CPAs are playing a vital role in helping smaller businesses cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. Julie Killian, CPA, a shareholder at Clayton & McKervey in Michigan, discusses how her firm’s clients are responding to the crisis. She also shares steps smaller businesses can take to improve their financial standing and increase their chances of staying afloat.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

- The relatively simple tool that’s an essential first step for businesses struggling to get a handle on their situation.

- What businesses should do first if they find themselves short on cash.

- Why demand for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is so high.

- How businesses can determine whether they’re eligible for the PPP, Economic Injury Disaster Loans, or both.

- What clients should know about applying for government stimulus programs.

Chris Hesse, CPA, the AICPA Tax Executive Committee chair, analyzes how the CARES Act’s provisions allowing carryback of net operating losses for 2018 through 2020 interact with other new provisions.

Mary May, principal, and Stephanie Howard, client accounting services manager, at tonneson + co in Wakefield, Mass., discuss how client accounting services can benefit both firms and clients, and share their best advice for firms that are looking to add or expand their offerings in this area.

Boards that fall in lockstep with management decisions are neglecting one of their critical roles: being strong monitors of a company. Refreshment policies that include term or age limits are just one strategy that organizations can employ to keep their boards strong and independent. Corporate governance expert Charles Elson shares insights on board best practices.

Questions about the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans aimed at helping small businesses hurt by the coronavirus pandemic are numerous. Glen Frost, CPA, J.D., and Matthew Kraeuter, J.D., partners in the firm Frost and Associates LLC, share information on eligibility, the amount of money available, interest rates, and more.

The consequences of the coronavirus on financial statement preparation and auditing are complex. Preparers and practitioners have not faced a disruptive event of this magnitude, so questions abound as new obstacles and scenarios present themselves. Two CPAs share guidance for preparers and practitioners.

Coronavirus is an opportunity for fraudsters to take advantage of fear and confusion. Elizabeth Woodward, CPA/CFF, and Howard Silverstone, CPA/CFF, discuss how accountants can identify and prevent coronavirus-related fraud.

As a local government employee, Carrie Kruse, CPA, CGMA, had almost no work-from-home experience before a few weeks ago. But Kruse, an economic development coordinator with the city of Des Moines, Iowa, has adapted well to the sudden change brought about by coronavirus concerns. She shares insights on staying efficient, knowing when to unplug, and why she won’t wear sweatpants while working at the dining-room table.

As part of the government’s response to the coronavirus’s spread and economic fallout, the IRS postponed the deadline for income tax return filings and payments that would have been due on April 15, 2020, for 90 days, to July 15. In this episode, Ed Karl, CPA, the AICPA’s vice president–Tax Policy & Advocacy, outlines how the delay came about — and what it means for CPA tax practitioners and their clients.

Busy season has taken on a new meaning because of coronavirus concerns, which have forced firms and other organizations to quickly set up alternate work environments. Les Nettleton, director of information technology at New Orleans firm Bourgeois Bennett, has firsthand experience in crisis planning, having gone through Hurricane Katrina in 2005. He shares advice for organizations assessing the feasibility of longer-term remote work in response to the coronavirus.