CPE Catalog & Events

Business intelligence efforts continue to grow, and Microsoft’s Power BI platform is central to many of these efforts. Participate in this session to learn more about business intelligence and how to create dashboards using Power BI.

Every organization claims to be ethical, but words and deeds do not always jibe. How do you assess the real Ethics of an organization?  What are the key factors and behaviors to be aware of? Many organizations lack prescriptive policies, but is that an excuse to deviate from the spirit of doing the right thing? How can professionals abuse ‘what is right’ and circumvent policies for their personal benefit. What are some egregious examples of violating policies? How allowing exceptions invites abuse. This seminar outlines steps to gauge the ethics of an organization.

What happens when businesspeople think they can lie and cheat at work, as long as it makes a profit? Some believe that business is like war, and there are no rules!  Do you really want to behave differently in business than in your personal life? Can, or should, ethics be ‘switched on’ or off?

Cybercrime is on the rise and CPAs that handle sensitive client data are often the target of cybercrimes.  By attending this session you'll learn what the eight biggest threats are to your business and uncover the three pillars of cybersecurity that you can build your firm's defense around.

What would you do when ___? Is would the same as should? Examples; Rashmi Airan-Pace and Yale Law School. What should you do when a vendor offers to give you tickets to the NCAA Final Four basketball tournament and your organization will permit it? Prepare for ‘situations’ before they happen to you.

In today's dynamic business environment, preserving a unified and engaged team culture is more challenging than ever. As the rhythm of work accelerates and organizational structures evolve, silent threats can begin to undermine our established team dynamics. These undercurrents, if left unaddressed, can erode morale, dampen productivity, and weaken the team's cohesion. This session offers a deep dive into strategies that can help identify, address, and neutralize these challenges, ensuring a positive, resilient, and inclusive workplace culture. Attendees will be equipped with a blend of insights and actionable strategies, enabling them to both recognize and respond to these potential pitfalls.

There are multiple facets to ethical choices, including should you use your ‘head’ or your ‘heart’? What are the pros and the cons?  How can we balance these opposing views?  This seminar outlines the value of; trust, courage, fairness, sensitivity, persistence, honesty and gracefulness – to help us make better ethical decisions.

In 2020, 96% of the world’s largest 250 companies published reports on their sustainability performance in accordance with national and international standards.   Now many more companies are committing to sustainability, and Net Zero emissions in particular.   This creates a new responsibility and opportunity for HR leaders.   Staff must be trained in new policies, goals and procedures.  Executives need help as leaders in this new approach.  This one-hour course summarizes SHRM research into HR and sustainability, plus other expert sources and the instructor's own 30-year journey helping companies become more sustainable.   The course presents key concepts, tools and sources to help HR find its role.

This is the beginning of a series that will cover major aspects of the Controllership function. 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. A Controller is an individual who has responsibility for all accounting-related activities including high-level accounting, managerial counting, and finance activities within a company. The duties of a Controller include assisting with the preparation of the operating budgets, overseeing financial reporting, and performing essential duties relating to payroll. However, in today’s evolving world, the Controller function can provide much more in-depth value to their organizations. This series 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. In this first course we focus on the typical Controller function and begin to identify ways to elevate the function.  

Why do for profit organizations exist??? To make money!!!!! What a great concept. But if the organization does not have the proper collections and credit procedures in place, they may not be able to access that money. Hence the importance of the credit and collection process. Credit and collections are critical areas for the financial statement controllers. Customer credit is a form of payment that allows small business customers to purchase a product or service before paying for it in full. The process works similarly to the way a credit card does - you procure something and pay it back later. Collections is a term used by a business when referring to money owed to that business by a customer. When a customer does not pay within the terms specified, the amount of the bill becomes past due and is sometimes submitted to a collection agency. The sales and collection process includes business activities related to selling products and services, maintaining customer records, billing customers, and recording payments from customers. It also includes activities necessary to manage accounts receivable, such as aging accounts and authorizing credit.  This course delves into the topics that impact the sales, credit and collections process for management. We discuss strategic steps management can take to ensure their processes are efficient and that they are able to actually collect their revenue.  

Award winning discussion leader Mark Hugh discusses both nexus basics and new developments in the dynamic, ever changing world of state income and sales tax nexus. This valuable course answers your frequently asked questions, reviews key factors in examining potential nexus consequences, takes a tour through the rules in states comprising 50% of the US, and identifies free, online multistate resources. 

Join us for a discussion on what has changed in 2024 for the CTA. This course covers the latest on the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA). We will discuss the new filing timelines, including the recent extension, and will make sense of the broadened definition of "beneficial owner". We will also discuss the ruling in Alabama that has changed things. By the end of this, you’ll have the know-how to craft solid compliance plans that don't just check boxes but work seamlessly in the real world. Expect to leave armed with concrete tips for keeping your clients while staying away from any fines. Make sure you are up to date with the newest financial regulations. **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.

Non-fungible Tokens (NFTs), unique, identifiable digital assets based on blockchain technologies, have become a fast-growing industry. This course will provide a background on how NFTs came into the mainstream marketplace.  These materials will assist the practitioner to understand the tax implications of the creation, purchase and sale of these assets.  **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.

Navigating the challenges of estate and gift taxation can be overwhelming for practitioners, especially those lacking extensive experience in this field. In this comprehensive course, participants will undergo a practical exploration through the preparation of the Federal Forms 706 and 709 - line by line. Through hands-on instruction, attendees will gain invaluable insights into the complexities of tax compliance, equipping them with the skills and confidence needed to seamlessly integrate estate and gift tax preparation into their practice. With a focus on practical application, this course offers participants a unique opportunity to master the preparation of crucial tax returns, enhancing their professional expertise and strengthening client service offerings. From a detailed overview of the Federal Forms 706 and 709 to insights on complying with "Portability" and navigating postmortem estate planning issues, attendees will emerge with a newfound proficiency in estate and gift tax preparation, ready to excel in their 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.

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 this seminar you'll learn the best ways to get more done in less time, how to stay sane with all you have to do, and how to get other people to do some of "your" work by building great relationships.

Stay at the forefront of business income taxation with this essential course tailored for tax practitioners seeking to enhance their expertise. This course offers an in-depth review of the intricacies surrounding business income taxation, focusing on the latest developments for the current tax year. Dive into recent changes and updates within the tax code, providing you with a comprehensive understanding of the evolving tax landscape. Equip yourself to effectively navigate new regulations, guidelines, and strategies while assisting clients in optimizing their business income tax planning. 

Excel is the accountant’s tool of choice for analyzing and reporting financial data, yet many use time-consuming and error-prone processes to complete everyday tasks. Regardless of your level of experience, if you use Excel, you need this course to learn more efficient and effective ways to work with Excel. In this course, you will discover countless tips, tricks, and techniques to improve your general level of productivity, reduce the amount of time you spend on mundane tasks, such as formatting, and customize Excel for greater accuracy and efficiency. You will also learn valuable formula-building skills, best practices for linking Excel data from other worksheets and workbooks, and how to streamline report generation and printing processes. Your K2 instructor will reinforce key learning points throughout the program with practical, real-world examples that will improve your understanding and comprehension of the topics presented. This highly acclaimed course draws on over twenty-five years of experience in delivering spreadsheet training to accounting and financial professionals, which assures you of the relevance and usefulness of the information and guidance provided during the program.

In this comprehensive course, practitioners gain a deep understanding of strategic planning considerations and potential hurdles encountered when clients face difficult circumstances. Delving into an array of scenarios often classified as "challenging," the course offers tax insights. From divorce and personal bankruptcy to intricate personal relationship matters, participants will equip themselves to adeptly guide clients through these challenging scenarios by understanding the tax implications.

Get ready to elevate your tax game with the 2025 Business Tax Update, designed exclusively for tax practitioners looking to sharpen their skills in business income taxation. This course doesn't just scratch the surface – it thoroughly explores the complexities of the tax code, ensuring you're equipped to navigate the ever-evolving tax landscape with confidence. From recent legislative updates to complex tax considerations like COVID-19-related subsidies, this course covers it all. Gain practical strategies and insights that you can immediately apply to assist your clients in optimizing their business income tax planning. Don't miss this opportunity to stay ahead in business taxation and enhance your expertise in a rapidly changing regulatory environment. With a focus on real-world application and comprehensive exploration of essential topics, the 2025 Business Tax Update promises to be a game-changer for your tax practice. Whether you're dealing with partnership, corporation, or LLC taxation issues, this course provides precise guidance tailored to diverse business clients. Plus, you'll gain invaluable insights into recent legislative changes, including their implications on tax code sections like Section 199A. Stay at the forefront of business taxation and ensure you're delivering top-notch advice to your clients by enrolling in this essential course today. **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.

Until recently, a percentage of organizations discounted the risk related to external fraud attempts. Most were only concerned with protecting physical assets such as inventory or fixed assets. However, because of the many highly publicized corporate hacking events, such as the ones that affected the Colonial Pipeline and JBS Meats, more attention is being paid to external fraud risk of all types. In this session, we look at what is included in a definition of external fraud and then delve into specific control issues that can give rise to increased risk. We then discuss measures that organizations can employ to help reduce exposure to external attacks. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.