Advisory

Accounting consultancy BKD, LLP has debuted on Training magazine’s annual Training Top 125, which ranks companies based on the excellence of their training and development programs. BKD, the only CPA and advisory firm to appear on this year’s list, was among thousands of applicants vying for a spot on the prestigious list, placing as No. 89 and being one of only 27 organizations to make their initial appearance on the list this year.

The specter of the dreaded new surtax on “net investment income” (NII) has turned into reality. For the first time ever, some upper-income taxpayers will have to pay the 3.8% surtax on their 2013 income tax returns. This could be a harrowing experience for some of your clients.

It’s the just the beginning of tax season, but most tax professionals likely already have a digital pile of client returns that are “in progress,” and will likely remain that way for weeks or months. Not because the firm hasn’t gotten to them yet, but probably because they are still waiting on clients to send them additional documents.

President Obama didn’t drop any bombshells in his State of the Union address delivered on January 28. But he did unveil a new retirement-saving concept called the “MyRA” (a wordplay on IRA). As the president explained, this account will be designed to encourage retirement savings by workers who don’t have access to employer plans like 401(k)s. It is hoped that the MyRA can help bridge the gap facing millions of Americans who haven’t set aside enough for retirement. But will it turn into a dud?

A weekly roundup of professionals in the tax and accounting profession that have changed jobs and/or been promoted.

As U.S. companies grow increasingly concerned about the financial well-being of their workforce, a new survey by Aon Hewitt, the global talent, retirement and health solutions business of Aon plc, finds that employers are looking for new ways to improve the long-term financial health of their employees in 2014.

The Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) new conflict minerals rule requires thousands of companies to perform due diligence to determine whether their products contain tin, tantalum, tungsten, or gold, determine the country of origin for those minerals and report their findings to customers and the SEC.

Financial security remains elusive for almost half of Ohio households, which often are one medical issue, pink slip or other crisis away from plunging into severe poverty, according to a new report from the Corporation for Enterprise Development.