CPE Catalog & Events

Ethical Considerations of the New AICPA SSTS Rules

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

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

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

How Changes in Business Methods Affects Internal Control

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Form 1041 Advanced Series Part 1: Why Complex Trusts are Complicated 25-26

How to Identify a Complex Trust and the Complications that Arise with Complex Trusts The Importance of Recognizing the Tier System used by Complex Trusts The Advantages and Requirements of the 65-day Rule Special Issues Related to the Charitable Contribution Deduction Use of a Checklist for Complex Trusts

The Ethic of Self-Esteem For Women

The major topics covered in this class include:Self-Esteem: What is it?Belief systemsBenefits of High Self EsteemMinimizing traps of low Self EsteemComponents of High Self Esteem

Will Your Ethics Be Burned by Burnout?

The major topics covered in this class include:Explore the effects of crisis and burnout on ethical decision-makingDefine the stressors, pressures, and biases that can lead good people to make less than optimal choicesDiscuss ways to offset the pressures, ways to reduce stress on ourselves and on our team, and ways to support our teamsLearn how to recognize when an individual or an organization is heading in the wrong direction and how to stop sliding down the slippery slope

Audits of 401k Plans 25-26

SAS 136 audit requirements for ERISA Section 103(a)(3)(C) audits Update of the changes affecting 401k plans Compliance issues commonly encountered in 401k plan audits Best practices for engagement planning, internal controls, risk assessment, and detailed testing Common audit reporting and disclosure issues

SSARS Codification: Preparation, Compilation and Review 25-26

SSARS Codification requirements SSARS engagements: preparation of financial statements, compilation of financial statements and proforma financial information Review of financial statements Overview coverage of the amendments to the SSARS contained in SSARS 26

How Accountants' Ethics are Impacted by the ABCD of the Digital Age