CPE Catalog & Events

Critics have claimed that traditional managerial accounting is at best useless and at worst dysfunctional and misleading. Most line managers do not trust their management accounting data. 21st Century management accounting develops cost/unit metrics that are useful for budgeting, cost analysis and control. Activity-based costing (ABC) brings truly accurate fact-based costing visibility. ABC does not broadly allocate overhead, but traces costs by identifying cause-and-effect relationships. Such information can provide the ability to reveal true profit margins for products, service-lines, specific sales channels and customers. The same information also helps reduce costs and improve productivity by reporting unit costs that you can use to monitor cost trends and benchmark against your competition. Removing the barriers caused by your current management accounting techniques can provide huge rewards.

This course will explore significant elements of the FASB's technical agenda, focusing on recent updates to revenue recognition and lease accounting standards. A Special Purpose Framework overview will be provided, which may reveal salient alternatives to U.S. GAAP for certain entities. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Two seemingly similar products can have very different costs, yet many companies are completely oblivious to these differences causing them to lose money or competitive bids.  When companies compete, those with good information win the “gravy” contracts and those with bad information lose money on “dog” jobs.  Attend this session to gain insights on how to win bids for the best opportunities and give the money-losers to your competitors.  Achieve your target profitability in the 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 15 focused exercises are included to illustrate and refine today's best practices in not-for-profit accounting and reporting.

The employer-employee relationship strains both sides in uncertain times, and businesses need CPAs, controllers, and other advisors to provide understanding of the complex legal, tax, and health care issues associated with all aspects of employment. This course provides in-depth coverage of this critical area.

The new administration has proposed significant tax policy changes that may impact individual taxpayers and financial planning strategies. This course provides tax practitioners with essential updates on recent legislation, regulatory changes, and potential future reforms. Participants will explore the implications of proposed tax cuts, adjustments to Social Security and retirement taxation, and potential modifications to deductions and credits. The course also examines ongoing discussions about IRS restructuring and the expansion of tax incentives for American businesses and families. With a focus on practical strategies, this course equips tax professionals with the tools to help clients prepare for these changes before year-end. Whether addressing Form 1040 issues, capital gains planning, or income and estate tax considerations, participants will gain insights to help clients make informed decisions. *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 new administration has proposed significant tax policy changes that may impact individual taxpayers and financial planning strategies. This course provides tax practitioners with essential updates on recent legislation, regulatory changes, and potential future reforms. Participants will explore the implications of proposed tax cuts, adjustments to Social Security and retirement taxation, and potential modifications to deductions and credits. The course also examines ongoing discussions about IRS restructuring and the expansion of tax incentives for American businesses and families. With a focus on practical strategies, this course equips tax professionals with the tools to help clients prepare for these changes before year-end. Whether addressing Form 1040 issues, capital gains planning, or income and estate tax considerations, participants will gain insights to help clients make informed decisions. *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

Proper financial accounting for S corporations involves adhering to specific accounting principles and tax regulations designed for this unique business structure.  This course examines the proper financial accounting for S Corporations.

Increasingly, clients need to simultaneously address: the estate, gift, generation-skipping, income, and property tax implications of estate plans; the pros and cons of relying on the portable exclusion to avoid estate tax; and current steps to handle a reduced exclusion and Clawback. In this course, we examine the role of the marital deduction and Survivor's Trusts ("A" trusts), ways to maximize planning opportunities by building flexibility into the modern estate plan, the qualitative and quantitative implications of various strategies affecting blended families, whether to use Bypass ("B") Trusts or QTIP ("C") trusts, and whether to file a Form 706 when it's not required.

Many professionals, including corporate management, loan officers, investors, suppliers, customers and auditors, use financial statement analysis to perform their daily responsibilities. This program focuses on financial statements and the analysis of financial statements utilizing cases to assess profitability, liquidity, and resource management efficiency. We conclude with discussions of non-GAAP performance measurements, forecasting, and valuation.

The statement of cash flows is a critical component of a company's set of financial statements. Cover the proper preparation of the statement, including analysis techniques. Learn how financial statements enable CPAs and financial professionals to see a business's cash inflows and outflows relating to operating, investing and financing activities and evaluation of liquidity and quality of earnings. Case studies and sample documentation reinforce significant concepts and help participants apply the analysis techniques discussed.

This course is designed for accountants in public practice and industry who focus on nonprofit and governmental entities. We will cover the basics needed to understand what makes nonprofit and governmental accounting & auditing unique. The course starts with the key financial reporting differences for governmental and nonprofit entities and then switches focus to review the fundamentals of Yellow Book and Uniform Guidance audits. This foundational course is perfect for those getting started in the nonprofit and governmental arena and those looking for a refresher. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

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.

Employment taxes are often overlooked as an area where more planning may be effective. Payroll taxes have become an increasing burden for the average business, and IRS penalties for noncompliance have risen dramatically in recent years. They have also been subject to employer incentives. The Service has announced that uncovering noncompliance by employers ranks high on its audit list. This course presents a comprehensive overview of federal payroll taxes, Form 1099, and related compliance issues.

This highly informative course comprehensively covers all the latest tax law developments. The focus is on individual taxation and discussion of the planning opportunities practitioners need to understand to help clients respond effectively. You will come away from the course with the up-to-date knowledge to educate your individual tax clients and implement tax-saving ideas that will serve their ever-evolving needs. This course is continually updated to reflect enacted legislation. Please Note: Due to content overlap, it is recommended that this course NOT be taken together with BFTU.

This course is an updated overview of the single audit of state and local governments and not-for-profit organizations under the OMB Unified Circular, as well as the applicable AICPA standards for compliance audits. 

In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, accounting professionals are expected to be more than just number crunchers, they are expected to be insightful interpreters of data. In an era where data is king, this course is your gateway to becoming a savvy data analyst, giving you a competitive edge in your field. We will guide you through the intricacies of making complex data analysis approachable and engaging. You will learn the all important Data Analysis Process Flow that will take you from collecting data all the way to making insightful decisions based upon your data. We will explore the basics of data modeling that will allow you to access data from multiple sources and use sophisticated calculations to create our data metrics. You will learn how to create interactive dashboards, perform sophisticated reporting, and uncover deep insights from your data. Whether you're looking to streamline your reporting process, enhance your data visualization skills, or make more data-driven decisions, this course is tailored to meet those needs. It's not just about learning a tool; it's about enhancing your professional identity as a forward-thinking accounting professional. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Nonprofit entities have a high degree of public accountability. This course will examine the most common fraud schemes and provide multiple examples of how to prevent or detect these schemes. Nonprofit entities have a high degree of public accountability. This course will examine the most common fraud schemes and provide multiple examples of how to prevent or detect these schemes. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

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.

Are you running around with a fire extinguisher permanently strapped to your back? Do everyday crises run your life, both at work and at home? Do you find yourself consistently taking care of everyone else with no time left to take care of you? In this session, we dive into controlling your chaos and managing your energy. Make no mistake, this isn't your father's time management class. It’s an energy management class developed on behalf of and with tired, frustrated, and burned out HR professionals like yourselves! If you find yourself drained and drinking far too much coffee, this is the session for you!