CPE Catalog & Events

In the course of legal actions, payments may be made pursuant to a final disposition of a court case or a mutually agreed-upon settlement.  This course will cover the tax implications for payments made for personal injury, emotional distress, lost wages, punitive awards, pre- and post-judgement interest, contract claims, among other damages. **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.  

Staff accountants have specific needs when working with Excel – needs that are often not met by their existing Excel knowledge. Chief among these are the needs to quickly summarize data, prepare accurate and aesthetically pleasing reports, and create accounting-centric calculations for elements such as depreciation, amortization, and interest. By participating in this eight-hour session, staff accountants will gain the essential skills they need to maximize their efficiency and accuracy when working with Excel. This session begins with a quick overview of Excel best practices. It then progresses rapidly into discussions that address PivotTables, sophisticated formulas, Tables, formatting, and working with dates in Excel. Throughout the session, you will learn from accounting-centric examples to reinforce key learning points. In this session, you will learn in a “laptop-friendly” environment, and participants will have access to all the demonstration files used in the session. In sum, this seminar is a “must” for all staff accountants seeking to improve their efficiency and accuracy when working with Excel.  

We all make predictions in our personal and professional lives.  We base our decisions to marry, buy a house, launch a new product or hire staff on expectations about the future.  In the past few years, research into improving predictions has advanced. We will look at this research and current best practices in forecasting to help us prepare better budgets and projections. 

Most leadership development focuses on a single direction within the organizational hierarchy: downstream to subordinates. While it is important to be a good boss, leadership is much more than that. The best leaders learn to lead well in all directions. They lead upward to superiors and across among peers throughout the organization. And it all starts with self-leadership. This often overlooked or misunderstood leadership principle is essential to build a thriving and productive culture. This topic is based on Jon’s book, Mission-Critical Leadership: How Smart Managers Lead Well in All Directions. 

Please join us for a discussion on Treasury Circular 230 and other ethical issues faced by enrolled agents and other tax preparers.  In addition to covering the practice standards espoused by Treasury Circular 230, there will also be an overview of the applicable provisions in the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) and common law which will affect tax preparers.  The discussion will conclude with other ethical issues, such as avoiding conflicts of interest, proper fee structure and maintaining competency.  Also included will be case studies illustrating dilemmas faced by tax practitioners.   **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 construction industry stands out in its need to adhere to a diverse range of accounting standards. This course explores the essential knowledge required for success in construction accounting, as well as the key issues influencing this field. Discover the implications of recent developments for yourself, your business, or your clients. In addition, we will examine the relationship between contractors and sureties. Given the construction industry's significant and ever-expanding share of the economy, staying up to date with the latest accounting updates in this sector is critical. Note: This course does not address FASB ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, or FASB ASC 842, Leases. The AICPA offers a companion course which focuses on revenue and lease accounting for construction contractors. See Contract Accounting and Lease Accounting and Their Impact on Construction Contractors (CCREVL).

The need for individual tax planning has never been greater. With the 2024 elections and 2026 around the corner, individuals will look to their personal goals and the tax formula as they develop their plans. Exclusions from income, above-the-line deductions, and credits will play a critical role for the next two years, but the return of itemized deductions, exemption deductions, and higher tax rates is coming soon. This course reviews the different types of planning and essential planning techniques. Examples of these approaches are illustrated as scores of tax strategies are presented.

This course will elevate your individual income tax preparation skills and knowledge. It will help you go beyond the basics and will help you provide superior service to your clients. We will cover topics including taxation of investments, reporting of partnership and S-corporation income, net investment income tax, calculation of self-employment taxes, household employer taxes, social security taxation, basic retirement planning opportunities and Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). In addition, we will also do a review of loss limitations and much more.

Gain the knowledge to read and understand the differences between IFRS and US GAAP financial reports. A recent IFRS Foundation survey found that 167 jurisdictions now require the use of IFRS Accounting Standards for all or most publicly listed companies, while 12 jurisdictions permit its use. With this global acceptance, and as more than 1,000 foreign companies are reporting to the SEC using IFRS, learn how to read and understand the differences between US GAAP and IFRS financial reports. Attendees will examine an IFRS financial report and a US GAAP financial report, outlining essential distinctions between the US GAAP and IFRS reports.

This course covers SSARS requirements for preparing, compiling and reviewing financial statements through SSARS 26. With SSARS 21, the AICPA Accounting and Review Services Committee (ARSC) introduced the Preparation service to SSARS and rewrote the Compilation and Review Standards in a clarified format. SSARS 22 and 23 made minor modifications to SSARS 21. SSARS 24 and 25 made substantive modifications to the SSARS, mainly when performing review engagements. SSARS 26 updates the SSARS with conforming changes made necessary by the new Quality Management standards.

A discussion of the latest 2021/222 tax developments impacting individual taxpayers, with a focus on important provisions, rules and concepts. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Designed for accounting and attestation practitioners at all levels in both public accounting and business and industry, this course provides a comprehensive review of recent standard-setting activities of the FASB and AICPA. In addition to providing a detailed review of SAS No. 145, this course will bring you up to date on FASB and AICPA standards issued over the past few years, including the 16 SASs effective since 2021 and beyond. The course also provides many hands-on examples and illustrations to help you apply the guidance in practice. On the financial front, the course covers the 9 ASUs issued in 2023, including ASUs covering crypto assets and leases for common control entities. In addition to a financial accounting update, the course will discuss what you will need to do differently as you adopt new audit standards 142-149 over the next few years, including a detailed review of the audit requirements under SAS 142. The course will also cover the key changes related to SSARS No. 25. Finally, the course reviews the AICPA's quality management project. In summary, the course is your go-to source for all things A&A and will prepare you for your upcoming engagements throughout the rest of the year.

As cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and others become more popular, tax authorities around the world are working to create regulations for their use and transactions. This session will address cryptocurrency tax issues and their complexities and challenges that individuals and businesses face when dealing with the taxation of digital currencies. *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 course presents an overview of tax treaties and how they are used in structuring transactions and determining the tax impact of cross-border transactions.  It discusses the ordering rules for local laws versus treaty laws, and the purpose of the tax treaties in avoiding and eliminating double taxation to promote trade and investment. The participant will learn about  planning opportunities to contemplate when structuring foreign operations.  **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 course will dive into the fundamentals of fiduciary accounting and provide a reporting guide for determining whether receipts and expenditures are assigned to income or principal/corpus. 

A deeper dive into Cybersecurity topics specific to CPAs and Fintech Organizations, expanding on the fundamentals from Cybersecurity 101 This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

When asked the question, "What would you like to improve about your leadership and communication style?". More than 65% of leaders say they want to be more confident and assertive in their communication. Confidence and clarity communicate leadership. If you are responsible for growing a profitable company or a productive team, you want team members who have the ability to reach goals, make sales, finish projects, and serve customers. Being a confident, compelling leader helps to inspire better relationships, promotes trust, and reduces stress in the workplace. Confident communication cultivates cooperation, goal achievement, and a more respectful work environment. Clear and compelling leaders are better equipped to move projects forward and make things happen while improving cooperation and respect from partners and subordinates.

Most leadership training focuses on leading downstream, with the goal of eventually advancing to an executive role. Few people get to be “top dog” in their organization. So, nearly every worker will spend their entire career leading up, even while serving in a leadership role. Learn the skills and tactics needed to develop an effective working relationship with your boss and other superiors. Gain the credibility and support necessary to get things done and advance professionally.

This course examines the critical issues and special opportunities facing partnerships and their partners, with a focus on reporting tax basis capital accounts.  **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.

If you or your clients are facing that stage of life where careers are passing into the background, and a new "to be determined" life is emerging, then you are entering what is called "retirement". Some people are excited, some are scared, and most are both. There are many issues and questions people face at this time - what to do with time, financial, relationships, health, identity and more. This program summarizes the key research studies, provides stories from those who have made this work, and offers thoughtful, practical exercises from my award winning book NEXT STAGE. It will help you (or your clients) address key issues and develop a Master Plan for the transition. If not now, when? This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.