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Last updated June 27, 2008 AGN and Surgent & McCoy, CPE, LLC Present . . . 2008 Tax Staff Training Registration is open! Audit Training Info Levels 1 - 3 will be held at Hickory Ridge Conference Center in Lisle, IL (outside Chicago) Levels 4 - 5 will be held at Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs, CO Classes begin at 8:00 a.m. Participants are discouraged from leaving class before it ends on the last day in order to receive full CPE credit. Ample time is needed for transportation/airport check-in. Return flights should be booked no earlier than 5:30 p.m. Arrive in plenty of time to check-in by 6 p.m. on Sunday Attendance is required for the new opening activity/reception! COURSE INFO & REGISTRATION: LEVEL 1 Oct. 19-22, 2008 2007 Evaluation Summary LEVEL 2 Oct. 26-29 , 2008 2007 Evaluation Summary LEVEL 3 Nov. 9-12, 2008 2007 Evaluation Summary LEVEL 4 Nov. 16-19, 2008 2007 Evaluation Summary LEVEL 5 Nov. 16-19, 2008 CLASS IS FULL! CONTACT IRENE 2007 Evaluation Summaries Sessions: 1 & 2 MAXIMUM NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS LEVELS 1- 4 IS 35! LEVEL 5 MAXIMUM IS 25! Don't know your login credentials? Contact Irene at IHayden@agn.org for assistance.   Cancellation Policy: If a registration is cancelled within SIX WEEKS of a scheduled program, a fee may be assessed against the firm. If a registration is not cancelled and a participant does not attend the program, the firm will be assessed as though the person attended.   From the AGN North American Board of Directors: At the Board Meeting held on Monday, October 27, 2003 at the World Congress Meeting in Cancun, Mexico, the Board affirmed its long-standing policy regarding sharing of costs associated with AGN-NA staff training programs: "All expenses, including travel, for all offerings of a given course offered by (AGN-NA) shall be pooled and divided among the firms represented in proportion to the number of persons attending." "Spouses or guests shall not accompany participants to the course site for audit and/or tax staff training." "A hospitality event, where applicable, shall be an evening event during each course. Refreshments shall consist of domestic beer, house wine, and sodas. Attendance is required."   Costs: Costs for the training are shared by the participating firms. In 2007 an average of 22 participants were in each training session, resulting in a cost of approximately $1,613 per person. The costs for the 3-day courses included: Travel Instructor's fees Lodging Manual/book fees Food Costs in 2008 will increase due to increased fees, transportation costs, and group dinners. Participating firms will be billed for the training after the course has taken place.     COURSE DETAILS Duration Three Days Course Longevity 31 years Designed for The non-SEC oriented practice unit. Public accountants with less than two year's experience and accountants in private industry who want a solid refresher course in tax rules for individuals and the basics of C and S Corporations will benefit most from this program. Experience 0-1 year of tax experience or in need of a brush-up Delivery Method Group-Live CPE Credits 24 Hours - Three days (Lecture, case studies, and small and large group discussion) Prerequisites No prerequisites or advance preparation is required Refund Policy Refunds are determined on a case-by-case basis Course Registration Online at www.agn-na.org Record Retention Policy The AGN office retains all CPE records for a minimum of five years Complaint Resolution Contact Rita Hood, AGN-NA Executive Director at rhood@agn.org or phone her at 303-743-7880     Level 1: Staff Training in Taxation Location: Hickory Ridge Conference Center Lisle, Illinois (Chicago area) Dates: October 19-22, 2008 Register here PARTICIPANTS LIST   Registration Deadline: Sept. 7, 2008 OBJECTIVE To provide the young accountant with one year or less of tax experience or the rusty accountant needing an income tax brush-up with comprehensive three days of tax training pertaining to individual income taxation, basics of C Corporations and basics of S Corporation tax preparation. Also, tax areas affecting all types of taxpayers will be covered in depth (i.e., property transactions). All recent tax legislation will be emphasized throughout this course including relevant provisions of the 2006 Tax Acts and any new legislation enacted prior to the presentation date. PARTICIPANTS WILL BE ABLE TO Gain a thorough understanding of federal income tax laws for individual taxpayers Accurately prepare depreciation schedules and report sales or exchange of property Accurately prepare S corporation returns and reconcile book income to taxable income Reconcile corporate financial statement income to taxable income Advise clients on basic tax issues such as income recognition, home sale exclusion, individual retirement plan rules, itemized deductions, and selected individual and business tax credits Individual Taxation (est. 18 hours) Individual income tax formula Gross income, exclusions from income, kiddie tax parental election, and social security benefits Interest and dividend income, exclusions for Education Savings Bonds Trade or business activities and their problems, employee vs. independent contractor overview, home office deduction rules, and an overview of the QPDI (Qualified Domestic Production Income) Deduction for manufacturers, producers Property transactions applicable to all taxpayers including proper depreciation calculation and recapture rules under §§1231, 1245, 1250 Capital asset transactions including recent legislative changes, an overview of installment sales Distributions and rollovers from qualified retirement plans, Traditional, Roth IRAs, and Education Savings Accounts Passive activity losses – understanding what they are and how they work Adjustments including IRA’s, SEP’s, SIMPLE plans, Health Savings Accounts, Keogh’s, Alimony, Education Deductions, Teacher Expenses, etc. Coverage of the new Roth-IRA and Conversion Issues will be discussed. Standard deduction, selected itemized deductions, personal and dependent exemption rules Tax calculations, regular tax, penalty taxes on retirement distributions, SE tax, and an overview of the alternative minimum tax system Selected tax credits relating to individual taxpayers including new Adoption, Child, and Education Tax Credits Case studies and numerous examples are provided throughout the manual Preparation of S Corporation Return (3 hours including property transactions above) Basics of S Corporation taxation including S Corporation Reforms and recent regulations Guided preparation of a typical S Corporation return from trial balance to a line-by-line review of the completed return C Corporations (3 hours including property transactions above) Corporate election issues and planning to avoid pitfalls Reconciliation of book-to-tax income - Schedule M-1 explanation and analysis of the most frequently encountered adjustments Income and expense items receiving special treatment Personal service and brother - sister corporation overview Tax Calculations and credits, shareholder accruals and below market loans Practice Cases   AGN International - North America, Inc. is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA), as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be addressed to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors, 150 Fourth Avenue North, Suite 700, Nashville, TN, 37219-2417 or by visiting the website: www.nasba.org. Back to top     COURSE DETAILS Duration Three Days Course Longevity 6 years Designed for Future tax specialists who want in-depth tax training in the issues of family-owned businesses and their owners. Also, experienced accountants who desire strong tax familiarity or a refresher in the above areas. Experience 1- 3 years of tax experience will benefit the most Delivery Method Group-Live CPE Credits 24 Hours - Three days (Lecture, case studies, and small and large group discussion) Prerequisites Staff Training in Taxation - Level 1 and/or one year or more of public accounting experience preparing corporate and partnership tax returns. Refund Policy Refunds are determined on a case-by-case basis Course Registration Online at www.agn-na.org Record Retention Policy The AGN office retains all CPE records for a minimum of five years Complaint Resolution Contact Rita Hood, AGN-NA Executive Director at rhood@agn.org or phone her at 303-743-7880     Level 2: Staff Training in Taxation Location: Hickory Ridge Conference Center Lisle, Illinois (Chicago area) Dates: October 26-29, 2008 Register here PARTICIPANTS LIST   Registration Deadline: Sept. 14, 2008 OBJECTIVE To provide the accountant with 1 to 3 years of experience with comprehensive three day tax training course. Coverage includes closely-held corporations, an introduction to partnership taxation and an introduction to fringe benefits. All recent tax legislation will be emphasized throughout this course including relevant provisions of the 2006 Tax Acts and any new legislation enacted prior to the presentation date. PARTICIPANTS WILL BE ABLE TO Gain a thorough understanding of federal income tax laws for C & S corporations from incorporation, to tax return preparation issues and credits, through liquidations Recognize and handle alternative minimum tax income adjustments and preferences Accurately prepare S corporation returns and reconcile book income to taxable income Identify and handle special corporate issues for personal service corporations, multiple corporations, excess earnings accumulation, and personal holding companies Advise clients on basic tax issues such as company retirement plans, compensation plans, and taxable and tax-free fringe benefit plans Understand the basics of partnership and LLC formation, operation, and liquidation Corporate and Partnership Tax Training Introduction to employee fringe benefits, pension and profit-sharing plans (including SEPs, SIMPLEs, 401(k), MSAs, and cafeteria plans) Compensation issues, taxable employee benefits, below-market rate loans and company owned autos Overview and comparison of various forms of operating a business – Sole proprietor, C Corporation, S Corporation, Partnerships, and Limited Liability Company Tax-free incorporation procedures under §351, and review of the amortization rules for Start-Up Expenditures and Organization Expenses Accounting periods and methods available The benefits of §1202 and §1244 stock sales and losses Income and expense items receiving special treatment for tax purposes, and an overview of the QPDI (Qualified Domestic Production Income) Deduction for manufacturers, producers Alternative minimum tax overview including new depreciation adjustments Personal service corporations – four special rules Multiple corporations - identify brother-sister corporations and apply special rules Accumulated earnings and personal holding company penalty taxes Dividends, redemptions and liquidations S Corporations - in depth analysis from eligibility through operating rules and distributions Introduction to partnerships - from formation through operations to liquidation Current developments are emphasized throughout this course   AGN International - North America, Inc. is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA), as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be addressed to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors, 150 Fourth Avenue North, Suite 700, Nashville, TN, 37219-2417 or by visiting the website: www.nasba.org. Back to top     COURSE DETAILS Duration Three Days Course Longevity 6 years Designed for Future tax specialists who want in-depth advanced tax training in the issues of S Corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, and multi-state taxation issues. Also, experienced accountants who desire strong tax familiarity or a refresher in the above areas. Experience 3+ years of tax experience will benefit the most Delivery Method Group-Live CPE Credits 24 Hours - Three days (Lecture, case studies, and small and large group discussion) Prerequisites Staff Training in Taxation – Levels 1 and 2, or Staff Tax Training – Pass-through Entity Taxation and/or three years or more of public accounting experience preparing S corporation, partnership, and LLC tax returns. Refund Policy Refunds are determined on a case-by-case basis Course Registration Online at www.agn-na.org Record Retention Policy The AGN office retains all CPE records for a minimum of five years Complaint Resolution Contact Rita Hood, AGN-NA Executive Director at rhood@agn.org or phone her at 303-743-7880     Level 3: Staff Training in Taxation Location: Hickory Ridge Conference Center Lisle, Illinois (Chicago area) Dates: November 9-12, 2008 Register here PARTICIPANTS LIST   Registration Deadline: Sept. 28, 2008 OBJECTIVE To provide accountants with 3+ years of experience on a tax department career path with comprehensive three day tax training course. Coverage includes Advanced S corporation case studies and issues, comprehensive coverage of advanced partnership and limited liability company tax issues. All recent tax legislation will be emphasized throughout this course including relevant provisions of the 2006 Tax Acts and any new legislation enacted prior to the presentation date. PARTICIPANTS WILL BE ABLE TO Advise clients on all tax issues and planning opportunities relating to S Corporation formation, return preparation compliance, basis, distributions, and liquidation Plan for the formation, operation, and liquidation issues for partnerships and LLCs Advanced S Corporation Tax Training What are new rules and planning opportunities using QSUBS New classes of eligible shareholders open S Corporations to new planning ideas BIG Tax - chopping it down to size Recurring and emerging return preparation issues Unreasonably low compensation – still a big problem with IRS Understanding the complex NEW issues on calculating shareholder basis and AAA Distributions - when unequal is really equal S Corporation losses - basis problem caused by a post-1994 election Liquidating an S - when do you have problems Advanced Partnership and Limited Liability Company (LLC) Tax Training Formation issues including §704(c) precontribution appreciated assets Treatment of recourse versus non-recourse debt basis Understanding “substantial economic effect” and special allocations Proper handling of fringe benefits on Form 1065 IRS guidance on self-employment tax for partners in a partnership and members of LLCs and LLPs Calculate basis limitations and its implication on each partner's own tax return Handle passive activity loss situations as it applies to partnerships and LLCs Regulations for handling basis step ups under §754 elections, and NEW MANDATORY basis step-down rules included in the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 Partnership distributions – current or liquidating, cash or property Understanding Family Limited Partnerships as a planning tool Comparison with LLCs, LLPs, and S Corporations Current developments are emphasized throughout this course Overview of Multi-State Tax Issues and Planning Summary of payroll, property, and sales factor allocation methods Understanding “apportioned income” and “allocated income” differences Factors for determining nexus Use tax rules and internet sales Current developments are emphasized throughout this course   AGN International - North America, Inc. is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA), as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be addressed to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors, 150 Fourth Avenue North, Suite 700, Nashville, TN, 37219-2417 or by visiting the website: www.nasba.org. Back to top     COURSE DETAILS Duration Three Days Course Longevity 6 years Designed for Accountants who want an update on current multistate tax issues to minimize clients' potential state and local tax liability CPAs who are responsible for helping structure an LLC or partnership, and CPAs who prepare tax returns for these entities and for CPAs in public accounting and industry involved in business entity liquidations CPAs who wish to have a complete understanding of the various uses of trusts Experience 4+ years and Level 3 training Delivery Method Group-Live CPE Credits 24 Hours - Three days (Lecture, case studies, and small and large group discussion) Prerequisites Staff Training in Taxation – Levels 1 and 2, or Staff Tax Training – Pass-through Entity Taxation and/or three years or more of public accounting experience preparing S corporation, partnership, and LLC tax returns. Refund Policy Refunds are determined on a case-by-case basis Course Registration Online at www.agn-na.org Record Retention Policy The AGN office retains all CPE records for a minimum of five years Complaint Resolution Contact Rita Hood, AGN-NA Executive Director at rhood@agn.org or phone her at 303-743-7880 Level 4: Staff Training in Taxation Location: Cheyenne Mountain Resort Colorado Springs, CO Dates: November 16-19, 2008 Register here PARTICIPANTS LIST   Registration Deadline: Oct. 5, 2008   DAY 1 - MULTISTATE TAX UPDATE Even tax-savvy businesses, and their advisers, often neglect to consider the consequences of state and local taxes. However, with their budgets shaken by the current fiscal crunch, many states are becoming more aggressive in enforcing current nexus and tax laws, imposing new taxes and reconsidering their commitment to a streamlined sales tax project. With this drastic increase in the importance of state and local taxation, it becomes more important that ever to attend this fast-paced update on recent multistate tax developments, focusing on issues confronting small and middle market companies and offering practical guidance for minimizing tax liability. Major Topics Include: Determining where an entity has nexus Recent court rulings relative to determining nexus Nexus issues relative to telecommuting employees Attributional nexus -- do you have nexus from activities of a related entity or another entity with whom you are doing business? The new “gross income” taxes -- how do these impact your business? Sourcing receipts from services for income tax: is it a cost of benefit or cost of performance state? Sourcing income from partnership entities Changes in rules relative to pass through entities, including withholding and nexus based on ownership of an interest State tax issues regarding FASB Interpretation No. 48: Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Tax The ‘magic bullet’ for avoiding state income tax issues “Business income” vs. “nonbusiness income": the impact on your company The spread of the unitary business doctrine beyond income tax Nexus questionnaires: when and how to answer them and when to use them to help build your practice Update on the streamlined sales tax project How to recognize opportunities to reduce state and local tax liabilities by locating or relocating manufacturing, storage, distribution, sales and administrative offices and facilities DAY 2 - LIQUIDATIONS & ADVANCED LLC & PARTNERSHIP STRUCTURING OBJECTIVE To familiarize the tax advisor with the required and discretionary operating-agreement provisions from both a tax and a business perspective and to help the tax advisor understand the relationship between what is said in the operating agreement and the preparation of Form 1065 and Schedules K-1. The preparation of the LLC or partnership tax return generally involves a host of questions that either are or should be answered by the agreement of the parties. This course seeks to enable accountants to spot issues that either are or are not adequately provided for in the draft of an operating agreement so that they can advise clients on structural issues. It will also direct their attention to where and how an existing operating agreement resolves the "problem areas." Both operating entities and real estate investments will be discussed. This course is essential for any tax staff members who prepare partnership or LLC returns. To fully explore the technical tax and business issues in liquidating S corporations. This unique course is essential for anyone planning to sell a business. PARTICIPANTS WILL BE ABLE TO Understand differences under state law among general partnerships, limited partnerships, and LLCs Explain capital accounts: why and when book and tax treatment differ on contributions of property or services to an entity, providing for them in the agreement, and alternative solutions to various problems. Be sensitive to various elections to alter the tax basis of partnership and LLC assets. Advise clients as to the specific problems in the life cycle of the partnership and LLC. Become familiar with the issues unique to the liquidation of an S corporation shareholder’s interest and liquidation of the corporation. HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL LEARN – A PARTIAL LIST OF AREAS TO BE COVERED Formation: the tax-on-formation trap; the use of capital interests and profits interests to service partners under the new proposed regulations. Cash flow: who gets what, when, and the impact of taxes. Liabilities: nonrecourse and recourse liabilities; indemnities; at-risk management Tax and business issues of operations, including taxable income versus book income. Personal liability of partners and members: understanding the unique issues and problems of balancing limited liability for debts, getting tax basis, and creditors. Allocations: Flip-flop, preferring the return of capital, and reduction of investor interest and augmentation of the promoter’s interest; structuring preferred returns, guaranteed payments, and special allocations; is a qualified income offset appropriate? Change of partners and members: constructive contributions and distributions; rights and duties of the old and new investors; economic and management rights. Elections: providing the method by which the business may alter the tax basis a tax step up in the basis of assets in a sale, redemption, or retirement of an interest, or the basis of assets distributed; considerations in making the choices. Business issues to be aware of, including who will manage, what happens if a member does not contribute a required capital contribution, disputes between members, amending the agreement, and more. The unique planning opportunities and tax traps involved in the liquidation of an S corporation. Understanding installment sales and the big hurdles to favorable tax treatment in liquidation. The special problems of liquidating Subchapter S corporations DAY 3 - TRUST WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES To explore the many beneficial uses of trusts. Trusts remain an essential element in estate planning, both before 2010 and after. This course gives insights and practical pointers concerning trusts of every shape and size after tax reform. PARTICIPANTS WILL BE ABLE TO Understand the differences between revocable and irrevocable trusts, grantor trusts, and marital and credit shelter trusts. Gain knowledge of how trusts are used as asset protection devices, both domestically and off-shore Advise clients as to the uses of life insurance in trusts Explain the tax benefits of charitable remainder annuity trusts and unitrusts and the uses of charitable lead trusts Recognize situations in which a GRAT, GRUT or Qualified Personal Residence Trusts may effectively save taxes Describe the differences between the QSST and the ESBT and when each may be used to handle S corporation stock HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL LEARN – A PARTIAL LIST OF AREAS TO BE COVERED Introduction to trusts with emphasis on typical provisions Revocable living trusts Common testamentary trust arrangements -- Bypass trusts, QTIP trusts, and other marital trusts Asset protection trusts Sophisticated trusts for estate planning and asset transfer -- GRATs, GRUTs, QPRTs, and IDGTs Charitable trusts -- Charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, and pooled income funds Irrevocable life insurance trusts Medicaid trusts: the new look-back rule Trusts for minors -- Sections 2503(b) and 2503(c), and other trusts Dynasty trusts Trusts to hold S corporation stock     AGN International - North America, Inc. is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA), as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be addressed to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors, 150 Fourth Avenue North, Suite 700, Nashville, TN, 37219-2417 or by visiting the website: www.nasba.org. er Back to top     Taught by AuditWatch Instructors COURSE DETAILS Duration Three Days Experience 3-8 years Delivery Method Group-Live CPE Credits 24 Hours (18 Personal Development, 5 Communication, and 1 Auditing) Prerequisites No prerequisites or advance preparation is required Refund Policy Refunds are determined on a case-by-case basis Course Registration Online at www.agn-na.org Record Retention Policy The AGN office retains all CPE records for a minimum of five years Complaint Resolution Contact Rita Hood, AGN-NA Executive Director at rhood@agn.org or phone her at 303-743-7880     Level 5: Supervisory/Manager Skills Training Location: Cheyenne Mountain Resort Colorado Springs, CO Dates: November 16-19, 2008 Class is full; contact Irene PARTICIPANTS LIST   Registration Deadline: Oct. 5, 2008 OBJECTIVE This session helps participants develop select managerial skills and is beneficial for individuals new or growing into his/her management role. This course focuses on the multiple roles and responsibilities of a manager that may go beyond the traditional client engagement.  The course also challenges participation to improve presentation, selling, and negotiation skills. Leadership – 6 Hours (Personal Development) To list and rank in importance to their roles characteristics of effective leaders To describe five or more key skills needed to effectively lead projects, initiatives and people To describe techniques for mentoring employees, including discussion of the roles of a mentor, and various models for coaching and counseling To apply various learned techniques and skills noted above related to leadership Management Activities – 4 Hours (Personal Development) To analyze and prioritize the myriad of billable and non-billable management tasks and projects, such as the following:  Managing contracts  Staying current technically  Mentoring others  Implementing firm initiatives  Practice development To describe and apply techniques for managing colleagues, including partners, clients, seniors and administrative staff To generate a personal plan for managing non-billable responsibilities To lead effective and efficient meetings, through use of agendas, meeting organization, and attendee management Practice Management & Development – 2 Hours (Personal Development) To define the key elements of practice development in professional services  To describe techniques for managing growth through client service To identify opportunities to increase firm revenues To list methods for developing referrals  Negotiation – 3 Hours (Personal Development) To perform a self-assessment of the participant’s abilities in the various phases of negotiation To describe four or more methods for improving negotiation skills that can be used in a variety of common business situations Presentation Skills – 5 Hours (Communication) To list characteristics of effective presenters  To describe strategies for developing and delivering common public accounting related presentations  To organize and deliver a presentation Sales Process – 3 Hours (Personal Development) To perform a skills self-assessment which will identify how well participants understand and respond to sales situations To list four or more techniques for improving individual skills within the sales process Auditing and Accounting Issues – 1 Hour (Auditing) To list five recent changes in auditing and accounting guidance  To identify auditing and accounting issues that arise in common client situations   AGN International - North America, Inc. is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA), as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be addressed to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors, 150 Fourth Avenue North, Suite 700, Nashville, TN, 37219-2417 or by visiting the website: www.nasba.org. Back to top       TERMS & CONDITIONS