CPE Catalog & Events

This program provides an update to the latest tax developments, rules and regulations affecting individual taxpayers, including a review and integration of late 2023 -24 legislation.   **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 updated course offers an in-depth look at the FASB leases standard (ASC 842), which requires organizations to recognize lease assets and liabilities on the balance sheet. This comprehensive course will cover recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure requirements, while also focusing on a critical area of change which is the proper identification of a lease using a principles-based approach. We will discuss implementation requirements from both the lessee and lessor accounting models.  In addition, we explore a variety of scenarios, including short-term leases, purchase options, variable lease payments, and remeasurement. This course offers practical journal entry examples, lessons learned from implementation, and explores recently issued amendments to the lease accounting guidance.

The QuickBooks platform is a robust environment with features and capabilities that many users are unaware of or do not know how to utilize effectively.  This course helps you get more out of QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online and resolve the issues that even experienced QuickBooks users struggle with, such as locking down prior periods.  This program starts fast with a chapter covering the top issues accountants face with QuickBooks.  The day continues with practical guidance and solutions designed to help accountants get the most out of QuickBooks for themselves or their clients. You will learn about issues, such as setting up a new company, configuring and customizing QuickBooks preferences, and enabling system security and password protection features.  Also, you will learn how to lock down transactions in prior periods, the audit trail, customizing reports, exporting reports to Excel, and extending QuickBooks’ usefulness with tools such as the Fixed Asset Manager and Loan Manager.    

Many businesses are being held back by legacy solutions. The old way of doing things doesn't work anymore. Instead, Software as a Service (SaaS) has transformed many mid-market companies. In this new world of cloud-based, workflow-enabled, data-centric, and connected solutions, you can solve existing and future business problems in new ways without being bogged down by paper-centric environments. This session covers integrated and ERP solutions that should work for businesses in the $10 Million to $1 Billion range. If your existing system has been in place for seven or more years, it is time to consider upgrading or replacing it. Leverage your instructor's knowledge of the market to minimize your risk.

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.

The HR role is full of communicative opportunities to multiple audiences. From communicating with partners, management, and stakeholders in the business, to onboarding new talent, to training existing employees and beyond. In fast-paced business environments, it's often overwhelming to keep up with the changes and making sure all of your communication and training is up-to-date and accurate. That's where AI and synthetic media can intervene. By leveraging these tools and technologies, HR professionals are able to change the way they communicate and create new content. This session will uncover ways to make this happen, providing attendees with knowledge of new tools and strategies to use these technologies.

Powerful people can choose to undermine or elevate morality in their sphere of influence and authority. Why do some succumb to the dark side of power? This updated course explores the complex relationship between power and morality in our own times. It illustrates enduring ethical principles through recent examples of prominent leaders who rationalized or ignored their abuses of power and disrespected fundamental ethics. This session uses findings from modern science to explain why and how power heightens self-focus and indulges unethical tendencies. It also demonstrates how the universal law of reciprocity guarantees a countering desire and effort to exact consequences from offenders. Whether you aspire to be influential or already possess authority, understanding the insidious side of power and influence can help you walk the tightrope of leadership accountability without falling into an abyss of consequences.

This session explores tools and techniques that can enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of client engagements and business processes using data analysis tools. We will introduce some of today’s popular and software tools and examine the AICPA’s Five-step approach to incorporating data analytics into public accounting engagements.

Tax Season can be a daunting time for tax preparers, but it doesn’t have to be with the help of tax automation software tools and other innovative technology. This session will provide an overview of the latest technologies and tools that can help automate your workflow and make the entire tax return preparation process smoother and more efficient. From client portals, workflow management, and e-signatures to robotic process automation, you’ll learn about all the options available to help streamline your tax preparation process. So don’t dread Tax Season - attend this session and arm yourself with the tools you need to succeed!

A team member is not performing satisfactorily.  Tried several corrective actions – none worked.  We must dig to determine the root causes.  We will review a 15-step process to assess all the reasons why they are not performing, so you can reduce and hopefully eliminate performance issues.  Proper planning is essential.  If none of the remedies or suggestions work, we will review how to part ways.  The sooner you address the issues, the sooner the situation can improve.  If you have had one employee problem, this session is for you.  

This course focuses on the key federal tax issues affecting businesses from the internal accountant's point of view, with a focus on 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 kori.herrera@acpen.com.

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.

This program addresses the critical issues and special opportunities facing S-corporations, with a focus on reporting shareholder basis and distributions.  **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.

Mergers, acquisitions and alliances have been and continue to be major avenues to organizational growth and increased competitive advantage. Despite the great initial promise of many mergers and alliances, few seem to yield the anticipated results. Numerous studies indicate that between 55% and 77% of mergers fail to accomplish their intended purpose. This course helps financial professionals, and their advisors identify, execute, and consummate mergers and acquisitions that create shareholder value while avoiding the many traps that can cause post-acquisition failure.

It is essential for CPAs to have an understanding of the ethical problems and principles that impact their daily interactions with clients, employers, and regulatory authorities. This informative and lively course is delivered through an interactive discussion with our panel of experts. This course reviews the frameworks provided in the Florida Statutes, the Rules of the Florida Board of Accountancy, and the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct that determine the expectations for your behavior as a Florida CPA. In addition to focusing on the application of specific rules and requirements in those frameworks, the course will also examine recent trends in business and professional ethics. This course is designed for CPAs in all areas of practice and fulfills the biennial ethics requirements for Florida CPAs.

You don’t need an accounting degree to harness the power of Microsoft Excel. This course shows how Excel makes sense beyond dollars and cents. We will focus on fundamental concepts for creating, editing, and utilizing Excel content. Participants will learn how to use Excel’s menus and other functions to craft Excel workbooks. Because this course is designed for newer users, we intentionally offer a broad overview of Excel’s numerous capabilities with in-depth coverage of selected resources tailored for non-accounting applications.

This course goes beyond the basics and addresses important practical issues that an experienced practitioner must know about S corporations.

Understanding the dynamics of family interaction is one of the most important skills in helping a family business succeed. This course takes a candid look inside the family business, and will help the participant navigate delicate issues while learning to provide counsel that will grow - or protect - the family business and non-family staff.

Save time and keep current on the latest tax developments. This course covers all legislative, judicial, and IRS developments of the past year with a focus on implementation and compliance. Discover how to effectively and confidently complete tax planning and compliance engagements. Cover current developments affecting individuals, estates, and trusts (including those regarding income, deductions and losses, tax calculations, individual credits, filing matters). Gift tax matters are also covered.

Any corporation or individual can be vulnerable to scams and hoaxes. Learn how to break down the deception into the psychology of the con. We'll review best practices to avoid embezzlement and fraud and case studies of embezzlement, including payroll scams, fraudulent payees, skimming and new technology scams. Fraud can also arise when companies downsize and technology goes missing because there aren't enough gatekeepers on watch. Learn about opportunistic vulnerabilities that stem from having few employees/contractors and using free software.