13 Jul 2021

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Businesses are shifting advertising away from more traditional means to social media. Through the use of social media applications such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube, accountants can reach a greater number of potential clients, customers, partners, and so on while utilizing less money than traditional advertising methods. In addition, social media has become a great place for accountants to share ideas and generate guidance on issues they may not be familiar with in order to gain competency to work on the engagement. This program will address the use of social media in business. It will focus on tips and tricks to generate leads and help increase a firm’s online presence through social media. It will also discuss common ethical pitfalls involved with social media.

Objectives

Participants will be able to:

  • Describe the different social media platforms that are available
  • Network using social media
  • Set up business profiles on social media platforms
  • Develop thought leadership on social media platforms
  • Identify ethical issues relating to social media
  • Interpret guidance on ethical use of social media
  • Create a social media policy
  • Measure investment in social media
  • Shift advertising budgets based on social media usage

Highlights

  • Social media basics
  • Defining success using social media, including measurement impact strategies
  • The information an accountant needs to start shifting away from more expensive traditional advertising to social media
  • Using business networking platforms and community groups to enhance practitioner knowledge
  • Major ethical pitfalls associated with social media

Who Will Benefit

Anyone in business looking to enhance their social media presence.

4 Communications Credits

13 Jul 2021

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Companies that have become victims of some type of fraud, whether it be financial reporting fraud or theft of assets, have proclaimed “We should have known!” Yes, in most cases the companies or employees at some level should have or did, in fact, know. The warning signs were there but not recognized. A common misconception is that the auditor or accountant will identify it. This fast-paced session will discuss some of the more common, unrecognized signs and how to identify them before the fraud occurs. Real case examples will be presented with suggestions to prevent or to detect the possibility of fraud occurring.

Objectives

Participants will be able to:

  • Identify warning signs of fraud
  • Develop and perform appropriate testing procedures
  • Understand the number of ways fraud can occur in an EBP

Highlights

  • Identifying the warning signs of fraud
  • Addressing the risk of fraud
  • Planning efficient and effective brainstorming sessions
  • Identifying party in interest transactions
  • Identifying plan operational deficiencies
  • Reporting on prohibited transactions
  • Case studies

Who Will Benefit

Industry accountants, external accountants, and auditors to learn how to recognize the warning signs of fraud, how to develop a fraud risk team, and reduce the risk of fraud. The sponsor or accountant of a plan who would like to learn more about exercising fiduciary responsibility when a fraud occurs. The auditor who would like to become more proficient in planning the brainstorming discussion for fraud by reviewing the commonly missed components required in the brainstorming session.

2 Accounting Credits

2 Auditing Credits

12 Jul 2021

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The literature specific to nonprofit organizations continues to evolve and become more complex. Using the popular and fast-moving “Frequently Asked Questions” format, this course was compiled from questions asked of the author in their capacity as a technical reviewer and advisor to firms and nonprofit organizations. This course also provides an update on emerging governance issues.

Objectives

Participants will be able to:

  • Address major accounting and disclosure issues
  • Understand the governance issues faced by nonprofits in today’s highly scrutinized and regulated environment
  • Address auditing issues that arise in audits under the Uniform Guidance

Highlights

  • Complex accounting and disclosure issues and changes to nonprofit financial reporting
  • Governance issues including ways to enhance board oversight and cybersecurity risk
  • Frequently missed issues in single audits and not-for-profit financial statement audits
  • GAO’s Yellow Book
  • Single audit developments

Who Will Benefit

  • Practitioners working with nonprofits in public practice
  • Accountants working in nonprofit organizations who need to keep on top of current accounting and disclosure requirements

4 Accounting Credits

4 Auditing Credits

28 Oct 2020

Highlights

  • CPE Credit:
  • 2 hours for CPAs
  • Level: Intermediate
  • NASBA Field of Study: Accounting (1 hour), Auditing (1 hour)
  • Group: Internet-based
  • Program Prerequisites: General knowledge of ASC Topic 842 and AICPA Professional Standards.
  • Regular Fee $100.00
  • Group Participant Fee $77.00

The revised effective date for private companies’ adoption of the new leasing standard (ASC Topic 842, Leases) is now January 1, 2022! Question: Will you be prepared to properly audit such transactions?

This session is designed to provide external auditors with practical and insightful perspectives on how to audit transactions under the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (FASB) new leasing standard. You’ll learn the new accounting and financial reporting requirements and how to substantively and analytically test them in accordance with Professional Standards.

Who Should Attend: Practitioners in public practice who conduct audits of privately-held organizations who have adopted ASC Topic 842.

Topics Covered

  • ASC Topic 842, Leases
  • FASB’s new take on how operating leases will now be recognized on the balance sheet
  • New presentation and disclosure requirements
  • Practical application and how to properly audit them
  • Learning Objectives
  • Recognize the FASB’s new leasing standard requirements
  • Identify the new accounting and reporting requirements of leases
  • Identify which audit procedures to perform
  • Recognize how to properly audit the transition requirements and initial adoption of the new standard

15 Oct 2020

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Private companies and other nonpublic reporting entities must soon adopt the new accounting standard for leases, FASB ASC Topic 842.  This 4-hour afternoon program focuses on a lessee’s initial application of Topic 842 to existing leases, which will require the immediate attention of nearly every nonpublic reporting entity.

In this practical, hands-on workshop, participants will learn how to apply “Day 1 accounting” under Topic 842 to their identified transition population of leases.

Credits: 4.0

Level: Basic

Prerequisities: Prior exposure to lease accounting as a lessee as well as an understanding of how to determine the transition population of leases under the new standard will be helpful.

Objectives

Participants will be able to:

  • Determine the term of each transition-population lease
  • Determine the relevant remaining payments associated with each lease in the transition population
  • Calculate the initial liability for each operating lease in the transition population
  • Determine the initial accounting adjustments for each transition-population lease
  • Document a lessee’s initial application of Topic 842

Highlights

  • Managing the risks of material misstatement
  • Time-saving practical expedients
  • Calculating present value for a lease’s remaining payments
  • Examples of documentation that will avoid internal-control deficiencies and maximize audit efficiency

Who Will Benefit

CPAs, accountants, and other financial professionals in industry who have a role in helping their organizations transition to Topic 842.

14 Oct 2020

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Public and private companies with stock, options, and restricted shares generally make equity-based, non-cash payments to employees and directors as part of their compensation. This course provides an accounting resource for companies making equity-based payments and illustrates the financial statement impact of equity-based payments. ASC 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation, provides accounting guidance for share-based payment transaction with employees. ASC 505-50, Equity-Based Payments to Non-Employees, provides accounting guidance for non-employee payment transactions, such as to members of the Board of Directors.

Credits: 8.0

Level: Basic

Prerequisites: None

Objectives

  • Participants will be able to:
  • Measure equity awards granted to employees
  • Recognize compensation cost
  • Account for equity awards classified as liabilities
  • Account for equity-based transaction payments to nonemployees
  • Understand presentation and disclosure in the financial statements

Highlights

  • Introduction to equity-based payments
  • Measurement, recognition, presentation, and disclosure
  • ASC 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation
  • ASC 505-50, Equity-Based Payments to Non-Employees
  • ASU 2017-09, (Topic 718) Scope of Modification Accounting
  • ASU 2018-07, (Topic 718) Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting

Who Will Benefit

  • CPAs, accountants, chief financial officers, controllers, and other financial professionals in organizations that make equity-based payments to employees as a part of their compensation plans or that make equity-based transaction payments to directors or suppliers.