1. finance
2. accounting and auditing

The Georgia Society of CPAs
Georgia Tax
Forum Savannah
December 4-5, 2014
Coastal Georgia Center, Savannah
Event Code: 13060
A Must-Attend conference
for all Tax Professionals
Georgia Tax Forum
Savannah
December 4-5, 2014 | Coastal Georgia Center, Savannah
Event Code: 13060 (both days);
13062 (Thursday Only); 13063 (Friday Only);
CPE Credit: Up to 18 hours credit including 2 hours of A&A
13.3 hours of CLE (applied for)
16 hours of CFP® (applied for)
The Georgia Society of CPAs Georgia Tax Forum - Savannah will provide you with the
skills you need to survive the upcoming tax season. With sessions on partnership tax,
international compliance issues, net investment income and many more, this conference
covers changes in tax laws and credits that impact you and your clients.
Who Should Attend
CPAs practicing in all areas of tax will benefit from attending the
Georgia Tax Forum
New! Pre-Conference Workshop
Wednesday, December 3, 2014 | 1 - 4:30 p.m. | Coastal Georgia Center
4 hours CPE; 3.3 CLE hours trial hours (applied for)
Life of a Tax Court Case
Anson Asbury, J.D., LL.M., Asbury Law Firm, Atlanta, Ga.
With insight from his experience as an attorney/advisor at the U.S. Tax Court, our
expert will explain the foundations of Tax Court practice. This workshop will cover the
basic elements of a Tax Court case, from petition to trial to decision. It will also discuss
jurisdictional requirements, discovery, stipulations, settlement, and Small Tax Case
Procedures.
*As an added bonus, participants of the conference can attend the workshop for a
discounted fee of $75. Space is limited for this workshop so take advantage of this
opportunity and register today!
Reserve Your Hotel Room
Residence Inn Savannah Downtown/Historic District
500 W Charlton Street, Savannah, GA 31401
Tel: 912-233-9996 | www.savannahhistoricdistricthotel.com
Rate: $129* | Deadline: Thursday, November 13
*valet parking and breakfast included
Please mention GSCPA when making your reservation.
Keynote Speakers
douglas J. Van Der Aa,
CPA, J.D.
Doug has over 25 years of professional
experience, including tax practice in CPA firms
and the practice of transactional business
and real estate law as an attorney. As a CPA,
Doug’s practice concentrated on the tax needs
of closely held businesses, with their related pass-through entities,
complex individual returns, estates and trusts. Doug taught for 10
years as an adjunct instructor and for one year as assistant professor
of accounting and taxation for Grand Valley State University’s
Seidman College of Business, where he taught in both the
undergraduate and MST programs.
Jeffrey Levy, J.D.
Jeffrey is a principal in the Atlanta office of
Deloitte Tax LLP and is a national practitioner
within the Strategic Tax Advisory Team (STAT)
of Deloitte’s National Federal Tax Services
(NFTS). He specializes in developing and
implementing federal tax planning opportunities
that align with a company’s strategic business model. He has over 17
years of experience providing tax consulting services to corporate
and partnership clients. He serves as one of the firm’s national
technical competency leaders in the area of federal tax accounting
periods, methods and credits, and is a frequent speaker in the areas
of tangible property regulations/capitalization and recovery, income
and expense recognition, amortization/depreciation and accounting
method changes.
William A. “Tony”
Turner, J.D.
Tony is a partner of Cohen Pollock Merlin &
Small, PC where his practice is focused on
estate planning, asset protection, and business
succession planning. Tony graduated with
honors from the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill where he received both his B.S. and J.D. degrees.
He received his Master of Laws in taxation from Emory University,
graduating first in his class. Tony has passed the Certified Public
Accountant examination and is a fellow in The American College Of
Trust and Estate Counsel.
Day One
thursday, December 4, 2014
6:30 – 8 a.m.
Registration and Continental Breakfast
7 – 7:50 a.m. (Optional) Early Session
A – Peer Review Update: What to Expect (A&A)
Alan L. Grothe, CPA, Alan L. Grothe, CPA, LLC, Atlanta, Ga.
Review changes to peer review standards, which include system and
engagement reviews. Also discussed will be replacement reviews - review
period, reviewer feedback, and reviewer independence; referrals from
ethics to peer review; repeat findings and monitoring; SSARS 21 issuance;
common deficiencies; and the AICPA Enhanced Audit Quality (EAQ)
discussion paper.
8 – 8:05 a.m.
Welcome and Announcements
8:05 – 9:45 a.m.
B – Tax Update: Current Developments Affecting Business
Douglas J. Van Der Aa, CPA, J.D.
Review the important issues affecting business taxpayers, including 2014
tax legislation and developments related to 2014 tax rules, Affordable Care
Act business provisions, Section 179 immediate expense deduction, bonus
depreciation, S corporation and partnership developments, and other
regulations and rulings affecting depreciation and accounting method
changes.
9:45 – 10 a.m.
Break
10 – 11:40 a.m.
C – Tax Update: Current Developments Affecting Individuals
Douglas J. Van Der Aa, CPA, J.D.
Examine the important issues affecting individual taxpayers, including
2014 tax legislation and developments related to 2014 tax rules, numerous
“extenders” provisions, new forms related to Affordable Care, $250 for AGI
teachers deduction, tax planning with the Medicare tax for high income
taxpayers, capital gains and losses, 2014/2015 tax rate changes, and other
key issues affecting individual tax returns.
11:40 a.m. – 12:40 p.m.
Lunch
12:45 – 2:25p.m.
D1 – Practical International Tax for the Non-Specialist: Tools for Asking
the Right Questions, Spotting Key Issues, and Avoiding Big Problems
Hale Sheppard, J.D., LL.M., LL.M.T., Chamberlain, Hrdlicka, White, Williams
and Aughtry, Atlanta, Ga.
To avoid serious tax and penalty issues, CPAs must understand the
evolving rules and procedures related to foreign accounts, foreign assets,
foreign entities, foreign businesses operating in the USA, and individuals
moving from foreign countries to the USA. If they do not know these
rules and procedures, they cannot properly service their clients and
they expose themselves to significant professional and personal liability.
This presentation is designed to provide tax practitioners with little
international tax experience the tools they need to ask the right questions,
spot the important issues, and avoid the big problems.
D2 – Section 1411, A Maze of New Rules
Ronald A. Levitt, J.D., LL.M., M.B.A., Sirote & Permutt, PC, Birmingham, Ala.
Donald E. Johnson, J.D., LL.M., Sirote & Permutt, PC, Birmingham, Ala.
Section 1411 is an important recent addition to the Internal Revenue Code,
which will directly impact high income, high net worth taxpayers. This
presentation will provide a general overview of new Section 1411 and review
and discuss how the stature and the Final and Proposed Regulations
promulgated by the IRS under Section 1411 in 2012 and 2013 address how
Section 1411 applies to various taxpayer and their entities.
2:25 – 2:45 p.m.
Break
2:45 – 4:25 p.m.
E1 – New Trends in Tax and Tax Enforcement: Identifying and Defending
Hot Issues in 2014
Hale Sheppard, J.D., LL.M., LL.M.T., Chamberlain, Hrdlicka, White, Williams
and Aughtry, Atlanta, Ga.
Congress constantly changes tax laws, and the IRS constantly changes
enforcement priorities. This state of flux creates anxiety for tax
practitioners and audits for taxpayers. This presentation by an attorney
whose practice is devoted to tax disputes, provides an analysis of recent
trends, with attention to new international voluntary disclosure programs
in 2014, the impact of the new tax on “net investment income” on passiveactivity-loss issues, ongoing attacks of conservation easements, captive
insurance companies, worker-classification challenges, and much more.
E2 – Managing a Practice Panel
Colin Blalock, CPA, PFS, CFP®, Jones and Kolb, CPAs, Atlanta, Ga.
Ben Loggins, CPA, Loggins Kern & McCombs, Jonesboro, Ga.
Jeffrey H. Kess, CPA, J.D., CPA, Gomel, Davis & Watson, LLP, Atlanta, Ga.
Cover practical issues facing CPA firms today including, billing and
collection, business development, disclosure of client information, e-filing,
how to hire and fire clients, personnel administration, use of technology
and topics from participants.
Day two
friday, december 5, 2014
6:30 – 8 a.m.
Registration and Continental Breakfast
7 – 7:50 a.m. (Optional) Early Session
F - Compilation & Review Update
Alan L. Grothe, CPA, Alan L. Grothe, CPA, LLC, Atlanta, Ga.
SSARS Clarity Project will be covered and include preparation of financial
statements is the biggest proposed change, proposed changes to the
compilation standard, preparation vs. compilation differences, proposed
changes to the review literature, and timeline.
8 – 8:05 a.m.
Welcome and Announcements
8:05 – 9:20 a.m.
G – The State of the Estate and Gift Tax
Tony Turner, J.D., Cohen Pollock Merlin & Small, Atlanta, Ga.
Recent changes in the estate and gift tax laws have a profound impact on
traditional estate planning concepts. Explore those changes and what you
should consider when advising your clients about estate planning.
9:20 – 9:35 a.m.
Break
9:35 – 10:50 a.m.
H – State Tax Update
Richard Litwin, Esq., The Litwin Law Firm, PC, Atlanta, Ga.
Over the past year, financial indicators hint at a recovery from the Great
Recession. Still, state and local tax agencies continue to scrape for
revenues due to stagnant growth in the traditional tax base. Examine state
tax developments in Georgia and throughout the country and trends in
the changing world of state and local taxation. Written materials will cover
income tax developments and sales and use tax developments.
11 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
I – The Tangible Property Regulations: What Do They Mean to Taxpayers?
Jeffrey Levy, J.D., Deloitte Tax LLP, Atlanta, Ga.
The issuance of the Tangible Property Regulations in their final form in
September 2013 effective for taxpayers tax years beginning on or after
January 1, 2014 marked an event that taxpayers must consider and likely
account for in the current tax year. Review these new regulations that
apply to all taxpayers as well as a discussion on issues and standards that
you and your company should consider.
12:15 – 1:50 p.m.
Lunch
J – Georgia Department of Revenue
Douglas MacGinnitie, Esq., Georgia Department of Revenue, Atlanta, Ga.
Receive an overview of the Department of Revenue, including agency
priorities, customer service initiatives, fraud detection efforts, internal
procedural changes, and tax law changes. We will also touch on what
you may expect during the upcoming tax season.
1:50 - 2:40 p.m.
K1 – The Ins and Outs of Social Security
Desmond Thornton, Social Security Administration, Atlanta, Ga.
Odds are high that you are one of the 155 million people working and
paying Social Security taxes. Odds are low that you know EXACTLY
how Social Security benefits impacts your financial future and that of
your clients. Join us to learn the ins and outs of Social Security from an
agency insider.
K2 – Fraud: Financials and Security Issues
Chad Graves, Graves Technology, Atlanta, Ga.
When dealing with sensitive financial information of individuals or other
companies, adhering to industry best practices and developing internal
processes and controls is crucial. A few simple measures can greatly
reduce your company’s risk exposure to unauthorized access.
2:40 – 2:55 p.m.
Break
2:55 – 4:10 p.m.
L1 – IDR and the Rules of Enforcement
Colin Blalock, CPA, PFS, CFP®, Jones and Kolb, CPAs, Atlanta, Ga.
As the IRS revamps the large business and international audit process
to increase coverage, the changes from the traditional IDR/summons
procedures may trickle down to small and mid-size taxpayers who have
traditionally dealt with IRS audits informally. You need to be ready for
the new landscape of IRS audits.
L2 – Hot Topics in Partnership Tax
Ronnie Brown, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Ga.
Explore changes under the Proposed Job Act Regulations, Proposed
Regulations affecting disguised sales and debt allocations, and the
status of other proposed or pending legislation affecting partnerships
and partners.
tax Seminars
don’t miss these upcoming events
at the coastal georgia center
Loscalzo’s Compilation and Review Practice Guide
November 6, 2014
Event Code: 11012 | 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. | CPE: 8 A&A
Vendor: Loscalzo Associates | Instructor: Greg Clark
Compilation and review issues have dominated the profession during the past few
years due to the issuance of SSARS 19, and its codification in AR Sections 60, 80
and 90, as well as the issuance of the ARSC’s proposal for its new Clarity Project.
This program addresses the changes and current performance requirements in the
compilation and review literature such that practitioners will be able to perform
these services in compliance with the current standards while applying best
practices for both efficiency and effectiveness.
NEW
Only Financial Officer: Skills for Smaller Company Financial Managers
November 25, 2014
Event Code: 11055 | 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. | CPE: 6 A&A/ 2 General
Vendor: Executive Education, Inc. | Instructor: Diane White
The title chief financial officer is not an accurate description for what many financial
managers do because the word “chief” implies that the company has more than one.
This seminar covers four major topics of importance to the financial manager who
must do it all.
Federal Tax Update: Individuals (Form 1040)
December 11, 2014
Event Code: 12031 | 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. | CPE: 8 General
Vendor: Garverick CPE, LLC | Instructor: Pat Garverick
With the increasing complexity and ever-changing nature of tax laws and issues,
today’s accountant needs a one-day update course focusing on individual income
tax issues. These issues will be discussed “head-on” alerting tax preparers of new
tax forms, changes to existing tax forms, as well as tax planning opportunities and
pitfalls. This is a must-attend course for all tax practitioners who want to get up-tospeed quickly to have a successful Federal individual income tax filing season.
Federal Tax Update: C&S Corporations, Partnerships & LLCs
(Forms 1120, 1120S & 1065)
December 12, 2014
Event Code: 12035 | 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. | CPE: 8 General
Vendor: Garverick CPE, LLC | Instructor: Pat Garverick
With the increasing complexity and ever-changing nature of tax laws and issues,
today’s accountant needs a one-day update course focusing on business income
tax issues. These issues will be discussed “head-on” alerting tax preparers of new
tax forms, changes to existing tax forms, as well as tax planning opportunities and
pitfalls. This is a must-attend course for all tax practitioners who want to get up to
speed quickly to have a successful Federal business income tax filing season.
To Register: Visit www.gscpa.org or call 404-504-2985 or 800-330-8889, Opt. 3
Registration
Event Code: 13060, 13062, 13063
NameMILastMember #
Company/Firm Name
Address
CityStateZip
PhoneFaxEmail
Registration Confirmation: 
Mail
OR
 Email
Check here if registration includes a change of address: 
Pricing Information
Pre-Conference Workshop

Course Number
$75
Member
Early Fee
Member Standard
Member Late Fee
Nonmember
Early Fee
Nonmember Standard
Nonmember Late Fee

13060 - Both Days
$359 by 11/13
$419 from 11/14-12/1
$459 after 12/1
$459 by 11/13
$519 from 11/14-12/1
$559 after 12/1

13062 - Thursday Only
$249 by 11/13
$309 from 11/14-12/1
$349 after 12/1
$349 by 11/13
$409 from 11/14-12/1
$449 after 12/1

13063 - Friday Only
$249 by 11/14
$309 from 11/15-12/2
$349 after 12/2
$349 by 11/14
$409 from 11/15-12/2
$449 after 12/2
Cancellation Policy: Cancellations/Transfers made up to three weeks before the seminar or conference will not incur an
administration fee. Cancellations/Transfers made during the Standard Fee time frame are subject to a $50 administration
fee. Cancellations/Transfers made within three business days are subject to a $100 administration fee for members;
$150 for nonmembers. Cancellations/No shows on the date of the event forfeit the entire registration fee. No refunds or
transfers of course fee will be made after the date of the event.
Turn Form Over for Breakout Session Selections & Payment Information
Register Today!
CALL GSCPA CPE Department at 404-504-2985 or 800-330-8889, Opt. 3 to place
a credit card order
FAX a completed registration form with credit card information to GSCPA at 404-237-1291
INTERNET registration available at www.gscpa.org
MAIL your completed registration with credit card information or check made payable to
The Georgia Society of CPAs to:
The Georgia Society of CPAs
Six Concourse Parkway, Suite 800
Atlanta, GA 30328
BReakout sessions
Choose one session per time slot
Thursday, December 4
12:45 - 2:25 p.m.

D1 - Practical International Tax for the Non-Specialist

D2 - Section 1411, A Maze of New Rules
2:45 - 4:25 p.m.

E1 - New Trends in Tax and Tax Enforcement: Identifying and Defending Hot Issues

E2 - Managing a Practice Panel
friday, december 5
1:50 - 2:40 p.m.

K1 - The Ins and Outs of Social Security

K2 - Fraud: Financials and Security Issues
2:55 - 4:10 p.m.

L1 - IDR and the Rules of Enforcement

L2 - Hot Topics in Partnership Tax
Materials
Choose how you wish to receive conference materials
 Download eMaterials
No printed materials provided at the conference
 Printed Materials
Will receive printed materials at the conference
PAYMENT Information
 Use Money on Account
 Check for $___________ made payable to The Georgia Society of CPAs
 Amount to charge credit card $___________
 Discover
 MasterCard
 AmEx
 Personal Card
OR
 Company Card
 Visa
Card NumberExpiration Date
Name as it appears on card
Signature
ITEMS TO NOTE
If you have a specific dietary or other need, please contact the CPE Department at least one
week prior to the conference at 404-504-2985 or 800-330-8889, Opt. 3.
If you have special needs under the Americans with Disabilities Act, please attach a
written description or call 404-504-2985 or 800-330-8889, Opt. 3.
Task Force Members
CHAIR:
Karen C. Drescher, CPA, Karen C. Drescher, CPA, PC, McDonough, Ga.
MEMBERS:
James B. Alley, CPA, Ernst & Young LLP, Atlanta, Ga.
James N. Cline, CPA, J.D., James N. Cline, CPA, PC, Roswell, Ga.
William C. Harshman II, CPA, Harshman Phillips & Company, LLC, Atlanta, Ga.
David A. Hendelberg, CPA, J.D., PFS, CFP®, Jones and Kolb, CPAs, Atlanta, Ga.
Jeffrey H. Kess, CPA, J.D., Gomel, Davis & Watson, LLP, Atlanta, Ga.
Rick W. Rosell, CPA, Bennett Thrasher PC, Atlanta, Ga.
FACILITY
Coastal Georgia Center
305 Fahm Street, Savannah, GA 31401
912-651-2005
Six Concourse Parkway
Suite 800
Atlanta, GA 30328
Georgia Tax Forum
SAVANNAH
Nonprofit
Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Atlanta, Georiga
Permit No. 1366