CPE Catalog & Events

Grading Your Auditors - Are You Getting the Most Value?

The major topics that will be covered in this class include:Limitations in roles and responsibilities an auditor can accept without impairing independenceAssessing the strength of your auditor's ability to think critically, strategically, and creatively in appropriate circumstancesEvaluating your auditor's time and project management stillsGrading your auditor's communication and interpersonal skills, in exceeding your expectations on an audit

AI Prompt Engineering Masterclass for Accountants

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Introduction to Prompt Engineering: Basics of structuring effective prompts for meaningful AI responses.Understanding AI's "Lazy" Defaults: Why LLMs provide basic answers and how to push them to deliver richer insights.Multi-Layered Prompting: Techniques to encourage AI to provide responses across beginner to expert levels.Candid and Contrarian Responses: Using prompts that elicit honest and balanced insights, even on controversial topics.Ripple Effect and Cobra Effect: Probing the broader impacts and unintended consequences of financial decisions.Avoid Stupidity Checklist: A practical prompt for reducing mistakes in AI-assisted accounting tasks.Role-Based Perspective Prompts: Crafting prompts that guide AI to respond from specific professional viewpoints.Automation Ideas: Leveraging AI to optimize repetitive accounting tasks.Emotion-Driven Prompting: Exploring how emotion-focused prompts can enhance AI performance and engagement.Practical Applications in Accounting: How to apply prompt engineering in real-world financial analysis and decision-making.

Comprehensive Update: FASB, AICPA (SAS, SQMS, SSARS & Ethics) 25-26

ASU effective in 2024 and beyond Recent SAS Selected ethics interpretations

Living Trust Administration Workshop 25-26

The steps in Trust Administration Delaware Tax Trap -its unique use Change of the exemption in 2026 and its impact Whether to file a 706 for portability election and/or Q-Tipping the Credit Trust Preparation of trust accountings Trust administration of Medi-Cal Trusts, QPRT, GRAT and IDGTs

Staff Tax Training: Partnerships and LLCs - Form 1065 25-26

Extensive review of the partnership tax laws with an emphasis on any new legislative changes and Form 1065 (and related schedules) preparation issues 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 preparation issues including separately and non-separately stated income and expense items (including the 20% qualified business income (QBI) deduction, 3.8% net investment income tax, business interest deduction limitations, fringe benefits and entertainment expenses) Calculating the tax and 704(b) book capital accounts Understand the substantial economic effect requirement to have special allocations to the partners/members Allocation of recourse and non-recourse debt to the schedule K-1s Deductibility of fringe benefits, including health insurance premiums Guaranteed payments & self-employment tax issues and pitfalls Overview of how partnership losses and deductions can be limited to calculating a partner/member s outside basis and at-risk rules 754 election for optional basis adjustments triggering 743 (transfer of interests) and 734 (distributions) Partnership liquidation and distribution tax ramifications at both the partnership and partner level

Risk Assessment Under SAS No. 145: The Key to Audit Quality?

The topics that will be covered in this class include:New concepts due to the issuance of SAS No. 145Revised requirement to separately assess inherent risk and control riskA new definition of significant risk New emphasis on IT controls and risk of material misstatementNew guidance on maintaining professional skepticismRevised requirements to evaluate the design of certain controlsRevised requirements regarding audit documentationNew guidance on scalability

AI in Review: Updates from the Past Second Quarter and Implications for CPA Firms (Q2 Update)

The Ethic of Recruitment and Selection

The major topics covered in this course include:Discussion of ethical and effective recruiting strategiesSelection processes that foster diversity and inclusionHow to increase talent pools to ensure hiring success

Comprehensive Accounting and Financial Reporting Update

The major topics covered in this class include:CECL for nonfinancial institutions.Accounting for Paycheck Protection Program loans.Accounting for web-hosting services.Revenue recognition.Leases.FASB projects in progress.

Navigating IRS Collections: The Collection Process

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Overview of the IRS collection process.Taxpayer rights and the Taxpayer Bill of Rights.Collection due process and appeals.Installment agreements and offers in compromise.Wage garnishments, levies, and liens.Penalties and interest.

Determining Reasonable Compensation for Owner Employees

The major topics covered in this class include:An analytical framework for analyzing and opining on reasonable replacement compensation for owner-employees of closely held businesses and professional practices in the context of tax planning, compliance, management consulting and business appraisal assignmentsExecutive compensation components, including the valuation of non-qualified plans and restricted stock units

Leadershift Ethics: Things Must Change!

The major topics covered in this course include:The litmus test for all of your decisions and actionsEthical principles when managing through changePressures that threaten ethical change managementCase studies of what can go sideways when ethics are not part of every stage of changeWinning strategies for ethical self-regulation

How AI Fits into the Accounting World

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:An overview of AI constructs.How artificial intelligence is being used by accountants today.Accounting-centric AI developments on the horizon.

Create Measures in Power BI that Define Your Metrics

The major topics that will be covered in this class include:Introduction to DAX: Understanding the fundamentals of DAX and its role in Power BI.Advanced DAX Formulas: Delving into complex DAX functions and formulas for creating sophisticated measures.Time Intelligence in DAX: Exploring time-based functions to analyze data over different periods.Validating Measures with DAX: Techniques for ensuring accuracy and reliability in your DAX measures.Using PivotTables for Measure Validation: Employing PivotTables in Power BI to test and confirm the effectiveness of DAX measures.

Exploring the New Lease Accounting Standard

The major topics covered in this class include:What is a lease?Recognition and measurement of lease assets and liabilities Impact on lessors and lesseesDisclosures and transition rulesEffective dates

ChatGPT and Advanced Accounting Research

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:The accounting research transformation: Comparing Google vs. AI methodologiesAI ecosystems and specialized models for accounting applicationsAdvanced prompt engineering techniques for financial and tax researchAI-powered search engines and deep research platforms for accounting professionals AI as an ideation and thinking partner for complex accounting problems Specialized accounting research tools and AI superstoresPersona priming and P&P stacking methodologies for optimal AI interactionsEthical considerations and limitations of AI in accounting researchThe compliance chess effect: AI's impact on tax planning and regulatory responseAI-driven automation for regulatory updates and compliance monitoring

Surgent's Working Remotely: Best Practices, Challenges, and Opportunities

Technology and workstation arrangements Maximizing productivity Establishing procedures that can be implemented throughout the organization Understanding the relationship between remote work and employee retention Effective communication strategies for staying connected with colleagues and clients The productivity challenges unique to working from home Time management The importance of distinguishing between the “home office” and “home” Data privacy concerns Other ethical considerations that arise when working from home

Lessons on Fraud Prevention from Sam Bankman-Fried's Crypto

Major topics covered in this course include:What starts a government investigation for white-collar crime?What is an indictment?What is extradition?What are pre-trial proceedings?What is a mitigation strategy?What is a plea agreement?What is discovery in a criminal case?What factors influence a sentence in a white-collar crime?What collateral consequences follow for people convicted of business-related crime?

Self-Rental Real Estate: Passive Activity & Section 199A

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

Tech It to the Next Level: Slim Your Team for Max Efficiency

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:How to leverage tech and automation to fill workflow gaps, How to build a strong tech stack, and connect tools seamlessly.How one proven tech stack replaced more than half a traditional team while improving client satisfaction and reducing overhead.