CPE Catalog & Events

Determining when filing a Tax Court case can be a strategic benefit Learn how to file the case Understand the steps and deadlines in the Tax Court process Review the settlement process Know when the case gets to the point where you need help

The impact of recent legislation on the construction industry How to qualify for the “small contractor exemption” and its advantages to the taxpayer Options available to the “small” contractor regarding taxation of long-term contracts How the choice of entity impacts taxation of contractors How AMT impacts the construction industry IRC §460 and “large” contractors How “uninstalled materials” impact taxation of contractors How the “look-back” rules impact contractors How the “10 percent method” can allow certain contractors to defer recognizing taxable income Critical tax planning strategies for contractors

Each week’s topics will change based on the most critical issues affecting financial professionals

Quality management standards SAS 146, SSARS No. 26, and SSAE 23 Risk assessment, which forms the basis of the SQM Monitoring and evaluating the SQM

-Review of ethics standards, both extant and proposed, for Arizona CPAs including the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct and the Arizona Accountancy Statutes and Administrative Code. - Review recent updates to the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct and Arizona Accountancy laws. - Provide practical examples of best practices in applying the laws pertaining to Professional Ethics. - Identify the latest ethics guidance to illustrate "hot topics" in professional ethics.

Defining three critical elements: responsibility, empowerment and accountability, and how they work together to create results Designing and using clear agreements that provide clarity Skills for holding yourself and others accountable for results, no matter what Knowing where you are in the accountability game... what you do/don’t do well

Types of partnership distributions Liquidating partnership distributions Basis of property distributed by a partnership Special basis adjustments under Section 732(d) Abandoned and worthless partnership interests Section 751(a) exchange Transactions between partners and their partnerships Disguised sales Section 736(a) and (b) payments

Influence, persuasion, and power  Navigating without position power

What states do not have an income tax? What is the relevance to employers? Where does an employer have an obligation to withhold state taxes for an employee? At what point does an employee become a resident? Where is unemployment paid for an out of state employee?

Estimated taxes and deadlines Tax due dates for common returns and filings Potential penalties and interest Information return penalties Penalties applicable to pass-through entities Accuracy-related penalties First-time abatement (FTA) FTA eligible returns Reasonable cause Nexus: sales tax vs. income tax Sales tax nexus with state specific examples Remote work and sales tax nexus Income tax nexus with state-specific examples Remote work and income tax nexus Sales factor: throwback rules

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

Availability bias Herding Loss aversion Present bias Anchoring Home country bias

SSARS No. 21, Clarification and Recodification, and updates to SSARS No. 21 due to the issuance of SSARS No. 23, Omnibus Statement on Standards for Accounting and Review Services SSARS No. 22, Compilation of Pro Forma Financial Information SSARS No. 24, Omnibus Statement on Standards for Accounting and Review Services -- 2018 SSARS No. 25, Materiality in a Review of Financial Statements and Adverse Conclusions  SSARS No. 26, Quality Management for an Engagement Conducted in Accordance With Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services Sample comprehensive engagement work programs for preparation, compilation and review engagements Reporting and disclosure illustrations for each level of service, including attesting on personal financial statements, prescribed form, special purpose framework and other engagement variations Other communication requirements, such as sample engagement letters and management representation letters

Comprehensive coverage of the Inflation Reduction Act, including: The Corporate Alternative Minimum Tax, The Clean Vehicle Credit, Credit for Previously Owned Clean Vehicles, Credit for Qualified Commercial Clean Vehicles, §45L New Energy Efficient Home Credit, Elective Payment, Transferability, and Prevailing Wage and Apprenticeship Requirements Principles and considerations for nonresident withholding, composite payments, and passthrough entity taxes Comprehensive coverage of the SECURE 2.0 Act with a focus on provisions applicable to employers Thinking beyond §163(j) -- Interest Allocation Rules, Original Issue Discount, Applicable High Yield Discount Obligations, Convertible Corporate Debt Instruments, and Debt-Financed Distributions  Retirements and redemptions: considerations for partnerships and S corporations Timely coverage of breaking tax legislation Selected Practice and Reporting Issues: What’s new? A review of recent cases and tax law changes and IRS guidance affecting S corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, and limited liability partnerships Form 1099-K reporting requirements Bonus depreciation  Section 174 Research & Experimental Expenditures -- new guidance under Notice 2023-63 and Notice 2024-12 FinCEN reporting requirements  A review of like-kind exchange transactions under §1031

Comprehensive coverage of the SECURE Act 2.0 Understanding the environment: what’s new, what’s expired or expiring, and what’s likely to change Reading a tax return for developing client-specific tax strategies Changes to the lifetime estate tax exemption in light of proposed regulations  The net investment income tax: planning for compliance Family income-splitting strategies that need to be considered Income tax issues: impact on timing of other income Selling a principal residence Two principal residences at the same time Use of life insurance to protect families: Whole Life Insurance, Term Life Insurance, Universal Life Insurance, and Variable Life Insurance Using Roth IRAs and Roth contribution programs to best advantage Conversions: do they still make sense? Taking distributions: matching timing to client requirements Qualified plan contributions to reduce current income and Social Security tax: implications for business owners and self-employed Social Security solvency issues Incentive Stock Options and Employee Stock Purchase Plan considerations What to do about itemized deductions Trans-generational planning: conversions, income, and gain-splitting Tax benefits of HSAs and other tax-advantaged accounts Identifying tax opportunities: reviewing the prior-year return to develop a plan for the future Planning for middle-income taxpayers: financial planning for the young, the working, and those approaching or in retirement Best financial planning ideas for young people

The 50% deduction for meals that are ordinary and necessary in carrying on a trade or business Elimination of the temporary rules that applied for 2021 and 2022 which allowed for 100% deductibility for ordinary and necessary business-related meals When meals are still 100% deductible IRS rules relating to the nondeducibility of activities considered entertainment or amusement What constitutes entertainment/amusement for tax purposes? When employers may deduct food and beverages provided to employees 50% deductibility for occasional employee meals and for overtime meals 50% deductibility for business meals during business meetings Business meals incurred during business travel Invoice meals separately from entertainment

Benefits of an HSA How an employer sets up an HSA How individuals qualify to set up an HSA High deductible health plans and how they relate to an HSA Eligible medical expenditures Annual contributions to an HSA Importance of enrollment in Medicare Qualified HSA funding distribution

How does the IRC define an installment sale under IRC Sec 453? When can a taxpayer utilize the provisions of IRC Sec 453? When should a taxpayer utilize the provisions of an installment sale and when should it be avoided? How does the issue of a “dealer” vs. a “non-dealer” impact the use of the installment sale method? Reporting an installment sale when related parties are involved Calculating an installment sale How has the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act impacted the use of the installment sale method?

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?

Discuss how productivity strategies may improve work-life balance Understand the state tax consequences that may arise when working from home Identify and discuss challenges unique to financial professionals Review how some organizations are providing support to improve work-life balance Explore the role of alternative work arrangements  Examine challenges unique to auditors versus tax professionals A comparison of work-life balance between public and industry accountants How work-family conflict varies among financial professionals Recommendations for improving work-life balance