CPE Catalog & Events

The Sarbanes Oxley Act (SOX) continues to pose challenges with compliance. Companies must continue to evaluate whether they have designed and implemented an adequate system of internal controls over financial reporting (ICFR). This course will address the best practices that ensure an effective and efficient approach to SOX compliance. 

Discover the power of Office Scripts, the game-changing feature that lets you automate tasks in Excel and other Office applications effortlessly. Unlike VBA, which is limited to Windows, Office Scripts run on any platform and device that supports Office on the web. With its modern and intuitive interface, you can easily create, edit, and share your scripts, all stored securely in the Cloud. Office Scripts seamlessly integrate with Office Online apps and Power Automate, enabling you to streamline processes and boost productivity like never before. Say goodbye to repetitive tasks and hello to efficiency with Office Scripts in Excel and beyond!

In forensic accounting, interviewing is used to obtain important information from witnesses and suspects. An important aspect is the ability of investigators to obtain accurate and reliable information from victims, witnesses and the suspects or any interviewee. The interview process is an essential part of information gathering for any investigation. The importance of improving the quality of the interviewing with the potential for visual recording of all interviews should be placed high on the agenda of all organizations across the globe. A properly conducted forensic interview can result in an extreme benefit regarding collection of information. The interviewer’s role is to develop a full understanding of the facts. There is a distinct difference between a forensic interview and a criminal interrogation. Typically, forensic auditors will not be involved in interrogations. The Canadian or U.S. forensic accounting profession does not have a standardized interview model to truly equip its professionals with the interview tools required to elicit confessions ethically. Majority of their skills are developed through experience, and not through a standardized model of training.  This session focuses on various interview concepts and methods.  

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.

This course is a refresher of the more significant SSARS requirements for preparation, compilation and review engagements. Includes discussion of SSARS 26 and SSARS 27.

Running or advising a small business? The KPI Bootcamp can help you rapidly identify and implement the right KPIs to achieve your or your client's goals. Delivered by Bernie Smith, KPI specialist and seasoned entrepreneur, this course will guide you through selecting a powerful set of measures tailored to your business. The structured approach helps you refine your objectives and choose KPIs that drive growth and profitability. The program includes access to over 400 pre-defined KPIs, each with a clear, jargon-free definition, business benefits, real-world examples, and practical implementation tips.

With the increasing complexity and ever-changing nature of tax laws and issues, today’s accountant needs a partnership/LLC course focusing on the hottest tax topics and most frequently encountered issues. This case driven course will deal with both partnership/LLC and partner/member developments addressing the most common, yet complex Federal partnership/LLC issues and problems.   *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 is an updated overview of the single audit of state and local governments and not-for-profit organizations under the OMB Unified Circular, as well as the applicable AICPA standards for compliance audits. 

CPAs can be requested to assist attorneys in litigation support in criminal proceedings. For criminal tax cases, the IRS has recommended prosecution. However, the rules and stakes are different than a simple civil audit. This presentation will focus on how to assist defense attorneys in calculating tax loss, asking the right questions, and probe possible weaknesses in criminal tax investigations. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

In this continually revised course, tax advisors will be fully updated on the most recent enacted legislation and IRS guidance, as well as major trends on the horizon with a view toward planning considerations. This update course is designed for all practitioners, both those working in public accounting as well as those in private industry, who need the latest information on tax changes. Please Note: Due to content overlap, it is recommended that this course NOT be taken together with BITU.

This another course in our series on the controllership function. The controller's role encompasses many traditional responsibilities. The breadth and depth of the controller skill set has expanded and will continue to expand as the business world evolves. The controller position will typically lead teams of financial and accounting experts. Recognizing that leadership and team management skills are must-haves; they need to be able to command their team's respect, inspire them to act, and ensure that such actions are aligned with your organization's overall vision. These skills, along with tactical knowledge will ensure the controller's success.

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.

Join us for a dynamic training session tailored for leaders seeking to cultivate a culture of accountability while fostering respect and trust within their teams. High morale is intrinsically linked to high accountability in today’s fast-paced work environment. Through this session, leaders will explore the intersection of accountability, psychological safety, boundaries, and trust, gaining practical insights and actionable strategies to effectively hold their employees accountable while maintaining a positive and supportive work environment.

This segment is designed to evaluate Step Five of the new model dealing with recognizing revenue which is the final step in applying the new revenue recognition standard. For performance obligations that are fulfilled at a point in time, revenue is recognized at the fulfillment of the performance obligation. For performance obligations to be satisfied over time, an entity must decide how to appropriately measure the progress and completion of the performance obligation. A performance obligation is satisfied when or as control of the good or service is transferred to the customer. There are several issues companies should consider in applying step 5 of the standard: •   Determining if a Performance Obligation is satisfied over time •   Identifying indicators of transfer of control of good/services •   Utilizing input and output methods to measure progress of revenue recognition •   Understanding stand-ready obligations and how to apply discounts

This course is a complement to our series on Becoming a Forensic Accountant and the focus of the course is on steganography techniques. Steganography is the art and science of embedding secret messages in a cover message in such a way that no one, apart from the sender and intended recipient, suspects the existence of the message. The first use of steganography can be traced to 440 BC when ancient Greece, people wrote messages on wood and covered it with wax, that acted as a covering medium Romans used forms of Invisible Inks, to decipher those hidden messages light or heat were used. During World War II the Germans introduced microdots, which were complete documents, pictures, and plans reduced in size to the size of a dot and were attached to normal paperwork. Null Ciphers were also used to hide unencrypted secret messages in an innocent looking message. Given the amount of data being generated and transmitted electronically, it’s no surprise that numerous methods of protecting that data have evolved. There are various types of steganography: Text Steganography - Hiding information inside the text files. This involves changing format of existing text, changing words in a text, generating random character sequences or using context-free grammars to generate readable texts. Image Steganography - Process of hiding text in an image without distorting the picture. Video Steganography - Technique to hide any kind of files into a cover video file. Audio Steganography - The secret message is embedded into an audio signal which alters the binary sequence of the corresponding audio file. Network Steganography - The process of utilizing active network protocols as carriers to transmit a covert message, undetectable by an uninformed party, from a host to its destination. This session will review these methods and also discuss relevant software.  

Both IFRS and IFRS for SMEs are self-contained standards designed to meet the needs of specific financial statement users. This course is designed to explain the differences between the two standards, including disclosure requirements and recognition and measurement principles.

This course provides a focused update on major recent pronouncements issued by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board. Coverage includes GASB Statement No. 103 (financial reporting model improvements), GASB Statement No. 104 (enhanced disclosures for capital assets), and GASB Statement No. 105 (subsequent events). Participants will also receive a high-level overview of active GASB exposure drafts and ongoing projects. The course is designed to help auditors, preparers, and financial leaders understand how these developments affect audits, financial statement preparation, and board reporting.

Imagine you have one hundred boxes that are all supposed to be full of manufactured inventory. How do you obtain reasonable assurance—now defined as a high level of assurance—that each box is full without opening every one? You begin by assessing risk. If the client has strong internal controls over manufacturing, packing, and transport to the warehouse, there is reasonable assurance the boxes are properly filled. Next, evaluate warehouse security and controls over access, as well as procedures for removing inventory. Once satisfied that controls are both adequate and operating effectively, you can observe and count the boxes and selectively test a sample—ensuring you do not only choose the most accessible ones, as fraud is often concealed within the middle of the inventory. Based on this risk assessment and targeted testing, you can conclude with reasonable assurance that the inventory is properly stated without inspecting every box. This same approach applies to expenses and payroll: evaluate internal controls, observe processes, and perform independent test procedures. Weak internal controls in inventory, expenses, and payroll create opportunities for fraud that may lead to material misstatements. In this session, we will explore how these vulnerabilities arise and how to recognize and address them through effective audit procedures.

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.

Gain an invaluable skill set to advance your career by learning how to design and apply a comprehensive cost accounting system modeled on a real company. This course shows you how to precisely identify all direct and indirect manufacturing costs for each product, link direct costs to their base drivers, and recognize fluctuating variable and semi-fixed costs that are actually direct in nature. You’ll also learn how to trace certain fixed costs to products, distinguish which fixed costs are directly assignable, and apply budgeting techniques to establish accurate standard costs.  It's highly recommended to take Part 1 before Part 2 as several foundational principles in Part 1 carry forward throughout Part 2.