CPA Technology Blog

Excel, Visual Basic, and Podcasts

I was prepping this morning (have been up since 4A CT working), and ran across a cool tip from a podcast.  I often use resources from Bill Jelen (aka "Mr. Excel") [Side note: Don't you know that was an awkward meeting with his future in-laws - "Mommy and Daddy, this is the man I've been telling you so much about - Mr. Excel."].... but I digress.

The tip (Mr. Excel Podcast #499) involves converting a numeric value to text (think the amount line on a check - from "400.00" to "four hundred and no 100").  While this isn't the most difficult thing in the world, it illustrates how a little code can solve a problem in a hurry.   Bill gets the code from MS Knowledgebase article #213360, and pastes it into a worksheet.  While this isn't rocket science, it certainly makes the subject of writing custom code much more approachable - and it's free.

You may want to look into listening to podcasts, even if you don't have an iPod.  iTunes, Apple's music application, will download and manage podcasts for you - for free.  Their store is also a good place to find information on these self-published topical talk radio shows.  I currently listen to podcasts on topics as diverse as Mr. Excel's podcast, Formula One (hard to get good F1 information in the USA),  NPR shows, technology and gadget shows, and a monthly roundtable on accounting technology.  If you haven't looked into these broadcasts, they're generally pretty good, and I'm learning new tips and tricks all of the time instead of getting caught up in Howard Stern or something.... so check them out.  It's definitely more productive than the tabloids....

Gateway Notebook Battery Recall

Gateway has a new battery recall this week.  I suppose the warm weather has caused some PC's to spontaneously combust or something......  Either way, check their site if you have a Gateway notebook,

Remember- only you can prevent laptop fires.

More Info: http://www.gateway.com/battery/

Virtual Machines: Your Computer to Go

I'm starting to think about how CPAs are going to deal with Windows Vista next tax season.  While this year was easy (pretty much everyone I know avoided Vista simply because the CPA firm apps weren't certified as compatible), next year is going to be interesting.  Consider the following scenarios, and incorporate them into your Vista and Office 2007 planning effort.

1. The Non-Filer: Your newly Vista-implemented firm is enjoying the search, new appearance with Aero, and the other features of Windows Vista Business.  A new client is referred by an existing client, and he needs you to prepare his last five years tax returns.   The returns are moderately difficult, and preparing the returns using just fill-in forms is impractical.  If you can use your tax software, these returns can yield $200 per hour, but if you have to do them manually, you'll barely cover expenses due to some Oil & Gas stuff that you don't do every day.  While the current year's tax software (let's assume this is January 2008, and all of your CPA firm apps work prospectively in Windows Vista, but the software for the prior year returns does NOT run under Vista.  What will you do?
2. The Subpoena:  Despite your best efforts and hard work, the dreaded day has come:  You've been threatened with litigation for some work you did five years ago.  While you still have all of the data files (or most of them, anyway), you don't have an old PC which is configured to open the files for your old write-up software and tax software.  The vendor sold four years ago, and the software has been "absorbed" into other product lines.  Your fear is made worse when your install CD from the now-defunct software publisher is found broken in the computer closet.  Will you fight this baseless accusation, or will you settle since you don't have the documents you need?
3. The Interrogatory on E-mail: Although you have implemented Hushmail hosted secure e-mail for all of your staff, and all desktops also offer the new version of WinZip (which was reviewed very capably by John Anderson, CPA.CITP (and about 18 other letters after his last name) in this month's CPA Technology Advisor).  Since your firm's practice has been doing business in California, Vermont, and lots of states with notification laws, the California Board of Public Accountancy began recommending that you notify all clients you do business with that your e-mail from the last year could have theoretically been intercepted and confidential information released.  One client who you notified had his identity stolen.  At the time, it didn't seem necessary to notify everyone, since it was unlikely that anything got out, and your state doesn't mandate this reporting.  You subsequently learned that your staff room hosts an open wireless access point which is used for access to all manner of client data, and is open 24x7x365. What will you do?
4. The Lost Laptop - Your audit staff (who travel over 50% of the time) have

Backup Horror Stories for CPAs....

So there I was- listening to this week's Security Now podcast on the plane- and about 12 minutes in, Steve (the host) starts talking about his hard drive testing and data recovery tool. (This tool is typically used after a drive has started giving trouble). Here's the thumbnail-

CPA has old server.  In the middle of tax season, their server stops working due to drive failure.  Tech runs Spin Rite on the disks, recovers most of the data (which is of course not backed up), and then installs a new server after tax season.

I'll probably play this in the CPA Firm Tech session in Des Moines - it's a pretty scary scenario.  The other thing CPAs seem to harbor is an acute sense of denial about the need for backups.

Links are as follows:
http://tinyurl.com/29q9hj
-or-
http://www.grc.com/sn/SN-095.htm

When your browser completes loading the page, just search for CPA, and you can read the transcript directly.
Enjoy- BFT

Solving the World's Problems.....