NCCPAP News

Another Month, Another Multi-Thousand Page Bill to Absorb By Mark A. Stewart, Jr., CPA, National President, NCCPAP January 12, 2021—On the eve of the 2020 holiday season, CPA practitioners received both a gift and a lump of coal in their stocking—the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. While the provisions of this Bill are mostly good news for practitioners and their clients, there are many issues we must now face as practitioners. The good news includes numerous tax extenders, deductibility ... Read More

NCCPAP In Action: A Major Victory for Business Owners/Taxpayers January 4, 2021—With the passage of the “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021,” the National Conference of CPA Practitioners (NCCPAP), a national organization of small and mid-sized CPA practices, working with other organizations, can claim a major victory for business owners/taxpayers. After the CARES Act was passed in March, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) came out with a notice stating that their position with regard ... Read More

To My Friends at NCCPAP: By Mark A. Stewart, Jr., CPA, National President, NCCPAP December 4, 2020—This year has brought enough hardships for a lifetime. Our profession has been one of the lucky few ones that has actually thrived during the pandemic; however, we must remember that many other businesses are still struggling just to survive. Right now, it is more important than ever that we advocate for these businesses. We need our members to show their power and strength in numbers by bringing ... Read More

Topics Include: An IRS 2020 Summary, Technology at the Forefront, New Smart Form Availability, and a Paper Check Reduction Program Tax Chair, Stephen Mankowski, CPA, recently attended the monthly IRS Meeting. General Updates and 2020 Summary November was our last meeting for 2020 and we’re all hoping for a better 2021, even though next year will likely start out as virtual. To kick-off awareness for next tax season, November 30-December 4 is the 5 th annual tax security awareness week, ... Read More

A Look Ahead: The Future of the Profession Neil H. Fishman, CPA, CFE, FCPA, CAMS and Mark A. Stewart Jr., CPA, our respective outgoing and incoming presidents of NCCPAP, were recently featured in an Accounting Today podcast hosted by editor-in-chief, Dan Hood. They share the issues they've been working on, and what they see coming for the accounting profession. Neil’s Segment The biggest issues in the profession for the past couple of years are related to technology. Without ... Read More

Karen Tenenbaum, Distinguished New York Tax Attorney, to Lead Two Critical Topics at  NCCPAP’s 18 th Annual Accounting and Tax Symposium Karen J. Tenenbaum, Esq., CPA, LL.M. and Principal/Founder of Tenenbaum Law, P.C. of Melville, NY has been invited to present a number of critical topics at ATS 2020, NCCPAP’s Annual Accounting and Tax Symposium on November 10, 13, 18, and 19. She has participated as a featured speaker for all 18 years—since its inception! According to Ms. Tenenbaum, “The ... Read More

Topics Include: Tax Forums, Online Services, Enterprise Digitalization & Case Management, e-Signature, and the 2021 Get Ready Campaign Tax Chair, Stephen Mankowski, CPA, recently attended the monthly IRS Meeting. Tax Forums The IRS is intending to return to last year’s in-person format sometime in the future, pending the COVID-19 situation. Regardless of the format, there will be a Nationwide Tax Forum in 2021. The 2020 Forums attracted 10,300 paid attendees with access to 30+ seminars ... Read More

To My Friends at NCCPAP: By Mark A. Stewart, Jr., CPA, National President, NCCPAP November 4, 2020—There is no greater honor in this profession than to be recognized by your peers. I am beyond humbled that all of you have put your faith in me to lead NCCPAP, our organization. I promise to do my best in this position, as I have done all the years I have served at NCCPAP—at the Chapter level and the National level. Recently we faced, and still face, unique challenges as an organization. ... Read More

Sunita Lough, IRS Deputy Commissioner, Featured as Keynote Speaker at NCCPAP’s 18 th Annual Accounting and Tax Symposium Sunita Lough, the Deputy Commissioner for Services and Enforcement of the Internal Revenue Service, will be featured as the first Keynote Speaker at this year’s NCCPAP Accounting & Tax Symposium (ATS 2020) on November 10, 2020. Ms. Lough provides leadership to the four taxpayer-focused IRS operating divisions: Wage & Investment, Large Business and International (LB&I), Small ... Read More

Please join us in congratulating the 2020-2021 Officers and Directors for the National Conference of CPA Practitioners (NCCPAP). The installation of Officers took place on October 22, 2020. The 2020-2021 Officers include the following individuals from their respective firms: President:  Mark A. Stewart, Jr., CPA, Feldstein & Stewart, LLP, New City, NY Executive Vice President:  Frank Sands, CPA, Sands, Gililland & Company, PC, Plano, TX Vice President:  Scott Cheslowitz, CPA, Rothenberg ... Read More

Neil D. Katz to Speak at NCCPAP’s 18 th Annual Accounting and Tax Symposium Neil D. Katz, J.D., LL.M, CPA, Managing Partner of Katz Chwat, P.C. President and Principal Lecturer at Katz Tax Seminars, LLC in Melville, NY and a long-standing member of the National Conference of CPA Practitioners (NCCPAP), will be presenting two topics at the this year’s Annual NCCPAP Accounting & Tax Symposium (ATS 2020), taking place on November 10, 13, 18, and 19. As has been his tradition for many years, he ... Read More

Robert S. Barnett to Speak at NCCPAP’s 18 th Annual Accounting and Tax Symposium Robert S. Barnett, CPA, Esq., MS (Taxation), Founding Partner of Capell Barnett Matalon & Schoenfeld LLP of New York City and Jericho, NY, has been invited to present a number of critical estate planning and tax-related topics at ATS 2020, NCCPAP’s Annual Accounting and Tax Symposium. The conference will take place on November 10, 13, 18 and 19 in a virtual format. As a past President of The Educational ... Read More

Frank A. Gallo to Speak at NCCPAP’s 18 th Annual Accounting and Tax Symposium Frank A. Gallo, CPA and Managing Partner of Gallo & Company CPA's LLP of Jericho, NY is a long-standing member of the National Conference of CPA Practitioners (NCCPAP), a member of the Nassau/Suffolk Chapter of NCCPAP, Board Member of the Educational Foundation of the Nassau/Suffolk Chapter of NCCPAP, and Vice President of NCCPAP at the national level. This is his sixth year as a Symposium presenter. He will be ... Read More

Some Final Comments By Neil H. Fishman, CPA, CFE, FCPA, CAMS, National President, NCCPAP October 20, 2020—It is hard to believe that I became President of NCCPAP only two years ago. In my first message as President, I made the comment that some people were thinking, “What took so long?” Long before I passed the CPA exam and got my license from New York (my Florida license came a few years later), I was attending NCCPAP meetings with my ears open and my mouth shut, learning the practical ... Read More

Scott Peterson, U.S. Tax Policy and Government Relations Expert, Featured as Keynote Speaker at NCCPAP’s 18 th Annual Accounting and Tax Symposium Scott Peterson, Vice President of U.S. Tax Policy and Government Relations, at Avalara—a Seattle-based tax compliance software company that helps to manage the complexity of sales tax nexus—will be a Keynote Speaker at this year’s NCCPAP Accounting & Tax Symposium (ATS 2020), taking place on November 10, 13, 18, and 19. Mr. Peterson, who has particular ... Read More

Topics Include: IRS Highlights, Taxpayer First Office, Office of Professional Responsibility, Return Preparer Office, and Wage & Investment Immediate Past President and current Tax Chair, Stephen Mankowski, CPA, recently attended the monthly IRS Meeting. IRS Highlights: Services & Enforcement Although it seems like ages ago when the CARES Act was passed, the IRS is getting ready to send an additional $9 million to taxpayers who have not filed tax returns for the past two years, since ... Read More

Beanna J. Whitlock, Renown Liability and Professional Ethics Expert, to Present at NCCPAP's 18th Annual Accounting and Tax Symposium This year’s NCCPAP Accounting and Tax Symposium Attendees are in for quite a treat. Beanna J. Whitlock, EA, CSA is a Partner at Whitlock Tax Service in Canyon Lake, TX, Executive Director of the National Center for Professional Education (NCPE) Fellowship, former IRS Information Reporting Program Advisory Council Member, former IRS Commissioner’s Advisory Committee ... Read More

James C. Bourke, Technology Expert and CPA, to Be Featured Keynote at NCCPAP’s 18 th Annual Accounting and Tax Symposium James C. Bourke CPA, CITP, CFF, CGMA, and Partner/Managing Director Advisory Services at Withum, an advisory, tax, and audit firm with offices around the globe, will be a featured Keynote Speaker at this year’s Annual NCCPAP Accounting & Tax Symposium (ATS 2020), taking place on November 10, 13, 18, and 19. Mr. Bourke has been speaking at the Symposium for many years and similar ... Read More

The Tax Season That Never Ends NCCPAP's Neil H. Fishman, CPA, CFE, FCPA, CAMS comments on the state of this filing season with Accounting Today’s  Editor-in-Chief, Daniel Hood. “Many in our profession feel that tax season normally runs through October 15 th because of all of the extensions, so this year is not different in that respect; however, there are more than enough issues that need clarity and guidance.” A synopsis of the conversation is below: CARES Act and PPP Looking ... Read More

ATS 2020, The 18th Annual NCCPAP Accounting and Tax Symposium, A Virtual Conference September 15, 2020—The Educational Foundation of the Nassau/Suffolk Chapter of NCCPAP and the Nassau/Suffolk Chapter of NCCPAP are proud to announce this year’s lineup for its Accounting and Tax Symposium (ATS). This year’s 18th event (formerly known as the Long Island Tax Professionals Symposium or LITPS) is going virtual…and national. Based on years of success and to accommodate work at home mandates, the organizations ... Read More

NCCPAP Executive Vice President, Mark A. Stewart Jr., CPA, will present to the Nassau County Bar Association's Business Law, Tax and Accounting Committee on September 16, 2020. Mark will speak about a variety of topics including the Executive Order on payroll tax deferral, selected CARES Act provisions and some future potential tax law changes.

“It Was the Best of Times; It Was the Worst of Times.” By Neil H. Fishman, CPA, CFE, FCPA, CAMS, National President, NCCPAP September 3, 2020—As I write this message, Congress is on its annual summer break for the month of August and will not return until September 8. When they return, they will only be in session for about four weeks, and then they will be out campaigning for the upcoming election on November 3. While the results of that election remain to be seen, we are seeing divisions ... Read More

“May you live in interesting times” By Neil H. Fishman, CPA, CFE, FCPA, CAMS, National President, NCCPAP What we have experienced in the first half of this year has never been seen by most people alive today—a combination of the Spanish Influenza Pandemic of 1919 combined with the Stock Market Crash of 1929. The impact to our country from both economic and social perspectives has been devastating to many. Businesses have been forced to close and some may never reopen. Businesses that have ... Read More

July 30, 2020— RE: Regulation of Tax Return Preparers According to the IRS, 62% of individuals who currently have a PTIN are not otherwise credentialed, meaning that there is no oversight, regulatory body or authority where individual taxpayers can file a complaint if desired. The proposed legislation to rectify the regulation of tax return preparer is S.1192/H.R.3330, “The Taxpayer Protection and Preparer Proficiency Act of 2019.” Back in 2010, the Internal Revenue Service announced that it ... Read More

July 28, 2020— RE: CARES Act, PPP Forgiveness and Expense Deductibility As the month of July comes to a close, there are several aspects of the CARES Act, that are scheduled to end, which will impact both businesses and individuals. Currently, Congress is busy working on additional legislation that would assist those businesses and individuals who are still affected by the pandemic. As this legislation is being discussed, there are two issues that we would like to bring to the attention of Congress ... Read More

Topics Include: Economic Impact Payments, Nationwide Tax Forums, Pension Plans & COVID-19, Small Business/Self-Employed Division, and Qualified Business Income Deduction Immediate Past President and current Tax Chair, Stephen Mankowski, CPA, recently attended the monthly IRS Meeting. IRS Update The IRS is continuing to reopen its operations around the country, starting with several states in June and adding more each week; all remaining states plan to reopen by July 13. All offices remain ... Read More

Topics Include: Update from Commissioner Rettig and COVID-19 Compliance Issues Immediate Past President and current Tax Chair, Stephen Mankowski, CPA, recently attended the monthly IRS Meeting. IRS Update You may be interested in the critical role of the IRS during the COVID-19 pandemic and how it is modernizing, expanding, and meeting the needs of taxpayers above and beyond normal conditions.   Commissioner Rettig began this month’s session by reinforcing the IRS brand as patriotic—one ... Read More

We did it. H.R.7010 Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020 was officially passed. NCCPAP was instrumental at every stage of the process. We pointed out the issues with the PPP, wrote letters to the appropriate decision makers at the SBA and within our government, made arguments with specific suggestions, stayed on top of this, and made a difference. That's what NCCPAP advocacy is about and why we're so proud to be members of an organization that takes action—to support taxpayers and ... Read More

Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020 On May 28, 2020, the United States House of Representatives passed H.R.7010, the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020, by a vote of 417-1. The National Conference of CPA Practitioners announces its support of this legislation. When the CARES Act was passed in March, many of its provisions were designed to assist the small business owner; however, they were written vaguely and became subject to interpretation by the U.S. Department ... Read More

Normally, May is the time where the NCCPAP (National Conference of CPA Practitioners) Board of Directors, Tax Committee, and other members go to Washington, D.C. Their purpose is to meet with members of Congress, the IRS, U.S. Department of the Treasury, and others who create the laws, and the interpretation of those law, that affect taxpayers. It is a highlight of the year, involving a twelve-month-long process to set an agenda, select those government representatives to visit, match NCCPAP members ... Read More