CPE Catalog & Events

2024 Annual Update for Governmental Accountants & Auditors

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:GASB 100, Accounting Changes and Error Corrections.GASB 101, Compensated Absences.Yellow Book and Single Audit engagements.Yellow Book independence requirements.Changes to the Uniform Guidance.2024 Compliance Supplement and the common deficiencies identified by the federal agencies and peer reviewers.

Surgent's Annual Accounting and Auditing Update

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

Surgent's S Corporation Core Tax Issues From Formation Through Liquidation

What exactly is terminating S corporations, including recent rulings Schedules K-2 and K-3 reporting requirements and filing exceptions Form 7203, S Corporation Shareholder Stock and Debt Basis Limitations Shareholder changes Living Trust and causes S termination LLCs electing S status, changing agreement could terminate election Inherited a new client with reporting errors? What are my options? Debt vs. equity and §385; Federal Express battled and won, how do we? Are we to expect SECA tax on pass-through entities? Shareholders losing “substance over form” argument Basis neither increased by phantom income, nor reduced by non-deducted pass-through losses Can I accrue expenses payable to a shareholder? Sure, but can I deduct them? How §179 limitations affect S corp. basis Comparison of liquidation of a C corporation vs. the liquidation of an S corporation Did not timely file Form 2553? A simple method to correct Is there a “flexible standard of law” in regard to closely held entities?

Financial Decisions that Led Two Businessmen to Prison

The major topics covered in this class include:Career choicesEthical dilemmasJudicial proceedingsMitigation strategiesCreating tools to help make better decisionsAtonement and reconciliation

Awful Ethical Dilemmas - Bringing it to Life, featuring J. Michael Inzina and Don Minges

Following the letter of the Code versus following the spirit of the Code Preparing for conflicts of interest Document your analysis of the situations Five (5) case study examples

Navigating Difficult Conversations with Coworkers

Communication Negotiation Conflict Persuasion Management Leadership

Performance Targets That Deliver Results Without Burnout

Performance target design Target testing  

Surgent's Controllership Skills Update: Mergers, Acquisitions, and Alliances

Recent trends: M&A activity; contributing factors/reasons for current levels; examples of recent transactions; IPOs (Initial Public Offering) and SPACs (Special-Purpose Acquisition Company); strategic spin-offs/splits; internal venture capital activities; incubators Expanded role of financial professionals: establishing strategy; valuation techniques; execution plan; due diligence; sources of industry information; goodwill; post-completion evaluations Negotiations: Improving your communication skills; establishing an environment for success; list of dos and don’ts Alliances and outsourcing: steps to forming an alliance; examples of recent alliances; determining if outsourcing (short and long-term) is correct for your organization; steps to improve results

Surgent's Guide to Partner Capital Account Reporting

How a partner’s outside basis and capital account differ Reconciling Schedule M-2 Form 1065 with Partnership K-1 Schedule L IRS requirement to report partner tax basis on the transactional approach Implications if a capital account is negative Deficit restoration accounts and qualified income offsets Modified outside basis method and modified previously taxed capital method Determining a partner’s beginning capital account  Beginning capital account for partnerships and partners consistently reporting on the tax basis The two types of adjustments under 754 and how 743 and 734 require different capital account presentations

2024 Guide to Deducting Travel, Meals and Entertainment Expenses

Recent tax legislation, rules and developments impacting travel and meals expense reporting Adequate accounting rules for reimbursements, including accountable plans, going paperless, reimbursement for non-deductible expenses Reporting travel expenses: travel status, simplified per diem "Directly related to" and associated with" tests Facility vs. activity expenses 9 exceptions to Section 274 Business meals: IRS Notice 2018-76; 2023 mileage and per diem rates

Audit & Attest Quality Matters that Should be on Your Radar - Avoiding Common Deficiencies in SAS, SSARS and SSAE Engagements

Applying professional skepticism to ensure quality work Meaningful risk assessment when designing work programs for various levels of services Proper planning and supervision of all engagements Accountant responsibilities for evaluating internal control Strengthening analytic procedures to support conclusions Complying with the Code of Professional Conduct and quality management standards 

Critical Thinking Masterclass

The major topics that will be covered in this class include:Cognitive biasConducting a "thinking audit"MetathinkingProfessional skepticismDecision mappingHabit replacementEmotional intelligenceMemory enhancement

Relationship Between Ethics, Morality, and the Law

Meaning of morality and ethics The variation Distinguishing factors Theories of Jonathan Haidt Milgram experiment Authoritarian behavior and ethics Ethical authority? Conflicts

Excel - Working with Text, Date & Time Functions & Formulas

The major topics that will be covered in this class include:Using Text functions to join and separate text entriesInserting Text functions to work with imported dataPerform date and time calculations with the Date & Time functions

How SAS Nos. 134-145 Improve Risk-Based Audits

The major topics that will be covered in this class include:Key changes to audit report elements intended to improve the understandability of the nature and results of financial statement auditsEnhanced required by-product communications with management and those charged with governance to promote more reliable financial statementsClarifications related to obtaining sufficient and appropriate audit evidence, including significant unusual transactions, related parties, going concern uncertainty, and accounting estimatesNew definitions and requirements related to identifying and evaluating risks of material misstatementOther important matters contained in SAS Nos. 134-145

Accounting Industry Update 2024

• FASB Technical Agenda and upcoming changes • ASUs • Implementation dates and methods • Audit quality initiatives • Changes to AICPA auditing standards; and PCAOB standards

Basic Staff Tax Training: Individual 2024

• Emphasize form 1040 and the accompanying reporting schedules for a basic individual income tax return • Identify and be able to implement basic individual income tax planning ideas for clients • Familiarity with several source documents utilized in the preparation of an individual income tax return • Identify common errors made in the preparation of an individual income tax return and understand how to avoid the errors in the future

Taxation of Real Estate Partnerships

A Practical Guide to Trusts

The role of the trustee and how to avoid problems How to use trusts to avoid probate How revocable living trusts are affected by income, gift, and estate taxes Marital deductions and marital and bypass trusts How an irrevocable trust can be the center of an estate plan Advantages of an irrevocable life insurance trust How to create a dynasty trust Why a GRIT, GRAT, GRUT, or QPRT can be a good estate planning tool Trust options to provide security for older clients Advantages, tax consequences, and limits on charitable contributions and private foundations Charitable remainder and charitable lead trust issues How trusts can serve as asset protection devices Business trust issues

Independence and Conflicts of Interest

The major topics covered in this class include:AICPA Code of Conduct: Independence, Conflicts of Interest, Case Study: OlympusCase Study: Buca di Beppo