CPA firm worries: Staff and tax laws

Where are the best accountants? That question still keeps CPA firm leaders up at night, according to the most recent results of the biennial CPA Firm Top Issues Survey from the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) Private Company Practice Section (PCPS). 

Results differ between firms of different sizes, but ALL firms (except for sole practitioners, unsurprisingly) say finding qualified staff is the top concern. For the largest firms (11+ professionals), retaining staff is No. 2. 

Other issues for the very largest firms include effective staff utilization/management and staff compensation/rewards. Firms with 2–20 professionals all cite challenges when working with the IRS as a problem. Sole practitioners struggle most with keeping up with changes and complexity in tax laws, as well as challenges when working with the IRS. 

Got a problem? We want to help solve it. Below are a few resources for tackling firms’ biggest issues: 

PROBLEM: Finding qualified staff  
SOLUTIONS: VSCPA Career Center, VSCPA Recruitment Guide 

PROBLEM: Retaining qualified staff 
SOLUTION: VSCPA Retention Guide 

PROBLEM: Keeping up with the changes and complexity of tax laws 
SOLUTION: VSCPA Tax Series Webinars with Art Auerbach, Don Farmer tax seminars, Don Farmer Tax Education monthly e-newsletter