Zoho has introduced an office suite, Zoho Workplace, a cloud-based suite that encompasses nine integrated applications. The applications were built on a common model with common search and AI with a single dashboard.

The suite includes a business mail package, Zoho Mail, that enables users to make audio or video calls from within the application and edit document attachments in Zoho Writer. Users can meet online with contacts, and access all email accounts from within the application.

The platform also offers a control panel with eDiscovery, Backup and Recovery. Another application is Meeting, which  can be used to set up recurring or one-off meetings and is integrated with applications such as Zoho Projects, Bookings and CRM. 

Workplace also features the Cliq messaging application; and Connect, which integrates with HR systems such Zoho People. Additionally, there is Show, a presentation system, which integrates with ‌Atlassian, Unsplash, and Humaans; Sheet, a spreadsheet system; and Workdrive, a document management system; and ShowTime for online training. Workplace pricing starts at $3 per user per month for the Standard version and $6 per user per month for the Professional version.

Digital CPA, a conference hosted by the American Institute of CPAs and CPA.com, will be held virtually. The event will be held December 8 and will be preceded by a November 12 pre-conference session on remote work. 

 The pre-conference session, “Distributed by Design: A Framework for Future Forward Organizations,” will be led by Radical Ventures cofounder Pascal Finette.  It aims to “provide a framework and toolkit for CPA firms to conduct strategic planning and decision-making on remote work, decentralization, and the opportunities and challenges that arise from them.”

Digital CPA keynoters include Jeffrey Rogers, moderator of executive education programs and international summits for Singularity University. He will speak “about change dynamics, managing complexity and transformation in a period of continuous, accelerating change.” AICPA president Barry Melancon will provide “an in-depth professional issues update on accounting and finance” while Erik Asgeirsson, CEO of CPA.com “will discuss trends in firm management, advisory services and technology. 

Digital CPA “is designed for CPA firm partners, managers and staffers responsible for implementing cloud solutions and practice management innovations, as well as business development, firm marketing and human resources directors”.

Cloud-based computing provides more security than their own company data centers do, according to 75 percent of information technology professionals responding to the recently released Oracle and KPMG Cloud Theft report. The survey also found businesses are using an almost bewildering number of products to provide security.

 Forty percent of the 750 respondents reported the cloud is much more secure than their own data centers, double the percentage in 2018. Thirty-five percent rated the cloud as more secure. Fourteen percent believe the cloud is not as protected with 12 percent saying it is less secure; 2 percent much less secure.

Twelve percent reported the security levels are the same.

 The survey found widespread adoption of cloud technology with 76 percent utilizing infrastructure-as-a-service today; while 50 percent expect to move all data to the cloud in the next two years. Eighty percent are concerned their cloud service providers will become competitors in core markets. 

Multiple security products are used by most organizations, the survey: Sixty percent responded that they have more than 76 products. Seventy-eight percent employ more than 50 cybersecurity product while; 37 percent has more than 100.

As businesses turn to Zoom for videoconferencing, a new generation of security threats has emerged. Among them is ZoomBombing in which intruders invade sessions and disrupt them.

Among the disruptions are the sharing of porn videos by the unwelcome guests. One of the important ways to prevent problems is by use of passwords to allow participants into session.

Zoom itself advises the use of the Waiting Room feature via which a meeting host can control when participants join a meeting. That way the host can screen out participants not on the Zoom account or not signed in.

The company also says hosts should not give up control of the screen. They can utilize Advanced Screen Sharing choosing “Only Host” under “Who can share?”, along with locking Screen Share by default for all meetings under web settings.

Participants can also be managed by allowing only signed-in users to join while meetings can be locked to prevent anyone from joining, including those with a meeting ID and password, from joining after the meeting has started. Two-factor authentication can also be required.

Other controls that can help are these:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Disable “Allow Removed Participants to Rejoin” to keep miscreants from returning.                                                                                                                                                                                          Remove Unwanted or Disruptive Participants by clicking Remove under the Participants menu.                                                                                                                                                                       Disable Video                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Mute Participants                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Turn off file transfer to prevent unwanted content such as pictures or memes.                                                                                                                                                                                                           Turn off Annotation                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Disable Private Chat.

In addition, software security company Norton has another series of recommendations for videoconferencing more securely. These start with following a company’s policy, including making sure a device is secure if the user is bringing their own device.  Companies should provide training, ensure endpoints and networks are secure and capable of handling teleworkers’ devices and communication.

Norton says users must establish home network security be configuring firewalls and making sure routers are secure. They should also stay up-to-date with security patches. A secure-wi-fi with strong encryption should be used.

Norton also recommends participants change their video backgrounds so other members of video calls cannot see into their homes and to remember to turn off the webcast at the end of the call or at least cover it with something opaque, such as tape, paper or a sliding webcam cover.

A Virtual Private Network  also provides greater security because it masks IP addresses, location, and search history to prevent things like location tracking.

 Where are we going in the mid-market? Or in general? The economy started out the year with record employment and has moved to record unemployment with the effects of shutdowns of the Covid-19 virus.  For resellers this year, how they are doing depends on where they are located and in what markets they are involved. Bob Scott’s Top 100 VARs for 2020 examines the issues in an era of extreme uncertainty and names 100 firms who are the big players in this market.

For resellers, the issue now is meeting user needs and making money, not worrying about whether software is in the cloud. Certainly, there are many thousands of on-premise mid-market accounting systems in use and a decent number are being sold. But the action is in the cloud and it is a matter of features, which is what users really care about. The issue is which product is better at handling nonprofits, which is good for businesses with inventory, which best suits professional services and which delve into highly specialized markets. In the fact, the thought did not even occur this year to count how many of the Top 100 2019 VARs carry cloud products. It was just assumed they all do. That is why this year’s theme is “The Cloud Rules”  If you are not in the cloud game, you are not really in the game.

2018 Report: Getting a Handle on the Cloud

Buyers and sellers are talking less and less about cloud software. The discussions increasingly center around how the software, which happens to be cloud based, helps companies solve business problems, not on the technology used. Read more how this is happening.

Sponsored by:

Report: Payroll Gets Easier: Running payroll, whether for a company to pay its own employees or to pay clients’ employees, has rarely been easy. But it is necessary, which is why the question of whether tax and accounting firms should offer services as a line of business has had some firms moving into the business and others moving out. Read more and find out where your firm falls.

Sponsored By:

Jeff Siegel is the owner of Siegel Solutions, an 11-person firm that provides outsourced bookkeeping solutions usingJeff Siegel is the owner of Siegel Solutions, an 11-person firm that provides outsourced bookkeeping solutions usingQuickBooks to over 300 clients. Jeff knows what it takes to grow a business: efficiency of scale, real-time insights thatbuild strong customer relationships, and a secure data environment. He gets all three from Right Networks.

In this ebook, we’ll examine:In this ebook, we’ll examine:

• Why DIY (Do-It-Yourself) accounting systems created forsmall businesses cause undue pain for both small businessowners and for accountants
• How the right cloud-based professional accounting systemcan not only eliminate that pain, but also open up newopportunities for accountants to better serve their clients

Steven Brewer, CPA is the President of Steven Brewer and Company, CPAs, located in Salem, IN. He talked to AccountantsWorld about how he’s grown his accounting practice without needing to increase his number of clients – and how those improvements have eased his tax season crunch.

BooXkeeping: How White Label Bookkeeping Services Provide Scalability to Your Firm When it comes to running a business the main thing that every business owner wants to do is sell their products or services, create brand awareness and generate profits that they can enjoy later in life. The last thing a business owner wants to do is to worry about bookkeeping, taxes, and the rest of time consuming accounting tasks needed to run a successful business, with limited resources and time, often the bookkeeping ends up being the last on the list of things that need to be completed.

The Internal Revenue Service has added six forms for use e-signatures to a list of those for which electronic filing is not available. That brings the total for which it accepts digital signatures temporarily to 16.

The IRS recently added the following forms to its list for e-signatures.

*Form 706, U.S. Estate (and Generation-Skipping Transfer) Tax Return;
*Form 706-NA, U.S. Estate (and Generation-Skipping Transfer) Tax Return;
*Form 709, U.S. Gift (and Generation-Skipping Transfer) Tax Return;
*Form 1120-ND, Return for Nuclear Decommissioning Funds and Certain Related Persons;
*Form 3520, Annual Return To Report Transactions With Foreign Trusts and Receipt of Certain Foreign Gifts; and
*Form 3520-A, Annual Information Return of Foreign Trust With a U.S. Owner.

The forms, which are generally printed and mailed, are available at IRS.gov and through tax professional’s software products.

The following were announced on August 28, andcan be submitted with digital signatures if mailed by or on December 31.
*Form 3115, Application for Change in Accounting Method;
*Form 8832, Entity Classification Election;
*Form 8802, Application for U.S. Residency Certification;
*Form 1066, U.S. Income Tax Return for Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduit;
*Form 1120-RIC, U.S. Income Tax Return For Regulated Investment Companies;
*Form 1120-C, U.S. Income Tax Return for Cooperative Associations;
*Form 1120-REIT, U.S. Income Tax Return for Real Estate Investment Trusts;
*Form 1120-L, U.S. Life Insurance Company Income Tax Return;
*Form 1120-PC, U.S. Property and Casualty Insurance Company Income Tax Return; and
*Form 8453 series, Form 8878 series, and Form 8879 series regarding IRS e-file Signature Authorization Forms.

The Internal Revenue Service will publish Form 1040 in Spanish for the first time for the 2021 filing season. Taxpayers will also be able to choose to be contacted in languages other than English.

The IRS said this week “in coming months and years, the agency will continue to expand the availability of widely used IRS forms and popular publications in multiple languages."

In additions, Publication 1, Your Rights as a Taxpayer, is now available in 20 languages an 2020 version of Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax, will be available early next year in seven languages – English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Russian, Korean and Chinese (Simplified and Traditional).

Taxpayers who interact with an IRS representative now have access to over the phone interpreter services in more than 350 languages.

H&R Block reported results for a very unusual period for the first quarter ended July 31. The quarter reflected large number of returns filed during the extension of tax season to July 15. Executives also spoke of the redefinition of assisted tax preparation in market in which a hybrid approach to tax preparation is spreading.

Usually, Block loses money in the first quarter.  But with business shifting because of the extension the company reported net income of $91.3 million for the most recently ended period, compared to a loss of $150.2 million a year earlier. Block reported first-quarter revenue of slightly more than $601 million, up sharply from $150.4 million in last year’s corresponding period.

More than once CEO Jeff Jones told analysts on this week’s earnings webcast that digital tax preparation is not equivalent to do-it-yourself, although it is often discussed that way. Digital means things like I can upload my docs while someone does the work or I can drop them off at an office but approve online and pay online,” Jones said.

That is part of a shift in the definition of an assisted return. He said while tax professionals may sign a return, it does not mean the client visited an office. 

Certainly, that change has been shown by the TurboTax Live program that has been successful for Intuit, in which customers can seek help from a paid preparer by use of a one-way video link. Block offers on-demand chat and the ability to share screens with experts.

Blucora tested its first year of hybrid-assisted program or TaxAct with Blucora CEO Chris Walters reporting the test was expanded to 70-percent more than originally plan. He also said the company is developing. “We believe we have now learned what is needed to scale and plan to launch it next year as part of our core offering,” Walters said during his company’s conference call for earnings for the second quarter ended June 30.

Intuit said the number of TurboTax Live customers increased 70 percent for the year ended July 31. Almost 70 percent of the new customers there came had used a professional preparer in 2019, the company said this month.

That was among the trends as the tax and accounting software company reported financial results for fiscal 2020.

TurboTax Live is the program via which TurboTax customers can ask professionals questions via an in-package, one-way video link. CEO Sasan Goodarzi said those who provided advice achieved higher satisfaction scores and there was lower attrition rate.

The number of TurboTax units sold grew by 11 percent. Excluding those who filed returns solely to receive stimulus payments, total returns grew by 3 percent to 4 percent, Intuit estimated. The estimated DIY share of the total grew up by 2 percent, according to CFO Michelle Chatterbuck. She said Intuit’s share of total returns grew by 1.5 percent while Intuit’s share of the DIY category was flat.

Revenue for the consumer group reached $3.14 billion for the most recently ended year, an increase of 25 percent from $2.51 billion from fiscal 2019. Professional tax revenue, reported under the Strategic Partner Group segment, reached $493 million for fiscal 2020, a 4-percent rise from $456 million the prior year.

Intuit’s net income rose 17.2 percent to $1.83 billion for fiscal 2020, up from $1.56 billion. Revenue last year was $7.78 billion, an increase of 13.2 percent from $1.56 billion.

 H&R Block has hired Ian Hardman as VP and general manager for small business. In his new job, Hardman will help Block grow its small business tax, bookkeeping and payroll services.

 Hardman was previously SVP and chief strategy officer for enterprise strategy for 1800Flowers.com from 2015 through 2018 and was VP and GM of hard goods for Fab. in 2014 and 2015.

AccountantsWorld has hired Behram Panthaki as its first chief operating officer. The company, based in Hauppauge, N.Y., makes a variety of software for accounting firms.

 Panthaki was most recently chief product and operations officer for Frank Financial from February 2018. Prior to that, he worked as head of digital payments and platforms for JPMorgan Chase & Co. from September 2011 through January 2017.

H&R Block has named two senior executives. The tax services company has hried Julius Lai as chief product and experience officer and selected Les Whiting as chief financial services.officer.

Lai is handling all marketing, along with what the company said was “reimagining client engagement with a digital-first, multi-channel focus”. Whiting’s responsibilities are developing “a unified set of financial products”.

Lai was previously with AMC Theaters from November 2015. He was most recently SVP of digital and loyalty marketing from November 2018.

Whiting worked with Wave from November 2011 and remained with the operation after it was purchased by Block in July 2019. He assumed the position of chief financial services officer in February that year.

Cloud software vendor Xero has awarded three $10,000 scholarships to college students in the United States. The financial awards are the first given under the Forward Fund program.

The winners were Jimhua Johnson of the University of Washington; Brody Mandelbaum of the University of Florida; and  Mwaka Namfukwe of the University of  Florida. The money is to be applied to tuition or other costs of their pursing their degrees.

Each of the students was nominated by a Xero partner and each of those will receive $10,000 in co-op funds. Those accounting and bookkeeping firms are The QuickSource, founded by Shelly Robbins; Bookkeeper Buddy, founded by Mick Lindquist; and Cloud Accounting and Consulting, founded by Stephanie Hoyt.

The past six months have delivered more challenges to clients than anyone could have anticipated. Business that were primarily brick-and-mortar at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic have rushed to establish an online selling presence in order to survive. 

In doing so, they were also hastily introduced to state-by-state economic nexus laws resulting from the 2018 S. Dakota v Wayfair Supreme Court decision, requiring sales tax registration in each jurisdiction, and the collection, reporting and remittance of sales tax once sales or dollar amount thresholds were reached. Hence, the former mom and pop store entered a new world of compliance complexity that existing ecommerce merchants have been wrangling with for several years.

Wayfair also ushered in a wave of advisory work for accounting professionals, who’ve helped clients, often small businesses, untangle compliance scenarios previously reserved for larger companies. Clients who previously did business in just a small handful of states now have nexus wherever new customers buy their products online, and they need step-by-step guidance to get a handle on their new obligations.

Global aspirations meet cross-border compliance complexity

And what about those ambitious clients who look at the entire globe as their total addressable market? While many of us are hearing about trends related to ecommerce sellers going international, in lock step with more consumers shopping online around the world, and more sellers wanting to take advantage of a total addressable market, the data is still surprising.   According to IDC, by 2022, cross-border ecommerce is expected to account for more than 15% of the world’s online retail market. eMarketer estimates that the global online retail market will grow to $5.7 trillion by 2022.

While demand for cross-border ecommerce has risen, so has the complexity surrounding country-level tax and customs regulations. For would-be international sellers, mastering cross-border compliance – the value-added tax (VAT), goods and services tax (GST), customs duties (also called tariffs), import fees, and the variations of each from country to country -- can mean the difference between success and failure, in addition to staying competitive, in the up-for-grabs ecommerce world market.  

In addition to different tax systems, your clients will need to accurately assign Harmonized System (HS) codes to all their goods. The first six digits of the code are standardized across all participating countries; however, each country appends its own set of digits to classify a product based on specific parameters and regulations. Every country sets its own laws governing what can be sold by whom. For example, tax rates applied to imports from Canada to Brazil may be applied differently than those same products when coming from the United States.

Shipping and pricing transparency are key success factors

Your clients’ ultimate success in global sales will hinge on their ability to provide a good (or great) customer experience, regardless of where the customer is located. And shipping is an essential factor in the equation, in terms of how long it takes to reach the customer and how much it costs. The bar has already been raised high for shipping time, with ecommerce sellers racing to compete with tech giants who have defined and set customer expectations for delivery service. For international transactions, setting up an efficient fulfillment system and clearly communicating shipping times is mission critical to starting the experience on the right foot.

More complicated is setting expectations for price. Between assigning the correct HS code and properly applying the correct taxes, tariffs, shipping and import fees, transparency at the point of sale can be difficult. The customer in Ireland who purchased a sweater from your online seller client in Brooklyn expects a seamless drop-off delivery at their location. Some businesses are tempted to omit these fees at checkout, but surprising customers with costly fees upon delivery is never a good experience. Abandoned online shopping carts are one thing, but a rejected shipment at the destination doorstep results in an unhappy customer, and potential brand reputation damage via social media and other complaints, not to mention placing the cost of return on your client, if they decide it’s worth undertaking those costs.

Automation tames cross-border complexity

Automation solutions are a key ingredient for businesses entering the global retail space. For many international sellers, the task of manually assigning tariff codes and calculating customs duties and taxes is resource intensive, costly, prone to human error, and ultimately not a path to ongoing compliance. It’s only through modern technology that your clients can ensure that customs duties and import taxes are accurately calculated at the time of checkout to mitigate compliance risks and avoid negative customer experiences with surprise costs at the time of delivery. 

Depending on the number of countries, breadth of products, and staff available to handle rates and regulations, an automated tax solution may be the most efficient, cost-effective way to manage tax compliance. Software programs such as Avalara Cross-Border are readily available for item classification, rate calculations, reporting, and returns filing. Make sure your client’s cross-border compliance system integrates with their other business applications, such as accounting/ERP, enterprise content management (ECM), and online retail platforms. Absent fully integrated technology solutions, 21^st Century commerce expectations won’t be realized, from multi-channel commerce to selling internationally.

Advising for your clients’ (and your firm’s) growth

Cross-border compliance falls squarely within the ongoing demand for enhanced business advisory services as we wend collectively through a global pandemic. And keep in mind that clients of all sizes, including emerging small businesses, will require technology automation and advisory in this area. Learn the basic terminology associated with cross-border selling and compliance in preparation for client conversations. Determine whether you want to develop expertise internally around this practice area, or partner with a firm that focuses on compliance international sellers. Then vet the available technology automation solutions that automate the most complex aspects of cross-border compliance at the moment of transaction. The numbers tell the story—this is an ideal opportunity to demonstrate added value for clients embarking on a new path to global growth.

The spread of ecommerce has meant an increasing number of businesses have transactions in other countries.  That means those businesses also need to deal with tax, tariffs and duties imposed by other countries which has made cross-border taxation an issue for many organizations that previously did not need to even know the term.

 “Cross-border used to be more of a back water,” says Craig Reed, SVP of Avalara’s global trade business. “Increasingly retailers are considering it a core component of their business.”

To handle the confusing mass of taxes, Avalara recently introduced its cross border system which is comprised by Avalara AvaTax Cross-Border and Avalara Item Classification. The latter product is important because providing taxing authorities with the correct classification code for goods being sold. “If you don’t give customs the correct, code, your goods can get stuck at the border,” Reed said. The complex process of code goods has been largely manual and Reed says that each country has a book ‘about six inches to a foot thick” that defines goods.

Reed says companies sometimes turn the issue over to carriers. But he adds, “They are not very accurate because it’s not the core of their business.”

Avalara’s products utilize a natural language process and algorithms to classify a product and calculate duties and taxes. Reed notes the company has a global research team that uses direct government connections to stay current on tax rates and information.

SAP has taken a different approach to handle cross-border issues. In March, the giant software company, entered an alliance with Goldman Sachs Transaction Banking. 

“Cross border is about adding a layer of simplicity to a complex system,” says Sean Thompson, EVP of the business network and ecosystem, SAP Procurement Solutions. The deal enabled SAP to incorporate Goldman’s cross-border capabilities in SAP’s Ariba applications, making the services available to the member’s of the Ariba Network.

Thompson notes there are many issues in cross border, including gain and loss on currency differences. Thompson says in cross-border taxations the financial systems of the buyer and seller both need to be integrated since the ERP system “is where the payment file is”. Bank systems has generally not been integrate in the process.

The SAP-Goldman combination means foreign suppliers can be paid in local currencies with “competitive” foreign exchange rates and also easier reconciliation of payments to corresponding invoices. There is also real-time payment tracking, cost transparency on bank fees and optimized payment routing offered.

Software that enables small businesses to prepare and file sales tax returns will be introduced this year by Avalara. The sales-and-use tax software has announced plans for Avalara Returns for Small Business.

The upcoming  application integrates the feature set of TrustFile Online for a target market of emerging small businesses, which Avalara describes as those employing one to 19 individuals.. The small business returns software will to help those companies automate sales tax preparation and file returns with each state’s website.

Customers will be able to utilize the upcoming product to import transactions from all business systems to compile sales-and-use returns for every state return from a single dashboard. 

Avalara generally recommends Avalara Managed Returns for businesses with more employees.

The company is also introducing enhancements to TrustFile, including an economic nexus tracking map, support for more sales tax forms and a redesigned user interface.

Avalara has introduced Avalara Consumer Use, which is designed to help finance professionals assess their consumer use tax obligations.  The software company said this week the application assists in self-assessment for the entire use tax process, including user-defined rules, tax calculation, review, allocation, accrual, and documentation

Consumer Use can combine data from multiple systems into a single workflow in order to create an automated or semi-automated self-assessment of general ledger expense and use tax liability

The system also identifies overpaid or underpaid taxes on vendor invoices and creates reports for tax liability by jurisdiction. The application can import multiple transaction types, including purchase invoices, inventory usage and fixed asset movements

Consumer tax accruals can be integrated into the filing process in Avalara Returns.