December 1999

The Internal Revenue Service knows what to give the man who has everything--an audit. --Henny Youngman

By Alan E. Weiner, CPA

Season's Greetings. What a nice ring that has. Another year is drawing to a close and we can look forward to the first week in January--the most peaceful week in the year for a CPA. The year-end tax projections and business planning have been completed; business mergers and acquisitions, which always take on a sense of urgency in December, have been put to bed (either successfully or terminally); inventories have been taken; clients still are away on holiday; salespeople don't call; and the telephones, faxes, and, now, e-mails slow to a crawl. Ah, there's a bit of time to clean one's desk. But then comes the second week in January, and the weeks that follow. No matter what part of the CPA business you're in, you're busy. So enjoy that first week in January 2000.

November was a busy month and it also was a critical month for our Society and profession. On November 16, about 15 of our members testified before the New York State Assembly's Higher Education Committee in favor of the Uniform Accountancy Act. In total, about 50 people testified expressing different points of view. Some opinions were anti-UAA and some were directed only at a particular provision of the UAA--either for or against. All in all, it was a win-win for our profession. On a personal note, I was impressed with the fortitude of Assemblymen Michael Bragman (Assembly majority leader) and Edward Sullivan (chair of the Higher Education Committee). First of all, it was they (not merely aides) who heard the testimony. Second of all, they started at 10:00 a.m. and had scheduled the testimony through 9:00 p.m. (although the witnesses ended a little earlier). Third of all, they both knew the topic and their questions were on point. My thanks to Society members Bill Aiken, Alan Chu, Bob Elliott, Myrna Fischman, George Foundotos, Jo Ann Golden, Lou Grassi, Neville Grusd, Michael Hand, Rudy Hertlein, Bob Israeloff, Nadine Gordon Lee, Steve Lilien, Vincent Love, Ian Nelson, Frank Nusspickel, Jeff Saltzer, and Tom Sullivan, who gave up an entire, or the better part of a, day to inform the assemblymen why the UAA is good for business, educational institutions, industry, and the CPA. My thanks also to Society members Arthur Ainsberg, Doug Carmichael, Gary Cassiello, Bob Fox, Norman Lipshie, Eli Mason, Ray Nowicki, and Herbert Schoenfeld, who, while in agreement with many of the UAA provisions, addressed issues of concern to them contrary to the provisions in the bills being considered by the Assembly. Democracy in action.

Now that I was in a testifying mood or mode, on November 17, I addressed the New York State Board of Accountancy, at their invitation. The board wanted to know more about the fiscal year reform movement and whether they should, and how they could, help. I was pleased to be able to brief the board on the issue, but I was more pleased that the impetus for my attendance came from them.

Not one to have an idle moment, I was able to schedule a conference call, immediately preceding the above testimony, with 10 of the chapter presidents so that I was able to update them on Society matters (and they were able to update me on chapter activities) and provide them with the opportunity to exchange ideas with each other. This was the third such conference call that has proved to enhance the way the Society and its members work together as a team.

I wish all of you an easy and safe Y2K. May the world of technology survive December 31, 1999/January 1, 2000.

My name is Alan Weiner. Any questions? *

president@nysscpa.org.

P.S. Note the change in my e-mail address. We're now who we say we are and very proud of it. Be sure to use ".org" and not ".com."