CPE & Event Calendar

Spear phishing. Ransomware. Malware. Like the threats your business faces, the cybersecurity lexicon is constantly evolving. This comprehensive presentation imparts practical privacy and data security know-how and creates fluency with the latest terminology. Learn best practices for cybersecurity safety, as well as tailored training for those in positions responsible for implementing security policies. It is just as important to be diligent, safe, and well-versed in the attacks that we face in our personal lives.

Many partnerships and S corporations are now required to complete the voluminous Schedules K-2 and K-3 to report foreign-related tax information. Updated for the 2024 tax year, this course is an essential guide for tax preparers on how to identify which entities need to complete these schedules and how to identify which parts are applicable to a given taxpayer. The filing requirements are broad and often not very intuitive, catching many practitioners unaware that more schedules and parts are applicable to more taxpayers than anticipated. This course includes a deep dive into the domestic filing exception, a discussion of filing requirements of each part of Schedule K-2, and numerous examples of common taxpayer scenarios. Please note: Surgent also offers a companion course, "Schedules K-2 and K-3: Preparation of Forms" (KPF2).

When a purchaser buys an existing partner's partnership interest or the interest of a member of a limited liability corporation (LLC) taxed as a partnership, the amount paid becomes the basis for the purchaser's partnership interest (outside basis). If the partnership's assets have appreciated sufficiently, the difference between the new partner's inside and outside basis can be substantial. This disparity can deprive the new partner of depreciation deductions and inflate his or her share of the gain from subsequent property dispositions unless a Section 754 election is in effect. The Section 754 election can also apply when a partnership makes a distribution of property and the basis of the distributed property to the partnership and the basis the partner/distributee will take in the distributed property are not equal. In this case, a partnership can recover basis it would otherwise lose if the 754 election were not in effect.

A significant number of projects fail to achieve their initial goals and/or are not completed within budget and their original timetable. As a team member, a CMA has a unique skill set and experiences to assist in project management. In addition to their analytical training and knowledge of budgets and controls, they typically have ongoing contacts with other professionals from a variety of backgrounds. Familiar analytical tools/techniques can be applied to managing projects. This brief program is designed to aid both experienced and less experienced participants in increasing their knowledge of, and comfort with, the steps and skills needed for success.

Many clients are asking their advisors about Trump Accounts, one of the most anticipated yet misunderstood provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). This program will provide practitioners with the background to be able to advise their clients regarding how Trump Accounts operate. The course will also discuss the comparison between Trump Accounts and other accounts, such as 529 Plans and Roth IRAs. In addition, coverage will be provided on how the pilot program will function to give $1,000 to newborns.

This comprehensive program equips CPAs with the knowledge and practical tools to handle clients who have failed to file tax returns for multiple years. The course covers every stage of the process-from client onboarding and transcript analysis to risk assessment, ethical considerations, and resolution strategies. Participants will learn how to manage cases involving individuals, married couples, businesses, payroll taxes, and S corporations, including situations with missing records and potential criminal exposure. Real-world examples, IRS references, and best practices are integrated throughout to ensure confidence and compliance. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Most review techniques developed by professionals are self-taught and fine-tuned via experience. Yet how does one start? The purpose of this course is to give both new and seasoned reviewers additional and advanced procedures via a multitude of checklists to thoroughly review various tax returns. Its emphasis is not planning; rather, it is to develop a strategy to properly review a return effectively and thoroughly. The course includes dozens of practice tips for new reviewers and is updated for impacts of newly enacted legislation.

With over 7 million businesses relying on QuickBooks Online, one thing is clear: excellent financial reporting isn't optional - it's essential. Yet many users struggle to access the insights they need, often limited by subscription tiers or simply unaware of the powerful tools at their fingertips-that's where this session comes in. This session is your fast track to mastering QuickBooks Online's reporting capabilities. Whether you're a small business owner, accountant, or financial manager, you'll discover how to: Build and customize Standard, Custom, and Management Reports Leverage the new Spreadsheet Sync tool to create dynamic, multi-company reports in Excel Uncover hidden features that help you make smarter, faster decisions If you're ready to transform your data into actionable insights and finally get the reports you need, this session is your game-changer. Join us and take control of your QuickBooks Online reporting like never before!

This section of the four-part series will cover the fundamentals of Form 706 and provide numerous examples of how to properly report deductions on the estate tax return, including marital and charitable deductions. Form 706 Series: Part 1: Overview Including Portability Part 2: Reporting Assets Part 3: Reporting Deductions Part 4: GST Schedule R, Form 8971, Payments & Credits

The One Big Beautiful Bill has removed much of the uncertainty concerning the estate tax exclusion. Nonetheless, clients still need to address: the estate, gift, generation-skipping, income, and property tax implications of estate plans; the pros and cons of relying on the portable exclusion to avoid estate tax; and strategies to benefit non-citizen spouses. In this course, we examine the role of the marital deduction and Survivor's Trusts ("A" trusts), ways to maximize planning opportunities by building flexibility into the modern estate plan, the qualitative and quantitative implications of various strategies affecting blended families, whether to use Bypass ("B") Trusts, QTIP ("C") trusts, or qualified domestic trusts (QDOTs), and whether to file a Form 706 when it's not required.

This course will elevate your individual income tax preparation skills and knowledge. It will help you go beyond the basics and will help you provide superior service to your clients. We will cover topics including taxation of investments, reporting of partnership and S-corporation income, net investment income tax, calculation of self-employment taxes, household employer taxes, social security taxation, basic retirement planning opportunities and Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). In addition, we will also do a review of loss limitations and much more.

There are right and wrong ways to work with Excel. In this session, you will learn a series of best practices to help you create Excel workbooks efficiently and effectively, including handling security issues, collaboration needs, and reporting options.

The course explores the challenges of the current economic trends and analyzes their impact on you as the financial executive in areas of human resource management; credit markets and banking; risk management and pandemic style disruptions; cash flow planning strategies; debt and equity mix impacts in uncertain markets; globalization of the market in times of uncertainty; retirement planning and social security funding; and acquiring distressed companies and assets. Specific recommendations and insights will be offered to you to deal with the challenges.

This highly informative course comprehensively covers all the latest tax law developments. The focus is on individual taxation and discussion of the planning opportunities practitioners need to understand to help clients respond effectively. You will come away from the course with the up-to-date knowledge to educate your individual tax clients and implement tax-saving ideas that will serve their ever-evolving needs. This course is continually updated to reflect enacted legislation. Please Note: Due to content overlap, it is recommended that this course NOT be taken together with BFTU.

Building on Part 1, this course will review the application of sampling in financial statement audits with a focus on sampling for tests of controls. We'll also review the requirements for sampling in Single Audits with a focus on tests of controls and tests of compliance. 

This four-part series covers the fundamentals of Form 706. In this final course, we will cover GST allocations on Schedule R, Foreign Death Tax credit, Prior Transfer credit, Qualified Conservation Easements, making the 6166 election for estate tax payment and considering a Graegin or other loan to pay the estate tax. Illustrations of attachments and/or narrative examples for Schedule R will be provided. Form 706 Series: Part 1: Overview Including Portability Part 2: Reporting Assets Part 3: Reporting Deductions Part 4: GST Schedule R, Form 8971, Payments & Credits

Governmental entities are the second largest victims of embezzlement. This seminar examines recent events involving theft of public money and circumstances that allowed the fraud to occur. Case studies we examine include the 2012 $54 million embezzlement from the City of Dixon by Rita Crundwell. The events that impacted the small Illinois town of 16,000 residents was the largest governmental fraud case to date, and spanned an astonishing 20 years. This remarkable story inspired an award-winning documentary, "All the Queen's Horses." We will also examine factors that led to scandals involving the Baptist Foundation of Arizona, World Com, Collin Street Bakery and the Ohio American Cancer Society, among others. This course is ideal for CPAs, government finance personnel, all Internal Auditors, lawyers, governance professionals, accountants and human resource personnel. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Positive client relationships require work. Miscommunication, unrealistic expectations, and differing personality styles may strain a client's relationship with professional advisors. Fortunately, there are tested strategies that foster and strengthen client relationships. Creating appropriate boundaries early on is one of many effective strategies that can help. This course explores actions accounting and finance professionals can take to create and grow their client relationships. This webinar provides actionable insights on how to engage new and old clients alike. Strained client relationships can harm both the client and the firm's profitability. Yet automation, for example, allows some firms to remain more engaged while others miss the mark. There is a science underlying client retention that involves understanding the client journey, ensuring consistent client interactions, and equipping employees with the tools needed to satisfy client needs. Understanding these skills should help you protect the relationships that sustain your business.

As Americans live longer and increasingly move away from traditional pensions, Social Security has become the main source of retirement income for many clients. Meanwhile, concerns about solvency and a lack of understanding of key rules have led to confusion and sometimes misguided decisions. This program offers tax practitioners the knowledge they need to help clients make informed choices about Social Security and retirement income.

With the largest overhaul of the federal income tax code in 30 years and the repeal of the physical presence nexus standards for sales tax in the Wayfair case, the states are working fast and furious to overhaul their tax laws. As some states scramble to fund their budgets, they continue to look for additional forms of revenue. Plan to attend this fast-paced class that covers developing topics in state taxation, ranging from individuals to pass-through entities to corporate taxpayers. This class will focus on issues of small and middle-market companies and offer guidance for minimizing tax liability and negotiating the treacherous waters of compliance.