Professional Development and Event Catalog

Staff Training Levels I through III focus on the theory behind audits, reviews, compilations, and financial statement preparation engagements. At AHI we believe that by understanding the "why" behind the procedures, new staff will be prepared for all types of engagements that will arise in their career. Participants apply these concepts to realistic case scenarios, with a focus on understanding the process rather than the format. Our goal is to develop thinkers, not just doers. Our Levels I through III courses are designed especially for any staff who will be performing audits, reviews, compilations, or financial statement preparation engagements.

What is your company worth? Is business value the single most important metric? This session discusses various business valuation methods for any stage company: start-up, spin-off, or acquisition. Many valuation methods exist. Which method is right? Which is the `best' for a given business or a given situation? CPAs and Corporate Financial Managers cannot afford to miss this course.

A company's financial statements are far more than just financial data. This is where the disclosures become key to explaining what the numbers may not be able to on their own. Keep your professional reputation stellar by making sure your financial statements are up-to-speed. This course will explain and illustrate disclosure requirements, clear up misconceptions on practice problems, correct disclosure deficiencies most frequently cited by peer reviewers, and illustrate revenue and lease disclosures based on Topics 606 and 842

From books to tax returns-that's the mission. But how do you get started? How can you identify and keep track of different reporting for different types of entities? How different is Form 1065 from Form the 1120S? Those questions and many more will be answered in this information-packed program.

Specifically designed for preparation, compilation, and review practitioners, this course will provide you with a comprehensive review and hands-on application for performing financial statement preparation, compilation, and review engagements. You will learn the ins and outs of applying SSARS No. 21, Clarification and Recodification, as well as the additional guidance related to SSARS engagements through the issuance of SSARS Nos. 22-25 by the ARSC. The course will also review recent peer review feedback on SSARS engagements, providing insights on how to successfully apply this guidance. Not only will this course bring you up to date on SSARSs requirements and guidance, but more importantly, it will provide you with practical examples and illustrations to help you effectively and efficiently perform compilation, preparation, and review engagements.

This year practitioners need to keep abreast of tax changes affecting pass-through entities used by their business clients and employers, and this enlightening course delivers that information. You will learn invaluable strategies, techniques, innovative tax-planning concepts, income-generating ideas, and other planning opportunities available to S corporations, partnerships, LLCs, and LLPs. Continually updated to reflect enacted legislation.

The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners says that there is fraud lurking in all businesses, including not-for-profit organizations. It often goes undetected for years and when uncovered, management and the board may question why the auditor did not identify it. The auditor's responsibility in a financial statement audit is to assess risk and perform sufficient procedures to obtain reasonable assurance that the financial statements are free from material misstatement due to fraud or error. However, failure to perform an adequate fraud risk assessment and report deficiencies in internal control, such as lack of segregation of duties, can leave a firm vulnerable. This course will discuss the audit procedures that should be performed in accordance with AU-C 240 as recently amended, best practices in performing fraud risk assessment procedures, when and how to report control deficiencies noted in an audit, and the most frequent types of fraud found in small to midsize entities along with internal controls that could be implemented to help prevent and detect them. This course features case studies.

Is an expenditure associated with tangible property deductible or must it be capitalized? Learn the rules for the treatment of amounts paid to acquire, produce, repair, or improve the tangible property and proper accounting for property dispositions subject to depreciation. The capitalization regulations provide objective standards and bright-line rules that simplify compliance with the capitalization provisions contained in Section 263(a) of the Internal Revenue Code. This program highlights issues involving what must be capitalized, what can be treated as a repair, and items related to depreciation of fixed assets.

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 conference is being hosted by the Massachusetts Society of CPA's and is only offered in-person. MassCPAs is excited to bring back their Management of an Accounting Practice (MAP) Conference in-person this fall! Join us November 15-17 at Foxwoods Resort Casino for three days of networking, reconnecting with your peers and informative sessions on the top issues facing firms. Developed by firm leaders for firm leaders and their successors, this conference will feature some of accounting's foremost thought leaders. More info and full agenda coming soon!

Effective CFOs drive continuous improvements in their departments and beyond. Come share ideas with experienced CFOs that will allow you to improve your department's performance in four key areas. Learn skills that will allow you to improve the effectiveness of your finance team and company.

"What were they thinking?" Why do business leaders sometimes make decisions that severely damage themselves and their organizations? It is tempting to attribute poor choices to a leader's assumed incompetence, inexperience, bad character or low intelligence - but reality is much more complex. Understand what factors really cause the most blunders. When business decisions go badly wrong, financial professionals usually find themselves deeply involved. This seminar provides conceptual and case study material to better equip you for the challenge.

Due to IRS issue focused examinations, Accounting and Finance Professionals need to understand what types of returns are selected for examination and ways to help clients survive an IRS audit with little or no change. As a result of issue focused examinations, Accounting and Finance Professionals must understand what the high audit risk area issues are and what the IRS is focusing on when a return is examined. In addition, because tax-related identity theft is a common issue for many taxpayers, it is critical for Accounting and Finance Professionals to understand the procedures necessary to resolve this matter for their clients.

In this session, we will delve into the key mental factors that help entrepreneurs overcome challenges and turn their ideas into successful businesses. By the end of this session, you will have a better understanding of what it takes to develop the mindset of an entrepreneur and how to apply it to your own life and career.

Some companies are "born" great; others change and become great along the way. This seminar will discuss how both new and established companies become great. This seminar benchmarks world class companies to understand the underlying principles that made them great. The seminar begins with key lessons about business start-ups from Paul Hawken, author of Growing a Business, and Guy Kawasaki, author of Art of the Start and Enchantment. Next, the seminar looks at research on existing businesses, beginning with the management classic In Search of Excellence and then focusing on Jim Collins' research presented in Built to Last, Good to Great, How the Mighty Fall and Great by Choice. Help your organization transition from being merely good to truly great.

Technology is constantly changing, and with that change, a need arises to reevaluate how we approach auditing. We are seeing more electronic transaction documentation and less paper. Clients want more data analysis and conclusions on the data. To stay ahead of this evolution, we need to understand and develop new techniques in auditing. This course will cover basic knowledge of data analytics with broad application and offer detailed, practical guidance and illustrations.

Does your business have an effective strategy? If you do - how well has it been implemented? This seminar will focus on developing an effective strategy and more importantly on effectively implementing the strategy so that everyone in the organization, from top to bottom, is aligned and working towards its overall success. Organizations that succeed are not accidents, they are not lucky. Every successful organization plans well and executes their strategic plan well. Come and learn how.

The computer can do the calculations, but some analysis and exercise of trained judgment are also required. This fast-paced program offers "next step" training for accountants ready to tackle complex individual tax return issues. It focuses on problem-solving and applying the tax law's complex reporting requirements. Program materials include valuable checklists and quick reference guides to enhance efficiency and save valuable time.

Clients think that estate planning only applies to the very rich. In truth, there are many issues of critical concern for which the middle-income client needs to plan. This course is a must-attend for all Accounting and Financial Professionals who work with middle-income clients and are looking for ways to provide additional quality services. Updated for developments relative to estate tax changes.

As the population of the United States ages, tax practitioners will be asked to advise their individual clients with respect to when they should begin to take Social Security benefits. This program will provide you with the background to knowledgeably discuss the benefit options available to Social Security beneficiaries and the alternative payment options available to married couples, dependents, a surviving spouse, and a divorced individual.