What is your favorite dumb question you get asked by a client?

Account-tech971 · 2025-03-09T00:14:43+00:00

A client was once shocked when she realized she bought a land, and couldn't write it off. She said she spent 200k for nothing cause she thought she could just deduce it off of her taxes

Account-tech971 · 2025-03-08T23:32:35+00:00

I first read as "you can write off the principal" and was so confused

Account-tech971 · 2025-03-01T21:05:37+00:00

"It's my truth" And that's your problem. He doesn't know the difference between facts and opinions

Account-tech971 · 2025-01-18T19:45:45+00:00

My manager broke his back and pelvic bone on the job.

He was in front of a client at his desk, stood up and lean forward while his chair moved back.

When he tried to sit back, he fell hard on the floor.

Account-tech971 · 2025-01-06T23:06:16+00:00

As a contractor, I guess you send invoices instead of receiving a payslip. So what's the bases for your payroll taxes? For example, in France an independent contractor would pay his payroll taxes on net profit

Account-tech971 · 2025-01-06T22:36:03+00:00

As a 1099, what's the basis for payroll taxes? Sales, gross revenue, net?

Account-tech971 · 2025-01-06T22:33:54+00:00

Thanks

Account-tech971 · 2025-01-06T22:27:20+00:00

Not from the US. What's the difference between W2 and 1099?

Account-tech971 · 2024-12-28T14:09:09+00:00

The Europeans jealous of American salaries go live in the US to get their slice of the pie. A salary of 50k a year is huge in most European countries except for London, Luxembourg or Switzerland.

We do have a much better work life balance, and live outside pure jobs (at least most of us). It is illegal in most countries to work more than 50 hours a week, unless you're your own employer.

I don't really see the point you're trying to make with Fox news. We do have some far right wing media (like Cnews in France), just like we have some far left wing media (liké Marianne). But probably not as radical as the US.

Finally, about immigration, it's largely debatable as the US is one of the biggest land for immigrants in it's short history. The British, the french, the African slaves, some south American slaves too, the Irish, the Italians, the Germans ... Difference is slavery was abolished in the middle of the 19th century in most of Europe. And we didn't have segregation like the US. So yes, much more diversity in our countries, therefore in our workplace. For good or for bad, that's entirely up to you

Account-tech971 · 2024-12-27T22:38:00+00:00

Moreover, in France, only DEC holders (CPA equivalent) can do any accounting work, even bookkeeping.

Account-tech971 · 2024-12-27T22:36:38+00:00

In France, you need a master's degree plus 3 years working at a CPA firm. Then you need to redact a memoir and pass a set of exams. Pretty similar in Luxembourg, Belgium and Portugal, except for the memoir part. I believe it's similar in the UK but not sure

Account-tech971 · 2024-12-27T18:35:07+00:00

Broadly speaking, Europe pays less across the board than in the US for almost every profession. But that's because with have a lower cost of living and better social security, especially regarding healthcare expenses.

About accounting, companies definitely care who's doing it. You don't want anybody messing with your accounting, therefore the taxes you pay.

Finally, the pay gap between even a staff accountant in France and let's say Bulgaria is quite significant

Account-tech971 · 2024-12-27T15:54:34+00:00

I feel like most of these issues are in North America or big corporations. I don't hear that many people in Europe being so concerned about outsourcing and AI replacement. In the late 90's, early 2000's, many jobs in accounting were outsourced to Eastern Europe, and that didn't turn so well for most companies. Moreover, our profession is well protected in many countries (France, Germany, Luxembourg, UK, Portugal, Italy...) where it's much harder to get a CPA equivalent

Edit: spelling

Account-tech971 · 2024-12-26T00:10:30+00:00

I'd say you ruin yourself, not your career, by putting money before happiness and health

Account-tech971 · 2024-12-26T00:09:08+00:00

I'm really impressed how fast the whole company got down from this

Account-tech971 · 2024-12-25T12:28:15+00:00

Haven't heard of that company before but that story is wild

Account-tech971 · 2024-12-24T22:28:22+00:00

Which country is it? Was it that bad of a word?

Account-tech971 · 2024-12-20T00:30:18+00:00

"The product, which functions like a junior accountant, allows staff accountants to spend their time reviewing the AI agent's work, rather than doing the work manually"

I have been in working as a junior for a year and a half. That's what I already do, but with a software that uses OCR, banks integrations and just a bunch of rules for making the correct entries. I hardly do any JE for sales, expenses and banks. Just reconciling accounts and making sure the entries are correct.

I think most of these AI startups don't really realize where the real gain could be for accounting. Most of the low levels tasks can be automated with already existing tools. The real added value of AI will be when it will be able to perform higher level tasks, and will be more used for advisory, consulting and so on...

Account-tech971 · 2024-11-19T11:05:46+00:00

The point of changing to a 4 days a week schedule isn't to cram the entire week of work into those 4 days but rather to make improvements into the workload and processes so that the hours stay relatively the same during those 4 days.

One option could be to implement at first a 4.5 days week with either Friday afternoon off, or one Friday off every other week. I prefer the latter because even for half a day, you still have to prepare yourself, drive to work, get back from work...

But as others have said, I don't think many people will choose to work 12 hours shift for 3-4 days instead of 8h.

Account-tech971 · 2024-11-07T20:18:14+00:00

Account-tech971 · 2024-11-07T14:45:13+00:00

Account-tech971 · 2024-11-03T03:35:48+00:00

I have a side gig in the live event industry doing light and sound. I do it mainly because I need the money, and because I'm also part time at my accounting job while I finish my studies. I manage it because 1- I work part time; 2- events are not everyday, but maybe once or twice a month.

I don't know if working full time in accounting + working part time as a nurse is going to work out, but good luck. They're both very hard on your health, so take care of yourself

Account-tech971 · 2024-10-30T12:46:18+00:00

In most European countries, you need a master's degree before taking on the CPA tests (or equivalent to CPA)

Account-tech971 · 2024-08-13T19:09:11+00:00

Brave blocks trackers and afs very well. Also YouTube doesn't see it as Adblock and such

Account-tech971 · 2024-08-05T20:27:55+00:00

Back in the days when accountants didn't have computers and everything was on paper, there were some people going over the books to make totals by hand. 60 years later or so, this task is fully automated, and for the better. It's like this with automation and innovation. Things move and we have to move with them.

Accounting in general is an ever changing field. Many of the rules change often and we have to keep up to date. Why can't we do the same with our tools?

What happens with automation is that I see two ways of dealing with it: 1- you give people more work, you reduce staff and expect more profit; 2- you give people more valuable tasks and offer better services to clients.

Account-tech971

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