AICPA Tax Section

[Yardley CPA]

Hello All...received an email from the AICPA inviting me to join their "Tax Section" for a special price of $100. I'm wondering if anyone is a member of this group and, if so, what their thoughts are?

The email indicated that by joining you would receive the following benefits:

• Tax Practice Support – More than 400 pages of checklists, engagement letters and practice guides (a $160 value)
  
• The Tax Adviser - The authoritative voice for news, analysis and guidance on state and federal taxes (Save $55 off subscription)
  
• Regular Webcasts - Hot topics and practice guidance that matter to CPAs
  
• Bi-weekly E-Alerts - The latest news and featured products with member discounts
  
• Exclusive Discounts - Members save on tax related conferences and products such as $100 off the AICPA Conference on Tax Strategies for the High-Income Individual
  
• Advocacy - Representation in Washington on issues specific to CPA tax practitioners
  
• Section-only resources - such as client letters and analyses on important issues
  

[Randall]

I'm still a AICPA member but I keep asking myself why. I do get some insurance and discounts on KyCPA things by being a AICPA member. But I don't see much advantage in joining their additional sections and paying the additional membership dues. I subscribe to some other tax sources(PPC) and I get the CCH Intelliconnect (Express books, master tax guide, alerts, etc) thru my ATX program. I used to subscribe to AICPA's The Tax Adviser but I didn't find it all that helpful and I get better info from PPC's Deskbooks.

[Randall]

Also: The tax support with the checklists, etc. might be worth it, but I think I get a lot more from PPC. I pay a lot more though.

[Margaret CPA in OH]

Like Randall, I have been a long time AICPA member primarily for the credential. I do get my insurance through that affiliation and probably will stay with the basic membership until I fully retire. I was a Tax Section member for years but decided a few years ago that my go-to resource was the deskbooks (now discontinued) and PPC Practitioners Tax Action Bulletins. I like having the loose leaf binders and online access to client letters should I choose to use them. The references are always listed, it comes every two weeks and has many benefits that suit me.

[jklcpa]

Like the rest of you, I continued to pay dues year after year to the AICPA. I've been a member since late 1987 and I finally dropped it this year seeing no real advantage for me to remain a member. I do have my malpractice, term life insurance, and a small disability policy through AON because of my membership. During this past year I found out that I can retain existing coverage as long as I'm still a member of a state society. I can't ever increase the coverage, but I can continue to have the insurance already in place.

[Margaret CPA in OH]

jklcpa, that is great news about the ability to retain AON liability coverage without retaining AICPA membership! How did you discover that? I have dropped to 'retired' status for the state society by virtue of nearly halving my business when my other part-time CPA retired in 2010. I 'fired' the business clients for which she did bookkeeping on-site. The state dues are now much lower but AICPA is still painful. Did you contact AON about it or another means? Thanks!

[NECPA in NEBRASKA]

I dropped out of the AICPA also, two years ago and have kept my AON insurance because of my state society membership.

Bonnie