CPE Catalog & Events

What you document matters Understanding different parts of the employee benefit plan (EBP) audit process can help you think holistically about your level of audit documentation. You'll learn the appropriate level of documentation when performing EBP audit procedures, which involves testing items that are not typically tested in audits of other types of entities. Real-life examples You'll also gain insights from real-life examples and solutions as you are guided by a former employee benefit plan expert panel member and peer reviewer. Additionally, reviewing these examples will help you truly understand documentation in an EBP audit and learn best practices for documentation to incorporate into your audits.

From Enron and WorldCom in the early 2000s to Wirecard and FTX in recent years, the risk of fraud in an audit remains high, and the potential loss to the public has only increased. The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) annual reports find that fraud is potentially 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 - even though most corporate frauds are identified by internal personnel. Still, 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, Consideration of Fraud in a Financial Statement Audit, 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 also 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. Fraud is now more complicated than ever. From deepfakes to complex denial-of-service attacks, auditors have more to consider in their risk assessment than they did even five years ago. This course features case studies and detailed illustrations to help auditors know what to look for and how to respond to potential fraud in their audits.

When a new employee is hired, there are a lot of things the employer needs to take care of. Aside from getting employment contracts signed, training lined up, and the new hire breakfast planned, employers are tasked with making sure all of the payroll forms are filled out. For many small business owners, this can be a source of anxiety. They often wonder if they have everything they need. They also hear horror stories about potential IRS penalties for not having all of the boxes checked. In this course, we will explore the payroll compliance side of hiring new employees. From the alphabet soup of forms that need to be filled out to the initial payroll tax forms, we have you covered if you are a new practitioner or new business owner. We will even discuss the surprisingly difficult-to-navigate world of unemployment insurance.

Schedule 1-A is a new tax form designed to consolidate four key OBBBA deductions that can be taken for the first time in 2025. Ultimately these four deductions: the tip deduction, the overtime deduction, the deduction for interest paid on a new car loan, and the senior deduction, appear as a single entry on line 13b of Form 1040. These deductions are phased out at higher income levels, the calculation of which takes place on Schedule 1-A. Accounting and finance professionals who wish to understand the mechanics of the four deductions and how they are expressed on Schedule 1-A and consolidated on Form 1040 would benefit from taking this program.

Accounting and finance professionals 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.

This annual update covers activities of the FASB and Private Company Council (PCC) and reviews new SAS and SSARS. Stay current on new standards related to financial accounting and attest and assurance services including compilations, review and auditing. You'll learn the specific requirements of the standards and their potential impact on financial statements and we will review the pipeline of proposed standards. This years' update will cover induced conversions of convertible debt, stock compensation accounting and disclosure, income tax disclosures, crypto currency accounting, joint venture accounting, and updates to the accounting for government grants. We will cover new audit standards including group audit standards, and new fraud, evidence and materiality standards. We'll do a deep dive into SAS 145 and the new quality management standards. Note: SEC reporting requirements and public company audit requirements will not be covered.

Participants will review how to maintain a heightened awareness of fraud with clients and gain a better understanding of how to detect fraud. This interactive workshop, designed for practitioners in small and medium-sized CPA firms, will include a lecture with generous time for questions and case studies to reinforce the concepts.

Data analytics is among the most widely discussed topics in business circles today. In this session, you will learn about the four types of data analytics, tools for generating data analytics measures, and how to interpret and use data analytics results.

Google Gemini has emerged as a top leader in the generative AI competition. Due to the extraordinary size of the Google user base, it a tool that every CPA should have a basic understanding of how to use it and apply it in business. This course will provide a comprehensive review and demonstration of how to put Google Gemini AI to work for you and your clients. It is designed as a "hands-on" course that facilitates you following along with the presenter to apply the features of Gemini on your computer. Practice files will be provided so that you don't have to expose your confidential data.

Catch errors on individual returns The sheer volume of individual tax returns requiring preparation can create a work environment that invariably leads to errors or omissions. A trained eye can spot mistakes. A case-based approach to learning return review Two case studies focus on issues that individual return preparers and reviewers will frequently encounter in their practice: Section 199A (qualified business income deduction) Home office deduction Rental properties Hobby losses Organization and start-up costs In-course application Learners get access to two 2025 individual returns to review for: Errors Areas for improvement Opportunities to educate or advise the client Developed with H.R. 1, commonly referred to as OBBBA, in mind, these returns are designed to provoke planning ideas for the modern client.

This program reviews and analyzes the important changes made by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) to qualified small business stock (QSBS) covered under Section 1202. Effective for stock issued after July 4, 2025, there are important changes that make Section 1202 much more appealing to clients willing to run the risks associated with doing business as a C corporation. These enhanced provisions could potentially lead to exclusion of capital gains if very strict compliance rules are followed. Section 1202 application is particularly attractive for start-ups and entrepreneurial endeavors. For taxpayers willing to confront the technical challenges of this provision, Section 1202 may produce impressive tax advantages.

Partnership tax law is always difficult. However, when certain transactions come up, not knowing how to handle them can be costly to clients and practitioners. In this course, we discuss several of these types of situations. We will explore the tax impacts of a PTE election and how a 754 election affects the inside basis of partnership assets. We will then examine those tricky look-through provisions on the sale of a partnership interest in order to properly calculate the tax implications.

This session is your practical introduction to AI in the workplace. Designed for professionals in any function from Finance to HR to Marketing and Operations, this course breaks down the AI journey into clear, actionable steps. You'll discover easy-to-use tools, see real-world examples, and leave ready to take your first confident steps toward using AI to save time, boost creativity, and make smarter decisions. Whether you're new to AI or just looking to get started effectively, this session helps you move from curiosity to confident action in just one hour.

The AICPA continues to reshape the auditing profession through an unprecedented pace of standard setting, with increased emphasis on technology, professional skepticism, risk assessment, and engagement quality. Since 2019, numerous new and revised auditing standards have significantly changed how audits are planned, performed, and evaluated. This course provides an update on recent AICPA standard setting activities, including SASs 142 through 149. It also addresses the AICPA's quality management standards, which replace traditional quality control requirements with a risk based approach to managing quality at both the firm and engagement levels. In addition, the program highlights emerging developments in fraud related auditing guidance, including the AICPA's proposed fraud standard currently in exposure draft form. Designed for accounting and auditing practitioners at all levels, this course helps participants stay current on key changes affecting audit performance, documentation, and engagement quality in a rapidly evolving professional environment.

Buying and selling a business can be a complex transaction with many tax issues. These issues include whether the transaction is or should be a stock or an asset sale when the business involved is a corporation, as well as the tax consequences associated with the sale of a partnership or a C or S corporation. Accounting and finance professionals who advise clients who are buying or selling a business primarily focus on the tax issues that apply. This program explains and analyzes the tax issues practitioners must address in order to properly advise clients who are either buyers or sellers of businesses.

Learn how to enhance your Excel workflows with AI in this course, "AI-Powered Excel: Leveraging AI and ChatGPT for Supercharged Productivity." Discover the various AI features built into Excel and how to use ChatGPT to create, understand and troubleshoot Excel functions and formulas. Imagine turning two-hour Excel tasks into two minutes of effort! This course will help you streamline your Excel work, research and documentation, saving you time and effort in your day-to-day tasks.

Both businesses and individual clients face major changes as a result of new legislation, and tax professionals face the considerable challenge of delivering effective planning advice and services to address this myriad of recent developments. This course addresses this challenge and also encompasses the latest cases and rulings applicable to individual and business clients. Continually updated to reflect enacted legislation. Please Note: Due to content overlap, it is recommended that this course NOT be taken together with BIT4.

Disclosures are on of the most challenging areas of financial statement preparation and one of the most cited deficiencies in peer reviews. This program tackles the many disclosure requirements with detailed discussions on topic requirements and examples. This is a fast paced course that covers all the major balance sheet accounts, as well as revenue and expenses.  Attention is also paid to the Statement of Cash Flows.

Technology changes daily, so it's essential to stay up-to-date with critical developments to effectively leverage today's technologies. Join us for this session to explore key technological developments impacting accounting and financial professionals.

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.