CPE Catalog & Events

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Course 1: Fraud Busters: Controls to Prevent & Detect FraudCPE: 2Field of Study: Auditing, AccountingDiscussion Leader: Keely GohlDescription: This course investigates actual real-world fraud schemes and discusses what controls could have prevented the fraud from occurring, and what controls could detect and curtail the fraud scheme. The instructor speaks from experience, finding multiple frauds very early in her career leading to a career-long focus on fraud prevention and detection. Course 2: Steps to Stop External FraudCPE: 2Field of Study: AccountingDiscussion Leader: Karl EgnatoffDescription: Until recently, a percentage of organizations discounted the risk related to external fraud attempts. Most were only concerned with protecting physical assets such as inventory or fixed assets. However, because of the many highly publicized corporate hacking events, such as the ones that affected the Colonial Pipeline and JBS Meats, more attention is being paid to external fraud risk of all types. In this session, we look at what is included in a definition of external fraud and then delve into specific control issues that can give rise to increased risk. We then discuss measures that organizations can employ to help reduce exposure to external attacks.  Course 3: Money Laundering 101 for CPAs CPE: 4Field of Study: Specialized KnowledgeDiscussion Leader: Robert NordlanderDescription: CPAs spend most of their working lives reviewing bank statements and books and records of businesses. They are experts in understanding how to prepare financial statements according to GAAP. But would a CPA know a possible money laundering transaction if they saw it? Would they know about a money laundering business? Money laundering is a subject of many action and thriller movies, but rarely understood. This presentation will educate the CPA in understanding the basics of money laundering and how to identify money laundering. This presentation will help the CPA know the truth about money laundering, how to identify it, the statutes that define it, and the court cases that interpret it.  

All courses in this Pack are presented by Mary Jane Hourani.The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Course 1: Navigating IRS Authorizations: Understanding Power of Attorney (Form 2848) and Tax Information Authorization (Form 8821)CPE: 2Description: Providing a practical overview of the IRS Power of Attorney, Form 2848, and IRS Tax Information Authorization, Form 8821. Participants will explore the differences between these forms, understand when each is required, and how to comply with IRS requirements for representing clients and accessing their tax information. The course will cover practical issues, ethical considerations, and best practices for managing client authorizations through the IRS Centralized Authorization File (CAF) system. Course 2: Navigating IRS Collections: Overview of Form 433 & Offer in CompromiseCPE: 2Description: This course highlights when to use Form 433-A or 433-B, along with documents needed to effectively submit an Offer in Compromise (OIC) or Installments Agreement. Settling tax debts is an important part of the IRS collection process, this course helps guide taxpayer representatives through the process so they may efficiently complete these necessary forms. Course 3: Navigating IRS Collections: The Collection ProcessCPE: 2Description: This course is designed for tax professionals seeking to understand and navigate the IRS collection process effectively. Participants will gain in-depth knowledge of the various collection methods employed by the IRS, including liens, levies and wage garnishments. Addition all, participants will learn strategies to avoid or halt collection actions and the implications of the statute of limitations on tax collection. Course 4: Navigating IRS Correspondence: Effectively Responding to IRS LettersCPE: 2Description: Participants will learn how to interpret the most common IRS correspondence, adhere to response deadlines, and effectively communicate with the IRS to resolve issues and minimize risks. It provides professionals with knowledge and strategies needed to handle the most common notices including audit requests, collections & return inquiries as well as error notices. Focusing on best practices to ensure compliance and avoiding penalties or escalation.

What’s NEW for this year – Items all practitioners must know  Form 1040 and Schedules 1 – 3 1099-K reporting requirements  Qualified Business Income -- Coverage of §199A including the real estate safe harbor  A tour of the most recent forms changes, starting from gross income and ending with selected credits, including the latest IRS guidance on significant recent tax legislation  How will clients (and practitioners) interact with IRS in the future and how the pandemic is steering the IRS to ramp up with digital communication efforts  Hot developments and current areas of interest  Virtual Currency and Digital Asset Taxation  Advanced practice, reporting, and other issues intertwined with advanced planning and discussion ideas  Form 6198 -- At-risk basis: Detailed case study and discussion of how this form is to be used and when it needs to be filed; learn how basis and at-risk basis are different, and why this is significant  Form 6252 -- Installment sale income: A common tax area; however, a case study and discussion of this topic includes advanced issues such as gain on reacquisition of installment sale property, including worksheets on calculating gain & tax basis of reacquired property  Form 5329 -- Additional taxes on qualified plans: Advanced study of how to avoid penalties 

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.

Leadership Recognition Total Rewards Employee Engagement

Mental illness and depression Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Conflict resolution 

Advantages of budgeting The role of budgeting Master budgeting Flexible budgeting Standards and variances Capital budgeting

Required disclosure related to liquidity and other significant uncertainties for fair presentation of financial statements Evaluating the need for going concern and other uncertainty disclosures in the current environment

Understanding the various stages of the employment life cycle Onboarding and orientation Best practices and examples What goes wrong with training and growth priorities? Are performance evaluations necessary? Unleashing your staffs' hidden talents

Understanding yourself and others in the workplace How emotion plays a vital role in ethical dilemmas and in solutions What are some of the various outlooks on ethics? Recognizing lies Managing ethics towards solutions

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 difference between personal power and positional power How proper use of power can be used to influence an ethical culture Leadership requires trust Knowing why trust cannot exist without credibility Understanding why ethics and trust require one another Appreciating the competitive benefits of commitment to ethical leadership

The basics of nonqualified deferred compensation (NQDC) NQDC compliance Taxation of NQDC plans Types of NQDC plans Financing/funding NQDC plans Planning strategies

What is ransomware? The growing threat of ransomware — statistics Remote working and COVID-19 Ransomware infection process Incident response protocol Business considerations Legal considerations Breach notification obligations Steps to protect against malware Tabletop exercise

Challenges of marketing CPA firms Developing marketing strategy  Elements of a marketing plan Example: CPA firm marketing plan Marketing regulatory/AICPA issues Picking the right marketing channels  Marketing channel statistical analysis  Developing marketing metrics

Extension of individual TCJA provisions Expansion of IRC Section 199A Bonus depreciation and Section 179 updates Changes to the standard deduction and personal exemptions Child tax credit revisions Business interest deduction limits Estate and gift tax thresholds International tax changes and foreign surtax provisions Creation of Trump Accounts and expansion of 529 plans 1099 reporting threshold changes and other administrative updates

Accounting Standards Updates Auditing & Accounting Yellowbook

Extensive review of the S corporation income tax laws with an emphasis on any new legislative Schedule K analysis– determine if income statement items are separately (i.e. schedule K) or non-separately stated income and expense items Discuss how schedule K items get allocated to shareholders on their schedule K-1s Look at detailed Schedule K-1 information reporting to shareholders needed for the qualified business income (QBI) deduction, 3.8% net investment income tax and business interest expense limitations Talk about the unreasonably low officer compensation issues Learn the special tax treatment of fringe benefits paid to 2% shareholders and family members Schedule M-1 – calculate the reconciliation of income or loss per books with income or loss per income tax return Schedule M-2 – detailed step-by-step calculation of the AAA, PTI, E&P and OAA accounts Basic overview of the tax treatment of distributions including when a S corporation has prior C corporation earnings and profits (E&P) Review the importance and basics of calculating a shareholder’s stock and debt basis Basic overview of the potential S corporation built in gains tax from the conversion of a C to S corporation

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:The common weaknesses in a criminal tax investigation.The key documents to review (In a sea of thousands of documents).Crafting questions to recommend in court proceeding.