CPE Catalog & Events

What stock options are and why they are growing in popularity How stock options work, including the process of conveyance and vesting How to exercise stock options and the implications from doing so The risks associated with stock options and how to manage exposure Tax consequences and updates regarding stock options Strategies for selecting the best time to exercise stock options The difference between the two types of stock options: non-qualified and incentive The basic terminology relevant to owning and exercising options

The 20 common law factors in a worker classification audit that are used to distinguish an employee from an independent contractor How disgruntled independent contractors can use IRS Form 8919 against a former employer When and how to use §530 as a defense in worker classification audits What is "industry practice" for §530 purposes Common sense steps that will avoid the recharacterization of workers treated as independent contractors to employees The IRS’s Voluntary Classification Settlement Program — advantages and disadvantages

ERISA compliance: employee welfare plans and qualified plans Fringe benefit issues: COBRA, Family and Medical Leave Act, and new developments in health care Health care plans: HRAs, HSAs, and other employer-sponsored plans Qualified plan requirements: eligibility, coverage, and vesting

Hiring and firing issues – What questions cannot be asked in an interview; how to document employee performance; establishing an annual review system; when an employer may and may not fire an employee, and much more Employment contracts – An analysis of the legal and planning issues in structuring employment contracts; when noncompetition agreements will and will not work Employment issues in the economy – Telecommuters and other special situations Legal liability issues – Recognition of age discrimination, sex discrimination, FLSA issues, minimum wage, overtime, sexual harassment, and more Fringe benefit issues – COBRA, Family and Medical Leave Act, and new developments in health care Medical plans – Who is a full-time employee?

Managing client expectations How automation improves client engagement Understanding the role of feedback systems Seeking referrals Building client loyalty Customer retention marketing Expanding services offered to clients Knowing when it is appropriate to enter new markets

Characteristics that are more dominant among younger working professionals and what distinguishes them from other sectors of the workforce Changes younger professionals seek in the workplace Suggestions on engaging and developing younger workers Best practices by organizations who have successfully integrated younger professionals Expectations as to learning, development, and training Work environments and schedules School-to-work transitions Views on salary, benefits, and corporate ethics Whether younger professionals’ expectations are significantly different from any other generation Strengths younger professionals offer which set them apart from others Common myths pertaining to younger professionals Definitions of success

Overview of ERM and how it affects all organizations What COVID-19 has taught us about risk management Risk tolerance and developing a plan Risk identification Risk analysis Risk responses Strategy risk

Overview of ERM and how it affects all organizations What COVID-19 has taught us about risk management Risk tolerance and developing a plan Risk identification Risk analysis Risk responses Strategy risk

The nature of risk in any size or type of organization Risk tolerance and developing a risk plan Risk identification Risk evaluation Risk response Strategy risk Financial risk Marketing risk Compliance and liability risk Operational risk Environmental risk Cyber risk

Resolved technical glitches for qualified improvement property Detailed coverage of §179 expense elections and §168(k) bonus or additional first-year depreciation – how to maximize them, definitions, limitations, qualified property, etc. Sale of property and the depreciation recapture rules (§1245, §1250, unrecaptured §1250 gain for real estate, §291 for corporations) MACRS depreciation – finding the proper method, convention, and recovery period Listed property and the current limitations Amortization of start-up, organization, and other expenditures AMT depreciation adjustments and how to avoid them Examples, cases, and rulings of depreciation and amortization issues and how they impact clients, along with useful planning opportunities

Resolved technical glitches for qualified improvement property Detailed coverage of §179 expense elections and §168(k) bonus or additional first-year depreciation – how to maximize them, definitions, limitations, qualified property, etc. Sale of property and the depreciation recapture rules (§1245, §1250, unrecaptured §1250 gain for real estate, §291 for corporations) MACRS depreciation – finding the proper method, convention, and recovery period Listed property and the current limitations Amortization of start-up, organization, and other expenditures AMT depreciation adjustments and how to avoid them Examples, cases, and rulings of depreciation and amortization issues and how they impact clients, along with useful planning opportunities

•     Types of sampling and sampling risk •     Attribute testing for tests of controls and compliance •     Variable sampling for substantive assurance •     Differentiating statistical and nonstatistical sampling approaches •     Determining sample sizes in a compliance audit

Typical provisions in state statutes regarding domicile and residency In depth analysis of domicile and residency definitions Issues regarding one’s permanent abode Analysis of jurisdiction where taxpayer has the greatest connections Detailed discussion of criteria used to establish domicile and residency

Changes to the lifetime estate tax exemption in light of proposed regulations SECURE 2.0 updates More than 20 documents that should be reviewed that are neither a will nor trust Applicable rates, and tactics that may be used to minimize them Reducing the impact of ancillary administration Provisions you need in a will When a trust is needed for children Durable powers of attorney, for financial matters and for healthcare Realistic retirement goals Management of insurance: liability, disability, and life Dealing with marriage and divorce Titling assets effectively Developments relative to estate tax, and the implications for planning

Auditor independence and its importance to the public accounting profession Common threats to auditor independence AICPA’s framework for assessing conflicts of interest Unique threats related to non-attest services to attest clients Common safeguards to help assure compliance with relevant rules and regulations

The CPA’s role in today’s economy The similarities and differences between individual and business ethics The link between ethics, integrity and scruples The basic attributes of ethics and professional conduct The history of the CPA profession and the CPA’s requirement to adhere to ethics policies and codes of conduct The AICPA’s Code of Professional Conduct and a CPA’s responsibility to the public, clients, and colleagues The common rules and statutes faced daily in the CPA profession. Case studies may also be utilized to present potential ethical dilemmas CPAs may face during their careers

Examine the CPA's role in today's economy Compare similarities and differences between individual and business ethics Explore the link between ethics, integrity and scruples Discuss the basic attributes of ethics and professional conduct Review the history of the CPA profession and the CPA's requirement to adhere to ethics policies and codes of conduct Review the AICPA's Code of Professional Conduct and a CPA's responsibilities to the public, clients and colleagues Discuss the common rules and statutes faced daily in the CPA profession. Case studies may also be utilized to present potential ethical dilemmas CPAs may face during their careers Review CPA Independence violations by current legal case examples

What does practicing before the IRS mean? Who may practice before the IRS? What should a tax preparer do if he or she has knowledge of a client's omission of income from a tax return? May a tax preparer rely on the work of other tax return preparers? May a tax preparer rely on and use client-provided information? Standards associated with giving advice to clients Abolition of the disclaimer requirement When must a tax preparer examine a client’s books and records?

What are ethics? Why study ethics? Ethical responsibilities of CPAs Professional code of ethics and conduct AICPA Codification – updated Ethical dilemmas CPA vision Real disciplinary cases to illustrate critical points

SAS 142, Audit Evidence (recently issued) Relevance and reliability of audit evidence Sources of evidence Audit procedures Evaluation of tests of controls Evaluation of sufficiency and appropriateness of evidence