CPE Catalog & Events

Current Chart of Accounts Best PracticesWhy developing a chart of accounts begins with studying your organizational chartHow to identify your account segmentsDetermining the order of your account segmentsBest practices for numbering account basesHow to avoid memorizationFixing Your Current Chart of AccountsHow big company and small company software differsTwo key approaches for preserving your historical dataWhat to know when making major chart of accounts changes

Managing fragmented sustainability data requests Challenges in responding to complex and evolving compliance requirements Introduction of sustainability ratings and reporting platforms Strategies and best practices for streamlining sustainability reporting and enhancing customer profiles

The 2024 implementation of GASB No. 100 on accounting changes and error corrections The end of 2024 application of GASB No. 101 addressing compensated absences Additional recently issued GASB standards and projects

The major topics that will be covered in this class include:Purpose of Financial Statement AnalysisComparing Actuals vs. Expectations & BenchmarkingCase Studies 1 & 2Ratio AnalysisCase Study 3Analysis of Statement of Cash FlowsCase Studies 4 & 5Other Uses of Ratios

Understanding why internal fraud occurs Fraudulent acts initiated by outside organizations Policies, procedures and control measures designed to fight fraud Steps that verify anti-fraud activities are working

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Accounting Standard UpdatesProjects identified by the FASB's Invitation to Comment: Agenda Consultation.Year 2 considerations for leases including modification accounting.The impact of the changes to auditing group auditsThe status of the AICPA's quality management project management.The current work of the ASB.

Timely coverage of breaking tax legislation Applicable coverage of any basis considerations within any recent tax legislation   Passthrough basis calculations required as attachments to certain individual returns  Executor’s form for disclosing basis in certain distributed property; what about the basis of a property distribution from a trust?  How §179 limitations affect basis and how tax-benefit rule is applied  Basis implications of personal assets converted to business use  How to calculate basis of inherited qualified and joint tenancy property  Tax basis capital account reporting requirements  S corporations: Beware of final IRS regulations regarding “open debt”; determine how to calculate basis; worksheets are included; understand the effect of stock basis and debt basis and IRS’s recent focus on “at-risk basis” for shareholders; recognize how AAA applies or doesn’t apply to S corporations; learn to apply the complex basis ordering rules and special elections that can have a big tax result; discuss loss limitation rules in depth; when you can have a taxable dividend in an S corporation; understand distributions of cash and property; understand the post-termination transition rules, and temporary post-termination rules for eligible corporations, which will be important for S corps returning to C corps  LLCs and partnerships: Learn the detailed rules of §704 for preventing the shifting of tax consequences among partners or members; learn to calculate basis under §704 & for “at-risk” under §465; recognize how recourse, nonrecourse, and qualified nonrecourse debt can create significantly different tax results; learn the difference between basis and “at-risk basis”; review §754 step-up in basis rules; the economic effect equivalence test or “dumb-but-lucky” rule; learn to apply the complex rules of distribution of cash vs. property, and the basis treatment of charitable contributions and foreign taxes paid 

The major topics covered in this class include:IRA Types & Basic Requirements MAGI Thresholds for Traditional & Roth IRA's IRA Distributions Handling Coronavirus Distributions Handling Roth IRA Distributions Required Minimum Distributions Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCD's)

The major topics that will be covered in this class include:Limitations in roles and responsibilities an auditor can accept without impairing independenceAssessing the strength of your auditor's ability to think critically, strategically, and creatively in appropriate circumstancesEvaluating your auditor's time and project management stillsGrading your auditor's communication and interpersonal skills, in exceeding your expectations on an audit

Technology Cybersecurity

Why auditors fail to detect fraud Usual vs an unusual transaction Why fraud and stupid often look exactly the same The importance of establishing the Perception of Detection The number one reason fraud occurs Looking for things that should be there Looking for things that should not be there

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Introduction:  What is AI Security, Privacy and Compliance (AISPC)?Why AI Security, Privacy and Compliance (AISPC) is Increasingly Important for AccountantsAISPC Policy Best PracticesKey Tactical Questions for Addressing Data Security and PrivacyOpenAI and Compliance with Government RegulationsOpenAI and Two-Factor AuthenticationOther OpenAI Security, Privacy and Compliance ConsiderationsBest Practices for Secure Data Sharing with GPT How to Create a GenAI and ChatGPT Usage Policy for Your OperationsGeneral AI Policy Do’s and Don’tsAI Copyright Compliance & Protection GuideDeepfakes and Synthetic Media: A New Frontier for Fraud and MisinformationFrom Financial Oversight to AI Governance: The Sarbanes-Oxley Legacy and Accountants' New Frontier in AI Security, Privacy, Compliance and EthicsKey Takeaways

Discuss psychopathy's symptoms Review accounting professional ethics standards for dealing with a boss, co-worker or client who is breaking the rules Look at precautions you should take when considering a new boss or employee Help identify someone who might con you or your company

Identify effective writing’s key elements Learn a simple, direct, effective business writing process Edit your own and others’ documents effectively

Defining progressive discipline, including typical steps in any progressive discipline process The importance of a fair disciplinary process When and how progressive discipline should be used, including using progressive discipline in the lead-up to termination Documentation best practices Limitations on at-will employment, including contracts and laws regarding discrimination and retaliation Avoiding key risks in the termination process Best practices for legally compliant termination procedures

Considerations for a small business owner Self-employment taxes Guaranteed payments to partners QBI deductions: Section 199A Built-in gains tax: S corporations Excess passive income tax: S corporations PTE elections: S corporations and partnerships Taxation of fringe benefits: S corporations Double taxation of C corporation dividends Taxation of limited liability companies Which entity to choose?

Tax basis of property acquisitions Initial basis of property acquired in an exchange transaction Materials, supplies, repairs, and improvements Accounting method changes Depreciation: MACRS, Section 179, and bonus Intangible assets and amortization Organization and start-up costs

Extensive review of the partnership tax laws with an emphasis on any new legislative changes  Overview of different forms of business entities including the check-the-box regulations Formation issues including the mandatory allocation of the §704(c) pre-contribution gain or losses back to the contributing partner/member Schedule K and K-1 – separately stated versus non-separately stated income and expense items Detailed Schedule K-1 reporting including the 20% qualified business income (QBI) deduction and 3.8% net investment income tax Calculating the tax and §704(b) book capital accounts Substantial economic effect requirement to have special allocations to the partners/members Allocation of recourse & non-recourse debt on K-1s Guaranteed payment issues and tax treatment of fringe benefits Self-employment tax issues and pitfalls Tax treatment of distributions – cash versus non-cash & liquidating versus non-liquidating Sales and liquidations (redemptions) of partnership interests §754 optional basis adjustments and mandatory adjustments

Extensive review of the partnership tax laws with an emphasis on any new legislative changes Review the Form 1065 to learn how income statement items get reported on the partnership/LLC tax return (i.e., page 1 versus Schedule K) and flow-thru to the partner/members on Schedule K-1 Analyze the Schedule K-1 line-by-line and discuss where the items get reported on the individual’s Federal income tax return and how the items affect the partner/member’s outside basis Look at detailed Schedule K-1 information reporting to partners/members needed for the qualified business income (QBI) deduction, 3.8% net investment income tax and business interest expense limitations Formation issues including the mandatory allocation of the §704(c) pre-contribution gain or losses back to the contributing partner/member Calculating the tax and §704(b) book capital accounts Reporting recourse and non-recourse debt on the Schedule K-1Tax ramifications and reporting of cash and non-cash distributions including disproportionate distributions of “hot assets” Overview of the §754 election for optional basis adjustments triggering §743 (transfer of interests) and §734 (distributions)

Detailed coverage of any new legislation affecting basis computations and distributions and changes to the schedule K-1s (including the NEW Form 7203 – S Corporation Shareholder Stock and Debt Basis Limitations) Line-by-line analysis of the Schedule K-1s to determine how the items affect a S shareholder’s stock and debt basis and a partner/member’s outside basis and where the items get reported on Federal individual income tax return The three loss and deduction limitations on the owner’s individual income tax return (i.e. basis, at-risk and other Form 1040 limitations) How cash or non-cash distributions affect the basis calculations and whether or not they are taxable to the owners Compare the tax treatment of the sale of a shareholder’s stock in a S corporation and a partner’s interest in a partnership What constitutes debt basis for a S corporation shareholder under the final regulations The tax ramifications of repaying loans to S corporation shareholders and on open account debt How recourse and non-recourse debt effect a partner or member’s basis calculations and amount at-risk