CPE Catalog & Events

This course dives into the powerful, but potentially under-utilized, capabilities of Microsoft Excel.  Designed for sophisticated users willing to approach spreadsheets from a unique perspective, this program encourages users to challenge the status quo by considering opportunities to take acceptable spreadsheets to a new level.

Many public accountants desire to have a quick overview of only the most current changes to professional and ethical requirements. This course will provide an executive summary of the major changes in audit and other attest requirements. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Participants will learn how to interpret the most common IRS correspondence, adhere to response deadlines, and effectively communicate with the IRS to resolve issues and minimize risks. It provides professionals with knowledge and strategies needed to handle the most common notices including audit requests, collections & return inquiries as well as error notices. Focusing on best practices to ensure compliance and avoiding penalties or escalation. 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 provides a focused and practical overview of the Generation Skipping Transfer (GST) Tax, designed specifically for professionals involved in estate and gift tax planning. As Part 4 of the Form 706 and 709 series, this session zeroes in on the rules, definitions, and application of GST tax, including the mechanics of calculating the inclusion ratio and how the GST exemption operates in real-world planning scenarios. Participants will gain clarity on how to identify skip persons, the types of transfers subject to the GST tax, and the proper treatment of direct skips, taxable terminations, and taxable distributions. Through clear examples and practical instruction, this course walks participants through voluntary, timely, late, and retroactive GST exemption allocations. With increasing regulatory complexity and heightened exemption limits, understanding the GST tax is critical for practitioners assisting clients in multigenerational wealth transfers. This course supports more accurate return preparation and strategic allocation of exemptions to minimize tax exposure. *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

The new Global Internal Audit Standards were released on January 9, 2024, and will become effective January 9, 2025. The previous version, the International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing, released in 2017, remains approved for use during a one-year transition period. The Global Internal Audit Standards guide the worldwide professional practice of internal audit. They serve as a basis for evaluating and elevating the quality of the internal audit function. The Standards use 15 guiding principles with five separate domains that enable effective internal audit implementation and examples of evidence of conformance. The Global Standards are organized into five domains. Domain I: Purpose of Internal Auditing Domain II: Ethics and Professionalism Domain III: Governing the Internal Audit Function Domain IV: Managing the Internal Audit Function Domain V: Performing Internal Audit Service

This two-hour course covers the IRS collection process, detailing each step from the initial notice to enforced collection actions and payment options. You'll gain a thorough understanding of how the IRS initiates collections, what taxpayers should expect as the process unfolds, and the various options for settling debts. We will review when Form 433-A or 433-B is required, and discuss the specific criteria for submitting an Offer in Compromise (OIC) to settle tax debt for less than the full amount owed. This session is designed to provide tax professionals with the tools to guide their clients through the IRS collection process, ensuring compliance and presenting the best possible payment solutions. We’ll also review key scenarios where Forms 433 and OIC are necessary, providing practical insight for resolving tax liabilities.   *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 provides a concise overview of how accountants can use Google NotebookLM (powered by Gemini) as a practical research, synthesis, and knowledge-management companion for high-trust work. You'll learn how to convert static financial statements, audit workpapers, client documents, and regulatory guidance into a structured, conversational knowledge base-so you can query, summarize, compare, and cross-reference sources with greater speed and clarity. This course emphasizes disciplined workflows such as source control, evidence-grounded outputs, and professional judgment so NotebookLM strengthens your analysis instead of replacing it. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

This session explores the nature of analytical procedures, with significant emphasis placed upon professional standards involving the use of analytical procedures in audit and review engagements. Practical examples to illustrate the application process will also be given.

Leadership is not one-size-fits-all. Effective leaders understand that different situations, team dynamics, and organizational cultures require different approaches. This course introduces ten distinct leadership styles and examines how each can influence team performance and organizational success. Participants will explore the characteristics, strengths, and potential limitations of each leadership style. The course encourages self-reflection to help leaders recognize their own tendencies while identifying opportunities to adapt their approach when circumstances require it. Emphasis is placed on practical strategies for engaging teams, strengthening communication, and building leadership capacity across the organization. Designed for current and emerging leaders, this course provides tools to better align leadership approach with team needs and organizational objectives.  

If you have been a practitioner for any length of time, you know that there is often a difference between what clients should do and what they actually do. Have you ever wondered why that is? In this course, we will explore how we make decisions with less-than-perfect information. Through real-life examples and case studies, we will examine common behavioral biases and how to deal with them. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, telework in state and local government was not often embraced as a form of employment. As the pandemic continues, governments are beginning to experience the benefits of remote work and are reevaluating hiring practices to offer more telework and hybrid work options, not simply as a result of an emergency. This course will review various telework options and best practices for success. 

Loans, rental agreements, business combinations - what do these all have in common? They all have the potential of creating a related party transaction. This program presents a detailed analysis of the financial accounting rules for transactions with related parties, as well as compares and contrasts those rules with the AICPA financial reporting framework for small and medium-sized entities. This course does not qualify for IRS credit.

This seminar offers a practical and in-depth exploration of IRS Schedule K-1, a critical reporting document issued to taxpayers with interests in pass-through entities such as Partnerships, S Corporations, and Estates or Trusts. Participants will gain a clear understanding of how to interpret and accurately report Schedule K-1 data on Form 1040, with emphasis on common income, deduction, and credit items. The course also demystifies the Qualified Business Income (QBI) Deduction, including eligibility criteria, reporting mechanics, and integration with K-1 data. Key compliance topics-such as basis and loss limitations, material participation rules, and passive activity considerations-will be addressed through practical examples. In addition, attendees will be briefed on recent developments affecting Schedules K-2 and K-3, ensuring they are equipped to navigate evolving international reporting requirements. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

You spent your life building retirement savings.  Now you want to make sure your savings last the rest of your life and perhaps pass some on to the next generation.  Come hear a veteran financial educator talk about money management and planning issues for this phase of your life.  

Section 199A is still the hottest tax topic related to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. The Act created new reporting requirements for relevant pass-through entities (RPEs). Each RPE is required to report the relevant data needed to calculate the §199A deduction to each recipient of Schedule K-1. Your clients will trust you to ensure that the relevant data is properly reported. The IRS has added disclosure lines to Schedules K-1 for S corporations, partnerships, and trusts. This course will cover the new reporting requirements on those forms and discuss uncertainties that still exist related to the reporting requirements. The course includes examples and case studies relevant to the new disclosure lines of Schedules K-1. This program will include the latest relevant IRS guidance.

Many small to medium sized companies do not properly address the risk that arises related to fraud because these organizations do not have the resources needed to mitigate this risk or because owners or those in top level management underestimate the scope of the issue. All organizations, regardless of size, must be aware of the risks associated with intentional fraudulent acts and know that a significant and effective fraud scheme could even create going concern issues for some entities. In this session, we delve into the reasons that fraud takes place. The material discusses the types of defalcations that are often executed against smaller entities and then explores measures that organizations can implement to help stop fraud activities and add security. 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 will explore some of the most essential tools for measuring financial and operational success, as well as improving results. Appendices will be provided to give students hands-on applicable materials that can be utilized after completion of the course.

As staff members gain more experience, they are expected to take on more complex assignments with minimal supervision. This course is designed to be a stepping stone for staff interested in pursuing more advanced partnership and LLC issues than mere preparation. The material provides a deep life-cycle study into critical areas of formation, special allocations of income and deductions, basis calculations and implications of recourse and nonrecourse debt, basis step-up under §754 on transfers of ownership interest, distributions, self-employment tax issues, and termination and liquidations of an LLC. With a blend of legal and tax ramifications regarding LLC-specific issues, this course identifies all the major areas that are potential sources of increased complexity.

Many Excel users have received little or no formal training to help them use the ubiquitous productivity application. This session can help users that wish to improve their Excel skills to increase their productivity. The material starts by covering basic topics such as time saving tips and keyboard shortcuts and then moves to more advanced areas like conditional formatting and complex formula building. Users that find themselves looking at the spreadsheets that others design and wishing they could do as much with Excel will benefit greatly by taking this course. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

If you or your clients are facing that stage of life where careers are passing into the background, and a new "to be determined" life is emerging, then you are entering what is called "retirement". Some people are excited, some are scared, and most are both. There are many issues and questions people face at this time - what to do with time, financial, relationships, health, identity and more. This program summarizes the key research studies, provides stories from those who have made this work, and offers thoughtful, practical exercises from my award winning book NEXT STAGE. It will help you (or your clients) address key issues and develop a Master Plan for the transition. If not now, when? This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.