CPE Catalog & Events

Leaders in CPA firms often spend time on work that sits below their highest and best use: meetings they do not need to attend, work delegated upward by their teams, client scope creep, administrative tasks, and avoided accountability conversations. Survey data cited in the course indicates that most leaders say yes to commitments they know they should decline, at a cost of hundreds of hours per year. This course introduces the distinction between hard work (time-bound), smart work (skills-based and intellectual), and uncomfortable work (emotional), and shows why avoided "Uncomfortable Work" is the common root of these low-value commitments. Participants complete a structured 32-item self-inventory across five categories: meetings and events, unrealistic expectations, strategies and opportunities, tasks and projects, and suboptimal performance. They then quantify the estimated annual hours lost to the commitments they identified, select one commitment to decline over the next month, and name the higher-value leadership activity (such as delegation, business development, project oversight, or performance management) that the reclaimed time will support. With the self-awareness and clarity gained through this program, you will know exactly which gaps need closing before work ramps back up. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Companies often offer stock options as an additional form of compensation to attract and retain the best talent. Used appropriately, stock options can generate significant wealth, yet many employees are unfamiliar with how stock options work and why options serve as a valuable opportunity for employees to establish and grow their wealth. Unfortunately, employees who receive stock options are often unaware of their inherent risks. Research has shown that over 76% of employees have never exercised their stock options. Almost half of these individuals (48%), say they held off on selling their options due to fear of making a mistake. This course provides accounting and finance professionals with a broad overview of employee stock options. The webinar is designed to help participants better understand the fundamentals behind these investments and, in turn, better advise their clients.

A challenge for many small business owners is choosing the 'right' type of retirement plan for their businesses. Many hesitate to adopt retirement plans for their businesses because they are intimidated by the governing rules. In those cases, SEP and SIMPLE IRAs are reasonable solutions because they are easy to establish, maintain, and communicate with employees; have minimal administrative costs; and are practical and efficient ways to start a retirement plan. These IRA-based plans - SEP IRAs and SIMPLE IRAs - have low maintenance costs and are easy to communicate to employees. With IRA-based employer plans, employer contributions are sometimes discretionary, giving business owners the choice of whether to fund every year. Despite the simplicity of these plans, employers must ensure that applicable compliance requirements are met to avoid penalties. To that end, this course will cover some key provisions of SEP and SIMPLE IRAs.

IRS Form 7217 is an IRS tax form required for partners receiving distributions of property from partnerships. Starting for tax years beginning in 2024, a partner who receives property from a partnership must file Form 7217 with his or her annual income tax return. Form 7217 is filed by any partner receiving a distribution of property from a partnership to report the basis of the distributed property, including any basis adjustment to such property as required by Section 732(a)(2) or (b). This new IRS form is part of the IRS's general concern regarding basis shifting in favor of high marginal tax rate related partners. Form 7217 is now required and details the types of property distributed, the aggregate basis, and the allocation of basis to the distributed property. Form 7203 is designed to assist in tracking an S corporation shareholder's stock and debt basis. Form 7203 is a significant improvement from the worksheets the IRS provided formerly and over time will serve to help partners and partnerships keep track of their stock and debt basis. The course covers the structure and organization of Form 7203 as well as how an S corporation shareholder's stock and debt basis are calculated.

Starting a business is tough! There are lots of decisions to be made and things to think about. You may feel like you have a great idea. You have done your marketing research, developed a prototype, and even looked at locations for your new office. Then it dawns on you.... What type of entity do I need to be? Is there really an advantage to choosing one entity type over the other? In this class, we will dig into the differences between entity types - from taxes to liability. We will also look at the advantages and disadvantages of different methods of accounting. Whether you are a small business owner looking to start something new or a practitioner looking to expand your client advisory services, this course is the one for you!

Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing forensic accounting, giving professionals powerful new ways to trace funds, uncover fraud, and analyze massive volumes of financial data in minutes instead of weeks. In this engaging course, you'll discover how AI can enhance financial investigations, strengthen expert witness reports, and support litigation and discovery efforts. Learn where AI can create strategic advantages in the courtroom, as well as the disclosure, reliability, and admissibility challenges that every expert must understand. Through practical examples and real-world applications, you'll see how AI can uncover hidden patterns, identify critical evidence, and generate actionable insights. Whether you investigate fraud, support litigation, or serve as an expert witness, this course will help you harness AI with confidence, credibility, and defensible results. 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 comprehensive exploration of cost segregation studies from both technical and compliance perspectives, emphasizing what truly distinguishes a high-quality, IRS-defensible report. Drawing from the IRS Cost Segregation Audit Techniques Guide (ATG) and the instructor's experience as a former IRS engineer and Cost Segregation subject matter expert. Participants will gain practical understanding of how to evaluate, perform, and document cost segregation studies. Topics include the fundamentals of cost segregation and depreciation methods, the differences between Section 1245 and 1250 property, and the importance of accurate cost allocations, engineering documentation, and supportable estimates. The course also covers the principal elements of a well-prepared report, common pitfalls that trigger IRS scrutiny, and practical remedies to strengthen study credibility and audit resilience. By the end of this session, tax professionals, engineers, and financial advisors will be equipped to recognize the hallmarks of a quality cost segregation study and avoid costly mistakes in the process. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

How do you pull a value from a cell into another cell? Do you use a direct cell reference, like =G10? If so, you are probably missing out on some efficiency gains that could be achieved by using a variety of Excel's lookup functions. Veteran Excel users, who are aware of the VLOOKUP function, are also painfully aware of its limitations--especially that it cannot go left. We will explore how to bypass VLOOKUP's limitations by nesting functions and by moving beyond VLOOKUP altogether.

Most organizations manage their income statement, but many virtually ignore the balance sheet until balance sheet problems create seemingly insurmountable emergencies. This session discusses how to analyze and manage your financial statements more holistically, allowing you to identify and correct balance sheet issues early. How do you choose whether to raise debt or equity" What are the key considerations and the advantages of each" What is the cost of capital" What are the "hidden" balance sheet risks" We will also examine several crucial ideas you can incorporate into your analyses to enhance performance and reduce risk. If you want to enhance your corporate finance skills, this session is for you.

This course explores provisions of Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Engagements (SSARS) that govern review, compilation, and preparation engagements. Participants will recall foundational concepts, examine recent updates, understand practitioner responsibilities, and apply best practices for engagement performance. Attendees will learn how to efficiently perform SSARS engagements while complying with professional requirements. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Many tax clients with losses from their S corporations, partnerships, and multiple-member LLCs treated as partnerships will want to use these losses to offset their other income from other sources. This program explains when, why, and how the at-risk rules apply to allow or to prevent the owner of a pass-through entity from taking a loss from a pass-through entity and using it to offset other income. This program is extremely helpful for anyone with pass-through entity clients.

When a new employee is hired, there are a lot of things the employer needs to take care of. Aside from getting employment contracts signed, training lined up, and the new hire breakfast planned, employers are tasked with making sure all of the payroll forms are filled out. For many small business owners, this can be a source of anxiety. They often wonder if they have everything they need. They also hear horror stories about potential IRS penalties for not having all of the boxes checked. In this course, we will explore the payroll compliance side of hiring new employees. From the alphabet soup of forms that need to be filled out to the initial payroll tax forms, we have you covered if you are a new practitioner or new business owner. We will even discuss the surprisingly difficult-to-navigate world of unemployment insurance.

Designed for accounting, auditing, and attestation practitioners at all levels in public accounting and business and industry, this course provides a detailed review of the multitude of FASB and AICPA standards and reports issued over the past few years, including a discussion of the FASB's Stage 3 PIR report on ASC 606. It also provides an overview of recent PCAOB inspection report findings and SEC rulemaking activity. Through hands-on examples and illustrations, this course will help you apply the guidance in practice. We further discuss other important A&A practice matters to be aware of, including an update on the quality management standards and soon-to-be-effective requirements for engagement quality reviews.

This comprehensive tax update is designed to prepare the practitioner for the upcoming filing season by providing an in-depth analysis and update of the business tax provisions enacted under OBBBA and other recent business tax developments. Participants will examine statutory changes affecting corporate, pass-through, and individual business taxation, including modifications to depreciation, credits, deductions, compliance requirements, and planning strategies. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Learn the basics of employment law and how they affect best practices to help control the interview and discover hidden talents of applicants.

AI is now built into software that CPA firms already use, and the pressure to have a position on it keeps rising. For most small and midsize firms the question is not whether these tools matter, but how to engage with them on terms that fit a practice built on trust, confidentiality, and professional judgment. This course makes an evidence-based case that professional skepticism is an asset in technology decisions, provided it is aimed at the right target. Drawing on research in trust calibration, human and AI decision making, cognitive offloading, and professional identity, it examines why experienced professionals discount sound algorithmic advice, what that discounting costs in accuracy, and where reasonable caution turns into accidental delay. Participants locate their firm on the AI Trust and Usage Quadrant, apply five trust questions to vendor claims, and review bounded first steps designed to protect independent judgment during a pilot. The course is vendor neutral and recommends no product. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Probably one of the greatest conflicts in an organization is determining which is more important: compliance or customer service. This program digs deeply into the issue and prepares the finance professional to achieve high levels of compliance and customer service in the department and in the entire organization. We will examine both disciplines from an analytical standpoint, proving why they are necessary for both for-profit and nonprofit organizations to achieve success.

This 6-hour program covers recent promulgations of the FASB and AICPA with broad applicability. In addition, the course includes the 2-hour Tax Basis Financial Statements, and 2-hour SSARS Highlight Reel, programs available as stand-alone courses.

Cover critical aspects, common problem areas and strategies for successful 1031 exchanges. Examine Form 8824 preparation, replacement property adjusted basis computations, advanced 1031 strategies and more. Study advanced 1031 exchange strategies such as reverse exchange, partners/TIC structures, and improvement exchanges (including "Bartell" parking arrangements). Bring questions and increase your expertise.

Thsi course provides a comprehensive overview of Written Information Security Plans (WISP), focusing on their purpose, requirements, and implentation. All PTIN holders must certify they have a WISP prior to renewal, along with certifying the training of employees, staff and contractors as necessary. Participants will explore the history and legal foundation of WISP under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, and how compliances is enforsed through IRS Circular 230, AICPA Statments of Standards, The American Bar Associations and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.