CPE Catalog & Events

Why do some companies fail while others grow and succeed for generations? Common perceptions often attribute organizational success to great leadership, timing, or unique ideas. Although these traits certainly play a role in helping companies grow, research shows that corporate success often hinges on whether a company is value driven. Such companies have core ideologies that drive almost every major decision. In this course, we look at empirical data on why some companies succeed while others fail. By looking at companies that were created prior to 1950 (e.g., Disney, Marriott, or 3M), we can understand why certain organizations have been able to grow and achieve exceptional success through many different eras in the American economy. The lessons learned from these visionary companies can be broadly applied to organizations of all sizes, including accounting and financial service firms.

This hands-on workshop offers an analytical approach for designing, executing, and communicating results of a comprehensive financial statement analysis. We will explore numerous techniques and approaches that facilitate in-depth financial statement analysis. Accountants in public practice will obtain insight regarding analytical procedures, additional client services, and enhanced compliance with professional standards. Accountants in private enterprises will develop more robust techniques for understanding their organization’s financial statements to facilitate forward-thinking decisions and communication to internal and external stakeholders.

This course focuses on the key federal tax issues affecting business from the internal accountant's point of view, with a focus on the major ramifications of the TCJA and other recent tax legislation and developments.  Planning alternatives and the potential risks associated with those strategies will also be discussed.      *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  

Many entities prepare their financial statements using non-GAAP frameworks, such as tax and cash basis. Participants who attend this course will learn the unique reporting and disclosure requirements when preparing non-GAAP financial statements commonly referred to as special purpose frameworks (SPFs) or other comprehensive basis of accounting (OCBOA) financial statements. 

Almost every business and individual has to file tax returns, which can be a great treasure trove of information for forensic accountants. Whether in a divorce, partnership dispute, recreating books and records, or bankruptcy proceeding, analyzing tax return information should be an initial step in uncovering income and assets. The IRS retains a large amount of information, both from taxpayers and 3rd parties who report financial transactions. This course will be your guide in gathering, analyzing, and evaluating tax return information, so that you have a full picture of the financial investigation. Your presenter is a 20 year veteran with IRS-Criminal Investigation, who used this information as a basis for his federal criminal investigations. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

This comprehensive training is designed to get the accountant up to speed quickly with partnership and limited liability company (LLC) formation and preparation issues as well as a complete understanding of calculating a partner and LLC member’s basis. The cornerstone of this course is the in-depth line-by-line analysis of the Form 1065 Schedule K and K-1 and how these items affect the partner/member’s individual income tax return.   *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    

As tax policies and economic conditions continue to evolve, staying ahead in fringe benefit planning is more essential than ever. This course provides financial professionals with a comprehensive update on fringe benefit strategies, ensuring compliance with evolving regulations while maximizing tax efficiency for businesses and individuals. Participants will explore the latest legislative and regulatory updates impacting employer-sponsored benefits, IRC §132 fringe benefits, cafeteria plans, and retirement healthcare strategies. This course also examines ERISA reporting requirements, tax-efficient compensation planning, and healthcare benefits, offering practical applications to help practitioners navigate compliance and optimize benefits for their 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

A well-designed internal controls system can and will drive all entity objectives. Too many times control creators focus too much on security. It is important to properly balance protection-based measures with those designed to enhance efficiency. This session works to illustrate the power of a strong and well supported control system. It also discusses steps to take in order to establish such a system. This material is becoming more and more beneficial as companies strive to address many new business challenges such as evolving markets, the rapid rate of change in the business world and the notable increase in governmental and industry-based regulation. Those that desire a balanced and workplace enhancing control system should strongly consider this session. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Each year brings its own set of tax planning challenges, and this year is no exception. This course aims to arm tax planners with planning strategies and ideas that all clients, but in particular, wealthy clients, middle-income clients, and closely held business owners need to consider right now to take advantage of present opportunities and plan for future tax advantages. Learn strategies that can really have an impact on client lives, while also bringing value to you and your firm. Please Note: 2026 returns are not covered in this course. They will be covered after their issuance, as part of our spring 2027 course release.

Selecting the right technology and ensuring it’s effectively adopted are two of the most critical challenges facing firms today. This session explores practical, structured methods for evaluating software and systems to align with business needs-followed by proven change management strategies that drive adoption, learning, and long-term success. Participants will learn how to assess organizational readiness, evaluate vendors, structure pilot programs, and use modern tools to facilitate user engagement and continuous improvement. Whether your firm is implementing new accounting, workflow, or collaboration technology, this course provides the framework for successful selection and implementation.

The accounting profession stands at a critical inflection point where artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are reshaping how firms operate, serve clients, and compete in the marketplace. This course, based on the 2025 CPA Firm Tech Report, provides expert guidance on overcoming the five key challenges that prevent firms from successfully adopting transformative technologies: decision paralysis from overwhelming choices, leadership resistance to change, difficulty proving ROI, growing cybersecurity risks, and critical skills gaps. Through real-world case studies and insights from industry leaders, participants will learn practical strategies for evaluating AI solutions, implementing change management frameworks, and building a technology-forward culture that enhances both efficiency and client value. Participants will explore the CPA Firm Digital Maturity Model to assess their firm's readiness for transformation, examine the evolving AI ecosystem specifically designed for accounting applications, and discover how leading firms are leveraging AI to move beyond traditional compliance work toward high-value advisory services. The course addresses critical considerations for firms of all sizes, from solo practitioners to large regional firms, providing actionable frameworks for prioritizing technology investments, measuring success beyond traditional ROI metrics, and developing the hybrid talent needed to thrive in an AI-enhanced future. Whether you're a firm leader hesitant about technology adoption or a forward-thinking professional ready to champion change, this course equips you with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate the technology revolution transforming the accounting profession. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Every business needs capital, and capital has a cost. Providers of debt and equity demand a return and the combination is the cost of capital for the business. This session discusses how to calculate the cost of capital, how to use it to make superior business decisions every day and some common ways organizations misuse this number. Who should understand your organization's cost of capital? Even if you are not yet the CFO, you need to thoroughly understand the cost of capital and its use. The cost of capital allows managers to, Get the biggest bang for the buck. If you want to enhance your corporate finance skills, this session is for you.

The newest acronym in the business community is ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) Investors’ demand enhanced information about how companies are approaching environmental sustainability. (Sustainability accounting) The foundation of sustainability reporting is for an organization to identify and prioritize its impacts on the economy, environment, and people - to be transparent about their impacts The foundation of sustainability reporting is for an organization to identify and prioritize its impacts on the economy, environment, and people - to be transparent about their impacts This session is an introduction to the topic of ESG and what accountants and management should know

Excel charts and other visualizations can be excellent tools for conveying your intended message. Join the K2 team in this session to learn more about how you can create compelling visualizations to help you communicate key business messages.

Transform your data presentation skills with our comprehensive course on creating impactful dashboards and reports using Excel. This workshop is tailored for professionals who: Regularly produce or update dashboards and reports Struggle with confusing or overly complex reporting tools Seek to streamline varied reporting styles across their organization Aim to establish a consistent, replicable "house style" for reporting Want to impress stakeholders with clear, user-friendly data presentations Through a combination of theory and hands-on practice, you'll learn the fundamental principles that make reports and dashboards easy to understand. We'll distill these concepts into a set of practical rules and guide you through their application in Excel.

Strategic Planning for SMEs

The title "Chief Financial Officer" is not an accurate description for what many financial managers do because the word "chief" implies the company has more than one degreed accountant. This seminar covers four major topics of importance to the financial manager who must do it all. We have designed Only Financial Officer 3.0 to give financial managers in small to medium-sized companies the high-level skills needed to act as a member of top management.

This case-driven training is designed to get the inexperienced accountant up to speed quickly in the most common areas of partnership, limited liability company (LLC) and limited liability partnership (LLP) taxation. A cornerstone of this course is the preparation of the Form 1065 using a fairly complex trial balance common to most partnership, LLP and LLC income tax returns.   *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  

How to properly account for and audit digital records is increasingly gathering importance as more entities have cryptocurrency and other digital assets on their financial statements. This course will address common questions, risks, and challenges evolving in this area. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

This comprehensive course provides a timely update on key accounting and auditing developments affecting governmental entities, bringing together recent standard-setting, auditing, and compliance changes into a single, cohesive learning experience. Participants will begin with an update on major pronouncements issued by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board, including GASB Statements No. 103, 104, and 105, along with a high-level overview of active GASB exposure drafts and ongoing projects. Emphasis is placed on understanding how these changes affect governmental financial reporting, disclosures, and communication with stakeholders. The course then shifts to auditing developments, covering significant updates to the Yellow Book issued by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, including changes related to quality management, effective dates, and recent updates to the Green Book. Participants will also gain insight into the GAO's implementation delay and its implications for audit planning. Finally, the course addresses recent changes affecting Single Audits, including the 2024 Uniform Guidance overhaul, updates to Appendix B of the AICPA GAS/Single Audit Guide, recent Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memoranda, and reporting changes related to SAM.gov. Designed for auditors, preparers, and financial leaders working with governmental entities, this course helps participants understand how recent accounting and auditing changes intersect-and what to watch for as expectations continue to evolve. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.