54 accounting today | July 20-Aug. 16, 2009
tomorrow'snews
Working a different kind of gig
Want to know what young CPAs want
from their firms?
Emily Kingan finds
Ask them.
That's what Marc Rosenberg, CPA, a
her rhythm preparing
management consultant to CPA firms,
taxes for the creative
did during the Fourth Annual Rosenberg
Associates Staff Forum.
BY LIZ GOLD
In "From the Mouths of Young CPAs,"
E
on Accounting Tomorrow's Web site,
mily Kingan knows how to drum up
Rosenberg shares findings from a gath-
business. As a relatively new licensed
ering of 15 young staffers from Chi-
tax consultant in Portland, Ore.,
cago-area firms whose goal was to talk
Kingan has found a niche within her natu-
candidly about what it's really like to be
ral talent and community -- helping fellow
just starting out in an accounting firm.
artists and musicians organize and file their
Most knew nothing about what it took
taxes. On a typical day, Kingan can be seen
to become a partner, even though about
riding her bike around town, parking at a
a third of them expressed interest in
neighborhood coffee shop and meeting with
becoming a partner one day.
clients. It's obviously working, as her practice
Speaking of emerging partners, what
is already booming.
could be more gratifying than helping
Here we catch up with Kingan to find out
someone reach their personal best?
a little more about her beat.
Don't underestimate the power of
mentoring a young professional and the
Location: Portland, Ore.
effect a single conversation can have on
Age: 32
`It was kind of a whim that
that person's life. In "Making a Personal
Job: Licensed tax consultant
Commitment to Mentoring," Barbara Ada-
Clients: App. 200 artists and musicians
chi, a principal with Deloitte Consulting,
Firm: Math LLC
I went to tax school.'
offers some lessons learned in her firm.
Contact: ekingan@gmail.com
Other recent items found on Account-
Extracurricular activities: Plays drums
ing Tomorrow include:
hopefully when I meet up with them, they are
a lot of clients right now. When they are late
with a pop folk electronic band called Lovers;
Gen Y workers are perceived by
pleased. I make a lot of friends doing this,
they will pay the penalty or interest, or a lot of
also plays drums with Hooliganship; member
recruiters as the weakest performers
too. So yeah, it's awesome. I like working with
times they don't owe taxes anyway because
of the former punk band Haggard, and has
among the four generations now in the
money, so I like trying to save people money
they get the Earned Income Credit. Many
started playing the saxophone.
workforce, according to a poll by an
that I know don't have much.
people don't really feel comfortable going
How it all began: I got a degree in math-
Internet careers site.
Most challenging part of the job: That
into a CPA office because I think they feel in-
ematics, and at the school I went to, ac-
Things may start looking up by the
the Internal Revenue Service has so many
timidated. They don't know anything about it
counting wasn't a major. ... I just knew I had
end of the year for those in the finance
rules and changes that come up, and keeping
and a lot of CPAs don't have the time to spend
a proficiency for math. I started working as a
and accounting profession, according
current with all the laws. Part of my licens-
educating them.
bike mechanic and there was an opening for
to a survey by one global professional
ing is continuing education, so I take classes
Handling tax season work/life balance:
bookkeeper, so I started working as the book-
recruitment consultancy firm.
throughout the year and listen to a podcast
I'm kind of a stress case, but I still can practice
keeper. Then I got this idea, I think my mom
The best managers in the future will
of Tax Talk Today.
[music]. You have to do something besides
suggested it to me, to become a tax preparer.
be those who can adapt their organiza-
Biggest issue her clients are facing now:
looking at your computer.
The process: In Oregon, to be a tax pre-
tions to the realities of Web 2.0 and the
I've had a few people who had to short-sell
How clients find out about her: Word of
parer you have to go through a certain cer-
young people who develop their lives
their houses. They can't make their mort-
mouth. One year I put some fliers up and I
tification requirement, take this six-month
around it. So says a
gage payments and their house isn't worth
found a lot of people that way, but I don't
class and then pass the state board exam for
consultant and former
what it was when they bought it, so they are
need to do that anymore. It was kind of a
apprentice-level licensing. If you want to be
journalist on managing
selling their houses and getting cancellation
whim that I went to tax school and then I got
self-employed, you have to take a further
the "Facebook Genera-
of debt. I definitely notice that some clients
totally bombarded by people -- artists and
exam and also work underneath someone
tion."
weren't as prosperous last year. ... I've got
musicians who have been like, `Oh my God,
for two years. I did all that. Now my designa-
For more, visit www.
a lot of people who are trying to form LLCs
where have you been?'
tion is licensed tax consultant, but that's an
accountingtomorrow.
and partnerships and are not sure how to do
Favorite part of the job: Meeting with new
Oregon licensing. I'm not a CPA and I never
com. Got news or
that or how to treat their band -- a partner-
clients and learning about what they do. .... I
went to accounting school.
ideas? E-mail them to
ship or a single-member LLC and contract
meet them at a coffee shop, I have coffee with
Meetings with clients: A lot of times mu-
tomorrow@sourceme-
people out. ... So I'll help them a little bit
a new, interesting person, and then I go home
sicians and artists get scared of doing their
dia.com.
Liz Gold
with that, too. AT
and try to save them a bunch of money. Then
taxes and they procrastinate, so I am getting
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6/26/09 1:43:29 PM
6/26/09 1:43:29 PM
