CPE Catalog & Events

Surgent's Preparing and Writing Findings in Yellow Book and Single Audits

The types of audit findings reported in Yellow Book and single audit engagements The finding elements required by the GAO and OMB standards Where audit findings get communicated in the reporting process

Business Transformation: Critical Skills for CFOs and Controllers

S Corporations: Key Issues, Compliance, and Tax Strategies - Tax Staff Essentials

Advantages and disadvantages of S corporations Electing S corporation status Termination of S corporation status S corporation tax on built-in gains S corporation pass-through to shareholders, basis, and losses S corporation distributions Taxable year of S corporations S corporation passive activity rules, fringe benefits, and other considerations

The Best Federal Tax Update Course by Surgent

Comprehensive coverage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act Review of key components of President Trump's tax bill, including a tip income exemption, overtime pay relief, Social Security tax exemption, auto loan interest deductibility, SALT deduction modifications, a lower corporate tax rate, restoration of 100% bonus depreciation, immediate R&D expensing, and permanent extension of select TCJA provisions Tariff policy and implementation - analyze the use of tariffs as a fiscal and trade policy tool Digital assets and tax implications - understand the new Form 1099-DA for reporting digital asset transactions, along with updated IRS guidance on cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and broker responsibilities Artificial intelligence - discover how AI and generative tools are transforming tax practices, as well as how the IRS is leveraging AI to enhance audit selection Form 1099-K reporting requirements - understand the evolving IRS thresholds and rules for third-party payment platforms Sale of Passthrough Entity Interests and Net Investment Income Tax - analyze the tax implications of selling interests in passthrough entities, including relevant examples, and how the Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT) applies to these transactions  The Gig Economy - examine key tax implications for gig workers, including Independent Contractor vs. Employee classification challenges, reporting responsibilities, and the impact of the 2024 Department of Labor Final Rule on worker status Timely coverage of breaking tax legislation Practice aids, including all the numbers applicable for the current year -- inflation-adjusted amounts, mileage rates, retirement contributions, and more Advanced practice, reporting, and other issues intertwined with advanced planning and discussion ideas

Surgent's Food, Beverage, and Entertainment Expensing

The 50% deduction for meals that are ordinary and necessary in carrying on a trade or business Elimination of the temporary rules that applied for 2021 and 2022 which allowed for 100% deductibility for ordinary and necessary business-related meals When meals are still 100% deductible IRS rules relating to the nondeducibility of activities considered entertainment or amusement What constitutes entertainment/amusement for tax purposes? When employers may deduct food and beverages provided to employees 50% deductibility for occasional employee meals and for overtime meals 50% deductibility for business meals during business meetings Business meals incurred during business travel Invoice meals separately from entertainment

Surgent's Real Estate for Accounting and Finance Professionals

Rental income and expense calculation and reporting Deciphering Schedule E (Form 1040) Nuances of vacation home rules Passive activity loss rules: foundations and implications Active vs. material participation in rental activities Tax reporting: how to group passive activities Limitations on passive losses: at-risk rules and deductions Classifying rental real estate activities Navigating exceptions in rental real estate taxation

Surgent's Work-Life Balance: Maximizing Productivity and Understanding Related Tax Issues

Discuss how productivity strategies may improve work-life balance Understand the state tax consequences that may arise when working from home Identify and discuss challenges unique to financial professionals Review how some organizations are providing support to improve work-life balance Explore the role of alternative work arrangements  Examine challenges unique to auditors versus tax professionals A comparison of work-life balance between public and industry accountants How work-family conflict varies among financial professionals Recommendations for improving work-life balance

Surgent's Form 1040 Return Review Boot Camp for New and Experienced Reviewers

Key provisions of the recent HR 1, One Big Beautiful Bill Act, have been incorpoated throughout the course Review an error-prone "staff-prepared" Form 1040 from client-provided information. Where do you start? Get to know your client and ask the questions Several new reporting issues for the reviewer to consider, including the main credit provisions as enacted under the American Rescue Plan What are common errors preparers make and what are the areas generating malpractice claims? The importance of engagement letters, questionnaires, and §7216 permission statement Initial administrative groundwork Identifying organizing issues in the tax return to be reviewed Avoiding “willful blindness.” Handling ethical and moral dilemmas Efficient review of certain advanced issues for income, adjustments, deductions, and credits Effective procedures for delinquent clients, filing past-due tax returns First-time client issues requiring extra scrutiny Multiple checklists of efficient procedures to identify potential issues on a 1040 return Listing of schedules for staff to prepare to make a review easier, including basis issues for 1040 clients Reconciling time pressure with thoroughness and quality control Professionals acting professionally

Surgent's Preparing C Corporation Tax Returns for New Staff and Paraprofessionals

Updates throughout regarding the recent HR 1, One Big Beautiful Bill Act Preparation of a reasonably complicated Form 1120, U.S. Corporation Income Tax Return, from trial balance to completed return The importance of Schedule M-1, including adjustments in reconciling book income to tax income and items staff may look for on all business returns New tax planning strategies for depreciation deductions, including changes to §179 and first-year depreciation under §168(k) as a result of new tax legislation Methods of accounting In-depth analysis of Form 4797 dealing with depreciation recapture Deductible expenses, including rules on meals and entertainment Section 163(j) Computation of tax liability Overview of common business deductions – deductibility and Schedule M-1 How to practically handle uniform capitalization and inventory accounting for a small manufacturing concern And more!

Surgent's Home Office Rules

Calculating the home office deduction Actual expense method Simplified expense method Definition of a home for purposes of the home office deduction Whether working-from-home employees can claim a home office deduction What is a “separate, identifiable space?” The “regularly and exclusively used” rule Defining a “principal place of business” Meeting clients, patients, and customers More than one trade or business Special rules that apply to daycare providers Separate, free-standing structures Depreciating the home

Surgent's Fraud In Single Audits

Real-life misappropriations involving federal awards and how they were carried out The backgrounds, motivations, and methodologies of the fraudsters The problems that allowed the frauds to occur without prevention or detection

Surgent's Getting Ready for Busy Season: Key Changes Every Tax Practitioner Should Know

Timely coverage of breaking tax legislation Comprehensive coverage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) The latest IRS guidance on recent tax legislation Hot developments affecting the upcoming tax season Review of new laws and changes in forms to provide a familiarity for the upcoming tax season Key new tax and practice developments and how they impact the current-year tax forms for individuals

Surgent's Governing Agentic AI: Cybersecurity, Data, and Risk

Cyber risks: prompt injection, drift, model manipulation, data leakage Red-teaming and simulation exercises (CSA, IBM frameworks) Controls mapping: COSO, SOX, and NIST AI RMF Regulatory context: GDPR, CCPA, EU AI Act, SEC guidance Platform security discussion and comparisons

Surgent's Understanding S Corporation Taxation: Shareholder Basis, AAA, and Retained Earnings

S corporation earnings layers Observations on earnings layers S corporation basis calculation IRC 351 transactions Four loss tiers Appreciated property distributions

Surgent's Government and Nonprofit Frauds and Controls to Stop Them

Examine real-world misappropriations of cash, check frauds, vendor scams, credit card abuse, grant frauds, benefit schemes, inventory thefts, and payroll frauds Identify and develop practical controls to prevent and detect fraud Tailor controls to the size and fit of the government or nonprofit

Surgent's Required Minimum Distributions: Compliance and Planning

Minimum distribution requirement changes by the SECURE Act 2.0 Latest IRS guidance, including final regulations The calculation of required minimum distributions using the Uniform Life Table Required minimum distributions from multiple accounts New §401(k) rules of SECURE Act 2.0 Inherited employer retirement accounts and IRAs: Changes to spousal and non-spousal beneficiary distribution options and stretch IRAs under the SECURE Act Required minimum distributions in the year of death Roth conversions for estate planning and avoiding required minimum distributions Timing of distributions for maximum tax-free compounding Section 529 rollovers to Roth accounts under SECURE Act 2.0 Qualified charitable distributions from IRAs and the relationship between deductible IRAs and QCDs under the new anti-abuse rules. Includes SECURE Act 2.0 rollovers to CRUTs and CRATs Taxation of distributions Penalties for missed required minimum distributions and reasonable cause for abatement of penalties. Includes SECURE Act 2.0 changes

Surgent's Advanced Individual Income Tax Return Issues

New issues for the current year tax return and §199A Installment sales — understanding the complicated issues Form 8582: Passive losses with carryovers — Complicated case with filled-in forms Puts, calls, straddling, and unusual investments — Understanding the tax laws and reporting them correctly on the tax return Capital gain and loss issues — The problem with proper reporting of installment sales issues; capital gains and losses; when is a stock worthless; and much more... At-risk rules: What a return preparer really needs to know Passive loss issues — You cannot just trust your software. What to watch out for and the questions you need your clients to answer in order to do it right! Incentive and nonqualified stock options — Reporting; key strategies for planning; dealing with the alternative minimum tax Alternative minimum tax — Understanding it; planning strategies to avoid it; using the minimum tax credit; explaining it to a client Form 6251: Detailed calculation example

Surgent's Annual Accounting and Auditing Update

Recently issued FASB Accounting Standards Updates, PCC Update, and items on the FASB’s Technical Agenda Recently issued ASUs covering derivatives, credit losses under ASC 326, government grants, and expense disaggregation FASB Final PIR Report for Leases (Topic 842) Statement on Quality Management Standards: SQMS 1, SQMS 2, and SQMS 3 Proposed SAS on the auditor’s responsibility relating to fraud Recently issued SASs and other AICPA activity Recently issued PCAOB standards and SEC rulemaking activities Other important A&A practice matters

Surgent's Compilations, Reviews, and Preparations: Engagement Performance and Annual Update

SSARS No. 21, Clarification and Recodification, and updates to SSARS No. 21 due to the issuance of SSARS No. 23, Omnibus Statement on Standards for Accounting and Review Services SSARS No. 22, Compilation of Pro Forma Financial Information SSARS No. 24, Omnibus Statement on Standards for Accounting and Review Services -- 2018 SSARS No. 25, Materiality in a Review of Financial Statements and Adverse Conclusions  SSARS No. 26, Quality Management for an Engagement Conducted in Accordance With Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services Sample comprehensive engagement work programs for preparation, compilation and review engagements Reporting and disclosure illustrations for each level of service, including attesting on personal financial statements, prescribed form, special purpose framework and other engagement variations Other communication requirements, such as sample engagement letters and management representation letters

Surgent's Technical Business Practice Issues and Tax Forms for Experienced Practitioners

Bonus depreciation and §179 changes under the OBBBA Schedules K-2 and K-3 and filing exceptions Form 7203  IRS Tax Pro Account  IRS modernization initiatives Information Returns Intake System (IRIS) Identity Theft warnings   IRS guidance for the marijuana industry  “Recycled” Form 1099-NEC to report nonemployee compensation  Form 1065 steps for reporting capital  Centralized audit regime; late filing penalties and small partnership relief  “Substance over Form” argument of shareholder loans  Advanced study of “At-Risk” loans  Employer W-2 correction requests  Don't get caught watching the paint dry -- What is hot and new  What is terminating S corporations today?  Special allocation issues of §704  Final regulations for allocating depreciation recapture to partners and members of LLCs