AICPA poll shows health care, taxes top list of small business concerns.

• Position: News update

Health care and taxes are the top concerns of small businesses, according to the results of the first online poll of the AICPA Virtual Grassroots Panel. The poll, conducted in Feb., provides a snapshot of the small business environment in which CPAs are actively involved.

Small business success has long been important to CPAs. In fact, it was identified as one of the profession's four critical message areas as part of the AICPA's new CPA Ambassador Program (The CPA Letter, Jan.) which mobilizes CPAs as highly trained and influential spokespeople.

Approximately 400 CPAs were polled on four topics: the concerns of small business in local economies; CPAs' strengths and capabilities beneficial to the small business community; the organizations serving small businesses; and the top state or national legislative and regulatory issues affecting small businesses. Health care and taxes were deemed "extremely important" among small business concerns, with other pressing issues being labor, the local economy, declining profitability, succession planning and OSHA.

Asked about CPAs' strengths that are extremely important to the small business community, respondents said the ability to create trustworthy, high-quality relationships, and objectivity and integrity. Additional attributes considered very important included the capability to provide a breadth of services; being attuned to broad business issues; possessing detailed knowledge of a business or industry; having the...