CPE & Event Catalog

The AICPA Code of Conduct. Key Washington and Oregon differences. New national and state developments. Case studies.

Detailed coverage of any new legislation affecting basis computations and distributions and changes to the schedule K-1s (including the Form 7203 - S Corporation Shareholder Stock and Debt Basis Limitations). Line-by-line analysis of the Schedule K-1s to determine how the items affect a S shareholder's stock and debt basis and a partner/member's outside basis and where the items get reported on Federal individual income tax return. The three loss and deduction limitations on the owner's individual income tax return (i.e., basis, at-risk and other Form 1040 limitations). How cash or non-cash distributions affect the basis calculations and whether or not they are taxable to the owners. Compare the tax treatment of the sale of a shareholder's stock in a S corporation and a partner's interest in a partnership. What constitutes debt basis for a S corporation shareholder under the final regulations. The tax ramifications of repaying loans to S corporation shareholders and on open account debt. How recourse and non-recourse debt effect a partner or member's basis calculations and amount at-risk.

Types of audits: external, internal, compliance, regulatory. Objectives of each audit type and how they differ. Aligning management’s role with auditor expectations. What to expect in the planning phase. Fieldwork survival tips and communication best practices. Documentation dos and don’ts. Responding to findings and building effective action plans. Avoiding common audit pitfalls. What internal controls are—and what they are not. Why even small organizations need controls. COSO and the five core components of a sound internal control system. Common control failures and real-world consequences. Examples of scalable financial, operational, and compliance controls. How to tailor controls to your organization’s size and risk profile. Embedding internal controls into daily operations. How to monitor, evaluate, and adapt controls over time. The importance and structure of the cash flow statement, and more.

Individual tax fundamentals. Tax fundamentals of LLCs and partnerships. S corporations: Key issues, compliance, and tax strategies. Capitalized costs and depreciation. Taxation of property transactions.

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.

Common deficiencies noted by peer reviewers and federal agencies. Deficiencies related to internal controls over compliance, compliance testing, and major program determination for Single Audits.

AICPA Professional Standards in a CPA’s tax practice. IRS Publication 230 and related rules. Personal liability of professionals. Engagement letter protection ideas. Citing of legal cases.

Converting S corps to C corps - Should you convert? Reasonable compensation for shareholder-employees. Restructuring shareholder loans to increase basis. Strategies for restoring terminated S corp status (retroactively). The types of debt that provide basis to shareholders. Fixing technical violations of S corporation's eligibility rules. Maximizing the QBID for S corporations. Tax consequences of property distributions from an S corp (including circumstances where ordinary income is triggered). Whether shareholders should provide funds through loans or contributions. When clients can get ordinary losses on sales or worthless of S corp stock. Exit strategies for S corporation owners. "Land banks" - using S corporations to maximize capital gains on the sale of land that will later be developed.

Key changes in governmental auditing.

Day 1 - Advanced Tax Planning S Corporations - Interpret the rules relating to the adjustment of basis in stock by S corporation shareholders. Calculate gain and loss on the distribution of property, and more. Day 2 - Advanced Taxation Partnerships and LLCs - Calculate what a partner will receive in complete liquidation of their partnership interest under Section 704(b) regulations. Identify the potential economic consequences of special allocations to a partner or LLC member, and more. Day 3 - Tax Planning for Small Businesses - Identify important tax considerations for the small business at each stage of its life. Calculate the qualified business income deduction, built-in gains tax, and the deduction for organizational costs and start-up costs, and more.

The AICPA Code of Professional Conduct. Washington ethics rules and recent changes. New developments and best practices for CPAs in public accounting and industry. Case studies and Washington administration and enforcement.

How do you handle an owner who pays for personal expenses with company funds? Can you protect the public interest without violating our profession's confidentiality rules? How can a corporate world CPA get in trouble with their board of accountancy? Is a culture of fear and intimidation particularly susceptible to corporate fraud? How can using the CPA credential get a corporate accountant in trouble? Is exaggerating your CPE hours a violation of our professional codes of conduct? What are your options when your employer is clearly breaking the law? Does any legislation provide effective Whistleblower protection?

Keys to success. Unintended consequences to avoid. Low cost is not necessarily a sound option. What are the non-quantifiable factors that can change the financing decision? Details on the time-intensive processes. Common blunders when raising financing. The perils of choosing the wrong alternative or wrong investor. Navigating compliance, risk, and benefits. Creating and sustaining a customer value pyramid. Evaluating the lifespan and relevance of your strategic plan. Building your strategy to include risk management. Building an adaptive, finance-focused strategic approach. What we should learn from the rise and fall of major companies. How to align financial metrics with strategy.

Criteria that the IRS uses to select returns for examination. Substantiation requirements for travel, charitable contributions, vehicles, meals, virtual currency considerations and tax-related identity theft. Understanding worker classification determinations on who is an employee and who is an independent contractor. Distinguishing S corporation officer's reasonable compensation issues. How the IRS holds persons other than an employer liable for unpaid payroll taxes. Tax-related identity theft procedures

Legislative developments. A full chapter devoted to determining the best planning options for maximizing joint Social Security benefits. Retirement benefits: Amount of benefits in various circumstances; how the amounts are distributed within the family unit. Qualification: Has the client retired? How business entities may be used for Social Security advantage, Income taxation of Social Security: avoidance tactics, Spousal benefits: Should a spouse return to work? What benefits does a spouse have and when and how do they relate to benefits decisions by the client? When can hiring the spouse increase overall benefits? Why should both spouses qualify for survivor benefits? Disability benefits, When to start Social Security benefits: Advantages and disadvantages at ages 62, full retirement age, and 70, Coordinating benefits: Should you take Social Security first and higher-balance IRA distributions later, or take IRA balances first and enhanced Social Security benefits later? Pensions: Distribution strategies; how to use the minimum distribution rules in concert with Social Security benefits, IRAs: Is it time to convert to a Roth? Medicare, Part D prescription drugs: what retirees need to know.

Minimum distribution requirement changes by the SECURE Act 2.0. Latest guidance issued by the IRS related to required minimum distributions. The calculation of required minimum distributions using the Uniform Life Table. Required minimum distributions from multiple accounts. New 401(k) rules of SECURE Act 2.0. Inherited employer retirement accounts and IRAs: Changes to spousal and non-spousal beneficiary distribution options and stretch IRAs under the SECURE Act. Required minimum distributions in the year of death. Roth conversions for estate planning and avoiding required minimum distributions. Timing of distributions for maximum tax-free compounding. Section 529 rollovers to Roth accounts under SECURE Act 2.0. Qualified charitable distributions from IRAs and the relationship between deductible IRAs and QCDs under the new anti-abuse rules. Includes SECURE Act 2.0 rollovers to CRUTs and CRATs. Taxation of distributions. Penalties for missed required minimum distributions and reasonable cause for abatement of penalties. Includes SECURE Act 2.0 changes.

Analyze and apply the most recent 2026 legislative and administrative changes to client scenarios. Interpret new Treasury regulations and IRS notices issued during the first half of the year.Evaluate the impact of 2026 judicial decisions on established tax positions. Identify immediate practice management risks and opportunities created by shifting IRS procedural mandates.

Understanding what the goal really is. Better planning, ready aim and then fire. What are the crucial considerations. Why do others in the organization hate to cut costs? What are the ‘ripple’ effects? What are the right costs to cut and not to cut? What are the more common mistakes made? The need to consider politics, culture, and strategy. Fourteen different perspectives to utilize to cut costs efficiently. Over fifty uncommon cost cutting possibilities. How to prepare for the next cost cutting exercise. A proven process to cut the right cost in an organization.

GASB updates. Updated Statements on Auditing Standards (SASs). Statement on Quality Management Standards (SQMS) No. 1, A Firm’s System of Quality Management. SQMS No. 2, Engagement Quality Reviews. SQMS No. 3, Amendments to QM Sections 10, A Firm’s System of Quality Management, and 20, Engagement Quality Reviews. Yellow Book and OMB updates affecting single audits. Ethics updates for governments and not-for-profit entities.

Valuation methods. Stock purchase vs. asset purchase structures. Estate and gift tax planning strategies. Gifting of business interests. Transfer of interests to split-interest and grantor retained trusts. S corporation stock transfers to trusts. Family limited partnerships and self-canceling installment notes. Using ESOPs to transfer business ownership.