August 1999

President's Commentary

By Alan E. Weiner, CPA

Taxes may be staggering, but they never go down. ­ Henny Youngman

Henny, you never met the 106th Congress. They sure are trying, and whether they succeed or not, their efforts will once again provide business for the CPA in the form of tax law changes. I have often wondered what our Congressmen and women think about the tax preparation process as they wheel and deal. On the one hand, they want every American to be able to prepare his/her own tax return, and on the other hand, they enact laws that prevent most Americans from being able to prepare their own tax returns--and then they bemoan the fact that CPAs and attorneys are needed to interpret what has been enacted. My own view on continual tax legislation is that I could make more money, as well as have more leisure time, if Congress would leave the tax law alone. By analogy, think about all of the additional profits an auto manufacturer could make if it did not regularly have to re-tool its product. By working with a fixed tax law, I could become better at what I do and achieve better results for my clients. For example, business continuation plans prepared for clients would have a longer shelf life and would not need to be reviewed after each sitting of Congress. But without tax law changes, political contributions would decrease, and there would be a drop in the re-tooling of good CPA and lawyer jokes.

July was a productive month for your Society. You'll see detailed articles on some of the following elsewhere in this issue.

I'm most proud of those of you who took my first column (June 1999) to heart and signed up for a Society committee. We've had a whopping increase in applications. In reality, I know it wasn't my urging that moved you to sign on, but it's exciting to see that more of you have decided to participate.

Thanks to the efforts of Larry Schoenthal (M.R. Weiser & Co. LLP), chair of the NYSSCPA International Taxation Committee, Society Executive Director Lou Grumet and I met with Tom Rice, president of the New York State Bar Association, and Bill Carroll, NYSBA executive director. (In addition to being a CPA, Schoenthal is an attorney active in the state bar association.) Included in the topics were discussions on continuing legal education (from the perspective of the possibility of running joint programs, as well as how an individual who is both a CPA and an attorney can sit for a course and obtain both CPE and CLE credit) and the report of a special commission of the American Bar Association on the possibility of attorneys and other professionals sharing legal fees. (Note to my CPA brothers and sisters: Don't go running out to your attorney acquaintances trying to cut deals for fee splitting. The proposed rules are very restrictive and the ABA House of Delegates recently tabled consideration of the commission's report until it meets next year. Furthermore, after the ABA ultimately takes action, each of the 50 states would need to consider the issue.)

As an exploratory meeting, no concrete decisions were reached except that there will be two more meetings of this nature during my term, and a process will be set up by Tom Rice and me so that our respective successors will continue the dialogue on matters of mutual interest.

Most of our members have paid their 1999-2000 dues, and many of you, recognizing the need for the Society's positions to be favorably considered by New York State legislators, have contributed to the newly formed CPAPAC (political action committee). This is good. As to the CPA slowpokes, let's get those checkbooks out and pay the dues (and also make a PAC contribution--an investment in your future) so that our accounting staff can perform other needed (non-dues receivable) functions for your Society.

Upcoming meetings include the Leadership Conference in Kerhonkson, N.Y., where the NYSSCPA officers, committee chairs, and other leaders will learn and brainstorm to ever-improve the Society and train its future leaders. I will visit most of the chapters in September and the balance of chapters over subsequent months. For those of you outside of New York City, this is your opportunity to hear about what's going on in the profession and at the Society, and to interact and voice your opinion about any CPA-related subject.

The Society volunteers (your fellow CPAs) devote significant time on your behalf in terms of meetings and travelling. We absolutely need your input and our visit to your chapter (the date and time for which is scheduled by your chapter [who knows its members' preferences better than I do] to make it as convenient as possible for you and to achieve the largest turnout possible) is the perfect time and place for a dialogue. If we are doing just fine, tell us, and if we can do better, tell us that too. Watch your chapter newsletter for news of our arrival.

My name is Alan Weiner. Any questions? *