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Dear Elizabeth:

Goal number one in our strategic plan is Society Strength. My interpretation of that is to understand our membership well enough to target and customize our offerings and maximize their value to our members. The activities that I believe offer the most value to our members are embodied in our next three goals: 

1. Professional Competency - Produce educational offerings that are customized, relevant and enable our members to provide outstanding service to their clients; 

2. Public Policy - Enhance our position as a key resource to lawmakers and the administration, and protect and promote the profession through lobbying efforts; and 

3. Sustain the Brand - Strengthen the profession through initiatives and branding designed to recruit and retain a talented and diverse workforce.

Today, I want to bring to your attention to the ancillary benefits you might not know we offer. These run the gamut from access to a variety of lower cost insurance products – including health, dental, auto and liability; discounts on business tools like UPS, FedEx, ADP and Office Depot; and discounts on entertainment and clothing (think Disney on Ice and Joseph A. Banks). We hold networking events that are purely social and others designed for you to meet colleagues from other professions (like our Sip and Socialize events). There are also over 20 committees you can join to discuss topics that interest you and learn from your colleagues.

You can find a complete list of benefits here in a handy, printable format. For more information, please call Mona McCarthy at 617.303.2424. If there are areas where we could use our group purchasing power to provide benefits that are not listed here, please call Mona or let me know! We are always looking for new ways to provide value to our members – that is our prime directive (for you Trekkies out there).

Amy A. Pitter
President & CEO

MEMBERSHIP & NETWORKING:

Save on Tickets to the Festival of Praise Tour
The biggest gospel tour of the year comes to Boston on October 29! Festival of Praise 2015, features some of the best names in Gospel music including multiple GRAMMY®, Dove and Stellar Award-winning recording artists Fred Hammond, Donnie McClurkin, Kim Burrell and Hezekiah Walker. MSCPA members save 10% on tickets using code CLUBLINK.

MA South Shore Breakfast Forum (7/30)
Hear an update on the new Mass Sick Time Law, and how it affects you and your clients. The discussion features MSCPA member Bruce Patz, CPA, owner of Advantage Payroll and Evan Fray-Witzer, partner at Ciampa Fray-Witzer LLP.

Karter Kup Tennis Tournament (8/27)
Join the MSCPA on the grass courts of the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, RI for the Annual Karter Kup Tennis Tournament! Participants will be entered into a round-robin doubles tournament and play throughout the afternoon, with dinner at a nearby restaurant for those who wish to stay. All levels of players (men and women) are welcome.

Fall Career Fair/Graduate School Expo (9/25) - Register Now!
Connect with 200 accounting students seeking internships and entry-level positions. Professionals-in-transition are also welcome to attend. All attendees are advised to have authorization to work indefinitely in the United States. In 2014, students registered from more than 25 different colleges in Massachusetts and neighboring states!

NEWS & RESOURCES:

Why Should I Become Partner?
In most firms, up-and-comers want to understand the decision criteria their leaders will use to select a new partner. In this article, two CPAs from DiCicco, Gulman & Company LLP weigh in on what it takes to make partner, and the expectations once you get there.

4 Ways to Unlock Employee Performance
Companies that encourage collaboration boost employee productivity, but corporate culture frequently works against employees’ helping each other make company-wide accomplishments. Find out four ways to overcome these hurdles and unlock employee performance.

IASB Confirms One-Year Deferral for Revenue Standard
The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) confirmed a one-year deferral of the effective date of IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers, to January 1, 2018.

Helping Your Clients in a Difficult Time: The Tax Treatment for Alzheimer's
Many CPAs have had the heartbreaking experience of seeing a client, or a client’s loved one, end up in an assisted living, skilled nursing or memory care facility due to cognitive decline. CPAs are in a unique position to help them understand the tax treatment and possible deductions for expenses incurred at these facilities.

CPE:

Save 50% on Fall CPE!
If you haven’t already, now is the time to apply for the Workforce Training Fund to maximize your staff training dollars! This state program reimburses 50% of training costs for companies with 100 or fewer employees.

 
View the complete list of eligible CPE programs here. You must apply to the program at least six weeks prior to the training, so be sure to register today for all fall/winter programming!

Legislative Update:

IRS Updates
- National Taxpayer Advocate Reviews Filing Season, Identifies Priority Areas
- Small Businesses Can Get IRS Penalty Relief for Unfiled Retirement Plan Returns
- IRS Spotlights Year-Round Tax Help in 6 Languages

Self-Insured Employers Must File Health Coverage Information Returns
Regardless of size, all employers that provide self-insured health coverage to their employees are treated as coverage providers. These employers must file an annual return reporting certain information for each employee they cover.

DOR Announced June 2015 and FY 15 Revenue Collections
The DOR on Wednesday released the June revenue collections and the final FY 15 revenue totals. In June, collections totaled $2.656 billion, $4 million above benchmark. Despite lackluster collections during the early part of the fiscal year, FY 15 finished $391 million over benchmark.

Participate in the Regulatory Review Conversation
The Society is working with the Baker administration to help identify problematic state regulations not only in areas related to taxation, but throughout government. As part of that process, we are planning a few focus groups with our members and the Governor’s staff and would like your feedback. Take this survey to help us identify areas of focus!