CPE Catalog & Events

Common Financial Statement Disclosures

The major topics covered in this class include:General disclosures about the entity and its environmentCommon critical information useful to financial statement readers for making economic decisionsExplain results of operations through information that supplements the face financial statements

Surgent's What Practitioners Need to Know About Estate Planning and Administering a Client's Estate

The federal transfer tax exemption  What constitutes a valid will Common trust vehicles often used to safeguard assets Consequences of intestacy How to transfer property outside of a will Legal treatment of marital property Transfer of IRAs and retirement plans Probate generally and probate for property held outside of the state of decedent’s residence When an estate tax return should be filed Portability of the Deceased Spousal Unused Exclusion (DSUE) amount

Business Transformation: Critical Skills for CFOs and Controllers

Forensic Accounting: Investigating Divorce Cases

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:The role of a forensic accountant in divorce proceedingsThe marketing of forensic accounting services to family law attorneysHow to conduct a financial investigationCommon areas to uncover hidden assets or incomeThe basic calculations in evaluating marital assetsTestifying in depositions and divorce court

AICPA's Annual Federal Tax Update

Inflation adjustments IRS administrative issues, compliance, and new forms Court cases settled in the last year that provide tax return guidance IRS rulings, procedures, and notices for the last year New, updated, and expiring tax deductions and credits Legislative and regulatory updates affecting tax practitioners Tax matters affecting individuals, C corporations, partnerships, S corporations, estates, and trusts

How Changes in Business Methods Affects Internal Control

The major topics covered in this class include:How is business changing.What is driving the change and how long will it last.How specifically is an organizations control system important.What steps are needed to “keep up” with the upheaval.

Surgent's Preparing Not-for-Profit Financial Statements

Key requirements, options, and disclosures related to each of the basic financial statements The reporting of functional and natural expense information Core not-for-profit accounting requirements related to conditional and unconditional contributions, promises to give, restrictions, designations, contributed services, net assets, special events, the classification of expenses, and more

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 

Tax Depreciation: Review and Update

The major topics that will be covered in this class include:Recent tax legislation and developments related to capitalizationEligible property for Section 179 and Section 168(k)Discussion of the Section 179 deduction and its use to depreciate real propertyThe Section 168(k) deduction and its use to depreciate real propertyDisposition of segments of real propertyExchanges of tangible personal property after repeal of the like-kind exchange rulesOther related topics

Fundamentals of Form 1040 -- Individual

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Form 1040 essentials: filing requirements, due dates, and key schedulesFiling status, dependency rules, and taxable income sources (wages, investment income)Adjustments to income, deductions and tax credits (standard vs. itemized deductions, EITC, Child Tax Credit, Education Credits)Preparer due diligence, Circular 230 compliance and taxpayer rightsIRS cybersecurity considerations and best practices for taxpayer data securityLegislative updates

Ethics: Giving Thanks - How to Master the Art of Gratitude

We'll explore what gratitude is and how expressions of it can vary from culture to culture. We'll also unpack several ways you can regularly say "thank you" to valued clients and colleagues, and we'll examine methods for evaluating gratitude in prospective and current employees.

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 Hiring New Workers and Payroll Taxes

Form W-4 Form I-9 Form W-9 End-of-year compliance Payroll tax returns Unemployment insurance

Surgent's Key Roth IRA and Roth 401(k) Rules for Funding and Tax-free Distributions

Funding options for Roth accounts Roth IRA contribution eligibility and income limits Enhanced catch-up contributions and age-based limits The Roth catch-up mandate for employer plans Roth 401(k) contribution rules, including catch-ups Roth SEP and Roth SIMPLE IRAs 529 plan rollovers to Roth IRAs Backdoor Roth strategies and pro-rata considerations The tax impact of rolling a 401(k) to a Roth IRA Who can start the Roth IRA 5-year clock? The 5-year rules for Roth IRAs and Roth 401(k)s Direct and indirect Roth conversions Direct and indirect rollovers from Roth 401(k) plans Ordering rules for Roth IRA distributions FIFO treatment and when it applies The risk of recapturing the 10% early distribution penalty Case studies and practical cheat sheets to reinforce key concepts

Surgent's Strategies for Maximizing Social Security Benefits

Eligibility rules for retirement, spousal, divorced spouse, survivor, and family benefits Understanding the new age of deemed filing How dual entitlement is calculated and how it affects benefit outcomes Key factors in deciding when to claim Social Security benefits Coordinating work and benefits, including the earnings test and its effect on income Managing Social Security to maximize after-tax cash flow, avoid higher Medicare premiums, and protect the survivor Updates related to recent legislation, including the SSFA and the OBBBA

Common Deficiencies in SSARS Engagements

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Frequent problem areas in preparation, compilation, and review engagementsThe root causes of noncompliancePractical approaches firms can use to improve consistency, documentation, and overall engagement performance

Financial Statement Presentation, Disclosure, and Analysis

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:U.S. GAAP and Special purpose frameworksForm and content of financial statements: Balance sheets; Income statements; Statements of cash flows; Retained earnings and/or owners’ equity statements; Comprehensive income; Supplementary informationComparative vs. single-period financial statementsSufficiency of disclosuresIllustrative disclosures frequently encountered in small-to-medium reporting entitiesIndustry-specific nuancesPurposes of financial statement analysis Trend analysis and vertical & horizontal analysisSimple and multivariate regressionAnalysis of metricsAssessment of liquidity, solvency, and profitabilityUsing data visualizationsThe role of qualitative factors

Surgent's Individual and Financial-Planning Tax Camp

Comprehensive coverage of the One Big Beautiful Tax Bill Act Reading a tax return for developing client-specific tax strategies Changes to the lifetime estate tax exemption considering proposed regulations  The net investment income tax: planning for compliance Family income-splitting strategies that need to be considered Income tax issues: impact on timing of other income Selling a principal residence Two principal residences at the same time Use of life insurance to protect families: Whole Life Insurance, Term Life Insurance, Universal Life Insurance, and Variable Life Insurance Using Roth IRAs and Roth contribution programs to best advantage Conversions: do they still make sense? Taking distributions: matching timing to client requirements Qualified plan contributions to reduce current income and Social Security tax: implications for business owners and self-employed Social Security - the latest on the looming solvency crisis Incentive Stock Options and Employee Stock Purchase Plan considerations What to do about itemized deductions Trans-generational planning: conversions, income, and gain-splitting Tax benefits of HSAs and other tax-advantaged accounts Identifying tax opportunities: reviewing the prior-year return to develop a plan for the future Planning for middle-income taxpayers: financial planning for the young, the working, and those approaching or in retirement Best financial planning ideas for young people

Current Cybersecurity Risk Management Trends

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Overview of current cybersecurity threats and how to mitigate data breach risk.Describe how to avoid malware and other security threats

Agentic AI for CPAs: Automate Workflows with Intelligence

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Introduction to Agentic AI concepts and terminologyCase studies for using AI agents in accounting, finance, and tax servicesStep by step demonstration of creating and deploying an AI agentIntroduction to Microsoft Copilot Studio agent builderDeveloping your AI agent deployment strategy