April 2000

Committee Updates CPAs on New Technologies

Proposal Would Globalize Accounting Profession

The NYSSCPA Emerging Technologies Committee, chaired by William Oliver, reviews the impact of new and existing technologies and helps keep CPAs up-to-date on the latest trends.

In addition to traditional CPA concerns such as write-up software and tax preparation tools, committee members work on a broad variety of projects including monitoring proposed Internet taxation legislation, providing e-business advice, educating Society members about starting consulting practices, and developing hands-on training programs for CPAs with little or no computer skills. One committee member currently is a key player in defining XML standards for financial statements, a fast-emerging technology that will allow data sharing between disparate systems including accounting and tax applications.

Committee members include representatives from public practice, industry, consulting, and academia and range in experience from recent college graduates to longtime Society members.

The committee sponsors the Emerging Technologies Conference held each fall and will sponsor an upcoming series of courses geared for nontechnical CPAs. The committee also plans to publish articles in The Trusted Professional on technology tax tips, selecting accounting software consultants, e-business, and other related topics.

To learn more about the committee, visit its forum on www.nysscpa.org. (Select Committees under About the Society on the Find It Fast menu on the homepage. The Emerging Technologies Committee appears under the Future of the Profession Division.) *

Eyal Feiler is a member of the NYSSCPA Emerging Technologies Committee and a systems implementation consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.