Today's Technology for Tomorrow's Firm.
Issue link: https://cpapracticeadvisor.epubxp.com/i/58700
I CAN GET ANY QUESTION ABOUT A NOTICE ANSWERED, FIND THE PROPER METHODOLOGY FOR RESPONSE, AND KEEP TRACK OF IT WITHIN THE SYSTEM. IT'S SO EASY; THE SYSTEM GUIDES YOU STEP BY STEP THROUGH THE PROCESS. THE RESEARCH FUNCTIONALITY FOR IRS NOTICES IS OUT OF THIS WORLD. course I took through Drake, which was hosted by the IRS experts who developed the Beyond415 application. T e course covered the top 40 IRS notices…explained the diff erent types, when certain notices come out, why clients receive them, how to address them, and more. It was incredibly helpful information," stated Richards. "I then took a look at the application and was impressed right off the bat." Richards explained the depth of detailed research within the program. "I can get any question about a notice answered, fi nd the proper methodology for response, and keep track of it within the system. It's so easy; the system guides you step by step through the process. T e research functionality for IRS notices is out of this world." Richards specifi cally mentioned a comprehensive knowledgebase of general IRS procedure. T ere is nothing else like it." In 2012, Richards' plan is to be the "go-to" fi rm for clients that require expert IRS representation. Education and Research Are Key Richards shared that her IRS expertise has been the result of years of manual, time-consuming research. She has spent hours on the phone, in person at the local IRS offi ces, writing let ers, and building relationships in order to get her cases handled eff ectively. T en one day, that all changed. "T is all started with an online CPE research in relation to Form 7216 – Consent to Disclosure. T ere is no question that many practitioners still fi nd the when, why, and which level to secure the 7216 confusing, and Richards is one of them. "Form 7216 is a tricky one, and if not used properly puts my fi rm at risk of non-compliance. But now I don't have to worry about that because Beyond415 provides all the informa- tion about 7216 that I need to make a decision on what level I need," Richards explained. "They [the application's developers] really thought through everything that an accounting professional needs. I feel like they have my back." Ready and Waiting Because the IRS is on a mission to close the tax gap, fi rms will continue to see a rise in notices. And whether it's an individual or a small business client, nothing strikes fear in the heart more than a notice from the Internal Revenue Service. In the role of trusted advisor, clients will look to their accounting professional for help—and no doubt expect a fast and pain-free resolution process. In years past, a quick resolution wasn't necessarily realistic. T e level of complexity in research and draſt ing of let ers typically meant a slow and frustrating process. For fi rms like Lisa Richard's, this gave little hope for building a profi table business from IRS representation work. But not anymore… "I'm loaded for bear," Richards stated. "I have this powerful technology in place to help me solve my client IRS issues quickly and cost eff ectively. It's like a dream come true. "ADDING VALUE TO YOUR BOTTOM LINE" Business Accounting & Tax Services • Computerized Monthly Accounting Ser- vices, Payroll • Reviews and Compilations of Financial Statements • Business Tax, Payroll Tax, Sales Tax and Franchise Tax Preparation • Harris County Property Renditions • Other Government Compliance Issues and Forms Business Development Consulting • Management and Turnaround Advisory Services • Computer Software & Systems • New Business Start Up, Tax Planning and Research • Retirement Plan Selection, Business Entity Type Selection Issues (Corp., S Corp., LLC/CLP) • Loan Packages and Minority Certifi cations • Tax Audits and Collection Representation • Internal Revenue Service, State of Texas relating to Sales & Franchise Tax • Texas Workforce Commission and Labor Board Disputes • Insurance Audits for Business Premiums, Harris County Property Tax Disputes Business Owner and Individual Personal Services • Retirement and Financial Stategies, Estate Planning, Business Succession Strategies • Asset Protection Issues, Estimated Tax Computations • Individual Tax Return Preparation, Tax Planning Kristy Short, Ed.D Kristy is a partner in RootWorks Communications (RootWorks.com) and president of SAS Communications 360 (SAScommunications360.com) — fi rms dedicated to providing practice management education, branding, marketing, and public relations services to the accounting profession. She is also a professor of English and marketing at University of Phoenix and Cleary University. You can reach her at kristy.short@cpapracticeadvisor.com. If you'd like us to consider sharing your fi rm's story of innovation in a future issue, go to www.CPAPracticeAdvisor. com/great-practices and complete the short form. We'd love to hear from you. April 2012 • www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com 23