CPE Catalog & Events

Let us ask you a question. What function do you use most? Is it the SUM function? It shouldn't be - well, at least if efficiency is your goal. This session covers the function that sums better than the SUM function for accounting professionals. In addition, we review the data validation feature, which enables us to control what a user enters into a cell. We'll discuss the conditional formatting feature, which enables us to format a cell based on its value. Lastly, we'll conclude by reviewing a technique that addresses a major pitfall of Excel. The webcast is designed with time for you to work along. This hands-on workshop is an effective way to learn Excel, since you'll be completing the same exercises demonstrated by the instructor. A link will be provided, so you can download the necessary Excel files. During the session, the instructor will provide time for you to complete the exercises using your Microsoft Excel for Windows. For each topic presented, the instructor explains the topic and demonstrates it with Excel exercises. Then, the instructor provides time for you to complete many of the same exercises. Finally, the instructor demonstrates the solutions for all the exercises in the practice workbook, and then moves to the next topic. This format allows you to work along rather than just watch passively, enabling you to immediately practice the skills demonstrated.

This course offers an in-depth look at retirement needs models, their flaws, and ways to overcome associated drawbacks. You'll explore holistic retirement planning while reviewing threats to a successful retirement. You'll also hear about recent retirement planning changes, including the elimination of the "Stretch IRA" by the SECURE Act and the new SECURE Act 2.0 changes. We'll address key questions to plan a comfortable retirement and discuss strategies to draw down retirement assets over an extended period.

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.

This highly informative course comprehensively covers all the latest tax law developments. The focus is on individual taxation and discussion of the planning opportunities practitioners need to understand to help clients respond effectively. You will come away from the course with the up-to-date knowledge to educate your individual tax clients and implement tax-saving ideas that will serve their ever-evolving needs. This course is continually updated to reflect enacted legislation. Please Note: Due to content overlap, it is recommended that this course NOT be taken together with BFTU.

The course provides general information on proceedings that led to a grand jury indictment of television reality stars, Todd and Julie Chrisley. Participants learn how business decisions can lead to federal charges for conspiracy, bank fraud, wire fraud, and tax evasion. The grand jury also indicted the Chrisley's accountant, Peter Tarantino, on tax-related offenses. Participants learn how to develop resources and tools for effective detection and deterrence of federal crimes, and the learn the consequences that follow white-collar crime, including how responses can influence lengthy prison terms. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Now more than ever, navigating loss, grief and crisis in the workplace is a skillset that leaders must possess. Keeping the heart in human resources is so important, especially in this post-pandemic state we are living in. We will explore ways that you can show empathy to your employees while also balancing your business needs. 

LinkedIn is considered by many to be one of the most impressive growth stories in the history of technology companies in Silicon Valley. In just 16 years it grew from nothing into a game changing company in a new industry and the performance of the company and the stock broke all kinds of records. The untold story of LinkeIn's success is that they grew a world class company and a world class team in the midst of a massive war for talent where their competitors for talent (Google, Facebook, Apple and more) could out pay and out perk and out benefit them. They grew a company when all the leaders had never built a company before. Despite the odds the leadership team succeeded and built a company and a culture that many still consider the gold standard. Steve Cadigan was at the epicenter of this growth as the first Chief HR Officer of LinkeIn and he delivers a front row seat to the wild and crazy and amazing ride that took LinkedIn from an unknown career destination into one of the top places to work in the world! Steve delivers a first hand account of lessons learned, mistakes made and what it was like to be facing a situation he had never faced before - hypergrowth. Wherever you are in your learning journey you will enjoy this class.

Award winning discussion leader, former state accountancy board chair, and lifelong tax practitioner Mark Hugh will review ethics for tax professionals: the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct and interpretations; the Statements on Standards for Tax Services; tax preparer standards in the Internal Revenue Code; the rules for practice with and before the IRS, including IRS Circular 230; new developments; and discuss examples of best practices and case studies.

The business structure a client chooses influences virtually every tax and financial issue associated with the business, including the business's day-to-day operations, its tax liability, how much of the owners' personal assets are at risk, and much more. For this and many other reasons, it is critical that a client choose a business structure that gives the right balance of legal protections and tax benefits. From a tax perspective, in terms of selecting an entity to do business in, the universe shifted with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act enacted at the end of 2017. The tax rate for C corporations was lowered to 21% and the 199A deduction offered pass-through entities the chance to significantly lower the rate at which they are taxed. But how do all these options work and which option is best for which business? Those questions are at the heart of this webinar. In this program, we discuss whether there is a "best entity" for our clients. Tax practitioners know that re-examining choice of entity determination is at the top of the agenda for client meetings because clients continue to want reassurance that they have the most tax-efficient entity structure. This program will equip you with the knowledge and insights you need to lead those discussions.

The phrase "time management" is misleading. No one manages time. Instead, we manage events in our lives which consume time. Like money, time is both finite and valuable; it should be budgeted and used wisely. Those individuals who "manage" or budget their time wisely often are more productive, less stressed, and able to achieve their goals more effectively than others. Professionals by nature place a high value on their time. Still, successful time management strategies vary based upon the personality, motivation, and discipline of each individual. This course provides simple, practical, and powerful techniques that help professionals work efficiently and achieve better balance in their lives. Successful time management skills also reduce the risk of burnout, which in turn improves the likelihood of achieving success in any endeavor.

How do I treat a property transaction? You'll be able to answer this question after taking a focused look at the IRS cost and repair regulations. With an understanding of capitalized cost and depreciation rules, you can help your clients achieve significant tax savings. You'll also learn about the rules for: Depreciation Amortization Like-kind exchanges Involuntary conversions Business property sales Property-related timing issues Planning opportunities What's going on with capitalized costs and depreciation? Course materials cover the latest legislation, including: The requirement to capitalize and amortize Section 174 research and experimentation expenditures Changes to bonus depreciation levels starting in 2023 The technical correction issued in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act

By far, the biggest contributing factor that leads to a profitable, yet high quality, financial statement audit is the proper identification, evaluation, and response to assessed risk of material misstatement. When designing your detailed audit plan, how and where you decide to spend your time is largely a matter of professional judgment. The proven tips and techniques for critically rethinking how you plan and design your audit taught in this course will help auditors enhance audit quality and manage profitability in all engagements.

Quality management is important.  Every CPA firm that provides audit and other attest services must undergo a third-party quality control review.  This session will provide you with the tips on how to avoid common quality control deficiencies in all services that are subject to peer review.

Estate planning continues to evolve, and staying informed about the latest trends and strategies is crucial for professionals in the field. This forward-looking course delves into the intricacies of estate planning, with a specific focus on current issues. Participants will explore cutting-edge techniques, emerging legal considerations, and industry developments to ensure they are equipped with the knowledge and skills to create effective estate plans that withstand the test of time and safeguard their clients' legacies.  

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.  **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.

Most review techniques developed by professionals are self-taught and fine-tuned via experience. Yet how does one start? The purpose of this course is to give both new and seasoned reviewers additional and advanced procedures via a multitude of checklists to more thoroughly review S corporation and partnership tax returns. Its emphasis is not planning; rather, it is to develop a strategy to properly review a return effectively and thoroughly. The course includes dozens of "practice tips for new reviewers" and is updated for impacts of newly enacted legislation.

Excel has over 500 functions that are built-in and ready to use. You just have to figure out which one to use and when. Integrating functions into each and every one of your spreadsheets not only improves efficiency, it also makes your task easier to execute. In this webinar, we will focus on Logical, Information and Lookup & Reference functions. In the Logical function section, you will learn to perform logical test using the IF function along with AND, OR and NOT. In the Information function section, you will learn various ERROR checking functions that can be combined with the Logical functions. In the Lookup & Reference section, you will learn to use the various LOOKUP functions and INDIRECT function. This session is presented using Excel 2013. Regardless of the version you are using, ALL concepts covered in this course apply to ALL versions of Excel. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Managing expenses is a key for business success, and overhead costs play a pivotal role in realizing favorable profit margins. Almost all companies have some form of overhead consisting of specific categories of indirect expenses. The better organizations are able to manage overhead costs, the more competitive they are in the marketplace. It is incumbent in the Controller’s role to effectively manage, monitor and perform ongoing assessment of overhead costs, allocations and rates. Overhead refers to the ongoing business expenses not directly attributed to creating a product or service. A company must pay overhead on an ongoing basis, regardless of how much or how little the company sells. It is important for budgeting purposes but also for determining how much a company must charge for its products or services to make a profit. Overhead can be fixed, variable, or a hybrid of both. There are different categories of overhead, such as administrative overhead, which includes costs related to managing a business. In short, overhead is any expense incurred to support the business while not being directly related to a specific product or service.      

Are you running around with a fire extinguisher permanently strapped to your back? Do everyday crises run your life, both at work and at home? Do you find yourself consistently taking care of everyone else with no time left to take care of you? In this session, we dive into controlling your chaos and managing your energy. Make no mistake, this isn't your father's time management class. It’s an energy management class developed on behalf of and with tired, frustrated, and burned out HR professionals like yourselves! If you find yourself drained and drinking far too much coffee, this is the session for you!

Emerging from the pandemic is a workplace culture governed by values. Far from a soft approach, it can drive significant business results. Organizations that embrace an empathetic culture increase performance and decrease turnover, while their customers report a more positive experience. Additionally, being more “person-focused” strongly correlates with more effective ethics and compliance programs. These insights can provide a roadmap for the "new normal" as the world emerges from the crisis. How employees and management move forward from this experience will shape the workplace for decades to come.