CPE Catalog & Events

Estate planning continues to evolve, and staying informed about the latest trends and strategies is crucial for professionals in the field. This forward-looking course delves into the intricacies of estate planning, with a specific focus on current issues. Participants will explore cutting-edge techniques, emerging legal considerations, and industry developments to ensure they are equipped with the knowledge and skills to create effective estate plans that withstand the test of time and safeguard their clients' legacies. *Please Note:  If you need credit reported to the IRS for this IRS approved program, please download the IRS CE request form on the Handouts Tab and submit to kori.herrera@acpen.com  

ChatGPT has grown its user base to over 800 million active users per week. As a leader in the generative market, it a tool that every CPA should have a basic understanding of how to use and apply in business. This course will provide a comprehensive review and demonstration of how to put ChatGPT to work for you and your clients. It is designed as a "hands-on" course that facilitates following along with the presenter to apply the features of ChatGPT on your computer. Practice files will be provided so you don't have to expose your confidential data. 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 will address the complex rules of retirement distributions, review key provisions of the SECURE Act 2.0, and provide practical strategies of maximizing tax benefits for your client. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

In today's fast-paced and interconnected workplace, success depends as much on how we show up as what we know. Business Etiquette and Mindfulness is a training designed to help professionals strengthen their communication, presence, and emotional intelligence. Participants will learn practical strategies to demonstrate professionalism, navigate workplace relationships with respect, and stay composed under pressure. Through engaging discussions, real-world scenarios, and mindfulness exercises, this course helps individuals build the awareness and confidence needed to lead with empathy, manage stress effectively, and represent their organization with excellence. Whether you're an emerging professional or an experienced leader, this session provides actionable tools to enhance focus, foster collaboration, and create a more mindful, inclusive workplace culture.

Financial Leaders often achieve their position primarily with left brain analytical skills.  They need to develop right brain thinking to evolve to the next level either professionally or as part of their personal growth plan.  This course will help the financial executive and professional focus on where they are currently and help them bridge the gap in leadership skills that will enable them to gravitate to the next level.  This course will guide the financial executive and professional to position themselves as leaders that others will trust and want to follow.  The financial executive and financial professional will walk away understanding a more holistic approach to people and organizations and a transformational leadership style.

Traditional managerial accounting has often been criticized as ineffective, and in some cases even misleading, leaving many line managers skeptical of the information it provides. Modern management accounting addresses these shortcomings by developing precise cost-per-unit metrics that support budgeting, cost analysis, and performance control. Activity-Based Costing (ABC) enhances accuracy by tracing costs through cause-and-effect relationships rather than relying on broad overhead allocations. This fact-based approach delivers clear visibility into true profit margins across products, service lines, sales channels, and customers. In addition, ABC empowers organizations to reduce costs and improve productivity by reporting unit costs that track trends and benchmark performance against competitors. By moving beyond outdated accounting methods, organizations can unlock significant strategic and financial advantages.

An operational audit is a method of examining how an organization conducts business. It identifies areas where an entity can improve to be more effective and efficient. This course will focus on how to plan and perform operational audits, as well as delivering value-added recommendations as a result.

Unlock the full potential of your Microsoft 365 subscription with our exclusive session on Microsoft's Power Tools! Discover the incredible capabilities of Power BI, Power Query, Power Pivot, and Power Automate, and learn how these tools can revolutionize your productivity and efficiency. Many professionals are unaware that they already have access to these powerful tools, leading to missed opportunities and suboptimal performance. Don't let this be you! Participate in this session to explore the practical applications of these tools and elevate your productivity and internal control structure to new heights

It's a whole new world for lessees under ASC topic 842. Soon nearly all leases will need to be disclosed as a liability on the balance sheet - from buildings right down to autos and copiers. Although the greatest impact will be on large entities, this will affect the financial statements of small and mid-size entities as well. This program will dive into the new standard on leases, effective dates, and address what you need to know now.

Technological advancements facilitate new forms of cybercrime and fraud. In this session, you will learn how the crooks used technology to reap their ill-gotten rewards.

The IRS has issued final regulations regarding the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act's (TCJA) elimination of the deduction for expenditures related to entertainment, amusement, or recreational activities and provided guidance to determine whether an activity is considered to be entertainment. The final regulations also address the 50% limitation on the deduction of food and beverage expenses and when the 50% limitation does not apply. To effectively advise clients, it is imperative for tax practitioners to understand these rules and be updated on the latest IRS guidance related to meals and entertainment.

This session revisits managerial accounting techniques that you may not have considered for many years, even though they could be invaluable for CPAs in both business and public accounting. You will appreciate a fresh perspective of concepts you may not have considered since your college days. We will illustrate concepts with practical examples that you can immediately bring back to the office! 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 a 'deep dive' into many aspects involving the taxation of real estate for the mid-level practitioner moving into this complex area. You will deepen your understanding of the complex considerations and strategies that individuals must navigate in acquiring, operating, and selling real estate. You will leave the course able to navigate critical issues associated with the relevant returns and plan strategically for your company or clients. We will discuss in detail the impact that recent tax changes have had on the real estate industry, as well as new credits that are available after the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

Since 1919, the Internal Revenue Service had a civil and criminal function in the United States tax system. Little do people know, the IRS has an elite criminal function that started with five United States Postal Inspectors. From its early days in taking down Al Capone to now solving cybercrimes, the IRS special agents are tasked with investigating tax fraud, money laundering, and other white collar crimes. This presentation will show you the importance of this law enforcement function, the training, techniques, expertise, and actions that cause them to be known as the "world's finest financial investigators." This presentation has been prepared by a 20 year veteran with the IRS-Criminal Investigation. The presenter investigated crimes, and trained and mentored other special agents. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

You have more to do than time to do it. When you finally find the time, distractions steal it away again. As a leader with multiple layers of demands on your time, how can you possibly get it all done? In this course, I will help you learn practical productivity strategies so you can tame your to do list and multiply your time. It’s just wrong for a to-do list to rule your life. Learn how to take back your time…and your life.

The updated revenue recognition standard outlines five steps for proper compliance. At the surface, these steps seem simplistic. However, there are many considerations that should be considered within each step based on your process and industry.  

Companies reporting under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) continue to face a steady flow of new standards and interpretations. The resulting changes range from significant amendments of fundamental principles to some minor changes from the annual improvements process. The changes will affect different areas of accounting, such as recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure.  It can be time-consuming and confusing to keep up-to-date on the resulting impact on financial statements and disclosures. This course will provide an executive summary of recent IFRS updates with current and upcoming effective dates.  

It is easy for us to get caught up in our work, but it is better to examine the ‘big picture’ by studying the outside factors that impact our business beyond our internal processes and day to day responsibilities. We are sometimes so busy with our tasks that we miss new developments until the developments have a profound impact on us and the organization. This session is designed to review many of these current trends, while thinking and discussing how these trends can impact our organizations and us. This is a fun and lively session that is intended to be interactive with participants either live, virtual or both. Our ever-changing world is evolving more than many realize.

Governmental accounting differs significantly from other forms of accounting and requires a distinct approach to financial reporting. This course introduces the foundational principles of governmental accounting, including fund accounting concepts and the modified accrual basis of accounting. Participants will explore the structure and purpose of governmental fund financial statements and government-wide financial statements, gaining clarity on their objectives, layouts, and key elements. The course also addresses essential topics such as component units, the role and structure of Management's Discussion and Analysis (MD&A), and the preparation and significance of the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR). Designed for those new to governmental accounting—or those seeking a refresher-this course provides a solid foundation for understanding and applying governmental financial reporting principles. The course has been updated to reflect recent guidance issued by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board, including GASB Statements 101-105.  

What does fraud look like? It depends. What may appear to be an indicator of fraud in one client’s operation could be normal in another, making it critical to understand your client and the transactions you expect to see. Look for what should be present but isn’t—and for what is present but shouldn’t be. This course emphasizes the importance of professional skepticism, which has no on/off switch—it must be applied continuously. As auditors, our role is to independently verify, yet too often we rely on client representations without sufficient validation, increasing the risk of missing fraud. Many auditors recognize, in hindsight, that they have encountered fraud indicators but failed to identify them at the time. This session will provide you with the tools to recognize those indicators and strengthen your ability to detect fraud—so you are better prepared for what you may find.