Education Sessions and Speakers (CPE/ CLE/MCLE)
Friday, January 20th
4:00 PM - 4:50 PM (50)
Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts—A Primer
Edward Brown, Esq., CPA, Engel & Reiman pc
This presentation covers the basic components to the ILIT, including
sample language to use in the ILIT agreements and related letters to clients.
The session will also touch on some of the most often encountered tax snags
that arise in ILIT planning. As a bonus section of the presentation, the
speaker will provide some ILIT structure concepts that can be presented to the
participants’ clients as excellent vehicles that offer benefits over and above
the standard “garden-variety” ILIT. This will provide additional planning
opportunity ideas that the conference attendee can add to their repertoire of
planning services.
4:50 PM - 5:40 PM (50)
Hot Topics in Charitable Giving
Brian Yacker, CPA, J.D., YH Advisors, The Exempt Org Experts
Get ready to hear the hottest news on charitable giving. Topics to be addressed during this session
include: Earmarking , Substantiation , Determination of Fair Market Value for
Non-Cash Contributions, Quid Pro Quo Contributions, Conservation Easements, and
IRS Revocation List.
Saturday, January
21st
8:30 AM - 9:20 AM (50)
Reporting
Offshore Accounts and the Voluntary Disclosure Process
Jeff Kahn, Esq., CPA, Law Offices of Jeffrey B. Kahn, P.C.
Be aware of the new requirements and updates in reporting
foreign accounts and how you can help protect your clients from the IRS in
their efforts to impose penalties and seek criminal prosecution.
9:20
AM - 10:10 AM (50)
The Complexities of Taxing Internet Sales: Is the
Active Avoidance of Nexus Good Tax Planning or Tax Evasion?
Mary Thomas, Esq., CPA, Thomas, Thomas & Thomas, PC
The
session will encompass an interactive discussion of nexus issues epitomized by
Amazon.com from legal, accounting, economic, and political standpoints.
10:20
AM - 12:00 PM (100)
How to Keep Your Money, Your Clients
and Your License to Practice-The New Rules of Client Trust Accounts
Jay Foonberg, Esq., CPA
Generally accepted
accounting terminology, is contrary to the terminology used in the new rules of
client trust accounts and can lead an uninformed attorney-cpa to financial ruin
and disciplinary problems. With the
knowledge of this course, you can make things happen rather than asking, "What
Happened?" This interactive session
will provide current information on the new rules and requirements for attorney
client trust accounts. Knowing the new rules will enable you to protect your
own license and give you a competitive advantage in attracting and keeping
attorney clients and their referrals. This
session can also help you craft appropriate fee agreements to avoid
disciplinary and financial problems. IOLTA,
Electronic banking, Bank failures, FDIC coverage, required monthly, quarterly
and annual reconciliation and reports will be covered.
Sunday, January 22nd
8:45 AM - 10:25 AM (100)
Tax
Roundtable Discussion
John Akard, Esq., CPA, John Akard Jr., P.C.
This will
be a highly interactive discussion about Federal, State, Estate, Gift and
International Tax issues raised by the attendees. Our members and attendees are some of the
best and brightest professionals and this discussion will attempt to utilize
the intellect and creativity of our members in a spirited conversation. A prize will be given to the best
participant!
Meet Our Faculty
John Akard, Jr. is the Immediate Past President of the AAA-CPA and
previously served as President of the Texas and South Texas Chapters of AAA-CPA
from 1998-2006. He is both a Certified
Public Accountant who obtained his Texas licence in March 1991 and an Attorney
licensed in Texas since November 1994.
John maintains a solo practice through John Akard Jr., P.C. and is “of Counsel” to the full-service civil
practice firm of Mason, Coplen &
Banks, P.C. from January 1, 1999 - present focusing in the areas of
bankruptcy, estate planning, probate, and corporate matters. He has handled matters before bankruptcy
courts in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Delaware. Additionally, John serves on the Commonwealth International Series Trust from
2002 - present as an Independent Trustee, Chair and Financial Expert of the
Audit Committee. The Business Trust is
comprised of the publicly traded Africa, Australia/New Zealand, Global, Japan
and Real Estate Securities Funds.
Edward Brown, is a principal in the
Denver, Colorado-based law firm of Engel & Reiman pc, founded in 1984. Over the past twenty-plus years, Brown has
developed extensive experience and expertise in the areas of integrated estate
planning and taxation. Voted as one of the Top 3
Asset Protection Attorneys in the March 2011 Denver Magazine, Brown
speaks
frequently to professional organizations on a wide range of legal subjects
including integrated estate planning, asset protection and related subject
matters. He has authored numerous articles on a variety of legal topics that have
appeared in local and national publications such as the Estate Planning, Journal of Practical Estate Planning, Journal of Taxation, Journal
of International Taxation, The Tax Adviser, Asset Protection
Journal, Journal of Financial Planning and The Colorado Lawyer. Brown co-authored with his partners an
article in the March, 2011 Estate
Planning magazine entitled, “Tax Compliance Tips for Integrated Estate
Planning Trusts.”
Jay Foonberg is one of the founders of the AAA-CPA and served as
association president. A graduate of
both U.C.L.A. and U.C.L.A. Law, Foonberg has pursued further education with
courses at Harvard Law School, Cambridge University, England and Duke University
School of Law. He is a founder of the ABA Law Practice Management Section and
the General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Division, as well as a member of the
ABA House of Delegates. The ABA
recognized him four times with lifetime achievement awards including the
Prestigious Harrison Tweed Award as the Most Outstanding Continuing Legal
Educator in the USA. He is possibly the
most knowledgeable person in America on the subject of lawyer trust accounts
teaching Lawyer Client Trust Accounts to attorneys for more than twenty
years. Foonberg is the only person to
have lectured for CLE in all US fifty states, and six territories, and on all
seven continents including Antarctica. A
renowned author, his book How to Start and Build a Law Practice, is a
best seller and the most stolen book from law libraries in the U.S. He also wrote The American Bar Association
Guide to Lawyer Trust Accounts.
Jeffrey Kahn is the principal of the Law Offices Of Jeffrey B. Kahn,
P.C. headquartered in Walnut Creek and with offices in San Francisco, San Jose,
Fairfield, Marin County, Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego. He is a
Member of the California and Florida Bars and is Board Certified in Tax Law by
the California and Florida Bars who practices in the areas of tax and estate
planning, resolution of tax controversies and general business transactions. He
earned his LL.M. degree in Taxation and J.D. degree from the University of
Miami School of Law, and his B.B.A. degree from Florida International
University. He has taught classes in the areas of taxation and estate planning
as an adjunct Professor for Nova Southeastern University School of Business and
Entrepreneurship and he holds a Florida Certified Public Accountant license. He
has been a member of the AAA-CPA since 1988.
Mary Thomas, Vice
President of Business Development--Corporate Secretary, Thomas, Thomas &
Thomas, PC is a certified public accountant and attorney whose experiences in
both the accounting and legal fields bring added value to clients. Prior to
joining Barbara J. Thomas, CPA in 1999, Thomas worked as a compliance auditor
at an internationally known health institution and as an auditor at a Big Four
accounting firm. She researched external and internal reporting requirements,
audited existing systems, and presented feasible solutions to bring the client
systems into compliance with internal and external guidelines. Thomas also
gained diversified legal experience while working with law firms in Austin and
Houston. She has volunteered her legal services at the First Court of Appeals
in Houston, TX. Thomas speaks at various
professional organizations about unclaimed property and sales tax issues. She
has co-authored many books including Texas Taxes for the Construction
Industry and Texas Taxes for the Hospitality Industry. She is a member of the AAA-CPA, the Texas
Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Houston Bar Association. A magna cum laude graduate of the University
of Houston, Thomas gained her law degree from University of Texas at Austin and
became a licensed CPA in 1997.
Brian Yacker has over 19 years of tax, legal, and accounting experience
in the exempt organizations area. He focuses exclusively in working with exempt
organizations. Yacker possesses a vast amount of experience and expertise in
preparing and reviewing Forms 990, 990-T, 990-PF and state tax-exempt forms and
the preparation and filing of both federal and state tax exemption applications
for public charities, private foundations, and other exempt organizations. Yacker is actively involved in the AAA-CPA,
serving on their Board of Directors, Finance Committee and their IRS Liaison
Committee. Additionally, Brian just completed his four-tenure as the AAA-CPA’s
representative on the Internal Revenue Service Advisory Committee (Office of
Professional Responsibility Subgroup). Additionally, he serves on the Board of
Directors and is an Executive Committee member for BookEnds. Yacker is member of the American Bar
Association serving on the Exempt Organizations Committee. He also is a member
of the California Bar Association's Tax Section. And the AICPA’s EO Tax
Technical Resource Committee. Yacker is
the co-leader of the OC-LB EO Interest Group and the soon to be formed San
Diego EO Interest Group.