CPE Catalog & Events

We see multiple stories about the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and its entry into our lives in the form of AI tools, including ChatGPT. They seem to be everywhere. It is difficult to overstate how much things will change with the rise of these new technologies, or how important it is that companies embrace the opportunity to execute them correctly. Having conversations regarding the proper adoption of these technologies and tools is a crucial first step, including drafting policies to assist companies with their beneficial and thoughtful implementation and use. This course will define the state of AI tools, what benefits and risks exist, and which steps to take to begin adopting these technologies with appropriate guardrails, policies, and training. It is less likely that AI will destroy industries, and more likely that companies that embrace AI will overtake those companies that do not.

This course explores the leadership and coaching principles, concepts, frameworks, techniques, and competencies that will lead to a Coaching Leadership Style. While it is often said that effective leadership is situational, the leadership style that is employed in the everyday workplace is typically the dominant style of the leader. The leadership style that emphasizes coaching in lieu of others that are more autocratic, affiliative, or even more participative can be more fulfilling for the leader, employee, and team. The course illustrates how a Coaching Leadership Style leads to a highly desirable organization culture. This course takes the attendee through a coaching process and discovery that can be applied to various situations. Results one can expect from the Coaching Leadership Style are covered as are measurements depicting the success of this leadership style. The attendee will walk away with the knowledge and skills necessary to begin leading their company towards a coaching culture that will leave employees motivated, transformed and driven to higher levels of innovation and performance from the empowerment of the Coaching Leadership Style.

Cash flow management is often the most important task of any CFO or financial leader. Regardless of whether one works in start-ups or established companies, non-profit or for-profit entities, cash flow makes our organizations run. Have you ever wondered whether you are optimizing your company's cash flow? In this course, we will explore how to improve your company's cash flow using analysis and financial theories in the context of real-world situations. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

This course covers recently issued accounting and financial statement reporting standards from the Financial Accounting Standards Board. Key implementation challenges and experiences from public company filings will be identified. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

The Secure Act 2.0 was passed in a flurry of year-end legislation. This one hour program will cover the important changes that employers need to know about company retirement plans. Employers will also need to consider how Secure Act 2.0 will the administration of existing plans or the creation of new ones.  This course will provide a concise look at these hot topics.   **Please Note:  If you need credit reported to the IRS for this IRS approved program, please download the IRS CE request form on the Course Materials Tab and submit to kori.herrera@acpen.com.

In today's challenging talent market, accounting firms face unprecedented pressure to retain their best performers. This course provides actionable, research-backed strategies to help firms keep their top talent from leaving. Based on comprehensive surveys of both current accounting professionals and those who have recently left the profession, participants will learn the real reasons employees stay or go-and what firms can do about it. The course goes beyond simple solutions like "pay more, expect less" to explore comprehensive retention strategies including whole-person compensation, work-life balance improvements, career development pathways, and necessary business model transformations. Participants will discover why 73% of surveyed professionals want to stay with their current firm, yet many still leave-and how to bridge that gap. Key topics include understanding the true cost of turnover versus retention, implementing flexible work arrangements that actually work, creating meaningful career paths for non-partner track professionals, and transforming firm operations to support both profitability and employee satisfaction. Special attention is given to retaining diverse talent and adapting to the expectations of younger professionals who will comprise 27% of the workforce by 2025. Whether you're a firm leader, HR professional, or manager responsible for team retention, this course provides the insights and tools needed to build a sustainable talent strategy in an evolving profession. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

As financial and tax professionals well know, information overload is a constant struggle we face because things change quickly, and the sheer number of changes being made on a daily basis is enormous. Of great importance to small and medium tax and advisory firms is differentiating between changes that are relevant to our practice and our clients and changes that are new but totally irrelevant. Distinguishing between the two is difficult and time-consuming. Mike Tucker and a team of experts are pleased to present a weekly series designed to eliminate the clutter and get you what you need to stay up-to-date and perform for your clients. Mike and his co-presenters will dispense news on current events impacting taxes, finance, and industry. The subject matter will differ each week and intermittently include topics such as Social Security and Medicare. The panelists will discuss personal and corporate tax matters as well as other late-breaking news related to practitioners' personal finances and those of their clients. Every financial professional will benefit from this series. This is a cost-effective way for accountants to fulfill their compulsory continuing education because this weekly series will include almost 40 one-hour presentations. Sign up today — your clients and your bottom line will thank you.

The objective of corrective action is to change conduct through teaching. Corrective action may be sequential, out of order, repetitive, or not appropriate to take at all. The action selected should reflect the type, frequency, and severity of the misconduct. Changing conduct through teaching requires effective employee relations skills. This course provides practical knowledge and scripts for handling a wide array of sensitive misconduct situations with good judgment, such that personal and employer liability is avoided.

Common Audit and Financial Reporting Deficiencies in State and Local Governments, is a 2 hour webcast detailing many of the more common mistakes that auditors and accountants are making in either the preparation of their annual financial statements or the audits of such financial statements. Deficiencies in audit standards (AICPA, GAO, Single Audit) and preparation standards (GASB) noted in this webcast are driven by the most recent results found in audit organization peer reviews, workpaper or desk reviews, and various organizations checklists for oversight. 

This session offers insight for tax practitioners beyond merely checking a box to satisfy accounting and auditing requirements for license renewal. We devote significant attention to extracting utility from financial statements to support decision needs of both external financial statement users and internal stakeholders. We explore best practices for cross-functional support within firms that perform tax, accounting solutions, financial statement, and consulting services. We also highlight similarities and differences between U.S. GAAP and tax-basis accounting.

How to properly account for and audit digital records is increasingly gathering importance as more entities have cryptocurrency and other digital assets on their financial statements. This course will address common questions, risks, and challenges evolving in this area. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Valuation techniques and cash management activities are two other tool categories that can round out your analytical toolbox. In this course we will initially discuss how to turn your financial plan into a powerful valuation engine.  We then will discuss the formation of an efficient cash management program based on solid banker relationships.  Finally, we will review Ten Steps for keeping your financial toolbox full.

The term "artificial intelligence" (AI) has become mainstream and while most have a layperson's understanding of AI, few know the depth and breadth of this technology's capability. AI is affecting just about everything in business and in people's personal lives. The operation of an internal control system is also changing because of this incredible advancement. This session explains what AI is and how it works and then goes into detail about how it can be applied to a system of internal control. The material speaks about changes occurring in today's world as well as what's coming in the not-too-distant future. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

U.S. Department of Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) imposed a new reporting requirement that went into effect on January 1, 2024. Millions of businesses may have to file a Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) Report. In a surprise turn of events, the Federal District Court from the Northern District of Alabama ruled on March 1, 2024 in National Small Business United v. Yellen ("NSB") that the CTA is unconstitutional. This course will discuss the CTA's provisions and the court's decision in NSB. Also covered will be future implications for business entities and steps to consider given the recent ruling. We will also discuss recent proposed rulemaking by FinCen with respect to nonfinanced purchases of residential real estate and gratuitous transfers so that businesses can prepare for any additional reporting burdens that might arise. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

When do they exist and how to report them? This program will provide a detailed analysis of the real estate professional passive activity rules, including forms reporting examples, and integrates those rules with when real estate is considered a "business" under the Section 199A flow-through entity deduction.   *Please Note:  If you need credit reported to the IRS for this IRS approved program, please download the IRS CE request form on the Course Materials Tab and submit to terri.storer@acpen.com  

Many self-employed or sole proprietors find themselves having to navigate Schedule C in reporting business income.  While this attachment to Form 1040 seems straightforward on the surface, there are many traps for the unwary. This course is ideal for CPAs, EAs, or other tax professionals. **Please Note:  If you need credit reported to the IRS for this IRS approved program, please download the IRS CE request form on the Course Materials Tab and submit to kori.herrera@acpen.com.

Transform your Excel skills with our comprehensive training program, designed for users at all levels seeking to master the full suite of Excel capabilities. From powerful data analysis tools like PivotTables and advanced functions such as XLOOKUP, to the nuances of Data Validations and Conditional Formatting, this course offers a deep dive into Excel's most impactful features. Whether you're streamlining complex data sets, enhancing your reporting skills, or just looking to boost your productivity, this session provides the insights and techniques you need to leverage Excel to its fullest potential, making it an indispensable tool in your professional or personal toolkit. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Explore the transformative impact of technology on the audit profession in this forward-looking course. Gain practical insights into cutting-edge tools and trends, including data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and automation, and discover how these advancements are revolutionizing audit methodologies and improving audit quality. Through engaging demos, case studies, and actionable tips, you'll learn how to navigate the evolving audit landscape with confidence and adaptability. This session is designed to equip CPAs with the knowledge to embrace innovation and stay ahead in a rapidly changing profession. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

In the course of legal actions, payments may be made pursuant to a final disposition of a court case or a mutually agreed-upon settlement.  This course will cover the tax implications for payments made for personal injury, emotional distress, lost wages, punitive awards, pre- and post-judgement interest, contract claims, among other damages. **Please Note:  If you need credit reported to the IRS for this IRS approved program, please download the IRS CE request form on the Course Materials Tab and submit to kori.herrera@acpen.com.  

There is always too much to do and too little time to do it all.  Fortunately, if you know the right ways to manage people, projects and your time, you can get on top of everything by working smarter.  In Part 2 of this seminar we will go into more depth about how to get more done in less time, as well as how to not burnout from all the work you do.  We will discuss additional methods for working smarter through technology, communication, stress reduction, and creating smart and helpful goals.