Accounting education

A group of senators have introduced legislation aimed at enhancing the tax breaks available in Section 529 college savings plans, only days after the Obama administration backed away from a proposal to tax new contributions to such plans.

Check out the digital edition of the February 2015 issue of Accounting Today.

President Barack Obama is dropping his proposal to tax the earnings on college savings accounts, responding to criticism of an idea the White House announced 10 days ago.

White House officials say they are seeking to dismantle a popular college savings tax break because it favors wealthy households and does little to encourage lower-income students to go to college.

A lawmaker has filed legislation in Congress to allow student loan debt to be treated like other forms of debt that can be discharged in bankruptcy proceedings.

German mobile app developer Hans Peter Ruehl has created Study Accounting, an app for the iPhone and iPad that aims to teach the basics of accounting to non-accountants.

News and developments in accounting education

U.S. Wealth Management president and CEO John Napolitano discusses the key elements in building a holistic financial plan for clients and their families, in an interview with Accounting Today managing editor Tamika Cody.

Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., has introduced a bill that would help low-income married couples deduct twice as much of the interest charged on their student loan debts.

The Digital Currency Council, a new professional association that aims to foster best-in-class practices for accountants, lawyers and financial professionals in the digital currency economy through training, certification and support has been established.

Samuel A. Dyckman, CPA, J.D., LL.M., a longtime tax and accounting professor at Baruch College in New York, has died.

The Internal Revenue Service is offering a free online program to help teachers, students and others who may be interested learn the “hows” and “whys” of taxes.

Holders of the Certified Management Accountant certification enjoy greater earning power, according to a new salary survey by the issuer of the CMA credential.

The American Institute of CPAs is asking for feedback as it plans the next version of the Uniform CPA Examination to respond to changing needs in the CPA profession.

In case you haven’t heard, National Grandparents Day is just around the corner, on September 7.

The International Accounting Education Standards Board has issued a new plan to support the adoption and implementation of the recently revised International Education Standards for accountants.

Many U.S. households are not adequately prepared for retirement, according to a new report from the Federal Reserve that found 31 percent of non-retired respondents indicating they have no retirement savings or pension, including 19 percent of those ages 55 to 64.

A pair of Democratic lawmakers have introduced a bill that would provide tax relief to student loan borrowers who have been granted debt relief after consistently repaying their student loan debt for at least 20 years, giving them an exemption from being taxed on the amount forgiven on the loans.

The International Accounting Education Standards Board has begun a new project to improve the relevancy, clarity and consistency of its standards along with their applicability to members and associates of the International Federation of Accountants.

Indiana has become the first state to allow competency-based education to qualify for renewal of a CPA license.