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New CPE Webcast - December 2, 2009 Gearing Up for Tax Season (Part 3): Depreciation Deductions; Pass-Through Entities Date: Wednesday, December 2, 2009 Time: 1:00 - 2:45 pm EST CPE Credit: 2 hours Price: Only $49 Before you know it, another "busy season" will be here. This program will bring you up-to-date with many of the significant changes, and the key issues, in providing year-end tax strategies to your clients with business interests and in preparing their 2009 entity tax returns. Specifically, we will examine how this year's tax laws benefit many partners and shareholders, such as those who are contemplating capital distributions in 2009. Reserve your seat today. FEATURES:  Health Cost Containment Troublesome Issue Some Democrats and analysts are raising alarms that bills to reform the U.S. healthcare system fall short of President Obama's pledge to slow health spending. XBRL: Here to Stay If you haven't heard, the SEC has published rules requiring that most filers provide financial statement information in an "interactive data" format over the next three years. These rules have brought an increased focus on the benefits and challenges of extensible business reporting language (XBRL), the technical foundation for interactive data. Here's a guide to XBRL, the SEC rules and how your company might benefit from the investment in XBRL.       SmartPros:  Q3 2009 Financial Results SmartPros in the News Investor Relations Weekly Newsletter News Archives Online CPE Twitter: SmartProsEditor    Last Week's Top Reads: 1. Obama to Sign Homebuyer, Jobless Assistance Bill 2. Finding a New Way to Meet: Ten Pitfalls of Pitiful Meetings...and How to Fix Them 3. Women Have Unique Financial Needs 4. Reverse Mortgages -- What Are They? How Do They Work? 5. One Year After Financial Crisis, Americans Reflect on 'Lessons Learned

News & Insights

This Week in the SmartPros News & Insights Newsletter The Grateful Workplace ... U.S. Settles with 14,700 over Foreign Accounts ... Depreciation Deductions ... Pass-Through Entities ACFE Warns on Changing Sarbanes-Oxley Audit Rules A measure approved last week by the House Financial Services Committee to change Sarbanes-Oxley audit rules would lead to a higher incidence of fraud and an increase in the amount of fraud losses, according to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). Six Tax Tips for Military Heroes Tax credit worth more than $5,000 and extended filing dates help military personnel. IASB Completes First Phase of Financial Instruments Accounting Reform The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) issued today a new International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) on the classification and measurement of financial assets. The AICPA Files Lawsuit Challenging Application of FTC's The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia seeking an injunction barring the Federal Trade Commission from applying its so called Red Flags Rule, which would impose onerous and unnecessary requirements on AICPA members. Citigroup Defends Asset Valuation Citigroup Inc.'s management indicated that it is comfortable with its valuation for an asset that is expected to be written down by an accounting expert. Tax Credit Sparks Potential Homebuyers' Questions As soon as Congress passed legislation to expand the $8,000 first-time homebuyer credit, readers started sending in questions about whether they would qualify under the new rules. Small Firms Get Reprieve on Big Penalties Over Benefit Plans Hundreds of small employers caught a break last month when the Internal Revenue Service agreed to extend a penalty-collection moratorium. Housing Plan Reaches 1 in 5 Borrowers After a slow start, the Obama administration's mortgage relief program has reached one in five eligible homeowners, a government report says. Berkshire to Sell UP, Norfolk Southern Stakes Warren Buffett's company will sell its stakes in Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern railroads before it completes its $26.3 billion acquisition of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. railroad. SEC Funding Shift in Senate's Draft Financial Fix Measures that would allocate significantly higher amounts of money to the Securities and Exchange Commission as well as give shareholders a say on executive pay are included in draft financial overhaul legislation in the Senate, a person familiar with the matter said Monday. The Smart Money Stance for 2010: Think and Act Like We Still Haven't Hit Bottom Signs suggest the economy may have hit rock-bottom, but smart businesses and individuals will go into 2010 with their guard up and their belts tightened, according to partners at Marks Paneth & Shron, a New York City-based accounting firm.

Spotlight

FMN Video DVD Series FMN Video, designed specifically for corporate finance and accounting professionals and used by more than half of the Fortune 500, is a powerful video update program that delivers the experts and hottest topics directly to your office via DVD each month. CPA Report Online Subscribe to the top online CPE program for public accountants. CPA Report Online covers the latest events impacting public practice. SmartPros Price: Courses: $59.98 - Subscriptions: $409 FMN Online Subscribe to the program that more than half of the Fortune 500 trust for CPE. Stay up to date on Sarbanes-Oxley and other key events impacting corporate finance. SmartPros Price: Courses: $59.98 - Subscriptions: $409

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