CPE Catalog & Events
Don Farmer's Basics of Foreign Reporting for Individuals: How to Avoid Large Penalties
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Virtual
2.00 Credits
Overview of U.S. International Reporting Regime * Worldwide income taxation for U.S. persons * Distinction between income reporting and information reporting * Key enforcement priorities FBAR (FinCEN Form 114) * Who must file * Definition of foreign financial account * $10,000 aggregate threshold * Signature authority considerations * Civil penalty framework (non-willful vs. willful violations) FATCA Reporting - Form 8938 * Specified foreign financial assets * Filing thresholds (U.S. residents vs. taxpayers living abroad) * Coordination and overlap with FBAR * Statute of limitations implications Other Common Individual Foreign Information Returns * Form 3520 (foreign gifts and trusts) * Form 5471 (controlled foreign corporations) * Form 8865 (foreign partnerships) * Overview of Form 8621 (PFIC reporting) Penalties and Enforcement * Civil penalty structures * Accuracy-related penalties and extended statutes * IRS audit trends * Reasonable cause defenses Compliance and Risk Management * Client intake and due diligence procedures * Documentation best practices * Amended filings and delinquent submission procedures * Practitioner ethical responsibilities
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 Engagement Letters: Scope and Risk Management
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Virtual
2.00 Credits
Essential clauses made simple Keeping independence intact Change orders that prevent fights Stopping scope creep early What insurers and peer reviewers are seeing now
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
ACPEN: How to Get a Better Return on Financial Statement Audits – Avoiding the Most Misapplied Risk-Based Audit Concepts
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Online
8.00 Credits
Properly assessing inherent, control, and fraud risk on an engagement, and linking the results to an appropriately tailored detailed audit plan based on risk assessment and client service goals, regardless of entity type (for-profit, nonprofit, governmental) Leveraging strong substantive analytic procedures as audit evidence to cut back on tests of details The most common efficiency opportunities for tailoring your audit approach based on risk How to use the workpaper review process as a tool for producing a more effective and efficient engagement Using audit documentation to enhance audit quality, while ensuring every workpaper has a purpose How to use the client to your advantage in planning and performing the audit Learn how to get the engagement out the door – on time and on budget!
AI & Accounting in Manufacturing
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Virtual
2.00 Credits
The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Intelligent automation and dark factoriesPredictive maintenance and real-time cost trackingAI-enabled financial reporting and dashboardsContinuous auditing and anomaly detectionTax compliance automation and transfer pricing AIData governance and cybersecurity in financial systemsWorkforce reskilling and AI-augmented financial roles
ACPEN: Schedule C of Form 1040
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Online
2.00 Credits
When Schedule C applies Cash v. Accrual method Typical business deductions Business vehicle expenses Section 179 and bonus depreciation
Bytes, Bias, and Balance: Data Ethics for Savvy Accountants
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Virtual
2.00 Credits
The major topics that will be covered in this course include:The transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) in accounting and auditingEnhancing efficiency and innovation with AI toolsMitigating challenges such as overreliance, data security vulnerabilities, and ethical dilemmas
Surgent's Autonomous Agents in Audit and Assurance
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Virtual
0.00 Credits
Audit use cases: automated sampling, real-time analytics, evidence gathering Case studies: Big 4 agent-driven assurance platforms Agent reliability, explainability, and audit documentation PCAOB AS 1105, ISA 330, and agent-auditor integration Governance: SOC 1/SOC 2 controls for audit AI tools
ACPEN: On the Dash: Why Your Nonprofit Needs a Dashboard
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Online
1.00 Credits
Dashboard uses and best practices in designing visualizations Trends in dashboard design, including new technologies and automation Enhancing transparency and clear communication with nonprofit board members and other stakeholders
ACPEN: The Value of Conflict
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Online
1.00 Credits
Conflict resolution
Compilation, Preparation and Review Basics and Peer Reviews
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Virtual
2.00 Credits
The major topics covered in this class include:Basic requirements included in AR-C Section 60, General Principles; AR-C Section 70, Preparation of Financial Statements; AR-C Section 80, Compilation Engagements; and AR-C Section 90, Review of Financial Statements.New requirements included in SSARS No. 25, Materiality in a Review of Financial Statements and Adverse Conclusions.Common peer review findings.Practice tips for high-quality engagements.
ACPEN: Preparing and Reviewing Workpapers for Higher Quality Audits
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Online
4.00 Credits
The primary purpose of workpaper documentation, and minimum documentation requirements for workpaper preparers Best practices for documenting complex and subjective procedures and conclusions, such as estimates, substantive analytic procedures, etc. that impact the nature and extent of audit documentation needed to support audit conclusions Discussing the financial statement audit risk concept, including how proper application better ensures a higher quality audit Tips for an efficient workpaper review process that complies with relevant standards
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: IRS Cybersecurity Checklist
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Online
2.00 Credits
Defining Cybersecurity and Cyber Risks Implications of Cybercrime Cyber Attack Trends Landscape of Cyberattacks Laws and Regulations Security Standards and Frameworks Cybersecurity Roadmap
Surgent's Section 199A: Schedule K-1 Reporting by Relevant Pass-Through Entities
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Virtual
4.00 Credits
The latest guidance from the IRS provided through regulations or administrative announcements Reporting requirements for all relevant pass-through entities Reporting for multiple activities within one entity Allocating common items among multiple activities Section 199A Schedule K-1 reporting for tiered entities Calculating and reporting qualified wages and the unadjusted basis immediately after acquisition of qualified property Allocating §199A relevant amounts to beneficiaries of trusts using DNI Handling separately stated items for which qualified business income status is determined at the shareholder or partner level The effects of ownership changes on §199A reporting on Schedule K-1 Reporting publicly traded partnership income and REIT income to the partners or shareholders Reporting aggregated activities Allocating §199A amounts to partners when special allocations have been made by the partnership
Surgent's Understanding Partnership Taxation: Types of Basis, Contributions, and Distributions
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Virtual
4.00 Credits
Three different types of basis Contributions of property IRC 704(b) – Capital Accounts and Special Allocations Contributions of property and debt Contributions of services IRS Notice 2020-43
Surgent's You’ve Got This: An Introduction to Yellow Book and Single Audits
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Virtual
0.00 Credits
What’s included (and excluded) in a Yellow Book audit Key qualification, performance, and reporting standards under the Yellow Book How single audits differ from financial statement audits, plus core concepts like the SEFA, major program determination, and findings reporting Fundamentals of testing internal controls over compliance and performing compliance testing
How Recent Auditing Standards Improve Risk-Based Audits
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Virtual
4.00 Credits
The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Key changes to audit report elements intended to improve the understandability of the nature and results of financial statement auditsEnhanced required by-product communications with management and those charged with governance to promote more reliable financial statementsClarifications related to obtaining sufficient and appropriate audit evidence, including significant unusual transactions, related parties, going concern uncertainty, and accounting estimatesNew definitions and requirements related to identifying and evaluating risks of material misstatementOther important matters contained in recent SASs
ACPEN: Partnership & LLC (Form 1065) – Formation to Liquidation
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Online
8.00 Credits
Extensive review of the partnership tax laws with an emphasis on any new legislative changes Overview of different forms of business entities including the check-the-box regulations Formation issues including the mandatory allocation of the §704(c) pre-contribution gain or losses back to the contributing partner/member Schedule K and K-1 – separately stated versus non-separately stated income and expense items Detailed Schedule K-1 reporting including the 20% qualified business income (QBI) deduction and 3.8% net investment income tax Calculating the tax and §704(b) book capital accounts Substantial economic effect requirement to have special allocations to the partners/members Allocation of recourse & non-recourse debt on K-1s Guaranteed payment issues and tax treatment of fringe benefits Self-employment tax issues and pitfalls Tax treatment of distributions – cash versus non-cash & liquidating versus non-liquidating Sales and liquidations (redemptions) of partnership interests §754 optional basis adjustments and mandatory adjustments
