CPE Catalog & Events

There has never been a greater opportunity to leverage technology tools to automate your tax services. This course will provide specific examples of how you can use AI (artificial intelligence) based tools to complement your tax planning, research and compliance services. You will learn how to leverage AI to automate the collection and organization of client data, the engagement management process, tax research, and enhance client advisory services with AI too 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 one of the courses dedicated to our Controllership Series. This series of courses is dedicated to exploring the traditional controller role and stepping out of the box to identify areas where the controller can continue to add strategic value to their organizations. Within this segment of our controllership series, we continue our discussion on inventory from segment one. This specific segment focuses on areas of inventory valuation, the types of physical inventory methods, and inventory fraud. These areas are critical for the controller to have a strong comprehension of and also participate in the development of policies and procedures.      

Financial statement audits often involve audits of components of a larger entity. This course will focus on the responsibilities for both the group auditor and component auditor, including implementation of SAS No. 149 relate to group audits.

This course explores the increasingly complex features of Excel that facilitate efficient data analysis.  We will introduce numerous analytical methods and techniques by using practical examples to illustrate how to unleash the power of Excel when manipulating, analyzing and reporting information.

An advanced guide to prompting techniques that maximize AI efficiency and precision in everyday business research, operational due diligence and accounting tasks. Designed for accountants with no prior AI knowledge, the session explores how simple language and strategic prompting can unlock powerful, layered responses from large language models (LLMs). Participants will learn to overcome the "lazy" defaults of AI, using specific techniques to enhance detail, accuracy, and contextual understanding in their queries. By understanding prompt engineering's role, attendees will discover how to guide AI to provide practical, relevant, and analytical insights suited to complex financial scenarios, without needing extensive technical expertise. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

This program addresses the most recent developments impacting partnerships operating as LLCs, with a focus on legislative, administrative, and tax form changes. Emphasis will be placed on partners "tax basis" capital accounts, now required for tax form reporting. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

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.  

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.

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.

Unlock the full potential of Excel's most powerful feature-PivotTables! While many users rely on them daily, few tap into the advanced capabilities that can transform data into dynamic insights. Join us for an eye-opening session where you'll discover eight game-changing PivotTable techniques that go far beyond the basics. From custom calculations and KPI integration to multi-source consolidation and advanced reporting tricks, we'll show you how to elevate your analytics and impress stakeholders. Whether you're a seasoned Excel user or just getting started, this session will equip you with the tools to turn ordinary PivotTables into extraordinary decision-making engines. Don't just use PivotTables-master them!

How to properly account for and audit digital records is increasingly gathering importance as more entities have cryptocurrency and other digital assets on their financial statements. This course will address common questions, risks, and challenges evolving in this area. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

SAS 122, AU 240, Consideration of Fraud in A Financial Audit state that auditors fail to detect fraud for two reasons.  One, they haven’t been trained to look for it and two, they don’t know what it looks like.  I would like to add a third reason: they don’t want to find fraud because it causes problems for the audit. This session is designed to familiarize auditors with the many faces of fraud; where and how to look for them and what to do if you think you have found fraud.  Not everyone is able to recognize fraud.  During this program, the attributes a fraud auditor (frauditor) will be discussed. In order to recognize fraud, an auditor must understand their client’s operation.  What is an indicator in one client’s operation may be business as usual in another, and you have to know the difference. After viewing this program, chances are you will never look at your client the same way!

In February 2016, FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases, which provides new guidelines that change the accounting for leasing arrangements. To be able to properly account for leases, financial professionals must understand ASU 2016-02 (also referred to as Topic 842). This guidance covers information on how leases should be accounted for. The previous leasing standard (ASC 840) had been in existence for almost 40 years. Under ASC Topic 842, lessors continue to classify leases as operating, direct financing, or sales-type. While lessees now classify leases as operating or financing leases. Previous guidance only required capital leases to be reflected on the BS. The new guidance requires all leases to be reflected on the BS. This is a major change for organizations and will cause their balance sheets to swell as leases must now be disclosed on the balance sheet. The standards original effective dates were prior to 2019. In April 2020, due to COVID-19, FASB voted to defer the effective date for ASC 842 for private companies and certain not-for-profit's for one year. For private companies and private not-for-profits, the leasing standard will be effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022. For public companies the leasing standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The course covers elements of lease classification for both lessees and lessors. Also, numerous examples are incorporated as reference.  

This course focuses on the key federal tax issues affecting business from the internal accountant's point of view, with a focus on the major ramifications of the TCJA and other recent tax legislation and developments.  Planning alternatives and the potential risks associated with those strategies 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 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.

The audit profession stands at a critical inflection point, facing unprecedented challenges from technological disruption, evolving regulatory landscapes, and workforce transformation. This comprehensive course, based on the Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs' groundbreaking research report "The Future of the Audit: Building Relevance and Sustaining Quality," provides auditors with essential insights and actionable strategies to navigate these seismic shifts. Through expert perspectives from industry leaders including PCAOB board members, Big Four executives, and audit committee chairs, participants will explore how artificial intelligence, blockchain, and data analytics are fundamentally reshaping audit practices while creating new opportunities for value creation and risk assessment. Beyond technology adoption, this course addresses the pressing talent crisis facing the profession and offers practical solutions for building a future-ready workforce. Participants will learn how to leverage emerging technologies to enhance audit quality, understand the implications of regulatory modernization including the concept of "regulatory sandboxes," and develop strategies for attracting and retaining top talent in an increasingly competitive market. Whether you're a partner in a small firm, a manager in a large organization, or an audit professional seeking to future-proof your career, this course provides the roadmap for maintaining relevance, ensuring quality, and thriving in the evolving audit landscape. You'll leave with concrete action steps for immediate implementation and a clear vision for transforming your audit practice to meet the demands of tomorrow's financial ecosystem. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

This is a two-part series that discuss new trends and concepts the financial controller should begin to execute in order to truly become a valued member of the senior leadership team. The rapid pace of the evolving technological landscape has promoted changes in how accountants and financial professionals focus attention on strategy and modernize their roles to leverage digital technology. There is increased demand for enhancing flexibility into finance cycles and initiating real-time reporting and insights. These are the core attributes that will assist in transforming the work that controllership function performs. Is the financial controllership prepared to meet future business demands? The IMA® (Institute of Management Accountants) and Deloitte’s Center for Controllership aimed to better understand the current state of controllership and expectations of future demands for controllers and accounting professionals. They conducted a survey in late 2022 and identified several trends. The survey takes a look at how prepared controllership is to meet future business demands. It also highlights some insights for leaders to consider that may increase their preparedness. It also identified areas of additional insight and questions to answer on the controllership transformation journey. In this segment one, we go through numerous concepts in detail and the remaining concepts will be covered in segment two.

Nonprofit entities and governmental entities have a high degree of public accountability. This course will examine the most common fraud schemes and provide multiple examples of how to prevent or detect these schemes.

Many finance departments spend considerable time managing cash, particularly if the organization is highly leveraged or cash rich.  Many opportunities exist to reduce your financing costs or increase short-term cash returns if you manage cash effectively.  This session will cover a wide variety of day-to-day cash management tools.  

     Member Appreciation Day: A Benefit of Belonging August 27, 20268 a.m. – 5:15 p.m. (Lunch break from 12 – 1 p.m.) Earn up to 8 hours of CPE.  Join us for a full-day of FREE virtual CPE featuring 8 hours of high-impact education designed specifically for you. Choose from timely, practical sessions led by expert speakers covering the issues CPAs are facing right now in the technology, audit, tax, ethics, and leadership space. Learn, earn FREE CPE, and stay ahead of the profession, all from the convenience of your desk. Agenda:   Welcome and a word from FICPA President & CEO: 8 - 8:10 am   Session 1: 8:10 - 9:00 am   Session 2: 9:15: 10:05 am   Session 3: 10:20 - 11:10 am   Session 4: 11:10 - 12:00 pm   Lunch Break: 12:00 - 1:00 pm   Session 5: 1:05 - 1:55 pm   Session 6: 2:10 - 3:00 pm   Session 7: 3:15 - 4:05 pm   Session 8: 4:20 - 5:10 pm    Closing 5:10 - 5:15 pm Check back soon for more session details!  Members will leave having:    • Gained knowledge from industry leaders and subject matter experts through engaging presentations.    • Participated in sessions that will equip them with practical tools and techniques to apply in their professional  and personal lives.    • Connected with and shared experiences through the online chat feature.    • Heard diverse opinions on current trends, challenges, and opportunities in the accounting industry.    • Real-time questions answered by experts, ensuring you leave with actionable insights.    • Accessed a collection of resources and copies of presentations to support your ongoing learning journey.  You do not have to attend all 8 sessions and you can receive partial credit for the day. This free CPE is yours as a thank you for being a valued FICPA member.    Not a FICPA member? Join now to attend free. (Member Benefits - Florida Institute of CPAs)