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AICPA Enthusiastically Offers the IRS Its Help Developing the Registered Tax Return Preparer Exam

Posted on by Caleb Newquist

Not unlike the overachiever that sits in the front row of class waving their outstretched hand like some ecstatic cruise ship passenger, the eager beavers at the AICPA have put the IRS on notice that they are willing and able to help out with the registered tax return preparers (“RTRPs”) exam.

As the national professional organization of certified public accountants comprised of approximately 370,000 members, the AICPA is well situated to provide input to the IRS on the technical issues related to developing and administering competency examinations. AICPA members provide services to individuals, not-for-profit organizations, and small and medium-sized businesses, as well as America’s largest businesses.

The AICPA offers to assist the IRS build on the Service’s already significant experience with the Special Enrollment Examination. Our own experience with the Uniform CPA examination has shown us that there are a number of critical steps in the test development process, including: (1) defining the material to be tested; (2) developing the test questions; (3) pre-testing or trying out test questions; (4) constructing and reviewing test forms which require that the final test be fair to all candidates regardless of which test form they take; (5) reviewing candidate comments on test questions; (6) protecting the security of the examination (including the examination questions and candidate data); and (7) conducting an annual review of the quality of the examination.

Despite the hint at a compliment (e.g. “Service’s already significant experience”), you can’t help but think that AICPA doesn’t quite trust the IRS to pull this off. What with the security issues, lack of warm bodies and beating terroristic threats off with a stick.

IRS Comp Examination

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Pennsylvania’s Tax Amnesty Ad Will Work on the Most Paranoid of Citizens

Pennsylvania’s tax amnesty program started on April 26th and to help taxpayers get off their non-complying asses, this ad has been introduced to motivate Keystone Staters that owe back taxes.

If this doesn’t get Quaker stoners into compliance, nothing will:


Personally, we would liked to have seen the PA Dept of Rev go the route of PICPA and incorporate Snuggies or breathlessly judgmental friends. Although we understand that scare tactics may be effective, a state must be pretty desperate to run this to get taxpayers motivated.

Btw, Philadelphia’s tax amnesty program started today and, so far, is considerably less Orwellian.

Earlier:
Tax Amnesty Programs: A Gold Mine for States or Bad Policy?

Today in Auditor Musical Chairs: KPMG and Deloitte Both Get the Boot

Evergreen Energy of Denver dismissed Deloitte effective June 23rd according to the company’s 8-K filing. Hein & Associates, a local Denver firm, will take it from here.

It stands to reason that Evergreen didn’t appreciate the going concern opinions that Deloitte gave the company for its December 31, 2009 and December 31, 2008 financial statements but in cordial SEC filing fashion, there are no parting shots from the company.


Evergreen’s press release indicates that this was simply an opportunity to throw some action to another firm (most likely with lower fees), “With the sale of certain Buckeye assets and our exit from the coal mining industry, Evergreen Energy has transitioned into a green technology company. This is an ideal time to switch to a Denver-based regional accounting firm with substantial public company expertise in the clean technology and software industries that can more cost effectively meet our needs.”

Deloitte’s letter to the SEC is abruptly admits that everything is cool rather than flat out saying, “you’ll be sorry you ever ditched us, you losers.”

Similarly, Measurement Specialties, Inc. showed KPMG the door for Ernst & Young. The company says everything was hunky-dory between the two although there was a small matter of the internal controls around a significant joint venture of which the company had no control. Oh, and the effectiveness of internal controls of some recent acquisitions also couldn’t be determined. But it was cool and the company said, “it was in the best interests of the Company to change its independent registered public accounting firm.”

KPMG has NFI what that means saying in their letter, “we are not in a position to agree or disagree with Measurement Specialties, Inc.’s statements relating to the reason for changing principal accountants.”

We wish everyone nothing but happiness.