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I ran across an article – Why Smart Bosses Treat Their Employees Like Dogs – comparing dog obedience training to the way that business owners should treat their employees and I found it very intriguing. 
I spend considerable time training my German Shepherds and they are too big not to have manners! I hadn’t thought about it before but there are many valuable lessons that can be learned from dog training. Here are a few of them:
Always reward good behavior – by figuring out what motivates each individual
Correct mistakes immediately – rewarding for the wrong behavior only encourages and reinforces it turning it into a habit
In an interesting recent article “Your Clients and Their Children: The Problems With Joint Bank Accounts” by Andrew Rice there is a recurring question that pops up during elder and estate planning: should I add my child to my bank account? 
When a senior begins to lose their ability to manage their finances like paying the bills, these accounts can seem like a viable option. However, the article outlines five risks that both the parent and child should consider:
1. Withdrawal Rights: Each person on a joint bank account is legally considered a full owner when it comes to withdrawing money from the account. This means the child can fully deplete the bank account at any point in time should they choose to do so.
2. Creditor Issues: The bank account becomes an asset for both parties on the account. If the child should get into financial difficulties and has a creditor with a judgment against them, the creditor could legally garnish the entire bank account regardless of the parent’s involvement.
3. Divorce and Legal Issues: As noted above, the account becomes an asset of the child; therefore, it is also subject to potential claims by a divorcing spouse of the child or a lawsuit/judgment against the child.
4. Bypassing the Will
: Joint bank accounts bypass the will of a deceased person, and the will does not impact the money in a joint bank account. This could create a dispute among other beneficiaries as the child on the joint account would get the entire proceeds from the account after the parent’s death, whether or not other assets stipulated in the will were to be divided equally.
5. Gift Taxes: adding a child to a parent’s bank account is indirectly making a gift, which may or may not be subject to gift tax for the parents.
One alternative to a joint bank account is a type of account commonly referred to as a “convenience account.” Certain states allow these accounts, which let others have access to the account and make deposits and withdrawals. The account legally obliges the helper to act as the elder’s agent, and any money in the account becomes part of the elder’s estate, to be divided in accordance with a will or the law. 
If there is a need for someone to provide this type of assistance to an elderly person and the children are not a viable option, your trusted accountant can always provide this service as well.
The Government Finance Officers Association held its annual conference in San Francisco this past week. Edwin Lee, the mayor of San Francisco opened the conference speaking about transparency in government including sharing data with innovative businesses that develop mobile applications that can be utilized by everyone.
In San Francisco looks to tap into the open date economy, Alex Howard identifies San Francisco as one of the first cities to launch an open data platform. 
One app cited is the Rec & Park app, built by San Francisco-based startup Appallicious, which enables citizens to find trails, dog parks, playgrounds and other recreational resources on a mobile device. At the conference the Mayor talked about a mobile app to identify parking space availability. How great is that? When you are looking to find a parking place, no more driving around block after block. In all honest, I can’t claim to be a big app user but the thought of utilizing government data to make our lives run more smoothly is very attractive to me.
California Lt. Governor, Gavin Newsom, (also a former Mayor of San Francisco) delivered the keynote address on Tuesday. Much of his speech revolved around his new book, Citizenville, which explores the need for citizens to become more involved in their government and how technology can help facilitate this endeavor.
As you might suspect, Citizenville is a play on Farmville, the popular game in which players spend hours maintaining their virtual farms. Newsom’s Citizenville’s concept is to combine the fun of a game with the social good of solving problems. A way to engage from the bottom up instead of the top down bureaucracy.
Newsom believes in complete transparency for every agency with exceptions only to protect public safety or personal privacy. Opening up the data and making it available to ordinary people. Encouraging people and businesses to use that data in a useful innovative manner. Engaging people on their terms with new technologies and social media.
Innovation should drive change and provide solutions. Who wants to play?
Last week approximately 400 CPA’s (including yours truly) descended on Capitol Hill to discuss issues of interest to the profession and our clients. 
The Capitol Hill visits were in conjunction with the Spring Meeting of the AICPA Council which is held every other year in Washington DC in order for Council members to make these important visits to each state’s legislators. Our delegation from Nevada met with each of our elected members of Congress or their staff liaisons in order to discuss the following important issues:
• “What’s at Stake?” – The CPA Profession on Federal Fiscal Responsibility: This updated video resource available for CPA’s, Policymakers and the Public reviews the federal government’s latest financial report and discusses the profession’s role in promoting the importance of the nation’s fiscal responsibility.
• H.R. 1129: The Mobile Workforce State Income Tax Simplification Act of 2013: This bill creates a uniform national standard that will limit state or local taxation of the compensation of an employee who performs duties in more than one state or locality to: (1) the state or locality of the employee’s residence and (2) the state or locality in which the employee is physically present performing duties for more than 30 days.
• S. 420 and H.R. 901: Tax Return Due Date Simplification and Modernization Act of 2013: These bills propose a shuffling of the original and extended due dates of corporate, partnership and other returns to improve the flow of information needed by taxpayers to timely file their personal returns. The bills propose new original due dates as follows:
There are proposed revisions to various extended due dates as well which for the most part remain in the familiar September/October time frame. For more information on these dates see the full text of the bills at www.govtrack.us.
• H.R 797: Municipal Advisor Oversight Improvement Act of 2013: This bill would clarify the definition of a municipal advisor and make it clear that providing customary and usual accounting services by CPA’s is not the same as providing municipal advisory services which now requires SEC registration under the Dodd-Frank Act.
• Our Nevada CPA delegation also discussed various other issues related to the general topic of tax reform which is of great interest to Congress in light of recent and not so recent events. For more information read the AICPA’s Principals of Good Tax Policy.
Our visits always prove to be enlightening for all of those involved be they the elected member of Congress, the staff liaison or the CPA’s participating in the meetings. We must never lose sight of the fact that we all have a voice in our democracy whether it be a visit to Capitol Hill, a phone call or email or the simple casting of a vote.
At one time or another we are probably all guilty of slipping a little “bizspeak” into our conversations.
But if you are really interested in acquiring clever phrases and made-up words to embellish your written (and oral) business communications skills, then you should check out a recent Harvard Business Review blog on the subject.
The buzzwords and phrases contained therein such as “right-sized”, “smart-sized”, “mission critical” and “paradigm shift” are only a few of the bizspeak expressions we are often subjected to in today’s business communications.
The author argues that your “plain-English skill set” really should be put to more effective use in your day to day communications. In other words, ditch the bizspeak expressions that are really just intended to impress your audience. Try to kick the buzzword addiction and lose the clichés.
So instead of “Thank you in advance for your courtesy and cooperation in this regard. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions regarding this request”, how about “Thank you. If you have any questions, please call”.
If you give it a try, “at the end of the day” you will be a much more effective communicator.
It’s that time of year again: The weather is warming, the skies are blue, let’s grab some grub at Reno Food Truck Fridays to feed that hunger in you. My horrible rhyming aside, this bimonthly, gastronomic event is back in town. Setting up shop every first and third Friday of the month, Reno Food Truck Fridays (RFTF) is a great way to get outside, indulge in a variety of gourmet food, and listen to local music. The next RFTF is Friday, May 17, but if you can’t make it then the event goes through October, so there are plenty more Fridays ahead.
RFTF takes place downtown at CitiCenter Plaza, 40 E. 4th Street (the corner of 4th and Center), which is the former RTC bus terminal. It runs from 5-9 p.m., so you can head there right after work or rest up a bit before heading downtown. You could even make a whole evening of it and catch a Reno Aces game.
This year’s lineup of food trucks includes: GourMelt Grilled Cheese, Kenji’s, Sauce Wagon, Red Truck Tahoe, Traffic Jam, Mellow Yellow Food, Lazy Sundae, Battle Born, Waffle Wagon, St. Lawrence Pizza Co., Island Ice, Mount MoGrit, and Taster’s Paradise (check out Reno Tahoe Food Trucks for some of the menus from the aforementioned trucks). 
There is also the Tumblebus and a beer garden courtesy of Great Basin Brewing Co. (according to Standley White of About.com). New this year will be The Biggest Little Fashion Truck which will be selling designer clothes and accessories. Now you can shop and eat at the same time in downtown Reno.
So, if you’re looking for something different and a chance to support local businesses, head downtown to Reno Food Truck Fridays. Here’s the upcoming schedule:
Make sure to check RFTF’s Facebook page for any changes or special announcements.
They just don’t make them like they used to. Have you ever said or thought these words?
Products were not designed to last. Purchase of replacement products contribute to the profits of the manufacturers. Software programs, for instance, are constantly changing and must be replaced if you want support. The software still works but is no longer supported because the manufacturers want you to buy the new one.
We are replacing perfectly good usable electronics such as the cell phone for the latest and greatest. You’re considered out of style if you don’t. 
Fairly new furniture is replaced because it no longer matches our decor. Cars get replaced because the newer models have more bells and whistles. All kinds of stuff gets thrown away including kitchen equipment, dishwashers, stoves, hot water heaters and refrigerators. One of the reasons we buy new kitchen equipment, dishwashers, stoves, etc. is because they have stopped working and it’s cheaper to replace them rather than repairing them. This “out with the old, in with the new” thinking is good for the manufacturers but not so good for the environment. Is this how we spend our hard earned “disposable income”?
Plastic bottles, plastic bags or anything plastic take a long time to decompose, which is why we should recycle them. We should use less plastic products in addition to recycling them. 
Think of the plastic stirrers and the coffee cup lids thrown away every day at your favorite coffee shop. And don’t forget the plastic containers used for your treat to go with your coffee or tea. We should bring our own reusable shopping bags when we go to the store. At least 45 cities and counties in California have bag reduction ordinances. A minimum 10 cent charge for each bag is required in the city and county of San Francisco. In San Francisco, disposable bags used have been reduced by 70-90 percent since the checkout bag charge became effective on October 1, 2012.
Think before you dispose.
While reading the newspaper this morning, I came across a fundraising event that allows you to make a big difference and will fit right into your busy schedule. 
This event is called “Dining Out For Life” and it’s happening TODAY, April 25, 2013.
All you have to do to help is go have a great meal at one of the many participating restaurants! Restaurants located all across Reno are giving a portion of their sales to Northern Nevada HOPES, Reno’s local community health center, to help individuals in our community affected by HIV & Aids. HOPES is a non-profit health center which offers a wide range of health care services. This is the 3rd annual Dining Out For Life fundraiser held by Northern Nevada HOPES, but the event has been held for many years in cities all over the nation.
Depending on the restaurant you choose, the amount donated by each restaurant will range from 10-100% of the total proceeds. To see a full list of the participating restaurants and the amount that they will be donating go to Dining Out for Life 2013. 
Remember, this event is only happening today, but if you do miss it you can still donate to Northern Nevada HOPES by going to their website.
There are many opportunities to get involved and help out our community. Many of them are as easy as going to get dinner at a local restaurant, so keep your eyes open for the next opportunity to get involved!
Would you normally wake up and want to go to work? Most people would probably answer NO to this question, especially during tax season.
Tax season is a stressful time for employees of CPA firms. Does it make a difference if there is a good company culture to help alleviate some of the stress? 
The workplace should not be something an employee dreads. While work may be difficult, the culture should not. On the contrary, a positive and fulfilling work culture should be designed to alleviate stress not increase it.
How do you create a positive and fulfilling company culture? The most important and first step in the process, starts by hiring people who fit your company’s goals and vision. Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, one of the strongest advocates of company culture, states “when you hire people, they represent your company even outside of work, and if you have a positive opinion about this person most likely you’ll view their company in a positive light.”
It’s key to be flexible to change. These days employees are looking for more flexibility in the workplace than ever before. More companies are recognizing how important the work+life issue is for everyone, not just women and parents. Studies have shown that flexible schedules decreased employee “burn out” and have helped retain valuable employees that may otherwise leave.
Most importantly, build a culture where everyone is part of a team. This is a big one! 
If you feel valued and part of a team, you contribute to the overall success of the company. You may have a specific job function; however, you are joined with other members of the company to accomplish the overall goals of the company.
When you’re part of a company that has achieved a good culture, you may just wake up and answer that question, YES I do want to go to work!
As tax season begins to draw to an end, the Internal Revenue Service is issuing its annual “The Dirty Dozen” warning to consumers about fraud on and by taxpayers.
This year’s list is little changed from 2012, and is again headed up by identity theft. A growing problem every year worldwide, the IRS is stepping up its vigilance in this area, from establishing an Identity Protection Web Portal, and increased prosecution of offenders. 
Last year over $20 billion in fraudulent refunds were prevented, up from $14 billion in 2011.
Another scam is “phishing”, where taxpayers are sent fake e-mails asking them to provide the IRS with sensitive personal information such as social security numbers. A good rule of thumb to remember is that the IRS never will attempt to contact you by e-mail, text message or social media.
Tax fraud is not just committed by outsiders, however. Unscrupulous tax preparers are also lurking. The amount of fraud committed (or attempting to be committed) by taxpayers rises every year as well.
Beware of any tax preparer that offers to get you “free money” by claiming tax credits that you do not in reality qualify for. Some preparers have also been known to exaggerate wages or self-employment income to inflate refundable credits.
Taxpayers have also been known to try to avoid taxes with hiding income offshore. While offshore income was always reportable income, only in recent years did it come to light that many people were not in fact reporting it. In 2009 the IRS implemented an Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program that to date has 38,000 participants. In 2012, the program was extended indefinitely. Penalties for not reporting this income can be steep.
So whether it’s a scam artist, an unscrupulous tax preparer or just you, remember that the IRS is watching out for you AND over you.
