CPE Catalog & Events

This course highlights significant updates that affect financial reporting and related attestation services. We will explore novel FASB pronouncements while examining the enduring impact of lease accounting and revenue recognition standards. This course will provide reminders regarding both GAAP and non-GAAP financial reporting alternatives for closely held entities. We will also explore selected guidance regarding audit, review, and compilation engagements.

This course is designed for practitioners in their first through fifth years of practice. Through a theoretical and practical study of Form 1040 and selected accompanying schedules, the course reviews the fundamental rules governing the preparation of individual income tax returns. Participants will examine taxpayer filing requirements and filing status, dependency determinations, reporting different types of income and adjustments to income, and the distinction between business income and hobby income. The course also reviews itemized deductions and the standard deduction, common refundable and nonrefundable income tax credits, and documentation requirements for Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) due diligence. In addition, the program addresses preparer responsibilities, ethical considerations in tax return preparation, and confidentiality, privacy, and disclosure requirements. *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  

Retaining Talent in a Competitive Marketplace -Creating a Benefits Program Employees Care About In today's competitive marketplace, retaining talented employees is becoming increasingly difficult. A solid benefits program can make a difference in the fight for talent - but only if those benefits matter to the employees you are trying to hire! Through statistics and case studies, this course will explore what benefits are most valuable to employees. We will also explore the basic types of retirement and health insurance plans and discuss what financial leaders should consider before adopting a benefits package. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Are you ready to expand your practice and offer comprehensive retirement planning services? Look no further! Delve deeper into the realm of IRAs and qualified retirement plans with this comprehensive eight-hour course tailored for financial practitioners. Understanding the intricate tax implications, design options, and strategic considerations of these plans is essential for meeting your clients' diverse retirement needs effectively. By the end of the program, practitioners will emerge equipped to confidently advise clients on a myriad of retirement planning strategies, enhancing their expertise and credibility in the field. Explore the intricacies of different IRAs, ranging from traditional to Roth, and gain valuable insights into SEPs, qualified plans, and contribution plans. Navigate through the complexities of 401(k) plans, including Roth 401(k)s, and master the art of seamlessly navigating minimum distribution rules. Through practical highlights, case studies, and real-world scenarios, this course empowers practitioners to not only select the optimal retirement plans for their clients' unique financial goals but also to provide personalized retirement solutions tailored to individual needs. Don't miss out on this opportunity to elevate your practice and establish yourself as a trusted advisor in retirement planning. Enroll today and embark on a journey towards maximizing your clients' financial future! *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  

New Technology, the move toward telecommuting, the widespread adoption of electronic documentation, and a wide range of other factors have significantly and forever changed the way business is conducted. It should go without saying that changes in tools and methods lead to upheaval in any organizations internal control system. In this session, we look at all the changes that are occurring and discuss what's coming in the not too distant future. The material then looks at how internal controls have been affected and what other updates are on the horizon. Anyone trying to use controls to keep their organization efficient and secure should consider this session because the rate of change to both operational methods and control processes has been and will continue to be incredible. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

*** CPE SAVINGS CODES DO NOT APPLY TO STAFF TRAININGS ***Develop your soft skills in training courses that benefit both the person attending and their organization. This course, part four of the five-course series, is applicable for various accounting departments (i.e. audit, tax, consulting, and accounting services) but because these are universal leadership concepts, they are equally applicable to other professional business leaders. AHI soft skills training will help improve efficiency, make managers and senior managers more effective with others, and increase the organization's bottom line. Also, as these courses often include other industries besides accounting, there is an opportunity to work and network with leadership professionals from other industries. Per NASBA's rules effective January 1, 2024, participants are required to be on camera and participate in the full and small group discussions to earn CPE credits for this Group Live - Virtual course. As such, please make sure you are set up properly with reliable internet (hard wired is best), a working camera, and a working microphone.

Session Overview: If you’re leading a small or mid-size company preparing for rapid growth — or you’ve just hit that thrilling, chaotic stretch where success creates new challenges — this session is for you. Everyone wants growth. Few are ready for what it really takes. In Scaling at the Speed of Trust, Steve Cadigan — LinkedIn’s first CHRO and architect of its legendary hyper-growth culture — shares the inside story of how the company scaled from 400 to 4,000 employees in just four years, and the lessons every growing business can apply today. Steve speaks to his experience scaling one of the most successful scaling ventures in business in the past two decades: LinkedIn. Cadigan was at the table building what many consider to be the gold standard of a high performing culture while going through rapid growth - through stories and real world examples, Cadigan provides an invaluable a unique insight into this critical phase of an organizations growth. This isn’t a talk about hiring faster — it’s about scaling smarter. Steve reveals how trust, transparency, and culture became LinkedIn’s greatest competitive advantage — and how small and mid-size firms can use the same principles to grow without losing what makes them great.  Who This Session Is For: Founders and CEOs navigating early-stage or mid-stage scale HR and People leaders building culture through rapid change Executives and managers preparing their teams for the next growth phase Anyone facing the tension between speed and sustainability

This course addresses the most recent legislative developments impacting individual taxpayers, with a focus on important provisions, rules and concepts to apply when preparing client 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 kori.herrera@acpen.com.  

Form 1041 is considered a complicated return by many practitioners, and the complexities have increased with recent legislation. This stems from the fact that there is terminology specific only to fiduciary entities, special accounting rules that fall somewhere between book and tax, and odd calculations such as "distributable net income" and "deductible DNI.— In this series of webcasts and through a series of schematics and spreadsheets, some of the mystery will be removed from the workings of fiduciary taxation and be replaced with an understanding of the structure and consistency that underlies this interesting little entity that has been around since the Crusades and has a long history of use and effectiveness. Be sure to register for all courses in this series: Fiduciary Taxation Part 1: Introduction to Form 1041 Fiduciary Taxation Part 2: Fiduciary Accounting & Simple Trusts Fiduciary Taxation Part 3: Complex Trusts & Charitable Deduction Fiduciary Taxation Part 4: Miscellaneous Topics & AMT

Seismic changes in tax legislation is currently taking place, and the well-informed tax practitioner will want to attend this two hour monthly program in order to stay abreast of these developments! Approximately one-half of the program is devoted to individual tax issues, and the remaining time is spend on business entity taxation, IRS procedure, tax legislation and other issues. Due to the changing nature of the topic, learning objectives, course descriptions and program content will vary and will be provided in more specificity closer to presentation time. This course provides 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.

How can you solidify an appropriate investment strategy based on risk, help clients stay on top of potentially life-altering situations and help them understand the intricacies of investment planning" Gain a better understanding of investment markets and the effects of world events, assess client risk and matching to expected return, deal with increasing client concerns, and develop better investment solutions in a rapidly changing environment. Attendees will consider the following questions during this course: How should you adjust your investment philosophy based on a world that is not secure" With new market heights attained often and unexpected events occurring regularly, how does one feel comfortable with an investment strategy" Where are investments headed in an economy'to some'on borrowed time" Be sure to register for all of our PFP updates: PFP Update: Income Tax, Retirement, and Estate Planning PFP Update: Issues, Exposures, and Developing Client Strategy PFP Update: Investment Planning in This New Era

Are you managing your cash, or is your cash managing you" Can you effectively project cash position a week, month or year from now" This seminar demonstrates how to develop long and short-term cash management processes, allowing for productive days and restful nights. This session provides timeless cash management techniques and strategies.

This course is designed to refresh your understanding of the critical importance of risk assessment in the audit practice. We'll briefly discuss the impact of AICPA's Clarity Project for audits and the need to update firm processes to incorporate the risk assessment standards. Participants may alternatively need to fine-tune an implementation of the risk assessment standards. These standards are designed to eliminate the connect-the-dots methodology of checklist auditing and add critical thinking back into the audit process. They remain a problem area for many firms, resulting in engagement and peer review deficiencies. This course has been updated to include a more in-depth discussion of SAS No. 145, Understanding the Entity and Its Environment and Assessing the Risks of Material Misstatement. We will break down this complex and misunderstood subject with an easy-to-understand approach.

Accounting and finance managers and executives must demonstrate sound soft skills necessary for personal growth and organizational success.  This course will provide insights into the most crtical  personal skills critical for CFOs and Controllers - or those that want to be!

Building a strong foundation by knowing the essentials By reviewing chapters 1-5 of *Government Auditing Standards*, 2024 Revision, you'll learn the fundamentals of performing engagements in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards (GAGAS). Your new knowledge will help you build an excellent foundation of the principles of GAGAS as you work to understand Yellow Book requirements and application guidance. Topics covered include: Foundational principles General requirements Standards for financial audits

Master the essential skills to build a high-performing team with our online course on interviewing, onboarding, and training. This comprehensive program dives into proven best practices for identifying top talent, creating a seamless onboarding experience, and fostering a culture of continuous development. Whether you’re a seasoned manager or new to hiring, this course equips you with the tools to make confident decisions, engage new hires effectively, and set your team up for success from day one.

The path from CPA to CFO has evolved dramatically in recent years, with only 43% of S&P 1000 CFOs holding CPA licenses in 2022, down from 55% a decade earlier. This comprehensive course, based on groundbreaking research from the Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs surveying over 320 CEOs and hiring executives, reveals what today's leaders truly seek in CFO candidates and provides a roadmap for CPAs to secure their seat at the executive table. Participants will discover the five critical competencies that distinguish successful CFO candidates: forward-looking financial acumen that goes beyond traditional reporting, strategic leadership skills including critical thinking and strategy creation, the evolving role of emotional intelligence, industry-specific expertise requirements, and the balance between technical proficiency and visionary leadership. Through practical frameworks, real-world examples, and actionable strategies, attendees will learn how to transform their CPA foundation into a comprehensive skill set that meets the dynamic demands of modern CFO roles, whether in high-growth companies, nonprofits, or traditional corporations. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Debt Management: Debt management often involves administering loan agreements and ensuring bank compliance. Compliance: Controllers help ensure compliance with federal and local laws, provisions, and financial regulations.

According to the FBI, “white-collar crime is … synonymous with the full range of frauds committed by business and government professionals … characterized by deceit, concealment, or violation of trust …. The motivation behind these crimes is financial—to obtain or avoid losing money, property, or services or to secure a personal or business advantage.”  CPAs can and should play a crucial role in preventing and detecting white-collar crime, as well as in prosecuting the perpetrators.  This session will explore whether we are up to this challenge, heighten awareness regarding the CPA’s role as a front-line defender of the public interest, and assess whether we are deserving of the public trust we enjoy.

Whether a financial statement preparer or user is more familiar with IFRS or U.S. GAAP, it is important to be familiar with the important differences between the two financial reporting frameworks. This course will highlight some of the more significant differences between the standards.