CPE Catalog & Events

The workplace is shifting rapidly, and HR professionals are at the center of it all. The next four years will challenge us to embrace courageous leadership, strategic vision, and continuous learning. Here's the reality: " We're stressed, overworked, and often under-resourced. " The job market for HR professionals is more competitive than ever. " Aligning with organizations that share our values is non-negotiable. " Agility and the ability to lead change are critical. We cannot solely depend on our employers to rise to the occasion.  This is our moment to rise.  Join our Founder & CEO Anthony P. Howard on how we can empower ourselves and each other in 2025. Together, we can lead the future of HR. How are you stepping into courageous leadership this year? Bring the discussion to the event!

Creating a culture of safety in a workplace requires attention in many different areas.  We will bring these areas into focus and provide attendees with information on how to make their individual workplaces safer for everyone. 

This session describes a state agency's quality review of a not-for-profit organization's A-133 Single Audit.  The case study describes the organization audited, its federally- and state-funded programs, and the CPA firm retained to do the audit.  Various anomalies in the financial statements alerted state officials to potential problems, and a detailed quality review followed.  Find out how the entity turned hundreds of thousands of dollars in bank overdrafts into hundreds of thousands of dollars of cash on its balance sheet.  Explore other “creative” ways to deal with fixed assets, accounts receivable, and related-party transactions.  Were the auditors just sloppy, ignorant, negligent?  Or were they active participants in producing fraudulent financial statements?  You be the judge.

Most leadership training focuses on leading downstream, with the goal of eventually advancing to an executive role. Few people get to be “top dog” in their organization. So, nearly every worker will spend their entire career leading up, even while serving in a leadership role. Learn the skills and tactics needed to develop an effective working relationship with your boss and other superiors. Gain the credibility and support necessary to get things done and advance professionally.

Strong analytical procedures are critical for evaluating the fair presentation of financial statements. In addition, Financial statements are only as good as the information and trends that they produce for operational, strategic, or compliance purposes. This course will provide insights into how to determine the strength and efficiency of nonprofits in achieving objectives and knowledge to improve the analysis of the fair presentation of a nonprofit's financial statements.  

Following the ever-changing tax deprecation rules is not a game for the faint hearted! This course analyzes the current landscape of depreciating, capitalizing and disposing of business assets, with examples and illustrated case studies to enhance the CPAs understanding of the most current tax depreciation provisions. *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

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.

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.

The AICPA Town Hall Series delivers: Timely & Critical Information Interpretation & Analysis Firm and Business Strategies Practitioner Capabilities **Free for AICPA members Not an AICPA or CIMA member? Become one today.

Data security and privacy issues persist as a significant concern for businesses of all sizes. No matter where you look, the numbers are bad - really bad! But that doesn't mean you can't take steps to reduce these risks. In this session, you will learn about the key security and privacy risks facing businesses today and the steps you can take to mitigate these risks. This session begins with a review of how cybercriminals target businesses of all sizes and the associated costs of these attacks. From there, you will progress to discussions of practical tools, policies, and other solutions that can be used to mitigate cybersecurity risks to prudently acceptable levels. This is a "must-see" session for all concerned about data security and how to mitigate threats to sensitive and confidential data.

AU-C Section 315 requires the auditor to gain an understanding of the entity and its environment and the entity's internal controls in order to design appropriate audit procedures. This course will review the key requirements of COSO which is one of the most widely used internal control frameworks. We'll also review the limitations of internal controls. Additionally, this course will introduce the risk assessment process and the various audit procedures to evaluate controls and to determine whether to test the operating effectiveness of controls. 

This course will allow you to get reacquainted with the statement of cash flows. We will refresher your skills regarding both the preparation and utilization of the statement of cash flows. Significant emphasis will be placed on the informational role of the statement of cash flows and insights that can be obtained using the statement of cash flows in concert with the other elements of a company’s accrual-basis financial statements.

Gift taxation is a critical component of estate planning, and Form 709 serves as the key reporting tool. This course provides a comprehensive line-by-line guide to preparing Form 709, ensuring accuracy and compliance. Participants will learn how to determine taxable gifts, apply exclusions, and utilize available deductions. Special attention will be given to valuation techniques, gift-splitting, and generation-skipping transfer tax (GSTT) considerations. Additionally, this course will examine any new legislative changes from the current administration and how they may impact gift tax planning and reporting. *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

SQMS No. 2, Engagement Quality Reviews, sets out requirements and guidance for firms to conduct an engagement quality (EQ) review. The standard also addresses the qualifications, eligibility, responsibilities, and appointment of an EQ reviewer. The predecessor standard, SQCS No. 8, combined quality control policies with the engagement quality control review. SQMS No. 2 was issued separately to highlight the importance of the EQ review within a firm's system of quality management. SQMS No. 2 formalizes and strengthens the review process through clarified guidance and enhanced documentation requirements. It also distinguishes the responsibilities of the firm from those of the EQR reviewer, ensuring greater accountability and transparency.

Gerald Ford once said that "[n]othing in life is more important that the ability to communicate effectively." Public speaking remains a centuries-old skill that allows individuals to effectively communicate both at a personal and professional level. The benefits of good public speaking run long, whether it be the ability to persuade others, lead a team, or encourage critical thinking. This course is designed to refresh and refine speaking skills for professionals. Through this webinar, participants will gain a better understanding of the core skills of how to communicate effectively in groups — big or small. The webinar is intended to help those who already speak in public better improve their skills, while at the same time teaching more novice speakers how to approach a task that so many professionals dread — speaking in front of others.

When real property is sold for a gain, we always try to find ways to defer recognizing income so that it won't be necessary to send a check to Uncle Sam. There is a provision within the Internal Revenue Code that allows the taxpayer to defer recognition of immediate taxable gain in the year of sale known as a "like-kind exchange." Knowing how and when to utilize this provision makes the Accounting and Finance Professionals very valuable to either their client or the entity they work for. We will also discuss recent proposals that could impact the future of this provision. Please Note: due to overlap with the ISL4 course, customers should not take both.

The course provides a concise overview of how to use ChatGPT to more effectively and efficiently research IRS taxation law. It delves into techniques for extracting precise information from complex tax legislation, interpreting IRS guidelines with AI assistance, and utilizing ChatGPT's advanced language models for nuanced legal analysis. Participants will learn how to streamline their research process, identify relevant tax law precedents, and apply AI insights to real-world tax scenarios, enhancing their professional proficiency in navigating the intricate world of IRS taxation. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Signed by President Biden on December 29, 2022 as part of the Consolidation Appropriations Act, this program provides an explanation of the Secure Act 2.0 provisions impacting individuals and business taxpayers. Learn what you need to know for this filing season and how to plan for future years for your 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.

Most leadership development focuses on a single direction within the organizational hierarchy: downstream to subordinates. While it is important to be a good boss, leadership is much more than that. The best leaders learn to lead well in all directions. They lead upward to superiors and across among peers throughout the organization. And it all starts with self-leadership. This often overlooked or misunderstood leadership principle is essential to build a thriving and productive culture. This topic is based on Jon’s book, Mission-Critical Leadership: How Smart Managers Lead Well in All Directions. 

Applying Topic 606 in an environment of uncertainty can be especially challenging. This course will discuss the proper application of the revenue recognition model when facts and circumstances are changing.