CPE Catalog & Events

This course discusses the basic steps to developing a process that effectively delivers numbers-oriented information to non-financial audiences.

This course discusses common warning signs of fraud, and offers prevention techniques to protect your company.

This course will discuss the project management process from building a business case and planning, to execution and managing your team.

This course provides an overview of risk management, discussing various types of risk and risk management processes.

This course will help you understand decision-making styles and build decision-making skills.

This course will identify the importance of an organization understanding its "Why," how to use backcasting as a strategic planning tool, and the most important component of a mission statement.

This course discusses the principles of improvisation and how they relate to building high performance teams.

Your company is only as good as your writing. Despite all your efforts, are you still trying to determine the difference between good and bad writing? This course provides the basic steps to evaluating and defining the criteria for effective written co

Mental Health Impacts at Work — addresses the growing need for workplace mental health support. Discover strategies to overcome stigma, improve communication, and create a culture that prioritizes employee well-being. Learn actionable steps to implement effective mental health initiatives, identify available resources, and empower your team to thrive.

Phil Marciano, partner at Citrin Cooperman, outlines the most frequent financial statement pitfalls he encounters while reviewing not-for-profit organizations. He highlights improper classification of assets and lease items, mishandling of conditional versus unconditional contributions, board-designated versus donor-restricted net assets, errors in functional expense and cash-flow presentations, and overlooked non-cash gifts. Marciano stresses robust internal controls, staff training, and vigilant board oversight to avoid these GAAP violations.

Minimizing estate and gift tax penalties is important for preserving wealth and ensuring compliance with tax regulations. Beth Kaufman and Melissa Wiley, Partners with Lowenstein Sandler in Washington DC, join this segment to discuss best practices and compliance strategies with respect to estate and gift taxes. This includes discussion of reasonable cause and willful neglect, building a persuasive case for reliance on tax professionals, and understanding penalties for appraisers under IRC Section 6695A. They also discuss strategies to manage late filing and payment penalties, how to leverage the Internal Revenue Manual for penalty abatement/reasonable cause statements, and considerations when applying first-time abatement (FTA).

Self-improvement and the ability to motivate others is a cornerstone of great leadership. Learn about the importance of good feedback, recognition and rewards; explore the need to lead authentically by getting past simple labels to understand people as unique individuals; and understand the role of status differentials and how leaders must break down perceived communication barriers. The webcast was originally broadcast on May 30, 2013. Note: There is a minimum passing rate of 70% for this course.

Accountants advising clients with valuable art collections must navigate the complexities of the evolving art market to optimize financial outcomes, ensure proper estate planning, and mitigate risks. Wendy Battleson, Private Banker at Bank of America, explains key strategies for managing art assets, focusing on the importance of provenance and clear title, effective use of auction guarantees, and leveraging art collections to minimize capital gains taxes through mechanisms like step-up in basis. She also emphasizes the critical role of open communication between accountants and clients about art assets, addressing the unregulated nature of the art market, and the necessity of proper documentation and appraisal to safeguard investments.

Providing a practical overview of the IRS Power of Attorney, Form 2848, and IRS Tax Information Authorization, Form 8821. Participants will explore the differences between these forms, understand when each is required, and how to comply with IRS requirements for representing clients and accessing their tax information. The course will cover practical issues, ethical considerations, and best practices for managing client authorizations through the IRS Centralized Authorization File (CAF) system.

Participants will learn how to interpret the most common IRS correspondence, adhere to response deadlines, and effectively communicate with the IRS to resolve issues and minimize risks. It provides professionals with knowledge and strategies needed to handle the most common notices including audit requests, collections & return inquiries as well as error notices. Focusing on best practices to ensure compliance and avoiding penalties or escalation.

Understanding Pass-Through Entity Tax (PTET), Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT), and Self-Employment Contributions Act (SECA) tax is important for identifying strategies to minimize tax liabilities for owners and partners of pass-through entities. David Kirk, Tax Partner and leader of the Private Tax Group of Ernst & Young LLP's National Tax Department, joins this segment to discuss key tax issues for PTEs and explains the differences between credit and corporate taxation models for PTET, state-specific rules, and the impact of default elections. This includes discussion of how pro rata allocation affects deductions and credits, potential S Corporation status issues, and the role of grantor trusts.

The construction industry faces unique challenges when adapting to changes in tax laws. This session will explore recent federal and California tax developments, including the Inflation Reduction Act's green construction incentives, bonus depreciation updates, and key changes affecting the Qualified Business Income Deduction (Section 199A). We'll also examine strategies for tax credit maximization and proactive tax planning tailored to the commercial construction sector.  This session was recorded on March 25, 2025 for CalCPA's Construction Management Conference.

The final step in a tax controversy is Tax Court. Over 70% of all Tax Court cases are filed by taxpayers representing themselves. Most of these "pro se" taxpayers have a non-lawyer assisting them. There can be significant advantages to filing a Tax Court case to resolve a dispute. This class will explore these strategic uses of the Tax Court process and provide a basic understanding of navigating your client through the case.

Today's competitive environment requires CPAs to be strong negotiators. This course will teach you to ask for the business and close the deal. Topics emphasize negotiation skill-building, effective communication, telephone techniques, and the negotiation "process." It also covers the importance of the "human" side of negotiations, including "empathy," "ego," and "needs."  The webinar was originally broadcast on April 21, 2017. Resource update: March, 2026.

This course discusses accounting for the net assets of NFPs.