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

Comprehensive coverage of the Inflation Reduction Act, including: The Clean Vehicle Credit, Credit for Previously Owned Clean Vehicles, Credit for Qualified Commercial Clean Vehicles, Residential Clean Energy Credit, Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit, Premium Tax Credit, Elective Payment, Transferability, and Prevailing Wage and Apprenticeship Requirements Comprehensive coverage of the SECURE 2.0 Act, including: Expanding Enrollment in Retirement Plans, Increase in Age for Required Beginning Date for Mandatory Distributions, New Exceptions to Penalty-Free Withdrawal from Retirement Plans, and recent IRS guidance Timely coverage of breaking tax legislation Detailed analysis and examples of Sale of Passthrough Entity Interest and Net Investment Income Tax The Gig Economy -- Tax implications, Independent Contractor vs. Employee Classification, and the 2024 DOL Final Rule Real Estate professional requirements Review of pertinent cases and rulings affecting taxpayers Practice aids, including all the numbers applicable for the current year -- inflation-adjusted amounts, mileage rates, retirement contributions, and more Advanced practice, reporting, and other issues intertwined with advanced planning and discussion ideas

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

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 workplace harassment and discrimination laws, including the intangible benefits that come with compliance An overview of sexual harassment and workplace retaliation The supervisor’s (or manager’s) role in preventing harassment and in reducing the company’s potential liability through good faith efforts at compliance Review a compliant procedure for handling harassment concerns

CPA becoming attuned to broad based business knowledge, professional skepticism, and subordination of judgment The future of medical care in the United States in a post COVID-19 environment Future of social security and impact on retirement planning and employee retention Impact on financial executive if the dollar is no longer the world currency “Fate of the States” – will the location of your business make you less competitive Future of workmen’s compensation and unemployment compensation Future of interest rates Impact of greater reliance on technology AICPA top 10 trends and technologies National infrastructure ESG and DEI trends in the global economy Impact of continuing uncertainty in markets

Auditing and reporting requirements to meet when the client selects the ERISA Section 103(a)(3)(C) limited scope audit option AICPA AU-C 703 Forming An Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements of Employee Benefit Plans Subject to ERISA AICPA Audit and Accounting Guide ' Employee Benefit Plans ' Testing participant data

The steps in Trust Administration Delaware Tax Trap -its unique use Change of the exemption in 2026 and its impact Whether to file a 706 for portability election and/or Q-Tipping the Credit Trust Preparation of trust accountings Trust administration of Medi-Cal Trusts, QPRT, GRAT and IDGTs

The downside of traditional retirement asset accumulation strategies Threats to a successful retirement Holistic retirement planning: how personal goals integrate with tax, estate, risk and investment management principles Matching investment assets with the appropriate retirement plan and distribution strategy Review the provisions of the SECURE Acts and how they will impact retirement planning

Examination process: organization of IRS, standards for return selection; AICPA SSTS (revised), Circular 230 guidelines, amended returns and approaches to resolving examination problems Civil penalties, delinquency penalties, accuracy-related penalty, fraud penalty, preparer penalty, promoter and protestor penalties and foreign information return penalty regime Audits and administrative appeals, nature and scope; docketed v. nondocketed appeals, appeals conferences and settlement approaches Collection process: significance of assessment; nature of tax liens and levies, installment agreements, collection due process, offers in compromise and bankruptcy Tax fraud: civil tax fraud badges, criminal tax fraud violations, defenses, voluntary disclosures the role of Kovel accountant Judicial proceedings: Tax Court process, federal district court, Court of Federal Claims and California Superior Court

Preparing to write: what is my purpose and objective and who is my audience When email is the appropriate communication methodology and when it’s not Common email mistakes and how to avoid them Proven techniques for writing more efficient, readable, and outcome-focused emails

The impact of recent tax legislation on the real estate industry Depreciation and recapture Determining the basis when acquiring real estate Passive activity losses Calculation of gain or loss on sale of real estate Rental operations Installment sales

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

How to read and complete Parts II and III for Foreign Tax Credit Practical tips on how to tackle Parts IV and IX for corporate partners How to correctly fill out Parts X and XIII for foreign partners Comprehensive examples for operating, real estate rental, and investment partnerships with filled-in sample forms

Definition of a digital asset for purposes of Form 1099-DA What is a sale of a digital asset affected by a broker on behalf of another person? Mandatory 2025 reporting of gross proceeds information and voluntary reporting of basis information Treatment of sales of digital assets Who is a broker for purposes of Form 1099-DA? Information required to complete Form 1099-DA Reporting closing transactions and covered securities Who is a processor of digital asset payments? How many transactions to report on each Form 1099-DA and how many forms to file for each transaction Optional reporting methods for digital asset transactions Substitute statements for the Form 1099 Reporting a disposition of digital assets held by a widely held fixed investment trust

Legislative developments A full chapter devoted to determining the best planning options for maximizing joint Social Security benefits Retirement benefits: Amount of benefits in various circumstances; how the amounts are distributed within the family unit Qualification: Has the client retired? How business entities may be used for Social Security advantage Income taxation of Social Security: avoidance tactics Spousal benefits: Should a spouse return to work? What benefits does a spouse have and when and how do they relate to benefits decisions by the client? When can hiring the spouse increase overall benefits?  Why should both spouses qualify for survivor benefits? Disability benefits When to start Social Security benefits: Advantages and disadvantages at ages 62, full retirement age, and 70 Coordinating benefits: Should you take Social Security first and higher-balance IRA distributions later, or take IRA balances first and enhanced Social Security benefits later? Pensions: Distribution strategies; how to use the minimum distribution rules in concert with Social Security benefits IRAs: Is it time to convert to a Roth? Medicare, Part D prescription drugs: what retirees need to know

Reasonable compensation Fringe benefits for S corporation shareholders Built-in gains tax Excess passive income tax Notice 2020-75: PTE elections

The personal financial planning process Relevance to income tax Retirement and estate planning concerns and solutions

The reasons for fraud Fraudulent acts that are initiated against smaller organizations Methods to stop fraud attempts against small businesses

Cash flow management Insurance, investment, income tax, education, retirement and estate planning Understanding client issues, diagnosing client exposures and determining client solutions Closely held business owner strategies