In today's rapidly changing world, finance professionals are required to wear many hats and are often the keys to the success of the organization. On one hand, they need to be abreast of the latest proven financial skills for making the best decisions, and on the other hand they need the best skills to motivate,...
During this interactive game, participants take the role of an auditor performing a physical inventory observation at a client's warehouse. Participants will have the opportunity to use their powers of observation and exercise professional skepticism in identifying areas of risk that might need follow-up, interviewing Wally the client, and performing inventory test counts. After performing...
As you advance in your public accounting careers, your responsibilities significantly increase. The skills required for continued success go beyond your technical skills but also include others that you may not have had a chance to develop earlier in your careers. Several of these new responsibilities involve engagement management and managing your team. Mastering these...
With a greater-than-ever 179 deduction boosted by additional first-year depreciation and pandemic-related business-friendly provisions, these are unprecedented times for businesses to make major asset investments.From the most up-to-date depreciation regulations to inflation adjustments and technical corrections, this course provides guidance for navigating the complex maze of rules dealing with depreciation, amortization, and sales of property....
Quality should be the primary focus of all engagements. Since initiating its Enhancing Engagement Quality initiative in 2014, the AICPA has been using its peer review program as a way to assess the improvement in engagement quality.In this course, we'll review the latest results from the peer review program, identify areas of focus for both...
The one constant in life is change. This is true in the A&A world as well. 2021 will continue to challenge the accounting profession in many areas, including accounting for the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, working in a virtual environment, and implementing new AICPA and FASB pronouncements. In this monthly series, we will explore...
Trusts are not cookie-cutter documents. In fact, they can be rather unwieldy, especially in explaining the functions to a client and then having the client comply with the trust terms. This course delves into best practices. Given common scenarios, what are the best trusts to use? And how can the client be best protected?
As financial and tax professionals well know, information overload is a constant struggle we face because things change quickly, and the sheer number of changes being made on a daily basis is enormous. Of great importance to small and medium tax and advisory firms is differentiating between changes that are relevant to our practice and...
Consumers file for bankruptcy to seek protection from creditors and to reorganize or liquidate debts. Bankruptcy filings rise and fall with the economy. Surveys show that loss of income is the leading cause of consumer bankruptcies, followed by medical expenses and foreclosure. As trusted advisors, accounting and financial professionals should have a basic understanding of...
Engagement quality is the ultimate benchmark that auditors should be judged against. As a senior associate, you have primary responsibility for ensuring that all engagement work is performed on time, within budget, and in accordance with professional standards. Unfortunately, recent peer review results have shown us that our engagement quality is not always what it...
The ultimate objective of a financial statement audit is to issue the independent auditor's report. This module discusses the process, introduces key elements of financial statements, and provides best practices for auditors who either prepare or review the client's financial statements. (Please Note: This module is part of Surgent's Audit Skills Training: Level 2.)
Most review techniques developed by professionals are self-taught and fine-tuned via experience. Yet how does one start? The purpose of this course is to give both new and seasoned reviewers additional and advanced procedures via a multitude of checklists to thoroughly review various tax returns. Its emphasis is not planning; rather, it is to develop...