CPD Course Outlines

Tax Technical Updates

Objective:

To keep delegates up to date with the latest developments in tax law and practice and consider the practical implications.

Content:

HMRC pronouncements
Special Commissioners’ decisions
Recent tax cases, topical issues
Consultative documents and draft legislation
Pre-Budget Report, The Budget & Finance Act.

Lecturers:

Rebecca Benneyworth BSc FCA CTA, Mike Truman LLB FCA CTA (Fellow), Chris Jones BA CTA ATT, Malcolm Greenbaum ACA from LexisNexis Tolley.

Audit & Accounting Updates

Objective:

To enable delegates to apply new standards and consider developments affecting auditing and accounting.

Content:

New accounting standards: practical applications
FREDs & UITF abstracts
Auditing standards & guidelines
International developments
Issues arising out of monitoring visits
Practical problem areas.

Lecturer:

Alan Bonham MA FCA, Mike Ulrich ACA

Annual VAT Update

Objective:

To examine the main VAT developments over the last twelve months that are relevant to general practitioners, covering legislation, case law, HMRC practice. To learn from other people’s mistakes.

Content:

The big issues: mistakes to avoid, planning opportunities
How much to pay and how much to claim
Getting the admin right.

Lecturer:

Mike Thexton MA FCA CTA

Small Company Reporting

Objective:

The course will act as an update and refresher for those preparing financial statements for small companies. This course will consider:

professional responsibilities
consider the application of the FRSSE
compare its requirements with those of the SSAPs and FRSs
consider common questions that arise and possible solutions

Content:

Ethical and professional guidance
Audit exemption
Determining the size of the company
Accountants reports
Common problems in small company financial statements
Changes for the future

Lecturer:

Mike Ulrich ACA

Tax Planning For Retirement

Objective:

As people are living for much longer (on average), retirement planning is becoming far more complex with the need to build in flexibility. It must be remembered that planning must start by at least age 40! Not only is the legislation continually changing but, due to products, tax cases etc, so is practice. To give the best advice to clients on the strategy and tactics to be adopted on the approach to retirement and beyond (and also avoid expensive PI claims), practitioners must be up to date. The course will therefore look at the existing legislation, with special regard to the many pitfalls, before bringing delegates up to date.

Content:

A review of pension plans in the light of reforms
Passing on the business to the next generation or selling it efficiently
Approved vs unapproved buy-backs of shares
Other methods of extracting the funds efficiently - gift relief and entrepreneurs relief
Essential estate planning and IHT consequences

Lecturer:

Bob Trunchion MA FCA

Advising the Elderly

Objective:

Advising the elderly on the financial implications of long term care is a rapidly expanding area of finance and law. However, the expansion has brought with it added complications for the practitioner with the ongoing introduction of new legislation, changes in regulations, guidelines and case law. The aim of this course is to bring together recent changes that have taken place and offer practical and current advice on the common questions asked by clients and practitioners.

Content:

Setting the scene: an overview of funding long-term care and asset protection
Professional issues: conflict of interest, financial health check, mental capacity, practitioners' duties, risk analysis, file management, IPFDA claims and avoiding negligence claims
Financial assessments, the notional Capital Rule and local authority recovery procedures
Asset protection: immediate, medium and long-term planning
Asset protection: the options - wills, trusts, leases, gifting assets, disregarded assets, and asset preservation, investment and insurance schemes, personal possessions, sharing property with the elderly and equity release
Options relating to the family home
Complications with former local authority properties
Protection of business assets
Effective gifting
Amendments to CRAG Guidelines (2007)
Practical case studies

Lecturer:

Jonathan Wilkey LLB STEP

Applying the New Auditing Standards in Practice

Objective:

The APB has taken the decision to introduce the new Clarified International Standards on Auditing for audits of periods ending on or after 15 December 2010. All auditors will need a thorough understanding of these new standards.

In this course the aim is to remind delegates of the major changes in auditing standards, try to identify the practical problems expected to arise as a result of the new standards. We also look at the new advice provided by the revised Practice Note 26 and will consider the revisions and how this Practice Note can help us to apply the standards efficiently.

Content:

Introduction to the clarity process including:
- ISA 200 Overall objectives of the independent auditor
- ISA 500 Audit evidence
- ISA 501 Audit evidence - specific considerations for selected items
Key changes to auditing standards as a result of the clarity project including:
- ISA 265 Communicating deficiencies in internal control
- ISA 320 Materiality
- ISA 540 Accounting estimates
- ISA 550 Related parties
Standards likely to cause problems in practice including:
- ISA 240 The auditor's reponsibilities relating to fraud
- ISA 315 Identifying and assessing risks
- ISA 330 The auditor's responses to assessed risks
- ISA 520 Analytical procedures
PN 26: Guidance on smaller entity audit documentation

Lecturer:

Alan Bonham MA FCA