CPE Catalog & Events

SSARS No. 21, Clarification and Recodification, and updates to SSARS No. 21 due to the issuance of SSARS No. 23, Omnibus Statement on Standards for Accounting and Review Services SSARS No. 22, Compilation of Pro Forma Financial Information SSARS No. 24, Omnibus Statement on Standards for Accounting and Review Services -- 2018 SSARS No. 25, Materiality in a Review of Financial Statements and Adverse Conclusions  SSARS No. 26, Quality Management for an Engagement Conducted in Accordance With Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services Sample comprehensive engagement work programs for preparation, compilation and review engagements Reporting and disclosure illustrations for each level of service, including attesting on personal financial statements, prescribed form, special purpose framework and other engagement variations Other communication requirements, such as sample engagement letters and management representation letters

Comprehensive coverage of the SECURE Act 2.0 Understanding the environment: what’s new, what’s expired or expiring, and what’s likely to change Reading a tax return for developing client-specific tax strategies Will there be more changes in the individual tax laws? Changes to the lifetime estate tax exemption in light of proposed regulations  The net investment income tax: planning for compliance Family income-splitting strategies that need to be considered Income tax issues: impact on timing of other income Selling a principal residence Two principal residences at the same time Use of life insurance to protect families Using Roth IRAs and Roth contribution programs to best advantage Conversions: do they still make sense? Taking distributions: matching timing to client requirements Qualified plan contributions to reduce current income and Social Security tax: implications for business owners and self-employed Social Security solvency issues Incentive Stock Options and Employee Stock Purchase Plan considerations What to do about itemized deductions Trans-generational planning: conversions, income, and gain-splitting Tax benefits of HSAs and other tax-advantaged acccounts Recent case law, as applicable Identifying tax opportunities: reviewing the prior-year return to develop a plan for the future Planning for middle-income taxpayers: financial planning for the young, the working, and those approaching or in retirement

Preparation by hand of a reasonably complicated Form 1120 U.S. corporate income tax return from trial balance to completed return The importance of Schedule M-1, including many adjustments in reconciling book income to tax income, and items preparation staff may look for on all business returns. Learn to self-review New tax-planning strategies for depreciation deductions, including changes to §179 and first-year depreciation (Section 168(k)) as a result of recent tax legislation Methods of accounting -- Application and choices In-depth analysis of Form 4797 dealing with depreciation recapture Deductible expenses -- including rules on meals and entertainment Section 163(j) Computation of tax liability Overview of many common business deductions; which are deductible and which are M-1 items? How to practically handle uniform capitalization and inventory accounting for a small manufacturing concern And much more

Payroll tax requirements for wages, including wages subject to the .9 percent tax, employee benefits and reimbursements, nonqualified deferred compensation, stock options, and tips Fringe benefits issues, such as health insurance, life insurance, cafeteria plan benefits, accountable and non-accountable plans, standard mileage rates, and per diem rates Special issues -- Using a common paymaster, how to file W-2s after a takeover, merger, or acquisition, and state and local tax withholding Statutory employees, independent contractors, and possible changes to §530 relief Penalties -- Who is a responsible person? Expenses and gross-up calculations Pension issues and payroll taxes including SIMPLE plans, and §401(k) and pension distributions The Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) Forms I-9, W-9, W-2, 1099, 1099-NEC, SS-8, and 940 Understanding payroll tax responsibilities in the gig economy

The major topics covered in this course include:Learning the pre-levy notice requirements.Knowing what the levy exemptions are.Proposing levy alternatives.Understanding the difference between wrongful levy versus erroneous levy.Knowing how to employ levy mitigation techniques.

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Developments at the PCAOB.Recent trends in SEC comment letters.Enforcement actions and administrative proceedings.Conclusions and predictions for the future.

General rules relating to the sale of a residence under § 121 Sale of a taxpayer’s main home Qualifying for a partial exclusion of gain on the sale of a home How a taxpayer meets the residence requirement Meeting the look-back requirement Separated, divorced, and widowed taxpayers Work-related moves and unforeseeable events Inherited homes and homes received in a divorce Impact of business or rental use of home on the gain exclusion Reporting gain or loss on the sale of a home

Current business entity tax issues Any current tax legislation occurring during the period Other issues affecting the profession, including IRS procedure, current cases, payroll, and other federal tax issues

Communication Relationship-building Active listening Public speaking

The major topics covered in this course include:Fraud trends per the most recent Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) Annual Report on Fraud and AbuseReal-life examples of fraud in nonpublic entity and nonprofit environments.Cyber-security risks of fraud

Tolerations Goal setting Gratitude Setting a 'tone' of success Priorities as a means to mindful living Reflection & Planning as tools to generate clarity & intention Connecting with the wise resource often overlooked in business models  

AICPA Code of Professional Conduct Ethics requirements for CPA firms

AICPA Code of Professional Conduct Threats to compliance with Code of Ethics Updated Statement of Standards for Taxpayer Services (SSTS) Ethical challenges in selecting appropriate GAAP alternatives

The major topics covered in this class include:An explanation of Artificial Intelligence (AI).Specific ways AI is replacing human cognition. What is on the internal control horizon related to AI and other technologies.

An emphasis on newly enacted tax legislation affecting IRAs., including the NEW final required minimum distribution (RMD) regulations Contribution limits to and tax treatment of distributions from Traditional, Roth, SEP and SIMPLE IRAs Deductible phase-out limits for Traditional IRA contributions for taxpayers who are active participants in qualified retirement plans Roth IRA contribution phase-out limits, as well as tax-free qualified distributions Planning opportunities for conversions to ROTH IRAs Rollover rules to/from different retirement accounts and the one-rollover-per-year limitation The different options of receiving IRA distributions before age 59 « and avoiding the 10% early distribution penalty (including substantially equal periodic payments) The required minimum distribution (RMD) rules from IRAs needed to avoid the 50% penalty after the account owner turns age 72 or dies The tax ramifications of spouse and non-spouse beneficiaries and how this affects the RMD calculation after the account owner's death Overview of health savings account (HSA) eligibility rules, contribution limits and distribution rules

Underlying concepts of internal control Defining where and why controls, policies and procedures are needed Legacy control measures that are still important for businesses today Creating control measures that address the use and protection of technology

The major topics covered in this class include:Review of differences of compilation, review and audit engagementsCompare and contrast major considerations of each type of engagementProvide practical tips and strategiesProfessional standards that govern each type of engagement

The major topics that will be covered in this class include:Overview of the Power BI Tools: Introduction to the Power BI ecosystem, including Excel’s Power BI features (Power Pivot and Power Query) and standalone tools (Power BI Desktop, Power BI Service, Power BI Report Builder and Power BI Report Server).Tour of the Tools: Introduction to the interfaces of Power Pivot, Power Query, Power BI Desktop and Power BI Services.Comparative Analysis: Understand the strengths and limitations of Excel’s Power BI features versus standalone Power BI tools.Strategic decision-making on when to use each tool for optimal efficiency and accuracy in data analysis tasks.

Individual losses Determining when a loss is personal vs a business or for-profit loss What happens if a client invested in a Ponzi scheme? What constitutes a realistic possibility of recovery? Timing issues for claiming losses

Relationships