Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program

Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program Powered by CPEasy and LearnLive platforms, part of the Checkpoint Learning portfolio Firm Admin & User s Guide Develop and Enhance Foundational Tax Research Knowledge Tax & Accounting 800.231.1860 cl.thomsonreuters.com

Copyright 2015 Thomson Reuters/Tax & Accounting Checkpoint Learning is a registered trademark of Thomson Reuters and its affiliated companies. All Rights Reserved. This guide, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in another document or manuscript in any form without the permission of the publisher.

Table of Contents Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program Overview... 4 Program Introduction... 4 Program Organization... 4 Accessing the Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program... 8 Accessing the Online Courses on CPEasy... 8 Accessing the Webinars on LearnLive...14 LearnLive Registration/Access Instructions...14 Marking Webinars as Complete...15 Accessing Webinars Marked as Complete...15 Completing the Case Study...16 Registering for a Trial Subscription of Checkpoint...16 Creating a PDF of the Final Case Study for Submission...17 CPE Certificates...19 Obtaining Your Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Reform Competency Certificate 19 Obtaining Your Individual Online Course CPE Certificates...19 Obtaining Your Individual Webinar CPE Certificates...21 Firm Admin User Guide...23 Accessing Your Firm s Subscriptions and Certification Programs...23 Verifying Available Program Seats and Inviting Firm Members...24 Viewing Firm Members Certificate Program Progress...26

Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program User s Guide Program Introduction Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program Overview The goal of the Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program is to help candidates develop foundational tax research knowledge, while earning approximately 22 hours of Continuing Professional Education credit. This program was developed to fill in the gaps for entry-level tax professionals and those re-entering the workforce after an extended leave. Tax research proficiency is all too often underserved in formal education programs, leaving new accountants missing key skills required to perform effectively. From dependence on unreliable internet sources, to lack of clarity on the import (and order) of law, case law, commentary and treatises, many tax leaders find their staff unprepared to perform real-world tax research. Delivered through our CPEasy and LearnLive platforms (a free LearnLive account is required to view webinars), this blended-learning format includes three live instructor-led webinars, three online self-study courses, and a written tax research case study that will equip professionals with what they need to effectively perform federal and state tax research. For the best experience, professionals should take the online courses in the order listed, including the webinars, but also note that all online courses and webinars must be completed before the written tax research case study. Candidates who successfully complete the course work and case study will earn a Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Competency Certificate. Program Organization The Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program comprises the following 7 components: Component 1 Title: Description: Chapters: Tax Research: Tax Law and Treasury Interpretations When people think of taxes, they usually think of the records needed to complete the income tax returns, the filing dates, any extensions, and, of course, the amount of money the taxpayer owes. However, there is another piece to the puzzle. Tax preparers also need to research tax issues. This research can occur before, during, or even after a return is prepared. This course provides an introduction to the area of tax research. Tax Research: Tax Law and Treasury Interpretations will reacquaint you with the Internal Revenue Code and Treasury Department regulations as well as interpretations, rulings, and procedures issued by the Internal Revenue Service. This course will teach you how to research tax issues and answer tax questions by consulting these tax materials. 1. Tax Research 2. Primary Tax Authority: Legislative, Treasury, and Regulations 3. Primary Tax Authority: Internal Revenue Service and Published and Unpublished Rulings 4. Primary Tax Authority: Locating and Reading Published Rulings 5. Glossary 2015 Thomson Reuters/Tax & Accounting. Page 4

Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program User s Guide Component 2 Title: Description: Chapters: Component 3 Title: Description: Chapters: Component 4 Title: Description: Component 5 Title: Description: Tax Research: Court Interpretations and Citator The second course in our series on tax research further hones your tax research skills. It discusses judicial interpretations and citations from various U.S. courts. It also introduces the Citator research tools. 1. Judicial Interpretation and Litigation Costs 2. Judicial Interpretation and the Court System 3. Court of Appeals 4. Court Decisions 5. Capital Assets (Part 1) 6. Capital Assets (Part 2) 7. Capital Asset Transactions 8. Tax Research Tools 9. Use of Tax Citators 10. Glossary Tax Research: Case Analysis Here is an opportunity to broaden your creative approach to tax issues and further develop your tax research knowledge and skills. You will be further developing the knowledge and tax research skills acquired in the previous two courses of this series. Each chapter has a taxpayer scenario that presents a few facts and requests your opinion or recommendation on the handling of a particular tax matter; you will realize the relationship of the law, interpretations, and cases to the taxpayer scenario. 1. Case Analysis and Tax Research: Inventory Valuation 2. Case Analysis and Tax Research: Inventory Valuation (continued) 3. Case Analysis and Tax Research: Business Use of a Home Office 4. Case Analysis and Tax Research: Business Use of a Home Office (continued) 5. Glossary Cracking the Code: Efficient and Thorough Tax Research Techniques This webinar will teach a systematic research methodology that tax researchers may use in order to identify and analyze tax issues efficiently, accurately, and thoroughly; explain the hierarchy and different types of primary sources in tax law; and discuss how to use secondary sources most effectively. Students will have opportunities to practice their skills on realistic research exercises, using Checkpoint to answer research problems. Cracking the Code: Advanced Tax Research This webinar will teach code section based research, using explanations and annotations to find the most relevant authorities; when and how to use keyword searches; when and how to use legislative history in tax research; hands on research examples involving losses and deductions; and state tax law and efficient state tax research. 2015 Thomson Reuters/Tax & Accounting. Page 5

Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program User s Guide Component 6 Title: Description: Component 7 Title: Description: Cracking the Code: Hands-on Tax Research The webinar will present an introduction to two case studies (you will choose either the public practice case study or the corporate practice case study), with a discussion of the background law and facts; a discussion of possible research strategies for approaching tax research problems; a demonstration of how to prepare a research outline for the relevant tax issues; a discussion of how to best present research results in an analytical memorandum; and how to comply with professional standards in performing tax research and providing tax advice. During the webinar, you may submit questions regarding tax research and completion of the assignment. Tax Research Certificate Case Study After completion of all other program requirements, a case study will be selected by each professional in the final webinar. The assignment will be tailored to the learner s practice area corporate taxation or public practice. The corporate taxation case study consists of a corporate acquisition involving an escrow and a contingent stock earnout arrangement. The researcher will determine whether these aspects of the deal might hinder tax-free reorganization treatment. The public practice case study involves a theft loss arising from a Ponzi scheme. The researcher will determine the allowance, amount, and timing of any theft loss deduction for the victims. For completion of the assignment, professionals may use their own tax research software or will be provided with a 30-day trial of Checkpoint. Certificate. A Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Competency Certificate will be awarded to each participant upon their successful completion of the program requirements. LinkedIn. After completing the certificate program, professionals will be able to add this accomplishment to their LinkedIn profile. Recognition on Checkpoint Learning. Professionals who complete the course may opt to have their names posted to the Checkpoint Learning website as evidence of their satisfactory completion. Renewal. To renew, certificate holders will be required to maintain their tax research skills annually. This will be accomplished by successful completion of eight hours of specifically identified continuing education on the Checkpoint Learning platforms for a nominal renewal fee. Lock on Courses. The three online courses should be completed in the order presented. Likewise, the three webinars should be completed in order. However, the online courses and webinars may be taken concurrently. After completing the first online course, the second online course will be unlocked. After completing the second online course, the third online course will be unlocked. All online courses and webinars should be completed before beginning the case study. Webinar Cancellation Policy. Thomson Reuters reserves the right to cancel live webinar events in cases of low enrollment. In such circumstances, events will be cancelled 48 hours prior to the event. 2015 Thomson Reuters/Tax & Accounting. Page 6

Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program User s Guide Checklist for Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program Please use this checklist to stay on track with the Tax Research Certificate Program. 1. Online self-study course: Tax Research: Tax Law and Treasury Interpretations 4 CPE credits. Upon completion of component 1, the following course will automatically become available: 2. Online self-study course: Tax Research: Court Interpretations and Citator 8 CPE credits. Upon completion of component 2, the following course will automatically become available: 3. Online self-study course: Tax Research: Case Analysis 4 CPE credits. The following webinars can be taken concurrently with the online courses; however, they should be taken in the following order: 4. Webinar: Cracking the Code: Efficient and Thorough Tax Research Techniques - 2 CPE credits. 5. Webinar: Cracking the Code: Advanced Tax Research - 2 CPE credits. 6. Webinar: Cracking the Code: Hands-on Tax Research 2 CPE credits. Important! Take this after completion of items 1-5. Upon completion of items 1 6: 7. Case Study: Introduced during the Webinar: Cracking the Code: Hands-on Tax Research. The assignment will culminate in a tax research memo prepared by the professional and will be submitted in PDF format to the administrator at taxcertificate@thomsonreuters.com. Within four weeks of submission, you will receive an email with your graded tax memo and personalized feedback. For tax research memos with a score of 70% or higher, the email will also include a PDF of your Tax Research Competency Certificate. The official certificate will be mailed shortly thereafter. For tax research memos with a score of less than 70%, you will have two additional attempts for completion. The personalized feedback will assist in your tax memo revisions. Program Duration. The participant is allowed one year from the date of purchase for the satisfactory completion of all program requirements. Please keep in mind that the three webinars are only viewable on the dates and times specified o the program information web page. If you have questions or need assistance at any time, contact us as follows: For technical or customer service support, including billing, platform use and access, and registration issues related to the online course or webinars, log in to your cpeasy.com account or call 800.231.1860. For program overview information, please see the product page at http://www.cpeasy.com/trcp. For webinar schedule and registration, go to the webinars listed on the program page (or log in to CPEasy and go to My Account the Certificate Program tab Tax Research Certificate Program, and scroll down to Webinars). Please email checkpointlearning.cpecustomerservice@thomsonreuters.com for questions. 2015 Thomson Reuters/Tax & Accounting. Page 7

Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program User s Guide Accessing the Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program Accessing the Online Courses on CPEasy After successful purchase, the Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program will automatically be added to the user s My Account page on cpeasy.com under the Certificate Program tab. The following steps will guide you through accessing the program and online courses. 1. First go to the cpeasy.com and click the Sign In button: 2015 Thomson Reuters/Tax & Accounting. Page 8

Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program User s Guide 2. Next, enter your username and password and click SUBMIT: Vance Note: Clicking the REMEMBER ME box allows the website to remember your username and password upon your next visit, provided you do not clear your cache. 2015 Thomson Reuters/Tax & Accounting. Page 9

Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program User s Guide 3. Once logged in, click the My Account link in the left-hand panel: 2015 Thomson Reuters/Tax & Accounting. Page 10

Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program User s Guide 4. From the My Account page, the Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program will be located under the Certificate Program tab. To access the program, simply click on its title. 5. To begin the program, select the first course (or the first webinar). To begin, click Tax Research: Tax Law and Treasury Interpretations in the list of Courses: Note: Locked courses are denoted by a lock icon ( ) that will disappear upon sucessful completion of prerequisite courses. (See the Checklist for Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program on page 7 for a breakdown of the prequisites.) 2015 Thomson Reuters/Tax & Accounting. Page 11

Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program User s Guide 6. Upon clicking a course title, that course will open in a new window: 7. To navigate through the self-study course, utilize the drop-down arrow to advance chapters. 2015 Thomson Reuters/Tax & Accounting. Page 12

Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program User s Guide 8. Within the chapters of the course, you will find audio/video links; these are used to provide additional formats for learning the material. If you wish to only hear audio of the material, click the audio button. Click the video button to view the video on your PC. If you re viewing the material on a mobile device, click the mobile button to view the video in a mobile-friendly format. 9. Throughout the course, there are study/review questions that should be answered. Click on the Section Review link in the bottom-left corner to display the review questions for the chapter. Note: Clicking the textbook icon in the lower left of the question will change the text content in the upper pane to match the content relevant to the question. 10. At the conclusion of each online course, the quizzer must be passed to complete the course. Click on Final Quizzer to take a quiz over that online course s material. Once you successfully complete a course with a passing grade of 70% or higher, you can immediately print your CPE credit hours certificate (see the CPE Certificates chapter beginning at page 15). 2015 Thomson Reuters/Tax & Accounting. Page 13

Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program User s Guide Accessing the Webinars on LearnLive Creating an account with LearnLive is required to view the webinars on their scheduled event dates. If you do not have a LearnLive account, follow these simple instructions to complete the registration process and gain access to your webinar on its event date! LearnLive Registration/Access Instructions To navigate to a webinar on LearnLive, simply click an event title in the Webinars list under the Certificate Program tab of the My Account page (see steps 1 4 of Accessing the Online Courses section of Accessing the Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program chapter): New LearnLive User: Click the New Student Registration button and fill out the form to create a new user account. Once completed, close the window and click on the webinar link again and log in with your newly created user name and password. Existing LearnLive User: Enter your LearnLive username and password in the Student Login area and click Log In. You will then see instructions for preparing to view and viewing your webinar on its scheduled event date/time. Note: the following is an example only; webinars event dates and times will vary. Note: Webinars for this program are only accessible via the links on the Certificate Programs tab of the My Account page on CPEasy; they are not searchable on LearnLive directly. After you complete a webinar, you will immediately be presented with a CPE credit hours certificate to print. If you do not print it immediately, you may access the certificate later (see the Obtaining Your Individual Webinar CPE Certificates section starting at page 17 of the CPE Certificates chapter). 2015 Thomson Reuters/Tax & Accounting. Page 14

Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program User s Guide Marking Webinars as Complete After viewing a webinar, users must click the Completed checkbox next to each completed webinar. All three webinars must be marked as Completed to unlock the Final Exam. (Note: By checking a Completed box, the user is attesting and affirming that he or she has viewed the applicable webinar in its entirety.) The page at http://www.cpeasy.com says: A confirmation message will appear when the webinar is successfully marked as complete. Click OK to close the pop-up message and the course s event links will disappear to indicate it is complete. Accessing Webinars Marked as Complete If you have completed a webinar, but would like to review the content by attending a future event, simply uncheck the Completed box next to it and you will regain access to its event links. Be sure to recheck the Completed box next to any webinars you previously unchecked. 2015 Thomson Reuters/Tax & Accounting. Page 15

Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program User s Guide Completing the Case Study Important! The Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program is not awarded until the case study is complete. The case study is introduced during the Webinar: Cracking the Code: Hands-on Tax Research. Select either the corporate taxation or public practice case study based upon your practice area. To assist in completing the case study, a free 30-day trial of Checkpoint is available. The assignment will culminate in a tax research memo prepared by the professional and will be submitted in PDF format to the administrator at taxcertificate@thomsonreuters.com. Within four weeks of submission, you will receive an email with your grade and personalized feedback. For tax research memos with a score of 70% or higher, the email will also include a PDF of your Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Competency Certificate. The official certificate will be mailed shortly thereafter. For tax research memos with a score of less than 70%, you will have two additional attempts for completion. The personalized feedback will assist in your tax memo revisions. Registering for a Trial Subscription of Checkpoint Professionals may use their own tax research software or may use a trial subscription from Checkpoint. Information on the specific trial and all needed information to register for the trial will be provided to the participants in the webinar, Cracking the Code: Hands-on Tax Research. Since the trial is limited, it is recommended that participants should not sign up for the trial on Checkpoint until they are ready to begin their research for the case study. Checkpoint Free 30-day Trial 2015 Thomson Reuters/Tax & Accounting. Page 16

Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program User s Guide Creating a PDF of the Final Case Study for Submission Once you have completed writing the tax memo, please save it in PDF format for submission. There are two ways to save your file as a PDF. 2015 Thomson Reuters/Tax & Accounting. Page 17

Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program User s Guide 1. Either print the document to Adobe PDF 2. Or save the file as a PDF 2015 Thomson Reuters/Tax & Accounting. Page 18

Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program User s Guide CPE Certificates In addition to earning your Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Competency Certificate, you can also earn approximately 22 hours of CPE credit via the individual online courses and webinars available in the Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program. Obtaining Your Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Reform Competency Certificate Your Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Competency Certificate will be emailed to you once the Case Study has been successfully completed. You will receive your printed certificate by mail. Obtaining Your Individual Online Course CPE Certificates There are two ways to view and print your CPE credit-hours certificates for individual courses from CPEasy: 1. Click on the certificate icon ( ) next to the Course Evaluation link in the Courses list under the Certificate Programs tab in My Account (see steps 1 4 of Accessing the Online Courses section of Accessing the Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program chapter): 2. You can also view and print your certificate for a course by clicking the Print Certificate tab in the online course s window upon successful completion of the course s quizzer: 2015 Thomson Reuters/Tax & Accounting. Page 19

Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program User s Guide Either method will open your CPE certificate in a new window. Once your certificate is open, select your jurisdiction from the Select Sponsor drop-down menu at the top left corner of the certificate window: The certificate will refresh and reflect your selection in the appropriate fields: To print, simply click Print Certificate at the top of the window and follow your browser s printer prompts. When you are finished, click Close Window. 2015 Thomson Reuters/Tax & Accounting. Page 20

Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program User s Guide Obtaining Your Individual Webinar CPE Certificates Note: You will be provided a link to your CPE certificate immediately following the close of a webinar event. These instructions are provided in the event you do not access your CPE certificate immediately. To access your LearnLive webinars sponsored by Bisk CPEasy and to obtain prior CPE certificate records, you will first need to log in to your LearnLive student account at either www.learnlive.com or https://university.learnlive.com/login.aspx?brandingid=2018&ref=/webcastdesc.aspx?brandingid=2018 (see the Accessing the Webinars on LearnLive section of the Accessing the Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program chapter for login instructions). After logging in, click My Learning: Then click Completed Items: After clicking on My Learning, locate your webinar event, and click on the Certificate link located to the far right of the event title. After clicking the certificate link, you will be presented with an evaluation of the event if you had not previously completed one, which you may skip. (But we encourage you to complete it!) After completing or skipping the survey, your CPE certificate will be presented to you. You may then print your certificate using your browser s printer prompt. 2015 Thomson Reuters/Tax & Accounting. Page 21

Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program User s Guide Adding Your Certificate Credential to LinkedIn Updating Your LinkedIn Profile 1. Move your cursor over Profile at the top of your LinkedIn page, and select Edit Profile. 2. Under Add a section to your profile, click Add certifications. 3. Under Certification Name, type Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Competency Certificate. 4. Under Certification Authority, begin to type Thomson Reuters. A listing of companies will appear as you type. Select Thomson Reuters Information Technology and Services from the list to ensure that the Thomson Reuters logo appears next to the certificate on your profile: 5. Uncheck the box labeled This certificate does not expire. Then, fill in the date you earned your certificate and the date until your next renewal is due. 6. Click Save. Then, click Done editing. Now your certificate will be listed under Certifications. In addition to adding your certificate to LinkedIn, you can add Tax Research as a new skill. This will allow your peers to endorse you. 2015 Thomson Reuters/Tax & Accounting. Page 22

Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program User s Guide Firm Admin User Guide If you are administrating the Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program for your firm, this chapter will guide you through Firm Admin functionality, specifically how to invite firm members to take the certification program. Note: To purchase additional seats for the certificate program, please contact your National Account Manager at (800) 231-1860. Further, the program expiration date begins on the date the program was initially purchased, not on user enrollment dates or on dates when additional seats are purchased. Accessing Your Firm s Subscriptions and Certification Programs Once you are logged in to your CPEasy account (see steps 1 4 of Accessing the Online Courses section of Accessing the Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program chapter), click on Firm Admin in the left-hand navigation pane to access your firm s CPEasy account page. 2015 Thomson Reuters/Tax & Accounting. Page 23

Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program User s Guide Verifying Available Program Seats and Inviting Firm Members Once on your firm s CPEasy account page, the number of seats your firm has purchased for the certificate program will be displayed in the Subscriptions panel at the bottom: Here you will be able to see how many of the purchased seats are in use and how many available seats are remaining: To invite a member of your firm to take the Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program, simply click the Invite button on the program s row: Note: You will need your invitee s name and email address handy to send the invitation. 2015 Thomson Reuters/Tax & Accounting. Page 24

Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program User s Guide Make sure the Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program is checked, then enter the email address(es) of the firm member(s) you wish to invite to take the program in field number 2, separating multiple addresses with a comma (you may only invite as many people as your firm has seats available to use). Finally, enter the name(s) of your invitee(s) in field 3 and click Send Invitation. The system will automatically email the invitee(s) and provide them a link to accept the invitation to the program, which will automatically add it to their CPEasy account. If they do not already have a CPEasy account, they will be prompted to create one. 2015 Thomson Reuters/Tax & Accounting. Page 25

Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program User s Guide Upon logging in, the user will be prompted to accept the invitation to join the certificate program: Once the user clicks Accept, the Firm Admin will be emailed an acceptance notification and the seat will be deducted from the remaining seats available to the firm and the program will be added to that user s Certificate Program tab on the user s My Account page. Note: Invitations alone do not reduce the number of available seats. The number of purchased seats remaining is only reduced when an invitation is accepted. Firm Admins should keep this in mind so they do no accidentally send out more invitations than they have seats remaining. Viewing Firm Members Certificate Program Progress To view which invitees have enrolled in the Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program and check on their progress within the program, go to the Firm Admin account page and click on the certification program s title in the Subscriptions panel at the bottom of the page. The page that follows will display a list of users currently enrolled in the certification program, their status within the program, and the number of credits completed: 2015 Thomson Reuters/Tax & Accounting. Page 26

Checkpoint Learning Tax Research Certificate Program User s Guide In the event that a Firm Admin needs to deactivate a user s access to a program (e.g., if an invitee s employment with the firm ends), this may be accomplished by clicking the Deactivate button on the invitee s User Seat Usage Detail row. Note: Deactivating a user s access to the program does not return that seat to the pool of available seats. You must contact your National Account Manager to purchase additional seats. If you have any questions or experience trouble using the Firm Admin functions, please contact CPEasy at (800) 231-1860 or use the Contact Us link at the top right-hand corner of the CPEasy website for additional resources. You may also be able to find a solution by clicking the FAQ link. 2015 Thomson Reuters/Tax & Accounting. Page 27