Dustin Wheeler

Dustin Wheeler
Dustin is a technology-driven CPA in Las Vegas, Nevada.

40 Under 40 CPA Honoree

CPA Practice Advisor 40 Under 40 for 2011

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Moffsoft - a desktop calculator with a tape

For many years, I’ve used Excel as my 10 key adding machine.  Since I can add and subtract numbers on my computer, I have never wanted clunky and noisy equipment taking up space on my desk.  I have used the built-in Windows calculator occasionally, but it lacks a traditional 10 key tape that accountants love, so I’ve preferred using Excel.  That may be changing, however, since I discovered Moffsoft FreeCalc in a discussion in the CPA Tech Connect LinkedIn group.  …

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Google me, autocomplete me

Out of curiosity, I occasionally enter my name in Google to see how I am doing in my goal to dominate the first page of Google search results.  Today, I decided to take a different approach and see how Google autocompletes searches for my name. According to Google, its algorithm predicts queries based on other users’ search activities. These searches provide some insight into what phrases people have used to search for me and other lucky guys out there that share …

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Integrating Chrometa and FreshBooks - easy timekeeping, easy invoicing

Like peanut butter and jelly, I’m adding Chrometa and FreshBooks to my list of things that go together.  Both perform time and billing functions, but have unique strengths in each area:

Chrometa, which I reviewed for the CPA Practice Advisor, runs in the background and automatically tracks the amount of time a computer user spends on active program windows.
FreshBooks has an easy user interface for online invoicing and accounts receivable management (including tracking when customers have viewed and paid invoices).

Setting up …

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Social media fields in the QuickBooks 2012 Lead Center

I have been experimenting with the new features of QuickBooks 2012 and was pleasantly surprised when I noticed that the new Lead Center contains optional contact information fields for LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Skype.

Apparently, Intuit has recognized the value of these social media tools for marketing and added them as a means for QuickBooks users to connect with prospective customers.  It is cool to see accounting software become a little more social.

Using the Excel SUMIF function to find that out-of-balance journal entry

One of the most underrated Excel functions that I use often is the SUMIF function.  On my Excel function tournament bracket, SUMIF ranks slightly behind the SUM, AVERAGE, IF, COUNT, PMT, and RATE functions.  Still, it has a shot at upsetting one of the higher seeds on any given day.

The SUMIF function adds the values in cells specified by a given condition or criteria.  Tim Gavin, a fellow CPA blogger, wrote a great blog post last week for the Sikich …

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Reversing the page order in Adobe Acrobat

A coworker stopped by my office seeking a solution to a dilemma.  She had received a large PDF document in reverse order (page 1 of the document was page 100 of the PDF, page 2 was page 99, and so on).  Since backwards workpapers are the type of thing that can drive an accountant to the brink of insanity, there was a lot at stake here.

We brainstormed a few possible ways to reverse the page order.  In the past, I …

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Funny Alternative Acronyms for CPA

I recently became a CPA in the state of Nevada.  By CPA, I’m referring to Certified Public Accountant.  Although this is a widely recognized acronym in the United States, Wikipedia lists many other uses of it throughout the world.

The CPA acronym is also often used to poke fun at number crunchers in many variations.  Here are a few of the best I’ve heard:

Cheapest Price Available
Copy, Paste, and Annotate
Can’t Produce Anything
Constantly Proposing Audits
Couldn’t Pass Again (referring to the CPA exam, of …

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Excel's set precision as displayed option

When I was in first grade, I learned that 2 + 2 = 4.  Excel, who I have come to know and trust, thinks the answer is five.  How is this possible?

The truth is told after I increase the decimal places shown for each of these cells.  The twos on the spreadsheet really aren’t twos after all.  They’re 2.43 and 2.35, which both round down to two.  The sum, 4.78, rounds up to five.

To fix this kind of rounding difference in …

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Sweet! I made it on the #pstech Tweetcloud

This week, I attended the AICPA TECH+ conference and used Twitter to share a few useful pieces of information with the hashtag #pstech.

Below is a screenshot of the most common words used in tweets by everyone at the conference that included the hashtag.  The words with the larger letters were used more often than those with smaller letters.  I am honored to be in there, thanks to a few of my tweets being retweeted by others resulting in multiple mentions of my username.  Also listed are many other people …

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Highlights from my Trip to Peru

I recently had the opportunity to travel to Lima, Peru for an MBA International Seminar class with approximately 35 UNLV students and faculty.  This class wrapped up my Master’s of Accounting degree at UNLV.  The trip had little to do with Accounting, though I did see condensed financial statements prepared using IFRS.  I thoroughly enjoyed the trip – of course, I have many interests besides Accounting!  The purpose of the trip was to develop familiarity with Peru’s economy by visiting various organizations …

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