Education |
For a full menu of all available education options, visit the WAA website at www.waa.org. Many online CPE options offer special discounts for WAA members.
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Around the State
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Chapter Events
We have four active chapters around the state. These chapter officers have been diligently working to bring relevant education to the chapter members and with creating a quality collaborative peer meeting environment.
Go to www.waa.org/chapters to find out what is happening in your chapter.
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Chapter Listservs
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All WAA members have been subscribed to their chapter listserv based on the chapter listed in their profile. Download these listserv instructions to learn how to subscribe if you do not currently have a chapter affiliation listed on your profile, to unsubscribe, or to change the email address you want subscribed to the listserv.
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Membership Dues
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The non-deductible portion of WAA membership dues for Active and Associate members is 26% for this fiscal year. This amount is attributable to lobbying activities.
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In Memorandum
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If you are aware of a WAA member who has passed on please contact [email protected].
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Job Board
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Looking for Work or a New Employee? Check Out Our WAA Job Board!
Click here to learn more and see current jobs and resumes.
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Editorial Content
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The principal aims of this publication are the advancement of the accounting profession and communication among our members. Opinions expressed herein are those of the individual writers and not necessarily those of WAA or the Editor. Please submit articles and comments to [email protected].
The deadline for submissions is the 15th of the month preceding publication.
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The mission of the Washington Association of Accountants is to promote and protect the right of every member to practice accounting and taxation; to provide the services and professional education necessary to maintain and improve professional competence.
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From the President
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by Jerry Gintz
What will Form 1095-C bring to our practices?
More work, for certain. More data entry is assured. More uncertain clients are likely. My office is preparing for a significant uptick in business, as a result of all three of these playsible outplays. With about 69 million tax returns prepared by a third party and about 43 million self-prepared, there could be a large request for third-party help, due to the ACA impact. If just 10% of the 43 million selfies were to seek help... well, you do the math for your firm. That would bring a significant impact on my staff and current process.
None of us (or anyone for that matter) knows for sure what will transpire next filing season.The best we can do is plan, based on our own individual outlook. Re-evaluating your workflow and processes, along with infrastructure, may be in order now more than ever.
<<Read More>>
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Education Committee
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by Cynthia Polley
2014 Educational Conference
June 20, 2014 at the Hotel Murano in Tacoma, WA
8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
TECHNOLOGY: Brought to you by Bob Jennings, CPA, EA, CFP, RTRP
Click here for more information and to register.
Download the printable flyer
The best, most up-to-date practice management and technology workshop in the country.
- For any professional office
- Turn it into an efficient profit machine
- Security Web portal - use and implementation
- Latest technology office equipment
- Electronic file cabinets
- Powerful App's
- Tablets and Smart phones
- Turn them into efficient business tools
- And, MUCH, MUCH more!
Gear Up Seminars
Our popular live seminar series in the fall allows for the opportunity to ramp up your skills prior to the kick-off of the tax season.
Interested in becoming a vendor at our Gear Up Seminars? We would love to have you! Click here for more information. We will have an online form available soon. Check back often!
Online Continuing Education
If you need continuing education prior to the next live meeting, resources are available to provide a bounty of options.
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Annual Meeting
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by Melanie Levno
WAA Annual Meeting Notice
WAA is pleased to announce that our Annual Meeting will be held at the Hotel Murano this year. Please plan to attend:
Date: June 19, 2014
Time: 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Place: Hotel Murano
1320 Broadway Plaza
Tacoma, WA 98402
Click here to register!
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Membership Committee
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by Membership Committee
I would like to remind our members of the advantages of renewing. One of the major benefits is the networking aspect at our local chapter levels and at WAA sponsored seminars. You are able to access the website www.waa.org to get the latest news and local chapter information. WAA is able to sponsor Gear Up seminars and other update/tax seminars and your membership entitles you to a discount off those seminars. As a member you are kept up to date with the legislative issues that affect the businesses of our clients and our own accounting profession. WAA Member Benefits team is continually working on bringing new items at great rates to our members.
Being a WAA member offers many benefits to you. Renewing your membership on a timely basis helps WAA continue to offer current and new benefits as well as additional resources to all our members. A member may join at any time during the year, a majority of our members have a June 30 expiration date. We understand we all have busy schedules and the renewal emails may get put aside. Take a few moments now to check when your membership expires. The expiration date is shown on the first page when you log in. Renewing online is a very simple process and can be completed in less than 10 minutes.
We would hate to have you lose these benefits. The value far exceeds the costs that being a member can contribute to your professional success. Thank you for being part of our professional association and I look forward to seeing you at one of our future WAA events/seminars.
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Awards Committee
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Our Annual Meeting & Banquet is June 19, 2014. At this time we honor our members with the following annual awards. During the next few months please take time to think of members in your chapter or at the state level that would deserve these awards. We would like your help in the voting process.
Below is a list of the awards that will be presented. For each award, choose a person and please state the reason why that person should be given the particular award. Submit your votes at your meeting or send an email to the Awards chair by June 6th at [email protected]. All votes will then be tabulated and awarded at convention.
1) JOE MCREYNOLDS AWARD
For their commitment, service and dedication to the community, their colleagues and to the accounting profession.
2) GRAND AWARD OF EXCELLANCE
For their endless time and effort to make their Chapter or State Organization more effective. Taking on additional responsibilities.
3) OUTSTANDING SERVICE BY A MEMBER
For their work as a committee chair/member working to make WAA the leading accounting organization within Washington State.
4) MERRILLEE RAPLEY AWARD
For their dedication and tireless long term work in making WAA a stronger player in the professional development of its members. Taking on additional duties as needed.
PLEASE SEND YOUR VOTES BY JUNE 6TH. THANK YOU. |
Nominations
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WAA is looking for active members who would like to serve on the WAA state board. There are 3 one year positions to fill. We are looking for members who are:
1. Active members in good standing
2. Committed to being a Team Player
3. Willing to invest their time
4. Willing to travel to 2 – 3 board meetings
5. Demonstrate Enthusiasm, Dependability and Sincerity for the future of WAA.
Please email me at [email protected] if you are interested. |
NSA Update |
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by Astrid Arola
NSA Annual Meeting Offers Education, Networking, and Fun in Baltimore Inner Harbor
The National Society of Accountants (NSA) 69th Annual Meeting, August 20-23, 2014 at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, Maryland, offers “Main Street” tax and accounting professionals more than 17 hours of continuing professional education (CPE) and a host of other activities.
For more information and to register, visit www.nsaannualmeeting.org or contact NSA at 800-966-6679 or [email protected].
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Chapter News
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Greater Seattle Chapter
by Lauren Vignec
Dear Lauren,
Soon you will “meet” Taylor Larimore online, and he will give you two of the best pieces of advice you will ever receive. Unfortunately, you are not going to listen. This letter will never be read by you, since it cannot go back in time. But I wish it could.
Here is what Taylor will tell you. First, “It’s better to be nice than it is to be right.” And second, “The most important thing you can do is to try your best.” Now by the time you read his advice you will have already come to greatly respect this man. However, that respect isn’t going to be enough to cause you to take him seriously. You are going to think his advice is corny and naive–touching but inconsequential. If only you could understand…
Better to be nice than to be right.
<<Read More>>
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Northwest Chapter
by Ronnie Wright, Vice President
The Northwest Chapter had an outstanding meeting on May 1, 2014. Everyone shared their favorite stories from tax season. Our guest speaker – Gene Bell, presented on Consents and Disclosures and the Chapter raised a lot of additional funds for the NSA Scholarship Fund, to be presented at Convention in June. Nominations have been made for the Northwest Chapter’s Board for the upcoming year and officers will be voted/sworn in during the June 2014 Meeting by our WAA State President-Elect Charles Grass.
The Northwest Board has a planning meeting scheduled to finalize the list of topics and guest speakers to be taught throughout the 2014/2015 season. If you feel strongly about a specific idea or topic, I encourage you to send me an email or give me a call. My contact information is as follows: Telephone: (360) 675-6838 and my email is: [email protected].
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| Puget Sound/Tacoma Chapter |
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by Shawn Gagnon, President
There is an old saying “April showers bring May flowers”. Tax season is much like a rainy April (long and dreary). Now that tax season is behind us, we look forward to sunshine and flowers (vacation?) in May and the chance to begin networking again with our fellow WAA members.
Mark your calendars for upcoming meetings in June and July. Our June meeting topic is Unclaimed Property Issues for Business Owners, Accountants and Bookkeepers. In July, Patrick Reed, from the Secretary of State will be our presenter and will discuss incorporating in the State of Washington.
I hope to see you all very soon.
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Spokane Chapter
by Hazel Flynn-Parkison
Happy Spring and rejuvenation! At our January meeting, Stacie Rainer from DSHS presented on “What's new with new hire reporting and child support?” Stacie is an Employer Outreach Liaison in Spokane office. The DSHS website (www.dshs.wa.gov/dcs) has information about webinars, workshops and other information, i.e., employer workbooks. WA DCS is responsible for over 375,000 cases and each officer handles approximately 900 cases. They process over 250,000 payments per month.
At our February and March meetings, we held our Tax Season Roundtable meeting. Some of the discussions were about scholarship payments received, but not reported on Form 1098, unmarried couple and home transactions, how to compute drivers meals in a work week, 2% shareholder and the Affordable Care Act and much more.
We did not have an April meeting because many members are engaged in the Tax Marathon! |
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View Monthly Meetings, Mini-Seminars and Register for Education Events on our website WAA.org under
Education > Calendar of Events.
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