CPE Catalog & Events

Collaboration remains one of today's hottest topics. Technology has fueled today's collaboration options, and work-from anywhere environments virtually demand collaboration platforms. In this session, you will learn today's best tools and practices to facilitate more effective collaboration in your organization. In this session, you will learn about today's mainstream collaboration platforms & Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and Zoho - and how these options are similar and differ. You will also learn about other collaboration options, including Slack, Zoom, and Webex, and you can incorporate these tools into your collaboration environments. Further, you will learn about some of the best practices and procedures that must be in place to optimize your collaborative environments and experiences.

This program presents a detailed analysis of the self-rental passive activity rules, 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 terri.storer@acpen.com  

This course covers a broad range of topics involving uncertainty in accounting and auditing. It addresses accounting standards related to going concern, contingencies, guarantees, and credit losses, along with auditing standards applicable to auditing accounting estimates and evaluating going concern. The course provides a practical overview of how these areas are addressed under current standards and how they impact financial reporting and audit procedures. Jeff presents the material in an engaging manner to reinforce key concepts and maintain focus.

A detailed analysis of the calculations related to determining a shareholder's tax basis for S corporation shares and loans. How to use the Form 1120S, Schedule K-1 information for basis determination. An illustrative example demonstrates how the process works, as well as the many potential pitfalls. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Yellow Book and Single Audit engagements are routinely selected for peer review and continue to be areas of heightened scrutiny by peer reviewers and federal oversight agencies. This course examines common deficiencies identified in governmental and Single Audit engagements, with a focus on understanding why these issues arise and how they can be avoided. Participants will review frequent deficiencies related to Yellow Book requirements issued by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, including independence, CPE, and reporting considerations. The course also addresses common Single Audit deficiencies, including internal controls over compliance, compliance testing, and major program determination. Designed for auditors performing governmental and Single Audit engagements, this course helps participants recognize recurring problem areas and better understand the requirements that continue to drive peer review findings.  

In today's digital landscape, security is non-negotiable. Yesterday's techniques cannot keep up with today's threats. It's time to elevate your knowledge and protect your sensitive data with our comprehensive security program. Join us to discover the latest tools and techniques for securing your data, including encryption, virus protection, safe communications, electronic signatures, secure authentication, and more. You'll also learn how to implement a practical, five-step approach to securing your PC and the critical questions to ask your staff to ensure server-based information remains protected. Security failures, such as client or customer data breaches, can be devastating and even drive your company out of business. So, what security tools do you need, and how should you use them to safeguard your sensitive data and systems? Can you afford to manage today's threats with outdated techniques? Participate in this valuable session to learn how to identify viable and practical solutions to mitigate today's security threats. Don't miss this opportunity to fortify your defenses and ensure your business's success. Sign up now and take the first step towards a more secure future!

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.

Embezzlement happens often to many small businesses. Unfortunately, the lack of internal controls allow the embezzlement to remain undetected for years. But when it is discovered, the small business owner will most likely contact their CPA for advice. What should you do when your client contacts you about their employee embezzling money from their business? What options should you present to your client? How can your client protect themselves, while investigating the embezzlement? What steps need to be taken about preserving any documents, emails, texts, or phone calls? This course teaches how to engage the client, properly identify the evidence needed to prove the crime, how to write the report for civil and criminal trial, and best practices in preserving electronic and paper evidence. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

For the past two decades the trend has been to move away from brick and mortar offices and have a greater number of people work or telecommute from home. Because of the upheaval caused by recent events, the rate of this move has been accelerated. This has and will continue to create control challenges and organizations must work to address these. Such things as moving from time based employee value to task completion based measurement and the ability to drive needed inter-company communication are just a sample of the issues with which entities must contend. This session looks at the benefits and pitfalls of workers that telecommute. It then discusses important risks and controls to consider as this trend continues and evolves in the business world. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Understand and master the various methods of medical claim reimbursements. This foundation is critical to understand health plan networks and how they function as the baseline for cost in fully insured and self-funded plans. This unit will expand on the previous unit's analysis of point solutions and how to build those into your plan design not only for the benefit if rate structures, but employees as well. The instructor will show you how to structure your medical plans to save the plan money by incentivizing the member through cost reduction programs.

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.

This program will address the complex rules for partnership distribution of property with a focus on liquidation of a partner’s interest, Section 751, and how to complete the Form 7217. OBBBA of 2025 update for property distributions is included.   *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 session focuses on the power of pivot tables within Microsoft Excel. We initially discuss the creation of pivot tables and various ways to summarize information. Then we explore ways to utilize summarized pivot table data. The course uses several practical examples that should inspire participants to find their own creative uses for pivot tables.

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 course provides an in-depth exploration of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems as a critical tool for business automation. Designed for accounting professionals, it emphasizes CRM's role in streamlining workflows, organizing communications, enhancing client relationships, and improving efficiency. Participants will learn about key CRM features, integration with accounting software, and best practices for successful implementation. We will highlight practical applications with actionable insights to help attendees optimize their processes. This two-hour session ensures you walk away with a basic understanding of CRM's transformative potential for business and financial management.

Bears are intelligent and motivated to find food. When I left some fried chicken in my Jeep while in Gatlinburg, a bear tore a hole in the top and ate the chicken and part of my Jeep. He was just a bear being a bear. I'm responsible because I left the chicken in the Jeep and gave him the opportunity. Similarly, people are intelligent and motivated to survive. If we give them opportunity by not implementing good internal controls, they will take our assets. This session reviews the investigation and prosecution of the former director of a conference center who took advantage of lax internal controls of a joint-venture and stole thousands. She was just a fraudster being a fraudster.

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.

This course will explore the use of ChatGPT and artificial intelligence chatbot technologies in the accounting profession. Participants will learn how to utilize ChatGPT to automate tasks, improve efficiency and accuracy, and provide real-time support to clients. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Introduction to Amplified Management Practice (AMP) is a high-impact, 120-minute crash course designed for leaders tired of juggling chaos, burnout, and broken systems. Whether you're an HR professional, executive, or manager, this session equips you with a practical, repeatable framework to lead with clarity, align your team with purpose, and build momentum without losing your mind, through the core AMP mindsets—Respect, Curiosity, Transparency, and Stewardship—and its three pillars—Vitalizing, Conducting, and Reinforcing—you’ll learn how to connect customer needs, strategy, and operations while inspiring innovation and meaningful change. Perfect for busy professionals, this course delivers quick wins and lasting impact, helping you lead smarter, not harder.

Fraud has always been a concern for anyone associated with financial statements. In this course, Jeff takes a unique approach to the study of this topic by looking at what are considered to be the top ten accounting fraud cases. In studying the cases, you will gain insight into what to look for in the future. In addition to the cases, Jeff will cover various aspects, both authoritative and guidance, related to fraud to further improve your awareness and skills. He will also cover a couple of other significant fraud cases as well as a couple of interesting historical notes. The entire presentation is packaged into Jeff’s unique blend of teaching with humor. Each case has its own “Greatest hit”, a song parody to help you remember the case as well as other surprises along the way to keep your interest. If you are looking for a course that will keep awake and engaged and will better prepare you for detecting fraud, then this course is a must.