The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) was signed into law on December 22, 2017, marking the first comprehensive tax law reform since 1986. The TCJA brings new opportunities, as well as some challenges, to the commercial real estate and construction industries. This CPE will focus on several provisions of the Act that may further enhance the utility of a traditional cost segregation study and will explore applications of the TCJA in the construction industry.
Learning Objectives:
1. Understand how the TCJA may broaden the scope of a cost segregation study for owners of real estate through changes in Bonus Depreciation, Qualified Improvement Property (QIP) and Section 179 Expensing
2. Explain the significance of the date 9/27/17 in determining bonus rates for new construction projects and acquisitions
3. Use a decision tree to determine whether property may be depreciated using MACRS class lives or must be depreciated under the Alternative Depreciation System (ADS)
4. Understand the implications of the Interest Deduction Limitation 5. Understand how construction companies may leverage the TCJA

CPA firms are normally operating at a slow pace when it comes to building and implementing successful digital marketing strategies. Join us to learn what is working in digital, where it?s heading and how your firm can manage the process. We will discuss digital trends, such as micro-storytelling, influencer marketing and chat bots, build a framework for a digital marketing plan and address issues related to action planning that firm?s face which hinders their results.
Attendees will walk away with:
1. A framework for digital strategy and how to evaluate their current initiatives,
2. A clear understanding what Google wants,
3. How to build pillar pages and topic clusters, and
4. Essential tools for efficient management of digital initiatives.

Surety can be challenging, maybe even mysterious. But it?s a competitive advantage for those who develop and nurture this important business relationship. This session will highlight some of the challenges and tips to meet those challenges. Attendees will learn
1. Keys to developing and maintaining a supportive surety facility.
2. This session will also explore ways in which CPA?s can help their clients manage a successful surety relationship.

Ryan McCormick will discuss the outlook for tax legislation and key tax regulations affecting U.S. real estate. The session will address how the recent election will likely influence tax policy in the months ahead, the prospects for changes to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and other potential tax legislation. The session will also highlight critical regulatory questions still outstanding and the implications for real estate investment, as well as the advocacy efforts of The Roundtable and real estate industry in Washington. Key topics: tax reform 2.0, technical corrections, section 199A, section 163(j), cost recovery, and Opportunity Zones. Learnign Objectives: Understanding of recent development and implications for real estate ownership and investment; Uunderstanding of potential changes to tax policy

This session wil cover Small Business Certifications - Pitfalls in MBE and DBE Certifications. You will learn:
1. How to receive an MBE and/or DBE status certification
2. How to successfully sell your MBE/DBE business or transition it to the next generation of owner operators and still maintain MBE/DBE status,

A panel of experts will answer questions regarding the challenging accounting and auditing issues in construction and illustrate ways to apply solutions to your clients and businesses.

This session will provide interactive review and discussion related to Construction Contractor's tax planning opportunities, tricks and traps. Will include implementation of industry specific issues and application of new tax law and current legislation.
1. Participants will be updated on current tax planning issues for construction contractors.
2. Participants will be able to inquire as to application and implementation of required rules and regulations.

Hear from the financial executives from the largest retail REITS the major trends in retail real estate, including Omni Channel and Mixed Used Development. Retail real estate is evolving and we examine the trends. Learn about:
1. Update on changes to the economics of retail real estate
2. GAAP implications of the changes in retail real estate.

This session will highlight various considerations, challenges, and obstacles companies have faced in connection with implementing the new lease accounting standard and best practice observed in addressing these issues. Objectives:
Describe technical and operational challenges associated with implementing the new lease accounting standard.
Describe best practices observed by companies in addressing issues related to the new lease accounting standard.

This session will provide a general overview of the important provisions of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act. Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the significant provisions of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act
2. Understand the areas of uncertainty regarding the significant provisions of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act

Hear directly from Engineering & Construction CFO's and Controllers about the process they have followed in evaluating the effects of the new revenue recognition standard, and how they have worked with their auditors to ensure a smooth transition. Learning Objectives:
1. To understand key elements of an effective implementation approach for the new revenue recognition standard
2. To understand what requirements auditors have established to audit the implementation of the new standard

Calendar year end public companies will adopt the new leases standard, ASC 842: Leases, in the first quarter of 2019. Broadly, ASC 842 significantly the accounting for leases by lessees. This CPE will focus on the key aspects and requirements of ASC 842, specifically for lessees.

Learning Objectives:
1. To gain a broad understanding of the requirements of ASC 842, specifically for lessees
2. Insight into key implementation issues and recent standard-setting activities by the FASB

This session will provide a discussion regarding current status of R&D Credit considerations for construction contractors. Learning Objectives:
Provide a deeper understanding of R&D tax credits.
Discuss audit issues and considerations related to R&D tax credits. Provide further insight and tools for contractors in capturing better documentation to support the R&D tax credits.

This session will be a general accounting discussion for sale leasebacks.

During this session, attendees will be provided with an ASC 360 refresher and will undertake a discussion on the current state of the market including where we are currently seeing impairments taken in the marketplace

This session will provide a discussion of opportunity zones, to include an overview of the new provision.

This Session is designed to provide the attendee with a comprehensive overview on various issues, initiatives and solutions that encompass Management Succession and Ownership Transfer. Essentially, we will explore a comprehensive approach that will teach the attendee ways to analyze techniques and suggest approaches to accomplish goals and objectives pertaining to your ownership transfer matters. The scope of the presentation will be the following: ? Overview and the obstacles to continuity planning ? Defining goals and objectives ? Developing a plan and making it work ? Valuation techniques for contractors ? Techniques and a case study approach to ownership transfer and management succession. The course is designed to provide the attendee with a comprehensive overview on various issues, initiatives and solutions that encompass Management Succession and Ownership Transfer,. Essentially, we will explore a comprehensive approach that will teach the attendee ways to analyze prior planning, identify underutilized techniques and suggest alternative approaches to accomplish goals and objectives pertaining to your ownership transfer matters.

This is a comprehensive session on indirect costs and equipment allocations and practical ways to account for these type of costs. Learning Objectives:
1. The importance of planning, forecasting and budgeting your costs
2. The different types of costs ? direct, indirect, equipment, selling and general and administrative ? and how to account for each type under GAAP and FAR
3. How accurate estimating and job costing fit into the construction circle
4. The importance of knowing all your costs and developing meaningful indirect pools
5. The importance of forecasting equipment costs to develop accurate estimating and costing
6. The practical way to account for equipment fleets
6. The nuts and bolts of shop costs, budgets and allocations

This session is an opportunity to interact with leaders in the construction tax arena. Attendees will gain:
? A review of current trends and developments impacting the construction tax industry
? Insights from a detailed discussion on tax topics presented in earlier sessions
? The opportunity to participate in Q&A on topics important to their company and/or practice

During this session, attendees will learn more about:
Blockchain uses in Real Estate and Construction
Blockchain as a technology with the ability to transform industry
The future of Blockchain

This session will provide an update on recent accounting guidance. Learning objectives in include discussion around updates to leases, revenue, and other recent accounting pronoucements.

Estate planning for investment real estate presents unique challenges and opportunities. This program will provide some practical tips for effective testamentary planning to achieve goals common to most real estate investors. The speaker will then move on to more complex strategies for tax minimization (including transfer, income and property taxes) in the context of real estate investments. Objectives:
How to balance income tax considerations with transfer tax planning strategies.
How to deal with the unique psychology of real estate investors in estate planning. What estate planning strategies are best suited for real estate and which are to be avoided.

While theoretical, academic valuation methods provide some guidance, practical market-based experience offers a much greater perspective on the real valuations for privately-held businesses in the Engineering & Construction sector. This session will provide detailed insight from an experienced industry investment banker on how buyers and sellers value Engineering & Construction companies in practice. It will examine the impact of the various industry, market, and Company factors that drive valuation, as well as provide in-depth observations on financial statement performance that are unique to the Engineering & Construction industry. Learning Objectives:
1. Insight on practical valuation methods utilized in Merger & Acquisition activity
2. Observations on financial statement interpretations which are unique to the Engineering & Construction sector and have valuation implications

Operational and Technology Steps to prepare for Revenue Recognition and Lease Accounting Implementation A practical how-to approach, based on lessons learned and learning, for these significant Accounting changes. Action steps to help assess impact and a checklist to apply a practical business approach to documentation and disclosure will be provided, as well as a demonstration of how to use existing technology with both implementations.
Learning Objectives:
1. To provide attendees with practical solutions to assist with implementing the new Revenue Recognition standard 2. To provide attendees with tools to assist in the implementation of the new Lease Accounting Standards

The focus of this presentation is how owners of eligible businesses can take full advantage of the new 20 percent Qualified Business Income (QBI) deduction. This new section of the code, 199A, was created under what is known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) passed on December 15, 2017 and applies to taxpayers for the 2018 year. This new 20 percent deduction is unprecedented and since many construction firms operate under some form of pass-through structure this deduction will benefit many in the industry. However, this new deduction is highly complicated and taxpayers will need to know how to navigate through the various phase outs and limitations known as ?safeguards? that Congress laden this new code section with.
1. Understand which type of businesses and what types of income qualify for the deduction
2. Understand the various limitations and phase outs that could limit the deduction
3. Learn what strategies are available that can be used to potentially maximize the deduction

The speakers will be discussing the state of the real estate market in Denver, CO, both from a developer perspective as well as from the perspective of a home builder.
1. Learn the state of the market in Denver, trends, shifts in market demands.
2. Discuss costs and home prices and relation to sales.
3. Discuss tax implications of large land transaction deals and the effect of public financing on those.

This session will provide an explanation for how economic sharing of profits, "waterfalls" are considered in setting up a deal. Examples will be provided. Attendees will learn the rational/thought process behind how they are set up, along with the accounting treatment of the waterfall.
Learning Objective: To examine the distribution waterfall for closed-end real estate funds including: Basic Components, Business aspects, Framework and types of waterfalls, GAAP, Tax, Structuring and Reporting, Current Trends, Sample Calculations

This presentation will focus on new procedural rules, open items clients are considering and changes to the partnership agreement. Learn about:
1. Partnership audit rules
2. Businesses our clients face

Companies need to be proactive when it comes to managing they myriad of change orders and claims that are associated with any construction delivery cycle. All stakeholders must understand how complicated it can be to deliver a major, capital-intensive project. Even the best EPC contractors have struggled to successfully meet deadlines and avoid cost overruns. Using illustrative war story case studies, you will be best equipped to understand and manage change orders and claims: ? Major unplanned events that can impede your success and cause claims ? Applying new revenue recognition standards for construction claims ? Claims strategies, including liability, causation and damage assessments ? Technical & financial issues, such as scheduling and delay analysis, loss of productivity, acceleration and out of sequence work entitlement ? Investigative audits and forensic reviews of discovery documents ? Does hiring an expert guarantee successfully recovery?
Learning Objectives:
1) Understand new revenue recognition standards for construction claims revenue recognition.
2) Understand types of technical guidance that will impact financial merit recognition.

Tax Accounting Methods and their related Method Changes are always Key Issues for the IRS. Proper tax accounting methods and continuing IRS changes to their method change procedures are at the front and center of all IRS audits. Tax accounting methods and changes have certainly had heightened awareness and importance to tax practitioners over the past few years. The IRS continues to focus its audit eyes on whether taxpayers are employing the proper tax accounting methods and has adopted the required tax accounting methods where dictated. Beyond required method changes, tax practitioners should also adapt client tax methods to the ones that provide the best possible deferrals. All industries have to comply with tax method change basics, i.e. the rules and procedures. Construction is an industry that has very specialized tax method alternatives that are confusing and prone to mistakes in their employment. 2018 a big watershed year due to the $25M and under new tax law. Contractors under that threshold can employ cash or the CCM. The keys are how to analyze what method(s) would be best and how to make that transition from the current regular and long-term accounting methods employed. Understanding method changes takes knowledge of what is allowed and permitted compared to what is not, methodology to accomplish such, in addition to knowing those tax methods that provide the greatest potential tax deferrals. Learning Objectives:
(1) identify what changes and when method changes require advance consent (non-automatic) vs. automatic IRS Form 3115 filings,
(2) obtain the latest update on the latest IRS procedures on method changes,
(3) learn how to determine the best possible methods to consider for contractor types,
(4) decipher the latest rules on how to make the new $25M and under tax law change to either cash or non-PCM (CCM or other).

Here is your opportunity to direct technical accounting questions to some of our conference speakers. Get:
1. Foundational knowledge of technical accounting
2. Practical application of ASC guidance

This session is intended to provide an open forum for participants to ask the Tax Experts on a broad range of topics that have been covered during the conference. Learning Objectives:
1. Discuss current issues related to TJCA of 2017
2. Discuss other tax issues relevant to the real estate/construction industries