AICPA initiatives for members: an update.

Enhancing members' professional lives has long been a primary focus of the AICPA. Here's a review of some Institute programs and accomplishments in recent months.

Serving the Public Interest

* When hurricanes devastated the southern United States last summer and fall, the Institute and the profession quickly mobilized to help. The effort demonstrated the Institute's commitment to meeting member needs and CPAs' commitment to serving the public--and each other. To assist members and their clients, the AICPA created the Disaster Recovery Resource Center, a central, online resource that included a news center, business and personal financial recovery resources, tax tools and information and related resources. To help individual CPAs and firms in the affected areas, PCPS, with the assistance of the AICPA audit quality centers and other membership sections, created a firm volunteer center that matches CPAs in need with firms willing to offer assistance, including office space, technology or even temporary assignments. At the same time, the AICPA partnered with the Internal Revenue Service to provide help for taxpayers at local disaster recovery centers. (The IRS later gave the Institute a citation of excellence in serving the small business community that recognized this and other efforts.) The AICPA Tax Section updated its Disaster Area Practice Guide to reflect recent guidance and legislation for victims of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma. Technical guidance issued for members grappling with disaster-related issues included: practice aids on the auditor's responsibilities when disaster affects ah audit client's operations after field work is completed; on accounting and disclosures from natural disasters; and on the destruction of documents.

* Members can get information and resources to help educate consumers about managing their personal finances from the AICPA's 360 Degrees of Financial Literacy effort. The campaign, which has already garnered recognition from various organizations and the federal government, recently won four more prestigious awards, from the League of Communications Professionals, the Association for Women in Communications, the Web Marketing Association and PR News, for a total of 10 awards. Site users have shown their own appreciation for the Website, which has received more than seven million hits. New resources to support CPAs in getting involved include 11 life stage mobilization kits available from the Financial Literacy Resource Center, www.aicpa.org/financialliteracy.

* To showcase member expertise and provide a valuable service, the AICPA teamed with the U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration on local seminars for small business owners--particularly women--on key issues related to pension, health and other benefit plans.

* Tax reform is a significant concern for...