CPE Catalog & Events

Human Resources professionals are often tasked with investigating allegations of employee misconduct, discrimination, and others. Investigation training is traditionally presented from the position of an outsider looking in, such as a governmental agency, law firm, or private investigator. HR investigations require similar skills, but the environment and the approach are quite different. This session provides best practices for interviewing to gather accurate information, such as creating and asking open ended questions, effective listening, and understanding verbal and non-verbal communication. Attendees will end the session with takeaways to immediately implement in future HR investigations. Two of three Episodes in the series.

U.S. Department of Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) imposed a new reporting requirement that went into effect on January 1, 2024. Millions of businesses may have to file a Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) Report. In a surprise turn of events, the Federal District Court from the Northern District of Alabama ruled on March 1, 2024 in National Small Business United v. Yellen ("NSB") that the CTA is unconstitutional. This course will discuss the CTA's provisions and the court's decision in NSB. Also covered will be future implications for business entities and steps to consider given the recent ruling. We will also discuss recent proposed rulemaking by FinCen with respect to nonfinanced purchases of residential real estate and gratuitous transfers so that businesses can prepare for any additional reporting burdens that might arise. 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 is designed as a primer to introduce artificial intelligence (AI) and to discuss how it will impact accountants as they work. The material will briefly explain what AI is and then focus on ways that it is already serving those in the accounting realm. It will close with a look at future AI-centric developments that will have great potential to positively impact the accounting profession. Those wishing to gain an understanding of what artificial intelligence is and how it will be used by accountants should consider attending this session. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

CPAs get a bad rep regarding bookkeeping services. Walk through how to overhaul your offering by reviewing your client expectations, tech stack, and workflows.

The COVID pandemic changed the way many people worked, yet others have had remote teams for decades and little changed.  Many organizations trying to bring people back to the office have experienced significant turnover.  Some practices have changed forever while some principles will always remain the same.  Keeping your people happy equals keeping your best people.  Learn the changes you should make now and the things you should do forever!

With over 7 million businesses relying on QuickBooks Online, one thing is clear: excellent financial reporting isn't optional - it's essential. Yet many users struggle to access the insights they need, often limited by subscription tiers or simply unaware of the powerful tools at their fingertips-that's where this session comes in. This session is your fast track to mastering QuickBooks Online's reporting capabilities. Whether you're a small business owner, accountant, or financial manager, you'll discover how to: Build and customize Standard, Custom, and Management Reports Leverage the new Spreadsheet Sync tool to create dynamic, multi-company reports in Excel Uncover hidden features that help you make smarter, faster decisions If you're ready to transform your data into actionable insights and finally get the reports you need, this session is your game-changer. Join us and take control of your QuickBooks Online reporting like never before!

Business leaders often struggle to engage meaningfully with their IT teams about critical technology decisions that impact organizational success. This structured program presents ten essential questions every executive should discuss with their technology professionals to ensure proper oversight of cybersecurity, infrastructure, and strategic technology initiatives. Participants will gain confidence in addressing complex topics including network security protocols, backup procedures, cloud governance, and remote work policies through targeted questioning frameworks that drive actionable outcomes. The course systematically addresses ten critical areas where executive oversight proves essential for business continuity and growth. Attendees will develop practical communication strategies to bridge the gap between business objectives and technology capabilities, ensuring their organizations maintain competitive advantage while managing digital risks effectively. Each question framework provides executives with the tools needed to evaluate current technology practices, identify vulnerabilities, and guide strategic technology investments that support organizational goals in today's rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Overview: Understanding your company's financial health requires more than just traditional metrics. This webinar is designed to reveal deeper insights through advanced, underutilized financial ratios. In this session, accounting and finance professionals will explore metrics such as operating leverage, free cash flow yield, and margin of safety-tools that go beyond standard ratios to deliver nuanced perspectives on profitability, risk exposure, and operational efficiency. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Sampling is often identified as a common audit deficiency in peer review. This course will review when is sampling applicable and basics of planning a sample. We'll then focus on the application of sampling in financial statement audits with a look at sampling for substantive procedures. We'll look at the use of monetary unit sampling and tools that can be leveraged to reduce bias in sampling.

Many self-employed or sole proprietors find themselves having to navigate Schedule C in reporting business income.  While this attachment to Form 1040 seems straightforward on the surface, there are many traps for the unwary. This course is ideal for CPAs, EAs, or other tax professionals. **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.

Many organizations struggle to keep budgets current in an ever-changing business climate.  Twenty-first century performance metrics focus on determining what budgets should be rather than what they were in the past.  Using performance metrics effectively reduces work, reduces politics, provides flexibility and substantially improves the performance management process.  This session will show you powerful techniques to drive your organization’s performance.

Trust is the glue that binds all relationships. Regardless, humans tell lies, a cruel fact. Every lie undermines trust and damages productivity. What signals indicate lies? How are the cues properly interpreted? How can you protect yourself from lies? Learn how to discern lies effectively. Do not be taken advantage of. Learn an established and proven process to uncover the truth.

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. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Employee discipline is always challenging. Training on proper progressive discipline is critical to avoiding potential lawsuits while also trying to bring out the best possible employee performance. This webinar is designed to assist human resources professionals and managers in understanding the best ways to use progressive discipline as both a management and risk reduction tool. The webinar also will address best practices with regard to the employee termination process.

Don't just wing it when you can soar! To catch the eye of resource providers and fulfill the needs of leadership, it is essential that not-for-profits prepare financial statements which excel. This course will empower you with the knowledge of not-for-profit accounting and reporting to surpass the expectations of financial statement users. Over 20 focused exercises are included to illustrate and refine today's best practices in not-for-profit accounting and reporting.

The taxation of real estate is tricky. Taxpayers can own real estate in a number of different ways, including direct and indirect investments. There are numerous exceptions to being classified as a rental activity. How do you know if someone is a real estate professional? In this course, we will explore all these issues and many more. Through real-world examples and discussion, this course will delve into exceptions to rental status, qualifications for material participation, and requirements for active status. Additionally, we will cover the QBI and Section 1237 safe harbors and touch on some planning ideas related to depreciation recapture.

Many CPAs are becoming full-time or fractional CFOs for small businesses. In that position, they are the resident expert in finances, cash flow planning, and budgeting. But what about dealing with the IRS? The IRS has broad powers to administer the assessment and collection of taxes. From removing penalties to criminal prosecutions, this presentation focuses on how CFOs can prevent problems with the IRS and how to develop winning strategies if the IRS knocks on the door. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

New personal financial planning strategies are emerging due to passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill and evolving personal goals in difficult economic and legal environments. Drawn from recent publications and government directives, this course reviews the latest financial strategies and planning changes from the past year in insurance, investments, tax, estate and retirement, including Social Security and Medicare. Additionally, Randy covers estate and tax planning strategies that enable practitioners to better serve clients by allowing them to take advantage of new opportunities.

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.

With the increasing complexity and ever-changing nature of tax laws and issues, today's accountant needs a S corporation course focusing on the birth, growth, maturity, and death of a closely held S corporation. This case driven course will deal with S corporation income tax laws from formation to liquidation. This class will review S corporation tax law by looking at case studies addressing issues and problems at both the S corporation and shareholder level. Each attendee will receive the most comprehensive reference manual with numerous practice aids and real-world examples and case studies.