Editorial
Front Page - Friday, July 10, 2009
Chattanooga’s Hoss named secretary of state CPA society
David Laprad
Henry Hoss is a numbers man: he’s been a practicing CPA in Chattanooga for 40 years; he’s been a member of the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants for 35 years; and he works about 50 hours a week as a partner with Barto, Hoss & Company. And now he can count a 12-month term as secretary of the TSCPA as one of his professional accomplishments.
Hoss was recently elected secretary of the TSCPA, the professional association for more than 8,000 CPAs residing and practicing in Tennessee. His term began in June at the TSCPA’s 79th Annual Convention and Educational Conference.
“I’d been active with our state organization for a number of years, but because of something that kept me busy at home, I’d never tried to become an officer,” Hoss says. “When all of that came to a conclusion in January, the local chapter asked me if I’d be interested in participating, and I said yes.”
As secretary, Hoss is responsible for documenting each of the TSCPA’s official meetings, although other people will be taking the actual minutes. The position also places him on the association’s board of directors, which establishes policy for the society and looks after the interests of the accounting profession.
“The TSPCA keeps an eye on a number of different issues, particularly those involving the state legislature. To whatever extent we can participate in those, we do,” says Hoss.
Another way in which the association supports the accounting profession is through various committees. Hoss, for example, is on the Federal Tax Committee. “Our focus is on the administration of taxes. We have liaison meetings with the IRS during which we identify problems with the completion of tax forms, the administration of tax penalties and interest calculations, for example. And they give us feedback on how those problems came about and what they’re doing to fix them,” says Hoss, who in the past has served on the State Tax Committee and the Nominating Committee.
The TSCPA also provides a number of different services to its members, including continuing education classes and peer reviews. “The law requires every CPA firm in the state to have a peer group review its accounting and auditing practice. That’s a significant part of what the TSCPA does,” Hoss says.
Hoss also serves as a member of the board of trustees of the TSCPA’s Educational & Memorial Foundation, which provides comprehensive continuing education for CPAs and academic scholarships. Last year, the foundation awarded more than $150,000 in scholarships to accounting students attending Tennessee’s colleges and universities.
Members of the TSCPA work in all areas of accounting, including public accounting, education, government, business and industry; Hoss’ specialty is taxes. “As a partner at my firm, the scope of my work is pretty broad, but my personal involvement is primarily in the area of taxes.”
Hoss calls Barto, Hoss & Company “a traditional CPA firm.” The company has been in operation since 1993, when Hoss joined forces with Michael Barto to create the firm. Within the walls of its first story enclave in the Uptain Building near Eastgate Town Center, Barto, Hoss & Company audits financial statements, does a variety of tax returns, provides consulting on an assortment of financial matters and offers bookkeeping, payroll and medical billing services.
Unlike some CPAs, who seem to have been born with an adding machine in their hands, Hoss had different plans as a young man. “I went to college thinking I was sharp in math. So, without a whole lot of investigation or research into the idea, I started out studying engineering at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville,” he says. “I quickly realized it was an area in which I was not going to excel. It didn’t interest me as much as I’d thought it would.”
Hoping to find something that would attract him, Hoss took a test designed to pinpoint his interests and abilities. To his surprise, the results suggested he’d do well in business, and in particular would find satisfaction in accounting. “Out of a little bit of desperation and a lot of hope, I moved over, and lo and behold, I fell in love with accounting. It was the right thing for me to do,” says Hoss.
Hoss has been preparing to be the head of a business for even longer. As a high school student at Columbia Military Academy in Columbia, Tenn., he gained leadership abilities that would serve him well later in life. Then, after graduating from college in 1969, he joined the Marine Corps, where he served three years as a supply officer. “The Marine Corps gave me the opportunity to be in charge of a group of people and learn how to operate in that capacity. You can’t acquire the skills for making decisions and managing a group of people until you’re put in that position,” Hoss says.
Not long after wrapping up his time with the military, Hoss came to Chattanooga to work for James B. Frosting Company. Three-and-a-half years later, he accepted a job at Decosimo. Since 1982, he’s been practicing on his own.
While his accomplishments in accounting are impressive, Hoss has experienced success in other areas of his life, as the numbers once again suggest. For example, in December 2009, he and his wife Patsy will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary. In addition, Hoss appears to swell with pride when he says they have one son, Bryan Hoss, a criminal defense attorney in Chattanooga.
What does the future hold for Hoss? More of the highly regarded accounting services he and the other CPAs at Barto, Hoss & Company provide, for starters, and additional years of service to his profession as a member of the TSCPA. In the latter capacity, Hoss will likely be open to considering other positions within its governing body. “If I do a good job, that could put me in a position to serve in another capacity,” he says.
The odds are, Hoss will do great.
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