CPE Catalog & Events

Key concepts of trusts, including recent trends; best practices; jurisdiction; and ways to avoid pitfalls Decanting Federal estate tax exemption and remaining relevance of trusts Irrevocable life insurance trusts The role of family dynamics Choice of trustee and other fiduciaries State trust-friendly considerations Charitable trusts Delaware Statutory Trusts Powers of attorney  Pet Trusts – the emerging necessities State, county, and local issues Portability QTIP issues Creditor considerations Potential IRA problems Problems with re-titling assets

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

Funding options for Roth accounts 529 plans to Roth IRAs Backdoor Roth strategies The new Roth SEP and Roth SIMPLE IRAs Roth 401(k) contribution rules The tax impact of rolling a 401(k) to a Roth IRA Who can start the Roth IRA 5-year clock? The 5-year rules for Roth 401(k)s and Roth IRAs Direct and indirect Roth conversions Direct and indirect rollovers from Roth 401(k) plans The risky recapture of the 10% penalty How the ordering rules work and when they apply FIFO rules for Roth IRAs Case studies and cheat sheets to reinforce concepts

Overall landscape of the construction industry GAAP and recent changes affecting the construction industry The Revenue Recognition Standard and its impact on the construction industry The unique relationship between the contractor and the surety The lease FASB ASC and its impact on the construction industry

ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) Overall lease accounting guidance Lessor Accounting 101 Lessee Accounting 101 Detailed review of accounting by lessees and lessors Sale and leaseback transactions Transition guidance Other operational issues Recently issued updates to the lease accounting guidance FASB guidance on accounting for COVID-19-related rent concessions Feedback from the public company adoption of Topic 842

Congressional Budget Reconciliation Process - explore how this powerful legislative tool allows Congress to fast track tax law changes and how it could be used to enact significant tax reforms in the current political climate President Trump's tax proposals - review key components of President Trump's tax agenda, including a tip income exemption, overtime pay relief, Social Security tax exemption, auto loan interest deductibility, SALT deduction modifications, a lower corporate tax rate, restoration of 100% bonus depreciation, immediate R&D expensing, and permanent extension of select TCJA provisions Potential expiration of select TCJA provisions - understand the implications for individual and business taxpayers as key provisions of the TCJA approach sunset dates Tariff policy and implementation - analyze the use of tariffs as a fiscal and trade policy tool Digital assets and tax implications - understand the new Form 1099-DA for reporting digital asset transactions, along with updated IRS guidance on cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and broker responsibilities Artificial intelligence - discover how AI and generative tools are transforming tax practices, as well as how the IRS is leveraging AI to enhance audit selection Form 1099-K reporting requirements - understand the evolving IRS thresholds and rules for third-party payment platforms Sale of Passthrough Entity Interests and Net Investment Income Tax - analyze the tax implications of selling interests in passthrough entities, including relevant examples, and how the Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT) applies to these transactions  The Gig Economy - examine key tax implications for gig workers, including Independent Contractor vs. Employee classification challenges, reporting responsibilities, and the impact of the 2024 Department of Labor Final Rule on worker status Timely coverage of breaking tax legislation 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

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

Designing and performing sufficient audit procedures required for all audits, particularly when auditing privately-owned companies Identify controls that exist, especially when those controls are not clearly identified or formalized Evaluate if those controls prevent or detect material misstatements in the financial statements Design effective audit procedures (including testing of controls where appropriate) in response to the auditor's assessed risk of the potential material misstatements in the financial statements

Why model codes of ethics fail The science behind organizations "Ethical DNA" Understanding the psychology behind "Tone at the Top" The interaction between critical thinking and ethics Breaking myths about motivation related to decision-making Ethical decision-making under pressure Are ethics and morals "fixed" or can we learn to improve

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

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

General rules relating to the sale of a residence under § 121 Sale of a taxpayer’s main home Qualifying for a partial exclusion of gain on the sale of a home How a taxpayer meets the residence requirement Meeting the look-back requirement Separated, divorced, and widowed taxpayers Work-related moves and unforeseeable events Inherited homes and homes received in a divorce Impact of business or rental use of home on the gain exclusion Reporting gain or loss on the sale of a home

Bounce back from adversity and pressure Avoid giving up too soon Reframe challenges Learn resilience and transform from mistakes

Criteria that the IRS uses to select returns for examination Substantiation requirements for travel, charitable contributions, vehicles, meals, virtual currency considerations and tax-related identity theft Understanding worker classification determinations on who is an employee and who is an independent contractor Distinguishing S corporation officer’s reasonable compensation issues How the IRS holds persons other than an employer liable for unpaid payroll taxes, a.k.a., the trust fund recovery penalty Tax-related identity theft procedures

Audit process and planning Materiality, performance materiality, and tolerable misstatement Assessing the risk of material misstatement Understanding internal controls and when the auditor must evaluate the design and implementation of internal controls Designing procedures to test the effectiveness of controls Issues noted related to performing substantive procedures Documentation Communication with the Client and Governance

How to calculate a partner or S corporation shareholder’s basis Form 7203 and an S corporation shareholder’s basis The at risk basis rules and Form 6198 The passive activity loss limits The Section 461(l) loss rule The net operating loss limitation rules The Section 163(j) business interest limitation

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

Why customer service is not just having nice people; it is truly serving the customer Analysis of the value of the customer to compare it to various costs creating an ROI How to develop a compliance program that adds value to the customer A hard look at several companies and industries that have mastered the dual objectives How recent developments have affected compliance and customer service

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

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