Should you visit with a Practicing CPA or Chartered Accountant & seek his or her counsel/guidance???

Dear Friend,

I thank you for stopping by and taking time to read this blog.  It has been written to create interest and wide awareness about the Noble Profession of CPAs' here in the US.

As a Practitioner CPA, I am inspired to put up this blog on this topic and more so ever since being in my own practice for close to two years, here in the United States of America.

Let me begin by answering my own rhetorical question in the title by saying an unequivocal: YES!

If you are in the market to entrust the care of your Tax, Accounting, Payroll, Business Advisory Matters & Audits, then consider doing so with a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

Here are a few pertinent profound reasonings for my above open statement and I encourage you to read on:

The vast repository & intricacies of ever changing Tax Laws & Accounting Policy and matters (combined) are best assimilated, understood & handled by a CPA, than any other person or professional out there!

I say this not just because I happen to be a Practitioner CPA. Its a time tested fact over the decades: be it in the life of an Individual in pursuit of economic life or Business or Non Business Entity, Governments & Economies world wide!

Ask any world leader or President or CEO of a Company or Non Profit Org: Small, Medium or Large and they will agree without battling an eyelid.

I also hasten to add that in every Profession there are unscrupulous elements & bad apples. That is a fact of life too!

Then again, I also wish to add that it has shocked me to find a certain degree of ignorance about the CPA profession in the US among many educated & ordinary people. Many such folks suppose that any one who does their taxes or accounting is a 'cpa'...If some one is designated as a 'financial analyst' in a company, then that person is a cpa??? How bizzare and what a poignant lack of awareness this is, here in the US??? Hence many a 'wannabe' and 'so called accountants and charlatans' set up shop in respectable places and are delighted to thrive off the public's ignorance and 'taking for granted cpa status'???  Again another fact of life!

The US being a vast Free Country with the absolute reality of pretenders to get away due to prevailing rampant public ignorance, presumptions and presuppositions, in as much as there is no cognizable offence involved and no locus standi or legal means of reigning in such pretenders and all this to the detriment of the Scoiety-at-large that vicariously suffers. Such parasites thrive off your lack of awareness and ignorance about quality Professional Services.

But if you are a reader of this blog and have been a victim of such smoke screens and continue in ignorance then, perhaps you forget that there are potential risks to you: The Individual or Small Business in entrusting your personal, business and confidential information to 'charlatans and wannabees' in the guise of being 'supposed cpas'.

The above described scenarios should not deter you from wanting to genuinely seek the counsel of a Licensed CPA in any of the 50 States of our Great Nation. That is a crux point I wish to educate and emphasize via this blog.

Truly the onus is on you to seek out a Licensed Professional in any discipline for your professional services!

The Profession of CPAs' is a prestigious and distinguished group of responsible Professionals proud to be in Public Service as Accountants! They have acquired their licenses going through a tough rigour, curriculum and practical training as well as a Code of Conduct and Pursuit of Ethical Practices and can be held accountable for wrong actions/conduct by a State Board Of Accountants.

Check out www.aicpa.org for more info.

SO, do yourself a favor: genuinely and sincerely seek out and come and see a CPA this upcoming Tax and Accounting Season. You are doing yourself a good turn by doing so!

A true CPA is a responsible friend to his/her client.

I believe in what I am saying and many of my clients across the spectrum & the Nation: Individuals, LLCs', C-Corps, S-Corps & NPOs' do too!

In My Practice I service clients across the United States and the reason I experience interests in my CPA Practice is primarily due to my own client referrals based off what they have come to experience and expect of me as a Professional.

In the light of the above mentioned living truths, I encourage you to see a CPA for any of the needs sighted above.

BTW it need not be me. Our nation is full of brimming, bright and talented CPAs' practicing in many different areas of the Financial and Tax Spectrum.

However, If you are interested in having me on board as your CPA, then I am most delighted to step in and serve in that capacity and answer that call!

For more details please feel very welcome to check out my web site and connect with me, at will!

With warm regards,

Your friendly local & global CPA & CA

('cause I believe 'The World is Flat'....courtesy www)

Koshy P.George, CPA

www.kpgcpa.net      email: koshy@kpgcpa.net

BTW: for the benefit of those who may not be aware, A CPA 'Certified Public Accountant' in the US is the equivalent of a CA 'Chartered Accountant' in many parts of the rest of the world including Canada, UK, India and other nations.

I am both: A licensed CPA  and a CA.

Mosque near Ground Zero: what's the clamor all about? is it OK to have one there?

Note: this is an open letter I spontanelusly wrote to a Muslim Friend on facebook.  I felt it was pertinent to replicate the letter on my Blog 'cause of the revevance of the matter and President Obama is also equivocating on the matter.  Although in my opinion, I believe he aught to have taken an emphatic and  firm stand as a Ruler of the Free World.

Dear Khurshid (an open letter to you and all others who ardently support the Islamic Center near Ground Zero, NY)


Assalamu alaikum.

I presume You & many a peace loving Muslim in the US and abroad embrace Islam via the Sufi Sect. Its very well known that these are non-violent groups and that is historically and factually substantiated.

You cannot speak that about Wahhabi and the Osama Bin Ladin and the Taliban types who are also Muslim.

The Sufi like the Aga Khan-is are peaceful Muslims and I know many and I have friends among many of them.

Radical Muslims do not agree with Sufi and Aga Khan-is any way.

Radical Islam is a genuine fear in the hearts and minds of people any where. Its not just Christians. Even Hindus and other religions fear them.

When you talk about Islam and pro Mosque at Ground Zero, the larger mass or the people you propose to reach with one line pro mosque and right wing hatred you are playing a part in racing up a ruckus quiet unnecessarily as well and its not becoming of a Sufi or Aga Khans Muslim to do that. Yes Right Wingers have an agenda and so do radicals from any Faith. I for one am very against mixing Politics and Religion. Right-wingers are a non issue any way when it comes to Politics. Proof: guys like Pat Robertson, Late Jerry Falwell or the like do not count even among the larger Christian Community, even if they have the money to hold TV programs et al and wield some influence. So do not use that as a fetish to support the Mosque.

More than any thing else its peoples sensitivities that have been hurt on 9/11 and from then on. The larger Radical Sunni group caused that.

If it was not them then it could have been the Radical Shia.

You cannot deny the fact that people in general have that ingrained and have left an indelible mark on them.

YES, people in America are ignorant on many matters and goading them into submission via one line matters about right wing agenda and such matters are not helpful.

Please understand how hurt people are about how much has been seared across the face of this most tolerant of Nations in the entire world other than India and some west European Nations. The Islamization of Europe has not gone well and you know that.

I respect you as a Sufi or Aga Khani Islamist but if you are a Radical on the types of the Taliban and Al Qaida Wahhabi then what you are proscribing is a slow end to the Western Freedom and fundamental rights of an Individual.

That is plain wrong, after the Western Education you have acquired and all else that comes with it.

I ask you this as an American and not as a person with a religious interest.

Far be that from me to do so. Thank you for perusing this matter and I have no malice towards you are any Muslim be it Sufi, AgaKhani, Sunni or Shia types. BUT I love FREEDOM and surely do not want to see the Islamization of the United States Of America. America is a Secular Nation and not a Christian Nation any way. On 9/11 that Secular Innocence was violated and people are distraught 'cause of that. So please cease from blaming every ill on the Republican Party.

Howard Dean a respected Doctor /Politician and the former DEM Party chair has also joined the matter about opposing the building of a Mosque at Ground Zero.

He is not a Republican. I appeal to you with folded hands to be aware of peoples feelings and that cuts across religions here in the US.

Here is an example of a British Citizen on You Tube and what he has to say about the matter. Again its just an opinion but he raises poignant questions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjS0Novt3X4

I would also like to ask:

What is the guarantee that in your lofty and idealistic desire to see an Islamic Center and Mosque built near Ground Zero does not have Wahhabi and other Radicals piggy back riding on your innocent desires and to later pose a security threat to the United States? That may be too late.

Surely that is the case in Europe and the bombings and the chaos that abounds there due to attempted Islamization. Please answer. Do not skittle this matter or delete it.

Of course you have the freedom to delete and avoid answering.

I ask the above out of a clear conscience. There is no deviousness or guile in my mind to ask this openly. Majority of the people in the US are nice folks and they just gloss over matters cause they do not understand subtle nuances of issues out there. But deep down they want to know. Just consider I am asking on their behalf too.

There may be spelling and grammar errors in this letter. I wrote spontaneously as feelings came to mind and from other gleanings on a matter that is dear to every freedom loving person across Religions. No right thinking person will want to experience the Islamization of the United States. I have respect for all Religions and by Faith I am a Christian and not a Right Wing agenda guy. The LORD of my life never meddled with Politics. HE said render unto Caesar what belongs to him and render to GOD what belongs to GOD. Its a quote taken from the Bible>Mark 12:17. He accepted human government and gave himself up to human authorities to die as a human 'cause HE loves mankind. That was HIS message while on earth. Whether one chooses to believe in HIM or ignore him or call him what ever. He did his part. This whole letter has been framed without any malice towards any one or any religion. I love and respect all religions.

I was taught to do so in my formative years growing up in India and I value that teaching to me and my siblings by my earthly parents. I am proud to bring that heritage and values with me here in the US, as an American Citizen.

Thanks Khurshid,

With regards & affection,

Koshy

This Tax Season: You have choices. Which way will you swing?

Dear Friend,


With every passing year the Tax Rules & Laws get more complex here in the US. Which in turn means more hours spent on figuring out matters that concern you, in order to get your taxes e-filed/filed. This is more so challenging if you are into doing it all yourself.

There are some pertinent questions you need to ask yourself as the Tax Payer.

Before I blog further on that specifically, let me share something from the heart, that concerns all of us including yours truly.

We live in a nation called United States, that is essentially Free, in every which way you look at it. Great! and I love it as much as we all do.

Along with that comes the sincere need to be aware of every nitty gritty choice we make based on sound bytes that influence us via ads etc. Infact it better be well informed choices otherwise we are called and challenged to reconsider every now and then. Be it, simple matters of decision making or complex decisions of life in general. We are forced to reckon with them all the time, with every passing year.

The pertinent question you need to ask your self concerning your tax filing is what I am attempting to narrow down the focus to, via this blog:

In my humble opinion and in my Practice of the Profession, I find US Individual Tax Payers fall under three buckets:

1. Those who like their independence and like to do it all themselves and do not mind long hours figuring out the language and explanations on their respective market tax soft ware. Be it on a CD or web based.

Of course, all this at the cost of precious quality family time or other more useful engaging pursuits and still not necessarily get it all right or risk getting a notice from the IRS for a wrong deduction, credit or exemption claimed!

Trust me, I have seen many such instances last year. Which is also one of the reasons I am blogging.

I also want to direct you to a Yelp Comment by one of my clients. This was a "do it your self die-hard individual for years" !

http://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=0E73ciiT020UtAvJtIg-OA#

or,

2. Those who prrefer to do it themselves and then have a Professional review their work on taxes before e-filing themselves!  These folks are wiser than category # 1 above.

or,
3. This category sincerely believe that they will, have a Licensed Tax Professional take care of the entire matter, who will ensure their interests foremost in mind, at reasonable fees. This option frees them up and trust me you will live a longer and better quality Life in every other way you choose to make it happen.

I have many confessions and instances to share of people experiencing that truth just because they have a reliable Licensed Tax Professional taking care of their taxes.

This Tax Season: If you find yourself in the 2nd or 3rd bucket of People's mindsets you are welcome to contact me or I would encourage you to see another Licensed Professional of your choice. I am not trying to wean you away from your favorite Tax Professional: who ever he or she may be. Perish that Thought! We live in a land of choices and I am the first to honor and respect that freedom, we all cherish.

My purpose is not to wean you away from your pet pursuit of doing your taxes your self, either: Manually or with Market Tax Software. If you know what you are doing, then sure why not?

However, if you find it an increasing pain with every passing year, then ponder on the matters I have attempted to share and tried, to reach out to you: my friend.

The same arguments I shared above hold good for those who run small business entities or run Non Profit Entities and like to do their taxes themselves. Please consider visiting a Licensed Tax Professional to get such work done, for your own good. I mean it with all my heart out of genuineness and sincerity.

The choice you make is yours and I respect that at all times!

Best wishes to you with your Taxes for 2009.   Paying taxes is an onerous task of every Citizen and Resident of the US or any other Democratic Nation in the World. Its part of Nation Building Activity to pay taxes to the Nation that helps us to live in Freedom and Liberty with progressive thinking.  However you owe it to yourself to ensure that you pay as much taxes as you necessarily need to pay to the Government and make use of valid savings, exemptions, credits & deductions made available to you by the Tax Rules, and  avail them rightfully every year!  The Government encourages people to save through such measures and does believe that more Money in your hands is good for you. 

Though every government has varying perceptions about who to tax etc, in general, the fact of the matter is Good Governments every where do encourage its Tax Paying citizens and residents to save money in their respective attempts to advance Society.

I hope this blog was useful to you. Thanks for taking time to read and ponder.

Your friendly CPA @
http://www.kpgcpa.net/

Koshy

With every new tweet from Shashi say: "All is well with Shashi Tharoor"

People in India need to grow up! They need to shed the namby pamby attitude they show at every tweet from Shashi.


Shashi is a world class statesman who takes on the role of a Politician in India and with his feet on the ground is ploughing away at age old withered ideas with a smile on his face, even through all the brick bats being hurled at him for many a silly reason.

I admire him for his tenacity and keeping at it and not letting 'it' get to him even if there is an occasional faux paus. 

Why is the Indian Government trying to curb his Rights to Freedom Of Speech and chastize him for a frivilous thing such as a tweet????  The right of speech is granted to him by the very constitution of India as a Birth Right and there is nothing unconstitutional about what he says on his tweets.  There have been famous non conformists in the past.....such as George Fernandes and others who were never censured for stirrign up a rukus in the past anals of Indian Politics.....then why this gentleman needs to be censured ......I pray can any one lend credence to this argument .....please......

He seems to have adopted the "All is well" mantra of the run away hit: 3 Idiots! Gr8!  Good for him.  He is indeed ahead of the times and with every passing day is getting to be more endearing with the young masses of India under 40.  Who do constitute the back bone of the future Indian Polity.

He is made of steel and he is demonstrating it well....I just hope he does not get fed up and decides to call it a day.

Shashi, please stay on and continue to battle the "Hum Nahin Sudherenge" attitude that is continuously being showered on you and they are trying to make you compliant.

Please continue to be a non-conformist. Your methods are Gandhian and Nehruvian, I should like to think.

Its a good ploy to defeat sycophancy that abounds in Indian Politics and a clinging on to the British Raj mentality. Hopefully it all works out well for you in the end....Jai Hind!