CPE Catalog & Events

Younger professionals comprise a significant part of the accounting and finance workforce. Whether you are an owner of a small accounting practice or a manager in a multinational accounting firm, it is important to understand the characteristics and expectations of this large segment of the workforce. Research reveals that many of the common stereotypes surrounding young professionals are unfounded and counterproductive. This course provides an understanding of who young professionals are in comparison to their predecessors, the Gen-Xers and baby boomers. Equally important, the presentation will look at common myths regarding young professionals and why understanding this class of employees provides opportunities for your organization to grow and succeed.

This course provides a thorough examination of qualified tuition programs (Section 529 plans), focusing on their tax treatment, planning applications, and recent legislative changes. Participants will learn how 529 plans operate, what qualifies as education expenses, and how contributions, distributions, and beneficiary changes are treated under federal law. The course explores practical planning strategies, including 529-to-Roth IRA rollovers, multigenerational "dynasty" 529 planning, grandparent-owned account considerations, and interplay with financial aid. It also addresses state-level variations, compliance issues, and common pitfalls. Using real-world scenarios, the course evaluates when 529 plans are advantageous, the limitations families may encounter, and alternative approaches to education and long-term savings. Participants will gain a clear understanding of tax benefits, penalties, strategic funding approaches, and planning opportunities for high-net-worth families as well as typical households.

Targets can be a powerful catalyst for remarkable achievements - from landing humans on the moon to eradicating smallpox and repairing the ozone layer. However, poorly designed targets can have severe consequences, potentially leading to executive imprisonment, corporate collapse, or even loss of life. This course uses real-world examples and case studies to guide you through a practical, step-by-step process for crafting robust, effective, and credible targets for your organization. You'll learn how to harness the positive potential of targets whilst avoiding the pitfalls that can derail even the most well-intentioned performance initiatives.

This course is essential and designed to assist those who want to remain up to date on guidance issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). Learn about the accounting requirements involving crypto assets, income taxes, joint ventures, governmental grants, interim reporting, and hedging. Hear about the results and findings of the FASB's post implementation review report involving the lease standard, and much more.

This program will provide a detailed analysis of the real estate professional passive activity rules, including forms reporting examples, and integrates those rules with when real estate is considered a "business" under the Section 199A flow-through entity deduction. A detailed analysis of the self-rental passive activity rules will be given, including forms reporting examples and integrates them with the flow-through entity rules related to self-rental. *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 case-driven training is designed to get the inexperienced accountant up to speed quickly in the most common areas of S-corporation taxation. The cornerstone of this course is the preparation of the Form 1120S using a fairly complex trial balance common to most S corporation income tax returns.   *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  

There are multiple tangible and intangible factors that can drive a CPA Firm's long-term success. Specifically, public accountants must place a priority on being both efficient and value-added business advisors when performing audit and other services. This course provides proven tips and techniques for ensuring your firm has the capacity to grow and expand your "business" from within in a healthy way, considering how to improve in three key areas: financial success, satisfaction of people, and outstanding client service.  

A well-designed internal controls system can and will drive all entity objectives. Too many times control creators focus too much on security. It is important to properly balance protection-based measures with those designed to enhance efficiency. This session works to illustrate the power of a strong and well supported control system. It also discusses steps to take in order to establish such a system. This material is becoming more and more beneficial as companies strive to address many new business challenges such as evolving markets, the rapid rate of change in the business world and the notable increase in governmental and industry-based regulation. Those that desire a balanced and workplace enhancing control system should strongly consider this session. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Elevate your data analysis capabilities with our focused course on Power Query. Tailored for financial professionals, this training will show you how to get started using Power Query and teach you some of the ways to take advantage of its ability to handle messy data and automate repetitive tasks. Harness the efficiency of Power Query to revolutionize the way you work with data. Learn how to "program" your tasks once and set them on repeat, eliminating the need for repetitive, robotic work. This automation not only saves time but also ensures consistency and accuracy in your data processes. Whether you're dealing with complex datasets or simply looking to streamline your reporting processes, this course will equip you with the tools and knowledge to make Excel work for you like never before.

This session provides an overview regarding recent standards that should be top-of-mind for auditors in addition to providing insight regarding auditing standards that will soon be effective. 

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.  

As financial leaders, CPAs are often tasked with managing organizational risk. In this respect, the supplier relationship can be a tricky one. It is often one of the more familiar and comfortable business relationships we have, yet it may also be the one that presents the most significant risk to our company. In this course, we will explore how to manage the supplier relationship from onboarding to termination. Through case studies and best practices, we will discuss how to continue being a good partner to our suppliers while also understanding where potential risks exist. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Valuing a CPA firm is far more complex than applying a simple multiple of revenue. In today’s rapidly evolving M&A environment (driven by consolidation, private equity capital and shifting buyer expectations), firm value is determined by a combination of financial performance, risk, scalability, market exposure and buyer fit.This webinar is designed to help accounting firm owners understand how buyers actually assess value, why valuation ranges can vary so widely, and which factors most directly influence both price and deal terms. While historical rules of thumb, such as “one times gross revenue” still provide a starting point, transactions increasingly focus on profitability, cash flow, operational independence and the number of qualified buyers competing for a firm. Speaker Bios  Brannon Poe, CPA, Founder, Poe Group AdvisorsBrannon, an EY almuni, is the author of several books, a recognized speaker, a podcast host and the creator of the Accounting Practice Academy. He has more than 20 years experience guiding CPA firms during mergers and acquisitions.Morry Brown, California Territory Lead, Poe Group AdvisorsMorry started his career as a stock analyst with several global investment banks including Goldman Sachs. He has provided outsourced CFO services to early-stage startups, assisting with fundraising, and has experience in merger and acquisition advisory.   

In today's fast-paced and competitive business landscape, the ability to foster creativity is more crucial than ever. Unleashing Creativity in the Workplace is a CEU course designed for HR professionals who are eager to cultivate an environment where creativity drives productivity, innovation, and engagement. Through this course, you will learn how to leverage creativity to enhance individual, team, and organizational performance-ultimately achieving your company’s goals faster and more efficiently. Christine Wilson, a counselor turned coach and the creator of the Think Time planner, will guide you through a comprehensive approach to fostering creativity and innovation in your organization. Whether you're looking to inspire new ideas, improve employee engagement, or create a culture of innovation, this course offers actionable strategies and insights to help you unlock the full potential of your workforce.

This two-hour course provides a comprehensive overview of the IRS collection process, guiding tax professionals through each stage, from the initial notice to enforced collection actions. Participants will gain insights into taxpayer expectations during the collection process, as well as strategies for resolving tax debts. The course highlights when to use Form 433-A or 433-B, the documentation needed, and the criteria for submitting an Offer in Compromise (OIC) to settle tax debts for less than the full amount owed. Attendees will also learn about the various payment options available and practical approaches to advising clients. *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

In today's fast-evolving landscape, CPA firms face a flood of new tools promising efficiency and innovation. This course helps practitioners assess the real return on investment (ROI) from their technology stack, &-comparing suite-based solutions with best-in-breed applications and examining the latest Agentic AI and Generative AI offerings. Attendees will learn how to evaluate productivity, integration, and strategic alignment to maximize firm performance. Whether upgrading your stack or validating your current tools, this session offers practical insights for tech-savvy decision-making and smarter technology investments tailored to the unique needs of accounting professionals.

This section of the four-part series will cover the fundamentals of Form 706 and provide numerous examples of how to properly report deductions on the estate tax return, including marital and charitable deductions. Form 706 Series: Part 1: Overview Including Portability Part 2: Reporting Assets Part 3: Reporting Deductions Part 4: GST Schedule R, Form 8971, Payments & Credits

Personal financial planning issues evolve in an increasingly challenging environment where it's harder to keep up with important and timely changes. And since changes seem to be occurring quicker than anticipated, with several recent twists, CPAs must be prepared for the unexpected and be in tune with new approaches. As a result, CPAs must challenge clients to stay focused on their goals while managing expectations and striving for realism in order to achieve objectives. We'll focus on the newest personal financial planning changes and prepare for new opportunities related to income tax, retirement and estate planning issues. You'll learn what you need to know in identifying critical exposures and providing appropriate solutions when working with your client in these rapidly changing and life-altering disciplines. Be sure to register for all of our PFP updates: PFP Update: Income Tax, Retirement, and Estate Planning PFP Update: Issues, Exposures, and Developing Client Strategy PFP Update: Investment Planning in This New Era

Transfer taxes, such as the estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer tax, create a drag on the accumulation of wealth over a family's generations. However, with the One Big Beautiful Bill's continuation of the high gift and estate tax exclusion amounts for the foreseeable future, advisers have the opportunity to create trusts that extend through the grandchildren's generation. This course examines the generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax and how it is designed 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. 

This comprehensive training is designed to get the accountant up to speed quickly with partnership and limited liability company (LLC) formation and preparation issues as well as a complete understanding of calculating a partner and LLC member’s basis. The cornerstone of this course is the in-depth line-by-line analysis of the Form 1065 Schedule K and K-1 and how these items affect the partner/member’s individual income tax return.   *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