CPE Catalog & Events

Attracting and retaining staff is critical to an organization's success, especially in the age of the millennial worker who will change jobs multiple times in the course of a career. This course will focus on best practices for nurturing the human element of your organization, especially millennial workers who comprise a growing percentage or the workforce. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

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.

Electing S corporations may find it desirable or necessary to terminate this election and convert to a C corporation. Alternatively, qualifying C corporations may determine the S status as the preferred tax status. With significant current and future tax considerations, terminating or electing S corporation status can be desirable. We'll consider situations when such conversions are desirable-identifying and discussing tax planning opportunities and complications at conversion.

"There is not enough experienced talent available in the market" is one of the most common challenges cited by accounting firms today. Many firms are understaffed and struggle to find talent to fill the gaps. Engaged employees are more productive, and they stay longer. Discover the four steps to successful employee engagement, enabling you to develop, engage and retain staff and become more attractive to future employees.

Transfer taxes, such as the estate and gift tax, create a drag on the accumulation of wealth over a family's generations. The government promulgated the generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax to discourage avoidance of the estate and gift tax by families. Randy Gardner explores: GST tax terminology, how the GST tax is calculated, ways to avoid the GST tax, and how to design a dynasty trust to pass property from generation to generation.

Communication is the glue that connects people, but it doesn’t come easy for many of us. If you want to quickly and effectively handle problems with co-workers or clients, and you want people to do what you want without a lot of hassle, this seminar is for you. The bottom line will be better client and co-worker relationships, leading to increased enjoyment and productivity at work.

Just about every company, no matter its size or the types of activities it undertakes, is at greater risk because of all the types of fraud that can be be carried out electronically. Potential perpetrators can be operating internally or externally and the scope of the damage that occurs is almost never limited to cyber-assets. While threat awareness is improving, there are still too many owners or top level executives that underestimate the scale of the issue. In this session, we delve into the types and the nature of many electronic defalcation schemes. The material then explores measures that organizations can implement to help stop these activities and add additional layers of security. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Understanding the advantages and disadvantages of alternatives to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) financial statement presentations is vital to making proper client choices. For example, practitioners may seek to use the Other Comprehensive Basis of Accounting (OCBOA) financial statement presentations, as GAAP will increase complexity and the cost of compliance. Here, we'll explore compliance with the preparation, presentation, disclosure and reporting nuances of cash- and tax-basis financial statements. We'll also discuss the AICPA's Financial Reporting Framework for Small- and Medium-Sized Entities (FRF for SMEs). This course meets the specific OCBOA requirements that CPAs must meet for the re-issuance of their license.

Successful organizations understand the importance of effective internal controls and develop a system to stay on the intended course. Those who design policies and procedures benefit by knowing why control measures are necessary. First, we'll examine critical concepts and the importance of strong internal control policies. Then, we'll look at why standards are needed and control creation methods. Finally, discuss strategies to implement policies and procedures.

One of the most cost effective methods for storing your files safely and economically in the cloud is with Microsoft 365 OneDrive and SharePoint apps. If you use either or both of these cloud storage apps, this course is a "must take." There are often times when you want or need cloud based files to be stored on your local laptop or desktop PC. With the OneDrive Sync app, you can have the best of both worlds. You can have copies of a file stored locally and in the cloud simultaneously. The Synch app will update both copies of the file in real time for any changes that are made in the local or cloud copy of the file. A classic example is if you have a QuickBooks Desktop data file that you need to store locally to work with the files in QuickBooks. However, you also want the file stored in the cloud for anytime, anywhere access and enhanced security. The Sync app facilitates this scenario effortlessly. Nationally recognized accounting technology advisor and thought leader, John Higgins, will take you through the step-by-step process of setting up and using the Sync app. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Whether you are responsible for managing 1 employee or 20, your leadership can make or break your team. Learn practical leadership strategies that you can implement when you return to your office. In today’s competitive market, it’s more imperative than ever that as leaders we are inspiring and motivating our teams to success.  

What actions can financial professionals take to increase the odds of a successful system implementation? This session will show you how to be a key player on the team by focusing on specific areas in the project planning and delivery process that improve results. Learn how to use components of a project plan to transparently manage a project from the planning phase through embedment. These actions can be applied to small system changes, system upgrades, or large ERP systems. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

In order not to perform an excessive number of audit procedures (over audit) auditors must perform procedures in order to determine in what areas are there weak internal controls that could result in a risk that the financial statements would be materially misstated and not be detected.  SAS No. 122, AU 300 – 499, Measuring Audit Risk provides guidance as well as required procedures that must be performed in every audit in order to determine the risk of material misstatement.  No longer can the auditor state that they assess the risk of material misstatement at maximum without having a basis for making such assessment.  As a result, the standards now require that the auditor make such an assessment of a material misstatement of the financial statement on every audit in order to have a basis for such assessment.  This program is an overview of the statement documentation requirements in assessing such a risk.

Join our course on Multistate Taxation – Issues and Planning Opportunities designed for financial professionals. Learn about crucial topics like nexus implications, state taxable income calculations, and audit defense strategies. Gain practical insights to integrate these considerations into client financial plans effectively. From deciphering complex formulas to understanding state-specific regulations, this course equips you with actionable knowledge to excel in finance. Explore multistate business activities, choice of business entity, and interstate commerce clauses. By course completion, you'll be ready to identify common pitfalls, mitigate risks, and ensure compliance with multistate taxation. Join us and navigate the complexities of finance confidently. **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.

This course will start with the Accounting Standard Updates effective in 2024 for public entities, private entities, and nonprofits. We'll then switch our attention to the items coming down the pike, including a look at the projects identified by the FASB's Invitation to Comment: Agenda Consultation. We'll also review year 2 considerations for leases including modification accounting. Then we will switch gears, switching to the audit side of the house. We'll review the impact of the changes to auditing  group audits as well as the status of the AICPA's quality management project management. This course will keep auditors up to date on the work of the ASB.

Learn the inner workings of a government investigation from people who've gone through them. In 2019, the U.S. Attorney's office in Boston brought charges against more than 50 people in a single case. Those people did not have any idea that law-enforcement officers would have an interest in them. They were movie stars, business owners, CEOs, and professionals. Yet each of those people retained Rick Singer, a man who claimed that he could help their children get accepted into elite colleges. Although the parents thought they were making a donation to a nonprofit, they unintentionally implicated themselves in serious criminal charges that would expose them to the possibility of many years in federal prison. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

This section of the 4-part series will cover fundamentals of Form 706 with numerous examples of how to properly report deductions on the estate tax return, including the marital and charitable deductions.

The QuickBooks ecosystem of accounting tools remains the most widely-used set of accounting applications small businesses use. Yet, many of these organizations struggle because of inadequate internal controls. In this seminar, you will learn options for improving internal controls in small businesses running QuickBooks Pro, Premier, Enterprise, or Online. Participate in this program to understand how you can create a robust system of internal controls in a small business environment, including businesses using QuickBooks accounting solutions. In this session, you will also learn about the four common types of internal controls and how to assess the relative condition of the internal control structure of a small business. With this background in place, the focus then shifts to discovering the opportunities to enhance internal controls in QuickBooks-based environments using features found in the application. In addition, you will learn about additional internal control procedures for situations where you cannot establish adequate controls in QuickBooks. While many believe that QuickBooks-based organizations will forever face weak internal control structures, participating in this session will teach you how QuickBooks-based businesses can benefit from strong internal controls.

Whether your employees report in every day to the floor or from an off-site network, the success of your organization depends a great deal on the motivation they bring to the job. This program helps identify specific methods you can use to improve employee motivation. You'll learn how to use observation tools to find out what motivates your employees and you'll study classic motivational theories. The results will help you influence the behaviors of others and tweak your own behavior to improve your bottom line.

This is not your average CPE course--Part 2! In this second part course (which is equally fun and engaging), you will learn how to feel confident--even in highly stressful situations. You will learn new secrets to great health that take under 10 minutes per week, and you will learn how to know what is most important to you--so you can be happier and healthier in the long run. Tune in for techniques to relieve stress and tips on incorpating meditation into your daily routine. All of which will help improve your memory and overall mental health and wellbeing. In addition, you'll learn an unsurpassed method for making sure you stay consistent with actually implementing these methods in your daily life.