CPE Catalog & Events

This course will help you master individual income tax return preparation! It will improve your understanding of the basics, focusing on the law and compliance associated with Form 1040. It is an excellent overview of the process for new preparers and a refresher for the more seasoned professional.

Regardless of size, all organizations must be aware of the risks associated with intentionally fraudulent acts. Fraud can be executed from within an organization, by external parties, or both. Therefore, a primary method to thwart fraud is understanding how and why it occurs. First, understand why internal and external intentional defalcations take place. Discuss the difficulty in understanding the motives driving those who undertake fraud. Finally, review measures organizations can implement to stop fraud and add security to the enterprise.

Disclosure has never been more critical. This course covers the most commonly encountered U.S. GAAP disclosure requirements. The course is an overview of the FASB Accounting Standards Codification and its more significant disclosure requirements applicable to non-public entities. In addition to U.S. GAAP, the course includes discussion of disclosure requirements for financial statements prepared using a special purpose framework, e.g., tax basis.

Tax professionals can enhance their practice by studying tax-saving strategies for individual clients.

Specifically designed for preparation, compilation, and review practitioners, this course will provide you with a comprehensive review and hands-on application for performing financial statement preparation, compilation, and review engagements. You will learn the ins and outs of applying SSARS No. 21, Clarification and Recodification, as well as the additional guidance related to SSARS engagements through the issuance of SSARS Nos. 22-26 by the ARSC. In addition to SSARS 26, the entire suite of quality management standards is discussed. However, knowing the standards is not enough. You need to be able to effectively apply them. To support this, the course will review recent peer review feedback on SSARS engagements, providing insights on how to successfully apply this guidance. Not only will this course bring you up to date on SSARS requirements and guidance, but more importantly, it will provide you with practical examples and illustrations to help you effectively and efficiently perform these types of engagements. This course is intended to be your go-to reference for training your staff and managing your SSARS No. 21-26 services in compliance with professional, ethical, and technical requirements.

This is indeed another year of significant change in the world of government and nonprofit accounting and auditing. Time is valuable, and it's hard to stay current in today's rapidly changing environment. Let us save you time and effort with this informative update course. The course materials utilize a highly illustrative and innovative format. Over 30 focused exercises are included to provide an enhanced working knowledge of the latest developments in government and nonprofit accounting and auditing.

Don't let the title frighten you. Experienced staff can get bogged down in busy season with advanced practice and reporting issues. With major legislation enacted over the past few years, we bring you the distilled version of what you need to know for the current year and significant current proposals that may impact the tax landscape in future years or even retroactively. This course discusses the topics that experienced staff, managers, and partners should understand in depth while also assisting experienced staff in avoiding costly mistakes when facing complicated 1040 issues. The manual includes advanced examples and several advanced cases with "filled-in" forms provided with the complete answers.

This course includes an analysis of all of the relevant authoritative pronouncements that a CPA must have an understanding of in order to properly perform preparation, compilation and review engagements. Troublesome areas as identified in peer reviews and litigation will be addressed. This course is loaded with practical aids to enable CPAs to comply with the standards! Participants who take this course will enjoy a smooth sailing in their peer reviews...guaranteed! This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

This two-day, interactive workshop reviews the hottest accounting topics and recent changes in areas such as private company accounting, revenue recognition, going concern and other specialized subjects. Refresh your research skills and practice using the Codification. Case studies and real-life examples will help attendees readily apply the information covered.

One of the top concerns of any organization's leadership is how to mitigate the risk of cybersecurity threats, along with the prevention and detection of fraud. This course will focus on the most common cybersecurity vulnerabilities and fraud trends, and best practices for managing them. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

This session explores the nature of analytical procedures, with significant emphasis placed upon professional standards involving the use of analytical procedures in audit and review engagements. Practical examples to illustrate the application process will also be given.

Technology has given us many new writing tools, but they may just allow an inexperienced novice to turn out poor communications more quickly.  Whatever your expertise level, this webinar will help you take your writing skills to another level, saving your time and making it far more likely your reader will read and understand your message.  

This seminar provides a comprehensive overview of Schedule K-1, which taxpayers may receive from pass-through entities such as Partnerships, Subchapter S Corporations, or Estates/Trusts. The course will cover the most common characteristics of Schedule K-1, including how to report the information on Form 1040. Attendees will also learn about the Qualified Business Income (QBI) Deduction and its reporting criteria. Additionally, relevant topics such as basis and loss limitations, material participation, and integration with the QBI deduction will be addressed, along with a discussion of proposed changes to Schedules K-2 and K-3. *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

To many clients, CPA firms all look the same. While services and specialties may vary significantly from one firm to another, it is hard for the average person to see this by simply looking at the sign outside our office door. Is there any way to make us stand out more to the outside world? Through surveys, statistics, and examples, this course looks at how CPA firms can develop a marketing plan beyond just relying on referrals. We look at the pluses and minuses of various marketing channels, regulatory constraints, and how to measure success in the competitive financial services space.

Many partnerships and S corporations are now required to complete the voluminous Schedules K-2 and K-3 to report foreign-related tax information. Updated for the 2024 tax year, this course is an essential guide for tax preparers on how to tackle the preparation of these forms. Understanding and preparing these forms requires a basic knowledge of various international tax topics, including sourcing of income, foreign tax credit income categories, effectively connected income, and fixed, determinable, annual, or periodical (FDAP). The course includes a brief discussion of key international tax concepts, a detailed walk-through of what information is required to be reported in different parts of the schedules, and practical advice from the field. The course also includes three comprehensive case studies on how the form should be completed for operating, real estate rental, and investment partnerships. Please note: Surgent also offers a companion course, "Schedules K-2 and K-3: Filing Requirements" (KFR2).

According to a recent study, over 70% of accounting professionals suffer from burnout, leading to feelings of exhaustion, inefficiency, and dissatisfaction with their careers. Recurring challenges for accounting and finance professionals include long hours, repetitive work, pressing client demands, and changing rules and regulations. Together, these conditions contribute to chronic workplace stress. Burnout is real, and firms that ignore this common problem pay a high price. Nearly three out of five employees in accounting and finance professions report psychological harm from work-related stress, including an overall feeling of lack of interest, motivation, or energy. Fortunately, individuals and organizations are beginning to take career burnout more seriously, especially in the post-pandemic era. This course looks at the causes of accounting burnout and examines strategies organizations are implementing to address and reduce a well-known but often overlooked problem.

One of the most cost effective methods for storing your files safely and economically in the cloud is with Microsoft 365 OneDrive and SharePoint apps. If you use either or both of these cloud storage apps, this course is a "must take." There are often times when you want or need cloud based files to be stored on your local laptop or desktop PC. With the OneDrive Sync app, you can have the best of both worlds. You can have copies of a file stored locally and in the cloud simultaneously. The Synch app will update both copies of the file in real time for any changes that are made in the local or cloud copy of the file. A classic example is if you have a QuickBooks Desktop data file that you need to store locally to work with the files in QuickBooks. However, you also want the file stored in the cloud for anytime, anywhere access and enhanced security. The Sync app facilitates this scenario effortlessly. Nationally recognized accounting technology advisor and thought leader, John Higgins, will take you through the step-by-step process of setting up and using the Sync app. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

There is always too much to do and too little time to do it all.  Fortunately, if you know the right ways to manage people, projects and your time, you can get on top of everything by working smarter.  In this seminar you'll learn the best ways to get more done in less time, how to stay sane with all you have to do, and how to get other people to do some of "your" work by building great relationships.

Almost 50% of businesses that started five years ago are no longer in operation today. Controllers and CFOs can and must influence the longevity of their organization to improve their success rate.  Jim will help you be aware and understand the answers to these issues: Can you describe the financial health of your company? Can you also explain what the financial health of your industry is? Do you know your Business Cycle compared to the industry business cycle? Do you have an executable plan? Do you know what the competitive, legal and technological landscape is currently, and for the future? Is your organization aligned and incentivize to be successful? Jim has developed his groundbreaking Business Longevity concept as a keynote and a workshop, and would be happy to speak to your organization on this topic. This session will focus on assessment (financial health, competitive environment), determination (effective business planning, including the future landscape), and execution (gettin’ it done!)

This comprehensive course provides the critical updates governmental accountants and auditors need to stay informed. We'll begin with a review of recent GASB standards, including compensated absences, asset disclosures, risk and uncertainty disclosures, and financial reporting model improvements. Participants will also gain insights into GASB's current projects, exposure drafts, and agenda progress to ensure they are up to date on what's ahead. For auditors, we'll cover key changes to governmental auditing standards, including the 2024 Yellow Book updates, the transition from quality control to quality management, and implementation timelines, with early adoption options. Single Audit updates will include the 2024 Uniform Guidance changes, the 2025 Compliance Supplement, GAO reports on improper payments and government fraud, the Financial Data Transparency Act (FDTA), and recent Department of Education guidance on related parties.