CPE Catalog & Events

Ethical Situations - What to do When?, featuring Allison McLeod and Don Minges

Intentions versus results. Is using the ‘Threats Based Approach’ always the best? What is, “The clean hands rule,” and how does it apply to Ethics? Situations where Ethics is not black-and-white.  

The ABCs of Advisory Services

Understanding the concept of “Integrated Planning” (financial, estate, asset protection, and tax planning) Changes in the landscape of a tax practitioner’s practice The bridging of services Getting started – Where do your clients fail? Understanding the primary planning issues for all clients Estate and Gift issues Traps, pitfalls, and tips in planning Practical steps in establishing a tax advisory and wealth management services practice Domicile issues

Advanced Excel: Hidden Secrets and Gems

The major topics covered in this class include:Awareness of advanced functionsCreative methods for data manipulationUsing intellectual curiosity and professional skepticism to develop a problem-solving mentalityReal-life examples of innovative ways to analyze and report data with ExcelUsing Excel to perform e-mail mergesMany other functions and techniques that inspire you to continue exploring the depths of Excel and its seemingly bottomless toolboxEnhance creativity in your approach to developing Excel models

Monthly Federal Tax Updates - April 2025

The major topics covered in this class include:Current individual tax issuesCurrent business entity tax issuesAny current tax legislation occurring during the periodOther issues affecting the profession, including IRS procedure, current cases, payroll, and other federal tax issues

More Money: Strategic Ways to Improve Cash Flow

The major topics that will be covered in this class include:How do I optimize cash flow?Qualitative Evaluations – Core Earnings & Sustainable GrowthQuantitative Evaluations – Liquidity RatiosIncreasing Customer Base vs. Payment TermsBusiness Cycle & CashInvesting Company CashWhat keeps companies from becoming streamlined?Behavioral Finance BiasesInformation Processing BiasesEmotional BiasesDealing with Behavioral Biases

Assessing Independence Under the New Yellow Book

The major topics covered in this course include:Threats and safeguardsIndependence RulesGAGAS

Integrate ChatGPT into Your Client Advisory Services-Updated

The major topics covered in this course include:ChatGPT and generative AI technology primerBuilding your generative AI vocabularyDig deeper into your engagement research to develop a higher quality advisory servicePolish your client reporting with the help of ChatGPTDeveloping your ChatGPT client advisory servicesStart with client education. You don’t need to be a technical expert to be an educatorUse AI to help your clients automate their workflows / business processesBuild better spreadsheets with ChatGPT and ExcelHelp your clients identify, evaluate and select applications for their business

Excel for Accounting Professionals Session 1: Tables and Named References

Project Management: Employ Best Practices & Mindset

The major topics covered in this course include:The science of project management: reporting and analytics, documentation, forecasting and scopingThe art of project management: the mindset and influencing change

Internal Control - Testing for Operating Effectiveness

The major topics covered in this class include:Generally accepted audit requirements related to testing controls for operating effectivenessIdentifying key controls that may prove effective and efficient to test in a control reliance strategyResponses when deviations are discovered when evaluating the design or operating effectiveness of internal controlLeveraging audit evidence available for Service Organization Control (SOC1) ReportsGeneral computer control considerations when evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting

Eight Biggest Threats to your business and introducing Three Pillars of Cybersecurity

Technology Cybersecurity

Securing Executive Buy-In for Your Initiatives: Communication Techniques to Persuade Decision-Makers

Persuasion Executive Buy-In Communication Leadership

2024 Yellow Book Update

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Yellow Book engagements.Independence requirements in GAGAS.Quality management in Yellow Book. Common deficiencies found in Yellow Book engagements.

IRS Penalties and Abatements

Rules on waiver of penalties and interests Various forms and procedures for requesting relief First Time Abatement: Requirements and procedures How an individual taxpayer qualifies for Reasonable Cause abatement Procedures for requesting refund of paid penalties Available administrative options

Fraud & Embezzlement: Case Studies from the Trenches

The major topics that will be covered in this class include:How organizations can find themselves defrauded due to lax oversight and weak internal controls.How the existence of the ƒ?otrusted advisorƒ?? creates situations where CPAs can drop their professional skepticism.Illustrations of the issues companies should look for in preventing fraud and embezzlement.

How Much Are Your Ethics Worth?

The major topics that will be covered in this class include:Understanding ethicsAvailable tools to aid in ethical decision makingThe role of bias in making ethical decisionsApplication through case studies

Surgent's Project Management: Tips, Tricks, and Traps

Contrasting project management with operations management Reviewing organizational culture and how it applies to project management The various types of project management including Agile, Scrum, Waterfall, Critical path, and others Looking at risk management software and its application in different types of project management Managing and leading project management stakeholders

Surgent's Data Security: Best Practices to Protect Your Business and Yourself

Ethical duty to safeguard employee, client, and litigant data Common threats, including phishing, ransomware, and bad password management Security management of business and personal electronic devices Best practices for creating and securing passwords Insight into how our personal information is exploited in our daily lives

It Is Legal, But Is It Really Ethical?, featuring Rob Berry and Bob Mims

Is ‘legal’ the same as ‘ethical’? Why or why not? The value of using the Code of Professional Conduct properly. Resolving situations where the two are divergent.

Becoming Conflict Competent

Major topics covered in this course include:Levels of conflictStrategies to de-escalate conflictDistinction between miscommunication and conflictResponses to conflictTactics to address, rather than avoid, conflict