Professional Development and Event Catalog

We believe in fairness. When others do wrong, and their action hurts us - the natural reaction is to fight back and seek retribution. Simple human nature and we are all human. We want fairness and want to fight back, but this is one of the toughest ethical dilemmas we all face.  What should we do and what we do are not always the same. What if being nice, or specifically being a positive best version of yourself, makes you a more effective leader?   Ethical leadership is effective leadership.  That’s what Dr. Cohen, noted psychologist, transformational speaker, executive coach, and author of Be The Sun, Not The Salt, has been teaching organizations to do for years. Dr. Cohen’s work is based on scientific studies of human behavior broken down into simple, easily digestible pillars structured around the Heliotropic Effect.  In this webcast we will discuss Dr. Cohen’s path to this work, what the Heliotropic Effect is, and how Be The Sun, Not The Salt is the perfect reminder to Do More of That every day.

In today’s business world, there is a war for talent and organizations with the best talent will win. We clearly need to motivate talented personnel. Equity compensation plans are useful to retain, reward and recruit. The GAAP and tax accounting for equity compensation plans is not static and decisions that you make during plan set-up can have major consequences to your organization’s bottom line and your management team’s personal tax situations. We will review nuances and details that impact proper accounting. Whether you are the CFO or CEO who has not been happy with prior equity compensation plans or the accountant who performs the intricate analysis and detailed accounting for these plans - this session will help you understand the issues and get it right the first time.

This course will dive into the fundamentals of fiduciary accounting and provide a reporting guide for determining whether receipts and expenditures are assigned to income or principal/corpus. 

Participants will learn how to interpret the most common IRS correspondence, adhere to response deadlines, and effectively communicate with the IRS to resolve issues and minimize risks. It provides professionals with knowledge and strategies needed to handle the most common notices including audit requests, collections & return inquiries as well as error notices. Focusing on best practices to ensure compliance and avoiding penalties or escalation. 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.

Many small to medium sized companies do not properly address the risk that arises related to fraud because these organizations do not have the resources needed to mitigate this risk or because owners or those in top level management underestimate the scope of the issue. All organizations, regardless of size, must be aware of the risks associated with intentional fraudulent acts and know that a significant and effective fraud scheme could even create going concern issues for some entities. In this session, we delve into the reasons that fraud takes place. The material discusses the types of defalcations that are often executed against smaller entities and then explores measures that organizations can implement to help stop fraud activities and add security. 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 is tailored for business leaders and HR professionals who want to enhance their strategic management skills and create actionable plans for success. You’ll learn the overall strategic management process, how to develop both simplified and detailed business and strategic plans, and the crucial role of corporate culture, leadership, and staff development in driving or hindering strategic outcomes. Additionally, you’ll explore how to leverage ChatGPT (Generative AI) as a powerful tool to improve your performance as a key business partner to the management team, helping you make data-driven decisions and enhance organizational effectiveness.

Artificial Intelligence ("AI") can do and does amazing things, but there are myriad ethical issues involved with AI. We will discuss the many ethical questions that AI raises and how to prevent them from having an adverse impact. We must be more diligent and aware of the ethical issues.  AI has severe ethical pitfalls that we should understand clearly. AI is here to stay and we must understand how to mitigate the ethical issues.     

This course is a continuation of discussion over Step One in the revenue recognition process of Identify the Contract. Specifically, this session delves further into the considerations surrounding contract modifications, change orders, unpriced change orders, cancelations, non-finalized changes and accounting treatment when a contract does not exist.

Discover how Microsoft 365 Copilot can revolutionize your daily tasks as a CPA. Dive into the specific features and functionalities of this AI-powered assistant. Learn how to leverage Copilot to enhance productivity, automate routine tasks, and improve collaboration within your team. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

The IRS has issued final regulations regarding the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act's (TCJA) elimination of the deduction for expenditures related to entertainment, amusement, or recreational activities and provided guidance to determine whether an activity is considered to be entertainment. The final regulations also address the 50% limitation on the deduction of food and beverage expenses and when the 50% limitation does not apply. Due to the pandemic, Congress changed the rules for 2021 and 2022 to allow for 100% deductibility for meals. These temporary rules no longer applied starting in 2023. To effectively advise clients, it is imperative for tax practitioners to understand these rules and be updated on the latest IRS guidance related to meals and entertainment.

When a new employee is hired, there are a lot of things the employer needs to take care of. Aside from getting employment contracts signed, training lined up, and the new hire breakfast planned, employers are tasked with making sure all of the payroll forms are filled out. For many small business owners, this can be a source of anxiety. They often wonder if they have everything they need. They also hear horror stories about potential IRS penalties for not having all of the boxes checked. In this course, we will explore the payroll compliance side of hiring new employees. From the alphabet soup of forms that need to be filled out to the initial payroll tax forms, we have you covered if you are a new practitioner or new business owner. We will even discuss the surprisingly difficult-to-navigate world of unemployment insurance.

One of the biggest challenges, if not the most critical challenge in business, is attracting and keeping an engaged and productive workforce. Navigating the world of engagement and retention requires an understanding of human needs as well as deliberate and intentional actions to strengthen an employee's investment and connection to their place of work. For all the HGTV lovers out there, this session mirrors a television show where an individual/family must decide if they want to stay in their current home (after renovations and home improvements) or move to a new space. This webinar title seems apt in describing the current issues around engagement and retention. When an employee chooses to "love it" or stay with their current employer, it typically means they are engaged in their work and they feel seen, heard and valued- they are content. Conversely, the notion of "leaving it" typically symbolizes an employee who cannot wait to get out of their current job. These employees often have negative attitudes and/or behaviors at work. The purpose of this webinar is to recognize the significance of attracting and retaining employees, building your brand as an employer of choice and developing a culture where individual employees feel valued, cared for and ultimately engaged, all though an ethical lens. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Designed for accounting, auditing, and attestation practitioners at all levels in public accounting and business and industry, this course provides a detailed review of the multitude of FASB and AICPA standards and reports issued over the past few years, including a discussion of the FASB's Stage 3 PIR report on ASC 606. It also provides an overview of recent PCAOB inspection report findings and SEC rulemaking activity. Through hands-on examples and illustrations, this course will help you apply the guidance in practice. We further discuss other important A&A practice matters to be aware of, including an update on the quality management standards and soon-to-be-effective requirements for engagement quality reviews.

Cybercrime is on the rise and CPAs that handle sensitive client data are often the target of cybercrimes.  By attending this session you'll learn what the eight biggest threats are to your business and uncover the three pillars of cybersecurity that you can build your firm's defense around.

Data security is a front-of-mind topic for most businesses because the risk and cost statistics are sobering. Each of us is in the crosshairs because a typical internet-connected computer faces a cyberattack every 39 seconds. Businesses of all sizes should be cognizant of the ethical issues that must be considered when planning their approach to privacy and data security. In this webinar, we will explore both the risks we have traditionally faced in the workplace personally, as well as the novel set of data privacy threats and compliance challenge issues employers face with a remote and mobile workforce.

Strong analytical procedures are critical for evaluating the fair presentation of financial statements. In addition, Financial statements are only as good as the information and trends that they produce for operational, strategic, or compliance purposes. This course will provide insights into how to determine the strength and efficiency of nonprofits in achieving objectives and knowledge to improve the analysis of the fair presentation of a nonprofit's financial statements.  

Financial statements prepared for stockholders and external users follow Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), while tax returns adhere to the Internal Revenue Code (IRC). These frameworks differ in recognizing profitability, influencing reported income significantly. Companies often aim to minimize taxable income within legal bounds, while maintaining compliance with both financial reporting and tax regulations. - Timing Differences: Variations in income recognition and deductible expenses between GAAP and IRC create timing differences, impacting reported profitability and tax liabilities. - Deferred Tax Assets: Companies accrue deferred tax assets from overpaid taxes or carried-forward credits, which can offset future taxable income, reducing tax liabilities. - Deferred Tax Liabilities: When taxable income is less than reported income, deferred tax liabilities arise, necessitating future tax payments when temporary differences reverse. Join us to delve into these concepts, exploring how financial reporting choices and tax strategies shape a company's financial performance and compliance obligations. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Cryptocurrency is heading mainstream. According to a recent study conducted by New York Digital Investment Group, there are 46 million bitcoin holders in the US, and institutions have also shown increased interest in this space. The rising popularity of cryptocurrency and the inclusion of the virtual currency question on the front and center of Form 1040 have made cryptocurrency a subject that tax practitioners cannot afford to ignore anymore. This course is designed to walk you through tax implications of common cryptocurrency-related transactions (trading, mining, spending, staking, etc.) and how to successfully service clients affiliated with cryptocurrency by using a tool like CoinTracker. This session also covers current developments surrounding this topic and some of the unique tax planning opportunities in the crypto space such as tax loss harvesting without being subject to wash sale rules, tax lot ID optimization (FIFO, LIFO, and HIFO), self-directed IRAs, etc.

This course covers recently issued standards from the AICPA Auditing Standards Board and AICPA Accounting and Review Services Committee including the new Quality Management Standards. The session will highlight projects in progress at the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, and International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board. The course will also recap recent changes and present common peer review findings and best practices to improve practice quality. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.