simple controls can prevent fraud

businessman holding up magnifying glasseven their existence can be a deterrent.

by ed mendlowitz
77 ways to wow!

i’ve talked about fraud in not-for-profits, but it is also a serious issue for business firms. here are some cash fraud scenarios and prevention techniques that can apply to all types of organizations.

more: five ways to ward off fraud in not-for-profits | manage better with the right financial tools | do you need a forensic professional? | six benefits of an internal audit | the ten financial controls that’ll make you a hero | five cash reports you can’t live without
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scenario: one employee who is responsible for, or has access to, the handling, recording and mailing of cash disbursements creates a non-existing vendor who sends the company invoices, which are paid.
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tax: the procedural checklists your firm needs

best practices for individual and business returns.

by ed mendlowitz
how to review tax returns: the field-tested update

ask a preparer who submits returns with errors, “is this the best you can do?”

better yet, have the reviewer ask the question before accepting the return for review.

more: don’t use eyes, use brain | stop tax return review shortcuts | routine is key to reviewing tax returns | seven types of tax return reviews
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ask yourself this question after you hear that a return was submitted for review that needed extensive corrections: “why am i letting the future of my firm depend on people who keep making errors on tax returns?”

comment: the future of your firm means your future wealth and your eventual financial security.

question for you: why do you put up with the pattern of continuous errors on tax returns?
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five ways to ward off fraud in not-for-profits

reassure donors and regulators.

by ed mendlowitz
77 ways to wow!

again and again, stories appear in newspapers about abuse and misuse of funds in not-for-profit organizations. in many cases, these frauds have been schemes that have been going on for numerous years.

more: charity directors must take theft seriously | client hires new manager: you need a plan | anatomy of a fraud | how to explain internal controls to clients | organization minutes too often overlooked | the seven-minute financial statement | the kpi an absentee manager needs
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the frauds are usually carried out by long-serving employees who earned reputation and trust that resulted in relaxation of controls or oversight. many times, this provides temptation and ample opportunity to commit and sustain fraudulent activity over long periods paired with a reduction in the “fear” of being caught!
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don’t use eyes, use brain

what do your clients deserve?

by ed mendlowitz
how to review tax returns: the field-tested update

my partner peter weitsen frequently tells reviewers to “don’t use eyes, use brain.” i frequently repeat this. what does this expression mean?

more: stop tax return review shortcuts | the best way to review a tax return | three types of tax return reviews | routine is key to reviewing tax returns | why you can’t skip checklists | tax review procedures are your quality control | seven types of tax return reviews | how to turn tax returns into new business
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this is a clarion call to focus on what you are working on and think about what you are supposed to be doing. the focus can be only a couple of minutes, but it has the potential to yield valuable planning ideas and maneuvers.
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manage better with the right financial tools

two businessmen discussing a projectget the most out of what you’re paying for.

by ed mendlowitz
77 ways to wow!

directors and managers have many functions. a major tool is having the right financial data.

more: charity directors must take theft seriously | client hires new manager: you need a plan | anatomy of a fraud | how to explain internal controls to clients | organization minutes too often overlooked | the seven-minute financial statement
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

unless you are an accountant or have an mba, few directors or managers know what to ask for, let alone how to use what they get. here are some suggestions.
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stop tax return review shortcuts

//www.g005e.com/2021/03/23/17-basic-expectations-of-partners/three questions to ask when choosing a process.

by ed mendlowitz
how to review tax returns: the field-tested update

the big issue that i see with the tax season review process is that the workload compression and rush cause the use of shortcuts to get the return out quicker.

more: the best way to review a tax return | three types of tax return reviews | routine is key to reviewing tax returns | why you can’t skip checklists | tax review procedures are your quality control | seven types of tax return reviews | how to turn tax returns into new business
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

doing this has a cost of breaking down the system and having you have to start over each year with the same problems of untrained or poorly trained people not following procedures and making the same type of mistakes they always made. shouldn’t this stop?
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charity directors must take theft seriously

older man reading newspaper by fireplacereading and understanding financials is key.

by ed mendlowitz
77 ways to wow!

hardly a week goes by that i do not read about a theft, fraud, misappropriation, defalcation or egregious wasteful spending at some charitable organization. some are perpetuated over many years – perhaps as many as seven years.

more: client hires new manager: you need a plan | do you need a forensic professional? | six benefits of an internal audit | the ten financial controls that’ll make you a hero | five cash reports you can’t live without | when an audit is a great thing | which kpis do you need?
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

lack of controls, oversight, disinterest or lackadaisical care creates an atmosphere where an already weak person can spot an opportunity, or perhaps an uncaught or unguarded careless mistake gives birth to a pattern of ongoing criminal action by someone who never had an unlawful thought.
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the best way to review a tax return

extreme close up of female hand with pen pointing on cash flow document.choose a process, then trust it.

by ed mendlowitz
how to review tax returns: the field-tested update

i have mentioned seven types of tax return reviews and explained the first three. today it is time to look at the other four.

more: three types of tax return reviews | routine is key to reviewing tax returns | why you can’t skip checklists | tax review procedures are your quality control | seven types of tax return reviews | how to turn tax returns into new business
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

a comment is that i believe i will present the best overall method to review tax returns. it is clear that no matter what i say many will not agree with me, many will have no interest in changing but will want to make some minor changes if they appear helpful, or many are reading to validate what they are doing.
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three types of tax return reviews

extreme close up of female hand with pen pointing on cash flow document.where you can add value.

by ed mendlowitz
how to review tax returns: the field-tested update

there are numerous ways to review tax returns. most reviewers have their own techniques, and some alter these based on the type of or size of the return, or who the preparer is or who the partner in charge of that client is. there is nothing wrong with this as long as the reviewer is experienced and really knows their stuff.

more: routine is key to reviewing tax returns | why you can’t skip checklists | tax review procedures are your quality control | seven types of tax return reviews | how to turn tax returns into new business
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my purpose is to show how returns can be reviewed effectively and efficiently and not cause major changes for those who are already doing a great job reviewing returns. hopefully they will glean a few tips from here. however, in many cases reviewers are not working effectively and efficiently and i offer processes that have worked for me and are working for many firms following these methods and that could help the reader work better reviewing returns.
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client hires new manager: you need a plan

what they don’t know can hurt you.

by ed mendlowitz
77 ways to wow!

clients hire managers all the time. but getting started as a manager requires many skills, one of which is to review financial data and use it to control your department, division, or company.

more: do you need a forensic professional? | forensic techniques can be fraud deterrence | the hazards of poor internal controls | rule #1: start with cash | the priorities were backward | how to read a financial statement | 77 thoughts about client needs
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here is a way to get started.

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routine is key to reviewing tax returns

young man riding hour hand of clockgot info they need? don’t delay.

by ed mendlowitz
how to review tax returns: the field-tested update

reviewing returns is a technical process. however, there are times that the mechanical functioning of tax season interferes with or alters the reviewer routine and momentum.

more: why you can’t skip checklists | tax review procedures are your quality control | seven types of tax return reviews | how to turn tax returns into new business
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most returns are reviewed on a fifo basis as they are transferred to the reviewer. however, in many firms returns are pushed to the head of the line for many reasons – some legitimate, such as the client is going on a vacation, and some because the partner wants to get a return out to the client.
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do you need a forensic professional?

numbers floating around man examining calculator with magnifying glassplus: four ways to improve your systems.

by ed mendlowitz
77 ways to wow!

various professionals and consultants can set up controls with in-house accountants, the cfo and financial professionals employed by the firm, but they then leave, and the organization is left with administering it. unless there is a highly disciplined and committed leadership within the company, the initial enthusiasm dissipates soon after.

more: forensic techniques can be fraud deterrence | anatomy of a fraud | how to explain internal controls to clients | organization minutes too often overlooked | the seven-minute financial statement | the kpi an absentee manager needs
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

a trained forensic professional will detect flaws and cracks in systems and plug them up. they are also transaction-oriented, more than procedure-oriented, so they examine more closely how things are being done and look for subtle deviations from how they are supposed to be done. this skill should be employed in oversight and periodic monitoring of the controls they helped establish.
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why you can’t skip checklists

do you want tax returns fast or right?//www.g005e.com/2021/03/23/17-basic-expectations-of-partners/

by ed mendlowitz
how to review tax returns: the field-tested update

this is an area i feel very strongly about, and it is a major reason for the success of the better firms and the lack of growth of smaller firms.

more: tax review procedures are your quality control | seven types of tax return reviews | how to turn tax returns into new business
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by my way of thinking, a system must be established to assure the greatest quality at every level, reduce the number of touches per return, and present the client with the type of return he or she is relying on you to deliver. this system only works if there are the right processes and procedures and a strict adherence to them, and this includes the careful and deliberate use of checklists.
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