Professional Development and Event Catalog

For roughly 90% of American retirees, Social Security income will be the foundation of their retirement income. Yet, many are ill-prepared and lack understanding of the critical aspects of making an informed claiming decision. Further challenged to separate fact from fiction, consumers crave accurate information from knowledgeable professionals to make the most out of these coveted monthly benefits. This course dispels common myths about Social Security that lead to confusion and replaces them with the truth to an empowered retirement. Help your clients navigate their claiming age decisions with greater confidence, equipped with the essential truths they should consider before pushing the Social Security "on" button.

This course provides a comprehensive analysis of the SECURE 2.0 Act. The principal focus of the Act is to expand retirement coverage and increase retirement savings. As such, the Act has many important changes relating to IRAs and qualified plans. This legislation alters the landscape of retirement planning for taxpayers of all ages. Make sure you are up to date with the latest information available in order to effectively advise your clients on these important changes.

The Microsoft 365 ecosystem of apps offers tremendous value for any business organization. The key to maximizing the ROI of your monthly subscription fees is to understand how all the apps work together. John Higgins, a strategic advisor to the profession on Microsoft 365 deployment, will share a number of "best practices" for deploying Microsoft 365. This course will help you discover the hidden gems in the Microsoft ecosystem to increase productivity across your organization and help you avoid making costly mistakes in your deployment. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Elevate your data reporting skills to new heights with our cutting-edge course, "Create Paginated Reports with Power BI Report Builder." This two-hour, expertly crafted training is designed to transform the way you visualize and present data, leveraging the powerful capabilities of Microsoft Power BI Report Builder. Ideal for professionals who aspire to turn complex data into compelling, print-ready reports, this course is a game-changer in the realm of data visualization and business intelligence. Delve into the world of paginated reporting with a curriculum that balances theoretical knowledge with practical examples and demonstrations. You'll learn how to navigate the Power BI Report Builder interface with ease, design intricate report layouts, and connect to diverse data sources for comprehensive reporting. The course covers a spectrum of skills, from creating eye-catching visualizations to utilizing advanced features like sub-reports and drill-through capabilities. By the end of this session, you'll be adept at publishing and sharing professional-grade, paginated reports that can inform and persuade your audience. Enroll now and take the first step towards mastering the art of paginated reporting with Power BI Report Builder. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Conflict is often avoided, or dealt with in a passive manner. When ignored, conflict often escalates and can become polarizing. In this session, participants will gain insights for enhancing their natural responses to conflict, learn healthy communication styles, and build constructive behaviors to manage conflict. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

This session will expand on methodologies to employ when owner-employee compensation is at issue. The session will focus on determinations of reasonable replacement compensation for individuals who both provide services to a closely held business or professional practice and also have an ownership stake in the enterprise. Executive Compensation in the form of options and restricted stock will also be covered in the context of marital dissolution proceedings. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

This course will help you develop a strategic marketing and business development plan for your firm using 7 key principles to help maximize lead generation. You will learn how to establish and grow your B2B business in any niche using time-tested strategies, proven processes for attracting and retaining customers, and how to measure your results so you can spend your money and time effectively to own your market and attract higher ROI clients. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

We kick off this course with a look at the GASB standards that are effective this year including GASB 100, Accounting Changes and Error Corrections and GASB 101, Compensated Absences. We then move to the NFP side of the house with a look at the Accounting Standard Updates issued by the FASB that impacts nonprofit entities. Following that, we review the work of the Not-for-Profit Advisory Committee (NAC) and the projects they advise the FASB on. After the break, we will conduct a deeper dive into Yellow Book and Single Audit engagements. The course closes with a look at the significant changes in the 2024 Compliance Supplement, the changes to the Uniform Guidance and the common deficiencies identified by the federal agencies and peer reviewers. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

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.

The presentation includes an in-depth discussion of the when the Forms 1065 and 1120S, Schedules K-2 and K-3 must be completed, as well as important developments for filing 2021 flow-through entity tax forms and other recent developments impacting both partnership and S corporation entities. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

This course goes beyond the basics and addresses important practical issues that an experienced practitioner must know. Even if you have attended other S corporation courses, you will learn something new in this course.

This session will identify the progress of the AICPA Enhancing Audit Quality Initiative and evaluate whether audit quality is improving. Analyze the trends that are contributing to audit quality and recall the major issues identified and the related resources issued by the AICPA to improve practice quality. This session will also analyze the AICPA's new Statements on Quality Management Standards (SQMS). It will identify the related implementation challenges and timing and evaluate the potential impact on peer review. Learn about AICPA resources for SQMS implementation. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

The walking dead aren't the only threat to your business. So are several dangerous, even terrifying myths about what ethical leadership is and is not. This fun and distinctive webinar will present what Forbes contributor Bruce Weinstein, The Ethics Guy, calls "zombie ethics"-myths about accounting that hinder your ability to serve your clients and enjoy a thriving business. Taking a page from Nobel laureate Paul Krugman's recent work, zombie ethics are ideas about ethical leadership that deserve to remain buried but keep resurfacing from time to time. They walk the earth and wreak havoc. In this engaging webinar, The Ethics Guy will show you how to send them back to the cemetery for good. You can then fearlessly bring in new business--and watch your practice soar! This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Recent legislation in Congress has provided the IRS with substantially increased funding to bolster its human staff and purchase software that will allow the IRS to audit many more taxpayers in a more effective way. The IRS believes it can target the right kinds of taxpayers for audits so that it will not waste its time on audits that produce little, if any, revenue. The purpose of this program is to discuss the current state of IRS audits and the anticipated increases in the IRS's ability to audit wealthier taxpayers in an efficient way. Panelists will discuss the state of the IRS's current audits and where the IRS is headed with audits in the coming years. Tax practitioners should also be aware of the state of the IRS's efforts to target efficiencies so as to produce the most revenue.

Many leaders in business organizations of all sizes view the system of Internal Control almost purely as a protective security measure. A well-designed internal control system can and will drive all entity objectives which includes successful operations. This session uses information gathered from years of creating internal control systems as well as concepts from well-respected authoritative pronouncements and frameworks to illustrate the power of a strong and well supported control system as well as actions that can help establish such a system. Those that work with internal controls who are tasked with developing ways to improve operation level capabilities should strongly consider this session. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Are you aware there are 470+ formula functions in Excel? Do you realize that they add new functions in every major version of Excel? Did you know that Microsoft adds new functions throughout the year in the Office 365 version of Excel? Are you stuck using old or simple functions like SUM or ROUND? Do you want to expand your knowledge of the extensive function library in Excel? If these questions peak your interest in becoming an Excel function expert, this course is right up your alley. This past-paced course digs into some of the most powerful functions in Excel. Although we cannot cover 470 functions, we will look at over 20 functions that will allow you to create advanced calculations in your spreadsheets. Some examples are: VLOOKUP, IF, IFS, FORECAST, RAND, SWITCH, TEXTJOIN, UNIQUE, SUBTOTAL, IS, TEXT and more! We will also provide example files that will include all the functions used during the class. It's time to take your Excel spreadsheets to the next level. This session is presented using Excel 2019/Office 365. Most concepts covered in this course apply to all versions of Excel. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

The practical application of artificial intelligence (AI) in the accounting profession is spreading like wildfire with the release of powerful applications such as ChatGPT. A byproduct of this evolution is the origination of new ethical dilemmas for CPAs on how to address the use of this technology in the delivery of their services. This course, presented by John Higgins, CPA, a nationally recognized technology advisor to the profession, will provide CPAs with a practical framework for addressing the various ethical issues that can arise with the application of AI in their work. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 has had a tremendous impact on commercial real estate, including liberalizing the depreciation provisions. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) included several provisions that allow taxpayers to revisit projects completed in earlier, more profitable years, and generate even more value. In this course, we will explore the impact of these important laws on commercial real estate owners and delve into what Accounting and Financial Professionals need to know. We'll also examine these opportunities to "turn back the clock," including the retroactive correction of QIP's recovery period and the option to revoke electing-out of the business interest limitation. Finally, we will review other strategies that are crucial parts of a comprehensive tax plan this year and will discuss a strategic hierarchy for employing those strategies most successfully. Relevant Rev. Procs. and multiple real-life case studies will be reviewed.

Working from home presents both benefits and challenges for professionals. For employees, working from home provides opportunities to be more productive and gain time that would otherwise be spent commuting to and from the office. Employers who utilize remote work enjoy fewer fixed costs, more efficiency, and greater employee satisfaction. Without proper planning, professionals who work remotely may experience increased anxiety and disorganization. They may also jeopardize data privacy. However, when executed properly, working remotely can help organizations become more efficient and profitable, while at the same time improving employee morale. This course looks at how firms and companies have successfully implemented work from home programs and discusses mistakes that can be avoided through proper planning.

This course will review common deficiencies identified by the AICPA and state boards of accountancy. It features discussion on a variety of topics, including analytical procedures, sampling, group audits and risk assessment. We will review the areas of concern and how you can overcome them by employing best practices. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.