November 2007 | San Francisco Chapter Bulletin

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DISASTER RESOURCES

What to Do in an Emergency

Whether you or a client has been affected by the Southern California fires, CalCPA has resources to help you through the crisis, including comprehensive tax resources and other important disaster recovery information.
   CalCPA also is coordinating volunteer efforts to assist victims of the Southern California wildfires—and we need your help.
   There are opportunities for CPAs statewide to provide pro bono financial and tax assistance to fire victims who are in need. Even if you are not in Southern California, you can sign up to offer assistance by phone.
   Each volunteer receives a comprehensive Volunteer Handbook that contains virtually everything you’ll need—especially when combined with your professional expertise—to assist fire victims.
   To volunteer, update the volunteer portion of your personal profile.
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CHAPTER EVENTS

Scholarship Presentations at New Member Orientation

More than $20,000 in scholarships will be presented to future CPAs at this event—which is free for new members, student members and those celebrating their 40th year of membership in 2007!
Date: Wednesday, Nov.14
Time: 5 p.m./new-member orientation; 6 p.m./program
Location: Hotel Nikko; San Francisco
RSVP: Online

Bay Area Regional Education Events

Topic: California Taxation for Individuals
Speaker: Kathleen K. Wright
Date: Monday, Nov. 5
Time: 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Location: Crowne Plaza Foster City; 1221 Chess Drive; Foster City
Cost: $140/members; $190/nonmembers
CPE: 8 hours (6.5 hours MCLE)
RSVP: Online
 
Topic: Federal Taxation of Partnerships & LLCs: Operations & Allocations
Come learn about California and federal tax compliance issues involving partnerships, LLCs and LLPs; partner/LLC member loss limits; partnership allocations under IRC Sec. 704(b); forward and reverse allocations involving built-in gain or loss property under IRC Sec.704(c); allocations of liabilities
Speaker: Gary McBride, JD, LLM, CPA, professor, Cal State East Bay
Date: Friday, Jan. 18
Location: SFSU Downtown Center
RSVP: Online

East Bay 12th Annual Advanced Estate Planning Symposium

Hear the latest developments and tax law updates, including post-mortem trust administration checklist; generation-skipping trusts: allocation benefits and pitfalls; and discounting undivided interests in real property.
Speakers: Keith Schiller, JD; Robert Temmerman, JD; Michael Jones, CPA; Katherine Rauch, CPA; and David Eckstein, CFA.
Moderator: Anna Maria Galdieri
Date: Tuesday, Nov. 6
Time: 11:30 a.m. Registration and buffet lunch; Noon–5:15 p.m. Program
Location: Round Hill Country Club, Alamo
Cost: By Oct. 31: $110 (after Oct. 31: add $10)
CPE: 6 hours (MCLE: 5 hours; LS-EP: 5 hours)
RSVP: Online

Bay Area Excel Users Group Hits the Keyboards

More than 100 CPAs and financial professionals met in Palo Alto Sept. 15 for the first of six Excel training sessions co-sponsored by CalCPA and IMA. Feedback from attendees was excellent.
If you are interested in attending future meetings, each session is self-contained.
Topic: Look Up and Match Index Functions Date: Saturday, Nov. 17
RSVP: Online

International Tax Committee

Date: Thursday, Nov. 15
Time: 8:30–9:30 a.m.
CPE: 1 hour
Topic: Taking a Business to Australia
Speaker: TBA
Location: 601 Montgomery Street, Suite 405 (Community conference room)
Click here to register.
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COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Humboldt Discussion Group

Topic: Lenders/Attorneys/CPAs Night: IRC 1031 Exchange Transactions
Speaker: Paul Ziegler, Premier Exchange Services
Date: Tuesday, Nov. 13
Time: 5:30 p.m./registration; 6–8 p.m./dinner and program
Location: Ingomar Club; Eureka
Cost: $40/person
CPE: 1 hour
RSVP: More information or e-mail Stephen Kiewel

Marin Discussion Group

Topic: Success Planning for Business Owners
Speaker: Charles D. Boerio, Boerio & Company CPAs
Date: Tuesday, Nov. 27
Time: Noon–1:30 p.m.
Location: Embassy Suites; 101 McInnis Parkway; San Rafael
Cost: With registration: $25/members ($35/at the door); $35/nonmembers
CPE: 1 hour
RSVP: Online

Santa Rosa Discussion Group

Date: Tuesday, Nov. 13 (group meets second and fourth Tuesdays of the month)
Time: 7:30 a.m.
Location: Le Brasserie Restaurant (Vineyard Creek Hotel); Santa Rosa
Cost: Approximately $20 (payable at the door)
Info: Charles Mayfield
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Events, Webcasts and YouTube

By Kathy Yu-Liu, CPA

I would like to thank all who attended the Sept. 25 golf tournament. We had a great turnout of 120 golfers, who enjoyed the beautiful day. We were also honored to have CalCPA CEO Loretta Doon join us at the BBQ dinner.
   The tournament is one of the chapter’s most important annual events and benefits our scholarship fund. We invited last year’s scholarship winners to join us, and were pleased that two of the winners, Anthony Perez and Sal Crivello, participated.
   Thanks to all the sponsors and to the donors of raffle and silent auction items, with particular thanks to our returning event sponsor, ADP, and to our dinner sponsor, Bank of America. Thanks also to our dedicated Golf Committee: Karen Pfau-Martinez and Jed Greene, our always helpful chapter program associate Jane Dunbar, Julie Jameson and the staff at Harding Golf Course.
   The ABC Mixer, another important fund-raising event for our scholarships, was held Oct. 18. We had a great time at the Bubble Lounge, enjoying an opportunity to network with attorneys and bankers. This year we had a total of 14 sponsors. Thanks to the committee chair, Jamshed Gandi, and committee members Jennifer Sawyer, Michael Hobson, Arthur Fletcher, Charlene Nee and Dave Porter.

Upcoming Event

Please join us Wednesday, Nov. 14 at the Hotel Nikko to meet the chapter's newest members, celebrate our 40-year members, award scholarships and hear from our special guest, CalCPA Chair Teresa Mason. This event is free for new members (those who have joined since Jan. 1, 2006), student members and 40-year members. Register online.

Webcasts

We are all busy at work and often find it a challenge to attend regular CPE seminars. As such, the California CPA Education Foundation came up with the great idea of providing members with live webcasts. The topics include computer skills, tax updates and practical skills for CPAs in public practice and private industry.
   Over the last few months, I have signed up for four live webcasts and it’s been easy to participate. After a participant signs up, the Education Foundation sends reminders to logon at the scheduled time. Course materials are also readily available for download. I usually find the course materials helpful and save them on my computer for future reference.
   The webcasts keep participants engaged. For example, I often interacted with the instructor through polls and chat options. For added incentive to stay involved, attendance was monitored based on participant responses. Webcast durations vary from two to four hours. I usually choose two hours, since I can join without leaving the office and not disrupt my daily work schedule. There are a few tax update and planning conference webcasts in November offering four hours of CPE hours for each session. If you have never attended a webcast, I recommend that you to give it a try. Check out the selection.

CPAs Liven YouTube

While we’re on the subject of the internet, check out the YouTube website and watch a few clips uploaded by CalCPA.
   I found Bring It On very informative and entertaining. The clip highlights CPA careers and encourages students to pursue accounting. It illustrates that being a CPA is a lot cooler than people think. This view is supported by interviews with several CPAs who work various industries and government branches, such as the San Francisco Giants, Lucasfilm, Union Bank of California, the FBI and the San Francisco 49ers.
   Money Talks is another production by CalCPA that uses man-on-the-street interviews to uncover how Californians really manage their finances. It tackles topics such as credit, saving, investing and budgeting. For those who could not attend the 2007 Young Emerging Professionals Conference, CalCPA prepared a clip with highlights from the conference, in which Irwin Jacobson of Sony Pictures describes how to make the most of an accounting career.
—Kathy Yu Liu, CPA
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CHAPTER NEWS

New Members

On behalf of the San Francisco Chapter’s officers, directors and members, we extend our warmest of welcomes to our new members: Yolanda Coronado, Robert Whitney, Mathew Andresen... [see all new members]
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CalCPA NEWS

Leaders Wanted: Become a CalCPA Officer or AICPA Council Member

You are the driving force behind one of the world’s largest economies. Isn’t it time you put your leadership skills to use for the betterment of the CPA profession?
   The CalCPA Nominations Committee is accepting nominations until Dec. 1 for 2008–09 CalCPA officers and council members at large. Officer positions include chair, first vice chair, treasurer and two vice chairs. Three council members at-large also will be elected.
   Members can apply for more than one office and will be considered only for the positions to which they apply. Download a nomination form, review job descriptions and ideal leadership characteristics.
   For more information, contact John Angelo or Nominations Committee Chair D. Paul Regan.

Another Way to Serve—AICPA Council

If you’re an AICPA member and interested in representing your peers on AICPA Council, let us know. The Nominations Committee will recommend candidates to AICPA Council, which establishes AICPA policies and procedures, and enacts resolutions that are binding on the board of directors, officers, committees and staff.
   If you’re interested, send a letter of intent and your professional and volunteer history to: Nominations Committee; c/o D. Paul Regan, chair; 330 N. Brand Blvd., Suite 710; Glendale, CA 91203.
   All letters must be received by 5 p.m. Dec. 1. The AICPA makes the final selections.

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.
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RESOURCES:

San Francisco Chapter Leadership