CPE Catalog & Events
Surgent's Employer's Handbook: Legal, Tax, and Health Care Issues
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Virtual
8.00 Credits
Hiring and firing issues – What questions cannot be asked in an interview; how to document employee performance; establishing an annual review system; when an employer may and may not fire an employee, and much more Employment contracts – An analysis of the legal and planning issues in structuring employment contracts; when noncompetition agreements will and will not work Employment issues in the economy – Telecommuters and other special situations Legal liability issues – Recognition of age discrimination, sex discrimination, FLSA issues, minimum wage, overtime, sexual harassment, and more Fringe benefit issues – COBRA, Family and Medical Leave Act, and new developments in health care Medical plans – Who is a full-time employee?
Improve Spreadsheets by Building Controls in Excel
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Virtual
2.00 Credits
The major topics that will be covered in this class include:Learn best practices when designing your spreadsheets How to create a proper worksheet structureLearn to use Excel's built in features to find errorsHow to create your custom controls to prevent and find errorsUsing links to quickly move to controlsUsing Conditional Formatting to highlight errors
ACPEN: Audit Blind Spots in Modern Cloud: Risks Audits Keep Missing
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Online
1.00 Credits
Cloud Audit Blindspots Continuous Change Gaps CSPM-Enabled Assurance Risk-Based Prioritization Audit Program Modernization
ACPEN: Section 174: New Rules for R&E and OBBA Update
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Online
1.00 Credits
Revised rules for tax years 2022-2024 How to change from amortizing R&E to immediately expensing R&E Analysis of the Revenue Procedure related to changes in accounting method Options available to change accounting methods Comprehensive example of how to make the accounting method change Distinction between R&E expense and R&E credit
Self-Rental Real Estate: Passive Activity & Section 199A
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Virtual
2.00 Credits
The major topics that will be covered in this class include:Definition of self-rental property - both for Sections 199A and 469Self-rental income from directly owned properties and reporting on Form 1040, Schedule E, page 1Self-rental income from indirectly owned (partnerships, S corporations) and reporting on Form 1040, Schedule E, page 2Form 8582 (passive activity)The flow-through entity grouping electionIllustrative examples and consequences of failing to comply with the reporting standardsSelf-rental property and "former passive activities" rules
Surgent's Client Advisory Services (CAS): A Guide to the Variety of Offerings Professionals Can Provide
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Virtual
0.00 Credits
Details on CAS: new services or rebranding? Review the value of timely accurate automated accounting Review the three levels of service Discuss technology options Assess your client base for who would benefit most from CAS Staffing requirements for CAS The value of servicing a niche
Surgent's Tax Research - Intermediate Concepts
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Virtual
2.00 Credits
Tax code hierarchy Organization of an Internal Revenue Code section Special rules for IRC citation Citing other primary authorities Private letter rulings Primary vs. secondary authority Secondary sources of authority Steps in the tax research process Research memoranda
Comprehensive Audit & SSARS Update
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Virtual
4.00 Credits
The major topics that will be covered in this course include:AICPA Accounting and Review Services Committee standards update and new practice aidAICPA Auditing Standards Board standards update including recent changes to the audit and attestation standardsAICPA’s new Quality Management Standards - Overview, implementation considerations, timeline, and AICPA implementation resourcesPCAOB, IAASB standard-setting agenda and potential future AICPA ASB standards changesUpdate on AICPA’s Enhancing Audit Quality InitiativeTrends in audit quality including the DOL’s audit quality studyFrequent peer review findings and practice tips for achieving high practice qualityLatest on the DOL’s audit quality study
ACPEN: How to Get a Better Return on Yellow Book and Single Audits - Avoiding the Most Misapplied Audit Concepts
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Online
8.00 Credits
Discover the fundamental differences in the auditor's responsibilities between financial statement audits performed in accordance with the SASs and Yellow Book Understand risk assessment factors above those associated with a financial statement audit only Learn what must be done beyond the financial statement audit in order to issue required Yellow Book and Single Audit reports on internal controls and compliance Master designing, performing and documenting effective and efficient tests of compliance requirements Practice identifying, documenting and communicating the impact of internal control deficiencies and compliance audit findings to the client Common peer review deficiencies
The Future of Audit: Technology, Talent & Transformation
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Virtual
1.00 Credits
To purchase the report referenced in this presentation, or any of the research papers published by CPA Crossings, visit https://www.cpacrossings.com/research. The major topics that will be covered in this course include: Explore AI, blockchain, and data analytics impact on audits Address talent crisis through retention and upskilling strategies Navigate PCAOB standards and regulatory sandbox concepts Expand audits to include ESG and nonfinancial metrics Implement technology solutions for firms of all sizes
ACPEN: Awful Ethical Dilemmas – Bringing it to Life, featuring J. Michael Inzina and Don Minges
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Online
1.00 Credits
Following the letter of the Code versus following the spirit of the Code Preparing for conflicts of interest Document your analysis of the situations Five (5) case study examples
ACPEN: Is Activity-Based Costing the Right Tool for Your Organization?
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Online
2.00 Credits
ABC versus traditional costing First-stage allocation Determining predetermined overhead rates Second-stage allocation Activity-based reporting Activity-based management
CFO Series: Internal Controls That Matter: Smart Practices
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Virtual
2.00 Credits
The major topics that will be covered in this course include:What internal controls are and what they are notWhy even small organizations need controlsCOSO and the five core components of a sound internal control systemCommon control failures and real-world consequencesExamples of scalable financial, operational, and compliance controlsHow to tailor controls to your organization’s size and risk profileEmbedding internal controls into daily operationsHow to monitor, evaluate, and adapt controls over time
ACPEN: The Preparation of Form 706 - Line-by-Line
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Online
3.00 Credits
Overview of Form 706 and estate tax fundamentals Gross estate valuation and inclusion rules Deductions, credits, and tax computation Portability election and its implications Filing deadlines and procedural requirements Common issues and IRS audit triggers Legislative changes affecting estate taxation
ACPEN: Guide to Preparing Form 1041 for Estates and Trusts
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Online
4.00 Credits
Current rates and brackets Calculating a trust's AGI Filing requirements, deadlines and penalties 3.8% Medicare surtax on net investment income (NII) Simple vs. complex trusts Grantor Trusts: Four options to report activity Section 643 (g) Election Taxable income of trusts, estate and beneficiaries
ACPEN: Qualified Business Income (QBI) Deduction (§199A) – The Ins & Outs
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Online
8.00 Credits
Detailed coverage of calculating the combined qualified business income amount (i.e., QBI component and REIT/PTP component) Determine what trade or businesses under §162 are eligible for the QBI deduction (i.e., rentals and specified service trades or businesses (SSTB)) Discuss how the 20% QBI deduction (i.e., QBI component) is subject to a wage/capital limitation and SSTB income is phased-out for taxpayers with taxable income above the inflation adjusted threshold amounts Walk through the simplified QBI Form 8995 (i.e., taxpayers below the TI threshold amounts) and detailed Form 8995-A and related schedules Determine what wages and unadjusted basis immediately after acquisition (UBIA) are for those subject to the wage and capital limitations Look at what the definition of QBI is and what items are effectively connected with that trade or business (i.e., self-employment tax, health insurance, retirement plans) Review the aggregation rules for the QBI computation and both the entity and individual level Walk through the reporting responsibilities of partnerships and S corporations to their owners on the Schedule K-1s Explain how the modifications to the net operating losses (NOLs) and §461(l) excess business loss limitations affect the QBI computation
Corporate Finance Technology Selection: Practical Frameworks
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Virtual
1.00 Credits
The major topics that will be covered in this course include:The changing finance technology landscape: continuous processing, modular ecosystems, automated controls, and real-time visibility (and the risks these shifts introduce)Technology trends and “AI” definitions: automation vs. machine learning vs. generative AI vs. agentic AI—what each means for governance and auditabilityFive common challenges in finance tech projects and how to address them:Cutting through vendor claims and AI hypeIntegration complexity and hidden costsChange management and proving ROIData quality readiness for AI and automationRisk, security, and governanceVendor Evaluation Scorecard: 20 criteria across five categories, including control “deal-breakers” (audit trails, segregation of duties, logging, SOC reporting, error handling)Five-Year Total Cost Framework: software, implementation, data migration/cleanup, integration build & maintenance, internal costs, training, and ongoing operations (plus common underestimates)Industry-specific considerations (manufacturing, distribution/wholesale, SaaS/tech, professional services)Four-phase implementation roadmap with checkpoints and red flags: Assessment & Planning; Selection & Negotiation; Implementation & Testing; Optimization & Ongoing GovernanceWorking with external advisers (CPA/auditor involvement, implementation partner expectations, and common deficiencies to avoid)
ACPEN: Analytical Procedures for Nonprofits
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Online
2.00 Credits
How to leverage preliminary and substantive analytic procedures to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of financial statement audits The required elements of a substantive analytic procedures to address detection risk Tips and traps of applying an analytic approach to satisfy audit objectives Explaining the usefulness of analyzing diverse trends and ratios in a nonprofit environment to meet the needs of various financial statement users Common ratios and trends to assess liquidity, operating efficiency, leverage, and more
Accounting for and Auditing Cryptocurrency & Digital Assets
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Virtual
2.00 Credits
The major topics covered in this class include:Common applications related to initial recognition and measurement, subsequent measurement or derecognition, presentation, and disclosure of cryptocurrency and other digital assetsFeedback from the AICPA's Digital Assets Working Group intended to assist auditors with opining on these digital records
ACPEN: The Ethical Side of Trust, featuring Richard A. Karwic and Don Minges
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Online
1.00 Credits
The seven components of trust High standards, loyalty, doing the right thing, listen, empathy and accountability The value of trust How ethics relates to trust and how trust relates to ethics