CPE Catalog & Events

This course provides a concise overview of Gemini AI, Google's advanced multimodal artificial intelligence model. It explains how Gemini is integrated into different Google products, including Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and as a stand-alone chatbot. Participants will learn how Gemini enhances productivity by summarizing email threads, suggesting responses, drafting emails, generating formulas, creating tables, and more. By the end of the course, students will have a solid foundation in understanding Gemini AI's role in the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Many clients are asking their advisors about Trump Accounts, one of the most anticipated yet misunderstood provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). This program will provide practitioners with the background to be able to advise their clients regarding how Trump Accounts operate. The course will also discuss the comparison between Trump Accounts and other accounts, such as 529 Plans and Roth IRAs. In addition, coverage will be provided on how the pilot program will function to give $1,000 to newborns.

In February 2016, FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases, which provides new guidelines that change the accounting for leasing arrangements. To be able to properly account for leases, financial professionals must understand ASU 2016-02 (also referred to as Topic 842). This guidance covers information on how leases should be accounted for. The previous leasing standard (ASC 840) had been in existence for almost 40 years. Under ASC Topic 842, lessors continue to classify leases as operating, direct financing, or sales-type. While lessees now classify leases as operating or financing leases. Previous guidance only required capital leases to be reflected on the BS. The new guidance requires all leases to be reflected on the BS. This is a major change for organizations and will cause their balance sheets to swell as leases must now be disclosed on the balance sheet. The standards original effective dates were prior to 2019. In April 2020, due to COVID-19, FASB voted to defer the effective date for ASC 842 for private companies and certain not-for-profit's for one year. For private companies and private not-for-profits, the leasing standard will be effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022. For public companies the leasing standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The course covers elements of lease classification for both lessees and lessors. Also, numerous examples are incorporated as reference.  

In a competitive economy, CPA's  and their firms need a way to stand out. The best way to do this is to give outstanding service to your clients. In this experiential workshop, you’ll learn skills that lead to dramatic client satisfaction. In addition, you'll learn several specific ways to guarantee you'll get a lot of word of mouth referrals that will lead to a dramatic increase in your number of clients.

This program addresses the role of client internal controls for balancing efficiency and effectiveness in a risk-based audit. Practical insights regarding an auditor's assessment of the risk of material misstatement when auditing financial statements of non-issuers will be explored, with particular emphasis on internal controls of small-to-medium clients. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available for your questions during the event.

This comprehensive training is designed to get the accountant up to speed quickly with partnership and limited liability company (LLC) formation and preparation issues as well as a complete understanding of calculating a partner and LLC member’s basis. The cornerstone of this course is the in-depth line-by-line analysis of the Form 1065 Schedule K and K-1 and how these items affect the partner/member’s individual income tax return.   *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    

Yellow Book and Single Audit reporting entities have complex and unique financial statement audit, compliance and reporting issues. Deficiencies in these types of audit engagements are common. This course will reduce the likelihood of noncompliance with relevant professional and regulatory auditing and reporting standards.

The tax landscape is constantly changing, challenging tax practitioner to stay abreast of these developments. This eight hour program will cover issues unique to business entities, including new court decisions, recent IRS publications, and the latest tax legislation that will impact businesses and individuals. The remaining time will be spent on IRS procedure and other issues. This course will provide a concise look at the hottest topics affecting every tax practitioner. 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 will serve as an introduction to conducting effective walkthroughs to gain an understanding of the client's transaction processes as well as identifying internal controls within each process. This course will review the procedures, questions to ask, and documentation requirements of walkthroughs. It will also include real-world examples of the red flags that may arise while executing a walkthrough. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Enterprise Risk Management for SMEs

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.  The same theory applies to departmental performance—the overall result is only as strong as its weakest contributor.  Leave our interactive and entertaining session with insight for developing and sustaining the best team you can possibly assemble.  The four elements in this process are (1) development, (2) leadership, (3) hiring and (4) environment.  Discuss how to effectively use these elements in your creation of an outstanding organization. Discover the power of the 10 Attributes for Leadership Success and the negative impact of Leadership’s Fatal 13. Above all, learn how to combine these four elements as a successful catalyst for sustained high-quality output and results.  

Thsi course provides a comprehensive overview of Written Information Security Plans (WISP), focusing on their purpose, requirements, and implentation. All PTIN holders must certify they have a WISP prior to renewal, along with certifying the training of employees, staff and contractors as necessary. Participants will explore the history and legal foundation of WISP under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, and how compliances is enforsed through IRS Circular 230, AICPA Statments of Standards, The American Bar Associations and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

This is a two-part series that discuss new trends and concepts the financial controller should begin to execute in order to truly become a valued member of the senior leadership team. The rapid pace of the evolving technological landscape has promoted changes in how accountants and financial professionals focus attention on strategy and modernize their roles to leverage digital technology. There is increased demand for enhancing flexibility into finance cycles and initiating real-time reporting and insights. These are the core attributes that will assist in transforming the work that controllership function performs. Is the financial controllership prepared to meet future business demands? The IMA® (Institute of Management Accountants) and Deloitte’s Center for Controllership aimed to better understand the current state of controllership and expectations of future demands for controllers and accounting professionals. They conducted a survey in late 2022 and identified several trends. The survey takes a look at how prepared controllership is to meet future business demands. It also highlights some insights for leaders to consider that may increase their preparedness. It also identified areas of additional insight and questions to answer on the controllership transformation journey. In this segment one, we go through numerous concepts in detail and the remaining concepts will be covered in segment two.

Are you ready to take your productivity to the next level? Join our exclusive two-hour CPE course designed for accounting professionals and technology enthusiasts. Discover how to harness the power of Microsoft 365's versatile applications to streamline your workflows and enhance collaboration. In this course, you'll explore ten essential apps, including Shared Mailboxes, Planner, Lists, To Do, Stream, Viva Learning, Forms, Bookings, Approvals, and Places. Discover how to effectively integrate these tools into your daily tasks and experience immediate improvements in your efficiency. Don't miss out on this opportunity to unlock the full potential of Microsoft 365 and transform the way you work. Sign up now and take the first step towards a more productive and collaborative work environment!

This is a specialized course designed for experienced accounting professionals who are looking to strengthen their interpersonal and professional skills in maintaining appropriate boundaries within and beyond the workplace. This course delves deep into the complexities of workplace relationships, personal practices, & ethical dilemmas, providing participants with advanced strategies to effectively manage professional distances and avoid problematic conflicts of all kinds. Through interactive sessions, case studies, and expert guidance, attendees will learn how to navigate sensitive situations with tact and integrity, ensuring that their professional conduct remains impeccable, and their careers continue to thrive in an increasingly complex business environment.

Understanding the complexities of estate and gift taxation can be challenging for many financial professionals, especially those who lack direct experience in this area. In this comprehensive course, participants will gain a solid foundation in Federal estate and gift tax law, providing them with the necessary tools to confidently handle tax compliance issues related to Forms 706 and 709. By exploring the details of the Internal Revenue Code sections pertinent to estate and gift taxation, attendees will gain a thorough understanding of key concepts, including deductions, valuations, and tax credits. This practical knowledge will not only enhance their expertise but also empower them to provide effective tax planning strategies for their clients. Throughout the course, participants will investigate essential topics such as the valuation of assets, deductions for funeral and administrative expenses, charitable and marital deductions, and the calculation of tax credits. By mastering these critical areas, financial professionals will be better equipped to navigate the challenges of estate and gift taxation, ultimately enabling them to provide comprehensive and effective tax planning services for their clients. Whether you're looking to expand your expertise or deepen your understanding of tax compliance issues, this course offers invaluable insights and practical knowledge that can immediately be applied in your practice. **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 data-driven world, Microsoft Excel has become an essential tool for professionals in any organization. To harness the full potential of Excel, it is crucial to understand and master its lookup functions. This course is designed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively utilize Excel's lookup functions and enhance their data analysis capabilities. Throughout this comprehensive course, participants will dive deep into the world of lookup functions and gain experience through practical exercises and real-world scenarios. Whether you're a seasoned Excel user looking to fine-tune your skills or a beginner eager to unlock Excel's full potential, this course is tailored to meet your learning needs. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Not-for-profit organizations always need volunteers as treasurers or members of the financial oversight committee! CPAs are often asked to fulfill these roles. This course highlights the financial accounting needs of such organizations. Along with covering the status of the not-for-profit organizations, an update on recent ASC updates affecting nonprofit entities is covered. This course is geared toward hands-on, or future hands-on, treasurers of service clubs and similar not-for-profit organizations.

Participants will go over the changes on preparation, compilation and review engagements using SSARS rules, followed by a general overview of how to perform these services. This interactive workshop is designed for practitioners in small and medium-sized CPA firms and will include a lecture with generous time for questions and case studies.

Many accountants desire to have a quick overview of only the most current issues in accounting and financial reporting. This course will provide an executive summary of the most important changes in U.S. GAAP. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.