CPE Catalog & Events
Surgent's Data Security: Best Practices to Protect Your Business and Yourself
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Virtual
1.00 Credits
Ethical duty to safeguard employee, client, and litigant data Common threats, including phishing, ransomware, and bad password management Security management of business and personal electronic devices Best practices for creating and securing passwords Insight into how our personal information is exploited in our daily lives
Income Tax Analysis: Exploring In-Depth Concepts
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Virtual
2.00 Credits
The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Introduction to GAAP and IRC FrameworksKey Differences Between Financial Reporting and Tax ReportingUnderstanding Timing DifferencesRecognition of Revenue and Expenses Under GAAP vs. IRCDiscussion of Deferred Tax AssetsImpact of Deferred Tax LiabilitiesPermanent vs. Temporary DifferencesReconciliation of Book Income to Taxable Income
Get started with Power BI
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Virtual
2.00 Credits
The major topics that will be covered in this class include:Overview of the Power BI Tools: Introduction to the Power BI ecosystem, including Excel’s Power BI features (Power Pivot and Power Query) and standalone tools (Power BI Desktop, Power BI Service, Power BI Report Builder and Power BI Report Server).Tour of the Tools: Introduction to the interfaces of Power Pivot, Power Query, Power BI Desktop and Power BI Services.Comparative Analysis: Understand the strengths and limitations of Excel’s Power BI features versus standalone Power BI tools.Strategic decision-making on when to use each tool for optimal efficiency and accuracy in data analysis tasks.
ChatGPT for Accountants: 50+ Use Cases
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Virtual
2.00 Credits
Major topics covered in this course include:Introduction to ChatGPT and artificial intelligence chatbot technologiesAutomating frequently asked questions and the onboarding processVerifying and reviewing financial recordsProviding real-time support to clientsGenerating financial reportsAutomating tax return preparation and financial planningProviding guidance on financial decision making
Learning to Teach "Tax" as a Second Language
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Virtual
1.00 Credits
The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Accounting as a foreign languageCommonly misunderstood conceptsCommunicating tax mattersClient-practitioner interactionsInteracting with tax authorities
Ethical Considerations of the New AICPA SSTS Rules
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Virtual
2.00 Credits
The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Review of the new AICPA Statement on Standards for Tax ServicesReorganization of SSTS by type of work performedDiscuss new standards on data protection, reliance on tools and representation of tax clients before taxing authorities
Surgent's Employer's Handbook: Health Care, Retirement, and Fringe Benefit Tax Issues
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Virtual
4.00 Credits
ERISA compliance: employee welfare plans and qualified plans Fringe benefit issues: COBRA, Family and Medical Leave Act, and new developments in health care Health care plans: HRAs, HSAs, and other employer-sponsored plans Qualified plan requirements: eligibility, coverage, and vesting
Microsoft Teams - Everything You Need to Know from A to Z
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Virtual
4.00 Credits
The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Understanding the "big picture" of the role the Teams app plays in your Microsoft 365 ecosystemHow to effectively design your teams / channels configurationDetailed review of all the features for creating conversation postsDetailed review of all the features for creating, editing and managing Office files within the Teams appHow to use the search features to find Teams content instantlyStep by step review of how to host and participate in Teams online meetingsUsing Teams calling features for your phone systemHow to manage your notification settings in TeamsAnd more
Pass-Through and Corporate Annual Tax Update
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Virtual
4.00 Credits
Strategies for tax savings Business entity changes IRS administrative issues, compliance and new forms Court cases settled in the last year that provide tax return guidance Position authority IRS rulings, procedures and notices for the last year New, updated and expiring tax deductions and credits
How Changes in Business Methods Affects Internal Control
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Virtual
8.00 Credits
The major topics covered in this class include:How is business changing.What is driving the change and how long will it last.How specifically is an organizations control system important.What steps are needed to “keep up” with the upheaval.
Surgent's A Complete Guide to the Yellow Book
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Virtual
8.00 Credits
When is the auditor required to follow the Yellow Book (aka Government Auditing Standards or GAGAS)? How the Yellow Book requirements relate to generally accepted auditing standards and the single audit requirements The different types of Yellow Book audit and attestation engagements that auditors may be called upon to perform The Yellow Book standards related to the qualifications of the auditor (i.e., requirements related to independence, CPE, peer review, and more) The Yellow Book requirements related to the performance of and reporting on a financial audit The Yellow Book requirements related to attestation engagements (i.e., examinations, reviews, and agreed-upon procedures engagements) and performance audits
Surgent's Audits of 401(k) Plans: New Developments and Critical Issues
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Virtual
8.00 Credits
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
Surgent's Fiduciary Income Tax Returns - Form 1041 Workshop with Filled-in Forms
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Virtual
8.00 Credits
Classifying receipts between “income” and “corpus” under the Uniform Principal and Income Act Calculation of DNI utilizing three different methods, a “forms” method (Schedule B), a “code” method, and a “shortcut” method, utilizing a worksheet of common income and expenses Proper W-2 preparation and procedures in the year of death Taxpayer passes before taking a required minimum distribution; what must be done? Forgetful fiduciaries of simple trusts Fluctuating trusts – Simple one year, complex the next Dividing income in the year of death Overview of Subchapter J Form preparation issues – Filing requirements and line-by-line explanations of Form 1041 Taxable income of estates and trusts and expense allocation issues Specific deductions and miscellaneous itemized deductions Income in respect of a decedent The income distribution deduction calculation Relation of principal and income law to DNI Understanding how to handle capital gains and losses Allocating tax items to beneficiaries: another K-1 Other considerations: excess deductions on termination Comprehensive DNI case study, with principal (cost and FMV) and income reconciliation Comprehensive trust and estate case studies, with filled-in forms
Long-Term Care Insurance: Make the Switch
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Virtual
1.00 Credits
The major topics that will be covered in this course include:The need to fund for long-term care in AmericaClient's attitudes and misconceptionsInnovative long-term care solutions and funding
Accountants and Malpractice: Can We Get Sued for This?
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Virtual
2.00 Credits
The major topics that will be covered in this class include:How accountant liability is a very real threat in today's litigious society.A discussion of scenarios in which accounting professionals can find themselves inadvertently involved in a lawsuit.Pitfalls in which the accountant may find him- or her- self while dealing with clients.Real-life examples from the speaker's extensive experience as a practitioner and as an expert witness in accounting malpractice cases.
Surgent's Excel Lookups: Moving Beyond VLOOKUP Limitations
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Virtual
2.00 Credits
Using lookup functions as an alternative to direct cell references Understand the limitations of the VLOOKUP function Discover ways to move beyond these limitations
Surgent's Hiring and Firing of Employees - What You Can and Cannot Do
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Virtual
2.00 Credits
Employment at will — what this means in a practical sense Implied employment contracts What a prospective employer can ask about, and test for, during employment interviews Federal anti-discrimination rules applicable to hiring and firing How to discipline or fire an employee and not get sued FMLA/ADA/PWFA — Pregnant Worker’s Fairness Act Constructive discharge — what is it and how it affects your business?
Using AI to Instantly Transform Ideas into Revenue Streams
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Virtual
2.00 Credits
The major topics that will be covered in this course include:AI-powered ideation and opportunity identification techniquesDigital asset creation workflows using generative AI toolsAudio and video content generation using AI avatars and synthesisE-commerce integration and product development strategiesAI-driven presentation and visual content creationSocial media content optimization and distributionMulti-format content transformation (articles, songs, comics, storyboards)
Forensic Accounting: Crafting Expert Reports
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Virtual
4.00 Credits
The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Introduction to Forensic Accounting: Gain an understanding of the fundamentals, roles, and responsibilities of forensic accountants in uncovering financial discrepancies, fraud, and economic damages.Maintain Ethical Integrity: Learn the importance of ethics in forensic accounting and strategies for ethical decision-making.Expert Report Preparation: Learn the essential components, best practices, and common pitfalls in writing clear, concise, and objective expert reports for legal proceedings.Investigation Report Writing: Explore the methodologies for conducting investigations, gathering evidence, and crafting thorough and accurate investigation reports.Economic Damages Writing: Understand the methodologies and best practices for calculating economic damages, including lost profits, business valuation, and other financial impacts.Reviewing Investigation Reports and Economic Damages: Analyze real-world examples to review and critique investigation reports and damage calculations, highlighting key insights and lessons learned.
Becoming Conflict Competent
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Virtual
2.00 Credits
Major topics covered in this course include:Levels of conflictStrategies to de-escalate conflictDistinction between miscommunication and conflictResponses to conflictTactics to address, rather than avoid, conflict
