Professional Development and Event Catalog

The most difficult concepts to master when dealing with flow-through business entities are the basis and distribution concepts. Major error and malpractice issues occur if the CPA does not fully understand the impact of these rules. This course is designed to focus on the practical applications of these rules.

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Federal estate and gift taxes currently affect few clients, but there are many other issues involved in settling an estate or administering a trust. Clients who are beneficiaries of a trust or estate often turn to their financial advisors to understand the administrative process and its effect on their interests. This course enables the accountant to cut through the jargon to understand the legal concepts, communicate a real-world explanation to clients, and serve, in some instances, as an advisor to them. After taking this course, practitioners will feel more confident to serve in a fiduciary capacity. Updated for developments relative to estate taxation.

This course is designed for tax practitioners seeking to enhance their knowledge of individual income taxation and provide clients with timely, effective tax planning advice before year-end. Participants will receive an in- depth review of Form 1040 issues and the latest updates to the Internal Revenue Code (IRC), including proposals under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). The course will also address potential tax changes under the current administration, helping practitioners anticipate and plan for what may come. With a practical focus, this course equips professionals to navigate key tax topics such as income adjustments, deductions, credits, and planning strategies for retirement, estate, and financial goals. Attendees will leave with actionable insights to guide clients through mid-year tax decisions and evolving legislative developments.

This course is designed for tax practitioners seeking to update their knowledge of business income taxation and provide timely, effective tax planning advice to clients before year-end. Participants will receive an extensive review of key business tax issues for the current tax year, including updates to the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) with emphasis on the proposed One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). The course also covers expected tax changes under the current administration, helping practitioners prepare clients for how these developments may affect business operations. With a practical focus, this session equips professionals to navigate important topics such as employee classification, depreciation, compensation, and common deductions. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies to help business clients make informed tax decisions and remain compliant with evolving laws.

The preparation of Forms 706 (Federal Estate Tax Return) and 709 (Federal Gift Tax Return) requires specialized knowledge and precision. This comprehensive course equips tax professionals with the essential skills and insights necessary to accurately prepare these forms while adhering to federal tax regulations. Participants will gain a complete understanding of estate and gift tax reporting, ensuring compliance with current IRS guidance. This course also addresses key issues related to the decedent's final income tax return and postmortem estate planning. By the end of the course, participants will be able to confidently manage the complexities involved in preparing Forms 706 and 709. The course will be updated to reflect any new legislation or IRS procedural changes affecting estate and gift taxation.

Each year brings its own set of tax planning challenges, and this year is no exception. This course aims to arm tax planners with planning strategies and ideas that all clients, but in particular, wealthy clients, middle-income clients, and closely held business owners need to consider right now to take advantage of present opportunities and plan for future tax advantages. Learn strategies that can really have an impact on client lives, while also bringing value to you and your firm. Please Note: 2026 returns are not covered in this course. They will be covered after their issuance, as part of our spring 2027 course release.

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Estate planning continues to evolve as new laws, client needs, and societal shifts emerge. This comprehensive course highlights key developments shaping the future of estate planning, including legislative updates, digital asset integration, and advanced wealth transfer strategies. Through real-world examples and up-to-date insights, participants will learn to incorporate innovative tax planning techniques, address complex family structures, and offer customized, forward-looking estate plans. This course provides tools to help professionals support clients across generations while aligning with legal, social, and technological change.

In an era of shifting job markets, high living costs, and financial setbacks, many young adults remain financially dependent on their parents well into their 30s. This course addresses clients' concerns about their children's and grandchildren's financial stability, offering strategies that integrate federal taxation with comprehensive financial planning. Participants will explore wealth accumulation, capital preservation, and estate distribution techniques to help their clients guide younger generations toward financial independence. By addressing common financial planning pitfalls and essential tax planning principles, this course equips participants to educate and empower young adults. Topics include college financial planning, risk management, and dynasty trusts as tools for building financial resilience across generations.

One of the major transactions CPA clients are faced with is the purchase or disposition of a business. To help tax professionals advise those clients, this course offers a comprehensive analysis of the business and tax aspects of buying and selling a business. It is a practical guide to help practitioners and industry CPAs understand structuring techniques. All CPAs, including controllers and executives in industry, should understand how difficult the process of buying and selling a business has become.

Tax Security Essentials: Implementing a WISP for Tax Professionals Tax practices face a critical responsibility: safeguarding client data against cyber threats. This course is tailored for professionals in the tax industry, offering a deep dive into the essentials of creating and maintaining a Written Information Security Plan (WISP) as mandated by IRS regulations and the FTC Safeguards Rule. With a focus on IRS Publications 4557, 5293, and 5708, along with insights from NISTIR 7621, participants will learn not just the theory but the practical steps needed to enhance their practice's security posture. The course content is designed to be direct and engaging, ensuring that attendees can easily translate knowledge into action. The curriculum covers a broad spectrum of critical topics, from developing a compliant WISP to recognizing and responding to cyber threats, and from implementing strong access controls to effective data protection measures. Special emphasis is placed on real-world strategies for preventing data breaches, including the use of encryption, backup procedures, and secure data disposal methods. Participants will also explore the importance of employee training and the continuous monitoring and improvement of security practices to address new cyber threats and business changes. For tax professionals committed to upholding the highest standards of data security and building a trust-based relationship with their clients, this course is a vital resource. Attendees will not only gain the knowledge to protect their clients' data but also the confidence to implement best practices within their organization.

The purpose of this course is to provide an in-depth discussion of selected advanced-level issues affecting LLCs and LLPs.

*IMPORTANT:  This is a virtual conference that we are offering in partnership with the Illinois CPA Society. The Taxation on Real Estate Conference delivers a comprehensive, forward-looking examination of the tax, legal, and strategic issues shaping real estate investment and ownership in today’s rapidly evolving environment. Gain critical insight into how recent and proposed changes in tax law, regulatory guidance, and political dynamics impact real estate transactions, structures, and long-term planning. Group discounts are available for this conference as follows: 10+ Registrants - Discount: 5% 20+ Registrants - Discount: 10% Please email Kendalynn Morales at kendalynnm@ctcpas.org for more information. Please note that the Class Pass does not apply to this program.

This course provides an in-depth exploration of trusts and their pivotal role in financial, estate, and asset protection strategies. Designed to give practitioners the tools to make informed decisions, this course covers the implementation, operation, and optimization of various trust types. It includes a detailed examination of the tax benefits, practical uses, and management techniques for trusts in estate planning and wealth preservation. Participants will gain a thorough understanding of when and how to utilize trusts to achieve specific client goals, from minimizing income, estate, and generation-skipping taxes to ensuring long-term financial security and asset protection. The course offers practical insights into advanced trust strategies and trustee responsibilities to help optimize clients' plans for future generations.

Many accounting and finance practitioners have had difficulty understanding and applying the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Accounting and finance practitioners are still confused and challenged by many of the new and extended tax provisions that the OBBBA delivered. Mastering these crucial provisions requires multiple exposures to these challenging tax changes. This program is a four-hour review and analysis of the most important changes from the OBBBA that impact both individual and business taxpayers. This course affords accounting and finance practitioners an opportunity to gain a broader, deeper understanding of this wide-ranging set of new tax rules, to grasp what is new and what is a continuance of prior rules, and to develop deeper planning insights into the many changes that the OBBBA contains. To the extent that the Treasury has provided guidance relating to OBBBA changes, we will discuss that guidance. We will also point out areas where Treasury guidance would be useful and areas where guidance is expected.

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Each year, states work quickly and furiously to overhaul their tax laws. As some states scramble to fund their budgets, they continue to look for additional forms of revenue. You can't afford to ignore recent changes in state and local tax. Even tax-savvy businesses and their advisers often neglect to consider the consequences of state and local taxes. Plan to attend this fast-paced class that covers developing topics in the area of nexus. Learn how nexus requirements have changed and where the state laws may be heading in the future.

This course provides an advanced analysis of Schedule A planning strategies in a post-TCJA environment. Participants will examine the SALT deduction limitation, alternative minimum tax (AMT) interactions, charitable contribution timing, and medical expense planning. Through real-world examples, the course emphasizes how to optimize itemized deductions using bunching strategies, state tax workaround considerations, and timing techniques for high-income taxpayers.

This course is a 'deep dive' into all things real estate tax-related for the mid-level practitioner moving into this complex area. You will deepen your understanding of the complex considerations and strategies that individuals must navigate in acquiring, holding, managing, constructing, and disposing of real estate. You will leave the course able to navigate critical issues associated with the relevant returns and plan strategically for your company or clients. We will discuss in detail the impact of recent tax legislation, as well as historically difficult areas of the law like passive activity and at-risk rules.

Owners of S corporations and partnerships are subject to numerous limitations on pass-through losses, each with unique rules, applications, and complexities. With the increase in popularity of pass-through business entities, it is essential for CPAs to understand the complexities and interactions of these pass-through loss limitations.

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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.

This intermediate-level course provides a focused review of federal income tax reporting for C corporations, S corporations, and partnerships. Participants will examine key reporting mechanics of Forms 1120, 1120-S, and 1065, including Schedule K-1 preparation, book-to-tax reconciliation, and entity-level versus owner-level reporting distinctions. Emphasis is placed on common compliance risks, basis considerations, and areas of frequent IRS scrutiny. The course is designed to strengthen accuracy and consistency in business entity return preparation and review.