CPE Catalog & Events

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Explore the nature of generative AI and how Microsoft is harnessing it in the Microsoft 365 ecosystemHow Copilot will help you compose emails and email responses and automate the management of your email organizationHow Copilot will assist you in composing documents and reports that more effectively convey your information and message with less effortHow Copilot will assist you in creating more engaging PowerPoint presentations with easeSteps you can do to prepare your firm or business to take full advantage of the Copilot AI technology.

The major topics covered in this class include:FASB codification provisions for transactions with related parties, including business owners and special purpose entities.Compare and contrast those rules with the AICPA financial reporting framework for small and medium-sized entities.Review the tax accounting related taxpayer standards.Real-life examples applying the various authoritative standards. Consequences of failing to comply with the standards.

The major topics covered in this course include:Understanding the ELI5 Approach60 Variations of the ELI5 MethodApplication of the ELI5 Approach in AccountingELI5 Case StudiesStrategies for Implementing the ELI5 ApproachUsing ChatGPT to Enhance ELI5 CommunicationRole of Accountants in Leveraging the ELI5 Approach

Performance Metrics Budgets  

The major topics covered in this course include:ChatGPT and generative AI technology primerBuilding your generative AI vocabularyDig deeper into your engagement research to develop a higher quality advisory servicePolish your client reporting with the help of ChatGPTDeveloping your ChatGPT client advisory servicesStart with client education. You don’t need to be a technical expert to be an educatorUse AI to help your clients automate their workflows / business processesBuild better spreadsheets with ChatGPT and ExcelHelp your clients identify, evaluate and select applications for their business

The importance of professional skepticism The dangers of making assumptions How to listen and understanding the answer to a question Why it is important to leave all of your expectations at home Anticipation and why it’s so dangerous Determining materiality The fraud triangle Thinking about, given a set of circumstances, how you would steal Management and the Tone At the Top

Why we get off balance and how to overcome those tendencies Methods that turbo charge motivation, health and happiness The power of culture and friends to affect our lives The importance of clear intention in order to effect change that lasts

1.    Why people behave as they do, and how you can effectively motivate anyone to cooperate with you How to judge if your communication is effective in motivating someone How to get someone to really hear you How to communicate so that someone will happily do what you want 2.    How to create trust and get people to like working with you The 3 most important keys for getting someone to feel rapport with you Why rapport is so important, and how to use it to profit in your work How to quickly solve problems with people once you have their rapport 3.    How to handle difficult people Why some people are difficult to deal with, and what you can do about it How you can turn a difficult employee or customer into a powerful asset How to easily solve problems with people who are upset at you 4.    Secret techniques that super-successful communicators use How Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton are similar, and how you can tap into their "magic abilities" The three most important keys all successful communicators use

U.S.  GAAP and Special purpose frameworks Form and content of financial statements: Balance sheets Income statements; Statements of cash flows Retained earnings and/or owners’ equity statements Comprehensive income Supplementary information Comparative vs. single-period financial statements Sufficiency of disclosures Illustrative disclosures frequently encountered in small-to-medium reporting entities Industry-specific nuances

The major topics covered in this course include:Lightning round review of the following apps, with an explanation and demonstration of what each of them offersTeams - the foundation of all that you do in Microsoft 365SharePoint / OneDrive - secure cloud storagePower BI - the new financial reporting modelStream - the YouTube for your organizationBookings - streamline your appointment scheduling OneNote - get your content organized for quick retrieval Lists - create custom list tracking reportsTo Do - consolidate all your Outlook, Planner and general "to do's" in one appPlanner - manage simple and complex engagements and projects in an intuitive appA quick look at many of the remaining apps

An objective look at retirement plan selection Pros and cons of different plan types Make you an even more valuable resource to your clients

The major topics covered in this class include:An analytical framework for analyzing and opining on reasonable replacement compensation for owner-employees of closely held businesses and professional practices in the context of tax planning, compliance, management consulting and business appraisal assignmentsExecutive compensation components, including the valuation of non-qualified plans and restricted stock units

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Introduction to GPT Vision - Understanding the fundamentals of GPT Vision and its capabilities.Advantages of Vision Mode Research - Exploring the unique benefits of visual data analysis over traditional methods.Accessing GPT Vision - Guidance on how to access and utilize GPT Vision capabilities.Financial Screenshot Analysis - Techniques for analyzing financial documents and reports through screenshots.Operational Insights from Visual Data - Using images to gain insights into operational processes and asset management.Integration with Google Maps  - Learning how to combine ChatGPT's vision capabilities with mapping technologies for enhanced spatial analysis.DDPP Analysis - Applying descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive analysis to visual data.Sentiment and Facial Expression Analysis - Techniques for interpreting emotions and sentiments in images to gauge client and employee feedback.Body Language Interpretation - Analyzing body language in images to understand non-verbal cues in business contexts.Effective Photo Capturing Techniques - Best practices for taking photos that provide optimal insights for financial analysis.

Expiring provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act U.S. Supreme Court overturns Chevron and Varian Medical Systems Status of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) reporting New fiduciary rule for financial professionals, including CPAs New Department of Labor overtime rules Expansion of the IRS’ direct file program Banning of most non-compete agreements IRS Notice 2024-35: Certain Required Minimum Distributions for 2024 IRS finalizes RMD regulations Medicare changes in 2024, including IRMAA Section 179D in 2024 Proposed stock buyback regulations Health savings account changes for 2024 Transfer and direct pay of energy credits New Department of Labor definition of an “employee” Crypto update and cost basis reporting Section 72(t) changes: Notice 2024-55 Basis-shifting transactions: Notice 2024-54 IRS settlement offer letters to taxpayers who participated in syndicated conservation easement transactions Qualified charitable distributions update Status of IRS audits of Employee Retention Tax Credit claims Changes to commissions of real estate professionals IRS Form 1099-DA, Digital Asset Proceeds from Broker Transactions IRS Form 7217: Partner’s Report of Property Distributed by a Partnership Excess 529 funds contributed to a Roth IRA

Trends in financial statement closings including the Quick Close, Soft Close and Virtual CloseReview and discuss information systems' headaches that slow you downWork through examples of close cycle "time killers" and how to resolve themGet inventory and cost of sales under controlIdentify the improvement projects that will yield the biggest benefitReview what leading edge finance managers are doing to close more quickly

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:The basics needed to understand what makes nonprofit and governmental accounting & auditing unique. The key financial reporting differences for governmental and nonprofit entities.The fundamentals of Yellow Book and Uniform Guidance audits.

Recently issued FASB Accounting Standards Updates, PCC Update and items on the FASB’s Technical Agenda Leases – Topic 842 ASC 326: CECL Review of SAS 142 – Focus on Audit Evidence Recently issued SASs and other AICPA activity SSARS No. 25 and other recently issued SSARS Detailed review of SAS 145 Other important A&A practice matters

Review an error-prone "staff-prepared" Form 1040 from client-provided information. Where do you start? Get to know your client and ask the questions Several new reporting issues for the reviewer to consider, including the main credit provisions as enacted under the American Rescue Plan What are common errors preparers make and what are the areas generating malpractice claims? The importance of engagement letters, questionnaires, and §7216 permission statement Initial administrative groundwork Identifying organizing issues in the tax return to be reviewed Avoiding “willful blindness.” Handling ethical and moral dilemmas Efficient review of certain advanced issues for income, adjustments, deductions, and credits Effective procedures for delinquent clients, filing past-due tax returns First-time client issues requiring extra scrutiny Multiple checklists of efficient procedures to identify potential issues on a 1040 return Listing of schedules for staff to prepare to make a review easier, including basis issues for 1040 clients Reconciling time pressure with thoroughness and quality control Professionals acting professionally

Key requirements, options, and disclosures related to each of the basic financial statements The reporting of functional and natural expense information Requirements related to providing liquidity and availability of financial assets information Core not-for-profit requirements related to conditional and unconditional contributions, promises to give, contributed services, net assets, special events, the classification of expenses, and more The impact of FASB ASC 842, Leases, on not-for-profits

Comprehensive coverage of the Inflation Reduction Act, including: The Clean Vehicle Credit, Credit for Previously Owned Clean Vehicles, Credit for Qualified Commercial Clean Vehicles, Residential Clean Energy Credit, Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit, Premium Tax Credit, Elective Payment, Transferability, and Prevailing Wage and Apprenticeship Requirements Comprehensive coverage of the SECURE 2.0 Act, including: Expanding Enrollment in Retirement Plans, Increase in Age for Required Beginning Date for Mandatory Distributions, New Exceptions to Penalty-Free Withdrawal from Retirement Plans, and recent IRS guidance Timely coverage of breaking tax legislation Form 1099-K reporting requirements Detailed analysis and examples of Sale of Pass-through Entity Interest and Net Investment Income Tax The Gig Economy -- Tax implications, Independent Contractor vs. Employee Classification, and the 2024 DOL Final Rule New FinCEN reporting requirements under the Corporate Transparency Act in 2024 Employee Retention Tax Credit updates Practice aids, including all the numbers applicable for the current year -- inflation-adjusted amounts, mileage rates,retirement contributions, and more Advanced practice, reporting, and other issues intertwined with advanced planning and discussion ideas