COURSE DESCRIPTION 

Designed to make the practitioner comfortable with high traffic issues, this program enables participants to discuss and handle individual tax essentials. The course examines and explains the practical aspects of return preparation
and individual planning, bridging the gap between theory and application. Significant new developments are summarized with emphasis on tax savings ideas. Practical applications and illustrations are used to systematically explore
tax deferral, reduction, and elimination opportunities accompanying return preparation. For example, the analysis of gross income is discussed together with income splitting techniques; property transactions are examined alongside
like-kind exchanges and involuntary conversions. The result is an extraordinary blend of the latest developments affecting individual returns and their related planning ideas.

Topics include:

• Tax rates and tables
• Filing status
• Gross income
• Dividends and distributions
• Discharge of debt income
• Exclusions from income Nonbusiness and personal deductions
• Education and medical expenses
• Casualty and theft losses
• Tax credits
• Landlords rental expenses
• Health insurance costs
• Home office deduction Travel and entertainment expenses
• Employee expense reimbursement and reporting
• Automobile deductions
• Fringe benefits
• Methods of accounting
• Expensing and depreciation
• Amortization
• Sales and exchanges of property
• Home sale exclusion
• Installment sales
• Repossession
• Involuntary conversions
• At-risk rules
• Like-kind exchanges Retirement plans
• IRAs SIMPLEs
• Passive loss rules
• Suspension of disallowed losses under 469
• Computing the alternative minimum tax
• Minimum AMT tax credit
• Reporting compliance rules and provisions
• Accuracy related penalties
• Information reporting penalty final regulations
• Penalty for unrealistic position
• Statute of limitations for assessments
• Examination of returns

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Identify federal revenue tax sources citing the definitive role of gross income and, determine a clients tax liability using current rates, tables, exemptions, statutory amounts, and their withholding and/or estimated tax responsibility.
• Specify the various filing statuses and their filing requirements recognizing the advantages and disadvantages of each.
• Determine what constitutes gross income under 61 stating the tax treatment of compensation, fringe benefits, rental income, Social Security benefits, alimony, prizes, and awards, identify dividend and distribution types and their
  tax differences, and specify how debt is discharged can result in taxable income.
• Identify the mechanics of income exclusions such as education-related exclusions, gift and inheritance exclusions, insurance, personal injury awards, interest on state and local obligations, and the foreign earned income exclusion.
• Recognize income tax deductions and their use to reduce tax liability by:
  
1. Identifying personal, spousal, and dependency exemptions and reporting requirements including pre-2005 dependency rules;
2. Specifying the deductibility of 163 interest categories, 162 educational expenses, pre-2018 217 moving expenses, pre-2018 165 casualty and theft losses, and 164 taxes stating their proper reporting and substantiation;
3. Determining variables that impact the deductibility of charitable contributions, and identifying qualified organizations, permissible contributions contribution limitations, their tax treatment, and substantiation requirements;
4. Identifying the deductibility of medical care expenses including medical insurance, meals and lodging, transportation, home improvements, and lifetime care payments recognizing the impact of Medicare;
5. Specifying deductions that are subject to the pre-2018 2% of AGI limitation, deductions not subject to the 2% limit, and nondeductible expenses
• Determine distinctions among several types of tax credits identifying the eligibility requirements and citing changes created by recent tax legislation to individual tax returns.
• Recognize the tax treatment of rental property expenses specifying their impact on landlords and tenants taking into consideration the tax differences given to rent, advance payments, and security deposits.
• Identify the application of the hobby loss rules to a business, determine deductible health insurance costs and the requirements of the home-office deduction, and specify self-employment taxes and available business and investment
  credits.
• Determine how to properly deduct travel and pre-2018 entertainment expenses by:
1. Identifying deductible business travel expenses, a taxpayers tax home, if any, and work locations based on the IRSs definition and recalling the away from home requirement and sleep and/or rest rule;
2. Specifying the key elements of deductible domestic and foreign business travel costs recognizing the Reg. 1.162 deductions of convention and meeting expenses;
3. Identifying 274 pre-2018 entertainment deductibility tests, determining the limits on home entertaining, ticket purchases, and meals and entertainment stating the eight exceptions to the percentage reduction rule; and
4. Recognizing the substantiation requirements associated with business gifts, employee achievement awards, and sales incentive awards.
• Determine the differences between accountable and nonaccountable plans including the requirements for an accountable plan particularly adequately accounting for travel and other employee business expenses
• Determine what constitutes local transportation and commuting including how nondeductible personal commuting relates to local business transportation expenses.
• Identify the apportionment of automobile expenses between personal and business use, the actual cost and standard mileage methods, and the gas guzzler tax.
• Specify the various types of excluded fringe benefits that can increase employers deductions and incentive-based compensation of employees listing examples of each.
• Recognize the cash, accrual, or other methods of accounting, select available accounting periods specifying their impact on income and expenses, and identify expensing depreciation, and amortization.
• Specify the tax consequences on the sale of easements and the holding period and basis of inherited property.
• Identify the application elements of the 121 home sale exclusion specifying the associated safe harbor regulations.
• Recognize the importance of the installment method and 453 requirements, and specify the 453 basic terminology.
• Identify the variables that determine which 1038 rules apply to recognize distinctions among the rules, calculations, and effects of repossessions of personal property and repossessions of real property, and recognize when a bad
  debt deduction may be taken on a repossession.
• Specify the tax treatment of a 1033 involuntary conversion by:
1. Determining related terminology and the tax consequences of receiving a condemnation award or severance damages;
2. Identifying gain or loss from condemnations recognizing the reporting of payments associated with involuntary conversions; and
3. Determining whether clients can postpone gain on condemned, damaged, destroyed, or stolen property and specifying the related party rule.
• Recognize the scope of the 465 at-risk rules and their effect on property depreciation, and identify the requirements, mechanics, and types of 1031 like-kind exchange.
• Identify qualified deferred compensation plans and nonqualified plans by:
1. Determining the major benefit of the qualified deferred plans and the calculation basis of benefits and contributions; and
2. Recognizing the current and deferred advantages and the disadvantages of corporate plans stating fiduciary responsibilities and prohibited transactions.
• Identify the requirements of the basic forms of qualified pension plans permitting clients to compare and contrast such plans.
• Determine the distinctions between defined contribution and defined benefit plans, specify the types of defined contribution plans, and identify their effect on retirement benefits.
• Identify how self-employed plans differ from qualified plans for other business types and owners and specify the requirements of IRAs and the special requirements of Roth IRAs.
• Determine what constitutes SEPs and SIMPLEs recognizing the mechanics and eligibility requirements of each type of plan.
• Identify basic income types and the buckets of income and loss under 469 that can influence what can be deducted, determine the suspension of disallowed passive losses, and recognize the special rules for transfers deemed not
  to be fully taxable dispositions.
• Specify differences between the regular and alternative minimum tax recognizing the application tax preferences and adjustments, and determine the life of assets under ADS, alternative minimum taxable income, passive losses under
  the AMT, and what constitutes ACE.
• Identify the reporting requirements for real estate transactions, independent contractors, and cash reporting.
• Recognize types of accuracy-related and unrealistic position penalties, and specify the IRS's examination of returns policy and assessment process including the applicable statute of limitations.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Tax Return Preparers (TRPs)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) has brought about the most significant change in healthcare since the passage of the 1965 legislation that authorized Medicare. It imposes healthcare-related requirements on health
plans, health insurers, and employers. Eligible small employers may receive tax credits for providing health insurance coverage to their employees, and large employers may find themselves subject to tax penalties for failing to
provide such employee coverage. This course will review the principal coverage provisions of the law and will examine its tax impact on employers

Topics include:

• Chapter 1 Overview of PPACA Coverage Provisions
• Chapter 2 Employer Credits Requirements

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• List the principal coverage provisions of the PPACA
• Recognize the shared responsibility requirements for applicable employers concerning employee health coverage
• Compute the potential tax penalties that may be imposed under the PPACA for an employer's failure to meet the applicable shared responsibility requirements
• Calculate the tax credits for which a small employer may be eligible for providing employee health insurance coverage.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

By changing many of the rules traditionally applicable to health insurance and imposing healthcare-related requirements on virtually every individual, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is likely to affect virtually
every person in the United States in some way. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) imposes various tax increases to generate revenue and uses a carrot-and-stick approach to ensure individuals comply
with its provisions by offering tax credits for compliance and, until 2019, by imposing tax penalties for non-compliance.

Topics include:

This course will review the principal provisions of the law affecting individuals and will consider the:

• Coverage-related provisions of the PPACA addressing – 
• Plan grandfathering under which health coverage in force at the time of the law's passage may be continued
• The prohibition of pre-existing condition exclusions
  
• The prescription of lifetime and annual benefit limits
  
• The limitation of health coverage rescissions
  
• The requirement for certain patient protections, and
  
• The requirement that plans to cover children extend child coverage until the age 26
• Various personal income tax changes affecting taxpayers; and
  
• Tax credits are authorized under the law to assist taxpayers by helping them purchase and maintain health insurance coverage.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:

• List the principal healthcare provisions of the PPACA affecting individuals
• Identify those individuals who may be exempt from the individual mandate; and
• Calculate the tax credits designed to help ensure that individuals can purchase and maintain health insurance coverage.
  

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Tax Return Preparers (TRPs)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Each year, income tax return preparation is affected by inflation-related changes to various limits and new tax laws. This course will look at those changes and new laws.

The 2023 Annual Tax Season Update course is designed to provide valuable information to persons preparing individual 1040 income tax returns reflecting clients’ 2022 income. The Annual Tax Filing Season Update course discusses new
tax law and recent updates for the 2023 filing season, provides a general tax review, and examines important rules governing tax return preparer ethics, practices and procedures.

The course a) examines new tax law and changes in various limits that reflect inflation, b) provides a general tax review, and c) discusses important rules governing tax return preparer ethics, practices, and procedures.

Topics include:

• Chapter 1 – Recent Updates
• Chapter 2 – New Law & Tax Extenders
• Chapter 3 – Income
• Chapter 4 – Proprietorship Income
• Chapter 5 – Individual Deductions
• Chapter 6 – Tax Credits
• Chapter 7 – General Income Tax Review
• Chapter 8 – Preparer Practices, Procedures & Responsibility

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Identify the principal individual income tax changes brought about by recent legislation;  
  
• Apply the inflation-adjusted and other limits to the proper preparation of taxpayers’ income tax returns;
• Recognize the federal income tax filing statuses and the criteria for their use;
• Describe the current status of tax extenders;
• Identify the types of income that must be recognized;
• Apply the tax rules to the various credits and adjustments to income that are available to taxpayers; 
• Recognize the penalties that may be imposed on a preparer for failing to meet ethical and practice standards in preparing tax returns; and
• Identify the duties and restrictions imposed on tax preparers under Circular 230.
  

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The current litigation explosion has created tremendous Interest in asset protection. Not only does this area have financial and estate aspects but it directly impacts tax planning.  This course is designed to survey opportunities for asset protection that can arise during tax planning and to determine how to properly report such transactions.

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

1. Recognize misconceptions about and the main reasons for asset protection, determine fraudulent transfers stating how to structure asset protection planning transfers so that they are not fraudulent, identify goals associated with undertaking asset protection measures, and specify how life insurance can be used as an asset protection vehicle.
2. Identify how the various types of entities relate to asset protection and how the various types of joint ownership of property and various trusts directly impact asset protection and tax liability.
3. Determine the concepts of common law property, community property, and equitable ownership specifying which states base distribution laws on those concepts, specify asset division principles, and recognize premarital and post-nuptial
   agreements and how they can be used to advise clients in individual asset protection.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Operating costs for vehicles used in the course of a taxpayers business are deductible. Thus, when taxpayers use their vehicles in their businesses or employment, they can deduct that portion of the cost of operating their vehicle.
Such costs that can be deducted are property taxes that are paid on their vehicle if deductions are itemized on Schedule A. This mini-course reviews apportionment of personal and business use, the actual cost method, the standard
mileage method, and expensing. Moreover, this presentation informs practitioners about topics such as the benefits and costs of leasing versus owning, and working condition fringe benefits.

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Recognize tax vehicle depreciation (168) and expensing (179) methods including their requirements and limitations under MACRS and recognize basis, business use, and deduction computations.
• Specify the predominant business use rule recognizing the result of less than 50% qualified business use, cite the pros and cons of auto leasing, and determine how to estimate monthly lease payments indicating what factors affect
  payments so clients may recognize leasing costs and know common leasing terms.
• Identify items included under the standard mileage method listing items that may be separately deducted, determine the taxable fringe benefit value of an employer-provided automobile using the general and special valuation methods
  and specify several qualified nonpersonal use vehicles stating what reporting standards apply.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act was enacted to minimize abuse of the bankruptcy system. Included in this Act were tax law changes and other changes that individuals, partnerships, and corporations will see
in the bankruptcy procedures and qualifications. This mini-course examines these changes that debtors will face when filing for federal bankruptcy and also explores the many tax issues of bankruptcy. Practitioners will also
learn about other issues such as homesteading and garnishment by creditors.

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Identify changes made by the 2005 Bankruptcy Act, the common types of bankruptcy, and filing qualifications.
• Determine the impact of an automatic stay, the treatment of preferential transfers, the priority of claims, and the discharge of debts.
• Recognize the creation and taxation of an individual bankruptcy estate specifying partnership and and corporate bankruptcy differences.
• Identify the scope of and special rules for homesteading and garnishment

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course is an overview of basic fringe benefits and examines their mechanics, compensation methods, valuation, withholding, and accounting. Achievement awards, term life insurance, medical reimbursement, meals and lodging, educational
assistance, dependent care, employer-provided automobiles, interest-free loans, etc. are identified. Employer and employee economic and tax considerations are recognized. Fringe benefit requirements and limits are specified and
ERISA compliance requirements are determined.

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Recognize basic fringe benefit planning by determining income under 61, and identify the differences between former nonstatutory and current statutory fringe benefits created by recent cases, rulings, and tax law changes.
• Specify the mechanics of typical fringe benefits, determine the fair market value of a fringe benefit under the general valuation rule or the special valuation rules, and identify the general accounting rule and the special two-month pour-over accounting rule.
• Identify an employee achievement award under 274, and recognize the rules for group term life insurance under 79 stating how to implement proper coverage.
• Determine the mechanics of self-insured medical reimbursement plans under 105, and specify the requirements of medical insurance under 106 identifying differences.
• Identify the rules for excluding the value of meals and lodging under 119, and cafeteria plans and how they operate.
• Recognize the requirements and limits of employee educational assistance programs and dependent care assistance specifying how to obtain each type of assistance.
• Identify no-additional-cost services and determine what property or services are excludable from income as qualified employee discounts under 132(c), and specify exceptions to working condition fringes and de minimis fringes.
• Determine the requirements for qualified transportation fringe benefits under 132(f), specify valuation methods for employer-provided automobiles, and identify the qualifications for the popular physical fitness exclusion, and the requirements and benefits of adoption assistance programs.
• Recognize planning services available under 132, 212, and 67, determine interest-free and below-market loans, identify child care benefits and corporate-funded educational savings accounts, specify S corporation fringe benefits, and identify ERISA compliance requirements.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

In this mini-course, initial marital tax matters such as living together, property rights, premarital agreements, filing status, exemptions, and dependents are explored. The detailed support test for children of divorced or separated
parents, the tax treatment of back child support, the deduction of divorce costs, and estimated tax payments are reviewed. Emphasis is given to marital property rules, married versus unmarried tax rate comparison, head of household
status, and treatment of refunds and deficiencies.

Topics include:

• Marital status
• Joint return
• Separate returns
• Head of household
• Exemptions
• Divorce costs
• Withholding and estimated tax
• Community property states
• Ending the community
• Living together

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Identify marital status and the effect marital status has on filing status, cite the tax advantages and disadvantages of filing status and, specify the requirements for filing as head of household and the exemptions associated
  with spouses and dependents.
• Recognize the differences between custodial and non-custodial parents including how the status affects dependency, identify the application of special support rules, and specify the dependent child income standards.
• Determine common law and community property specifying their effect on marital and divorce planning, and identify the circumstances when payments qualify as 71 alimony.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Americans who want to be their boss are not entirely on their own. They have a rich uncle - Uncle Sam - who is there to help, as well as to make demands. The Nation's tax laws are intended to encourage people to start new businesses and are chock full of incentives and tax breaks, as well as sometimes onerous reporting requirements.

This course is a fast-paced and entertaining guide through tax issues affecting business entities and their owners. The focus of this class is on tax devices and techniques available to the small-business owner. Emphasis will be given to operational deductions, fringe benefits, compensation, family income splitting, retirement plans, and estate planning.

Topics include:

• Sole proprietorships
• Partnerships
• Regular corporations
• Recordkeeping
• Kinds of records to keep
• Business transactions
• Bookkeeping systems
• How long to keep records
• Accounting periods and methods
• Inventories

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Recognize sole proprietorships, partnerships, and corporations as organizational formats for new and existing businesses.
• Identify how the choice of entity relates to the type of records to keep, listing issues related to substantiation and documentation.
• Specify available accounting periods and methods and the methods for identifying and valuing inventory items.
• Identify the various types of income and their implications, including the hidden income tax dangers of cancellation of indebtedness income, tax recoveries, and depreciation recapture
• Specify the existing basic business and investment tax credits, naming their tax requirements, and business asset types that affect the character of gain or loss, and recognize the tax treatment on the disposition of business assets, including non-recognition transfers and 1231 assets
• Recognize the importance of 162 in deducting and substantiating business expenses and costs and specify the implications of the deduction timing and limits specifying the treatment of not-for-profit activities
• Identify conditional sales contracts, leveraged leases, and true leases, and determine how to qualify for rent expense deductions including through leasehold improvements.
• Specify the various forms of interest expense under 163(a) recognizing related reporting and filing issues, and identify the distinctions between deductible and nondeductible interest.
• Recognize deductions for real estate, state, and local taxes and list deductions for home office use, research and experimentation costs, barrier removal, and mine development
• Identify the various forms of tax treatment under the concepts of depreciation and amortization, including the effect on amortization of 197.
• Determine the differences between cost depletion and percentage depletion as a means of accounting for the reduction of a products reserves.
• Specify the types of bad debt and their effect on accounting and the various methods for dealing with bad debt.
• Specify the common-law rules used by the IRS to determine whether a person is an employee for purposes of FICA, FUTA, and federal income tax withholding.
• Identify the tests for wages to be deductible and how excluded fringe benefits can result in more employer deductions and incentive-based compensation to employees.
• Identify the apportionment of business and personal use of an automobile, including deduction limitations, and specify the various depreciation methods such as MACRS and 179 expensing.
• Identify the various valuation methods used in determining the actual value of an employees personal use of an automobile specifying the reporting options available to the employer.
• Determine the factors associated with the business purpose requirement stating how they determine deductible expenses for meals and currently restricted entertainment.
• Identify the applicable federal per diem rate from any one of several methods and the different reporting and income inclusion treatments given to self-employed persons or reimbursed employees.
• Determine the differences between defined contribution and defined benefit plans recognizing the different types of plans and their effect on retirement benefits
• Identify Keogh Plans, traditional and Roth IRAs, and SIMPLE 401(k) plans by specifying their characteristics and determining how and when they may and may not be appropriate
• Specify the requirements that determine insurance premium deduction and, identify the interest disallowance rule, the uniform capitalization rules citing their relation to production or resale activity costs
• Identify the primary dispositive plans, such as simple wills, the various types of trusts, annuities, related family documents, and conservatorships.
• Specify the various special business issues related to estate planning, such as methods of business valuation, the implications of important revenue rulings, the use of estate planning tools recognizing buy-sell agreements, and, deferred compensation agreements.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Taxpayers are once again looking to CPAs for guidance and planning related to travel and entertainment expenses. This comprehensive mini-course examines and explains the practical aspects of business travel and entertainment deductions.
To determine the expenses that taxpayers can deduct, fundamentals are reviewed and planning opportunities are identified. Practitioners will learn to master the proper administration of these complex and often cumbersome
provisions.

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

1. Recognize the away from home requirement and related deductions, determine what constitutes transportation and travel expenses specifying the tests for tax home and recognize the differences between temporary and indefinite work assignments including their effect on a tax home.
2. identify the business purpose requirement using the 51/49 percent test, determine deductible conventions and meetings, and specify the limitations applied to meals and lodging when traveling.
3. Determine what constitutes business entertainment and identify business entertainment activity deduction restrictions and disallowance.
4. Specify the 274(e) exceptions to entertainment deduction disallowance, recognize the necessity of expense substantiation, and determine accountable and non-accountable plans stating the impact on deductions.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This comprehensive book describes and compares sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited liability companies, C corporations, and S corporations. It examines their advantages and disadvantages, permitting the reader to properly
select the right business entity for their tax and liability needs. The major emphasis is given the maximization of tax benefits in each business format. Fringe benefits, retirement plan alternatives, and nonqualified deferred
compensation are discussed in detail.

Topics include:

• Advantages and disadvantages
• Formation
• Schedule C
• Self-employment tax
• Estimated tax
• Sale of a business
• Classification of assets
• Other business dispositions
• Income splitting
• Estate planning

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Determine the advantages and disadvantages associated with sole proprietorships, and specify the formation requirements.
• Identify not-for-profit activities, particularly as they relate to Schedule C businesses, and recall the various requirements permitting such businesses to complete the C-EZ form or request an automatic filing extension.
• Recognize the taxes imposed on self-employed persons specifying compliance with payment requirements, determine how sole proprietorship assets are characterized on disposition, and, identify income splitting and estate planning
  devices available for such business owners and their impact on entity choice.
• Determine what constitutes a partnership under 761(a) including the status of joint ventures, co-tenancy, publicly traded partnerships, and the special benefits of family partnerships citing several advantages and disadvantages
  of each and recognize how partners share tax items
• Identify the taxation of partners and partnerships and its effect on the preparation of individual returns and K-1s and, specify the exclusion requirements stating the tax rate and 1031 exchange impact
• Recognize separately stated items identifying the relationship of deductions to outside basis, partnership versus partner deductions, allocation of deductions, and related filing requirements to improve accurate tax reporting.
• Determine the closing of a partnership year, the events that terminate a partnership, and the events that do not close the year to insure proper tax allocation.
• Identify types of transactions between a partner and the partnership that can influence the treatment of the transaction, and specify the character of property contributions under 721.
• Determine inside and outside basis, including complications caused by the contribution of services, specify their interplay with the at-risk and passive rules, their impact on the disposition of partnership interests, and their
  effect on partnership distributions, and identify how such distributions and liquidations effect gain or loss for partnership and partners
• Identify the characteristics of limited liability companies (LLCs) that distinguish them from other entities, particularly C corporations, and specify the benefits of an LLC and their effect on choosing a form of entity.
• Cite reasons for choosing an LLC over S corporations, limited partnerships, and general partnerships and, in contrast, determine the drawbacks of LLCs to assist clients in entity selection.
• Identify several ways to use the LLC form effectively and thereby fit client objectives and expand business-planning opportunities.
• Recognize the varying tax consequences of forming or converting to an LLC including possible tax differences using the California Limited Liability Company Act
• Determine a corporation, for tax purposes, and identify regular corporations from other entities
• Identify personal service corporations and small business investment companies, their requirements and tax treatment and determine when and how clients can engage or avoid such classification for their benefit.
• Recognize the transfer of money, property, or both by prospective shareholders to a corporation and the requirements of 351.
• Specify the requirements of 1244 stock and the small business stock exclusion, and determine the differences between start-up expenses and organizational expenses.
• Identify corporate pitfalls and dangers citing tax recognition of the entity, tax rates, AMT repeal, capital gains and losses under 1212 and the dividends received deduction under 243.
• Specify necessary corporate action for making allowable corporate charitable contributions, benefiting from the repeal of 341, and avoiding tax penalties under 541 and 531.
• Identify available corporate accounting periods and methods stating the treatment and impact of tax-exempt income, inventory identification and evaluation, multiple corporations, and corporate liquidations and distributions
• Determine what constitutes an S corporation and specify the advantages and disadvantages associated with them.
• Identify variables that impact whether a business can choose S corporation status, ways that an S corporation may be terminated, and the related procedures that must be followed.
• Recognize S corporation tax treatment including special areas involving income and expenses, pass-through items, built-in gain, passive income, tax preference items, LIFO recapture tax, capital gains tax, investment credit recapture,
  estimated tax payments, and basis of S corporation stock
• Identify S corporation owner compensation and distribution options recognizing reasonable compensation requirements, related party rules, S corporation distribution taxation, tax year choices, fringe benefits, and specifying when
  the Form 1120S must be filed.
• Recognize basic fringe benefit planning by specifying income under 61, and determining the differences between former nonstatutory and current statutory fringe benefits created by recent cases, rulings, and tax law changes.
• Identify the basic mechanics of typical fringe benefits, determine the fair market value of a fringe benefit under the general valuation rule or the special valuation rules, and cite the general accounting rule and the special
  two-month pour-over accounting rule.
• Determine what constitutes a 274 employee achievement award and specify the rules for 79 group term life insurance specifying how to implement proper coverage.
• Recognize the mechanics of 105 self-insured medical reimbursement plans, and determine the requirements of 106 medical insurance stating the differences between the two Code sections.
• Specify the rules for excluding the value of meals and lodging under 119 and determine what constitutes a cafeteria plan stating how it operates.
• Identify the requirements and limits of employee educational assistance programs and dependent care assistance determining how to obtain each type of assistance.
• Determine no-additional-cost services and identify what property or services are excludable from income as qualified employee discounts under 132(c), and specify exceptions to working condition fringes and de minimis fringes.
• Determine the differences between self-employed and qualified plans for other business types recognizing key choice of entity factors.
• Specify the requirements of IRAs, SEPs, and SIMPLEs, and identify tax-free Roth IRA distributions stating where to maximize plan benefits.
• Identify the advantages of nonqualified deferred compensation, specify the purposes of nonqualified plans and factors that a nonqualified retirement benefit can be based on, determine the contractual provisions of such arrangements
  and necessary provisions, recognize the IRSs position on nonqualified compensation, and determine constructive receipt and economic benefit.
• Specify the differences among unfunded bare contractual promise plans, funded company account plans, and segregated asset plans and the tax consequences of each, and identify the basic tax consequences associated with nonqualified
  plans.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This mini-course describes and compares sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited liability companies, C corporations, and S corporations. It examines their advantages and disadvantages, permitting the participant to properly select the right business entity for their tax and liability needs.

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Cite the central differences among business entities and the advantages and disadvantages associated with basic business entity types
• Recognize the tax attributes of sole proprietorships, partnerships,
  LLCs, S corporations, and C corporations and how each entity can be
  used to enhance tax and financial purposes and objectives
• Specify the unique (e.g., self-employment) and general taxes applicable to particular entities and the tax forms that may be required
• Identify the basic deductions that are permissible for each entity
  type and the conditions under which they are allowed
• Determine the tax years, accounting methods, and valuation methods that each entity type may use, and how the entities can be terminated
• Specify for different entity types the basis and the tax effect of sales,
  exchanges, transfers, contributions, and distributions.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This presentation integrates federal taxation with overall financial planning. The course will explore tax strategies relating to the central financial tactics of wealth building, capital preservation, and estate distribution.

The result is a unified explanation of tax economics that will permit the tax professional to locate, analyze, and solve financial concerns. Designed to improve the quality of services to clients and the profitability of engagements,
this program projects the accountant into the world of financial planning. This course will give the participant practice in analyzing problems, developing solutions, and presenting final personal financial plans to clients.

The course surveys wills, living trusts, gifts, marital property, and probate avoidance. Will and trust forms are explored along with living wills, durable powers of attorney, and nominations of conservators. Designed to eliminate
estate problems and death taxes, the emphasis is on practical, cost-effective solutions.

Topics include:

• CHAPTER 1 - FINANCIAL TAX PLANNING
• CHAPTER 2 - BUILDING AN ESTATE
• CHAPTER 3 - PRESERVATION OF WEALTH
• CHAPTER 4 - DEFERRAL
• CHAPTER 5 - REDUCTION
• CHAPTER 6 - INCOME SPLITTING
• CHAPTER 7 - ELIMINATION
• CHAPTER 8 - ASSET PROTECTION
• CHAPTER 9 - Estate Planning
• CHAPTER 10 - Estate and Gift Taxes
• CHAPTER 11 - Wills and Probate
• CHAPTER 12 - Trust
• CHAPTER 13 - Entities and Title
• CHAPTER 14 - Life Insurance, Annuities and Buy-Sell Agreements
• CHAPTER 15 - Special Business Issues
• CHAPTER 16 - Estate Freeze Rules
• CHAPTER 17 - Elderly and Disabled Planning
• CHAPTER 18 - Post-Mortem Planning and Tax Return Requirements

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Identify short-term financial goals and investment purposes, recognize the importance of defining, listing, and prioritizing realistic goals specifying how investing allocation changes with age.
• Determine the tax consequences of title holding methods by:
1. Specifying ways to hold title to assets starting with the simplest and most direct way to hold property;
2. Cite the tax benefits and drawbacks of co-tenancies, corporations (both C and S), partnerships, qualified retirement plans, and trusts particularly as they relate to a client's after-tax investment return; and
3. Identifying custodianship under the uniform acts and determining how an estate can be tax beneficial to taxpayers.
• Recognize the impact of retirement planning postponement identify the importance of early planning using the author's suggested step process, specify a balance sheet method to plan retirement, determine how to diversify portfolios
  by balancing liquid and nonliquid assets, and identify the purpose of savings and strategies to save.
• Identify money management specifying income types, recognize causes of increased taxable income for itemizing taxpayers, and specify taxable income types and their proper reporting.
• Determine the distinctions between tax-free municipal bonds from fringe benefits in generating tax-free income, cite the benefits of tax deferral, and identify tax-deferred investments.
• Specify ways to shelter income stating how income sheltering amplifies investment return.
• Recognize the budgeting of income into cash by containing expenditures with the author's step process and discretionary income development, identify a clients negative outlook on budgeting and counter strategies, determine how
  to convert income into assets by purchasing investments, and specify asset acquisition rules.
• Specify tax-advantaged investments citing management rules, and determine the economic impact of accelerating deductions, postponing tax liability, and leveraging.
• Identify spending habits stating how to design a budget to increase discretionary income, determine net worth using a balance sheet, and select assets and liabilities for an inventory on which to base financial goals
• Specify why individuals should take primary responsibility for the investment planning including necessary self-education, determine the allocation of financial resources among investments to maximize return, and recognize the
  impact of inflation, risk versus return, and basic income tax planning tactics.
• Identify the benefits of tax deferral, recall the former use of tax deferral under 1034, and cite the tax deferral advantage under 1031 listing its elements
• Specify the related party 1031 restrictions identifying prohibited parties or entities and permissible disposition exceptions, cite recommendations for the protection of exchange participants, and recognize the history of the
  multiple property regulations stating the unique netting requirements for multiple asset exchanges.
• Recall the evolution of delayed exchanges naming allowable transfers, determine how to select qualified replacement property, specify constructive receipt safe harbors and methods to secure exchange party performance, cite the
  1031 partnership underlying asset rule, identify retirement plan design, identify popular methods for providing for retirement, and select near retirement investments.
• Specify the requirements for an installment sale, determine how to elect out of the installment method, identify the variables affecting 453 availability, and determine how to use a property option to receive income and postpone tax
• Identify tax credits specifying qualified computational expenses, limitations, and restrictions
• Recognize the estimated tax rules and procedures including payment deadlines, underpayment penalties, and the economics of overpaying estimated taxes, and specify the nondeductible interest types.
• Determine the deductibility of investment interest, prepaid interest, points, and prepayment penalties recognizing the offset of passive income with rental property mortgage interest.
• Identify business vehicle operating costs using (or switching between) the actual cost method or the standard mileage rate, recognize the importance of expense and mileage records and specify depreciation traps when purchasing a vehicle.
• Recall the requirements for business expenses to meet the directly-related test, cite the elements of the associated test, identify the business expense statutory exceptions, and recognize the application of R.R. 90-23, and R.R. 99-7 to the deduction of transportation costs to a temporary work location.
• Determine business asset depreciation using both ACRS and MACRS recovery classes, identify sources of 172 net operating losses (NOLs) recognizing carryback and carryover rules, specify tax breaks for non-itemizing taxpayers, recognize the advisability of filing an amended return, determine how to avoid audits by claiming refunds for provable items stating which return amendments are safest.
• Recognize formats for income splitting, determine the tax treatment of employee and self-employed business expenses particularly home-office expenses stating the two non-exclusive use exceptions and the income limitation, citing changes made to home office deduction under TRA 97, and recognize the ability of self-employees to make annual deductible contributions to a Keogh plan.
• Identify the tax opportunities available to an unincorporated business including retirement plans, the hiring of family members, travel expenses, casualty losses, bad debts, and self-employment tax.
• Determine the uses and tax characteristics of regular and S corporations by:
1. Citing circumstances when incorporation is desirable,
2. Recognizing the taxation of these entities including their ability to split income; and
3. Specifying initial 351 formation and capitalization issues and identifying appropriate tax form filings for each entity.
• Recognize the use of partnerships to split income among partners including the use of 704(e) family partnerships and the consequences of gifting a partnership interest to a child or another family member.
• Identify the use of custodianship to split income specifying planning considerations and good investments for children, recognize deductions and credits for childcare, education, children, and 7872 loans, and specify the income
  and later estate tax benefits of gifts
• Identify tax elimination techniques by:
1. Recognizing the current 121 home sale exclusion citing its differences with prior tax law
2. Determining qualifications for tax-free state or local obligations including private activity bonds; and
3. Specifying the tax elimination aspects of family transactions such as gifts, bequests, inheritances, life insurance, and even divorce.
• Recognize employer deductions as a means to increase tax-free incentive-based compensation for employees by:
1. Specifying rules for excluding fringe benefits under 132 and their proper reporting on the W-2; and
2. Identifying popular employee fringe benefits including employer-paid accident and health coverage, meals or lodging, cafeteria plan benefits, 127 education assistance, achievement awards, group life insurance, and dependent care assistance.
• Determine how to value fringe benefits according to IRS regulations, identify how to comply with ERISA requirements, specify the proper reporting of reimbursed and unreimbursed business expenses under accountable and nonaccountable
  plans, determine the substantiation of auto expenses using a fixed and variable rate, and specify eligible retirement benefits exempt from social security taxes.
• Identify the goals and purposes of asset protection recognizing the objections some people have about shielding assets from creditors by:
1. Citing reasons for asset protection and situations that can unexpectedly put assets and financial security at stake;
2. Specifying sources of lawsuits and the author's concept of exploding and imploding liability; and
3. Determining asset protection using the primary concepts of insurance, asset placement, and statutory protections.
• Recognize the importance of creditor types associated with asset protection and fraudulent transfers.
• Specify fraudulent transfer laws listing badges of fraud, define statutes of limitation, criminal penalties, and permissible asset transfers.
• Recognize the degree and necessity of asset protection using net worth and asset values on a balance sheet.
• Identify the ways that insurance and buy-sell agreements can offer asset protection by:
1. Citing the asset protection elements of homeowner's, automobile, and disability insurance;
2. Specifying the parties under a life insurance contract stating potential reasons for establishing an irrevocable life insurance trust, and
3. Determining what constitutes entity purchase and cross-purchase buy-sell agreements.
• Identify basic estate planning elements recognizing the importance of well-drafted legal documents and specify the key team participants including their roles in the estate planning process.
• Determine the major steps in the probate process, identify ways to make transfers outside the probate system including the use of a trust, specify estate tax techniques that save death taxes while retaining maximum control, and
  identify estate-planning facts.
• Identify potential death taxes including federal estate tax as it applies to various size estates, specify the principal taxes that impact death taxation, and determine the expiration of the death tax credit.
• Determine what constitutes a taxable estate under 2501 specifying what assets are included in a gross estate using basic categories of property and transfers
• Determine the value of a decedents assets using permitted elections, recognize the use of Form 706 to pay any estate tax due, select the tax basis of estate assets stating how common transactions affect property basis under 1014
• Identify the various gift tax exclusions, specify the tax treatment of below-market loans, recall the gift tax marital deduction requirements, determine the tax consequences of giving various assets specifying factors to consider
  when gifting, and recognize the use of Form 709 to compute and pay federal gift tax.
• Specify types of wills citing the functions a will can perform, identify types of bequests, determine the duties of executors and guardians, and recall ways to hold title and their tax ramifications.
• Identify advantages of a properly drafted will, determine the distribution flow of simple wills, and specify the pros and cons of probate proceedings
• Identify the relationship of parties in a trust, reasons to establish a trust, and types of trusts specifying their estate planning function.
• Specify recommended living trust provisions, identify the application of gift and the income tax including the use of a grantor trust and an unlimited marital deduction, and determine what constitutes an A-B and A-B-C trust
  format.
  
• Identify the title-holding benefits of trusts, co-tenancy, partnerships, and limited liability companies and the tax characteristics of each, recognize the types of retirement plans used to provide lifetime benefits to a business
  owner and employees, and specify the tax treatment of custodianships and a probate estate.
• Identify the tax treatment of life insurance proceeds by:
1. Determining the treatment of premiums for personally owned life insurance and related benefits and specifying exceptions to this treatment including the transfer for value rule;
2. Select variables that influence whether life insurance is taxable for federal estate tax purposes; and
3. Recalling the gift tax associated with the transfer of life insurance policies.
• Determine the pros and cons of life insurance policy types and specify estate tax planning reasons for establishing an irrevocable life insurance trust.
• Identify reasons why a business interest must be valued in an estate that is subject to federal estate tax, specify factors used to determine the net value of a business under the regulations, and recall the valuation factors in
  R.R. 59-60 specifying their impact.
• Determine the tax consequences in leaving an estate to a surviving spouse, specify the elements of buy-sell agreements, stock redemptions, and stock recapitalizations to dispose of business interests before death, and identify
  deferred compensation agreements recognizing their estate planning impact.
• Determine the benefits of an estate freeze and its ability to reduce the value of a business interest, identify transactions to which Chapter 14 rules apply and terminology used in the Chapter 14 valuation rule that applies to
  corporations and partnerships, and specify exceptions to 2701.
• Recall the terms used in 2702 concerning transfers of interests in a trust, identify the application of the zero value rule to a transfer of an interest in a trust, and specify exceptions to 2702, determine the transfer of an
  interest in the property when there are one or more term interests as a transfer of an interest in a trust, and specify the treatment of joint purchases.
• Recognize the requirements and exceptions of 2703 to ensure the property is valued appropriately, identify lapses as a transfer by gift or as includible in the decedents gross estate under 2704, recall the key terminology of
  2704 under the evaluation rules, specify the amount of the transfer stating which lapses or restrictions qualify as an applicable restriction.
• Identify tools that can allow patients to refuse treatment even when incompetent, determine Supplemental Security Income specifying how it relates to the elderly, and disability planning specifies the requirements that must be
  met to receive disability benefits
• Determine post-mortem estate planning action in the face of funeral and administrative expenses using elections and disclaimers
• Cite the due dates of post-mortem federal forms, specify the filing requirements of a decedents estate tax return, and identify exceptions to the general rule of estate tax payment.
• Determine the processes and procedures necessary in the preparation and filing of Form 706
• Identify the filing requirements for estate income tax and decedents final income tax returns by:
1. Determining the estate income tax under available tax accounting methods and tax years; and
2. Specify the use of Form 1310 for a decedent or a joint return for a decedent and his or her surviving spouse.
• Identify how to avoid penalties when filing a gift tax return, recognize gift splitting to reduce gift taxes, and recall special gift applications and traps stating ways to avoid their tax consequences.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

While tax reform visions have changed the tax on profits realized from the disposition of real estate, investors still seek escape hatches from the capital gain tax. Tax-deferred exchanges permit the disposition of property often with
the taxpayer receiving significant cash but without the payment of any tax. Functionally, an exchange is a bridge over the normally taxable event of moving from one property to another. This course alerts the practitioner to the
different planning opportunities that surround exchanging. Participants will be able to identify, analyze, and handle effectively the complex tax problems that arise under 1031. This understanding will be directly applied to the
structuring and audit survival of multi-party and delayed exchanges.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act was signed by President Trump on March 18, 2020. Later on March 27, 2020, he signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, with a $2.2 trillion price tag. These
Acts have been supplemented by pronouncements from the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service. These emergency coronavirus provisions are intended to limit the spread of the pandemic, support relief efforts, and stabilize
the economy.

This course is an overview and summary of tax provisions contained in the above legislation and government pronouncements. It provides a reference to selected individual, business, retirement, employment, filing, and charitable tax
provisions adopted. The resulting major tax impact carries special meaning to the tax practitioner and returns preparer. The course is intended to be a resource for tax professionals and staff alike to gain easy access to the most
important major changes.

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Identify permissible HSA payments, allowable FFCRA payroll tax credits and paid leave, postponement of tax filing and payment deadlines, the Stafford Act.
• Recognize the tax provisions of the CARES, CAA and ARPA Acts including recovery rebates, above-the-line charitable contributions, deferral of payroll tax, loan forgiveness, employee retention credits, remote medical services,
  business losses, COBRA, and unemployment benefits.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course examines and explains the practical aspects of using the closely held corporation to maximize after-tax return on business operations. Recent developments giving corporations a competitive edge over other entities are explored
and detailed. Practitioners are alerted to often missed fringe benefits, retirement planning opportunities, corporate business deductions, income splitting possibilities, and little-known estate planning techniques.

The program covers step-by-step tax procedures to form, operate, and ultimately dispose of a closely held corporation. Distinctions between S and C corporations will be unraveled and guidelines for client direction given.

Topics include:

• CHAPTER: 1- Business Forms and Characteristics
• CHAPTER: 2- Corporate Formation and Capitalization
• CHAPTER: 3- Corporate Principals and Employees
• CHAPTER: 4- Basic Fringe Benefits
• CHAPTER: 5- Business Entertainment
• CHAPTER: 6- Insurance
• CHAPTER: 7- Retirement Plans
• CHAPTER: 8- Nonqualified Deferred Compensation
• CHAPTER: 9- S Corporations
• CHAPTER: 10- Business Dispositions and Reorganizations

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Specify the advantages and disadvantages of sole proprietorships including self-employed taxes and payment requirements and identify the characterization of sole proprietorship assets upon disposition.
• Identify the reporting requirements of estates, trusts, and unincorporated associations, determine what constitutes a corporation for a subchapter S or regular corporation, specify the characteristics of a personal service corporation,
  and recognize the repeal of the alternative minimum tax for regular corporations.
• Identify the transfer of money, property, or both by prospective shareholders and the basic requirements associated with 351.
• Specify the requirements for corporate charitable contributions, identify former 341 collapsible corporations, and determine how to avoid 541 status, particularly as to personal service contracts.
• Determine payroll taxes and the uses of Form 941, Form W-4, Form W-2, and Form W-3, specify the application of FICA and FUTA taxes and how to report them, and identify major employee labor laws.
• Identify a buy-sell agreement distinguishing an entity purchase from a cross-purchase agreement and recognize business recapitalizations and their potential uses.
• Identify basic fringe benefit planning by determining income under 61 and specifying the differences between former nonstatutory and current statutory fringe benefits.
• Determine no-additional-cost services and identify what property or services are excludable from income as qualified employee discounts under 132(c), specify exceptions to working condition fringes and de minimis fringes, recognize
  a 74 employee achievement award, and cite the 79 group term life insurance rules.
• Identify employer-provided automobile valuation methods, determine what constitutes interest-free and below-market loans, specify the requirements and limitations of fringe benefits under 217, 132, 67 212, 132(h)(5) and 280A,
  cite S corporation fringe benefits, and specify ERISA compliance requirements.
• Define the key tax term entertainment" and identify the pre-and post-2018 required 162 and 274 deductibility tests recognizing the importance of the remaining statutory exceptions for entertainment.
• Identify substantiation, recordkeeping, reimbursement, and reporting requirements recognizing variations in methods and determining how to itemize non-reimbursed employee expenses, and specify the special reporting rules for self-employed
  persons and employers.
• Recognize the importance and variety of business insurance Identify the impact of the disallowance of the interest deduction on purchasers and the insurance industry recognizing the 264 interest 7 limitations on policy loans,
  specify the benefit of corporate key person life insurance, citing the requirements of COBRA, and determine what constitutes a Voluntary Employee Benefit Association under 501(c)(9).
• Identify nonqualified and qualified deferred compensation plans recognizing their benefits and contribution limits and recall the current and deferred advantages and disadvantages of corporate plans including fiduciary responsibilities
  and prohibited transactions.
• Determine the differences between defined contribution and defined benefit retirement plans and specify five types of defined contribution plans stating their impact on retirement benefits.
• Identify the requirements of IRAs, SEPs, and SIMPLEs, and define tax-free Roth IRA distributions specifying strategies to maximize plan benefits.
• Recognize the postponement of income with a nonqualified plan.
• Determine what constitutes an S corporation and specify the advantages and list disadvantages associated with them.
• Identify variables that impact whether a business can choose S corporation status.
• Cite ways an S corporation may be terminated specifying related procedures to be followed.
• Recognize various business disposition and reorganization possibilities.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course examines and explains the basics of corporate taxation. The focus is on regular or C corporations, their formation, and operation under tax law. The advantages and disadvantages of corporations are examined; incorporation and capitalization issues are discussed; and, basic tax rates and specialty taxes are reviewed. The tax treatment of operational expenses and deductions are outlined, and accounting periods and methods are explored. Finally, the dangers of multiple corporations and corporate distributions are highlighted

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Recognize regular corporation elements, specify their advantages and disadvantages specifying tax treatment, and determine how to distinguish them from PSC corporations
• Identify 351 requirements for tax-free incorporation, recognize the impact of the transfer of money, property, or both by prospective shareholders, and determine the availability of 1244 for stock losses and 195 for amortization of start-up expenditures
• Recognize the repeal of the corporate alternative minimum, specify the corporate tax consequences of capital gains and losses, and recognize ways to avert the accumulated earnings trap identifying the potential use of the accumulated earnings credit
• Determine accounting periods and methods available to corporations and specify the tax consequences of liquidating property distributions

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course will discuss the new tax provisions related to Economic Disaster Relief, Paycheck Protection Programs, and Forgiveness as well as the Employee Retention Credit.

Topics include:

• Loans and Grants
• PPP Loan Forgiveness
• Taxation of Loans and Grants
• Expense Restrictions of PPP Loans Forgiveness
• Casualty Loss Update

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Review the funding options provided under the CARES Act
• Differentiate between the loans and grants
• Discuss the loan forgiveness process
• Determine the taxation of loans and grants
• Understand the restrictions on expenses of the loans and the impact on Partner/Shareholder Basis
• Discuss changes to Employee Retention Credit under the COVID-related Tax Relief Act of 2020
• Review changes in Casualty Loss Rules

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course brings the practitioner up-to-date information on tax issues affecting interest and debt. It covers the definition of bona fide debt, the avoidance of equity and lease treatment, imputed interest rates, and debt modification.

The various types of interest and their required allocation are explored and reviewed. For the economically troubled client, special attention is devoted to debt cancellation, repossession, discounts, and foreclosure.

The program also discusses installment sales, equity participation debt, taxable interest, and bad debts.

Topics include:

• Indebtedness
• Deductible interest and mortgage interest
• Investment interest
• Nondeductible interest
• Personal interest and capitalized interest
• At-risk rules
• Passive activity limitations
• Below-market interest rate loans
• Imputed interest in sales
• Original issue discount (OID)

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Identifying what constitutes bona fide debt considering economic substance and purpose and specifying how transactions with family members and controlled corporations can recharacterize alleged indebtedness into gift or business
  equity and the factors used in this recharacterization; and
• Specify the incentives to use corporate debt instead of equity, recognize the special treatment of failed equity investment under 1244, and determine the differences among debt from installment sales, long-term and leveraged
  leases, and annuities.
• Recognizing the allocation of interest-based on the debts purpose, the application of any carryover rules and determining net investment income and its relationship to the investment interest deduction; and
• Identifying the special tax treatment given to student loans, margin accounts, and market discount bonds specifying what happens to any disallowed interest expense and the timing considerations in interest reporting including interest
  paid in advance.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This mini-course brings the practitioner information on tax issues affecting interest and debt. The various types of interest and their required allocation are explored and reviewed. For the economically troubled client, special attention is devoted to debt cancellation, repossession, discounts, and foreclosure. The program also discusses installment sales, taxable interest, and bad debts.

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Determine what constitutes interest specifying its key components, and identify whether the various types of interest are tax-deductible or nondeductible
• Recognize how to deduct interest that is paid or accrued during the tax year applying different methods of accounting, specify the applicable federal rate, recognize the effects of unstated interest on transactions, and cite the imputed interest rules in the context of debt instruments
• Identify the interest allocation rules and the allocation period for a loan, recognize the difference between an allocation of loan proceeds that are deposited in an account and the allocation of loan proceeds received in cash, and cite loan repayments in the order they are deemed repaid
• Determine when certain distributions commonly referred to as "dividends" are interest and the tax treatment of interest that is earned on such
  items as income on frozen deposits and U.S. Savings Bonds
• Recognize an installment sale transaction, determine what constitutes the installment method, specify the parts of each payment on an installment sale, and cite the related party sales rules of 453
• Identify exceptions to the general income inclusion rule and their effect on a taxpayer, and determine the different effects of nonrecourse indebtedness from the effects of recourse indebtedness on foreclosure
• Specify bad debt categories specifying the impact of nonbusiness bad debt recovery, identify when a business deducts its bad debts from gross income, and recognize which accounting method to apply to business bad debts.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course will teach participants how to apply, implement, and evaluate the strategic tax aspects of marital dissolutions and living together arrangements. Current perspectives on property transfers, asset divisions, alimony, filing
status, exemptions, and child support are examined with an emphasis on planning considerations. Property settlements, basis allocation, third-party transfers, and purchases between spouses are explored and analyzed. Special attention
is given to the division of business interests, retirement plans (including QDROs), insurance policies, and family residence.

Topics include:

• CHAPTER 1 - Basic Marital Tax Matters
• CHAPTER 2 - Transfers Incident to Divorce
• CHAPTER 3 - Alimony and Child Support
• CHAPTER 4 - Selected Marital Tax Issues Outside Divorce

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Specify multiple tax implications to consider when going through a divorce, and recognize the requirements and effects of filing as married or unmarried.
• Specify the position of U.S. v. Davis on interspousal transfers and the changes made by 1041, and identify the requirements of 1041 and the scope of its application.
• Determine alimony and separate maintenance payments under 71 and their pre- and post-2019 deduction or income treatment under 215.
• Determine the tax treatment of spousal travel including additional cost limitations and identify the benefits of husband and wife partnerships, particularly with regards to Social Security qualification

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Participants will learn how to apply, implement, and evaluate the strategic tax aspects of marital dissolutions and living together arrangements. Current perspectives on property transfers and asset divisions are examined with an emphasis on planning considerations. This mini-course reviews property settlements and other transfers incident to divorce. Basis allocation, third-party transfers, and purchases between spouses are also examined. Common pitfalls for the unwary such as transfers in trust, installment notes, and purchases between spouses are analyzed. Application of these tax principles is exampled in selected asset divisions of the residence, business interests, insurance, and pension benefits.

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Identify the various forms of marital property and how to proceed with a tax structured property settlement stating the benefits of premarital agreements to avoid potential divorce problems
• Recognize property settlements under 1041 by:
  
  • a. identifying its application to interspousal and third party transfers,
  • b. specifying the factors that determine whether or not a property transfer is an incident to divorce under 1041
  • c. determining property basis for the transferor and transferee spouse under 1041
• Identify remedies for the deferred tax pitfall of 1041 by:
  
  • a. determining the deferred tax liability of interspousal purchases
  • b. recognizing the tax deferral of 1031 exchanges,
  • c. specifying the key elements of the home sale exclusion and stating their application
  • d. recognizing benefit distribution problems and the tax advantages of QDROs

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The Earned Income Credit (EIC) is a refundable tax credit that has a significant impact on United States revenue and, in the 2020 tax year, amounted to about $60 billion claimed by more than 25 million tax filers. In a recent year,
153.8 million individual federal tax returns were filed, and 19.6 million—12.7% of individual taxpayers—claimed the Earned Income Credit. Based on that percentage, it would not be unexpected that any tax return preparer will prepare
the tax returns for many EIC claimants.

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Apply the earned income credit rules to determine if a taxpayer is eligible for the tax credit;
  
• Identify the common errors committed in connection with the earned income credit;
• Describe the consequences of the IRS’ disallowance of the earned income credit; and
• Recognize the tax return preparer’s EIC due diligence requirements.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The Earned Income Credit (EIC) is a refundable tax credit that has a significant impact on United States revenue. It is also the source of a disproportionately large number of errors in tax returns in which a claim for it is made.
In a recent year, 150.3 million individual federal tax returns were filed, and more than 27.4 million—18.2% claimed the Earned Income Credit. Based on that percentage, it would not be unexpected that, in the years ahead, approximately
one taxpayer in every five will claim the EIC. Approximately 70% of federal income returns claiming the earned income credit are prepared by professional tax return preparers.

This course briefly summarizes the earned income credit rules, examines the common errors committed when claiming the credit, discusses the EIC due diligence requirements imposed on professional tax return preparers, and identifies
the sanctions to which preparers and their employers may be subject for a failure to meet expected due diligence requirements. 

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Recognize the earned income credit eligibility rules; 
  
• List the common errors committed in connection with claiming the earned income credit;
• Describe the consequences for the taxpayer of the IRS’ disallowance of the earned income credit; 
• Identify the tax return preparer’s earned income credit due diligence requirements; and
• List the sanctions that may be applied to a tax return preparer and his or her employer for a failure to meet due diligence requirements.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This mini-course examines key individual, business, retirement, and estate tax provisions recently enacted or indexed for inflation in an overview format that is easy to reference. The emphasis is on quick access to major tax changes
having special meaning to the tax practitioner and return preparer. The course is a great resource and way for professionals and staff alike to easily get the big chunks and bring their professional knowledge up to speed.

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Recognize the
  various issues affected by inflation and recent tax law developments especially
  as they relate to individual tax brackets, exemptions and deductions, the AMT,
  the child tax credit, alimony, HSAs, education plans, and energy credits
• Determine the
  key business tax issues affected by inflation adjustments and recent
  legislative changes, including corporate tax rates, entertainment expenses, tax
  credits and deductions, bonus depreciation, expensing, standard mileage
  rates, employment taxation, repatriation of foreign income, small business
  stock, partnership taxation, and excessive
  compensation
• Specify
  differences between various retirement plans, including inflation-adjusted contribution limits and phaseout limits, and determine
  estate taxes by identifying trust income tax rates and determining applicable
  exclusion amounts.
• Identify permissible
  HSA payments, allowable FFCRA payroll tax credits and paid leave, postponement
  of tax filing and payment deadlines, the Stafford Act.
• Recognize the
  tax provisions of the CARES Act including recovery rebates, above-the-line
  charitable contributions, deferral of payroll tax, business loan forgiveness,
  employee retention credits, remote medical services, and unemployment benefits.
• Identify the
  pandemic and tax provisions of the CCA and ARPA Acts including fiscal
  funding, credits, recovery rebates, deferral of payroll tax, loan forgiveness,
  PPP loans, and tax extenders

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), legislation designed to provide economic relief for those impacted by COVID-19, became law. This course provides a general review of the principal
provisions of the CARES Act and of other federal tax-related stimulus legislation passed during 2020, including the Tax Relief Act of 2020 signed into law on December 27, 2020.

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Apply the recovery rebate rules;
• Describe the provisions of the Paycheck Protection Program;
• Recognize the rules related to unemployment benefits under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program;
• Apply the provisions regarding expanded tax-favored use of retirement funds;
• Identify the changes to net operating loss (NOL) carryback rules;
• Apply the changes in charitable contribution rules;
• Describe the changes in health savings account (HSA) rules related to first-dollar payment for telehealth and COVID-19 testing and treatment;
• Apply the rule changes to qualified improvement property depreciation; and
• Recognize the rules related to miscellaneous provisions, including:
• Changes to the rules related to the business deduction of food and beverages,
• Changes to the CTC and EITC rules,
• Changes to the foreign income exclusion,
• Section 1031 exchange timing,
• Correction of the deductible period applicable to qualified improvement property,
• Modification of limitation on losses for non-corporate taxpayers,
• Changes to the limitation on business interest expense deductions,
• Exclusion of certain employer payments of student loans, and
• Expansion of economic injury disaster loans (EIDLs).

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Tax Return Preparers (TRPs)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Few advantages are as sought after by parents for their children as an education that will enable them to grow professionally and enjoy the benefits such an education can help bestow. The federal government supports and encourages
their efforts to provide that education through various programs and income tax incentives.  This course will examine the programs, credits, deductions and federal income tax treatment of various items that affect saving for and financing an individual’s education. In so doing, it will consider:

• Qualified tuition programs;
• Coverdell education savings accounts;
• The education savings bond program;
• Federal tax credits for education;
• The federal tax treatment of scholarships, fellowships, grants and tuition reductions; and
• Deductions available for student loan interest.

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Identify the features and tax benefits of qualified tuition programs available under IRC §529;
  
• Recognize the limits and tax treatment of contributions to and distributions from a Coverdell education savings account (ESA);
• Identify the tax treatment of interest earned under qualified U.S. savings bonds used to pay certain education expenses;
• Apply the American opportunity and lifetime learning credit rules; 
• Recognize the tax treatment given to scholarships, fellowships and other types of educational assistance; and
• Apply the federal income tax rules applicable to student loan interest, student loan cancellations and repayment assistance.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Tax Return Preparers (TRPs)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Today taxpayers must plan for their children's education. Touching on various topics such as qualified tuition programs (QTPs), scholarships, and fellowships, this mini-course examines the tax treatment of costs related to education.
Practitioners will learn the ins and outs of the tax benefits concerning education and will be able to identify those educational expenses that are deductible. Additionally, financial planning strategies and techniques are outlined
to better prepare taxpayers for future educational costs.

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Identify deductible education expenses and travel costs under the requirements of 162
• Determine the qualified credit amounts under the HOPE (Ameri-can Opportunity) Credit and the requirements of Coverdell education savings accounts
• Identify the deductible amount to claim for 221 student loan inter-est and recognize the permissible benefits of 529 qualified tuition programs
• Specify the tax-free benefits of 117 scholarships and fellowships and who is eligible for a 132 qualified tuition reduction
• Identify educational incentives and financial aid requirements to meet college funding needs

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The various ideas, methods, and techniques to optimize the overall compensation package for key employees and principals are examined in this mini-course. Generally, businesses may deduct employees pay including wages, salaries, and other perks. Certain fringe benefits that can provide an unusually tax-favored manner of supplementing compensation are described and evaluated. In addition, equity participation is explored through stock sales, repurchase agreements, incentive stock options, ESOTs, stock options, and bonuses. Finally, deferred compensation arrangements are investigated. The goal of this mini-course is to provide participants with a working knowledge of the types of compensation necessary to structure a compensation package minimizing tax liabilities and cost.

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Identify the common-law rules used by the IRS to determine whether a person is an employee for purposes of FICA, FUTA, and federal income tax withholding
• Recognize employee and officer compensation deductibility factors and the related employment taxes and reporting obligations to ensure compliance with regulations
• Identify fringe benefits specifying those that provide deductible incentive-based employee compensation
• Specify the equity incentive opportunities available to employers showing the variety, tax treatment, and use of stock plans
• Recognize the use of deferred compensation agreements to attain compensation and retirement objectives

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The Internal Revenue Service routinely processes more than 240 million tax returns each year, many of them prepared by tax professionals. Not surprisingly, as tax law becomes increasingly complex, taxpayers often seek the knowledgeable
assistance of enrolled agents and other professionals in their preparation. 

To help ensure enrolled agents and other professionals understand their ethical responsibilities in representing their clients before the IRS and in preparing tax returns, the IRS has published Treasury Department Circular 230. Circular
230 offers substantial guidance by:

• Setting forth rules relating to the authority to practice before the IRS; and
• Identifying the duties and restrictions relating to such practice.

This course will examine the principal rules, duties, and restrictions applicable to enrolled agents in their professional activities.  

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Recognize the permitted scope of enrolled agent responsibilities in their practice before the Internal Revenue Service;
  
• Identify the best practices for preparing or assisting in the preparation of a submission to the Internal Revenue Service; and
• List the duties and restrictions applicable to enrolled agents concerning –
  
  • Information to be furnished to the IRS,
  • Dealing with taxpayer omissions, errors, and noncompliance with U.S. revenue laws,
  • The requirement for preparer diligence,
  • Return of client records,
  • The existence of conflicts of interest, and
  • Solicitation of business.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Tax Return Preparers (TRPs)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Before launching into an estate planning program, its important to know who owns what and exactly for whom you are planning. This requires that methods of holding title must be analyzed, considered, and selected. Sole proprietorships, S corporations, C corporations, partnerships, and limited liability companies are analyzed as to the formation, operation, and ultimate disposition. Since who or what holds title imposes its unique tax and legal consequences on the estate plan, the emphasis is given to the maximization of tax benefits in each business format. While each has its separate characteristics, several may be used together in more sophisticated planning.

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Specify the various types of corporations, identify S corporation rules and their tax advantages and disadvantages, cite the advantages and disadvantages of corporations relative to other types of entities, and determine how leasebacks to corporations work
• Identify the different types of joint ownership and how to use the benefits of partnerships, trusts, and limited liability companies to hold property
• Recognize the various retirement plans specifying how they can be used to provide substantial lifetime benefits to a business owner and employees

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

While accounting and the practice of law are separate professions, the accountant must be conversant with essential legal concepts. Modern accounting practice requires familiarity with corporate legal structure, business entities,
partnership operations, contracts, property rights, employment law, divorce, consumer protection, will and trusts, and even bankruptcy law. This course explores these specific areas with an emphasis on business and accounting
issues. This informal and clear guide to the basic concepts of business law provides accountants with an excellent review of legal concepts that arise in any tax professionals practice. The attendees will gain the ability to recognize
and discuss general legal concepts with both client and their counsel.

Knowledge is power and nowhere is that truer than in the field of law. To gain such a working knowledge of the law, readily understandable explanations are given to essential and related business law subjects. The accountant is guided
through the complex maze of literally hundreds of legal principles from acceptance to zoning.

Topics include:

• CHAPTER: 1- Asset Protection
• CHAPTER: 2- Alimony and Child Support
• CHAPTER: 3- Bankruptcy
• CHAPTER: 4- Divorce Settlements and Divisions
• CHAPTER: 5- Employment
• CHAPTER: 6- Entities and Title
• CHAPTER: 7- Insurance
• CHAPTER: 8- Property Dispositions
• CHAPTER: 9- Retirement and Employee Benefits
• CHAPTER: 10- Torts and Personal Injuries
• CHAPTER: 11- Wills and Probate
• CHAPTER: 12- Trusts

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Identify the goals and purposes of asset protection recognizing the objections some people have about shielding assets from creditors.
• Recognize the importance of creditor types associated with asset protection and fraudulent transfers.
• Recognize the asset protection advantages and disadvantages of ownership formats and entities.
• Determine alimony and separate maintenance payments under 71 and 215.
• Specify the types of 71 divorce or separation instruments and determine how having an invalid decree, an amended instrument, or a premarital agreement impacts such an instrument.
• Identify the deduction of pre-2019 alimony paid and the reporting of alimony received on the proper forms with the required information.
• Recall the COBRA and qualified medical child support order rules to maximize the use of health care coverage plans.
• Determine how the 2005 Bankruptcy Act changed procedures, qualifications, and tax law, and identify the most common bankruptcy types and their influence on how an individual or business goes bankrupt.
• Specify the rules for automatic stay and levy along with their impact on freezing creditor activity, tax assessment, and collection.
• Identify the differences between preferential and nonpreferential payments together with the priority of creditor claims.
• Identify the formats that courts typically follow if a couple does not have a premarital agreement and post-nuptial and premarital agreements including how they relate to divorce settlements and divisions.
• Identify factors that determine when a property transfer is an incident to divorce and how to meet these factors or avoid 1041 altogether when desired and recognize the application of 1041 to transfers in trust under 1041(e)
  and third-party transfers on behalf of a spouse or former spouse.
• Recognize the application of 1041 to property transfers where the transferee assumes liabilities encumbering the property, and identify with appropriate records the holding period for an asset transferred between spouses or former
  spouses incident to divorce.
• Identify an overall tax and economic strategy for the division of pension benefits in a marital settlement.
• Specify common-law rules used to determine employee status for FICA and federal income tax withholding, determine FICA and FUTA taxes including their reporting, and identify unreasonable compensation issues.
• Recognize the mechanics of the Social Security system allowing better retirement planning.
• Determine Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B differences and what is needed to qualify, and identify the eligibility requirements of Social Security disability and survivors benefits.
• Identify tax and legal title formats recognizing the distinctions among these entity formats.
• Cite the S corporation requirements and tax advantages and disadvantages, particularly those associated with incorporating a farm.
• Specify the title-holding benefits of trusts, co-tenancy, partnerships, and limited liability companies and the tax characteristics of each, identify the types of retirement plans used to provide lifetime benefits to a business
  owner and employees, determine how title can be held on behalf of minors and the tax treatment of custodianships, and specify the tax treatment of a probate estate.
• Identify characteristics of homeowner's, automobile, and disability insurance and what asset protection they may offer.
• Determine what constitutes an annuity and the types and characteristics of annuities along with their tax advantages and disadvantages.
• Identify capital gains rates with applicable assets using the "basket" approach.
• Recognize the installment method rules and regulations related to using this method.
• Determine gain or loss on foreclosure or repossession identifying reporting and filing requirements and the hidden income tax danger of directly or indirectly acquiring one's debt at a discount.
• Recognize the differences between personal property and real property repossessions, and identify when a bad debt deduction may be taken if the seller repossesses the real property.
• Recognize the importance of effectively designing a retirement plan following a multi-step program.
• Determine valuation methods for employer-provided automobiles, recognize interest-free and below-market loans, cite the requirements and limitations on several other fringe benefits under 217, 132, 67 212, 132(h)(5) and 280A,
  identify the limited S corporation fringe benefits, and specify ERISA compliance requirements.
• Identify types of tort and the remedies tort law provides.
• Specify types of wills and the functions a will can perform, identify types of bequests, determine the duties of executors and guardians, and recall ways to hold title and their tax ramifications.
• Identify the relationship of parties in a trust, reasons to establish a trust, and types of trusts along with their estate planning function.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Estate planning is when tomorrow becomes today! As a result of recent legislation, estate planning has been made surprisingly simple. This mini-course surveys wills, living trusts, gifts, insurance, marital property, and probate avoidance.
The will and trust forms are explored along with living wills, durable powers of attorney, and nominations of conservators.

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Recognize members of the estate planning team including their role in the estate administration process, specify the unlimited marital deduction requirements, cite the applicable exclusion amount, and identify the effects of stepped-up basis particularly, the repealed of modified carryover basis.
• Determine the limits of a simple will and the advantages and disadvantages of living trusts.
• Identify specialized estate planning tools and how they permit clients to pass more wealth and save death taxes, cite the uses of a durable power of attorney, and specify instances when a conservatorship is appropriate.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

"Just the facts ma'am; just the estate planning facts." Designed to give a quick overview of estate planning essentials, this course surveys wills, living trusts, gifts, marital property, and probate avoidance. Will and trust types
are examined in the context of general estate and gift taxation. Designed to eliminate estate problems and death taxes, the emphasis is on practical, cost-effective solutions.

Talk about having it all in an overview course - there is even a quick review of immediate postmortem death tax planning and filling out Form 706.

Topics include:

• CHAPTER 1 - Estate Planning
• CHAPTER 2 - Estate and Gift Taxes
• CHAPTER 3 - Wills and Probate
• CHAPTER 4 - Trusts
• CHAPTER 5 - Post-Mortem Planning and Tax Return Requirements

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Identify basic estate planning elements recognizing the importance of well-drafted legal documents and specify the key team participants including their roles in the estate planning process.
• Determine the major steps in the probate process, identify ways to make transfers outside the probate system including the use of a trust, specify estate tax techniques that save death taxes while retaining maximum control, and
  identify estate-planning facts.
• Identify potential death taxes including federal estate tax as it applies to various size estates, specify the principal taxes that impact death taxation, and determine the expiration of the death tax credit.
• Determine what constitutes a taxable estate under Section 2501 specifying what assets are included in a gross estate using basic categories of property and transfers.
• Specify estate deductions allowed under federal estate tax law stating their tax advantages and disadvantages.
• Determine the value of a decedents assets using permitted elections, recognize the use of Form 706 to pay any estate tax due, and select the tax basis of estate assets stating how common transactions affect property basis under Section
  1014.
  
• Recall the advantages of gift planning including estate reduction recognizing the impact of the GST, specifying the steps to compute gift tax identifying the gift tax exclusion amount, and determining the value of gifts including those
  that are split
• Identify the various gift tax exclusions, specify the tax treatment of below-market loans, recall the gift tax marital deduction requirements, determine the tax consequences of giving various assets specify factors to consider
  when gifting, and recognize the use of Form 709 to compute and pay federal gift tax.
• Specify types of wills citing the functions a will can perform, identify types of bequests, determine the duties of executors and guardians, and recall ways to hold title and their tax ramifications.
• Identify advantages of a properly drafted will, determine the distribution flow of simple wills, and specify the pros and cons of probate proceedings.
• Identify tax and legal title formats naming differences among these entity formats by:
• Specifying the advantages and disadvantages of holding property individually and through a sole proprietorship or a corporation stating how to avoid associated title pitfalls;
• Selecting primary groups of C corporations specifying the estate planning problems associated with each; and
• Recalling the advantages that partnerships can have over corporations.
• Determine S corporation rules stating tax advantages and disadvantages and also specify disadvantages and advantages of incorporating a farm.
• Identify title holding benefits of trusts, co-tenancy, partnerships, and limited liability companies and the tax characteristics of each.
• Specify types of retirement plans used to provide lifetime benefits to a business owner and employees, identify how title can be held on behalf of minors and the tax treatment of custodianships, and recall the tax treatment of
  a probate estate.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Practitioners are brought up-to-date information on tax issues affecting estate planning and business issues. A major emphasis of this mini-course is practical estate planning solutions that are cost-effective. Devised to reduce or eliminate estate problems and death taxes, this comprehensive guide examines wills, trusts, gifts, insurance, private annuities, and other general estate planning tools. The planning issues and problems that arise from owning a business interest are also addressed

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Identify the unlimited marital deduction specifying its effect on thegross estate evaluation and the impact of stepped-up basis as they affect survivors and heirs, and recognize the benefits
  of establishing even a simple will and its control over certain assets.
• Specify the primary ways to dispose of assets using trusts and annuities including the importance of family documents to manage assets.
• Recognize the starting point used to value a businesss tangible assets, cite the R.R. 59 -60 business valuation factors and the steps in R.R. 68-609s valuation formula for intangible assets and goodwill stating the effect of both rulings on the total value of a business, determine the adjustment caused by minority interests in a closely held business and their impact on the final evaluation.
• Identify ways to dispose of a business interest before death to family members while avoiding the provisions of the constructive ownership rules.
• Recognize deferred compensation agreements as a valuable estateplanning tool and identify when to recommend the option of paying federal estate taxes in installments indicating the basis of the election and its eligibility requirements.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Everyone needs to do estate planning. Whether a person is a business owner or an employee, young or retired, wealthy or poor, people should plan their estate. Even those without assets need to deal with old age, possible conservatorship,
health care directives, and funeral arrangements. Estate planning is for everyone. Since death is uncertain, everyone, young or old, should be ready for the contingency of death at any time. Even with the great advances in modern
medicine, not everyone is lucky enough to grow old gracefully. None of us can, with certainty, predict the timing of our deaths. In estate planning, tomorrow may instantly become today.

Estate planning is more than just planning for death. It includes building an estate during a lifetime, then seeing that those assets are protected in an estate that can be passed to the next generation. It allows you the opportunity
to control your success both during life and on death.

Topics include:

• Chapter 1 Estate Planning
• Chapter 2 Estate and Gift Taxes
• Chapter 3 Wills and Probate
• Chapter 4 Trusts
• Chapter 5 Entities and Title
• Chapter 6 Life Insurance, Annuities and Buy-sell Agreements
• Chapter 7 Special Business Issues
• Chapter 8 Estate Tax Freeze Rules
• Chapter 9 Elderly and Disabled Planning
• Chapter 10 Post-mortem Planning and Tax Return Requirements

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Identify basic estate planning elements recognizing the importance of well-drafted legal documents and specify the key team participants including their roles in the estate planning process.
• Identify potential death taxes including federal estate tax as it applies to various size estates, specify the principal taxes that impact death taxation, and determine the expiration of the death tax credit.
• Specify types of wills citing the functions a will can perform, identify types of bequests, determine the duties of executors and guardians, and recall ways to hold title and their tax ramifications.
• Identify the relationship of parties in a trust, reasons to establish a trust, and types of trusts specifying their estate planning function.
• Determine S corporation rules stating tax advantages and disadvantages and also specify disadvantages and advantages of incorporating a farm.
• Identify reasons for establishing an irrevocable life insurance trust to achieve estate tax planning advantage, specify considerations in establishing life insurance trusts, and determine the differences between deferred and private
  annuities.
  
• Identify reasons why a business interest must be valued in an estate that is subject to federal estate tax, specify factors used to determine the net value of a business under the regulations, and recall the valuation factors in
  R.R. 59-60 specifying their impact.
• Determine the benefits of an estate freeze and its ability to reduce the value of a business interest, identify transactions to which Chapter 14 rules apply and terminology used in the Chapter 14 valuation rule that applies to
  corporations and partnerships, and specify exceptions to 2701.
• Cite the eldercare benefits of Medicare, Medicaid, and Supplemental Security Income, identify disadvantages of the Medicaid program stating how to divide income into asset groups, specify the dangers and benefits of gifting to
  family members, including how individuals might use private insurance for catastrophic illness.
• Determine the processes and procedures necessary in the preparation and filing of Form 706.
• Determine total income to be included on the decedents final income tax return using available exemptions or deductions.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Estate Tax Planning examines the various aspects of planning for the estate tax liability. The course begins with a discussion of the genesis of estate taxation in English common law and continues with an examination of the estate
and its administration. The steps taken to calculate federal estate tax liability are discussed. In that discussion, the federal gross estate, tentative taxable estate, taxable estate, and tentative tax are examined. The various
estate tax credits and deductions are considered and their place in the federal estate tax calculation is explained.

The role of trust in estate tax minimization is considered. The common trusts employed in estate tax planning are explained, and the uses of credit shelter trusts, QTIP trusts, and irrevocable life insurance trusts are demonstrated.
State death taxes are considered, and inheritance taxes are compared to estate taxes with respect to the party liable for payment and the role of decedent/beneficiary relationships in inheritance taxation. Finally, the traditional
sources of estate tax payment are examined and compared.

Topics include:

• The Estate and its Administration
• Federal Gift and Estate Taxes
• Common Estate Planning Trusts
• State Death Taxes
• Estate Tax Payment
• The text serves as an introduction to the issues of estate settlement and includes a discussion of the probate estate and the federal gross estate.

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Explain the differences between an estate for tax purposes and a probate estate;
• Identify the assets that comprise the federal gross estate;
• Compare state inheritance taxes and estate taxes and the typical beneficiary classifications for state inheritance tax purposes;
• Explain how gifts are taxed under the federal gift tax system;
• List the deductions and credits allowed under the federal system of estate taxation;
• Describe the common trusts employed in estate tax planning;
• Perform an estate tax calculation; and
• Identify the methods of estate tax payment and their costly consequences.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Tax Return Preparers (TRPs)

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Everyone needs to do estate planning. It is more than just planning for death. Estate planning is designing a program for effective wealth building, preservation, and disposition of property at the minimum possible tax cost. This exceptional
mini-course surveys wills, living trusts, gifts, marital property, and probate avoidance. Designed to eliminate estate problems and death taxes, the emphasis is on practical, cost-effective solutions. The text reviews and
explains both federal gift and estate tax systems giving practice pointers and planning observations.

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Identify the key participants and their roles in a coordinated estate plan and recognize the probate process including trust administration;
• Determine specialized estate planning tools recognizing the use of trusts and identify how such tools save death taxes and transfer wealth while accentuating asset control;
• Specify recommended trust provisions and requirements identifying how these terms and rules impact estate and trust taxation.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

While the nuclear family remains the center point of society, today it is under tremendous economic and social pressure. This course is designed to cover hot topics having a direct impact on the practitioner who represents any client
with family issues. The emphasis is on using tax solutions to ease family economic concerns permitting the practitioner to be a real tax hero.

Topics include:

• Chapter 1 Basic Marital Tax Matters
• Chapter 2 Children
• Chapter 3 Education
• Chapter 4 Medical, Charitable and Casualty
• Chapter 5 Home Sales and Moving Expenses
• Chapter 6 Home Mortgage Interest
• Chapter 7 Transfers Incident to Divorce
• Chapter 8 Alimony and Child Support
• Chapter 9 Financial Tax Planning
• Chapter 10 Building an Estate
• Chapter 11 Income Splitting
• Chapter 12 Retirement Plans
• Chapter 13 Distributions from Retirement Plans and IRAs
• Chapter 14 Elderly and Disabled Planning
• Chapter 15 Wills and Probate
• Chapter 16 Estate Planning

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Determine how filing status affects taxpayers filing requirements, standard deductions, and correct tax.
• Identify the child tax credit list of the requirements for qualifying children and determine the tax treatment of earned and unearned income for children.
• Determine the differences between qualifying 162 deductible and nonqualifying education and specify education expense credits under 25A listing covered costs and fees.
• Identify deductible 213 medical care expenses for federal tax purposes.
• Determine the key elements of the 121 home sale exclusion and its application, and specify the safe harbor proration provisions associated with the home sale exclusion.
• Identify categories of mortgages and characteristics of secured debt that influence the deductibility of interest, determine what constitutes a qualified home, and specify special situations that affect qualified home mortgage
  interest.
  
• Recognize the benefits of premarital agreements in avoiding potential divorce problems, determine elements of the Uniform Premarital Act, and list the provisions that are allowed in such agreements.
• Determine what constitutes alimony and separate maintenance payments under 71 and their deduction or income treatment under 215 before and after 2019, specify types of 71 divorce or separation instruments and identify
  how having an invalid decree, an amended instrument, or a premarital agreement impacts such an instrument.
• Identify the alimony and child support provisions that currently apply with those that applied to instruments executed before 1985.
• Identify short-term financial goals and investment purposes, recognize the importance of defining realistic goals, and how investing allocation changes with age.
• Identify the goals of money management listing types of income to preserve cash more effectively.
• Identify the benefits and requirements of using a C or an S corporation specifying the taxation of these entities including their ability to split income, and determine family members in a 704(e) family partnership.
• Specify the requirements of IRAs, SEPs, and SIMPLEs, and recognize tax-free Roth IRA distributions listing strategies to maximize plan benefits.
• Identify popular ways to receive distributions from a retirement plan or an IRA, specify types of annuities and their effect on how and when participants receive payments, determine the tax on annuity payments using either the
  general rule or the simplified general rule, and recognize lump-sum distributions and their special tax treatment.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

While the nuclear family remains the center point of society, today it is under tremendous economic and social pressure. This mini-course is designed to cover hot topics having a direct impact on the practitioner who represents any
client with family issues. The emphasis is on using tax solutions to ease family economic concerns permitting the practitioner to be a real tax hero.

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Recognize the effect of marital status on filing status, identify the advisability of filing a joint return enlighten the innocent spouse rules, specify available exemptions, and determine the differences between deductible and nondeductible divorce costs.
• Identify the costs and fees that qualify for the tax credit for adoption expenses and education credits, such as the HOPE credit, and cite the requirements for dependent care assistance and the contribution limits for Coverdell ESAs.
• Determine medical cost deductions available to individuals under 213, specify items qualifying as deductible 163 home mortgage interest, and recognize the taxation of 1041 interspousal transfers particularly as to property settlements.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

We are all (including tax practitioners) getting older, and the need for effective retirement planning has never been greater. This course is essential for participants who wish to attain a comfortable retirement for themselves and
their clients by maximizing tax-saving strategies. Retirement income needs are calculated; net after-tax Social Security benefits are determined, and distribution options from IRAs and retirement plans are explored. Special consideration
is given to the tax treatment of the home and business on retirement. Buy-sell agreements are discussed and eldercare planning is examined.

Topics include:

• Chapter 1 How Much Do You Need To Retire?
• Chapter 2 Social Security Benefits and Retirement Planning
• Chapter 3 Retirement Plans
• Chapter 4 Distributions from Retirement Plans
• Chapter 5 Nonqualified Plans
• Chapter 6 Life Insurance, Annuities and Buy-sell Agreement
• Chapter 7 Home Sales and Moving Expenses
• Chapter 8 Estate Planning

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Recognize the importance of personal retirement maps to suit client objectives and lifestyles and summarize the basic guidelines of retirement planning, including common pitfalls and misconceptions of retirement.
• Determine retirement using the major levels of retirement and key questions that have financial and personal ramifications.
• Identify retirement costs and income needs of clients based on their current budget, recognize tax savings strategies and identify guidelines when purchasing investment assets.
• Determine how Social Security funds are assessed and then paid, specify the systems mechanics, and select qualified Social Security participants determining their benefit eligibility.
• Identify the requirements to receive Social Security retirement benefits, and determine clients retirement benefits following a multistep calculation process.
• Recognize Social Security taxes, their tax rates, and covered earnings allowing better retirement planning.
• Specify the eligibility requirements of Social Security disability benefits and survivors benefits, and determine what constitutes Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B recognizing their qualifications.
• Identify nonqualified and qualified deferred compensation plans specifying their benefits and contributions limits and recognize the current and deferred advantages and disadvantages of corporate plans including fiduciary responsibilities
  and prohibited transactions.
• Specify the requirements of the basic forms of qualified pension plans.
• Determine the differences between defined contribution and defined benefit retirement plans and specify several types of defined contribution plans recognizing their impact on retirement benefits.
• Recognize self-employed plans from qualified plans for other business types and owners.
• Identify the requirements of IRAs, SEPs, SIMPLEs, and tax-free Roth IRA distributions specifying strategies to maximize plan benefits.
• Specify the tax consequences of taking premature distributions stating how to avoid the 10% penalty.
• Identify the minimum distribution rules and ways to avoid the 50% penalty associated with either taking smaller distributions than required or with taking distributions after the required beginning date for minimum distributions.
• Identify the setup of a segregated asset plan where the account is not subject to the claims of the employers creditors and still avoids employee taxation and specify the tax consequences of establishing a nonqualified plan.
• Specify the reasons for using an irrevocable life insurance trust in an estate plan identifying trust consideration and the differences between deferred and private annuities.
• Determine what constitutes entity purchase and cross-purchase buy-sell agreements recognizing tax and legal advantages.
• Recognize the key elements and application of the Section 121 home sale exclusion and identify safe harbor regulations associated with the home sale exclusion.
• Identify when a taxpayer meets distance and time tests for pre-2018 deductible moving expenses under Section 217.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

We are all (including tax practitioners) getting older, and the need for effective retirement planning has never been greater. This mini-course is essential for participants who wish to attain a comfortable retirement for themselves and their clients by maximizing tax-saving strategies. Retirement income needs are analyzed; Social Security benefits are determined, and distribution options from IRAs and retirement plans are explored.

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Identify the basic guidelines of retirement planning recognize the ten misconceptions of retirement and specify retirement based on key questions.
• Determine retirement costs and income needs of clients based on their current budget, select tax savings strategies, and identify basic guidelines to use when purchasing assets to attain financial independence.
• Recall the qualifications for Social Security retirement and disability benefits, specify a clients retirement benefits, and determine the difference between Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B.
• Identify basic types of qualified corporate plans and other sources of retirement income such as SIMPLE plans and individual retirement accounts.
• Determine the difference between annuity payments and lump-sum distributions, specify key components of rollovers, premature distributions and required distributions, and identify nonqualified deferred compensation.
• Cite the benefits, uses, and types of life insurance, and specify how three basic estate planning tools can be incorporated into tax practice.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Today many people live or work outside their home country. Their tax and reporting situations can be complex. For legitimate reasons or not-so-legitimate reasons, U.S. persons - citizens or residents, or entities - may have foreign bank and financial accounts or interests. And they may be required to report the foreign accounts to the U.S. Treasury, whether or not they must file a U.S. tax return. This course provides tax professionals with the know-how to help U.S. persons, citizens, residents, and entities, to carry out their filing obligations and avoid potentially severe financial penalties.

Topics include:

• Preparing and filing the FBAR, as well as the knowledge required for the IRS Special Enrollment Examination (SEE).

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Identify persons who might have an FBAR report filing requirement.
• Determine who does meet the FBAR report requirement.
• Assist clients in any required filing, or, file as the authorized representative.
• Ensure that all clients with a potential FBAR report requirement correctly determine whether or not they meet the required threshold understand what data must be gathered, assessed, and entered.
• Understand the high potential penalties if a required FBAR report is not filed.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Each year, various limits affect income tax preparation and planning change. Some changes commonly occur each year as a result of inflation indexing, while others occur because of new legislation or the sunsetting of existing law. This course will examine the tax changes affecting 2023 as a result of the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act and the inflation-changed limits effective for 2023 that are more significant from the perspective of an income tax preparer. Some context will be supplied, as appropriate, to assist readers in understanding the changes. 

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• List the 2023 changes in various amounts including the –
  
  • Standard mileage rates,
  • Standard deduction,
  • AMT exemption amount,
  • Limits related to income from U.S. Savings Bonds for taxpayers paying higher
• education expenses, and
  
  • Deductions for qualified long-term care insurance premiums;
• Identify the 2023 tax credit changes affecting the –
  
  • Saver’s credit,
  • Additional Child Tax Credit,
  • Earned income credit, and
  • Adoption credit;
• Recognize the 2023 changes affecting –
  
  • Health Savings Account (HSA) and Archer Medical Savings Accounts (MSA)
• requirements and contribution limits,
  
  • Roth IRA eligibility, and
  • Traditional IRA contribution deductibility for active participants in employer-sponsored qualified plans;
• List the changes effective for 2023 concerning the –
  
  • Small employer premium tax credit, and
  • Applicable large employer mandate; and
• Describe the principal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)provisions affecting taxpayers in 2023

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This mini-course integrates federal taxation with overall financial planning. The course explores tax strategies relating to the central financial tactics of wealth building, capital preservation, and estate distribution. The result
is a unified explanation of tax economics that will permit the tax professional to locate, analyze, and solve financial concerns. Designed to improve the quality of services to clients and the profitability of engagements, this
program projects the accountant into the world of financial planning.

Topics include:

• Comparing goals and purposes
• Investment goals and retirement planning
• Building an estate
• Section 1031 like-kind exchanges
• Retirement plans
• Tax credits and estimated taxes
• Basic deductions
• Income splitting
• Elimination
• Fringe benefits

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Identify investment purposes and retirement misconceptions, the multi-step retirement process, and the elements of investment planning
• Determine income types, from a tax perspective, to be budgeted into cash so that income-producing assets can be acquired and managed for an effective investment plan.
• Recognize the means of achieving tax deferral recognizing like-kind exchanges, retirement plans, and installment sales, and specify the double financial benefit of exchanging through tax postponement and possible tax elimination.
• Determine how to use tax credits, estimated taxes, and basic deductions to effectively reduce federal income tax and thereby increase discretionary income for investment purposes.
• Specify formats for income splitting that can benefit taxpayers by lowering overall taxes as a unit and permitting wealth and tax allocation among individuals or entities.
• Identify the tax benefits of the $500,000 home sales exclusion, municipal bonds, divorce and separation settlements, gifts and inheritances, life insurance, fringe benefits, and Social Security to eliminate tax on the realized gain and ordinary income.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Tax Return Preparers (TRPs)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course examines the various ideas, methods, and techniques capable of optimizing the overall compensation package for key employees and principals in small to medium-sized businesses. Qualified and non-qualified deferred compensation, benefit targeting, insurance programs, statutory fringe benefits, interest-free loans, and investment planning are investigated. Effective pay plans essential to attract, motivate and retain key people are defined and evaluated.

Consideration is given to indirect compensation in the form of business entertainment, expense accounts, auto use, travel, and transportation. Equity participation is explored through stock sales, repurchase agreements, incentive stock options, ESOTs, stock options, and bonuses. The new field of professional services is probed to provide tax, financial, and estate planning to the key executive.

Topics include:

• Tax Economics
• Business Planning
• Deferred Compensation Plans
• Basic Fringe Benefits
• Business Entertainment
• Business Travel and Transportation
• Insurance
• Equity Participation
• Estate Planning

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Identify financial and tax income types and how cash management is used to acquire and operate assets, specify changes recently made to taxable income, determine how the passive loss rules categorize income and identify income splitting formats that can reduce tax.
• Recognize basic cash management techniques and how to generate tax-free income, identify ways to defer income, and specify techniques to shelter income.
• Determine the importance of budgeting and rules to budget effectively, specify several cash usages, recognize financial acquisition guidelines for tax-advantaged investments, and specify multiple asset management rules.
• Identify economic and tax trends particularly recent capital gain complexity and rate baskets and their varying taxation, recognize Section 469 buckets of income and loss that influence what a taxpayer can deduct against other income.
• Specify several ways to defer income and accelerate deductions, thereby expanding business cash flow and planning opportunities.
• Identify defined contribution and defined benefit plans, specify the differences among the types of defined contribution plans, and recognize their effect on retirement benefits.
• Identify the rules for excluding the value of meals and lodging under Section 119, and cafeteria plans and how they operate.
• Recognize the requirements and limits of employee educational assistance programs and dependent care assistance and how to obtain each type of assistance.
• Identify tax definition of entertainment, recognize the former tests for pre-2018 entertainment expenses to be deducted, determine the importance of the statutory exceptions and the percentage reduction restriction for meals and entertainment and, specify the former 2% floor on miscellaneous itemized deductions.
• Determine what constitutes an entertainment facility, identify substantiation, recordkeeping, reimbursement, reporting requirements, and variations in methods, specify how to itemize non-reimbursed employee expenses, and identify the special reporting rules for self-employed persons and employers.
• Identify deductible meals, lodging, conventions, and meetings and related necessary compliance issues, specify the special requirements for cruises, determine the treatment of luxury water travel, recognize auto usage as a component of travel, cite the requirements for family member travel expenses and recognize the interplay of the "no additional cost" rule to ensure taxpayer compliance with Section 274.
• Recognize the business and tax importance of available business insurance including the broad spectrum of company-paid insurance, Section 79 group term life, retired lives reserve, split-dollar, former death benefit plans, business travel, disability, medical, and dental specifying permitted coverage and tax treatment.
• Determine tax-advantaged entity purchase and cross-purchase agreements, recognize the importance of funding a buy-sell agreement, and determine the value of the closely-held stock.
• Identify estate planning for business clients and the elements of estate tax planning that have remained unchanged by recent legislation, recognize the unlimited marital deduction including its effect on the gross estate of the value of the property, and specify the applicable exclusion amounts for various years of death.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This mini-course examines the various ideas, methods, and techniques capable of optimizing the overall compensation package for key employees and principals in small to medium-sized businesses. Qualified and non-qualified deferred
compensation, benefit targeting, insurance programs, statutory fringe benefits, interest-free loans, and investment planning are investigated. Consideration is given to indirect compensation in the form of business entertainment,
expense accounts, auto use, travel, and transportation. The new field of professional services is probed to provide tax, financial, and estate planning to the key executive.

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

1. Identify types of income, from a financial and tax perspective, to be budgeted into cash so that income-producing assets can be acquired and managed for an effective investment plan.
2. Determine compensation to maximize the net dollar return using strategies that involve all aspects of how the client relates to the company for which they may be an owner, employee, or both.
3. Specify the differences between qualified deferred compensation plans and nonqualified deferred compensation plans, and recognize defined contribution plans from defined benefit plans identifying the characteristics of each so that business owners may choose the most suitable plan to accomplish their financial and worker incentive objectives.
4. Recognize the scope and variety of excluded fringe benefits including tax treatment, operational details, and level of incentive-based compensation.
5. Identify the disallowance of entertainment expenses, determine the tax treatment of reimbursements paid under accountable and unaccountable plans, and recognize deductible travel expenses undertaken for business.
6. Specify types of insurance that a company can provide its employees, define the various types of equity participation available from which companies may choose, and identify the basic types of buy-sell agreements.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Designed to make the practitioner comfortable with high traffic issues, this program enables participants to discuss and handle business/personal tax essentials.

The course examines and explains the practical aspects of individual and corporate planning, bridging the gap between theory and application. Significant new developments are summarized with emphasis on tax savings ideas.

This course examines and explains the practical aspects of using the closely held corporation to maximize after-tax return on business operations. Recent developments giving corporations a competitive edge over other entities are explored
and detailed. Practitioners are alerted to often missed fringe benefits, retirement planning opportunities, corporate business deductions, income splitting possibilities, and little-known estate planning techniques.

Topics include:

• Chapter 1 Individual Tax Elements
• Chapter 2 Property Transfers and Retirement Plans
• Chapter 3 Losses, AMT and Compliance
• Chapter 4 Business Forms and Characteristics
• Chapter 5 Corporate Formation and Capitalization
• Chapter 6 Corporate Principals and Employees
• Chapter 7 Basic Fringe Benefits
• Chapter 8 Business Entertainment
• Chapter 9 Insurance
• Chapter 10 Nonqualified Deferred Compensation
• Chapter 11 S Corporations
• Chapter 12 Business Dispositions and Reorganizations

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Identify federal revenue tax sources citing the definitive role of gross income and, determine a clients tax liability using current rates, tables, exemptions, and statutory amounts, and their withholding and/or estimated tax
  responsibility.
• Specify the differences among property sales, exchanges of property, and sales of easements, and determine capital gain and ordinary income tax treatment in property sales.
• Identify basic income types and the buckets of income and loss under 469 that can influence what can be deducted, determine the suspension of disallowed passive losses, and recognize the special rules for transfers deemed not
  to be fully taxable dispositions.
• Specify the advantages and disadvantages of sole proprietorships including self-employed taxes and payment requirements and identify the characterization of sole proprietorship assets upon disposition.
• Identify the transfer of money, property, or both by prospective shareholders and the basic requirements associated with 351.
• Determine payroll taxes and the uses of Form 941, Form W-4, Form W-2, and Form W-3, specify the application of FICA and FUTA taxes and how to report them, and identify major employee labor laws.
• Identify basic fringe benefit planning by determining income under 61 and specifying the differences between former nonstatutory and current statutory fringe benefits.
• Define the key tax term entertainment" and identify the pre-and post-2018 required 162 and 274 deductibility tests recognizing the importance of the remaining statutory exceptions for entertainment.
• Identify the impact of the disallowance of the interest deduction on purchasers and the insurance industry recognizing the 264 interest limitation on policy loans, specify the benefit of corporate key person life insurance, citing
  the requirements of COBRA, and determine what constitutes a Voluntary Employee Benefit Association under 501(c)(9).
• Specifying a reorganization under 368(a)(1) recognizing the types of transactions that qualify as non-taxable reorganizations

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The landmark legislation known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), signed into law in 2010, affects a wide range of institutions in the United States in some way. It imposes healthcare-related requirements on
health plans, health insurers, and employers.

In addition to imposing various tax increases to increase revenue, the PPACA uses a carrot-and-stick approach to ensure compliance with its provisions, offering tax credits for compliance and imposing tax penalties for non-compliance.
This course will review the principal provisions of the law and will examine its tax impact on individuals and businesses.

In so doing, it will consider the:

• Coverage-related provisions of the PPACA
• Plan grandfathering under which health coverage in force at the time of the law's passage may be continued
• The prohibition of pre-existing condition exclusions
• The prescription of a lifetime and annual benefit limits
• The limitation of health coverage rescissions
• The requirement for certain patient protections
• The requirement that plans to cover children extend child coverage until the age 26
• Tax credits are available to small businesses to encourage them to sponsor employee health plans
• Shared responsibility for certain large employers to provide employee health coverage and the tax penalties imposed for noncompliance
• Various personal income tax changes affect taxpayers
• Tax credits are authorized to help individuals maintain minimum essential coverage.

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• List the principal healthcare provisions of the PPACA
• Identify the tax credits for which small businesses may be eligible when sponsoring employee health plans
• Recognize the shared responsibility requirements for applicable large employers regarding employee health coverage
• Compute the tax penalties imposed under the PPACA for a large employer's failure to meet the applicable shared responsibility requirements; and
• Calculate the tax credits designed to help ensure that individuals can maintain minimum essential coverage.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Each year the U.S. Census Bureau publishes what it refers to as nonemployer statistics that may provide information about the increased importance of the business use of taxpayers homes. A nonemployer, for purposes of the statistics,
is defined as a business that has no paid employees, has annual business receipts of at least $1,000 and is subject to federal income taxes. These nonemployers may be organized as corporations, partnerships or sole proprietorships.
Because they have no paid employees, nonemployers are more likely than others to operate their businesses from their homes and seek a home office tax deduction.

The data supplied on nonemployers show a generally increasing number of these businesses, from a total of 19.5 million in 2004 to 26.5 million in 2018. Although they have no paid employees, they account for significant receipts. In
2004 they produced receipts of $887 billion; by 2018, those receipts had grown to $1.3 trillion . Clearly, the likelihood that any tax return preparer will be required to prepare a taxpayers tax return with a home office deduction
is significant and is becoming more likely each year.

This course will examine the federal income tax deduction for business use of a home and will discuss:

Topics include:

• Qualifying for a home office tax deduction;
• Determining a taxpayers home office deduction using the actual expense and simplified methods
• The special home-office deduction rules that apply to daycare facilities
• The taxpayers home-office deduction recordkeeping requirements; and
• Where to take the deduction and the forms a tax preparer must use in connection with it.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:

• Apply the home-office deduction qualification rules
• Identify the types of home office use to which the exclusive use requirement does not apply
• Describe the various types of taxpayer expenses that may be used to support a deduction for business use of a home
• Apply the rules applicable to the simplified method of figuring the home-office deduction
• Identify the tax forms on which a home-office deduction should be taken
• Recognize the recordkeeping requirements applicable to documents supporting a taxpayers home-office deduction

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

On August 16, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), legislation designed in large part to lower consumer energy costs and provide economic incentives to reduce the human impact on climate change, became law. Among other provisions,
the new law provides multiple tax incentives for taxpayers to:

• Make energy-efficient home improvements
• Purchase electric vehicles; and
• Afford health insurance coverage.

This course addresses the provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act most likely to be of interest to tax preparers. In so doing, it examines the tax credits available for energy-efficient home improvements, for the purchase of new
and used electric vehicles, for electric car charging and natural gas-powered car fueling devices, and for clean energy generation. In addition, it discusses the expanded health insurance premium tax credits and the extension of
the limitation of noncorporate taxpayer excess business losses. 

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Calculate the tax credits available for taxpayers’ energy-efficient home improvements;
• Describe the tax credits available for the purchase of electric vehicles;
• Recognize the requirements and tax rules applicable to electric vehicle tax credits;
• Identify rules and limitations applicable to the qualified refueling property credit;
• List the clean energy and efficiency incentives;
• Apply the rules applicable to the expanded health insurance premium tax credit; and
• Recognize the limitation of noncorporate taxpayer excess business losses.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

For most of 2022, it was doubtful that Congress would enact any tax legislation. However, Democrats were finally able to negotiate and pass the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in August 2022. This course summarizes the tax legislation embodied in the IRA permitting students to advise clients on how these changes can impact tax planning.

This course is an overview providing reference to selected individual, business, and corporate tax provisions enacted, extended, or modified by the IRA. The resulting major tax changes carry special meaning to the tax practitioner and return preparer. The course emphasizes a general overview of energy tax credits and incentives, taxes and fees on fossil fuel, major features of the reinstated corporate AMT, electric vehicles, stock repurchases, and selected non-tax aspects of the legislation.

The course is intended to be a resource for tax professionals and staff alike to gain easy access to the most important major changes enacted by the IRA.

Topics include:

• Electric vehicle credit modifications and changes

• Home & residential tax credits, deductions &
  exclusions

• Research credit against payroll tax
• Limitation on excess business loss
• Repurchase of corporate stock
• Corporate alternative minimum tax
• Selected non-tax provisions
• Renewable energy credits & incentives

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Apply changes
  imposed by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) relating to credits allowed for
  the individual acquisition of qualified electric vehicles and energy-efficient
  home improvements and property.
  
• Recognize a wide spectrum of renewable energy
  credits and the application of the prevailing wage and apprenticeship
  requirements.
  
• Specify key IRA
  business and Medicare provisions, including energy-efficient buildings, corporate
  AMT, loss limits, and drug reforms.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

An installment sale is a sale of property where one or more payments are received after the close of the tax year. This mini-course discusses the particulars of installment sales, including requirements, calculations, and pitfalls.
Cross issues such as a combined installment sale and like-kind exchange, the impact of related parties, pledging, repossession, and contingent payments are reviewed. Also, the importance of recognizing the dangers of dealer status,
inventory, purchase price allocation, and installment note disposition is emphasized.

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Recognize the importance, particularly in a tax deferral, of the installment method and, identify 453 requirements and installment method terminology.
• Specify the imputed interest, OID, and 1038 repossession rules affecting installment sales and subsequent repossessions.
• Identify the following 453 pitfalls and complexities: the related par-ty limitation, the regulations governing the use of the installment sale method in like-kind exchanges, and the contingent payment sale rules.
• Determine how to allocate and report installments payments among identified asset classes using R.R. 76-110 and the residual method recognizing 453 prohibitions on certain assets regarding dealer dispositions and inventory.
• Identify the amount of interest payable on tax-deferred income when 453 dispositions exceed $5 million and circumstances considered taxable dispositions of installment obligations to determine when any gain or loss is recognized.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course focuses on tax issues affecting the treatment of interest and debt. It covers the definition of bona fide debt, the impact of related parties, the avoidance of equity and lease characterization, and deductible versus non-deductible
interest factors. Sticky cross issues such as the impact of at-risk rules under 465, passive loss restrictions of 469, and below-market-rate loans under 7278 are examined. In addition, the accounting method treatment of interest,
points, prepaid interest, and discounted loans are reviewed. Particular attention is given to imputed interest and original issue discounts.

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Determine interest and select how much is tax-deductible under 163 by:
  
  • a. Identifying what constitutes bona fide debt considering economic substance and purpose and the differences that such debt has from installment sales, long-term and leveraged leases, and annuities;
  • b. Specifying how transactions with family members and controlled corporations can recharacterize alleged indebtedness into gift or business equity naming the factors used in this recharacterization and;
  • c. Recognizing incentives to use corporate debt instead of equity and the special treatment of failed equity investment under 1244.
• Identify deductible interest and special calculation concepts and procedures by:
  
  • a. Recognizing the allocation of interest-based on the debts business or personal purpose specifying the application of any carryover rules;
  • b. Determining net investment income including its impact on the deductibility of investment interest;
  • c. Recognizing the special tax treatment given to student loans, margin accounts, and market discount bonds stating what happens to any disallowed interest expense; and
  • d. Specifying the timing considerations in interest reporting including interest paid in advance.
• Recognize nondeductible interest types and provisions that through restriction create nondeductible interest by:
  
  • a. Identifying when interest is nondeductible personal interest under 163(h)(1);
  • b. Determining the disallowance of interest related to tax-exempt in-come under 265, the life insurance interest restrictions of 264; the 465 at-risk limitations and application of the 469 passive loss rules; and
  • c. Specifying the treatment of certain commitment fees and service charges based on R.R. 67-297 and case law.
• Identify interest under the cash or accrual method recognizing the special elections applicable to and treatment of carrying charges under 266, below-market loans, and imputed interest.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Although, as reported in the National Taxpayer Advocate blog, the IRS suspended the automatic mailing of collection notices routinely sent when a taxpayer owes federal tax on February 5, 2022, to give the IRS an opportunity to clear
its processing backlogs, such automatic mailings are likely to recur and, meanwhile, other IRS delinquent collection activities continue unabated. Statistics for the fiscal year 2021, show the IRS ending inventory with a balance of
assessed tax, penalties, and interest exceeding $133.4 trillion, enforcement activity involving more than 500,000 taxpayers, and 3.8 million taxpayers paying tax liabilities under installment agreements.

With IRS collection continuing and likely to ramp up in the future, the chances that any tax professional will need to be conversant with their collection activities and the methods available to challenge them is increasing. It
is to that end this course addresses IRS collections is addressed.

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Identify the rights specified in the Taxpayer Bill of Rights
• Describe the maximum period the IRS may collect taxes due from a taxpayer
• List the tax payment alternatives available to a taxpayer
• Recognize the IRS decisions that a taxpayer may challenge
• Compare the Collection Due Process and Collection Appeals Program

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The annual global cost of cybercrime is high and getting higher all the time. Cybercriminals reap a windfall from their activities that is estimated to have been $450 billion in 2015 and is anticipated to climb to an annual
$ 10.5 trillion average by 2025. In the United States alone, the FBI received reports of 791,790 complaints involving $4.2 billion in 2020. Almost all of that cybercrime began with and continues to start with a social engineering concept
known as phishing. Certain business organizations, among which are those referred to as financial institutions, are charged by the FTC with taking particular steps to protect their customer's financial information. Included in the
category of financial institutions are professional tax preparers. Professional tax preparers normally maintain a significant amount of taxpayer information in various files electronic and paper that would be a treasure trove for
cybercriminals. In this course, tax preparers are introduced to the problem of cybercrime and its costs, offered methods that can be expected to reduce the chances of becoming a cybercrime victim, and informed of proper steps to
take if they do become victims of cybercrime. Accordingly, it will examine cyber crime and will discuss:

Topics include:

• The extent of the cybercrime problem
• The potential costs to a tax preparer whose taxpayer data have been breached
• The best practices a tax preparer may implement to avoid becoming a cybercrime victim
• What a tax preparer should do if their taxpayer data has been breached

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Recognize the pervasiveness of cybercrime
• Identify the potential costs of experiencing a data breach
• Understand the best practices that may be implemented to protect a tax preparer from cybercrime
• List the responsibilities of a tax preparer who has experienced a taxpayer data breach

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The risk of needing long-term care a designation given to a broad range of services designed to meet an individuals mental, emotional or physical health and personal needs and which are often provided over an extended period of time is present at all ages. However, as individuals become older the risk of requiring long term care increases significantly.

The U.S. population is expected to increase in size by about 27% by the year 2050. In contrast, the part of the U.S. population most at risk for needing long-term care the segment comprised of individuals 85 years old or older is expected to grow about 280% during this same period. Not only is the part of the population most at risk for needing long-term care growing disproportionately, the cost to provide that care is also increasing. Long-term care costs are substantial and, over the last several years, have been increasing at a rate that exceeds the inflation rate.

The growing risk of needing long term care fueled by a rapidly aging population coupled with the high and continually increasing cost of such care can present burdensome financial concerns to many clients and their heirs.

Topics include:

• This course examines the nature of long-term care,
• The forms in which it may be delivered,
• The risk of needing such care,
• The costs of long-term care,
• The sources are available to pay long-term care costs and the features of long-term care insurance.

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Recognize the types of services that constitute long term care and the settings in which they are provided
• Compare the benefit triggers associated with qualified and nonqualified long-term care;
• Identify the national average cost in the United States of obtaining various types of long-term care and the sources available to pay for the care;
• Recognize the benefits and tax treatment of long-term care insurance and the alternatives for funding long-term care; and
• Describe the suitability and ethical issues associated with recommending the purchase of long-term care insurance.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Tax Return Preparers (TRPs)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course will teach participants how to apply, implement, and evaluate the strategic tax aspects of marital dissolutions and living together arrangements. Current perspectives on property transfers, asset divisions, alimony, filing
status, exemptions, and child support are examined with an emphasis on planning considerations. The cancellation of indebtedness income inclusion rules is examined in the context of debt forgiveness and property foreclosure.

Emphasis is given to the exceptions from income inclusion contained in Section 108. The tax treatment of property repossession under Section 1038 is explored with detail given to the calculation of gain and received property basis.
Finally, bad debt treatment under Section 166 is reviewed and critical distinctions are made between business and non-business debts.

Topics include:

• Basic Marital Tax Matters
• Transfers Incident to Divorce
• Alimony and Child Support
• Avoiding Tax on Debt Cancellation and Foreclosure
• Repossession
• Bad Debts

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Specify multiple tax implications to consider when going through a divorce, and recognize the requirements and effects of filing as married or unmarried.
• Identify the requirements for filing a joint return and how to avoid being penalized.
• Determine the key elements of filing separate returns including what items to report and identify whether or not married taxpayers should file separate returns.
• Recall the requirements for filing as head of household and the tax advantages and disadvantages of this filing status.
• Recognize the repeal of personal exemptions, their pre-2018 phaseout, availability, and reporting requirements.
• Identify the former regular and special method for determining support and complications from back child support, determine the current qualified child standard using residency, relationship, age, and joint return prohibition,
  and recall the requirements that must be met for parents to treat a child as a qualifying child of a non-custodial parent.
• Identify deductible and nondeductible divorce expenditures specifying which spouse is subject to the tax imposed upon withheld wages, and recognize the effects of making separate estimated tax payments or joint declarations of
  estimated tax.
• Determine community property and community property states, identify the effects of conversion and commingling of property, and how to avoid such marital property issues.
• Identify the effect of living together on filing statuses and dependency, determine differences between the married tax rate and other tax rates, recognize the tax consequences of having a living together contract to avoid tax
  traps, and specify the results of Marvin v. Marvin.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This mini-course will teach participants how to apply, implement, and evaluate the strategic tax aspects of marital and financial setbacks. Property transfers, asset divisions, alimony, filing status, exemptions, and child support
are examined.

The cancellation of indebtedness income inclusion rules is discussed in the context of debt forgiveness and property foreclosure. Emphasis is given to the exceptions from income inclusion contained in 108. The tax treatment of property
repossession under 1038 and bad debt treatment under 166 is reviewed.

Topics include:

• Marital tax liability
• Transfers incident to divorce
• Alimony and child support
• Debt cancellation and income inclusion rule
• Reduction of tax benefits
• Foreclosure
• Repossession of personal property
• Repossession of real property
• Non-business bad debts
• Business bad debts

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Recognize tax considerations and tax guidance for marital breakdowns and, identify marital status specifying the effect marital status has on filing status and federal income tax obligations.
• Identify state marital property provisions, cite the elements of 1041 identifying at least two tax traps for the unaware, and specify variables that determine whether a payment is alimony.
• Determine the exceptions to the general income inclusion rule specifying their tax impact, and recognize the various issues related to calculating gain or loss resulting from foreclosure or repossession including the differences
  between personal and real property repossession, the amount realized on a sale, or other distribution of property in foreclosure, and basis calculation on repossession of property.
• Identify nonbusiness and business bad debts under 166 determining their differences in Code requirements and the amount allowed.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Taxes aren't taxes they are dollars in terms of the net return on investment. All tax professionals need to know the tax economics of investing for themselves and their clients. This need is accentuated by the rapid rise of the Internet as a broad-based and effective investment tool. The tax professional is in a special position to detect a client's need for financial planning. Preparing returns discloses assets, savings, business entities, and family members.

Knowledge of the client's assets, activities, and the tax characteristics of available entities permits investment matching for maximum after-tax return.

The basic tax characteristics of the primary tax entities are explored and analyzed. Their ability to defer, reduce, and eliminate tax is examined. Client goals, purposes, and risk tolerances are determined and quantitated using the Sharp ratio. Investments and assets are then evaluated using a variety of tools found on the Internet. Finally, investments and entities are matched to produce the best after-tax return for the client.

Topics include:

• The Internet
• Mapping for financial independence
• Investment purposes
• Cash management
• Savings
• Physical assets
• Financial assets
• Life insurance
• Social Security
• Investment selection and evaluation strategies

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Identify Internet advantages including depth and volume of available financial information and specify steps in the mapping process to prepare for financial independence.
• Recognize investment planning goals and purposes, select retirement planning direction, and identify resource allocation including necessary generational changes.
• Identify active and two passive investment acquisition strategies.
• Cite the S corporation requirements and tax advantages and disadvantages, particularly whos associated with incorporating a farm.
• Specify the title-holding benefits of trusts, co-tenancy, partnerships, and limited liability companies and the tax characteristics of each.
• Identify the types of retirement plans used to provide lifetime benefits to a business owner and employees, determine how title can be held on behalf of minors and the tax treatment of custodianships, and specify the tax treatment of a probate estate.
• Identify the benefits of tax deferral, the use of tax deferral under old Section 1034, the tax deferral advantages under Section 1031, and its basic elements.
• Cite the related party Section 1031 restrictions and prohibited parties or entities and permissible disposition exceptions, identify protections for exchange participants, and recognize multiple property exchanges.
• Identify tax saving credits, qualified computational expenses, and their limitations and restrictions.
• Recognize the estimated tax rules, procedures including payment deadlines, underpayment penalties, and, the economics of overpaying estimated taxes, and specify the types of interest that are nondeductible including personal interest under Section 163(h)(1).
• Determine the deductibility of investment interest, prepaid interest, points, prepayment penalties, and the offset of passive income with rental property mortgage interest.
• Identify business vehicle operating costs using (or switching between) the actual cost method or the standard mileage rate and allocating expenses based on Section 162 usage, cite the importance of retaining substantial expense and mileage records, and specify depreciation traps when purchasing a vehicle.
• Determine the requirements for business expenses and identify the business expense statutory exceptions and the application of R.R. 90- 23 and R.R. 99-7 to the deduction of transportation costs to a temporary work location.
• Identify the use of custodianship to split income and initial planning considerations and examples of good investments for children, determine deductions and credits for childcare, education, children, and Section 7872 loans, and specify the income and later estate tax benefits of gifts.
• Determine how to value fringe benefits according to IRS regulations, identify how to comply with ERISA requirements, properly report reimbursed and unreimbursed business expenses under accountable and nonaccountable plans, recognize substantiation of auto expenses using a fixed and variable rate, and specify eligible retirement benefits exempt from social security taxes.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

We may all confront issues that directly impact how much we can deduct. This course is designed for participants who want to explore and examine the tax consequences of medical costs, charitable contributions, and casualty and theft
losses, especially in relation to their deductibility. The emphasis is examining a wide variety of situations related to these items and the extent to which they may or may not result in a deduction and what limitations on deductibility
may be imposed.

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Identify the various deductions related to medical costs by
  
  • a. Recognizing the differences between deductible and nondeductible items including the types of deductions for dependents; and
  • b. Specifying the basic characteristics of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and the tax consequences of withdrawals from HSAs and determining self-employed health insurance.
• Recognize the charitable contribution provisions, identify how contributions of cash, property, and services affect the deductibility of contributions of the different types of charitable contributions, and specify the requirements
  related to substantiation.
• Determine what constitutes casualty losses, theft losses, and losses on deposits and recognize the issues related to the deductibility of these losses.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

There is little doubt in the minds of many observers that the world of work—an environment in which a legion of wage earners commute to an employer’s office or worksite to toil from 9 to 5—is changing, and that impression is bolstered by recent studies. Among those studies is a Gallup report titled “The Gig Economy and Alternative Work Arrangements.” The changing nature of work for many taxpayers is likely to affect tax preparers’ need to prepare Schedule C.

The gig economy, an economy characterized by multiple types of alternative work arrangements including independent contractors, online platform workers, contract firm workers, on-call workers, and temporary workers, engages 36% of U.S. workers. Gallup, in its report, also estimates that 29% of all workers in the U.S. have an alternative work arrangement as their primary job.

Whether the strength of the gig economy is due to the flexibility and freedom it affords, the fewer limits on the income it exerts compared to being a wage earner, or results from some other advantage it offers, it seems clear that, barring a cataclysmic event affecting the economy, the gig economy is here to stay and intent on growing larger with each year. With that growth is the likely growth of tax preparers’ need to be familiar with the preparation of Schedule C.

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Identify the types of income reported on Schedule C
• Determine proprietors’ installment sale income when using the installment method
• Describe the business expenses deductible on Schedule C
• List the differences between a business and a hobby
• Apply the rules governing the deduction for business use of a taxpayer’s home.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course introduces the new Schedule K-2 and Schedule K-3 that may be required for Partnerships and S Corporation returns. The IRS has provided conflicting guidance regarding the preparation and requirements of this form, this course hopes to clarify the filing requirements with updated guidance. Additionally, this course will discuss all eleven (11) parts of the form.

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Outline Schedule K-2 for Partnerships and S Corporations
• Describe the filing requirements and penalty relief
• Explain the recent guidance provided by the IRS
• Highlight changes to Schedule K-2 and Schedule K-3

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The course examines the considerations that are relevant to establishing nonqualified plans, including the economic and tax issues, and discusses the financial products that are generally preferred in their funding. It looks at
the tax treatment given the various plans and specifically addresses the still-unresolved tax issues surrounding split-dollar plans.

Topics include:

• Split-dollar plans
• Executive bonus plans
• Deferred compensation plans
• Group carve-out plans

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Discuss the nature of nonqualified plans and how they differ from qualified plans
• Explain the particular employer and executive needs met through nonqualified plans
• Plan a targeted marketing approach designed to market nonqualified plans to business owners
• Discuss the types of deferred compensation plans and the principal business motives for establishing them
• Explain the use of rabbi and secular trusts in deferred compensation and the consequences of their use
• Discuss the use of permanent life insurance in the establishment of a deferred compensation plan
• Explain the basic characteristics of and prospects for split-dollar plans
• Explain the income tax treatment of split-dollar plans and the tax consequences of policy ownership
• Discuss how an insured executive bonus plan can assist a business to meet objectives
• Explain the tax treatment of executive bonus plans
• Design an executive bonus plan bonus arrangement
• Present the benefits to employers and participating executives of a group carve-out plan
• Discuss the tax treatment of group carve-out plans

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Tax Return Preparers (TRPs)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This program will examine tax issues relating to the formation and operation of partnerships. Participants will gain a familiarity with basic areas of partnership taxation to recognize a problem and have at hand some practical knowledge
for its solution.

Provisions for the taxation of partnerships are in Section 701 through Section 761. Under these sections, the partnership files an information return (Form 1065). Its income and deductions flow through to and are reflected on, the
tax returns of the partners (Form 1040). The Code prescribes the consequences of many different sorts of transactions involving partnerships and partners but, allows substantial flexibility so that the parties can often achieve
the tax results they desire.

Topics include:

• The formation of partnerships;
• The basic day-to-day operations of partnerships;
• Distributions of assets to partners, and;
• The termination of partnership affairs.

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Determine what constitutes a partnership for federal income tax purposes under Section 761(a) by Recognizing factors for partnership existence identifying co-tenancy status, husband-wife partnerships, and the correct reporting
  of income and loss; Identifying the liability of general and limited partners including how such liability might be contained, and Specifying the factors previously used to determine whether a business was a corporation or
  a partnership and the factors of the current check-the-box regulations.
• Recognize the impact of partnership agreements on partners shares of tax items, specify the requirements of Section 704(e) for family partnerships, and cite the pros and cons of partnerships to determine when the entity choice
  is appropriate.
• Identify the complete or partial exclusion from partnership treatment under Section 761.
• Recognize the allocation of income and deduction among partners, identify when a partnership or its partners are subject to income or estimated tax, determine what constitutes Section 1402 self-employment taxes, and specify instances
  where partnerships are viewed as separate entities.
• Specify the types of separately stated partnership expenses identify the character of such items and their deduction limitations, and recognize Section 704(d) outside basis limitation and its impact on losses.
• Determine whether a partnership can elect to amortize certain business-related expenses, and specify the elements and requirements of the partnership tax return and the items of deduction to which individuals are entitled.
• Identify a partnerships year taxable under Section 706(a) and the allocation of items of income and deduction from the partnership to the partners by: Specifying instances when a partnership generally must conform its tax year
  to its partners tax years and the least aggregate deferral of income for each partner whose tax year is different from other partners; Recognizing the availability of the natural business year including the Section 444 election
  as it relates to a partnerships tax year identifying its costs and/or benefits, and Determining tax year termination and non-termination events for a partnership.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The mini-course will examine tax issues relating to the formation and operation of partnerships. Participants will gain a familiarity with basic areas of partnership taxation to recognize a problem and have at hand some practical
knowledge for its solution.

Learning Objectives:

After reading the course material, you will be able to:

• Recognize the tax treatment of partnerships specifying advantages and disadvantages and their effect on income attribution.
• Determine partnership income and reporting requirements by:
  
  • a. Identifying filing requirements and the impact partnership K-1s on individual or partner taxation; and
  • b. Specifying loss deduction limitations and stating the tax treatment of guaranteed payments, organizational expenses, and other fees.
• Identify the tax treatment of contributions of property to a partnership under 721 and the impact on a tax basis.
• Recognize the tax treatment of partnership distributions and sale of partnership interests by:
  
  • a. Identifying the tax treatment of partner liabilities and sales and exchanges of partnership interests and property; and
  • b. Determining the differences between liquidating and nonliquid payments including the definition of a partners basis on such an event.

Who Should Attend:

• All Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
• Enrolled Agents (EAs)
• Other Tax Return Preparer (OTRP)

Qualifies and Approved with all State Boards of Accountancy and the following sponsorships: