Unfortunately, due to the ongoing government shutdown, many government and non-government speakers have become unavailable. The conference will be postponed until after April. The conference may return as a webinar series rather than a single full-day conference. We will post the revised schedule as soon as more details become available. Thank you.
IT’S TIME TO TRANSFORM!
THE FUTURE STATE OF THE ACCOUNTING PROFESSION
January 25, 2019 | Online & In-Person
SEATING IS LIMITED! REGISTER NOW FOR THE LIVE EVENT!
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BUT SEATING IS LIMITED FOR THE IN-PERSON PROGRAM!!!
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IT’S TIME TO TRANSFORM! CREATING A NEW FUTURE FOR THE ACCOUNTING PROFESSION
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
In an ever shifting landscape it is always critical to stay current. Technology is accelerating this process and professional practices, both large and small, need to see what is coming if they want to stay relevant to their clients. If you are a leader in the accounting profession or a related organization, and are committed to creating a thriving future for your business and your industry, you do not want to miss this unprecedented opportunity. At this one-day event you will have direct access to industry leaders and educators who are in the front lines of change coming to the accounting and tax profession, and who will share their insights gained through the experience of creating new ways of being and doing in response to the evolving needs of their clients and their businesses.
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THE VENUE
FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2019
THE PLANNING COMMITTEE
Danny Pannesse
Sacred Heart University
Brent Robertson
Fathom
Eric L. Green, Esq.
Green & Sklarz, LLC
THE AGENDA
Schedule: Friday, January 25, 2019
Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT
8:30 – 9:00 am:
Registration & Breakfast
9:00 – 9:05 am:
Dean’s Welcome
- Dean John Chalykoff, Dean, Jack Welch School of Business, Sacred Heart University
9:05 – 9:15 am:
Housekeeping Items
- Eric L. Green, Esq., Green & Sklarz LLC, New Haven, CT
9:15 – 10:15 am:
The Current State of the Accounting World
The one thing you can always count on is change, and change is certainly happening. Between the 2017 Tax Act, the United States Supreme Court’s decision in South Dakota v. Wayfair, automated bookkeeping, and self-filing, the tax and accounting world has never been in more flux. With technological changes comes adjustment and increased efficiency, but at what cost? Join our panel as they lay out where the accounting profession is now, and what practitioners, educators and students should be considering as we move forward.
Moderator:
- Eric L. Green, Esq., Green & Sklarz LLC, New Haven, CT
Panelists:
- Danny Pannese, Professor, Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT
- Brent Robertson, Fathom, LLC, West Hartford, CT
- Christopher Loiacono, Managing Partner, Eisner Amper, New York, NY
- Michael C. Pelletier, Partner, Chief Innovation Officer, BlumShapiro, West Hartford, CT
10:15 – 10:30 am:
Break
10:30 – 12:00 pm:
Rise of the Machines: What Does the Accounting Profession Look Like When the Most Important Assets Do Not Go Home at Night!
As a partner at a large accounting firm said recently, “Our future competition is not from other accountants but from the software companies.” Artificial intelligence (“AI”), automation and software are rapidly changing what accounting firms can accomplish and, more importantly, its staffing needs. Regional and international accounting firms are leading the charge in re-inventing themselves to shrink their footprint, become more efficient and handle more with less. Our panel of experts will walk you through what firms need to be considering in order to evolve and keep up, and what it means for the skill sets needed from their current and future employees.
Moderator:
- Brent Robertson, Fathom, LLC, West Hartford, CT
Panel:
- Joseph A. Kask, CPA, Blum Shapiro, West Hartford, CT
- Michele L. Causey, Acting Director, IRS Online Services, Washington, DC
- Yaron Baitch, CTO and Founder of Activ8Labs, Wyoming, MN
12:00 – 1:00 pm:
Lunch
1:00 – 2:30 pm:
Accounting & Auditing: The End of the Staffer
For years large companies would have internal accounting staffs doing and checking their reporting of transactions in preparation for the audit firm to arrive. Once on scene, the public accounting firm would staff dozens if not hundreds of staffers on large audit jobs to test a fraction of the actual transactions. This panel will review where technology has changed the way companies accounting function works and how audits are completed, and why the once mighty herds of audit staff will vanish.
Moderator:
- Dr. Kwamie Dunbar, Associate Dean Welch College and Interim Chair Accounting Department
Panel:
- Peter Scavuzzo, Chief Information Officer, Marcum, Melville, NY
- Joseph A. Kask, CPA, Blum Shapiro, West Hartford, CT
- Steven Feye, Professor, Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT
2:30 – 2:45 pm:
Break
2:45 – 3:15 pm:
Dinosaurs and Dodo Birds: Why Your Tax Compliance Practice Will Vanish and What You Need to Do About It
In 2017 nearly 48% of all taxpayers filed their own tax returns. Over 85% of the almost 150 million individual returns filed had the tax paid via withholding. The 2017 tax act has increased the standard deduction to $24,000, taking away the need for most 1040-A and 1040-EZ filers to need an accountant. In other words, the 1040 jockey’s days may be coming to an end, along with several large tax preparation chains. So what is the tax practitioner of the future look like? Join our panel of experts as they explain the new opportunities for tax professionals and what students and current professionals both need to be thinking about for their future employment.
Moderator:
- Eric L. Green, Esq., Green & Sklarz LLC, New Haven, CT
Panel:
- Walter Pagano, CPA, CFE, Eisner Amper, New York, NY
- Peter Scavuzzo, Chief Information Officer, Marcum, Melville, NY
- Kristina O’Connell, Internal Revenue Service, Special Agent-in-Charge, Criminal Investigations, Boston, MA
3:15 – 4:00 pm:
The Impact on Accounting Education
Given the technological changes and the impact to the profession, our panel will discuss what needs to change in the way we teach and train new accountants. There is also the generational issues to consider: what benefits do millennials bring to any position, and are there issues that need to be addressed?
Moderator:
- Dr. Kwamie Dunbar, Associate Dean Welch College and Interim Chair Accounting Department
Panel:
- Joseph A. Kask, CPA, Blum Shapiro, West Hartford, CT
- Danny Pannese, Professor, Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT
- Carlos Fernandez-Varela, Professor, Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT
- Dr. Benoit Boyer, Founding Dean of the College of Business and Former Accounting Chair, Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT
4:00 – 4:30 pm:
What the Future State of the Accounting Practice Looks Like
Our opening panel will reconvene and review everything covered: where the practice areas are going, the technological changes coming and what has to happen in education to address the coming practice shifts.
Moderator:
- Eric L. Green, Esq., Green & Sklarz LLC, New Haven, CT
Panel:
- Danny Pannese, Professor, Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT
- Brent Robertson, Fathom, LLC, West Hartford, CT
- Christopher Loiacono, Managing Partner, Eisner Amper, New York, NY
- Michael C. Pelletier, Partner, Chief Innovation Officer, BlumShapiro, West Hartford, CT