CPE Catalog & Events

Audit requirements for ERISA 103(a)(3)(C) audits An annual update of the changes affecting 401(k) plans Compliance issues associated with eligibility and enrollments, remittances, lack of oversight, compensation, vesting and other topics Best practices for engagement planning, internal controls, risk assessment and detailed testing Avoiding common mistakes while performing audit procedures Plan mergers and acquisitions Common audit reporting and disclosure issues

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

Creating a visionary company Traits of successful, visionary companies Goal setting to create a successful organization The role of experimentation and failure in achieving success How successful organizations emphasize learning new skills The role of effective communication in achieving corporate success The importance of emotional intelligence in building corporate culture How leadership can direct a company toward success

Review of applicable SSARS standards, including standards updates Review of AICPA professional ethics requirements In-depth discussion of non-attest services Review of independence issues for SSARS services Overview of SSARS #21-performance, documentation and other requirements Detailed analysis of preparation vs. compilation engagements Detailed analysis of review engagements

Identifying weaknesses in traditional reporting processes Using leading-edge features in Excel to improve reporting practices How to work with Power Query to solve common reporting challenges Adding Slicers and Timelines to your Excel-based reports

Basis and at-risk basis How to calculate the amount of annual at-risk basis Forms 6198 and 7203 When activities may be aggregated for at-risk purposes Qualified nonrecourse financing

Changes to the IRS Form 706 How to successfully navigate the form The ins and outs of the "portability" rules, including how the rules actually work using common examples Income tax consequences How to avoid malpractice traps Overlooked GST issues

Key requirements of SAS 136 Changes affecting 401(k) plans Audit strategy and improving overall efficiency Common mistakes as noted in peer reviews and DOL inspections

What keeps companies from becoming streamlined? Behavioral biases Information processing biases Emotional biases How to deal with behavioral biases Connecting behavioral biases to cost cutting Creating a culture of cost cutting Rules of thumb for cost cutting Managing headcount Post-COVID common areas of excess cost Budgeting techniques Budget variances Benchmarking Common size financial statements Horizontal analysis Negotiation and contracting techniques Cash flow and the business cycle

The value of strategic networking Quality vs. quantity in networking Networking for professional opportunities Person-to-person networking Maintaining and expanding your current connections Networking for introverts Long-term networking strategies

Eligibility for Medicare How to apply for Medicare Introduction to Parts A, B, C and D of Medicare Payments for Parts B and D of Medicare: the higher costs imposed on higher income beneficiaries Late enrollment penalties Medicare Advantage in lieu of original Medicare The Affordable Care Act's impact on Medicare Legislative and regulatory developments

Common risks and pitfalls associated with defined contribution plans Nuances of the fair value disclosures New reporting and disclosure requirements for the current year Results of DOL Audit Quality Study

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 communication process and barriers that get in the way Techniques for overcoming barriers Understanding and self-assessment of each component of the communication process Gaining skills to listen more effectively, especially in stressful situations with heightened emotions Action plan to apply techniques in the workplace for communication success

Understanding the time commitment required to start and run a business Selecting a corporate structure to protect your personal assets Building your product or service Sales and marketing in your business Establishing your owners, investors, managers and employees Accounting, recording-keeping and other software programs Leases, contracts and employee agreements Protecting intellectual property Insurance Business plans Financing Market position

Legal principles and definitions Trust accounting issues Working closely with legal counsel proactively in the best interest of the client Property law concepts Complex community property issues Filing special forms: Form SS-4, Form 56, Form 4810 and Form 5495 Executor checklist The basics of filing a Form 1041 for an estate or non-grantor trust Filing a final Form 709 The basics of filing Form 706 Understanding 706 elections Understanding Estate Valuations, including GST and portability Special considerations for IRAs and ERISA plans When to make Section 454 elections When to make Section 754 elections Understanding the fine points of basis S corp issues Partnership and LLC considerations Passive loss carryforwards and estates Fiscal year elections 65-day election for trusts and estates Tax aspects of pecuniary and specific bequests

Self-awareness Self-regulation & motivation Empathy Managing relationships

Classifying receipts between "income" and "corpus" under the Uniform Principal and Income Act Calculation of DNI utilizing three different methods, a "forms" method (Schedule B), a "code" method and a "shortcut" method, utilizing a worksheet of common income and expenses Proper W-2 preparation and procedures in the year of death Taxpayer passes before taking a required minimum distribution; what must be done? Forgetful fiduciaries of simple trusts Fluctuating trusts - Simple one year, complex the next Dividing income in the year of death Overview of Subchapter J Form preparation issues - Filing requirements and line-by-line explanations of Form 1041 Taxable income of estates and trusts and expense allocation issues Specific deductions and miscellaneous itemized deductions Income in respect of a decedent The income distribution deduction calculation Relation of principal and income law to DNI Understanding how to handle capital gains and losses Allocating tax items to beneficiaries: another K-1 Other considerations: excess deductions on termination Effects of the CARES and Tax Relief Acts on trusts: 461(l) Excess Business Loss Limitation, NOL, 163(j) modifications, new employer credits Comprehensive DNI case study, with principal (cost and FMV) and income reconciliation Comprehensive trust and estate case studies, with filled-in forms

Key tools used by businesses and financial professionals across the globe to measure performance Detailed, real-world examples of businesses utilizing these tools

Collaboration and security techniques Tables, data models and PivotTables Advanced formulas Data queries Creating effective visualizations