Bookkeepers Telephone Seminars

Sales and Use Taxation of Internet Sales: The Evolving Case Law BenefitsWith growing budget deficits, many states are taking increasingly aggressive positions in an attempt to impose sales and use tax obligations on internet transactions. Internet sellers face a murky and sometimes ill-defined landscape with respect to sales and use taxes that are impacted by both state law and federal constitutional principles. By exploring the growing body of judicial  more...

A Regulatory Update on Unclaimed Property Compliance BenefitsWho within your company is responsible for ensuring compliance with the various state unclaimed property laws? Is your company currently undergoing an unclaimed property audit? If you are struggling to find the answer to these important compliance questions, this live audio conference is for you! Believe it or not, there are still many companies who are unfamiliar with the various state  more...

Merchant Reporting and Form 1099-K BenefitsLearn about the new 1099-K rules issued under IRC Section 6050W and how it relates to you! Gain insight into challenges posed by the merchant reporting. Understand how to reconcile clients' gross receipts according to the new reporting requirements. Learn about duplicate reporting relief. Perfect your back up withholding rules know-how by attending this live audio conference. This live  more...

New IRS Rules for Treatment of Revenues from Gift Card Sales and Merchandise Return Cards BenefitsAttend this live audio conference and gain a detailed understanding of how Rev. Proc. 2011-17 and 2011-18 modified the existing federal tax deferral rules applicable to gift card revenues. Learn how the tax deferral rules apply to a variety of common gift card structures and understand when a 2-year tax deferral may be available, but also when it may not be optimal. Finally, receive tips  more...

Commonly Encountered Sales and Use Tax Audit Issues and Strategies to Defuse Them BenefitsStates are becoming more aggressive as falling tax revenues constrain expenditures and force budget cuts. Business structures, products and services are increasingly complex with outcomes that don't always fit neatly into vaguely worded and outdated statutes. Heightened audit activity, the states' shifting tax policies and a new wave of proposed sales tax legislation all serve to highlight  more...

IRS Form 941 Reporting Update BenefitsThe IRS collects hundreds of billions of dollars of employment taxes each year - more than any other source of revenue. Form 941 and related forms lie at the heart of the IRS's employment tax collection system. Much of the administrative burden under that system falls on employers. An employer's failure to understand and comply with its obligations can result in IRS assessments, audits and  more...

Amending Tax Return Errors and Misstatements BenefitsIt's a fact of life that mistakes happen, with a multitude of reasons for such occurrences. And, so, we have the option to amend our returns. Unless it is a mere mathematical error that the Internal Revenue Service will automatically correct, be proactive and amend the return if you are aware of substantial errors before the IRS contacts you. On both personal and business returns,  more...

Tax Planning and Guidance for Business Travel and Entertainment Deductions BenefitsLearn the specifics of documenting business travel, meals and entertainment expense to ensure you can take full advantage of the deduction allowed under the federal tax code. Ensure that your records will stand the test of a tax audit. Fine tune your understanding of when an employee's meal is 100% deductible and when it is only 50% deductible. Understand when foreign travel is deductible  more...

IRS Form W-9 and W-8 Series: Payee Identification and Tax Determination BenefitsThis live audio conference will provide information about the purpose of the form and when it should be obtained. You will learn who can complete Form W-9 for U.S. persons, and if the payee is a foreign person, that Form W-8 is necessary. In addition, this live audio conference will provide valuable information regarding the backup withholding requirements if the W-9 information is not  more...

Payroll Recordkeeping: What You Need to Know BenefitsIn recent years there has been an explosion in the number of lawsuits and claims for overtime and unpaid wages under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Did you realize that liability for FLSA violations can be enormous? Recent reports estimate that over the last few years companies have collectively paid out more than $1 billion annually to resolve FLSA claims! Learn the role of the FLSA and  more...

Tax Implications for Foreign Operations BenefitsForeign operations can present a significant opportunity for a company, but can also raise a number of legal and tax issues. Proper planning in establishing foreign operations, and an understanding of the ongoing disclosure and other requirements they entail is essential to avoiding difficulties down the road. This live audio conference will provide participants an overview of the issues  more...

Tax Implications for Foreign Operations BenefitsForeign operations can present a significant opportunity for a company, but can also raise a number of legal and tax issues. Proper planning in establishing foreign operations, and an understanding of the ongoing disclosure and other requirements they entail is essential to avoiding difficulties down the road. This live audio conference will provide participants an overview of the issues  more...

Utilizing Macros in Microsoft Excel BenefitsWhen you find yourself repeating actions in Excel - whether it's a five-step sequence you use when formatting a certain cell type or the 30 steps you use when you sort, filter, and print multiple worksheets once a week, the possibility exists that you can automate these actions in the form of a macro. Thereafter, you can perform these sets of actions with a simple keystroke combination, a  more...

Portal to Portal Act: Determining Hours Worked at the Start and End of the Work Day BenefitsEmployees and their counsel continue to pursue class action claims for off-the-clock work and unpaid overtime wages at a fever pitch. Thousands of wage and hour class actions asserting violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act or parallel state laws are filed each year and the costs of defending these matters and the damages claimed and paid, whether through trial or settlement, are  more...

Portal to Portal Act: Determining Hours Worked at the Start and End of the Work Day BenefitsEmployees and their counsel continue to pursue class action claims for off-the-clock work and unpaid overtime wages at a fever pitch. Thousands of wage and hour class actions asserting violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act or parallel state laws are filed each year and the costs of defending these matters and the damages claimed and paid, whether through trial or settlement, are  more...

Taxation and Accounting Conflicts of Interest BenefitsAccountants working in various disciplines have been involved in litigation resulting from or exacerbated by a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest. Failure to identify an actual or potential conflict of interest and to disclose or avoid it can lead to expensive legal fees, loss of a client or employment, a claim against malpractice insurance, bad publicity, or  more...

XBRL in Transition:From Requiring XBRL to Leveraging XBRL to Improve Data Collection, Analysis, and Business Reporting BenefitsThis live audio conference will provide a comprehensive overview of XBRL technology from the SEC mandate, why XBRL, how XBRL works, potential problems, issues and how to overcome them to why the market will leverage XBRL as a global, open architecture reporting framework for improved business reporting and analysis. Learn what XBRL means, why public companies have adopted it and why those  more...

Utilizing Formulas in Microsoft Excel BenefitsAnyone using Excel invariably needs to create and understand how to use formulas and functions. For some Excel users, it is the centerpiece of what they do on a daily basis. Many Excel formulas involve simple mathematical constructions using addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, but sometimes you need more complex formulas to reach an answer. Excel has more than 300 built-in  more...

Document Retention: Compliance and Protectionism BenefitsThis live audio conference will cover the importance of a document retention policy starting with the identification of what exists and what should be captured to the different rationales for implementing a retention policy - regulatory compliance to evidence in litigation. There are numerous challenges to an effective policy, which if acknowledged can be worked through. Living with the  more...

Tax Diligence, Representations, Covenants and Indemnifications in Business Acquisitions BenefitsBuyers and sellers of businesses typically are focused on getting the deal done and the relative economic benefits to each. They often fail to consider potential undisclosed tax liabilities resulting from pre-closing operations, and rarely want to hold up negotiations thinking about the 'what ifs.' However, when the 'what ifs' turn into 'what now,' it is important that potential tax risks  more...

Accounts Receivable and Collection Management with QuickBooks by Lorman Education Services BenefitsCash flow is truly the livelihood of any business. It is important that you use the tools and tips available in QuickBooks to get your business's cash flowing quickly. This live audio conference will help you to learn how to optimize your cash flow by properly utilizing QuickBooks for the customer cycle, setting preferences, using reports and tools, and preparing customer and collection  more...

Enhanced Foreign Asset Reporting Rules for 2011: An Update on FBAR and FATCA Requirements BenefitsFor the past three years, much attention has been focused on offshore bank accounts and the obligation of U.S. taxpayers to report such accounts on the much-heralded Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts or 'FBAR' form. The FBAR rules require taxpayers to annually report whether they have a financial interest in, or signature or other authority over, foreign bank accounts, and  more...

Multistate Taxation: Income Franchise Tax BenefitsWhile many businesses focus their tax strategies on mitigating the federal income tax, many businesses are becoming aware of increased enforcement of state tax laws, especially on interstate businesses. Rather than concentrating on the intricacies of a single tax in a single jurisdiction, this live audio conference will explore trends in state taxation of interstate businesses, with  more...

Excel Power Tips and Shortcuts BenefitsNeed an Excel productivity boost? You can now learn simple tricks and many shortcuts that will make you instantly more proficient using Excel ! Most Excel users are underutilizing this software. Start using the full power of Excel , and learn cool Excel tips and tricks that will make you the 'go-to' person in your office! Master more than 100 tips to make you a Power User! This live audio  more...

SAS 117: Compliance Audits BenefitsSAS 117, issued in December 2009, establishes standards and clarifies the auditor's responsibility in auditing and reporting on an entity's compliance with applicable governmental auditing standards. Attend this live audio conference to gain an overall understanding of the requirements of AU Section 801 and learn new auditor and management performance and reporting requirements. Learn  more...

Non-Resident Employee Withholding BenefitsWhen having employees working in multiple states it can be difficult to know what to consider to make sure that the correct state taxes are being withheld and the correct taxable earnings are being taxed in the correct states. This live audio conference will give you the tools to determine what taxes are applicable for your employees based on residency, state and reciprocity agreements. We  more...

How to Detect Fraud BenefitsA typical organization loses an estimated five percent of its annual revenue due to fraud. If you apply that estimate to the 2009 Gross World Product, this fraud equates to more than $2.9 trillion dollars lost each year to fraud. This live audio conference will educate listeners to the different varieties of occupational fraud and relevant statistics. We will provide a foundation to the  more...

Fundamentals of Section 382 BenefitsOne of the most important assets of a development stage company can be its federal income tax loss carry-forward (NOL). Protecting its value to offset future federal income tax income, however, can be challenging as there are a number of tax rules designed to limit the availability of the NOLs. In particular, Section 382 limits a corporation's ability to offset taxable income with its NOLs  more...

Withholding of Taxes on Payments to Foreign Persons and Entities BenefitsIn an increasingly global society, many U.S. payors of items of income are unknowingly subject to withholding tax obligations for payments to foreign individuals and entities. Understanding the rules for withholding on these payments can reduce liability to the IRS. After attending this live audio conference, you will be able to identify when income is subject to withholding, evaluate the  more...

Pricing and Cost Analysis in Purchasing BenefitsOne of the most important and complex decisions a business or organization has to make is how much to pay for its items or services. The buying professional should be able to easily detect prices that are too high. Thus pricing decisions must be given careful consideration when buying industrial products and services. The price of a product or service should be expected to cover cost of  more...

IRS Guidelines for Good Governance for 501(c)(3) Organizations BenefitsGiven continued congressional scrutiny of whether tax-exemption is a worthy federal subsidy for any type of tax-exempt organization, proper governance and accountability to the local community are key factors that may distinguish the tax-exempt sector from the taxable sector. The Internal Revenue Service, the press and others have linked the need for good governance to the quest for  more...

International Tax Forms and Reporting Requirements BenefitsTo compete in today's economic environment, U.S. businesses - large and small - must be able to compete globally. As the growth of U.S. businesses conducting business abroad increases at an exponential rate, many tax professionals must complete a number of IRS forms that have not been previously encountered. This live audio conference will deal with those IRS forms that tax professionals  more...

Taxation and Accounting Issues With Debt Restructuring, Modifications and Bankruptcies BenefitsThe recent market climate has created opportunities for investors or debtors themselves to acquire outstanding debt at remarkable discounts. Unfortunately, it also has left many companies struggling and in need to modify their outstanding debt. Many large, well known companies have dissolved or declared bankruptcy. Debt modifications, repurchases and bankruptcy can have a profound tax  more...

Current Issues in Joint Venture Taxation BenefitsUpon completing this live audio conference you will have learned the tax considerations when creating, operating and terminating joint ventures, including special tax issues in a real estate joint venture or when a joint venturer is a tax exempt organization. This live audio conference will cover key income tax issues covering the life of a joint venture including: What are the tax  more...

Compliance With the PCI/CISP Credit Card Security Standards BenefitsThe Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard has driven compliance and security spending up, while giving long-time security professionals a stick to push the organization into thinking more strategically about data security. While the standard updates every two years, it is still a baseline by which we should far exceed, not the ceiling by which we judge our information security  more...

Finance Skills for Procurement Professionals BenefitsThis live audio conference focuses on the core financial skills that every procurement professional must have to assist with everyday decision making. We will focus on core finance concepts for procurement, the request for proposal (RFP) process, reading financial statements, understanding ratios and the impact of financial risk. As an added benefit, you will receive the Finance Toolkit  more...

Rules and Responsibilities Regarding Abandoned Wages BenefitsThis live audio conference will examine the rules and responsibilities regarding abandoned wages. If your payroll department is not handling unclaimed wages properly, you could be placing your company at risk for huge audit assessments, significant interest accumulations, and civil and criminal penalties. If your company issues any type of employment checks whether it be wages, bonuses,  more...

IRS Form 1099 Reporting Update BenefitsAs another year passes in the world of 1099 reporting, we have become accustomed to educating ourselves as to the complicated revisions of the 1099 rules. After having prepared to comply with the original text of law thrust upon us by Congress last year, we subsequently became witness to several repeals of the burdensome provisions. There will be continual uncertainty as to what revisions  more...

Utilizing Microsoft Word(TM) Features and Functions BenefitsEnjoy the time-saving benefit of learning shortcuts and 'must know' automation features. While you may have used Word for years, completing documents using basic features, the more in-depth features will add a new level of capability to current skill sets. Participants transitioning to version 2010 will regain their bearings on the new locations of Word commands. So many features and so  more...

Tips for Calculating a Regular Rate of Pay For Your Employees BenefitsWage and hour claims against employers have exploded in the last five years. One target is the rate of pay an employer pays to its nonexempt employees, and how that rate affects overtime payments. Most covered employers understand that they must pay overtime compensation at the rate of 'time and a half' to nonexempt employees. But time and a half of what? Under the FLSA and most state  more...

Proactive Fraud Prevention Measures BenefitsThis live audio conference will discuss the basic fraud components to include the elements of the 'fraud triangle' - opportunity, financial pressures/incentives and rationalization. We will also review the warning signs of fraud and proactive fraud measures to include the importance of internal controls to aid in fraud deterrence. This live audio conference is designed for CFOs,  more...

The Trickle Down Effect of Health Care Reform: A Potpourri of Payroll, Benefits, Income Taxes, and Other Changes BenefitsThe phased in requirements of health care reform require that you continually monitor the landscape to spend your benefit dollars effectively, while remaining compliant. This is an opportunity for employers to reassess their decisions and consider the future impact of this legislation. Attend this live audio conference and stay current on your compliance obligations, planning  more...

Sales and Use Tax Determination Headaches BenefitsSales and use tax professionals are faced with the legal and practical challenges of learning as many as 50 different state sales and use tax laws and regulations. No one could possibly learn all of the different state requirements and yet our jobs demand it! The purpose of this audio conference is to reveal the secrets to working in a multistate environment. You will learn about the four  more...

IRS Form 5471: Information Return for U.S. Persons With Respect to Certain Foreign Corporations BenefitsAs more U.S. companies view global markets as a necessity to survive and to grow, more U.S. companies own foreign subsidiaries to conduct foreign operations. Whether you are a growing multinational company with subsidiaries all over the globe, or a small, closely-held company that owns a Canadian subsidiary, you will have to file IRS Form 5471 for every foreign corporation that you own.  more...

Partnerships and Section 704(c) BenefitsMany tax professionals and investors in partnerships, LLCs and other entities treated as partnerships struggle with the concepts and the operating rules that apply to Section 704(c). These rules potentially apply whenever property is contributed to such an entity or are distributed from such an entity. The regulations under Section 704(c) provide a very flexible but very complicated set of  more...

Status Classification: Exempt vs. Nonexempt BenefitsEmployees and their counsel continue to pursue individual and class action overtime claims based on the alleged misclassification of exempt workers at a fever pitch. Thousands of lawsuits asserting violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act or parallel state laws are filed each year, and the costs of defending these matters and the damages claimed and paid, whether through trial or  more...

Current Issues in Sales and Use Tax Reserves BenefitsSales and use tax reserve practices remain a real concern for corporate tax departments. This uncertainty is heightened by proposed changes to ASC 450 (fka FAS 5) which could require enhanced disclosure of certain loss contingencies, including sales and use tax reserves. When evaluating whether a loss contingency may exist in today's business and regulatory environment, all aspects of  more...

Utilizing Graphs and Charts in Microsoft Excel BenefitsAny Excel user who needs quick methods to show numerical information in a visual way needs to know the basics of chart creation, how (and why) to use different chart types, and how to alter the look of a chart with layout, color and content changes. Depicting data in a chart may reveal a trend that was not so obvious in the numerical data, which often can be dry and boring. That elusive  more...

Upgrading to Microsoft Office 2010: What's New and Improved? BenefitsOffice 2010 has many new and improved features which can mean a longer learning curve for users upgrading from older versions. New Microsoft Office users may be overwhelmed by the number of features and options available and never take full advantage of the potential it offers for managing email, PowerPoint , Access , SharePoint workspace and Excel . Join us to learn the new and improved  more...

Google Analytics for Accountants: How To Measure Online Marketing and Website Performance BenefitsAre you really getting the most out of Google Analytics? Are you leveraging Google Analytics to its fullest potential? This audio conference will teach you about some of the critical features you can use to better understand the performance of your website and marketing initiatives, and the needs of your visitors. We'll begin with a review of some basic configuration settings you should  more...

Economic Nexus Standards in State Taxation BenefitsA state's ability to impose taxes on a multistate business is limited by nexus standards rooted in the U.S. Constitution. In 1992, the U.S. Supreme Court reaffirmed its longstanding rule and held in Quill Corp. v. North Dakota that nexus requires some form of physical presence in the taxing state. In today's economy, however, states are continuing to push nexus limits farther than ever  more...

Recent Developments in Material Participation for LLCs and LLPs BenefitsThe IRS has been actively auditing and disallowing losses claimed by owners of businesses organized as limited liability entities on the grounds that the owners do not materially participate in the operations of the business. The critical element of the IRS's attack is that members of a limited liability entity are, under applicable treasury regulations, equivalent to limited partners in a  more...

Accounting for Uncertain Tax Positions: FIN 48 Update BenefitsUnderstanding and meeting the financial statement disclosure rules on uncertain tax positions is already a challenge. Now, the recent IRS proposal to require corporate filing of Schedule UTP brings highly controversial reporting concerns. Schedule UTP would require income tax return disclosure of federal uncertain tax positions in detail that goes far beyond the corresponding financial  more...

Creating a Payroll Manual: Putting Your Procedures Into Writing BenefitsThe Sarbanes-Oxley Act made it abundantly clear that all areas of accounting within a company should have well documented policies and procedures. These are an integral part of every function and that includes payroll. During this audio conference, we will discuss the steps you can take to ensure your procedures are well documented, clear and concise. During the program, we will discuss  more...

Complying With OSHA Recordkeeping Requirements BenefitsMany companies do not understand the scope or complexity of the various recordkeeping obligations under OSHA's laws and regulations. This audio conference will provide guidance as to OSHA's recordkeeping requirements, including pending regulatory changes and trends. Learn about OSHA's new penalty policy, as well as the pending OSHA Reform Bill hidden in the Miner Safety and Health Act.  more...

Economic Substance Doctrine Codification Update Benefits2010 has produced the sweeping changes in health care via legislation titled the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Knowledge of its tax implications, tax credits, employer obligations and other financial aspects will be discussed in this informative audio conference. Awareness of the compliance rules will avoid financial risk and a variety of costly penalties for both individuals  more...

The Foreign Tax Credit Provisions of H.R. 1586: Practical Implications BenefitsThis audio conference will cover the restrictions on the foreign tax credit recently enacted by Congress in H.R. 1586. You will learn the purpose, scope, and structure of these restrictions, as well as a sense of their limitations, and unresolved questions and potential answers. Examples will be used to explore the practical implications of the new rules to enable you to spot issues  more...

Preparing for the International Financial Reporting Standard BenefitsOn November 14, 2008, the SEC released its proposed road map for the adoption of IFRS in the United States. About the same time, leaders from the G20 countries at a financial summit in the United States issued a statement which, among other things, confirmed the leaders' support for developing a single set of high-quality global accounting standards. Both of these events represent  more...

Refining Your Business Writing Skills BenefitsDo your written communications to clients, employees and stakeholders position your message appropriately? Are you getting responses to your business letters and emails that show you are being heard? Without question, your written communications influence the way internal and external audiences view you and your organization. In fact, in today's global marketplace, this may be the only  more...

New Features and Functions in Updating to Excel 2007 BenefitsAny Excel user who is making the transition into Excel 2007 needs to get up to speed and needs help in locating familiar features that have been redesigned or relocated. Version 2007 is the biggest change in Excel's history and without a road map to its new features, you will waste a lot of time and be inefficient - you need this teleconference! We will give you indispensable tips for  more...

Ohio Sales and Use Tax: Recent Trends, Developments and Planning Opportunities (Maximizing Exemptions and Minimizing Taxable Ser BenefitsLearn the latest developments and planning opportunities in the context of an overview of Ohio sales and use tax. Mr. Dimengo will go through various exemptions and how they can be maximized, and how various otherwise taxable services can be minimized. This teleconference is designed for accountants, controllers, accounts payable professionals, CFOs, tax managers and officers, presidents  more...

Utilizing Data in Microsoft Access BenefitsOriginally released in 1992, Microsoft Access is part of the Microsoft Office Suite. Microsoft Access is the most popular Windows desktop database used by most organizations around the world, from small to large businesses, government agencies, nonprofits, etc. Microsoft Access fits a unique space between the skills of the information worker and professional developers. It's a database  more...

Schedule C Reporting Update BenefitsAccording to IRS statistics, more than 22 billion Schedule C forms are filed each year. Many of these represent small, often home-based, businesses. However, a large number also represent large, full-time business enterprises. It is not surprising that with such a large vast array of different types of businesses, Schedule C filers are frequent targets of IRS audits. This teleconference  more...

IRS Form 8928: Health Plan Reporting and Excise Tax Update BenefitsEmployers who sponsor group health plans now have a duty to self-report certain regulatory plan failures and pay excise taxes where such failures are not corrected in a timely fashion once discovered, or are due to willful neglect. You need to know the Internal Revenue Code rules or risk expensive excise taxes for failure to comply with COBRA, HIPAA and other federal group health plan  more...

Navigating Form 1041 BenefitsWith more individuals using trusts in estate planning, knowing how to prepare an accurate Form 1041 is becoming more important than ever. Properly computing taxable income and correctly allocating taxable income between the entity and its beneficiaries can avoid not only challenges by the IRS but also disgruntled beneficiaries. This teleconference will help you understand the main rules on  more...

Ohio Commercial Activity Tax Update: Now Fully Phased in, What We Have Learned and What We Can Expect Going Forward BenefitsIt has been five years since Ohio elected to move away from its more traditional, net income and net worth based corporate franchise tax to the commercial activity tax, or CAT. In addition to the CAT, in recent years a number of states have made significant changes to their income and franchise tax regimes, which has created a complex and arduous landscape for companies' state income tax  more...

Understanding the HIRE Act and Form 941 BenefitsWith all of the new legislation that has affected employers, it is becoming difficult to keep up with the new requirements. During this teleconference, you will obtain the knowledge on how to make sure that your company can take tax benefits being offered to employers for producing jobs and hiring new employees. We will explain in detail the HIRE Act from how to determine what employees  more...

1099 Reporting of Payments to Attorneys and Other Third-Parties BenefitsJoin this informative teleconference to gain insight as to the Internal Revenue Service's reporting requirements for payments made to an attorney in connection with legal services (whether or not the services performed are for the benefit of the payor). The IRS reminds us that all third-party payers, such as small businesses or individuals, are required to annually report payments made to  more...

Using Social Media to Grow Your Accounting Firm BenefitsSocial media is all the talk these days but can it really help businesses grow? In this teleconference, you will learn how companies large and small, including other accounting firms, are using Facebook , LinkedIn , Twitter and other platforms to actually generate new business. Whether you are new to social media or a seasoned netizen, you will get practical tips you can use to enhance  more...

Lease vs. Buy: Choosing the Best Option BenefitsThe decision to finance business equipment through lease programs or by purchases is one of the most difficult and important decisions faced by businesses every day. Making the wrong choice can not only result in economic loss but significant disruption of business, loss of time and opportunity. This teleconference will provide you with a comparison of the benefits and pitfalls of  more...

A/R Management: Converting Receivables Into Cash BenefitsCash flow is the lifeblood of any business. Payments from customers are the major source of cash for most businesses. It would be much easier if all sales were paid in advance or at the time of product/service delivery (like in a retail store). Unfortunately, competitive markets demand that credit be extended to customers and this is where AR management becomes so important. This  more...

Texas State Tax Update for the Oil and Gas Industry BenefitsProfessionals who work in the oil and gas industry, and related fields, face frequent questions regarding Texas state taxation of the oil and gas industry. The comptroller's office has hired more auditors and is busy conducting audits of taxpayers in the industry. This teleconference is designed to provide you with an update of the Texas state tax issues facing the oil and gas industry,  more...

Understanding Property Taxes in New York BenefitsNew York State real property taxes remain among the highest in the nation. Managing property taxes requires an understanding of how the property assessments on which taxes are based are set by the local assessor, whether it is cost effective to challenge such assessments and the procedures and strategies for doing so. This teleconference is for anyone who wants to understand the procedural  more...

Cost Accounting Techniques BenefitsCost accounting continues to gain importance and become more critical. It has also become easier to collect measure and analyze data. This teleconference will give you a complete overview of cost accounting in a fast-paced, information-filled and practical procedure-based presentation. Specific ideas will be discussed that can be immediately applied to benefit your company's profitability,  more...

Boot Camp for QuickBooks by Lorman Education Services BenefitsDiscover all that QuickBooks can do and solve your toughest QuickBooks problems by spending 90 information-packed minutes with a nationally renowned QuickBooks expert who can answer all your questions. Learn the foundation of QuickBooks the right way and discover much of what QuickBooks can do for you. Don't waste time by figuring it out yourself, make sure you're doing things right. Among  more...

Understanding the Apportionment Rules for Service-Based Businesses BenefitsApportionment of income for state tax purposes is 'where the rubber meets the road.' That is to say, the complex and varied rules for determining a taxpayer's state income tax apportionment percentage can provide opportunities - with careful planning - for state tax minimization or create traps - without such planning - that lead to multiple taxation. Service-based businesses face  more...

SAS 70 and SSAE 16: Basics, Rules and Standards for Service Organizations BenefitsThis teleconference will discuss the rules of SAS 70s and the benefit/costs for the organizations and auditors using the SAS 70. In addition, there will be discussion on how SAS 70s have gained attention in the post Sarbanes-Oxley era. This will help you implement internal controls in becoming SAS 70 compliant. This will also assist you in analyzing the results of SAS 70 reports.  more...

An Introduction to L3Cs: Low-Profit Limited Liability Companies BenefitsThe current state of the economy has left many charities and businesses, all with great intentions, struggling for financial support. These organizations need to re-evaluate their business models to successfully adapt in this economic climate. This teleconference will provide advisors and business owners with a broad overview of a new hybrid for-profit/nonprofit business model: the  more...

Top Sales and Use, Credits and Incentives Tips to Improve Your Bottom Line BenefitsIn the current economic climate, additional free cash flow is a priority for all companies to sustain corporate activities and fund working capital, capital improvements, acquisitions, research and development, etc. This teleconference will focus on unprecedented tax credits and economic incentives currently offered by state and local jurisdictions to stimulate business investment and the  more...

Payroll Tax Pitfalls: Preventing IRS Penalties and Personal Liability for Late Payments BenefitsAmong many other legal obligations, employers face the ongoing requirement to timely withhold and remit payroll taxes to the federal government. People responsible for fulfilling a company's payroll tax obligations often do not realize the substantial penalties that can be imposed by the IRS against the company when payroll taxes are not timely deposited or paid at all. Additionally, in  more...

End of Employment Payroll Issues BenefitsThis will be a comprehensive look into issues that arise when an employee terminates. Topics that will be discussed will go from when an employee needs to receive their final pay to how an employee death's final pay best practices and taxation. This teleconference will cover special situations when an employee terminates such as benefit deductions, state minimum hours requirements and  more...

Advanced Microsoft Excel Formulas and Functions BenefitsEven if you are fairly comfortable with building formulas and functions in Excel , you might still be missing out by having overlooked some powerful functions or just not be aware of special capabilities, like array formulas. There's no question that Excel's 300+ functions give you tremendous capabilities to tackle a myriad of statistical, mathematical and financial challenges, not to  more...

Cost Segregation: Applications for a Valuable Tax Planning Strategy BenefitsCost segregation is a powerful tax planning strategy used by real estate owners and tenants to accelerate significant depreciation deductions associated with buildings and improvements of all types and sizes. Although cost segregation has become quite popular in recent years, many tax advisors and real estate owners are still missing significant opportunities because they are unfamiliar  more...

Accounting for Off-Balance Sheet Items Update BenefitsFor years, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the SEC and others have wrestled with how companies should report their involvement with special-purpose vehicles and transactions with such entities in their financial statements. Frequently, these issues are mentioned in the context of structured finance or asset securitization or, more broadly, as off-balance sheet financing. The  more...

Protect and Collect - The Effective Use of Engagement Letters BenefitsToday's economy finds companies in every industry, including professional service firms, looking at best practices to keep revenues steady and to decrease liability. The collection process has become more burdensome as cash flow tightens across the country. With more and more lawsuits arising against professional service providers and their firms, law firms, accounting firms and even  more...

Noncompetition Agreements for the HR Professional: Protecting the Company's Business Resources? BenefitsNow more than ever, employers are seeing former employees trying to jump start their career moves - voluntarily or involuntarily - by cashing in on the employer's investment in relationships and information. Quite simply, the most effective way to protect your company's resources against the actions of departing employees is the noncompete agreement. But effectively using noncompetes  more...

Current Issues in Cloud Computing: Is There Sun Behind Those Clouds? BenefitsCloud computing is an enormous, pervasive and game-changing technology. Tech industry heavyweights such as Microsoft , IBM and Google have each committed billions to developing and marketing it. Smaller players and startups are cropping up daily with new offerings. Yet, for all the hype, few people understand the technology nor the unique issues cloud computing poses - particularly when it  more...

Minimizing Credit Card Processing Fees BenefitsFor most retailers, payment processing costs represent more than 2 percent of sales. Effective management can reduce these costs by one-third or more and the savings can be even more dramatic for retailers selling through direct marketing channels such as e-commerce, mail and telephone orders, and infomercials where processing costs can run 50 percent higher. But direct cost savings aren't  more...

Revenue Recognition Standards and Policies BenefitsThe teleconference is intended to accomplish two things: 1. To review current accounting guidance for revenue recognition with an emphasis on, in my experience, two contentious revenue recognition issues - multiple element arrangements and accounting for sales incentives; and 2. An introduction to two new standards on revenue recognition that will affect the accounting for multiple element  more...

Controlling Purchasing Card Risk BenefitsThe backbone of an effective purchasing card program is a good control system. Without it a program may never realize its potential and risk may turn into reality causing a potential program shutdown. Fabian Aragon, P-Card program manager with Sandia National Laboratories, will discuss different ways a program can minimize risk, including basic controls, procedural controls, and assurance  more...

Qualified Retirement Plans Eligibility and Vesting Tips and Traps for the Unwary BenefitsThis teleconference will familiarize you with the general rules of eligibility and vesting. It will also assist you with specifically interpreting the provisions of your own plans and introduce you to a variety of options in order to make sure you know what you have and have what you want. In addition, although many provisions appear to be straightforward, the practical application of  more...

Current Work Product Issues in Taxation: Preservation, Waiver and Tax Accrual Work Papers BenefitsCompanies face many obstacles and ever-changing standards to maintaining work product protection of sensitive documents and information prepared by counsel. The documents at issue, such as tax accrual workpapers, litigation analyses and internal investigation materials, are often roadmaps for the companies adversaries. Challenges to work product protection come from many directions,  more...

Best Practices in Invoice Processing BenefitsCritical tools such as electronic invoicing, vendor inquiry and Optical Character Recognition are rapidly changing the accounts payable field. Join an accounts payable industry analyst to learn why your job depends on not only understanding these high-power tools, but becoming an expert in their use and application. This teleconference will cover the tangible benefits of streamlining your  more...

Discover the Secrets of Microsoft(R) Excel Pivot Tables BenefitsAny Excel user who maintains database-like data invariably needs tools to manage and analyze the data beyond mere sorting and filtering. Excel 's pivot table feature gives you a quick and powerful way to create summary cross-totals combined with an enormous flexibility to restructure your results with simple dragging of fields. Whether you need the ability to create a quick look at the  more...

Electronic Record Retention: Mistakes HR Professionals Can Avoid BenefitsLearn the facts and get advice on cutting your dependence on paper records. According to the Association of Information and Image Management, more than half of organizations that attempt to implement paperless records management systems fail. Don't be one of them. This teleconference will help HR managers and anyone attempting to implement paperless records management to go paperless  more...

Enforcing Federal Garnishments BenefitsNearly every employer at one time or another has received a garnishment, whether for taxes, child support or general creditors. Failing to follow garnishment laws can be very costly for employers, and thus it is critical to carefully follow the requirements of any garnishment. This teleconference will explain the different kinds of garnishments under federal law and their use and  more...

Federal Tax Classification of Series LLCs BenefitsThe series LLC may be the solution to many issues that confront federal tax practitioners on a daily basis. For example, the series LLC is very useful in situations where long and expensive regulatory processes are involved with a new state law entity. The series LLC also can be used in asset backed securitizations in place of business trusts in those states that treat single member LLCs  more...

Microsoft Outlook 2007 Tips and Tricks BenefitsOutlook is a powerful, feature-filled personal information manager but many users are overwhelmed by the features and options available and never take full advantage of the potential it offers for managing email, calendar and contacts. They don't discover the time-saving shortcuts Outlook provides or utilize the many options included in Outlook. This teleconference offers a quick course in  more...

Employee Expense Reimbursement Best Practices BenefitsMany employers spend significant sums on employee expense reimbursement and need to prepare and enforce robust policies to adequately support and monitor reimbursable expenses. In today's economy, establishment of best practices and ensuring compliance is crucial to minimize the cost and legal risk of inappropriate practices. This teleconference will explore the legal landscape governing  more...

Using Green Strategies for Your Business to Increase Your Profits BenefitsEven though times are tough, companies with green products and services are weathering the storm better, and are better positioned for the future. CEO's of many of the largest corporations say sustainability is just as relevant during this economic crisis, if not more so (source: World Business Council on Sustainable Development). Obama's Stimulus Plan is focused on green jobs and  more...

Taxation Issues When Conducting Business With Native American Tribes BenefitsThe American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 included a number of provisions designed to encourage economic development on Native American reservations, including expanded authority for American Indian tribes to issue tax-exempt bonds for projects on American Indian lands and a $500 million investment of funds for infrastructure, renewable energy, tribal detention facilities and  more...

Tax Practice and Procedure Blunders That Can and Should Be Avoided BenefitsThis teleconference will describe common mistakes made by tax practice and procedures practitioners which can and should be avoided. Discussion on inadvertent privilege waiver, failure to control the flow of information at an audit, missing critical deadlines, failure to provide appropriate and adequate refund claims when necessary, and other key procedural mistakes will be addressed.  more...

Fundamentals of Form W-2 Processing BenefitsThe main priority for the payroll department is getting the pay checks to associates acutely and timely to employees. But a critical function for the payroll department is to pull all the payroll information together and produce a Form W-2 for all employees. This produces a great challenge to payroll departments to ensure that all elements of the W-2 are complete and accurate along with  more...

Current Issues in Attributional and Agency Nexus BenefitsA state's ability to impose taxes on a multistate business is limited by nexus standards rooted in the U.S. Constitution. In 1992, the U.S. Supreme Court reaffirmed its longstanding rule and held in Quill Corp. v. North Dakota that nexus requires some form of physical presence in the taxing state. However, physical presence is not limited only to direct presence. It may also be established  more...

Cash Is King: Effective Cash Flow Management BenefitsA balance sheet is often described as a snapshot of your financial situation at a single point in time. (Think of it as the balance in your personal checking account.) An income statement summarizes revenue, expenses and net income for the entire year or other period of time. Both of these financial statements are important tools to measure the success of your business but do little to  more...

Immigration Compliance for the HR Professional: Employment Authorization Issues and Beyond BenefitsAll United States employers must comply with employment authorization and verification laws, regardless of the size or composition of their workforce. This teleconference will supply you with the information you need to ensure your company is in compliance with employment authorization rules and regulations. Detailed guidance on employment verification procedures, Social Security number  more...

Working Capital Management: Effective Policies and Techniques BenefitsLiquidity is top of mind for executives and they are looking at all sources of incremental free cash flow within their organizations. One area that is on everyone's list of sources is working capital, but most companies fail to reap the full opportunity that is available to them. What are leading companies doing to effectively drive cash flow from working capital? This teleconference will  more...

Deductions From Pay BenefitsEmployers often have difficulties navigating through the complex requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Misclassifying employees' status can be costly to an employee. It is estimated that at least 70 percent of employers are not in compliance with the FLSA. As Department of Labor audits increase, it is critical for employers to understand the FLSA and to recognize the permissible  more...

Understanding the Basics of Lean Accounting BenefitsAs mid level manufacturing firms migrate to advanced manufacturing processes, they have become uncertain about the ability of traditional cost accounting tools to provide meaningful and accurate measurements. This teleconference outlines a hands-on view of the process needed to evaluate, establish and maintain lean accounting in a mid-level manufacturing environment. While lean accounting  more...

Tip Credit and Tip Pooling: FLSA Considerations and Limitations BenefitsMany employees in the service sector are compensated in part by tips rather than wages. This is particularly the case for restaurants and tourist service occupations. Employers are allowed in certain circumstances to claim a tip credit toward satisfying state and federal minimum wage laws. This means that the tips are credited against and thus satisfy a portion of the obligation to pay  more...

Revised Federal Form 1065 BenefitsMore and more businesses are choosing to operate in the form of limited liability companies and being taxed under the partnerships rules as a pass through entity. The preparation of a partnership income tax return is becoming increasingly more challenging as the IRS increases the level of transparency and reporting. The purpose of this teleconference is to highlight important areas for  more...

Employee Wages: Administration of Caps, Freezes, Reductions and Furloughs BenefitsEmployers continue to search for ways to control payroll costs in response to economic uncertainty. Layoffs and force reductions have pared many workforces to the bone, but the pressure to manage costs is relentless. Adjustments to compensation and to working time can be viable alternatives to job cuts, but they are not without legal risk. This teleconference will address the legal and  more...

Recent Trends in CPA Technology BenefitsTechnology has totally transformed the way CPA's do business. In this teleconference, we will highlight recent trends in the technologies that play an important role in how we do business today. Whether you practice in public, private, education, government or in any other role, this program will give you some insight as to where technology is at and where it will be tomorrow. This  more...

IRC Section 41: Credit for Increasing Research Activities Update BenefitsThis teleconference will feature a discussion around one of the most misunderstood and misapplied sections of the Internal Revenue Code, Section 41 - Credit for Increasing Research Activities. Our team of former Big Four partners and managers has collectively worked on more than 500 research tax credit studies during our careers. Learn from some of the top technicians in the industry on  more...

Payroll Hiring Issues: Forms and Tax Credits BenefitsMany employers want to increase their level of payroll tax compliance by implementing policies and procedures with respect to obtaining necessary information from new hires that is related to the processing of payroll and payroll taxes. This teleconference will assist you in evaluating your current new hire process as it relates to the completion and filing of specific payroll related  more...

Circular 230 Update and Practitioner Regulation: Expansion of Scope and Clarifications BenefitsTax preparers and advisors are increasingly burdened with expanded regulation and penalty exposure for themselves and their firms or institutions. Tax departments have moved from being a profit center to being a center for risk management. This teleconference will help you understand the current requirements and risks for tax preparers and advisors. The teleconference will cover the  more...

Taxation and Accounting Methods of Executive and Employee Bonuses BenefitsBy now most employers know about the rules under Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code governing deferred compensation. However, many employers are not aware of the broad coverage of Section 409A and the fact that some normal payroll practices, such as bonus payments, may be covered by the new rules or the accounting issues that are raised by these programs. This teleconference will  more...

Using Purchasing Metrics to Drive Bottom and Top Line Contribution BenefitsThe role of sourcing and procurement managers has become increasingly critical to the bottom line performance of companies in today's complex and dynamic environment. Yet most procurement organizations focus metrics on cost and productivity rather than business value added and risk. Without appropriate metrics, managers cannot quantify their business impact or allocate resources to the  more...

Dissolving Business Entities BenefitsBecause liquidations of entities occur infrequently, many legal and accounting practitioners and owners or officers of entities have not focused on the mechanics of how state law dissolutions and liquidations work with respect to corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies, nor on the federal income tax consequences associated with such liquidations. This teleconference will  more...

Resolving Form 1099 Discrepancies BenefitsThis innovative teleconference will provide the required knowledge to correct any errors discovered in the initial filing or reporting requirements, either by the company reporting these amounts or in reply to the Internal Revenue Services' inquiry to discrepancy in the records reported to them via a CP-2100. By following the practices discussed, you and your client's business entities  more...

Understanding the Complexities of Form 5472 BenefitsAs more foreign companies view the U.S. market as a fertile market, they will form U.S. subsidiaries to grow their U.S. operations. Whether you are the U.S. subsidiary for a large, Dutch-based multinational company with subsidiaries all over the world or a small U.S. distributor of a Canadian Parent, you will have to file IRS Form 5472 for every transaction with a related party. Although  more...

Best Practices to Manage Your Multistate Payroll BenefitsPayroll personnel are continually faced with legal and practical challenges associated with employee benefits, overtime, nonexempt employee requirements, employee bonus payments, confusing payroll forms, etc. Not only do you have to know your own state laws but often times neighboring state laws if you have employees across state lines. The taxability of employee benefits is confusing and  more...

Paperless Payroll: Essentials to a Seamless Transition BenefitsIn today's economic environment, every organization is looking to reduce costs. Paperless processes have the potential to be a healthy boost to the bottom line without eliminating employees. The notion of paperless payroll has come a long way since the introduction of direct deposit in the 1970's, but despite the advances, most companies are still distributing paper checks, pay advices and  more...

Understanding the New Penalties for Tax Preparers nSignificant changes have been made to the preparer penalty of IRC §6694 since 2007. The standard of care needed to avoid the penalty has been raised, the penalty is greater and the reach of the penalty is broader. In addition, there are various other penalties and rules of conduct you must be aware of and new guidance has been issued in several of these areas in the past year. It is imperative  more...

Statement on Auditing Standards No. 104 - No. 111 Risk Assessment Standards nThis teleconference will provide experienced and inexperienced auditors a concise summary of the risk assessment standards. In addition, this will provide auditors recommendations on how to become more efficient and effective in their application of these standards leading to less time required to implement the standards and a greater realization on audits. Since the majority of auditors may be  more...

Successfully Maneuvering the Tax Maze of Amortization Rules nEfforts to simplify the rules on capitalization and amortization of intangible assets and benefits have resulted in a few lengthy sets of regulations that are often not easy to remember or apply. This teleconference provides a framework for identifying and applying the tax rules for the acquisition and creation of intangible assets, as well as costs to facilitate such transactions. Special  more...

Supplemental Wage Payments: Common Withholding Guidelines nThis teleconference will assist you in evaluating your current income tax withholding practices to facilitate compliance with IRS regulatory changes and will offer practical tips to help ease administrative burdens. The program will educate you with respect to the issues involved in determining when wage payments should be classified as supplemental wages or regular wages, and the applicable  more...

IRS Form 1040 - Schedule D Update nUnited States taxpayers are experiencing many challenges in our current economic environment that will have major effects on their tax returns. The collapse of the housing market, home foreclosures and worthless securities has affected most taxpayers. Preparing the 1040 Schedule D is challenging for even the most efficient tax professional. By attending this teleconference, you will be reminded  more...

Doing Business in Texas? An Overview of the Texas Margin Tax nFor decades, the Texas Franchise Tax remained virtually unchanged. Once equipped with the knowledge that Texas limited partnerships were not taxable, many companies saw little need to delve further into the details of the tax. Beginning with reports due in 2008 all this has changed with the revised Texas Franchise Tax, known as the Texas Margin Tax by everyone but the Texas Comptroller's Office.  more...

The New HIPAA Special Enrollment Rules and Related Disclosure Issues nRecently enacted legislation expands the special enrollment rights currently applicable to group health plans and imposes new notice and disclosure obligations for employers that maintain such plans. While many of these obligations are not effective until after 2009, the special enrollment changes are effective April 1, 2009. In addition, the new law imposes civil penalties of up to $100 a day  more...

Paycheck Calculation Basics nThis is an excellent teleconference for those new at withholding payroll taxes or for those who need a refresher course. You will learn tips on how and why to determine if the worker is exempt or nonexempt. We will cover the calculation of and the maximum deductions for Social Security and Medicare taxes in 2009. n nThere are multiple methods of calculating federal withholding, which one should  more...

Uniform Division of Income for Tax Purposes (UDIPTA): Business vs. Nonbusiness Income Tax nWhile most U.S. states impose income tax on multistate business under the principles contained in the Uniform Division of Income for Tax Purposes Act, state courts and taxing authorities have interpreted that set of relatively uniform laws differently, especially with regard to the definition of business income. The differing interpretations of business income have increased significance to  more...

Share-Based Compensation - Impact of Recent Events on the Use of Equity Compensation nExecutive compensation continues to be a hot topic across many industries. Recent changes in share-based compensation rules, principally the changes to Financial Accounting Standards 123(R) [FAS 123(R)], and market uncertainty and declines have led to significant changes in how companies and executives view the role and the value of equity as part of an overall compensation package. Join our  more...

Using Medical Certifications to Minimize Employer Liability: FMLA, ADA and Workers' Comp nSince the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in 1990, proactive and proper use of medical certifications has proven to be a valuable tool to protect employers from liability under the ADA, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1994, and state workers' compensation statutes. But the legal landscape for managing employee health issues has had many changes in recent months. Amendments to the  more...

Answers to Top 10 Common Payroll Questions nEvery week, unsuspecting employers throughout the country are hit with wage/house lawsuits, resulting in protracted litigation, business interruptions and costly settlements. Employers are often shocked to learn that their payroll practices, which may be entirely compliant under federal regulations, do not comply with differing state laws and regulations. Register for this teleconference and  more...

Latest Trends in the Rise of Unclaimed Property Enforcement nRegister for this teleconference and stay abreast of the latest statutory and state enforcement trends. You'll get an update on recent cases involving unclaimed property (state and corporate) and best practices you can use to address current internal controls, policies and procedures.  more...

State Income Tax Apportionment-The Sales Factor and The Throwback Rule Benefits This teleconference will provide an in-depth analysis of the sales factor used in state and local income tax apportionment. You'll learn all about the sourcing of sales of tangible personal property and services, including the dock sales test and market-based sourcing. Find out what you need to know about the throwback rule and the throw-out rule. Get expert advice on handling issues  more...