December 2007 | Inland Empire Chapter Bulletin

TOOLS

 

CHAPTER EVENTS

December Monthly Chapter Meeting: Tax

Be sure to join us for a discussion on local taxes, particularly the business property tax and some of the lesser-known issues related to completing the 571-L for our clients. We will also talk about the increased responsibilities of tax preparers and the tightening of Circular 230 standards for disclosure.

Speakers: Jim Bone, Western Region State and Local Tax Partner, PriceWaterhouse Coopers; and Kip Dellinger, Kallman & Co., and member CalCPA committee on Taxation and AICPA Tax Practice Responsibility Committee
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 4
Time: Noon/registration; 12:30–4:30 p.m./program
Location: Mission Inn; Riverside
Cost: $45/member; $60/nonmember (includes lunch)
CPE: 3 hours
RSVP: Online

Finding and Evaluating Frauds: A Case Study Approach

Gain an understanding of how frauds are perpetrated; understand the economic impact of fraud on American businesses; develop procedures to reduce the risk of fraud; increase your sensitivity to situations that are susceptible to fraud; and find out what to do if you uncover a fraud.

Speaker: Stephen N. Getzoff, CPA, CFE, president of Business Fraud Detection Services and partner with Clumeck, Stern, Schenkelberg, and Getzoff
Date: Friday, Jan. 18
Time: 8 a.m./registration; 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m./program
Location: Canyon Crest Country Club; Riverside
Cost: $125/members; $180/nonmembers
CPE: 8 hours
RSVP: Online

 

SAVE THE DATES

Board of Directors Meetings

Date: Monday, Dec. 3
Time: 7:30–9:30 a.m.
Location: Coco’s Restaurant; Ontario
RSVP: Online

Date: Monday, Jan. 7
Time: 7:30–9:30 a.m.
Location: Mission Inn; Riverside
RSVP: Online

Monthly Chapter Meeting

Topic: Technology
Date: Tuesday, Jan. 22
Time: 3:30–7:30 p.m.
Location: Magic Lamp Inn; Rancho Cucamonga

Past Presidents' Breakfast

Date: Tuesday, Jan. 29
Time: 8–10 a.m.
Location: Mission Inn; Riverside
RSVP: Online
[back to top]

 

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

No Time for Rest!

By Renee H. Miller, CPA

November turned out to be a very busy month for CalCPA activities. We had our student scholarship event, CalCPA Council meetings, an Accounting Educators Committee roundtable, our chapter dinner/CPE meeting, a MAP Interest Group meeting on exit strategies, roundtable discussions for young and emerging professionals and radio show appearances by three members of our chapter leadership group.
   The student scholarship event went very well. I welcomed a crowd of about 100 people and introduced our special speaker, CalCPA Chair Teresa Mason, who provided good advice about careers in accounting and the value of belonging to CalCPA.
   There were plenty of opportunities for students to ask questions of our panel of five CPAs: Lynette Atchley, Barbara Bowlby, Scott Hoffereber, Rick Rayson and Teresa Mason. A big thank you to our panel members for a job well done and a special thanks to Teresa and Rick for traveling long distances to make this very important annual program even more special for our students. We are also very grateful to Monica Thompson, our CalCPA Program Associate, who made all the arrangements for this event and made sure that everything went smoothly! Immediately following the panel discussion, we adjourned for the recruiting portion of the event, where students had further opportunities to talk and connect with various firms. A big thank you to our panel members for a job well done and a special thanks to Teresa and Rick for traveling long distances to make this very important annual program even more special for our students. Immediately following the panel discussion, we adjourned for the recruiting portion of the event, where students had further opportunities to talk and connect with various firms.
   Day-long council meetings for CalCPA’s leadership group turned out to be well worth the plane ride to Oakland—a plane ride that, for some of us, included an extra hour in the air and multiple landing attempts because the Oakland Airport was socked in. We finally landed safely and broke out in a loud round of applause for the pilot.
   Teresa kicked off the meetings, which included discussion about the Uniform Accountancy Act and how it compares to California law with respect to mobility provisions, educational requirements, continuing professional education and peer review.
   The discussion outlined possible changes in the way we operate. Examples include: a) allow CPAs from substantially equivalent states to provide services to California clients without notifying the CBA; b) eliminate Pathway 1 for licensing, which would make California a substantially equivalent state for mobility purposes (we are only one of five states that has not yet adopted the 150-hour education requirement); and c) make peer reviews mandatory. Here's more helpful information from our government relations team.
   Our guest speaker was Tom Campbell, former California senator and congressman, who is dean of the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. Campbell gave us a glimpse of the way government politics work in terms of budgets and elections—which appears to be as unpredictable as the weather.
   Additionally, Conrad Davis, a CalCPA board member and chair of the CalCPA Government Relations Committee, gave us an update on government legislation relevant to CPAs. In the afternoon, we participated in a strategic planning process led by an outside firm.
   Not too many days later, it was on to Palm Springs for the Accounting Educators Committee roundtable. With more than 30 people in attendance, we discussed a wide range of issues related to students, accounting programs and more. We explored the role of CalCPA and the California CPA Education Foundation in working with educators and the challenges and initiatives facing our profession in the coming year.
   We had our chapter dinner meeting Nov. 13 at the Magic Lamp in Rancho Cucamonga. Kathy Johnson, chair of the chapter’s Business and Industry Committee, arranged for speakers on two very interesting topics. Sasha Globa, CPA, Director of Business Development at California Statewide Certified Development Corporation, gave us a good understanding of SBA 504 financing. This program’s objective is to promote job retention and growth in local communities by providing financing for long-term investments by business owners. The evening speaker was Eric Augusta of Eric W. Augusta & Associates, specializing in Excel modeling, training and custom applications. Eric teaches one-day seminars through UCLA’s extension program and shared with us the powerful capabilities of Excel and some very impressive applications that he had developed. With Sasha and Eric, we had two excellent speakers. Wish you all could have been there!
   At the time of this writing, we still have two more events scheduled for November—in fact, Nov. 27 is turning out to be a double-header!
   At the first event, Johanna Sweaney Salt, chair of the Management of an Accounting Practice Committee, will be welcoming Ted Collins, who will speak about exit strategies during a lunch meeting at the Village Grill in Claremont. Ted, a chapter board member, is a CPA with 14 years’ experience in public accounting. He is a managing director for Exit Transition Strategies in Glendora, a firm that specializes in exit planning for owners of closely held businesses.
   The second event is being organized by chapter board member Patrick Cabildo to give our young and emerging professionals (YEP) an opportunity to discuss their views on the accounting profession, career issues and leadership development. These discussions target individuals with up to five years of work experience in addition to upper-level accounting students.
   Hope you can make one or both of these events!
   Our very own Kathy Johnson, Clifford Baugh and Lynette Atchley were guest speakers on the radio show “Voice of the Inland Empire” on Smart Talk 1490 AM KMET hosted by Ron Stark. If you missed the radio broadcast, you can hear it on the Internet!
   Don’t forget to mark your calendar for upcoming December events, including our chapter lunch/CPE meeting Tuesday, Dec. 4 at the Mission Inn in Riverside. Bruce Gray, chair of the chapter Taxation Committee and former chapter president, has arranged for two excellent speakers: Jim Bone, Western Region State and Local Tax Partner for PWC, who will talk about business property taxes. In addition, Kip Delinger will talk about tax preparer responsibilities. Kip is a local practitioner with Kallman & Co. in Los Angeles and member of the AICPA Tax Practice Responsibility Committee of the Tax Division, member of CalCPA’s Committee on Taxation and a CalCPA Education Foundation instructor.
   I look forward to seeing you in December and at other future CalCPA events!
   Respectfully
—Renee H. Miller, CPA
[Back to top]

CHAPTER NEWS

New Members

On behalf of the Inland Empire Chapter’s officers, directors and members, we extend our warmest of welcomes to our new members: Michele Suchan, Lenny Kwari, David Lee... [see all new members]

Bulletin Deadlines

Keep these due dates in mind if there is something you’d like to publish in the Bulletin. E-mail information to program associate Monica Thompson.

January issue: Dec. 5
February issue: Jan. 9
March issue: Feb. 8

Golf Tournament

Mark you calendars now for the next Inland Empire Golf Tournament to be held Monday, May 19 at the Greg Norman Course at PGA West in La Quinta.
   We have the opportunity to play a premier course during prime season at a great price—$175 per person, which includes lunch, dinner, carts, practice range, special contests, prizes, drinks, refreshments and more. Be prepared to take advantage of this great deal and get your foursome together now. Look for more details in future Bulletins.
   For sponsorship information, e-mail Monica Thompson or call (951) 242-7558.
[Back to top]

CalCPA NEWS

CalCPA Member Discounts on CCH Tax Guidebooks

CalCPA members can order CCH’s U.S. Master Tax Guide 2008 and the Guidebook to California Taxes 2008 at significantly discounted rates:

2008 U.S. Master Tax Guide (Expected ship date, late-December 2007): $41/members; $61/nonmembers.

2008 Guidebook to California Taxes (Expected ship date, late-January 2008): $39/members; $59/nonmembers.

Order today.
[Back to top]

RESOURCES:

Inland Empire Chapter Leadership