CPE Catalog+Events

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 discusses the legal issues in probating and contesting a will, plus the practical issues involved when settling an estate - marshaling of assets, payment of creditors, and distribution and accounting to beneficiaries. Inventory of estate assets is also discussed.

This program provides an essential and engaging introduction to the internal audit profession, a primer on current, major internal audit guidance / standards for staff level personnel, and a value adding refresher and reinforcer for more seasoned personnel and management. Designed for internal audit professionals at all levels, consultants providing internal audit outsourcing or co-sourcing services, and external auditors (CPAs) who also provide such services and/ or place significant reliance on the work of internal auditors during the conduct of audit engagements. This course acts as a launching pad for Surgent's comprehensive internal audit curriculum, equipping participants with a critical internal audit reference foundation for ongoing growth! It is crucial for internal auditors to develop a balanced, big picture AND detail-oriented understanding, perspective, and approach to their work. This session is instrumental in helping internal audit professionals do just that!

A highly effective internal audit group's value to an organization is directly related to its independence and competence in fulfilling its charter. To function optimally, an internal audit group needs unrestricted access to the subject matter it is reviewing, a clear reporting path to an independent overseer, and must possess the essential skills and capabilities required of this ever demanding and evolving profession. In this course, we'll review the optimal structure(s) of high performance internal audit departments, including the major roles and responsibilities of the group and its key members, as well as, its critical reporting authority within an organization. The course will also address how an internal audit group's charter, other governing documents, and practices, define the nature of its value adding services, and establish a sound administrative framework to support its ongoing functional activities and growth, including but not limited to, all level personnel training and development.

The definition of Internal Auditing promulgated by The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) speaks to the critical areas of value adding coverage and services Internal Auditors can and must bring to their organizations. These include the key areas of: governance, risk management, and (internal) control (GRC). Internal auditors play vital assurance and consulting roles for organizations and their stakeholders. The significant reliance placed on internal auditors by organizational management teams, boards of directors/audit committees, external auditors, regulators, and other key stakeholders, cannot be overstated. An integral component in supporting these roles are the knowledge foundations that auditors bring to the fore in applying their technical and analytical skills when assessing core areas of organizational governance; risk management (including fraud related risk management); compliance; and (internal) control (GRC). This course lays the critical foundation for strengthening the knowledge base of auditors at all levels in these critical areas of organizational GRC processes and performance.

The "name of the game" in virtually any business (or profession), and most certainly for Internal Auditors, is adding the greatest possible value to and for all stakeholders of that business/profession. Internal Auditors serve a wide variety of stakeholders who place major reliance on their work. Maximizing IA value in terms of assurance levels expected by and relied on by its stakeholders is critical and can only be achieved through optimal assurance coverage execution and highly effective stakeholder communications and reporting. By exploring the many roles and services through which an internal audit group can add value throughout any organization, this course provides a roadmap for Internal Auditors in their quests to maximize value for all stakeholders, both internal and external, of their organizations.

The value adding capacity of an overall IA activity's program begins with the foundational risk assessment and planning process. This activity is undertaken annually at an enterprise level, and functionally at an individual engagement level. The alignment and integration of these critically linked processes is essential for ensuring the effective and efficient deployment of IA resources and optimum assurance coverage. This course provides an essential primer on IA risk assessment and planning processes, supported by key related Professional Standards guidance and practical application strategies. In addition, this session also serves in building a vital bridge which connects high quality IA activity level attributes with ongoing maximum impact performance level implementation.

While risk assessment and planning lay the foundation for IA engagement programs, it is the effective execution of the program that ultimately determines the success of the IA activity in serving and adding value to its stakeholders. The results of IA engagements are derived from the critical fieldwork processes initiated and completed by audit teams and the underlying documentation developed, gathered, and maintained in support thereof. Internal Auditors must possess sound technical, analytical, organizational, and communication skills to effectively discharge their duties as key relied-upon assurance professionals for organizations. This course provides an in-depth conceptual and practical application bridge linking crucial fieldwork fundamentals with workpaper preparation and documentation essentials in promotion and development of these vital skill areas for IAs.

Proper planning and execution of an audit program at the overall activity and individual engagement level requires highly effective management and administration to promote, support, and ensure maximum value adding assurance for organizational stakeholders. This course helps Internal Auditors at all levels better understand the practical and required engagement managerial responsibilities involved with the IA function at both the department and engagement level. The course will also review the required detailed, ongoing administrative aspects of successfully managing each. From planning to resource allocation and management, supervision, review, communications and reporting, monitoring and follow up, this session provides the keys to highest level quality and impact IA administration and management.

A commitment to excellence requires dedication toward self-improvement in whatever endeavor we choose, including being Internal Audit (IA) professionals. Legendary football coach Vince Lombardi once said: "The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their field of endeavor." And Aristotle, speaking some 2,500 years earlier, has been paraphrased as follows: "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit." The consistent and ever-growing integration of quality and excellence in performance for IA activities is what this program is all about. From developing a sound understanding and application of IA standards regarding Quality Assurance and Improvement Programs (QAIPs) to moving far beyond compliance to highest-level quality and impact IA functioning, this capstone course provides a vital roadmap to assist IA activity practitioners in their ongoing quests to tap more fully into and unleash their unlimited potential in better serving and adding value to all organizational stakeholders!

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.

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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.

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This course is designed to provide accountants with a comprehensive understanding of the subscription pricing model. As the business world increasingly shifts toward subscription-based models, it's crucial for accountants to understand the financial implications and strategies associated with this pricing approach. This course will cover the basics of subscription pricing, how to set prices, and how to analyze the financial impacts of these decisions, as well as the specific impacts to your business. By the end of this course, participants will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to effectively manage the implementation of subscription pricing to their practice.

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The auditor's responsibilities related to risk assessment are changing at the end of 2023! This power-packed webinar will empower you with the working knowledge of SAS No. 145, Understanding the Entity and Its Environment and Assessing the Risks of Material Misstatement, to successfully apply the standard. This course will also discuss two highly-related standards (i.e., SAS Nos. 143 and 148) which auditors will be implementing at the same time.

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As finance professionals we often have dual responsibilities, to use our technical skills and also to exercise our leadership skills to lead a department. But we are often not sufficiently trained in the second, and sometimes most important, skill set. This short program takes an in-depth look at a proven model designed to help us understand both ourselves and other people. In so doing, we gain the skill to lead better, handle problem employees and coworkers, and significantly gain upward mobility within the organization.

There are only two things that any organization needs to accomplish for success: serve the customer well and do it efficiently. This short program will concentrate on the efficiency side, which is always near and dear to the heart of the financial professional. We will develop a well-proven program to increase efficiency in a way that is both embraced by employees and has been found to work. By following this simple formula, any organization can become more efficient.

This course will take new and administrative staff from the most basic concepts to a full understanding of individual tax return preparation - just in time for the crunch of busy season! Updated for impacts of recent legislation, including the SECURE Act 2.0, the Inflation Reduction Act, American Rescue Plan Act, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, the CARES Act, and the SECURE Act, and the TCJA. The course builds from a strong technical foundation, to prepare simple, to moderate, to complicated individual tax returns.

This course will take new and administrative staff from the most basic concepts to an understanding of individual tax return preparation. Continuously updated for the latest legislation, including the Inflation Reduction Act, American Rescue Plan Act, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, the CARES Act, the SECURE Act, and the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.

This highly informative course will bring you up-to-speed on the latest in individual tax law developments and the corresponding or responsive planning opportunities available to your clients. You will come away from the course ready to educate your individual tax clients and implement tax-savings ideas that will serve their ever-evolving needs. Continually updated to reflect enacted legislation. Please Note: Due to content overlap, it is recommended that this course NOT be taken together with BFT4.

With the far-reaching changes brought about by recent tax reform, careful planning takes on new importance. This course presents the most important income tax planning ideas wealthy clients and closely held business owners need to consider this year to take advantage of the present and plan for the future. It highlights areas in the income tax return that suggest future opportunities for the individual client. Continuously updated for the latest legislation and IRS guidance.