July 2009

Welcome to the July 2009 issue of Focus on Learning, the monthly newsletter for the CCH Learning Center that provides insights on how to use the Learning Center to your full advantage and updates on new courses and features available to you. In each issue we highlight a course (or series of courses) on a timely topic, and let you know about new courses released in the CCH Learning Center. We also inform you of new useful features, provide helpful tips on existing features, and help you use the CCH Learning Center to meet your professional development and CPE needs.

New Curriculum — GAO Yellow Book
The new GAO Yellow Book curriculum, which is designed to present courses and other curricula that should enable professionals to meet the GAO’s Yellow Book CPE requirements, has been added to CCH Learning Center Curricula. It is separated into the following four categories to help professionals determine courses they should take to meet their ongoing training needs:

• Categories 1 and 2 include individual courses which should satisfy the 24 hours of CPE that must directly relate to government auditing or the government environment.

• Category 3 contains a link to the auditing curriculum, which includes courses that could address the government environment or the specific or unique environment in which the audited entity operates. The courses displayed in this curriculum could also meet the 24-hour requirement.

• Category 4 includes curricula that should satisfy the other 56 hours of CPE that enhances the auditor's professional proficiency to perform audits or attestation engagements.

See the list of all curricula available in the Learning Center.

New Learning Center Core Library Courses
CCH is committed to keeping you up-to-date and knowledgeable on the latest issues that impact your firm or corporation. Many new or revised courses covering a wide range of topics have been released to the CCH Learning Center Core Library over the past two months. See the new or updated titles released to the Learning Center Core Library.

• Alternative Minimum Tax for Individuals (Fourth Edition)

• American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

• Analytical Procedures

• Audit Sampling

• Depreciation Course (2009 Edition)

• FAS 161: Disclosures about Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities (an amendment of FASB Statement No. 133)

• Penalty Exposure for Estate Planners that are Return Preparers

• Planning for Clients with Alzheimer's

• Quality Control Issues in an Audit and Accounting Practice

• Recent Tax Developments (May - June 2009)

• Roadmap for Designing FLP/FLLC Plans

• Tax Sheltered Annuity Rules
  
  

New Courses: State Taxation Specialty Library
New courses have also been released exclusively to the CCH Specialty Library: State Taxation. The courses in this library provide insights on basic and emerging state tax issues. Written by top experts in the field, these courses offer timely coverage, current information and in-depth analysis, giving you the guidance you need to keep a step ahead of important state tax issues. The new courses released exclusively to this library are:

• Multistate Corporate Income Taxation: Understanding the Property and Payroll Factors
  
  

• State Corporate Income Tax Apportionment (Second Edition)
  
  

Course Spotlight: Planning for Clients with Alzheimer’s
This course explains what Alzheimer’s disease (AD) involves and how it affects the timing and specifics of estate planning for clients who suffer from this disease. Additionally, it covers the following topics:

• A two-pronged approach to evaluating an AD client’s competency

• The types of estate planning actions that the AD client and families should take to protect the client’s finances and avoid challenges to his or her will and estate

• Other coexisting health conditions clients may have that affect their decision making

Upcoming Courses
We will release many new courses in the CCH Learning Center in the weeks and months ahead to give you even more choices and more value. Learn more about the new CCH Learning Center courses in development.

New and updated courses are in development now. Look for courses in the following areas soon:

• Accounting for Business Combinations

• Balance Sheet Classification

• Cash Flow Statements: Content and Form

• Charitable Giving Tax Strategies

• Derivatives and Hedging — Overview of Statement 133

• Divorce and Taxes: Child-Related Issues

• FAS 123R

• FAS 162: The Hierarchy of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles

• FAS 163: Accounting for Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts

• Recent Auditing Standards: SAS 113-114

• Recent Tax Developments (July-August 2009)

• Sales and Use Taxes: Conducting the Sales and Use Tax Audit

• SAS 115, Communicating Internal Control Related Matters Identified in an Audit

• Tax Incentives for Home Ownership

Audio Seminars
CCH’s wide range of interesting, educational CPE options now includes audio seminars. Each audio seminar allows an unlimited number of users at your firm to get up-to-speed on a hot topic using nothing more than a telephone connection. Plus, participants can earn up to 2 CPE Credits. Learn about upcoming audio seminars here.

CCH’s audio seminars, presented by top experts, are designed to provide you with updated information on the hottest tax and accounting topics. Along with detailed handout materials, each site registering for an audio seminar receives topically-related bonus items such as books, journals, newsletters or self-study CPE courses. Check out the latest Audio Seminars schedule for details on upcoming seminars.

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