Work Life Balance

2. Ehtesham Haque Letter from the Editor Dear Readers, W hat you see on your screen now is the very first issue of our brand-new e-magazine, Fizzfx - a Sagenext publishing. I am extremely excited that I am writing this lead-off editorial in the first edition of Fizzfx and I am more than humbled to know that it has reached you, and I would be able to speak to you through this. Let me share how this idea of publishing Fizzfx came to be. I always mused on the possibility of directly engaging with you in a more systemic and scheduled way. I always wondered whether we could add more scope to our existing association and what possibly could increase the circumference of our relationship and engagement. Suddenly, I had an epiphany! What better than a magazine for our most valued customers and partners, and for everyone who is interested in the world of accounting and tax businesses. That’s how it came to existence. With Fizzfx, we aim to offer our readers a panoramic coverage of the latest industry news, trends, perspectives, and emerging ideas in the world of tax and accounting application hosting. However, we did not want to sound too academic in our content selection and presentation. Therefore, you would witness a perfect amalgamation of informative and light-hearted witty content in this attempting-to-be-different magazine. While we spend more time in doing the research and development for your next issue of Fizzfx, please enjoy the inaugural issue. I am looking forward to a stimulating and interesting conversation in the forum that this magazine hopes to provide. Ehtesham Haque Editor-in-Chief, Fizzfx CEO, Sagenext Infotech LLC Ehtesham Haque is the Chief Executive Officer of Sagenext Infotech and one of the Directors of The Sagenext Group. As a leader, he has been heralding transition into an all-round IT hosting company, pushing its cloud infrastructure and hosting solutions to counteract the mounting demand of CPAs, accounting professionals and small and mid-sized businesses across the world. Sagenext's

3. Trending in the US NYT: President Trump engaged in Tax Schemes An investigation by The New York Times has found that President Trump had indulged in tax scheming, also revealing that he is not a self-made billionaire, but received almost half a billion dollars from his father’s empire. Confidential tax records state that President Trump helped his parents dodge large amount of taxes, with little resistance form the IRS. The President has refused to comment on the investigation. However, his lawyer gave a written statement saying that the allegations are false and based on inaccurate facts. It also stated that Trump had no involvement in these matters as they were handled by his family members, who relied on the advice of tax professionals. IRS warning on disaster scams In the light of Hurricane Florence, the IRS is reminding taxpayers to not fall prey to the hands of criminals trying to make money by scamming innocent relief fund contributors. Beware of phone calls, emails or websites that claim to be charities and ask for personal financial information. Donate to legitimate charities by check or credit card, never send cash. A list of tax exempted non-profit organizations can be found on the IRS website. Deloitte to escalate Blockchain development in North America In continuation of its investments in latest technology, Deloitte has been chosen by Institutes RiskBlock Alliance (a group representing 31 risk management and insurance companies) to help advance its blockchain development in the United States, and then eventually in Canada. The project focuses on insurance technology, and RiskBlock Alliance is gearing up to launch applications and tools based on blockchain. Since Deloitte majorly works in accounting, this will have a considerable effect on the accounting industry. Work-Life Balance: CPA thoughts vs. expert advice!! FUNZONE / JUICE BOX What to get your employees after a busy tax season? It’s that time of the year again. Accounting professionals are gearing up to get super busy, work late nights, and say goodbye to their holidays. If you own an accounting firm, or manage the accounting department in your company, this is for you! These people are the backbone of an organization, but we often forget to give them a proper acknowledgement. Here is what your accounting staff wants from you after a busy tax season! A Week off Yup, they deserve it and you know it. They need to relax and spend time with their family and friends. A Bonus Most companies do this, and others should too. The promise of a handsome amount will give them something to look forward to. A Bar Tab Young employees want to work with a cool boss and trendy culture. Take your team out to a club, get them free drinks, be their wingman/wingwoman and let them have fun. A Nice Dinner Positive vibes with a fulfilling meal at a nice restaurant can go a long way. It is also a great opportunity to catch up and let the team know you care. A Sincere Thank You Never take someone who works with your finances for granted. appreciation is a must. Jokes on Fleek! What do you call a trial balance that doesn't balance? A late night. ~~~ Tax season arrived, and a man was looking for a good accountant to do his complex tax return. He walked into a prospective accountant’s office, and the accountant went over the services he could provide to the prospective client. Before the man left, he wanted to test the accountant’s number skills, so he said, “If you can tell me what 10,472 times 7 is without using a calculator, I will hire you today.” The accountant’s reply? “I can make the number whatever you want it to be.” ~~~ Two employees of a company were looking out a window. One of them was looking at the cloudy sky with binoculars. “I know this accounting in the cloud is supposed to make things easier, but how do we know which one is ours?” ~~~ How do accountants become good trainers? Because they are good with figures. ~~~ A woman went to the doctor who told her she only had 6 months to live “Oh my gosh!” said the woman. “What shall I do?” “Marry an accountant,” suggested the doctor. “Why?” asked the woman. “Will that make me live longer?” “No,” replied the doctor. “But it will SEEM longer.” ~~~ Source:Compiled from the web Sobia Azam sobia@thesagenext.com Trending in the UK Looking Forward To...Making Tax Digital!!! Her Majesty Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have recently decided to launch MTD or Making Tax Digital. It is an initiative of the Government of the UK to digitalise accounting and tax filing for the citizens. When asked, a vast majority of the UK taxpayers still had no clue what MTD is all about but it is still going to be in effect from April 1, 2019. The thing to note here is that every individual is not going to be directly affected by MTD from the pilot, even though the government has mandated every citizen to comply with the oncoming changes in the tax rules. The idea behind MTD is to make tax payment an easy yet efficient process for the citizens of the UK. Up until now, a major chunk of individuals and firms prefer the traditional methods for tax preparation. Thus, the biggest challenge here for the government will not be making tax digital. The bigger issue will be to create adequate awareness among the commoners about what the government’s plans actually are. To sum it up, MTD requires all businesses registered with VAT, having an annual turnover greater than £85,000, to keep their VAT records digitally. These businesses also have to file their tax returns digitally, only using software that is compatible with MTD. News Leading Chicago-based accounting firm expanding to Houston area In a press release to announce their merger, Chicago- based Baker Tilly Virchow Krause LLP and Houston- based MiddletonRaines + Zapata LLP, or MRZ, are expected to close their deal by the end of this year. This will bring Baker Tilly to Houston in a huge expansion move, though financial terms were not disclosed. The firm MRZ that specializes in accounting advisory was founded in 2013. They are spread over three offices and have about 90 employees. According to Houston Business Journal Research, they earned their place in the ‘2018 Houston Fast 100’ list, recording a revenue growth of 46 percent in the last two years. Any form of

4. by the end of the month. This is an ongoing process in a CPAs work life. Did you ever hear a wife miss the anniversary date? No! Have you ever heard a mother missed her baby’s birthday? No! So, despite having a humongous list of to-do tasks, who would not agree that women are always the best at maintaining their professional and personal calendars. The Tsunami Called ‘Tax Season’ The tax season is said to be the busiest time of the year. And more so for a Certified Public Accountant. Apart from working from 9 to 5, Monday through Thursday, a CPA will be seen working till 8 or 9 pm during tax season. And, consider some hours spent in office on the weekends as well. Keeping Up With What’s New A CPA is required to be up-to-date all the time. This means attending CPA seminars, conferences, meetings and going out for ball games. This is also a great platform where people from the same fields can meet. This helps in lead generation, in increasing knowledge, and expands a CPA’s network. Attending Phone Calls Sounds like a small deal, but it forms an important part of a CPA’s day. She will receive a number of phone calls from her existing clients, prospective ones, accountants from her firm, referral calls, and then there are family and friends. A responsible CPA understands how important it is to be available on phone. There are several queries that need immediate attention and hence, there is the cell phone. A Boon Called Technology Take the case of a young CPA who has several roles to play. She is a mother of two- a five years old kid who goes to kindergarten and a toddler who needs constant care. She has several friends, an outgoing partner, and a family who loves to hang out as much as possible. This Is How Justice Is Done: The Time After Dawn Her day begins with household chores. Though her partner helps her in the kitchen, a lot is yet to be done by her. She has to prepare breakfast for her family and make sure they all get a hearty breakfast followed by packing lunch for all. She drops the toddler to day-care while her partner drops the kid to school. The Office Life She then heads to work. She usually goes an hour early i.e. by 8 A.M. because there is studying to do every day. Keeping up with what’s trending is necessary for CPAs. Work starts at 9 A.M. Life inside the office walls is entirely different. There are phones ringing and the clocks ticking. The CPA gets going with her tasks- preparing taxes, auditing them, sharing the files with clients for approval and then sending a final statement, invoice included. The Afternoons Lunchtime means a quick salad, phone calls to ensure the nanny picked the kid from school and then heading back to work. The day ends at 5 P.M. as she heads back home to be with the kids again. The Dusk Dinner is done by 7, kids are tucked in for bedtime, and then starts her personal time. This is when this woman wearing several caps can find time to recharge. She reads, catches up on TV, gives time to her hobbies, talks to friends and family, and then retires for the day. But, what if she is on holiday and has work to catch up on? Work-life balance must always be maintained. You need to enjoy your job as much as you enjoy your personal life and vice versa. So, what happens when a CPA is away on a holiday to Hawaii and her valuable clients need her? Thanks to technology for stepping in. Technology these days comes handy. From laptops to tablets and mobile phones, everything is portable. All she needs is a working internet and there she is working on the files, collaborating with the team as well as her clients. Work-life balance, hence, is always on point! Saloni Arora saloni@thesagenext.com The Perfect Juggler -A Dig Into The Life of A Female CPA Photo by Joseph Gruenthal on Unsplash As kids, we all have been to a circus. How amazing it was to watch the flawless acts performed by those well-trained professionals; the girl walking on a tightrope, the joker performing those funny tricks and the juggler juggling on a one-wheeled cycle. How spectacular it was to see him throw the juggling pins up in the air and not letting a single one fall out of the circle! In case, some of us have not been to a circus as kids, we must have seen a juggler on TV or on YouTube. No matter what age you were when you witnessed this subtle art of juggling things, there is one reaction common to all and that is ‘being awestruck’. Have you wondered how many years of efforts does it take for a juggler to give us that spectacular scene when not a single ball falls out of the circle? Of course, we don’t know about that, but we know for sure that being a good juggler needs consistent practice and years of experience. Like this juggler, a similar story is being beautifully woven by many female CPAs in the USA and across the globe. A woman is often seen as the manager of all things, all at once. History tells that a woman has worn many caps; she is a mother, a wife, a homemaker, an employee and also an entrepreneur. It is amazing to witness how a woman is good at so many things at the same time. Women are really cool and even cooler are our female CPAs. In an industry that has always been dominated by men on both ends -be it the CPAs or their clients, women have risen above the cliché of the accounting world. Women are running big businesses and they own small to medium start-ups everywhere in the present age, and they have spawned a niche for themselves in the respectable profession of tax and accounting business. But, do we know how they manage to be this cool? From being accountable to their clients to making business predictions, whilst managing their homes and relationships equally well are by far a sight to behold. Honestly, how do women CPAs do what they do? The life of a female CPA is far too intriguing than many other professions. One may often wonder about what a woman CPA does, how she becomes a CPA and how a typical day of her life goes about. First things first, there is nothing like a typical day in a professional CPA’s life. There is a lot that she does and every new day is different from the previous one, so, calling it a typical day would not do justice to her profession. The life of a CPA is not all about numbers and computers. A CPA is just like another human being and has an equal involvement in all the three spheres of her life- including her workplace, social circle, and personal interests. Hence, we can call a woman working as a Certified Public Accountant ‘a perfect juggler’. Let’s take a tour of what a day in the life of a female CPA looks like… Meeting Clients; Old and New Being a public accountant means meeting with your clients on a daily basis. There are phone calls, meeting for brunches and attending professional gatherings on a regular basis- sometimes with existing clients and sometimes with the new ones. A CPA cannot limit herself to the office and needs to be actively present everywhere to manage things in the best manner possible. The Month by Month Reporting Cycle Every CPA, associated with any business or industry has to go by a monthly cycle. This cycle involves a series of tasks such as making journal entries, preparation of financial statements, adjusting the entries, reporting them, and closing the books

5. A round with an entrepreneur Why do you hire a CPA? Is an accountant not enough? Clearly, there is a thin line between a CPA and an accountant. Every CPA is an accountant but every accountant cannot be brought under the CPA umbrella. Hiring a CPA means someone with greater experience, bigger exposure, and more knowledge will be handling your finances. What qualities do you look for in a CPA? My ideal CPA, most importantly, has to be organized. He needs to know what he is doing and has to value my time as well as his own. If things are not handled professionally, there is no point in hiring a CPA. I want to be able to trust the guy over anything else. Is it important for your CPA to be licensed? Certainly, yes. My CPA has to handle my taxes. If he or she is not certified, I cannot sit back and relax, thinking that I am not inviting trouble. The credibility has to be there and it comes along with the licensing. What kind of technical skills do you look for while hiring a CPA? Well, the CPA I’m hiring needs to have analytical skills. She should be able to predict datasets using data interrogation software and most importantly, she should be a master in excel. It is best to have a CPA who is friendly with technology. I do not want to use a traditional tool to handle my business and the CPA needs to understand that well and good. This Question is going to help students in leaps. What do you look for in a CPA’s resume? I’m glad you asked. Resumes speak for you. All I need to decide before meeting my prospective CPA is just that sheet of paper. I love humor, but if it makes it to your resume, I would not bother to read further. Your previous roles should be the highlight and spell-checks are highly necessary. It should be short, attractive and most importantly, must talk about your skill set. Saloni Arora saloni@thesagenext.com Practical unsolicited ways to pave the right career path!! A high median salary, significant growth and potential demand for accounting professionals in the market, altogether make accounting a smart career choice. However, the field of accounting is diverse and offers a wide range of opportunities. You should be versed enough to apply your skills in a number of areas to pave the right career path. Here are some practical unsolicited ways for you. Exam is a beast. Pass the CPA exam right after your first busy season. It is comparatively easier to find work while in school rather than job hunting after you are out. Recommendation matters. So make sure you leave a positive impression on everyone you meet. You never know which connection will bring a good twist in your life. Figure out your ultimate goal. Don't be afraid to take risks and move around until you land a job that you love doing. Let your end goal drive you to the top spot. Explore every possible route. Thinking of one set accounting career path means limiting opportunities and growth. You can pursue whatever moves you. Ayushi Jain ayushi@thesagenext.com Bridging the gap – a chat with hirer and hiree In an attempt to clear the doubts of aspiring CPAs and entrepreneurs, we have created a mock interview. The questions and answers are designed so as to bridge the gap between the students and their hirers. The questions will be asked by an imaginary interviewer. She will try to bring the two parties closer by asking the right questions at the right time. It will give us an insight into the state of mind of an aspiring CPA and what an interviewer looks for in his ideal public accountant. A round with a CPA aspirant Why did you choose to be a CPA? Chartered accountants are required in every field, from finance to academic to banking. Personally, for me, being a CPA will broaden my horizon, as I can choose to be a financial advisor, a forensic accounting expert, and also, an entrepreneur. How do you prepare for your CPA exams? Ummm..first of all, the study style will depend upon your routine. My study style is based on how my day goes. I start with a strategy- which includes two different areas- things I am weak at and things that need less focus. Next, I collect study material online. I look for everything that is helpful and comes free of cost. If that’s not enough, I would also go for a prep course to brush up the basics. So, you are a CPA because you love numbers. But, if not CPA, what else could you be? As I mentioned before, there are several options available for an aspiring CPA. If not a CPA, I have many top alternatives such as a Certified Management Accountant, Chartered Financial Analyst or a Certified Internal Auditor. Options are never-ending, you only need to know what suits you the best. Exams aside, how are you preparing for the interview? It must be another task, isn’t it? Yes, definitely. Exams are comparatively easier. For an interview, you have to be quick. My key to crack the interview includes five mantras- a strong response, presenting the real you to the interviewer, being self- aware, making sure you are friendly and not uninviting, and most importantly, being open to rejection. Every experience matters. So, you prepared well for the exam, cleared it, appeared for interviews and cleared a couple of them. What will be your deciding ground now? Selecting your ideal job is easier than you may think. For me, my job should allow me to create a work-life balance. The work environment must be encouraging to growth, learning should be a continuous process and it should enhance my quality of life. In a nutshell, my job should look good on my resume. Writing your first CPA resume? Here’s what you can’t miss! You’ve committed to earning the CPA title and you’re working hard on it. But what about your resume? You must need a solid resume that can outline your CPA journey for you. Follow these tips to write your first CPA resume. Use your CPA exam experience as a spotlight. Being a fresher, it is hard for you to explain/fill work experience section. You can use your exam successes to give an overview of your career. Find space to add your CPA Exam progress. Mention how much of the CPA exam and licensure process you’ve completed so far to catch the eye of the company. You should put your CPA exam progress under ‘certifications’ or ‘education growth’ section. Put details to verify your skill set. Give brief of your passed sections and scheduled testing appointments along professional development section. Include your GPA to get rid of assumptions. If your grade point average is 3.5 or higher, list it on your resume. You can also round up your GPA to one decimal place, if necessary. Ayushi Jain ayushi@thesagenext.com Five steps to become a CPA Accounting sector is not all about CPAs. There are several other equally good options for a fulfilling career. Strategize your own study style. Identify your focus areas, understand what’s more important for you and plan accordingly. The journey of becoming a CPA will leave you with endless options. All you need is to have faith and examine your potential. Don’t let the interview jitters shake your confidence. Be real and stay calm because you’ll rock it anyway! Kickstart your career with a job that allows you to balance your professional as well as personal life in every aspect. The Power of Etiquette In The Journey To Success Etiquette does not always have to be the strict code-of- conduct that runs within societies. As time changes, etiquette also takes a leap. You obviously cannot be leading your life the way your grandparents did. But there are some things that will never go out of style. For example, do you think politeness is overrated? Well, the question is rhetorical. If you have ever carefully observed and understood what that successful person of your age did differently, you would always find a difference in etiquette. A man, to stand out, must live by etiquette!! Especially when your job requires you to be around people (like most jobs). And it is not that tough to be a man of principles. If you decide to be polite and considerate with people, here’s how your life will change: - Communication will be effective like never before. - You will be the ‘Captain Cool’ at work. - People will look up to you for advice. - Respect will automatically follow. - You will add a certain charm to your personality. So, wear your etiquette cap wherever you go. Be the trendsetter and enjoy all the positive attention. Saloni Arora saloni@thesagenext.com Five points to hire a CPA Accounts and taxes can be handled by any accountant. But the role that a CPA plays is unmatched. Be organized if you want your target firm to hire you. Value your license to enhance your chances of getting hired. Stay up-to-date advancements. Lack of technical skills can be a big spoiler. Seek professional guidance when framing your resume. Choose the layout carefully, mention everything that outshines you, and be specific. with technical with dates under