CPE Catalog & Events

The major topics that will be covered in this class include:How accountant liability is a very real threat in today's litigious society.A discussion of scenarios in which accounting professionals can find themselves inadvertently involved in a lawsuit.Pitfalls in which the accountant may find him- or her- self while dealing with clients.Real-life examples from the speaker's extensive experience as a practitioner and as an expert witness in accounting malpractice cases.

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Form 1040 essentials: filing requirements, due dates, and key schedulesFiling status, dependency rules, and taxable income sources (wages, investment income)Adjustments to income, deductions and tax credits (standard vs. itemized deductions, EITC, Child Tax Credit, Education Credits)Preparer due diligence, Circular 230 compliance and taxpayer rightsIRS cybersecurity considerations and best practices for taxpayer data securityLegislative updates

The major topics that will be covered in this class include:Review the Accounting Standards Codification, OCBOA/Special Purpose Frameworks, and AICPA financial reporting framework and their application to partnerships, LLCs and S corporationsFinancial accounting issues arising from changes in ownershipFinancial vs. tax accounting for partnership/LLC capital accountsSection 704(b) substantial economic effect rules and their relation to financial accountingThe integration of financial accounting with Forms 1065 and 1120SFinancial accounting basis for ownership interests vs. tax accounting basis for ownership interestsDeferred tax accounting for partnerships/LLCs and S corporationsFinancial accounting for the operations of a partnership/LLCFinancial accounting impact of the C to S election and the S to C electionFinancial and tax accounting for S corporation shareholder equity and partner capital accountsFinancial vs. tax accounting for loans to and from S corporations and their shareholders

Background of the new PCAOB Quality Control Standard Overview of the elements of a quality control system Examples of quality risks and potential responses Highligts of what is different between the AICPA Quality Management Standard

Fundamentals of fiduciary accounting Uniform Principal and Income Act Mandatory and discretionary allocations and adjustments Address the trustees ability to override the fallback rules Review the contents of a proper set of trust accounting statements

Rethinking Risk Management: Historic view Challenges Rules Recent lessons Required skills Sources of Risk: Economy Competitors Operations Investments Strategy Compensation Routine practices Unethical behavior. Enterprise Risk Management (ERM): Defining ERM Areas of focus Implementation Planning for disasters Business continuity Contingencies Analytical Tools: Post-completion evaluations Simulation Z-score Hedging Brainstorming Mind mapping Delphi technique

Types of business entities (Sole proprietorship, Partnership, Corporation, Limited Liability Company and Limited Liability Partnership) Considerations in choosing a business entity, including taxes, limited liability protection, management & control, funding options & opportunities, tax consequences for the owners and the business. Future tax considerations that will impact various business entities.

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

Update and review of recent and key tax developments impacting business and industry "Tax-mageddon" - the all-important impending expiration/extension/renewal of the TCJA Other recent legislative, judicial, and IRS developments impacting business taxpayers Current status of Research and Experimentation costs and Interest Expense Limitation Phaseout of Bonus Depreciation and MACRS issues Travel and entertainment expense rules Independent contractor vs. employee

Update and integration of recent tax legislation impacting 2025 returns and significant individual and business tax developments related to cases and rulings Individual tax changes including the earned income credit, child credit, and child and dependent care credit; Partnership and S corporation developments Section 199A changes and reporting, losses and forms Depreciation update: Section 179 and 168(k) 2025 and 2026 tax rate schedule and other inflation adjusted items Tax forms update: individual, S corporation, and partnerships

Extensive review of the partnership income tax laws with an emphasis on any new legislative changes Comparison of partnerships, LLCs and LLPs Overview the formation of a partnership/LLC and the §704(c) pre-contribution gain or loss rules Schedule K analysis– determine if income statement items are separately (i.e. schedule K) or non-separately stated income and expense items How schedule K items get allocated to partners on schedule K-1s Look at detailed Schedule K-1 information reporting to partners needed for the qualified business income (QBI) deduction, 3.8% net investment income tax and business interest expense limitations Learn the special tax treatment of fringe benefits paid on behalf of the partners and LLC members Comparing the tax and §704(b) book capital account computations Discuss partner guaranteed payments and self-employment tax issues Schedule M-1 – reconciliation of income or loss per books with income or loss per income tax return Schedule M-2 – analysis of partners’ capital accounts Review the importance and basics of calculating a partner/member’s outside tax basis. Overview of the tax treatment of distributions, recourse and nonrecourse debt allocations, §754 election for optional basis adjustments and §743/§734 mandatory basis adjustments

Detailed coverage of the passive activity rules under IRC §469 (and related regulations), how the 3.8% net investment income tax under §1411 and qualified business income (QBI) deduction under §199A applies to rentals and passive activities, and what is a trade or business rental is under §162 How the PAL rules apply to rental real estate activities and investments in S corporations and partnerships Definition of an activity and the activity grouping and disclosure rules Real estate professional exception to the PAL rules for investments in non-passive rentals Special $25,000 loss allowance for rental real estate with active participation Material participation safe harbor rules Events that trigger suspended PALs Limitations on tax credits generated by passive activities Special rules that re-characterize passive income to non-passive income What rentals are subject to self-employment tax under §1402

Discover the fundamental differences in the auditor's responsibilities between financial statement audits performed in accordance with the SASs and Yellow Book  Understand risk assessment factors above those associated with a financial statement audit only Learn what must be done beyond the financial statement audit in order to issue required Yellow Book and Single Audit reports on internal controls and compliance Master designing, performing and documenting effective and efficient tests of compliance requirements Practice identifying, documenting and communicating the impact of internal control deficiencies and compliance audit findings to the client Common peer review deficiencies

Communication Confidence Leadership

FASB codification provisions for transactions with related parties, including business owners and special purpose entities Compares and contrasts those rules with the AICPA financial reporting framework for small and medium-sized entities Reviews the tax accounting related taxpayer standards Several real-life situations illustrate the various authoritative standards and discuss the consequences of failing to comply with those standards

The major topics that will be covered in this class include:Why Advanced Search Skills Are So Critical for AccountantsWhy You Need More than Google to Search the InternetGARP: Generally Accepted Research PrinciplesAlternatives to GoogleAdvisory SearchSocial SearchSpecialty searchSearch Engine resourcesWhat's Ahead in Search

Importance of tax basis capital accounts Reporting negative tax basis Tax accounting for property contributed to a partnership Effect of the Ceiling Rule Allocation of depreciation to partners Alternative and Remedial Methods Effect on financial capital accounts Form 1065, Schedule K-1

Review of the new AICPA Statement on Standards for Tax Services Reorganization of SSTS by type of work performed Discuss new standards on data protection, reliance on tools and representation of tax clients before taxing authorities

Gift tax fundamentals and exclusions Completing Form 709 accurately Gift-splitting and its tax implications Lifetime exemption and GSTT considerations Valuation of gifted assets Common filing mistakes and IRS audits Updates on new legislation impacting gift taxation

The major topics that will be covered in this class include:Data Modeling Essentials: Understanding the core concepts of data modeling in Power BI, including integration of various data sources.Building Relationships: Techniques to establish and manage relationships between different data sets.Calculated Columns and Basic DAX Measures: Introduction to DAX (Data Analysis Expressions) and its application in creating calculated columns and basic measures.Calculated Columns vs Measures: Insights into when to use calculated columns and when to opt for measures.Explicit vs Implicit Measures: Understanding the difference and appropriate application of explicit and implicit measures in data analysis.Hierarchies in Data: Creating and utilizing hierarchies to enhance data analysis and reporting.Using Pivot Tables to Validate Measures: Practical skills in using pivot tables within Power BI to validate and refine measures.