CPE Catalog & Events

The Art of the Interview 26-27

Identify inconsistencies and uncover financial misconduct. Use psychological and behavioral cues to detect deception. Build rapport to elicit key details from interview subjects. Adapt questioning techniques to different personalities and contexts.

Surgent's Accountability and Action

Defining three critical elements: responsibility, empowerment and accountability, and how they work together to create results Designing and using clear agreements that provide clarity Skills for holding yourself and others accountable for results, no matter what Knowing where you are in the accountability game... what you do/don’t do well

Surgent's Ethical Considerations for the CPA

Examine the CPA's role in today's economy Compare similarities and differences between individual and business ethics Explore the link between ethics, integrity and scruples Discuss the basic attributes of ethics and professional conduct Review the history of the CPA profession and the CPA's requirement to adhere to ethics policies and codes of conduct Review the AICPA's Code of Professional Conduct and a CPA's responsibilities to the public, clients and colleagues Discuss the common rules and statutes faced daily in the CPA profession. Case studies may also be utilized to present potential ethical dilemmas CPAs may face during their careers Review CPA Independence violations by current legal case examples

Surgent's Applying the Yellow Book to a Financial Statement Audit

Circumstances requiring auditors to follow the Yellow Book (Government Auditing Standards or GAGAS) Relationship of Yellow Book requirements to GAAS and single audit requirements The Yellow Book requirements related to the performance of and reporting on a financial audit Identifying and reporting findings under the Yellow Book

Surgent's Basics of Employment Law for Non-HR Professionals

How the application of policies and employment laws within the workplace can reduce employee complaints, and protect your company from claims of discrimination or wrongful behavior Examining wage and pay practices, FMLA examples, and other challenging workplace questions, to insure actions are consistent with laws/policies Key functions of employment including recruitment, interviewing and selection

Surgent's The Risks and Benefits of ChatGPT and Artificial Intelligence

What are AI tools? Where are we with AI tool development? What is ChatGPT? ChatGPT – what kind of queries are possible? Copyright and intellectual property issues Benefits of AI tools Concerns with AI tools Impact on business use of AI Policy on AI tools

Digital Tax Transformation for Non-Techies

Surgent's Top 20 Questions Advisors Ask About the SECURE Acts and Other IRA Rules

529 to Roth: who, what, when, and how SECURE Act 1.0 and the 10-year rule Roth IRA beneficiary options Where the stretch IRA really ends The new limitations for spouse IRA beneficiaries The new spouse options for spouse beneficiaries New RMD rules for Roth 401(k)s Overriding the 10-year rule for an eligible designated beneficiary How the age of death affects beneficiary options The new early distribution penalty exceptions Rollovers vs. transfers for spouse beneficiaries Qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) for owners and beneficiaries The “at least as rapidly” (ALAR) rule New reduced rate for excess accumulation penalty on RMD failures How to avoid unlimited accrual of the 6% excise tax How to avoid unlimited accrual of the 25% excise tax Clarifying the definition of disability for an exception to the 10% additional tax The new starting ages for RMDs Designated vs. eligible designated beneficiaries and their options Catch-up contributions for ages 50 and over Catch-up contributions for ages 60 to 63 When the 60-day deadline is missed When the one-per-year rollover limit is about to be broken Retaining qualifications for exceptions to the 10% additional tax

Creating Belonging to Improve Staff Retention

Surgent's The Most Critical Challenges in Governmental Accounting Today

The implementation of GASB No. 103 on financial reporting model improvements GASB No. 104 addressing disclosure of certain capital assets Impacts of recently applied standards, recently issued implementation guide questions, and additional GASB projects (e.g., subsequent events)

Comprehensive Passive Activity Losses (PAL) 26-27

Overview of the four loss limitation rules and how the PAL rules interact with the other limitations Definition of a PAL including a detailed review of the 7 determining factors contained in the Treasury Regulations with a review of several recent court decisions that interpret this regulation Impact of PAL rules on real estate ownership Learn the six Nonshelterable Passive Activity (NOPA) rules that act as anti-abuse rules to the PAL rules Discuss how the PAL rules impact tax credits Discuss tax elections and planning techniques associated with PALs

Real Estate Taxation 26-27

California property taxation'updated in light of Proposition 19 passage Qualified business income deductions [IRC Sec. 199A] Opportunity zone deferral related to real estate [IRC Sec. 1400Z-2] Passive activities loss rules [IRC Sec. 469] Real estate professional rules [IRC Sec. 469(c)(7)] Interest expense deduction rules [IRC Sec. 163] Home sale exclusion [IRC Sec. 121] 1031 exchanges Estate planning and gifting with real estate

Surgent's Annual Accounting and Auditing Update

Recently issued FASB Accounting Standards Updates, PCC Update, and items on the FASB’s Technical Agenda Recently issued ASUs covering derivatives, credit losses under ASC 326, government grants, and expense disaggregation FASB Final PIR Report for Leases (Topic 842) Statement on Quality Management Standards: SQMS 1, SQMS 2, and SQMS 3 Proposed SAS on the auditor’s responsibility relating to fraud Recently issued SASs and other AICPA activity Recently issued PCAOB standards and SEC rulemaking activities Other important A&A practice matters

Surgent's Predicting Future Financial Issues Facing the Financial Executive

CPA becoming attuned to broad based business knowledge, professional skepticism, and subordination of judgment The future of medical care in the United States in a post COVID-19 environment Future of social security and impact on retirement planning and employee retention Impact on financial executive if the dollar is no longer the world currency “Fate of the States” – will the location of your business make you less competitive Future of workmen’s compensation and unemployment compensation Future of interest rates Impact of greater reliance on technology AICPA top 10 trends and technologies National infrastructure ESG and DEI trends in the global economy Impact of continuing uncertainty in markets

Surgent's Guide to Understanding the At-Risk Basis Rules and Forms 6198 and 7203

Basis and at-risk basis How to calculate the amount of annual at-risk basis Forms 6198 and 7203 When activities may be aggregated for at-risk purposes Qualified nonrecourse financing

Surgent's More Money at the End of the Month: Strategic Ways to Improve Cash Flow

How to optimize cash flow Qualitative evaluations: core earnings and sustainable growth Quantitative evaluations: liquidity ratios Increasing customer base vs. payment terms Business cycle and cash Behavioral finance biases Managing head count Other potential areas of excess cost

Surgent's Taxation of Tips and Overtime Under OBBBA

$12,500 deduction per individual for qualified overtime pay Payment of overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Calculating the “premium portion” of the extra half-time pay Social Security and Medicare withholding Employer furnishing the record of qualified overtime compensation to employees Definition of a qualified tip IRS list of traditionally-tipped occupations $25,000 deduction for reported tips The transition rule allowing employers to indicate the approximate amount designated as tips or overtime State tax issues relating to tips and overtime Changes in the W-2 reflecting new employer reporting responsibilities

Tax Practice Conduct Standards: Circular 230 and AICPA Statements 26-27

Federal and California statutory and regulatory standards governing tax preparers: Preparer penalty provisions, Circular 230 and; AICPA Statements on Standards for Tax Services Tax shelter and reportable transaction issues in depth Attorney-client, Sec. 7525 and work product privilege issues and Kovel arrangements

Comprehensive Passive Activity Losses (PAL) 26-27

Overview of the four loss limitation rules and how the PAL rules interact with the other limitations Definition of a PAL including a detailed review of the 7 determining factors contained in the Treasury Regulations with a review of several recent court decisions that interpret this regulation Impact of PAL rules on real estate ownership Learn the six Nonshelterable Passive Activity (NOPA) rules that act as anti-abuse rules to the PAL rules Discuss how the PAL rules impact tax credits Discuss tax elections and planning techniques associated with PALs

Real Estate Taxation 26-27

California property taxation'updated in light of Proposition 19 passage Qualified business income deductions [IRC Sec. 199A] Opportunity zone deferral related to real estate [IRC Sec. 1400Z-2] Passive activities loss rules [IRC Sec. 469] Real estate professional rules [IRC Sec. 469(c)(7)] Interest expense deduction rules [IRC Sec. 163] Home sale exclusion [IRC Sec. 121] 1031 exchanges Estate planning and gifting with real estate