CPE Catalog & Events

Common tax deadlines and penalties Employee Retention Credit – new developments Beneficial ownership information reporting Bonus depreciation changes Form 1099 reporting and changes Online accounts and IP PINs Virtual currency updates Green energy credit compliance

Economic update Leadership and management changes as a result of the pandemic Managing for productivity Metrics and benchmarking Social media's place in our organizations

Set up an in-cell drop-down list of budget methods  Change the calculations in the cells based on the selected budget method  Use names in worksheets

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

Explore the function that sums better than the SUM function Discover a variety of time-saving features, functions, and techniques Learn the workaround to a major Excel pitfall

Calculating the home office deduction Actual expense method Simplified expense method Definition of a home for purposes of the home office deduction Whether working-from-home employees can claim a home office deduction What is a “separate, identifiable space?” The “regularly and exclusively used” rule Defining a “principal place of business” Meeting clients, patients, and customers More than one trade or business Special rules that apply to daycare providers Separate, free-standing structures Depreciating the home

Contract formation The necessary components of an enforceable contract Common defenses to enforcement Legal capacity requirements Contract interpretation

Tax code hierarchy Organization of an Internal Revenue Code section Special rules for IRC citation  Citing other primary authority Private letter rulings  Primary vs. secondary authority  Secondary sources of authority Steps in the tax research process Research memoranda

How and why a partnership makes a 754 election The effect of the 754 election when an interest in a partnership is sold or inherited How the 754 election applies when a partnership makes a distribution of property to one or more of its partners How to make the 754 basis adjustment

When is a person eligible to take Social Security benefits? Factors to consider when selecting an option for taking Social Security benefits Is there a best age to start taking Social Security benefits? How to maximize Social Security benefit payments for surviving spouses How can a divorced spouse collect Social Security benefits based on the work record of a former spouse? How minor children can collect Social Security benefits based on the work record of an older parent

An overview of current state and federal laws governing marijuana A review of state boards of accountancy regarding marijuana How some financial professionals are capitalizing on the marijuana industry Providing auditing and tax services within the marijuana industry How accountants and other financial professionals can manage risk within this industry IRC Section 280E’s prohibition of deductions involving controlled substances A summary of various state taxation laws on marijuana Ethical issues for accountants who work in the marijuana industry Relevant banking regulations Growth projections

Are we equipped to deal with a resurgence in financial accounting fraud Private company accounting standards, options and elections The latest on crypto and ESG Accounting and auditing for SAAS arrangements, impairments and going-concern and debt modification accounting FASB and PCC agenda

Automation capabilities of Excel The “Get & Transform” Tool Using “Get & Transform” for flattening, splitting and combining data, unpivoting summarized data, and combining CSV exports

The fraud landscape in the United States Fraud risk procedures as updated by recently issued standards Most likely fraud types found in small to mid-sized entities Internal controls to prevent and detect fraud What to do when fraud is identified or suspected Case studies based on recent frauds Cyber fraud schemes and how to prevent and detect them Analytics that can be used as fraud risk procedures Assessing the risk of grant fraud in a Single Audit

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

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

Contract principles Legal issues related to various types of business organizations Worker classification Employee rights and the duties of employers Real property law

Proper planning of benefit plan audit engagements and developing audit strategy while improving overall efficiency Common pitfalls in planning and detailed audit procedures Changes affecting 401(k) plans, including recently issued SASs Common mistakes as noted in peer reviews and DOL inspections

Rethinking Risk Management: Historic view Challenges Rules Recent lessons Required skills Sources of Risk: Economy Competitors Operations Investments Strategy Compensation Routine practices Unethical behavior. Enterprise Risk Management (ERM): Defining ERM Areas of focus Implementation Planning for disasters Business continuity Contingencies Analytical Tools: Post-completion evaluations Simulation Z-score Hedging Brainstorming Mind mapping Delphi technique

Why forecasts and budgets are frequently wrong: behavioral finance; improper goal setting, games, continuing the status quo, traditional budgeting techniques Incorporating strategy into budgets: improving measurement systems; common errors, developing strategies and appropriate measurements Expanding the budgeting framework: rolling forecasts; mission-based budgeting, zero-based budgeting, post-completion evaluations, contingency planning, black swan events, identifying improvements Big data: definition, challenges, goals, current uses/examples, sources of information Analytical tools: ration analysis, benchmarking, Pareto analysis, trend analysis, regression, simulation, dashboards