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How could you imagine yourself using the AICPA website as your career develops?
The AICPA (AICPA: American Institute of Certified Public Accountants) website is full of many resources of use to professional accountants, not simply individuals embarking upon their first jobs in the profession. First and foremost perhaps, the website offers helpful articles about recent changes in accounting law. Given the current federal and state regulatory climate after highly publicized recent accounting scandals at respected firms, it is important that members of the profession keep well-abreast of changes in the law. This is not only true of laws specifically pertaining to accounting, but also changes in healthcare policy, for example, which can affect client deductions.
Early on in an accountant's career, it would be helpful to examine the provided links about becoming a CPA, and information about career development and state licensing. For persons who are already working in the profession and who have completed their required education, the website provides links to professional conferences and offers subscriptions to professional journals and online newsletters that can help recent graduates and older accountants learn about new or unexplored opportunities. These real life and online resources offer chances to engage in networking and to meet fellow professionals that can enhance and enrich an accountant's careers.
For individuals with a political bent, the AICPA also acts as a lobbying group and activist body. The website offers information about its stance on political issues, such as Congress' current attempt to put an additional legal burden upon professional tax preparers above and beyond the standard of ordinary preparers. This is called the "more likely than not" provision and the AICPA feels it causes a conflict of interest between a clients and professional tax preparer.
Finally, the AICPA website provides links to featured software products on a weekly basis, to help accountants gain a sense of the best types of helpful office products in production that can be of use to the profession. Although it is hard to believe right now, because modern technology is moving so fast, older accountants might want to use the site to become aware of new and helpful technological tools to make their work and office more efficient.
Works Cited
AICPA: American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. (2007). Official Website. Retrieved 27 Aug 2007 at http://www.aicpa.org
