Select Your Conference Courses

Course Description

Combining the real-life experience of a practicing CPA with essential down-to-earth tax materials in a high-tech format, this powerful presentation will enable participants to grasp recent individual tax changes. You’ll receive the most complete and up-to-date reference manual, written by renowned tax experts.  The digital PDF manual is hyperlinked to the Internal Revenue Code, tax court decisions, and other primary authorities, making it an extremely convenient resource. Join us as our world-class tax instructors share cutting-edge tax planning strategies in a high energy, often humorous presentation style using real-life experiences, which make complicated tax topics easily understandable. Specific course topics will be announced and updated through year-end.

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will accomplish:

• Increased understanding of individual and business federal tax reform developments.
• Tax savings strategies for individuals.
• Enhanced knowledge of the different types of individual and business retirement plans, assessing contribution limits, elective deferral limitations, and prohibited transactions.
• The ability to compare and contrast qualified Roth contribution plans, SEPs, SIMPLE IRAs, and 401(k) plans.
• Identify top estate planning strategies.
• Increased understanding of current IRS administration and compliance issues.
• Exposure to relevant 2022 tax cases and rulings.

Course Description

Technology continues to evolve and amaze! In fact, but for technology, where would our businesses be today? It’s truly amazing to see how companies quickly embraced many forms of technology in response to the pandemic. That pace of change is likely to accelerate as newer technologies become mainstream. Tools such as robotic process automation, data analytics, collaboration tools, and artificial intelligence will affect virtually every organization over the coming five years, working alongside today’s mainstream technologies. Participate in this session so you are prepared to embrace and prosper in an ever-evolving technological world.

Highlights include:
• Developments in hardware and software
• Significant developments in emerging technologies and why many of these technologies are essential now
• Critical cybersecurity issues and potential solutions
• Determining if subscription-based software models are right for your team
• The impact of 5G technologies on virtually all aspects of communications

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to: • Identify significant technology issues that affect accounting and financial professionals • List at least three security practices that should be in place in every organization • Evaluate software subscription models to determine if they are ideal for your team • Differentiate between various communication and collaboration platforms, such as Teams and Zoom • Estimate the impact of emerging technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotic process automation, and data analytics on businesses • Recognize technologies that will be key in a post-pandemic environment

Course Description

Combining the real-life experience of a practicing CPA with essential down-to-earth tax materials in a high-tech format, this powerful presentation will enable participants to grasp recent individual tax changes. You’ll receive the most complete and up-to-date reference manual, written by renowned tax experts. The digital PDF manual is hyperlinked to the Internal Revenue Code, tax court decisions, and other primary authorities, making it an extremely convenient resource. Join us as our world-class tax instructors share cutting-edge tax planning strategies in a high energy, often humorous presentation style using real-life experiences, which make complicated tax topics easily understandable. Specific course topics will be announced and updated through year-end.

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Convey details of updated IRS changes
• Recognize opportunities to use business credits.
• Summarize the different types of business retirement plans, assessing contribution limits, elective deferral limitations, and prohibited transactions.
• Compare qualified Roth contribution plans, SEPs, SIMPLE IRAs, and 401(k) plans, identifying the rules on loans to participants and hardship distribution rules to ensure compliance with tax regulations.
• Discuss income subject to self-employment tax and withholding from wages, and assess the impact of various withholding and wages issues.
• Determine the difference between an independent contractor and an employee and examine subsequent reporting requirements.
• Prepare federal tax returns for C corporations.
• Prepare federal tax returns for S corporations.
• Understand federal changes and new rulings.
• Provide tax services for clients based on IRS practice and procedure provisions.
• Describe new developments in IRS policies and procedures.
• Identify the requirements of filing an offer in compromise (OIC).

Course Description

It is safe to say that you use Excel to some degree, but do you and your team use it as efficiently and effectively as you could? Are you taking advantage of newer features such as Data Models, Dynamic Arrays, and the ability to collaborate in real-time with other Excel users? Do you use IDEAS, the IFS function, or the XLOOKUP function? Is Power Query part of your daily routine? Can you use Flash Fill to manipulate data?

In this session, you will learn about each of the above features, plus many others, to boost your productivity and accuracy when working with Excel. This session is a “must-see CPE” session for every accounting and financial professional who desires to use Excel better.

Highlights include:
• New features available in Excel that accounting and financial professionals should use
• How to work with larger volumes of data in Excel
• Improving efficiency through Excel’s collaboration tools
• How to link various sources of external data into Excel for reporting and analysis
• Create user-defined functions in Excel.

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to: • Identify the importance of Power Query in everyday situations. • Utilize Flash Fill to manipulate data without resorting to formulas. • List examples of when you should use Excel’s multi-condition functions. • Define “array” and identify situations when Dynamic Arrays can improve productivity. • Specify at least two ways you can Data Models and their impact on reporting processes.

Course Description

Many accountants and others desire to have a quick overview of current and emerging issues and changes in accounting, auditing and other attest standards – to know what should be on their radar for transition and implementation. This course will provide a “big picture” overview of the most important elements of updates in U.S. GAAP and generally accepted auditing and other attest standards.

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Describe the highlights of recent accounting, auditing and other attest standards activity;
• Explain why new accounting standards were released, and the most significant impact on financial reporting;
• Describe “hot topics” in accounting and financial reporting;
• Explain current trends related to accounting alternatives related to private companies; and
• Discuss any changes in the nature of services that public accountants can provide to clients.

Course Description

Join us as we address the important and hot topics for tax and estate planning in 2022. This course will cover the latest in the legislation, court decisions, and IRS rulings that emerge in late 2021 and in 2022. Will the new administration succeed in changing how planning should be done? What opportunities exist to guard against higher tax rates in the future? Can new laws be made retroactively effective? Also, we’ll have an in-depth discussion of the key planning issues that most clients must consider as they look forward to their future. We will explore in greater depth areas of income tax planning and the ideal entity choice, as well as highlighting estate planning concerns.

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to: • Gain a practical and useful understanding of current hot issues announced by the legislature, the courts, and the IRS • Become familiar with income tax, entity choice, and estate planning strategies to benefit clients • Address planning, both in the near and long-term, to get ahead of the curve in dealing with both changes in laws and how to advise clients to proceed.

Course Description

Practitioners that provide non-audit services must strike the right balance between complying with relevant professional and regulatory standards, providing value-added client service, and mitigating litigation and other practice management risks. This course contains many case studies to reinforce best practices for managing the accounting, reporting, and performance issues associated with the attest services of compilations and reviews where reports are issued, as well as the SSARS preparation of financial statements service and other nonattest engagements.

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Be familiar with the numerous illustrations, examples, and exercises related to practical guidance to implement important key learning points;
• Leverage information obtained on engagements to enhance the quality of client service;
• Properly apply relevant professional standards and regulations for non-audit services to minimize litigation and peer review risk; and
• Describe practice management risks associated with non-audit services.

Course Description

In the past 13 years since the Great Recession, numerous trends are evolving within the financial world that require an in-depth review and analysis to determine the risks associated with these emerging trends. Additionally, social and political turmoil have created more uncertainty which has continued to impact business decision-making. The advent of the CGMA certification (Chartered Global Management Accountant) and the Ethics Codification Project for 2015 have increased the analytical skills needed by the industry financial professional. This course will explore key economic and regulatory issues that will have a substantial impact on financial and accounting projections for the next several years.

Highlights include:
The course will examine and walk-through key economic, accounting, and finance issues across the United States and internationally and its effect on both domestic and international corporations. A special focus will be provided on the effect on the knowledge base required by the “new” industry accountant.

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to: • Determine strategic intent, systemic risk and opportunity costs in the business model • Identify cost drivers in the business model • Evaluate ESG trends and impact on long term sustainability • Evaluate DE&I trends and their impact on personnel development • Recognize the link between activity based costing and lean operations • Analyze the impact of the Ukrainian-Russian Ware and the international economic turmoil and uncertainly • Evaluate the impact of the dollar as the world currency. • Analyze significant macro risks to an entity during the pandemic recovery phase • Analyze the impact of emerging accounting issues to include state and local unfunded obligations and potential tax implications to the business, deferred maintenance, logistic bottlenecks, and risks • Analyze the impact of inflation on an organization and the global economy • Determine the impact of financial capacity on financial projections and the ability to find new funding sources in the light of new bank loan loss reporting standards. • Evaluate programs for retirement planning for your staff during periods of economic turmoil so that non-planning does not become your personnel issue. • Analyze the future of medical costs in the United States and impact on employees • Analyze the impact of a deficient national infrastructure on overall economic growth potential, particularly for accounting/financial projections.

Course Description

The course explores the challenges of the current economic trends and analyzes their impact on you as the financial executive in areas of human resource management; credit markets and
banking; risk management and pandemic style disruptions; cash flow planning strategies; debt and equity mix impacts in uncertain markets; globalization of the market in times of uncertainty; retirement planning and social security funding; and acquiring distressed companies and assets. Specific recommendations and insights will be offered to you to deal with the challenges.

Highlights include:
• Strategic, operational planning and risk management
• Regulatory, Fiscal and Monetary policies impact on the organization
• Managing the finances of the organization during periods of rapid changes
• Managing risk in an uncertain economic climate

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to: • Taking a strategic perspective relative to risk management and crisis management in an uncertain economic climate to include employee shortages, skill set shortages, and baby boomer retirements. • Review the impact uncertainty and risk at the operational level relative to short and intermediate term decision making. • Determine the safety and soundness of the financial plans for your organization in an uncertain economic climate specifically as it relates to capital adequacy and strategic direction. • Manage the debt and equity mix for your organization in a rapidly changing economic landscape. • Analyze the impact of the credit markets on your banking relationships and financial needs of the organization and the organizations ability to raise capital. • Determine the impact on an organization of competing in a supply chain constrained environment • Evaluate the impact of federal, state and municipal deficits and unfunded mandates as it relates to tax planning in a post pandemic recovery or recession • Determine the safety and soundness of your critical businesses processes in an uncertain environment. • Influencing growth through acquisition of distressed organizations during the next recession • The economic way ahead for the CFO/Controller in 2022 and beyond.

Course Description

The topics of Retirement, Eldercare and Post-Mortem Planning present a constantly changing set of rules, tax thresholds and concerns about future legislation. This course will address the many planning challenges and opportunities from the perspective of tax, estate, and public benefit planning that confront individuals as they reach their senior years. This course discusses the issues of concern for an aging population. The need for a well-considered estate plan is addressed, along with some of the post-mortem planning decisions that must be considered. We examine the complexity of the social security system, particularly as it involves the various choices and planning strategies one has in taking the available benefits. The government entitlement program of Medicare is reviewed, particularly with an analysis of what is and is not covered, and how planning may increase one’s chances of securing the benefits of this program. Retirement planning issues are explored, particularly on the distribution planning changes required by the Secure Act, the impact of new life expectancy assumptions and the financial considerations of what must be saved for retirement.

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to: • Evaluate a number of estate planning alternatives that address a variety of personal and financial circumstances and recommend the best plan for their clients • Explain the tax consequences of an estate plan, taking into account the exemptions provided by law and the choices that can be made to minimize the tax consequences of death • Analyze estate planning issues for estates of varying sizes • Appreciate the complexities of the social security system and gain an understanding of planning techniques for maximizing the timing and enjoyment of benefits • Address what the Medicare system does and does not cover, when to apply for benefits to avoid penalties, and how planning can make a difference in what individuals may receive • Understand the impact of the Secure Act on retirement plan distribution decisions and how to avoid the traps • Advise clients as to what must be done with their retirement plans upon attaining age 72 as well as the best ways to minimize tax consequences when leaving retirement plan benefits to their heirs