2016 Fall Meeting & Education Conference

Nov 09, 2016 03:00pm -
Nov 13, 2016 08:00am

Event Type: Fall Meeting
Category: Fall Meeting

Speaker Information

Education Schedule:
The 2016 Fall Meeting & Education Conference will provide ​18 Hours of CPE/CLE/MCLE/CE and on a 50-minute schedule or 15 Hours of CPE/CLE/MCLE/CE on a 60-minute schedule including 4 hours of A&A and 2 hours of Ethics*.  
*Ethics MCLE for Texas still pending.

 

Wednesday, November 9
3:00-4:15pm
Tax and Succession Planning for Closely-Held Businesses
Brad Gould JD, CPA, M.Acc.

Shareholder
Dean Mead Attorneys at Law

An overview of federal tax and related succession planning issues for owners of closely-held businesses.
 
4:30-5:45pm
Income Tax and Estate Planning Opportunities in the AFTRA-Math
R. Leonard Weiner JD, CPA, MBA, AEP
Weiner & McCulloch, PLLC
In 2013 AFTRA increased income taxes, estate tax rates and estate tax exemptions.  Learn in this session opportunities to save income and estate taxes; how and why most clients should update their estate planning documents to save income taxes for heirs and to protect their family; how eligible clients may use tax planning to increase wealth and after tax investment return; how clients may avoid the risks and disadvantages of portability and why there are better planning options than portability for most clients.

 

Thursday, November 10
9:00-9:50 am
Texas Workforce Commission: Independent Contractor Issues
William (Tommy) Simmons
Senior Legal Counsel to Commissioner Ruth R. Hughs
Texas Workforce Commission


Howard Bernstein JD, CPA
Howard O. Bernstein, PC

This session will cover the full range of worker classification issues that are important for employers under the laws enforced by the Texas Workforce Commission, including the main tests used by TWC to determine the employment status of workers, the relevance of written agreements, what to expect from and how best to handle tax audits, best practices for dealing with independent contractors, including red flags to avoid, and unemployment tax-related pitfalls to avoid when one business acquires another. This segment will conclude with an inside look at the Commission appeal process that is available for disputes over unemployment tax issues.

9:50-10:40am
Emerging Technology for Today’s Practitioner
Deron Harrington JD, CPA
The Law Office of Deron R. Harrington

Learn Cloud computing, new device integration, and other practical ideas in effectively utilizing the latest technology for your practice.

 

10:55am-12:35pm
A&A - Tax Accounting
Umang Patel
Tax Director
PricewaterhouseCoopers


John (“Jake”) Stephens
Tax Director
PricewaterhouseCoopers

This panel will present a refresher on the basics of tax accounting and cover disclosures and other hot topics from a tax accounting perspective.


1:45-2:35pm
Contentious Issues in Tax Valuation
Alex Howard CFA, ASA
Managing Director in the Valuation & Financial Opinions Group
Stout Risius Ross (SRR)

Discussion of the most pressing issues in Estate and Gift Tax and Income Tax Valuation through direct experience and court cases.  Cases will be analyzed and commented upon to assist in addressing these issues and planning for potential controversy.


2:35-3:25pm
Smart Art: Planning for Art and Collections as Alternative Asset Classes
Shanna Hennig
Southwest Representative
Winston Art Group

The presenter will discuss the dynamic market of art collecting, covering categories such as Contemporary Art, Old Masters, 20th century design, Classic Cars, wine, and more. In discussing these collecting markets, she will address best practices and strategies for estate and financial planning for such alternate asset classes.
 
3:40-4:30pm
Drafting and Enforcing Settlement Agreements
Keri Brown JD
Partner
Baker Botts L.L.P.

Richard Ramirez JD
Senior Associate
Baker Botts L.L.P.

In this session the anatomy of a settlement agreement will be reviewed to include drafting, enforcement and other issues surrounding family settlement agreements. Sample agreements and checklists will be provided to participants.   

  

Friday, November 11
9:00-10:40 am
Dilemmas and Pitfalls: Traversing the Professional Ethics Rules
Frank L. McElroy
Managing Shareholder
Forrest McElroy, PC

This session will focus on ethical issues CPAs encounter when trying to meet the needs of their clients while upholding the standards of their profession.  Application of various sets of standards governing the practices of attorneys who are also CPAs to real world situations will allow for exploration of areas of concern that are often encountered in these regulated fields.

10:55am-12:35pm
A&A - SEC Hot Topics and New Accounting Standards
Tracy Herrmann
Partner
PricewaterhouseCoopers


Chad Soares
Partner
PricewaterhouseCoopers

This panel will focus on current topics related to SEC compliance and an overview of new accounting standards, including new leasing and revenue recognition standards.

2:00-2:50pm
Where in the World is Offshore Tax Enforcement?
Nanette Davis
Senior Litigation Counsel
U.S. Department of Justice, Tax Division


Bernard Butler
Director, International Operations Strategy & Policy
Internal Revenue Service

For years, the IRS has focused on taxpayers who have failed to report or pay tax on foreign income and assets. By now, most tax practitioners are familiar with the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program, the related Streamlined Procedures and the Swiss Bank Program. Where are we now with international compliance and what is happening next?  Government panelists discuss current issues related to offshore enforcement initiatives

2:50-3:40pm
Employment Tax Compliance Efforts – Civil and Criminal Enforcement: From IRS Field Collection Operations to DOJ Tax
Caryn Finley
Assistant Chief, Southern Criminal Enforcement Section
Department of Justice, Tax Division


Darren John Guillot
Director, Field Collection Operations
Internal Revenue Service

This presentation discusses the steps the IRS and DOJ-Tax are taking to address non-compliant employers.  These taxpayers withhold taxes in trust accounting for nearly 70% of all revenue collected by the IRS. From educational pre-enforcement interaction (part of IRS’ Future State initiatives) and enforcement actions, to injunctions and criminal prosecutions, this presentation will share information about the scope of the challenges faced by IRS and how practitioners can assist their clients in understanding their tax responsibilities as employers, and how DOJ has recently renewed their focus on civil and criminal enforcement of employment taxes.

3:45-5:15pm
Board of Directors Meeting



Saturday, November 12
8:30-10:10am
Closing Keynote Speaker: DOJ Tax Division – Recent Accomplishments and Current Priorities
Caroline Ciraolo
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General and Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Criminal Matters
U.S. Department of Justice

Caroline D. Ciraolo was appointed as Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General and has served as the head of the Tax Division of the U.S. Department of Justice since January 12, 2015.  From February 25, 2015 through July 15, 2016, pursuant to the Vacancies Reform Act, she served as Acting Assistant Attorney General, and since October 5, 2015, has also served as Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Criminal Matters.  Prior to her appointment in the Tax Division, Ms. Ciraolo was Chair of the Tax Controversy and Litigation practice group at Rosenberg Martin Greenberg, LLP, in Baltimore, Maryland, where she represented individuals and businesses in all phases of state and federal civil tax controversies and criminal tax investigations and prosecutions. Ms. Ciraolo will discuss recent accomplishments of the Tax Division, as well as its current civil and criminal enforcement priorities.

 

An Alexander Gurevitch Memorial Fund Lecture
Sponsored by the Attorney-CPA Foundation's Alexander Gurevitch Fund