Like all professions, accountants have a few bad apples in their ranks. Everyone makes mistakes now and then and when a CPA makes an error, it’s called Accounting Malpractice. Sometimes the errors involve a missed deadline. Sometimes professionals fail to keep up with changes in the law (after all, there are only 73,608 pages of […]
Tired Old Boys’ Clubs — A Lesson on How the Eras End
[Ed. Note: The following is reprinted with permission from Re:Balance, a blog published by Attorney Jim Peterson. Jim’s views on the Big Four accounting firms seem to be very much in line with ours. Enjoy!] Tired Old Boys’ Clubs — A Lesson on How the Eras End by Jim Peterson, Esq.Can a long-vibrant institution be […]
Accounting Malpractice Post – CPA White Label Lending Programs
Sometimes I don’t have to look very hard to find something important to our readers. Literally upon logging into my email this morning was a discussion on LinkedIn about a new small business lending program being marketed through accountants. Is that a wonderful new tool for CPAs to help clients with cash flow problems or […]
Who’s Guarding The Hen House? Accounting Malpractice Post
by Brian Mahany Two of the biggest brokerage industry failures last year were Peregrine Financial Group and MF Global Holdings. In August of last year we covered the Peregrine story after the firm’s CEO attempted suicide and left a note confessing to a massive theft from customers. At that time, we questioned why the firm’s […]
Dow Chemical Suffers Billion Dollar Tax Shelter Loss – Accounting Malpractice
by Brian Mahany When will they learn? Three times this month we have reported on big banks and corporations that have suffered major court defeats after attempting to claim questionable tax deductions. This week’s IRS victory against Dow Chemical is just one more nail in the coffin of abusive tax shelters. Wall Street bad boys […]
From STARS to SLOTS – More Tax Shelter Woes For Accountants (Accounting Malpractice Post)
by Brian Mahany Last weekend we wrote about STARS, a controversial tax shelter program recommended by accounting giant KPMG. That “star” exploded like a super nova earlier this week when a U.S. Tax Court upheld an assessment of approximately $800 million against Bank of New York – Mellon. Today, Accounting Today reports that another KPMG […]
IRS Wins Tax Shelter Case – Will Claims Of Accounting Malpractice Follow?
by Brian Mahany Earlier this week the United States Tax Court ruled in favor of the IRS in a widely watched corporate tax shelter case. The test case, involving Bank of New York Mellon, could cost the bank $800 million. Although BONY has promised to appeal, the loss may create a waive of accounting malpractice […]
Autonomy and the "willful shock" that accompanies the strategic termination of willful blindness
Guest Post by Charles Seavey [Ed. Note: I found this article in a LinkedIn industry group. With the author’s permission, it is reposted here. Charles Seavey is a lawyer, consultant and writer. He is one of the few folks who writes more articles than I do! Recently I was asked why we post so many […]
It's All About Personal Responsibility
by Brian Mahany During the last year our little boutique tax and fraud practice has grown from 2 lawyers to 9 with offices in 4 states and another in San Francisco opening soon. While on a plane yesterday I was asked why we are growing so fast. After reading today’s newspaper, I realized that our […]