CPE Catalog & Events

This session will address the complex rules of retirement distributions, review key provisions of the SECURE Act 2.0, and provide practical strategies of maximizing tax benefits for your client. **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.

Are you a new advisor handling S Corp clients, or perhaps a seasoned professional facing this common scenario: "My S Corp client didn't take reasonable compensation last year. Now what?" Knowing that reasonable compensation isn't just a tax obligation, but a strategic financial decision, you need to be armed with expert knowledge to help your client navigate this situation. Join us to discuss IRS regulations, understand preventive measures, and address challenges within the year. 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 corresponds to our Controllership series. Within this course, we specifically address the Controllers role and pro-active potentials in organization Strategic and Annual Planning. This series of courses is dedicated to exploring the traditional controller role and stepping out of the box to identify areas where the Controller can add strategic value to their organizations. Controllers are essential to the day-to-day accounting for organizations. Yet, the role is not often readily understood. In today’s world of acronyms such as CFO, CEO, COO, CAO, etc. the Controller function may get lost in the shuffle. However, they are a critical group of professionals who ensure the adequacy and transparency of accounting and financial reporting information. When it comes to the task of strategic planning, many feel this role is primarily the responsibility of the executive team and board. However, in this course, we delve into the various steps of the strategic plan and explore where the Controller can add strategic value through providing functional input and insight. Strategic planning is a process used to identify goals, the strategies necessary to accomplish those goals, and the internal performance management system that will be used to monitor and evaluate progress.  

Many for-profit entities receive government assistance or are required to have financial statement or compliance audits due to law or regulation. This course will discuss the requirements under Generally Accepted Auditing Standards relevant to for-profit entity audits.

Transform your data presentation skills with our comprehensive course on creating impactful dashboards and reports using Excel. This workshop is tailored for professionals who: Regularly produce or update dashboards and reports Struggle with confusing or overly complex reporting tools Seek to streamline varied reporting styles across their organization Aim to establish a consistent, replicable "house style" for reporting Want to impress stakeholders with clear, user-friendly data presentations Through a combination of theory and hands-on practice, you'll learn the fundamental principles that make reports and dashboards easy to understand. We'll distill these concepts into a set of practical rules and guide you through their application in Excel.

In trying to achieve life balance, various internal and external obstacles arise.  In this course we will look at these obstacles and provide specific ways to overcome them.  In addition, we will look at how to excel in every area of your life including your relationships, finances, sense of purpose, level of  happiness, and your physical health and leisure time pursuits.  You will leave this course with powerful methods and a specific plan to move forward in your life in a balanced, healthy, and productive manner.  Don't forget to take Part 1 of this amazing course.

This case-driven training is designed to get the inexperienced accountant up to speed quickly in the most common areas of partnership, limited liability company (LLC) and limited liability partnership (LLP) taxation. A cornerstone of this course is the preparation of the Form 1065 using a fairly complex trial balance common to most partnership, LLP and LLC income tax returns.   *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  

This course offers a comprehensive exploration of the cannabis industry, delving into essential topics such as cannabis regulations, business models, financial management, and ethical considerations. A key focus is on distinguishing between Marijuana and Industrial Hemp, including their respective tax treatments. Participants will gain a thorough understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities within the cannabis sector, covering federal and state tax implications, licensing requirements, and market trends. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

*** Save 15% on this event when you use the code SAVE15 at checkout *** Theory meets practice in this immersive, hands-on lab designed for immediate implementation. Participants will move through a series of practical exercises simulating the setup and usage of AI-driven research and production tools in a professional environment. We will cover the mechanics of secure document analysis, the proper documentation of AI-assisted workpapers to meet supervision standards, and the deployment of firm-specific AI assistants. This session focuses on the "how-to" of AI integration, providing attendees with a tangible library of prompts and a step-by-step action plan to initiate or scale AI usage within their practice the very next day.

Volume to Value: A New Era of Precision Hiring in Accounting examines how accounting firms are shifting from high-volume recruiting models to "precision hiring" as AI adoption accelerates and talent scarcity continues. Participants will explore why traditional hiring processes often overemphasize technical accounting knowledge while under-assessing the competencies that most impact performance-critical thinking, professional communication, and AI ethics awareness. The course explains how AI-enabled recruiting tools can support candidate screening, assessment, and retention forecasting, and why firms that do not modernize their hiring approach may struggle to compete for top talent. Participants will leave with practical approaches to competency-based assessment, ethical guardrails for AI use in hiring, and a high-level implementation roadmap with metrics to evaluate quality of hire, performance, and retention. 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, we will go through numerous concepts in detail.  

This is a dynamic course tailored for seasoned accountants who are looking to elevate their skills in navigating and leading through organizational change. This advanced program focuses on enhancing agility by providing the tools and techniques necessary to manage and adapt to rapid shifts in the accounting landscape. Participants will explore theoretical frameworks alongside practical strategies that support effective change management for diverse business environments.

Data security and privacy issues persist as a significant concern for businesses of all sizes. No matter where you look, the numbers are bad - really bad! But that doesn't mean you can't take steps to reduce these risks. In this session, you will learn about the key security and privacy risks facing businesses today and the steps you can take to mitigate these risks. This session begins with a review of how cybercriminals target businesses of all sizes and the associated costs of these attacks. From there, you will progress to discussions of practical tools, policies, and other solutions that can be used to mitigate cybersecurity risks to prudently acceptable levels. This is a "must-see" session for all concerned about data security and how to mitigate threats to sensitive and confidential data.

AU-C Section 315 requires the auditor to gain an understanding of the entity and its environment and the entity's internal controls in order to design appropriate audit procedures. This course will review the key requirements of COSO which is one of the most widely used internal control frameworks. We'll also review the limitations of internal controls. Additionally, this course will introduce the risk assessment process and the various audit procedures to evaluate controls and to determine whether to test the operating effectiveness of controls. 

This course will allow you to get reacquainted with the statement of cash flows. We will refresher your skills regarding both the preparation and utilization of the statement of cash flows. Significant emphasis will be placed on the informational role of the statement of cash flows and insights that can be obtained using the statement of cash flows in concert with the other elements of a company’s accrual-basis financial statements.

Gift taxation is a critical component of estate planning, and Form 709 serves as the key reporting tool. This course provides a comprehensive line-by-line guide to preparing Form 709, ensuring accuracy and compliance. Participants will learn how to determine taxable gifts, apply exclusions, and utilize available deductions. Special attention will be given to valuation techniques, gift-splitting, and generation-skipping transfer tax (GSTT) considerations. Additionally, this course will examine any new legislative changes from the current administration and how they may impact gift tax planning and reporting. *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

*** This is not a Florida-Approved Ethics Course*** This webinar invites participants to explore the powerful intersection of ethics, spirituality, love, and belonging in the workplace. By shifting from transactional interactions to values-driven communities, organizations can cultivate cultures that honor human dignity while enhancing productivity. This is a heart centered and practical webinar emphasizing how love, belonging and spirituality shape ethical choices. Through a blend of practical strategies for personal and organizational growth and research- based insights, the session demonstrates that these elements are not optional "nice-to-haves." Instead, they are essential drivers of organizational success; shaping environments where people feel valued, connected, and inspired to contribute their best. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Answering clients' tax questions accurately and on time is a key challenge for tax practitioners. Through simple, plain language explanations and examples, this course will help practitioners perform tax research more efficiently by describing the structure of the primary sources, highlighting the differences between primary and secondary sources, and detailing the steps in the tax research process.

This session revisits useful, but potentially underutilized, managerial accounting techniques. You will appreciate a fresh look at concepts you may not have considered since your college days. We will illustrate practical ways you can immediately implement managerial accounting analysis in your professional endeavors. 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 explore the use of ChatGPT and artificial intelligence chatbot technologies in the accounting profession. Participants will learn how to utilize ChatGPT to automate tasks, improve efficiency and accuracy, and provide real-time support to clients. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.