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Isaac M. O'Bannon

Managing Editor

isaac.obannon@cpapracticeadvisor.com

Isaac M. O'Bannon is the managing editor and digital content manager for CPA Practice Advisor (www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com), drawing on two decades of experience covering the areas of professional accounting, taxation, business productivity and consumer technologies. Prior to CPA Practice Advisor, O'Bannon was a consultant at firms in San Francisco, Denver and Tulsa, serving clients that included Logitech, Polycom, Hilti, Microsoft, the Stanford Research Institute, the University of Oklahoma's College of Engineering and other technology leaders. He is a U.S. Navy veteran. Email: isaac.obannon - @ - cpapracticeadvisor.com

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SurePayroll-2014

Accounting

Survey: 87% of Small Businesses Expect Strong Finish to Q1

The first quarter of 2014 is looking strong for small businesses, according to the March 2014 Small Business Scorecard, a monthly survey conducted by payroll and human resources technology provider SurePayroll. According to the survey, 87 percent of business respondents expect a strong or steady end to the first quarter.

Accounting

Ranking the Top Business Brands in the U.S.

Some brands are iconic, like Coca Cola, Disney, Microsoft and Google. Others are just as well-known, but perhaps less respected, like some fast food or alcohol and tobacco companies. While others have an even lower impression... think Enron? But which brands do small businesses trust the most?

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Accounting

80 Percent of SMBs Say Cloud Computing Helps Them Thrive

New research shows that cloud computing is viewed by 80 percent of U.S. small businesses as a solution that contributes to business growth. Conducted by Techaisle, the SMB Cloud Computing Adoption Trend survey shows a significant departure in the views of small businesses from previous years, when reducing cost used to be the overarching objective.

spi03141

Accounting

Which States Have the Highest Personal Income Growth?

Average personal income in the United States grew by 2.6 percent in 2013, which is mixed news since that reflects a slowing of income growth from 4.2 percent in 2012. All 50 states and the District of Columbia realized gains in average personal income during the year, according to data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

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Accounting

New GASB Pension Standards Start June 15, 2014

New accounting standards for pensions will go into effect after June 15, 2014, the Governmental Accounting Standards Board has announced.

Accounting

Franchisees Saw Strong Growth in 2013, Expectations High for 2014

If you have clients who are franchisees, did they experience the same strong growth as seen across the franchise sector in 2013? According to a new report, last year was a banner year, with industry outpacing the overall U.S. economy in business formation and job growth, creating an estimated 11,000 new establishments and 10 percent of the nation’s new jobs.

Income Tax

Supreme Court: Severance Payments are Taxable Wages for FICA Purposes

The Court ruled that severance packages and payments that are given to involuntarily laid-off workers are taxable not only as individual income, but also with regard to FICA employment taxes. It was a unanimous 8-0 ruling, with Justice Elena Kagan recusing herself from the case. Oral arguments were heard by the court last October.

Accounting

AICPA Supports Congressional Focus on Lowering National Debt

In open hearings of the House Financial Services Committee, representatives are putting a renewed focus on the dangers of America's increasing debt.

Accounting

Internal Auditors Leveraging Technology to Protect Against Risk

As the business technology world is ever-changing, internal auditors are focused on better navigating social media risks, leveraging technology to improve the audit process, and collaborating more with business partners to address organizational risks.

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Income Tax

The Biggest Tax Mistakes for Small Businesses

There are strategies that these business owners can take to help alleviate many of these tax time woes, and a big one is by staying in more frequent contact with their accountant. That's according to a new nationwide survey of accounting professionals.

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Accounting

Which Cities Rank the Best for Startups?

When you think of startups, New York City, Silicon Valley and San Francisco probably come to mind as great locations. But where do these two tech meccas rank on a list of the "best cities" for startups? Not even in the top five.

Accounting

CFO Confidence at Two-Year High

Chief Financial Officers in the U.S. are starting 2014 with increased optimism when it comes to the economy and their businesses, according to the results of a new survey conducted by Financial Executives International (FEI) and the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College .