CPE Catalog & Events

Unlock the full potential of Excel and transform your operational and financial reports like never before. With cutting-edge tools such as Data Models, Power Query, Data Analysis Expressions, and Power Pivot, you can create powerful summaries and schedules in record time. Combine these with Excel's legacy features, and you have a game-changing opportunity to elevate your reporting environment. Join our fast-paced seminar to discover the magic of Power Query and how it seamlessly links data into Excel data models, enabling more efficient and insightful reporting. Learn to incorporate Key Performance Indicators, Slicers, and Timelines into your reports to enhance data analytics and understandability. Plus, master best practices for quickly and efficiently formatting your spreadsheets, giving them a polished and professional appearance. This course is a must for anyone using Excel for reporting processes. Elevate your skills and stay ahead of the curve with our expert guidance. You will truly learn how you can revolutionize your Excel-based reporting practices by participating in this session.

Discover the power of QuickBooks Online (QBO)! Intuit's cloud-based accounting platform has evolved and thrived over the past decade, now generating approximately five times the revenue of its desktop counterpart. Yet, many accountants and business professionals are still unaware of the extensive features QBO offers. Unlock the advantages of the subscription model and learn how to leverage QBO to manage inventory, enhance internal controls, create presentation-quality financial statements, and seamlessly migrate from QuickBooks Desktop or other accounting platforms. Join our dynamic session to explore the best practices for implementing, using, and excelling with QuickBooks Online.  Don't miss out on the opportunity to elevate your accounting game with this surprisingly robust platform!

AI is reshaping accounting, tax, and finance. This update surveys the state of AI technology in 2026: core concepts, software tools, risks/controls, and practical CPA use cases. You will leave with an expanded AI vocabulary, a current view of the AI landscape, and actionable talking points for staff, clients, and service providers. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Recent generally accepted auditing standards were written to improve the quality of risk-based financial statement audits, audit reporting, and required by-product communications. This course will discuss the important clarifications and enhancements intended to improve audit quality to ensure better compliance with requirements contained in SAS Nos. 134-145. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Professional credibility is communicated, not assumed. In this 1-CPE session (Professional Development), participants examine structured approaches to articulating their professional identity. Drawing directly from the course framework, the session covers development of an elevator pitch, a professional value proposition, and a concise executive biography. Participants will analyze how credibility is established through clarity, relevance, and alignment with audience needs. The course emphasizes service-centered communication rather than self-promotion and provides structured guidance for refining professional messaging in leadership and client-facing contexts. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Human Resources professionals are often tasked with investigating allegations of employee misconduct, discrimination, and others. Investigation training is traditionally presented from the position of an outsider looking in, such as a governmental agency, law firm, or private investigator. HR investigations require similar skills, but the environment and the approach are quite different. This session provides best practices for gathering and analyzing evidence and reporting the investigation results. Attendees will end the session with takeaways to immediately implement in future HR investigations. Three of three Episodes in the series.

The Secure Act 2.0 was passed in a flurry of year-end legislation. This one hour program will cover the important changes that individuals need to know about contributions to accounts and new ways of accessing these funds.  This course will provide a concise look at these hot topics.   **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.

This session provides insights for enhancing the preparation and utilization of budgets. Seasoned accountants will benefit from a refreshed awareness of popular techniques.  Budding financial professionals will obtain novel insight regarding fundamental budgeting concepts. All participants will develop an appreciation for the holistic nature of budgeting as an integral tool for planning and control. 

As accounting firms and financial institutions deploy agentic AI, they face significant governance challenges. This course focuses on cybersecurity, data governance, and risk management practices essential for the safe and effective use of autonomous systems. Participants will examine frameworks such as NIST AI RMF and the CSA's red-teaming guidelines, as well as case studies on AI-powered cyber incidents. The course equips professionals to assess agentic system vulnerabilities, implement controls, and integrate risk insights into enterprise compliance strategies. This course equips CPAs to fulfill their oversight responsibilities in safeguarding financial data and ensuring the reliability of autonomous systems within the enterprise's control environment.

Leaders set the tone for workplace well-being. This program will equip leaders with the tools to build resilient teams. Creating a culture of mental wellness allows employees to feel safe, valued and heard. This will improve productivity, reduce burnout and absenteeism and ultimately, create a workplace where employees can thrive. Leaders will also learn the importance of nurturing their own self-care to prevent burnout for themselves in order to be the best leader possible.

This comprehensive spring tax update provides an in-depth analysis of the business tax provisions enacted under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Participants will examine statutory changes affecting corporate, pass-through, and individual business taxation, including modifications to depreciation, credits, deductions, compliance requirements, and planning strategies.   *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 comprehensive spring tax update provides an in-depth analysis of the business tax provisions enacted under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Participants will examine statutory changes affecting corporate, pass-through, and individual business taxation, including modifications to depreciation, credits, deductions, compliance requirements, and planning strategies.   *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 comprehensive spring tax update provides an in-depth review of the latest federal tax changes and IRS guidance following the enactment of OBBBA 2025, highlighting new legislation, regulatory shifts, and planning opportunities that will affect individual and tax compliance in the current filing season and beyond.   *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 recently issued standards from the AICPA Auditing Standards Board and AICPA Accounting and Review Services Committee including the new Quality Management Standards. The session will highlight projects in progress at the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, and International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board. The course will also recap recent changes and present common peer review findings and best practices to improve practice quality. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Why not learn, or re-learn, some amazing business lessons from the past that are still effective today? What did Henry Ford do when annual employee turnover was 370% and workers demanded more pay? Sound familiar to today’s world? Ford’s solution worked! We see today’s problems and believe that these problems have never occurred before. Not true. We will discuss timeless business lessons that are as practical today as when they were written decades ago. We will review; ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People,’ ‘Today and Tomorrow,’ and ‘The Art of War.’ Let's learn from the very best, as these lessons have been battle-tested and proven over time.

Software-related transactions continue to evolve, requiring careful analysis under U.S. GAAP. This two-credit course examines the accounting treatment of software costs, with a primary focus on internal-use software and emerging guidance. Participants will walk through the lifecycle of software development, including capitalization and expense recognition, amortization, and impairment considerations. The course includes a focused review of ASU 2025-06 and its impact on accounting for internal-use software. Additional topics include accounting for website development costs, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) arrangements, and other cloud computing arrangements (CCAs), including implementation and hosting considerations. The course also addresses accounting for external-use software, including technological feasibility, capitalization thresholds, and related revenue considerations. Through practical examples and case-based scenarios, participants will strengthen their ability to interpret authoritative guidance and analyze the financial reporting implications of software-related transactions.

This course provides an efficient update on recent and upcoming accounting standard-setting activity issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board. The course focuses on Accounting Standards Updates (ASUs) effective for December 31, 2026 year-ends for public companies, private entities, and not-for-profit organizations. Participants will also review issued ASUs with future effective dates, along with high-level insights into recent exposure drafts. Emphasis is placed on understanding timing, scope, and areas of change that may affect financial reporting and implementation planning. Designed as a practical update for preparers, auditors, and financial professionals, this course helps participants stay current on FASB activity and better anticipate the impact of evolving accounting standards.

Advanced Excel for Staff - Build Reports and Analyze Data is a comprehensive, 2-hour course tailored for professionals looking to enhance their Microsoft Excel skills in creating reports and performing data analysis. This course bridges the gap between basic Excel functionality and the advanced techniques required for effective data-driven reports. Participants will learn to efficiently gather, organize, and structure data, apply calculations to derive key metrics, and create professional-grade reports that are both visually appealing and actionable. The course emphasizes practical application, providing participants with guidance on Excel's advanced tools and functions. By mastering workflows and best practices, learners will gain the confidence to tackle complex data challenges and streamline reporting processes. Additionally, participants will explore methods to validate and share their work, ensuring that reports are accurate, insightful, and easily communicated across teams. Whether you are tasked with preparing financial summaries, tracking performance metrics, or generating operational insights, this course will equip you with the tools to maximize Excel's potential, saving time and improving the quality of your outputs. 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 reviews the statutory and regulatory guidance as they relate to fringe benefits. There will be an emphasis on entertainment, meals and business transportation expenses, including qualified employer-provided parking, with a focus on planning opportunities. Recent federal tax legislation, cases and rulings will also be addressed. 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 concise overview of how artificial intelligence, particularly ChatGPT and other AI tools, is transforming accounting research methodologies and practices. Students will explore the shift from traditional search engine-based research to AI-driven insights, learning how to leverage various AI platforms for enhanced financial analysis, regulatory compliance, and strategic decision-making. The course emphasizes practical applications of AI in accounting contexts while addressing critical considerations such as data verification, ethical usage, and professional judgment. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.