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that led me to conclude the world was no longer round…but flat。
Jaithirth 〃Jerry〃 Rao was one of the first people I met in Bangalore…
and I hadn't been with him for more than a few minutes at the Leela
Palace hotel before he told me that he could handle my tax returns and
any other accounting needs I had…from Bangalore。 No thanks； I de12
murred； I already have an accountant in Chicago。 Jerry just smiled。 He was too polite
to say it…that he may already be my accountant； or rather my accountant's accountant；
thanks to the explosion in the outsourcing of tax preparation。
〃This is happening as we speak；〃 said Rao； a native of Mumbai； formerly Bombay； whose
Indian firm； MphasiS； has a team of Indian accountants able to do outsourced
accounting work from any state in America and the federal government。 〃We have tied
up with several small and medium…sized CPA firms in America。〃
〃You mean like my accountant？〃 I asked。 〃Yes； like your accountant；〃 said Rao with
a smile。 Rao's company has pioneered a work flow software program with a standardized
format that makes the outsourcing of tax returns cheap and easy。 The whole process
starts； Jerry explained； with an accountant in the United States scanning my last
year's tax returns； plus my W…2； W…4； 1099； bonuses； and stock
statements…everything…into a computer server； which is physically located in
California or Texas。 〃Now your accountant； if he is going to have your taxes done
overseas； knows that you would prefer not to have your surname be known or your Social
Security number known ＇to someone outside the country＇； so he can choose to suppress
that information；〃 said Rao。 〃The accountants in India call up all the raw information
directly from the server in America ＇using a password＇； and they complete your tax
returns； with you remaining anonymous。 All the data stays in the U。S。 to comply with
privacy regulations。 。 。 We take data protection and privacy very seriously。 The
accountant in India can see the data on his screen； but he cannot take a download
of it or print it out…our program does not allow it。 The most he could do would be
to try to memorize it； if he had some ill intention。 The accountants are not allowed
to even take a paper and pen into the room when they are working on the returns。〃
I was intrigued at just how advanced this form of service outsourcing had become。
〃We are doing several thousand returns；〃 said Rao。 What's more； 〃Your CPA in America
need not even be in their office。 They can be sitting on a beach in California and
e…mail us and say； 'Jerrv》 you are really good at doing New York State returns； so
you do Tom's returns。 And Sonia； you and your team in Delhi do the Washington and
Florida
13
returns。' Sonia； by the way； is working out of her house in India； with no overhead
＇for the company to pay＇。 'And these others； they are really complicated； so I will
do them myself。〃
In 2003； some 25；000 U。S。 tax returns were done in India。 In 2004； the number was
100；000。 In 2005； it is expected to be 400；000。 In a decade； you will assume that
your accountant has outsourced the basic preparation of your tax returns…if not more。
〃How did you get into this？〃 I asked Rao。
〃My friend Jeroen Tas； a Dutchman； and I were both working in California for
Citigroup；〃 Rao explained。 〃I was his boss and we were coming back from New York one
day together on a flight and I said that I was planning to quit and he said； 'So am
I。' We both said； 'Why don't we start our own business？' So in 1997…98； we put together
a business plan to provide high…end Internet solutions for big companies。 。 。 Two
years ago； though； I went to a technology convention in Las Vegas and was approached
by some medium…size ＇American＇ accounting firms； and they said they could not afford
to set up big tax outsourcing operations to India； but the big guys could； and ＇the
medium guys＇ wanted to get ahead of them。 So we developed a software product called
VTR… Virtual Tax Room…to enable these medium…size accounting firms to easily
outsource tax returns。〃
These midsize firms 〃are getting a more level playing field； which they were denied
before；〃 said Jerry。 〃Suddenly they can get access to the same advantages of scale
that the bigger guys always had。〃
Is the message to Americans； 〃Mama； don't let your kids grow up to be accountants〃？
I asked。
Not really； said Rao。 〃What we have done is taken the grunt work。 You know what is
needed to prepare a tax return？ Very little creative work。 This is what will move
overseas。〃
〃What will stay in America？〃 I asked。
〃The accountant who wants to stay in business in America will be the one who focuses
on designing creative complex strategies； like tax avoidance or tax sheltering；
managing customer relationships；〃 he said。 〃He or she will say to his clients； 'I
am getting the grunt work done efficiently far away。 Now let's talk about how we manage
your estate and what you are
going to do about your kids。 Do you want to leave some money in your trusts？' It means
having the quality…time discussions with clients rather than running around like
chickens with their heads cut off from February to April； and often filing for
extensions into August； because they have not had the quality time with clients。〃
Judging from an essay inthe journal Accounting Today （June 7； 2004）； this does； indeed；
seem to be the future。 L。 Gary Boomer； a CPA and CEO of Boomer Consulting in Manhattan；
Kansas； wrote； 〃This past ＇tax＇ season produced over 100；000 ＇outsourced＇ returns
and has now expanded beyond individual returns to trusts； partnerships and
corporations 。 。 。 The primary reason that the industry has been able to scale up
as rapidly as it has over the past three years is due to the investment that these
＇foreign…based＇ companies have made in systems； processes and training。〃 There are
about seventy thousand accounting grads in India each year； he added； many of whom
go to work for local Indian firms starting at 100 a month。 With the help of high…speed
communications； stringent training； and standardized forms； these young Indians can
fairly rapidly be converted into basic Western accountants at a fraction of the cost。
Some of the Indian accounting firms even go about marketing themselves to American
firms through teleconferencing and skip the travel。 Concluded Boomer； 〃The accounting
profession is currently in transformation。 Those who get caught in the past and resist
change will be forced deeper into commoditization。 Those who can create value through
leadership； relationships and creativity will transform the industry； as well as
strengthen relationships with their existing clients。〃
What you're telling me； I said to Rao； is that no matter what your profession…doctor；
lawyer； architect； accountant…if you are an American； you better be good at the
touchy…feely service stuff； because anything that can be digitized can be outsourced
to either the smartest or the cheapest producer； or both。 Rao answered； 〃Everyone
has to focus on what exactly is their value…add。〃
But what if I am just an average accountant？ I