CTCPA Emergency Assistance/Disaster Preparedness Hub

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) extended filing deadlines for foreign bank and financial accounts reports (FBAR) for people in federally declared disaster areas of four hurricanes (Milton, Helene, Debby, and Beryl) and tropical storm Francine, as well as for people affected by terrorist attacks in Israel.

Three C-suite executives offer advice on how to seamlessly transition chief financial officer duties to a successor.

With interest rates taming and the economy doing well, pent-up acquisition demand will likely be unleashed this year.

With interest rates dropping, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) professionals are expecting the volume of deals to rise over the next six months.

The current spate of mergers and acquisitions across the accounting industry is a result of several dynamics, including succession plans and a Covid hangover, according to AJ Chambers director James Gosling.

No one likes to think about it, but as we age, some of us will become critically ill or injured, and some of us will experience a long-term disability. Family emergencies and obligations can also call CPAs away from their businesses for long periods of time. What would happen to our clients in such a scenario? When a client needs attestation services to obtain financing or satisfy loan covenants, or another client needs to have a tax return prepared by a certain deadline, who will complete the work? Potentially negative effects, such as missed opportunities or damage to a client’s business, are risk exposures that can come into play when a CPA becomes ill or disabled. CPAs who have not yet taken the time to develop a continuation plan may be: 1) inviting future lawsuits against themselves or their estates; and 2) leaving their spouses, families, and heirs with the daunting task of trying to figure out what to do. What kind of contingency plan do you have in place in the event of an emergency? If the answer is “none,” what can you do now to get a plan in development and underway?

Ask yourself the following question: What will my spouse or immediate heirs do with my practice if I die or become disabled? Would your spouse or children be able to take over the management of your practice? What would become of all your hard work and effort with your practice and clients? How can you preserve the value of your professional accounting practice, which may be the largest asset in your estate? In the event of death or temporary or permanent disability, a practice continuation agreement helps protect your practice, the business interests of your clients, and the financial interests of you and your family. It can also be used as a vehicle for retirement.