CPE Catalog & Events

2026/27 Annual Update for Not-for-Profit Accountants & Audit

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Overview of accounting developments affecting not-for-profit organizations, including recently issued Accounting Standards Updates (ASUs) from the Financial Accounting Standards Board and an introduction to the International Non-Profit Accounting Standard (INPAS).Auditing and attestation developments from the AICPA, including the next phase of quality management with a focus on monitoring and remediation responsibilities. Recent and upcoming standards affecting audit, attestation, and consulting engagements, including updates related to SSAEs, SSARSs, exposure drafts on confirmations and fraud, and changes affecting group audits. 

IRS Penalties and Abatements

The major topics covered in this class include:Various types of penalties: Accuracy related, fraud, understatement of valuation, reporting requirement, failure to pay, and pay or deposit penaltiesRules on waiver of penalties and interestsVarious forms and procedures for requesting reliefFirst Time Abatement: Requirements and proceduresHow an individual taxpayer qualifies for Reasonable Cause abatementProcedures for requesting refund of paid penaltiesAvailable administrative options

Surgent's Best Practices in Not-for-Profit Accounting and Reporting

The key requirements, options, and best practices seen in each of the basic financial statements Today’s core accounting and reporting requirements related to contributions and how to apply them effectively and efficiently How to analyze and incorporate the needs of financial statement users into a not-for-profit’s financial statements and disclosures

Operations Level Internal Control

The major topics covered in this course include:An overview of controls that drive proceduresConsiderations for procedural control developmentUnderstanding and controlling risk that arises when organizations change

Surgent’s Weekly Expert Hour

Each week’s topics will change based on the most critical issues affecting financial professionals

Surgent's Tax and Advisory with Agentic AI

Agent use in transfer pricing, tax compliance automation, and M&A due diligence Examples of agent deployment in global accounting firms Regulatory frameworks Governance and controls for autonomous tax tools Strategic advisory with agent-based scenario planning

The AI Revolution in 2026: What CPAs Should Know

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:State of AI technology in 2026: capabilities, limits, and vendor solutions landscapeEssential terminology: models, training data, prompts, agents, guardrails, and moreCPA use cases: accounting, tax, advisory, and moreRisk management and data governance: data privacy, bias, accuracy, documentationWhat’s next: near-term trends and how to evaluate new tools

Analyzing IFRS Financial Statements

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Financial Analysis fundamentals: Overview of financial statements, their interconnections, and the foundation of advanced analysisLoblaw Companies Case Study: Introduction to our example company and its financial performanceAdvanced Analysis Techniques: Common size analysis, Dupont framework, financial leverage, and operational metricsOperational Focus: Separating core business performance from financing activitiesApplied analysis and managerial ratios: Segment analysis, cash flow analysis, and managerial ratiosManagement Commentary: Overview of the corporate narrative as presented from IFRS lens.

Yellow Book Independence and Single Audit Fundamentals

The major topics that will be covered in this class include:The conceptual framework approach to independenceIndependence threats related to preparing financial statements and accounting recordsConsideration of specific non-audit services that would and would not impair independenceDocumentation necessary to support adequate consideration of auditor considerationFundamentals of a compliance audit performed under the Uniform GuidanceSchedule of expenditure of federal awardsDetermination of major programsUsing the Compliance Supplement Uniform Guidance administrative requirements and cost principles Testing internal control over complianceTesting complianceWriting an audit findingReporting requirements of a single audit

How to Build a Custom AI Chatbot and GPT in Plain English

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Fundamentals of GPT Builder and AI agent customization techniquesIntegration of specialized knowledge bases and domain-specific expertiseSecurity and privacy considerations in AI chatbot deploymentCustom GPT development without coding expertiseImplementation of AI agents for customer support and workflow automationMulti-bot interactions and content creation strategiesBest practices for maintaining and scaling AI assistants

SEC Case Studies: Ethical Dilemmas in Finance and Accounting

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Introduction to Ethics and Ethical DilemmasEthical Codes and Professional StandardsFraud and the Fraud TriangleEthical Decision-Making ModelsFinancial Statement Manipulation TacticsCash Flow and Key Metrics Misrepresentations

Turning IT Budgeting into a Competitive Advantage

Get started with Power BI

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.

Corporate Transparency Act Developments

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Background of the Corporate Transparency ActBeneficial Ownership Information Reporting (BOIR) Rule Entities required to report.Reporting requirements imposed by the CTADue dates of reportsInformation needed to satisfy the BOIRImpact of failure to reportHow to submit a reportCourt rulings on CTA’s unconstitutionalityImplications to entities as a result of the ruling in NSB.Potential reporting requirements due to FinCen’s proposed rulemaking with respect to non-financed purchases of residential real estate and gratuitous transfers.

Business Partnerships: Managing Supplier Relationships

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Overview of supplier contractsCase studies of successful and not-so-successful supplier relationshipsRisk potentials

Resistance to Resilience: Strive for Tech Change Acceptance

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Resistance to resilience in embracing new technologiesOvercoming barriers and ensuring successful implementationCutting-edge audit technologies, including AI, data analytics, and automationInsights into the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)

Finding Errors in Excel Spreadsheets

The major topics that will be covered in this class include:Understanding Common Excel Errors: Gain insights into the most common types of errors encountered in Excel, including formula errors, reference errors, and logic errors.Advanced Formulas and Functions: Learn to use advanced Excel functions and formulas that are crucial for error detection and data analysis.Data Validation Techniques: Master the art of data validation to prevent errors before they occur. This includes setting up data validation rules and using conditional formatting to highlight potential inaccuracies.Error Tracing and Auditing Tools: Delve into Excel's auditing tools to trace and fix errors. Learn to use Trace Precedents, Trace Dependents, and the Error Checking tool effectively.

Individual Tax Update: OBBA and Recent Developments

The major topics that will be covered in this class include:Legislation impacting individual taxpayersThe One Big Beautiful Bill ActExtenders legislation updateChild tax and dependent care creditsSection 199A deductionCapital gains and lossesRental real estateOther passive activities losses

Surgent's What Practitioners Need to Know About Estate Planning and Administering a Client’s Estate

The federal transfer tax exemption  What constitutes a valid will Common trust vehicles often used to safeguard assets Consequences of intestacy How to transfer property outside of a will Legal treatment of marital property Transfer of IRAs and retirement plans Probate generally and probate for property held outside of the state of decedent’s residence When an estate tax return should be filed Portability of the Deceased Spousal Unused Exclusion (DSUE) amount

Surgent's Buying and Selling a Business: Tax and Structuring Overview

An overview of the beginning of the process and documents for preliminary tax planning Recognizing the need for due diligence in acquisitions, including checklists of important points Deemed asset sales – §338 and §338(h)(10) The impact of the §197 amortizable intangibles regulations on the acquisition and disposition of a business Allocating purchase price for tax advantage Planning to avoid double taxation under the repeal of the General Utilities doctrine Special problems and opportunities when an S corporation is the buyer or seller Installment sale and interest issues Avoiding tax pitfalls and recognizing tax planning opportunities Unique issues in buying and selling LLC/partnership interests Impact of the net investment income tax (NIIT) and the §199A pass-through deduction on the tax due on the sale of a pass-through entity Individually owned goodwill