CPE Catalog & Events

This course explores the tests used to determine whether a worker is properly characterized as an employee or an independent contractor for tax purposes, with a focus on the cost of getting it wrong and possible Section 530 relief.  The game changing impact of the Dynamex case and AB5 will also be discussed.    *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 comprehensive course provides a focused update on key auditing developments affecting governmental and Single Audit engagements. The course integrates recent changes to the Yellow Book issued by the U.S. Government Accountability Office with major updates to Uniform Guidance and related Single Audit requirements. Participants will begin with an overview of significant revisions to the 2024 Yellow Book, including changes related to quality management, key audit roles, and effective dates. The course also addresses the GAO's implementation delay and its implications for audit planning, along with recent updates to the Green Book that may affect internal control considerations for governmental entities and Single Audits. The course then shifts to recent developments affecting Single Audits, including the 2024 Uniform Guidance overhaul, updates to Appendix B of the AICPA GAS/Single Audit Guide, and guidance issued through the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Reporting-related changes, including the transition to SAM.gov-based reporting, are also discussed. Designed for auditors working with governmental entities and federal awards, this course helps participants understand how recent auditing and compliance changes intersect-and what to monitor as expectations continue to evolve.  

The accounting for credit losses has changed significantly as a result of ASU 2016 13. While some practitioners believe this update applies only to financial institutions, it also impacts many other entities with financial assets such as loans and trade receivables. In this course, Jeff explains the concept of CECL and how it is used to account for credit losses. The course focuses primarily on the accounting, while incorporating enough finance concepts to provide context and understanding of the standard. In addition, the course provides practical insight on coordinating the efforts of the accounting staff with those of the finance department. As in all his courses, Jeff incorporates a light and engaging approach to help maintain focus.

The finance function is changing rapidly, driven by technology, demographics, and evolving business expectations. This session focuses on the tactical leadership skills CFOs and CPAs need to build and lead high-performing finance teams in the years ahead. Participants will explore how roles, skills, and expectations are shifting, and how leaders can prepare their teams for increased automation, real-time reporting, and greater strategic involvement. The session blends practical leadership guidance with forward-looking insights.

The IRS has issued final regulations regarding the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act's (TCJA) elimination of the deduction for expenditures related to entertainment, amusement, or recreational activities and provided guidance to determine whether an activity is considered to be entertainment. The final regulations also address the 50% limitation on the deduction of food and beverage expenses and when the 50% limitation does not apply. To effectively advise clients, it is imperative for tax practitioners to understand these rules and be updated on the latest IRS guidance related to meals and entertainment.

Required minimum distributions (RMDs) must be taken from certain tax-deferred retirement accounts, starting when the account owner reaches their applicable age. The RMD rules are complex and must be simplified to help ensure clients understand them. Accounting and finance professionals must understand the basics of RMDs for IRAs and employer plan accounts so as to help IRA owners, plan participants, and beneficiaries meet their RMD obligations and avoid penalties that apply to RMDs not taken by their applicable deadline. Accounting and finance professionals should also be able to demonstrate tax-efficient solutions for RMDs. This course will walk accounting and finance professionals through the fundamental concepts and rules that apply to RMDs, demonstrate how to calculate RMDs, and explain how to correct RMD errors. It can be taken by anyone, including those without any experience working with RMDs. The course will include cases to promote understanding of the rules.

Do you love PivotTables? Of course, we all do! Traditional PivotTables are incredible, but they do have limitations. If you have ever encountered one of these limitations, you'll be excited to learn that by using the Data Model as the source for PivotTables, you'll be able to bypass many of the restrictions that exist with traditional PivotTables. The data model (also referred to as Power Pivot) is included in Excel 2016+ for Windows and available as a free download for previous versions (excluding Excel for Mac). Using the data model enables you to build PivotTables that were previously not practical. If you frequently build PivotTables and would like to do more with them, you'll want to understand how to use the data model (Power Pivot) to enhance your reports. Note about Excel versions: Power Pivot is not available in all versions of Excel, including Excel for Mac. If you would like to see if Power Pivot is available in your version of Excel, visit the Microsoft site.

Storytelling makes wisdom stick.

Due to the constant stress of a fast paced life, overwork, and family demands, it’s easy to feel one’s life is out of balance. When this happens, all areas of your life can suffer. By learning key methods for setting priorities and goals, overcoming stress, and deciding what’s most important to you, you can achieve new levels of balance and greater results. Having more balance in your life will allow you to do less of what you don’t want and more of what is truly important to you.

This course provides tax professionals with a framework for applying project management principles to tax preparation engagements. Participants will explore the full client lifecycle, from onboarding through workflow execution and delivery. The course emphasizes improving efficiency, reducing bottlenecks, and enhancing client communication while managing risks in a deadline-driven environment.

Preparation, compilation, and review engagements continue to receive heightened attention in peer review, even years after the issuance of SSARS No. 21. This course examines the most common deficiencies identified in peer reviews of SSARS engagements, with an emphasis on practical compliance and engagement quality. Participants will explore frequent problem areas in preparation, compilation, and review engagements and discuss why these deficiencies occur. The course focuses on understanding the root causes of noncompliance, rather than simply listing technical errors, and highlights practical approaches firms can use to improve consistency, documentation, and overall engagement performance. Designed for practitioners performing SSARS engagements, this course helps participants strengthen compliance while maintaining an efficient and practical approach to engagement execution. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

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 ***Advance your skills to propel your career. This course is the second in a five-course series, provides the guidance needed to handle small engagements and to complete small audits, reviews and compilations with minimal supervision. Gain knowledge to improve your skills to perform more complex analytical procedures, as well as drafting financial statements and footnotes. 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.

Portable Document Format (PDF) documents are everywhere! Yet few know how to work effectively with these documents. If you are interested in working more effectively and efficiently with PDFs, this session is for you. In this session, you will learn valuable tips you can use to assist you with creating, editing, and securing PDFs. You will also learn how to convert PDFs to fillable forms and secure PDFs, among other features. Don't miss this chance to learn ten PDF tips you need to know to increase your ROI on PDFs.

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

Managerial accounting provides economic and financial information for managers and other internal users. Managerial and Financial Accounting have similarities and differences. Each field of accounting deals with the economic events of a business. Both managerial and financial accounting require that a company’s economic events be quantified and communicated to interested parties. This another course in our series on the controller’s role. The controller’s role encompasses many traditional functions. Within this segment of our controllership series, we discuss the area of managerial accounting and the basic concepts that surround this discipline as it primarily relates to cost accounting issues.  

ProActive Response Group's Active Shooter Response Training course educates participants in current trends of active shooter incidents, how to recognize early warning signs of violence, appropriate actions to increase chances of survival in an active shooter event, and how to use basic medical equipment to save the lives of victims.   *****(Warning: This video contains simulated graphic scenes that some viewers may find disturbing)*****

The budgeting process can be a mundane one for accountants. Let’s be realistic and agree that even the word “budget” does not bring excitement to you and your departmental colleagues.  The constraints and pressures can lead to poor decisions in both the technical and human components.  This session is the first part of a four part series and will cover the big picture of keeping the process fresh, pragmatic and useful. We discuss these keys in an engaging manner by discussing both our flaws and strengths, including how to build on these characteristics towards an enjoyable solutions-based method that should deliver effective results for your organization. 

Choosing the wrong metrics can create noise, confusion, and unintended behavior. This session helps CPAs and CFOs identify and select meaningful KPIs that align with strategy and are understood by users. Participants will learn how to balance financial and operational metrics, tailor KPIs to responsibility centers, and think like customers when designing performance measures. The session emphasizes simplicity, relevance, and usability over volume and complexity. Humorous videos will be incorporated to drive home some key points and keep things entertaining

The first course in a four-part series, fiduciary accounting and taxation field, has transitioned over the past several years with updated rules and the increased tax cost of accumulating income in a non-grantor trust. The changes in the income tax rate structure at the federal and state levels have pulled income tax planning forward as a prime objective for estate planners. The rules and understanding of fiduciary accounting continue to be in a state of development and challenge. It is an understatement to say that fiduciary accounting and taxation have entered a new and very different phase of complexity and change. We will explore many of these issues in Parts 1-4 of Form 1041 Advanced Series. Be sure to register for all courses in this series: Form 1041 Advanced Series Part 1: Why Complex Trusts are Complicated Form 1041 Advanced Series Part 2: Cash & Property Distribution Issues Form 1041 Advanced Series Part 3: Sec. 199. Sec. 67(g) & Charitable Deductions Form 1041 Advanced Series Part 4: Post Mortem Considerations