NSA - Nat'l Society of Accountants

[AZ-Tax]

Anyone one on this board a member of the NSA and if so what is your take on your NSA membership? I am a member of the NATP so if you are member of the NATP and NSA, how do they compare? In the liteature NSA mailed me, it said upto 5 free tax research questions answer per year with membership. NATP only has 1 per year.

[John of PA]

I decided not to renew my membership to NSA this year, I was a member for about 20 years. I really had no problems, it's a good organization. I just had to cut my spending and found that the state society of NSA was a much more valuable organization becasue of thier monthly dinner meetings where I can talk to other practitioners. For PA that state society is the PSPA Pennsylvania Society of Public Accountants (of which over half of the members are CPA's). I find this membership much more valuable than the PICPA (state CPA society) which is more for the larger firms. They don't like hearing that but it's true.

[Uncle Sam]

Nsa

I think that the only reason you measure the value of a membership organization is to compare the free benefits you get rather than the quality of the programs it offers in the total picture.
NSA - is an organization that was formed for the benefit of non-CPAs who provided accounting as well as tax services. NATP is strictly tax.
NSA has the Accreditation Council for Accountancy and Taxation (that doesn't require NSA membership to participate in) that provides a number of credentialing programs should you desire to obtain it - through standardized testing.
What does NATP have?

I was a State Director (liaison between the NSA and the Affiliated State Organization) over 25 years ago - and while I have become less active in it over the years - I still retain my membership in it because when I started I participated in the group insurance programs and still wish to keep them.

I don't agree with the NSA philosophy that IRS should accept their credentialing program in leiu and as an acceptable substitute for any IRS given exam. I believe you have to earn your credentials and licenses by the given standardized test rather than the self-serving interest of a specific membership organization.

That doesn't mean that NSA doesn't provide its members with valued benefits - every few weeks it comes out with e-mails of regulatory and legislative issues, tax and accounting issues, and also CE webinars, practice tools, discounts on publishing products, as well as many other benefits you'd expect from a membership organization.

So the fact that NSA offers 4 more free tax questions - is that what you will base your membership decision on?

By the way - NSA also offers a program to help members pass the RTRP exam - just what you want.

[John of PA]

Uncle Sam,
Remember Bernie Phillips, I miss him, he used to handle the answers to tax questions as a NSA benefit and would call you back. Thanks for your post.