an emotional or even rational one? If you are looking for a direction for your education and career, or even if you’re looking for a new start to a new life and new job, you may want to consider being an accountant.

If you’ve been working in another industry whether you just began or you’ve been doing for a lifetime and are just not happy, but think you could do a lot of good if you could help someone with their figures, it may be time to consider going to get a degree in accounting.

Because our world does run on money, there will never be a shortage of need for people to enter the accounting world. If you’re unhappy with your current career path, you should consider going back to school for accounting, if you enjoy working with figures and consider yourself an analytical thinker.

Many of us struggle through simple math problems while others seem to have brains that process numbers faster than any other sort of information. It’s sad when you see people that appear to be mathematical geniuses, stuck in dead end jobs, doing anything but what they are best at.

We all have special skills and talents, and we should do everything that we can with those special skills and talents. If you have been working a job that has insufficient pay and makes you crazy, it’s time to give yourself and your career a fresh start. Look into going back to college to get your degree in accounting and set your life on a whole new path.

You’ll be preparing for the real world, the world in which you can help others, be it individuals or large companies, keep their financial lives in check. As an accountant, you’ll be playing an integral part in the infrastructure of each person you work with.

So many online colleges today offer degrees in accounting that you may not even have to leave the comforts of your home to get the degree you’re longing for. Get online today and find out more about becoming an accountant and what you would need to do in order to get things going.

If you work for a large company, there’s a chance that you’ll be one of several accountants working for that company. In many times, there will be an entire accounting department in a company. It’s amazing how much work it takes, just to keep money straight.

You will become incredibly familiar with local, state and federal tax laws. You will use this information on a constant basis as this information will keep your clients safe from the Internal Revenue Service.

When you are a certified public accountant, you may work for a firm, or you may be able to go into business for yourself, from the start. It really depends on what size of a geographical area you are living in and want to do business in, as well as how many accountants there already are, in that area.

If being an accountant sounds like something you’d enjoy, get online and find schools in your area where you can get the education and training that you need to help make the difference, today.

An account is a record that collects and stores general information. Cpa Accounting Firm When necessary, you will be contacting the IRS regarding your clients back taxes and overpayments. You still have the ability to spend and receive money.


How To Be A Master SEO Consultant!

October 29th, 2009

SEO is not rocket science; it’s much more difficult than rocket science. To become a ninja-level SEO master takes years of practice for most people, and like a ninja if you don’t practice, one quickly loses one’s skills. The reason for this is that the search algorithms shift constantly, and as they are well guarded secrets, you never know what the search engineers are up to. No, it’s not rocket science; It’s more like reverse engineering a UFO that you can only see off in the distance and whose propulsion system constantly shifts gears.

It is extremely difficult to be a true expert in this field. The competition is fierce, and one mistake can cost you months of work. If you are working for a client, you had better be certain that you do not get their site thrown into the “sandbox,” meaning that it will never be found. This is like being exiled to the far reaches of the Internet where only the most intrepid explorers will ever find them. It’s not good for business.

For this reason, it is extremely important to choose the right SEO company or employee if you are in business. If you want to become that person (the right SEO company or employee), here is what you need to do:

1. Administer at least five websites for at least a year. Do not link them to each other. Each is its own little petri dish that must not be contaminated. 2. Be scientific about it. Develop theories and test them rigorously. Keep track of results. Note changes in the way the search engines index your site and in the way your visitors find it, and connect those changes to actions that you have taken (link building, keyword weight, social networking, etc.) 3. Learn how to find the right keywords. This is not as simple as finding words that people search for and that are not insanely competitive. In this, you have to be somewhat intuitive. What keyword combination is a potential customer likely to use as opposed to a bored web surfer? 4. Use different tools until you find one that works. I have my favorite, but I’m not allowed to mention it. Follow the link in the resource box and surf around my blog. You’ll figure out what it is. It may not be for you, but you can try it free. 5. Get at least 20 pages to the top for fairly competitive keywords. This is what turns prospects into clients. 6. Be a ninja. Once you figure out how to do it, take a cue from the people who write the search algorithms and keep it to yourself. Also train and improve continuously so that your skills do not slip.

That is how to become an SEO guru who commands top dollar with good reason, the good reason being that you know how to attract the right people, not just the most people. More on that later.

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