8:35 AM ‒ 8:45 AM
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Conference Chair: Steven Parzen, CPA
8:45 AM ‒ 10:00 AM
CPE Credit: 1.5, Taxation
State & Local Tax Updates - NYS, NYC, NJ, and CT
Speakers:
Debra Herman, Esq., Partner, Hodgson Russ, LLP
Aliza Sherman, Esq., Of Counsel, Stevens & Lee, LLP
Elizabeth Pascal, Esq., Partner, Hodgson Russ, LLP
This session will cover recent developments affecting New York State, New York City, New Jersey, and Connecticut corporate and “pass-through” entity taxes, plus other excise taxes, and the tax implications on business owners. The tri-state area’s business audit and mediation programs and new enforcement initiatives will also be discussed.
10:00 AM ‒ 10:10 AM
Coffee Break
10:10 AM ‒ 11:00 AM
CPE Credit: 1.0, Taxation
Federal & Legislative Tax Update
Speaker: Dean Surkin, Esq., JD, LL.M.
This Business Tax Update will focus on the Federal taxation of business issues that affect various types of business entities and their owners. We will discuss the law changes that have taken place over the last few years, with a focus on the impact on business from the recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act and other pronouncements. Participants should have a basic knowledge of the business provisions related to Federal personal income tax and the Federal tax rules for Partnerships, LLCs, and Corporations.
11:00 AM ‒ 12:40 PM
CPE Credit: 2.0, Taxation
Working with Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Your Practice: The Rewards & (Potential) Pitfalls
Speakers:
Walter Primoff, Tax Director, Perelson Weiner LLP
Rob Ferrini, Program Manager, McGowan Professional Liability
Adam Haines, VP Product, Blue J Legal
Participants will get the latest information to successfully incorporate AI into tax work, while meeting cybersecurity, regulatory, and ethical challenges. The panel will address issues in AI development, CPA cyber and professional liability insurance, and the patchwork quilt of regulation and ethics affecting AI use. Through speaker presentations, participant questions, and panel discussion, topics will include: Best practices for implementing AI, Misuses of AI, Fraud trends, Cybersecurity vs. Professional liability coverages, Fiduciary duties/tax issues and AI guidance, Client-consent requirements for AI use, FTC and IRS CPA AI use rules, IRS Circular 230, and much more.
12:40 PM ‒ 1:30 PM
Networking Lunch Break
1:30 PM ‒ 2:20 PM
CPE Credit: 1.0, Taxation
High-Level Retirement and Tax Deferral Planning Ideas for Small and Closely Held Businesses and Their Owners
Speaker: Andrew E. Roth, Esq., Partner, Danziger & Markhoff, LLP
Qualified Retirement plans are effective financial building/tax deferral tools for business owners and employees. The ownership structure, number of employees, owner retirement goals, and health of business will guide the tailored dynamic considerations when choosing the most appropriate plan for that employer. This session will explore recent tax legislation impacting Qualified Retirement Plans, including 2026/2027 contribution limits, higher 401(k) catch-up limits for ages 60–63, new Roth-related provisions, mandatory automatic enrollment for new 401(k) plans, increased RMD ages, tax credits for new plans, as well as how future trends will impact business owners and their employees, and much more.
2:20 PM ‒ 3:10 PM
CPE Credit: 1.0, Taxation
International Tax Update: Hot Topics and Developing Issues
Speaker: Laura Gualdoni, CPA, Director, Katz, Sapper & Miller, LLP
This presentation will focus on hot topics and developing issues within international tax, with a focus on recent updates under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) and other developing statutory shifts. Additionally, the presentation will touch upon several other emerging global tax issues, foreign entity reporting developments, and cross-border structuring considerations.
3:10 PM ‒ 3:20 PM
Coffee Break
3:20 PM ‒ 4:35 PM
CPE Credit: 1.5, Taxation
Qualified Small Business Stock (Q.S.B.S.) - How Using IRC Sec 1202 Can Be a Valuable Planning Tool for Your Clients and Practice
Speaker: Mike Bodrato, CPA, Director, Wiss & Company, LLP
Section 1202’s gain exclusion has never been more valuable — or more in flux. This session traces QSBS from its 1993 origins through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s overhaul of the holding period, exclusion cap, and gross-asset thresholds, closing with practical guidance on entity choice, S-corp conversion traps, and trust-based planning strategies.
4:35 PM ‒ 5:25 PM
CPE Credit: 1.0, Taxation
S Corporations & Trusts: Navigating Through the Elections and Traps
Speakers:
Robert Barnett, Esq., Partner, Capell, Barnett, Matalon & Schoenfeld, LLP
Tracy McLaughlin, Partner, ArentFox Schiff, LLP
This presentation will discuss how to protect and maintain your S election and why an election is the most efficient or essential. Only certain types of trusts are entitled to hold S corporation shares, and inadvertence can result in the loss of the S election. Accordingly, the session will focus on: Which trusts may own S corporation shares; How to choose the right trust for your needs; How to properly make any required elections; Special estate considerations; When and how to convert between a QSST and an ESBT; Helpful Revenue Procedures for correcting errors; and much more!
5:25 PM ‒ 5:30 PM
Closing Remarks
Conference Co-Chair: Robert Barnett, Esq., Partner, Capell, Barnett, Matalon & Schoenfeld, LLP
