CPE & Event Calendar

This course is a case study designed to provide a comprehensive overview of U.S. taxation of a foreign corporation. Using a specific example, the course will walk through step-by-step mechanics on how to calculate the income inclusions and foreign tax credits under GILTI (Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income), Subpart F, and PFIC (Passive Foreign Investment Company) regimes. The case study will further evaluate tax impact of subsequent distributions from the foreign corporation and sales of its stock. A compare-and-contrast approach will highlight the different outcomes of these regimes for individuals and for C corporations, empowering participants to advise their clients on the most tax efficient way to structure their international investments.

Join us for an insightful presentation featuring John Higgins, a renowned technology advisor to the CPA profession, who has assisted many firms with Microsoft 365 deployment. Discover how to leverage the Microsoft 365 suite of applications to unlock new efficiencies and opportunities within your business organization or CPA firm. Don't miss this chance to supercharge your operations with cutting-edge tools! Whether you are working in public practice or business and industry, this event will provide you with a return on investment many times greater than your investment to attend. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

The course will start with the Accounting Standard Updates effective in 2024 for public entities, private entities, and nonprofits. We will also review year 2 implications of the leases standard including modification accounting. We will then switch our attention to the items coming down the pike, including a look at the projects identified by the FASB's Invitation to Comment: Agenda Consultation. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

"Transforming Strategic & Financial Management with ChatGPT: Insights for CPAs, CFOs, and Controllers" is a comprehensive 2-hour CPE course designed by Jim Lindell of Thorsten Consulting Group, Inc. This course delves into the revolutionary impact of ChatGPT on financial and strategic management, offering a blend of theoretical insights and practical applications tailored for financial professionals. Through an exploration of ChatGPT's capabilities in research, communication enhancement, benchmarking, risk analysis, and more, participants will learn how to leverage this advanced AI technology to streamline operations, enhance decision-making, and foster innovation in their practices. The course not only highlights the current applications but also provides a glimpse into the future of AI in financial management, encouraging professionals to embrace technology for competitive advantage.

Join us for our next monthly Taxation Committee meeting! All MassCPAs members are welcome and you don't have to be a member of the committee to attend a meeting. CPE credit: In order to verify your attendance, you must log into Zoom with the same email address you used to register for this event. This email address should also be linked to your MassCPAs profile. To review or update your account, please click here. Join the committee! By joining the committee roster, you'll have special access to the Taxation Committee Online Community on The HUB-an exclusive space for committee members to connect, post messages and access meeting resources. If you have any questions, contact Molly at MSullivan@masscpas.org

This intensive 2-hour course is designed specifically for those aiming to master data management skills in the modern business environment. As data becomes increasingly central to accounting and financial analysis, the ability to effectively manage, clean, and transform this data is critical. This course delves into Microsoft Power Query, a potent tool within Excel and Power BI Desktop, known for its robust data processing capabilities. This course is designed to take participants from the basics of Power Query to exploring its more sophisticated features. It is an ideal blend of theoretical knowledge and practical application, centered around diverse data scenarios encountered in multiple industries. The aim is to ensure that the skills and techniques learned are universally applicable and beneficial in any professional context. Structured to be participant-focused, the course encourages active learning through a series of practical exercises, live demonstrations, and illustrative case studies. This approach not only deepens the understanding of Power Query's features but also demonstrates how to turn complex data sets into actionable insights. While the course is broad in its application, it remains detailed in its instruction, catering to both the novice and the seasoned professional. It is particularly beneficial for those who regularly interact with data, such as business analysts, project managers, and financial professionals, providing them with the tools to streamline data processes and enhance data analysis capabilities. Additionally, the course underscores best practices in data management. Participants will learn strategic approaches to data challenges, ensuring that their data processes are efficient, scalable, and sustainable. This is not just a course about mastering a tool; it's about empowering professionals with the skills to transform data into a strategic business resource. By the end of the course, participants will be equipped to leverage Power Query in Excel or Power BI desktop to its full potential, turning data into a powerful driver for business success and innovation. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

The Internal Revenue Service has targeted complex partnerships it believes are not in compliance with the tax law for audit. One of the abuses the IRS has attacked is transfers of interests in partnerships which result in an increase in the basis of a partner who is subject to a high marginal income tax rate. This perceived abuse results in lower income tax and/or a higher basis in partnership property for the higher marginal income tax partner. The final regulations basically characterize certain partnership-related basis adjustments as transactions of interest on the part of the IRS. In a practical sense, this means that property transfers in a partnership with related party partners may run the risk of IRS scrutiny if audited. It is common for certain types of partnerships, such as real estate limited partnerships, to have related-partner partnerships. The IRS may decide to scrutinize partnerships with related party transfers. Since these final regulations presume an understanding of the rules for partnership distributions and Section 754 elections, the program begins with coverage of those two topics, with time devoted to adjustments under both Section 743(b) and Section 734(b). It would be hard to understand the IRS's claim of abuse without a working knowledge of these transactions.

Recent generally accepted auditing standards were written to improve the quality of risk-based financial statement audits, audit reporting, and required by-product communications. This course will discuss the important clarifications and enhancements intended to improve audit quality to ensure better compliance with requirements contained in the SASs. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

This course is a great foundation to introduce new preparers to tax rules related to business returns. The course covers tax areas affecting all business entities, providing a solid basis for staff to handle business entity returns. Such business tax topics include the sale of assets used in a trade or business (Form 4797), depreciation (Form 4562), deductible and nondeductible items, and the basics of uniform capitalization. The objective of this course is to train new staff accountants, data processing employees, paraprofessionals, and bookkeepers to prepare complicated federal corporate income tax returns. It is a hands-on and practical course, with extra emphasis on changes to forms under new tax law.

This course will explore the use of ChatGPT and artificial intelligence chatbot technologies in the accounting profession. Participants will learn how to utilize ChatGPT to automate tasks, improve efficiency and accuracy, and provide real-time support to clients. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

CPAs can be requested to assist attorneys in litigation support in criminal proceedings. For criminal tax cases, the IRS has recommended prosecution. However, the rules and stakes are different than a simple civil audit. This presentation will focus on how to assist defense attorneys in calculating tax loss, asking the right questions, and probe possible weaknesses in criminal tax investigations. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

How do you pull a value from a cell into another cell? Do you use a direct cell reference, like =G10? If so, you are probably missing out on some efficiency gains that could be achieved by using a variety of Excel's lookup functions. Veteran Excel users, who are aware of the VLOOKUP function, are also painfully aware of its limitations--especially that it cannot go left. We will explore how to bypass VLOOKUP's limitations by nesting functions and by moving beyond VLOOKUP altogether.

Part of the technical competence of most experienced tax practitioners is the ability to advise owners of S corporations and partnerships or multiple-member LLCs treated as partnerships regarding the tax rules that apply when these entities liquidate. Entity liquidations do not occur every day; but they do occur, and often at very critical times in the business life of the entity and its owners. All tax practitioners should be able to advise their clients about the tax issues associated with client businesses that go out of existence and liquidate. This program explains the tax consequences associated with liquidating S corporations, partnerships, and multiple-member limited liability companies treated as partnerships.

Today's workforce looks a lot different than it used to. With more people working from home and across state lines, employers must examine withholding and unemployment laws in a new light. In this course, we will examine tried and true rules in this area, but also examine statutes that are still developing. Using real-life examples and discussion, we will examine state laws on reciprocity and residency requirements. We will also look at what to do when state laws are silent or conflict on a particular issue, so that you can keep your clients in compliance and be well-prepared for the questions that will come your way in these ever-changing times.

Fraud plagues businesses at epidemic levels, and technology control failures are a major contributing factor. Using a case study approach, in this session, you will learn about the pervasiveness of fraud, the control failures that contribute to fraud, and what you can do to mitigate fraud risk. A specific focus of this course is the application of information technology general controls and information technology application controls. In this course, you will examine numerous reported fraud cases and identify the general control and application control failures that contributed to each fraud. By learning through these real-world case studies, you will be better positioned to reduce fraud risk. This course qualifies for reimbursement through the state’s Workforce Training Express Fund. As of April 7, 2025, the state’s Workforce Training Express Fund suspended reimbursements for training costs to Massachusetts businesses. While we don’t have a confirmed timeline for the program to resume, it will likely be sometime this summer. We will continue to monitor this closely and encourage you to visit the state’s Workforce Training website for the most current updates and guidance. This course qualifies for reimbursement through the state’s Workforce Training Express Fund. Firms/companies with fewer than 50 staff can be reimbursed up to 100% of the cost of training and firms/companies with 50-100 employees can be reimbursed up to 50% of the cost of training. You must register for the course and apply for reimbursement through the Workforce Training Express Fund website a minimum of three weeks prior to the start of the course. The course code for this program is C-6488. To learn more, click here or contact Julia Ekelund at jekelund@masscpas.org.

Enter the complex world of elder planning with this comprehensive course tailored for financial professionals. Gain invaluable insights into estate and financial strategies designed specifically for older clients, equipping you with the knowledge and skills to address their unique needs and challenges. Throughout the course, participants will explore a wide range of topics, from understanding the complexities of Medicare and various life insurance types to navigating Social Security considerations and exploring Medicaid planning details. With a focus on practical application, attendees will learn to customize estate planning strategies, explore housing and care alternatives, and address gifting complexities relevant to older clients. By the end of the program, you'll develop expertise in executing specialized planning requirements for mature clients, ensuring you're well-prepared to provide informed counsel and support in this important aspect of financial practice. Join us and enhance your knowledge in estate and financial planning for the older client today. *Please Note:  If you need credit reported to the IRS for this IRS approved program, please download the IRS CE request form on the Handouts Tab and submit to kori.herrera@acpen.com

How well do you accept criticism? How might it enrich your business - and you - if you did a better job of it? This distinctive webinar will show you why it is in your best interest to accept criticism with gratitude. It's even better to welcome criticism. It's also a good idea to learn how to give criticism the right way. A related topic is the art of giving and receiving apologies, and we'll do a deep dive into this area as well. You'll leave with clear guidelines for how to criticize others, accept criticism from them, give meaningful apologies, and accept apologies with grace and ethical intelligence. The result will be a stronger CPA practice and a better you. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

This course highlights when to use Form 433-A or 433-B, along with documents needed to effectively submit an Offer in Compromise (OIC) or Installments Agreement. Settling tax debts is an important part of the IRS collection process, this course helps guide taxpayer representatives through the process so they may efficiently complete these necessary forms. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

The AICPA revised the Statements on Standards for Tax Services, which provide the framework for the AICPA ethical guidance for tax practitioners. This program will review the new standards that apply to all members who provide tax services, effective January 1, 2024. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

In May 2023, the IIA released a draft of the new Global Internal Audit Standards. The intent was to provide more effective standards for Internal Audit globally. The new Global Internal Audit Standards were released on January 9, 2024, and will become effective January 9, 2025. The previous version, the International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing, released in 2017, remains approved for use during a one-year transition period. The Global Internal Audit Standards guide the worldwide professional practice of internal audit. They serve as a basis for evaluating and elevating the quality of the internal audit function. The Standards use 15 guiding principles with five separate domains that enable effective internal audit implementation and examples of evidence of conformance. The Global Standards are organized into five domains. Domain I: Purpose of Internal Auditing Domain II: Ethics and Professionalism Domain III: Governing the Internal Audit Function Domain IV: Managing the Internal Audit Function Domain V: Performing Internal Audit Service