CPE Catalog & Events

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, as well as an update on Schedules K-2 and K-3. An illustrative example demonstrates how the process works, as well as the many potential pitfalls. *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

Business leaders often view an internal control system as a security measure. However, a well-designed system can also drive entity objectives. Learn to design a robust and well-supported system, leveraging years of experience and key concepts from authoritative pronouncements and frameworks. Explore strategies to address new business challenges, including evolving markets, rapid changes in business, and increasing governmental and industry-based regulation. This course is for anyone working with internal controls.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) was a major overhaul of our tax system that lowered the income tax rates for individual and corporate taxpayers and introduced the new 20% qualified business income (QBI) deduction for sole proprietors and pass-through entities. The cornerstone of this course is the comprehensive discussion of the 20% QBI deduction final regulations under IRC §199A.    **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

Fraud activities can be executed from within an organization, by parties outside an entity, or by both. Importantly, as the business world becomes more technological, the way fraud is carried out is changing. There must be an increased focus on understanding where new fraud vulnerabilities exist. In this session, we delve into the reasons that both internal and external intentional defalcations take place. The material discusses the new ways fraud is being actuated and looks at the factors driving those that undertake fraud. We spend time examining measures that can be implemented in order to stop fraud via the deployment of added security across the enterprise. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Social Security seems poised for changes in benefits and eligibility age. The leading edge of the baby boomer generation has already reached retirement age. Financial and tax planners can expect increased demand for strategies that dovetail Social Security with other retirement and estate planning objectives. This course provides tax and financial planning professionals with both the background information on the Social Security system and the strategies clients will need in dealing with Social Security, and the myriad other related retirement planning issues.

ChatGPT is the fastest growing application in the history of technology with over 100 million users adopting it in within two months. It is a revolutionary technology that boosts the quality and efficiency of business processes in every industry. As "knowledge workers", CPAs and CFOs are positioned to be prime beneficiaries of this technology. This half day hands-on course will get you well on your way to becoming a ChatGPT expert. John Higgins, a nationally recognized advisor and educator on CPA technology, will guide you through the process of accessing ChatGPT and applying it to a variety of practical accounting, finance and tax scenarios. This course will catapult you to the top of the pyramid of CPAs who are knowledgeable in ChatGPT and you will be ready to put it to use in your day-to-day tasks. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

What would you do if you only had one workday to complete a financial statement audit? How would you optimize just a handful of hours? What would you test? More importantly, what would you minimize or eliminate? Although one day is unrealistically short, it illustrates how risk-based auditing can help auditors optimize professional effort. This course emphasizes the importance of risk assessment for enhancing both the effectiveness and efficiency of audit procedures.

In the world of work today, nothing is more critical than Culture.  If people are your competitive advantage, then culture is the best way to help your people realize a great destination. While many leaders and companies talk a lot about culture, few take the time to really plan, build, and invest in a great culture. Today, the world of work could not be more challenging, and the changes that we are seeing in the workforce, such as the rise of remote workers and increasing turnover, are adding to the complexity. Now more than ever, Culture must become your competitive advantage. In this course, you will learn about the key macro changes in the workforce and what some leading companies and leaders are doing to create amazing cultures and high-performing organizations. From LinkedIn to Patagonia to Eventbrite, you will learn from some top organizations ow they have successfully leveraged culture. You will learn what Culture is and can be, and you will learn what culture is not. As you set sail in 2024 and beyond as a leader, you will benefit from this class and learn how to make culture your competitive advantage. Your teacher for the class is Steve Cadigan, whom many credit for being the architect of LinkedIn's world-class and groundbreaking culture. 

Lease accounting under FASB ASC 842 is now fully effective for all entities. Transitioning to new GAAP always leads to implementation issues and concerns. This course will answer the most common questions asked related to the latest lease accounting and financial reporting requirements after adoption and transition. 

Performing engagements in accordance with Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS), commonly referred to as the "Yellow Book," involves additional reporting, ethics, and performance requirements that go beyond those outlined in AICPA Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS). This course provides an overview of the guidance found in the Yellow Book and explores its relationship with the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct. Participants will gain an understanding of the unique CPE requirements for GAGAS engagements and review the Yellow Book standards for financial statement audits, with a focus on ethical principles and independence. This course is designed to equip professionals with the foundational knowledge needed to navigate the complexities of Yellow Book engagements effectively.  

This intensive two-hour course addresses the critical need for accuracy and efficiency when developing spreadsheets using Microsoft Excel. Recognizing that even minor errors can have significant implications, this course delves deep into strategies and skills required to detect and correct errors in Excel. By the end of this course, participants will have a comprehensive understanding of how to efficiently identify and correct errors in Excel spreadsheets, enhancing their overall productivity and accuracy in their professional roles. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Even though they have been around for several years, the tax laws pertaining to S corporations remain some of the more difficult areas of the Internal Revenue Code. Given the rising popularity of S corporations, understanding how shareholder basis and the equity section of the balance sheet work together for tax purposes is imperative for nearly any tax practitioner. In this course, we will discuss this relationship. Using examples and illustrations, we will show how contributions, operating transactions, and distributions affect shareholder basis as well as equity.

Tax advisors often receive questions concerning all facets of Medicare. How does Medicare work? How do I apply? How much does it cost? Is Medicare optional or required? This program provides a basic introduction to the Medicare program and covers many of the areas of the Medicare program that clients are most interested in. If you, or some of your clients, have questions relating to Medicare, this program is a must for you.

By far, the biggest contributing factor that leads to a profitable, yet high quality, financial statement audit is the proper identification, evaluation, and response to assessed risk of material misstatement. When designing your detailed audit plan, how and where you decide to spend your time is largely a matter of professional judgment. The proven tips and techniques for critically rethinking how you plan and design your audit taught in this course will help auditors enhance audit quality and manage profitability in all engagements.

With the increasing complexity and ever-changing nature of tax laws and issues, today’s accountant needs a partnership/LLC course focusing on the hottest tax topics and most frequently encountered issues. This case driven course will deal with both partnership/LLC and partner/member developments addressing the most common, yet complex Federal partnership/LLC issues and problems. **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

The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners says that there is fraud lurking in all businesses, including not-for-profit organizations. It often goes undetected for years and when uncovered, management and the board may question why an auditor did not identify it. The auditor's responsibility in a financial statement audit is to assess risk and perform sufficient procedures to obtain reasonable assurance that the financial statements are free from material misstatement due to fraud or error. However, failure to perform an adequate fraud risk assessment and report deficiencies in internal control, such as a lack of segregation of duties, can leave a firm vulnerable. This course will discuss the audit procedures that should be performed in accordance with AU-C 240 as recently amended, best practices in performing fraud risk assessment procedures, when and how to report control deficiencies noted in an audit, and the most frequent types of fraud found in small to mid-sized entities along with internal controls that could be implemented to help prevent and detect them. We will look at various cyber fraud schemes and how they might be prevented or detected, the use of analytics as fraud risk procedures, and assessments of fraud risk in a Single Audit. This course features case studies.

Attracting and retaining staff is critical to an organization's success, especially in the age of the millennial worker who will change jobs multiple times in the course of a career. This course will focus on best practices for nurturing the human element of your organization, especially millennial workers who comprise a growing percentage or the workforce. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Every organization today is facing an onslaught of pressure to master Artificial Intelligence “AI” strategies across their enterprises. Never before have we witnessed such a steep expectation for how a “technology” can transform a business, and never before have we been expected to leverage a technology so quickly and so completely.  There is no denying AI presents perhaps the opportunity of a lifetime to transform and improve operations, but to date few plans or roadmaps on how to unlock the promise of AI exist. In this class, Steve Cadigan, a globally renowned future of work expert, will present a practical plan for how you can build your own AI strategy, and how you can thrive in the AI revolution. Steve will show present a roadmap of how to build your confidence with AI to address this massive change management challenge.

Privacy should be everywhere, yet every day seemingly brings a new story about a privacy violation. While it can be frustrating and sometimes scary to think about mishandling our personal information, it’s important to remember that we can take steps to protect our privacy. This session will teach you where your critical threats are and what information you may already have at risk. More importantly, you will learn how to manage and mitigate privacy risks. In an era of increasing connectivity – and by extension, risk – this session should be high on your list to take as soon as possible.

This course addresses the most recent legislative developments impacting business taxpayers, with a focus on important provisions, rules and concepts to apply when preparing client 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 kori.herrera@acpen.com