CPE Catalog & Events

While outsourcing and automation have been used in multinational corporations, the decline in accounting program enrollment at many universities has made finding qualified entry-level staff more challenging and forced a new conversation about these tools in small and mid-sized businesses. This session will discuss the business environment for outsourcing and review the ethical, regulatory, and practical considerations associated with revealing data and relying on the work of others in your organization.

This course will explore the many complex rules of installment sales, with a focus on the tax treatment and strategies to maximize the benefits. *Please Note:  If you need credit reported to the IRS for this IRS approved program, please download the IRS CE request form on the Handout Tab and submit to kori.herrera@acpen.com

If you are efficient and want to learn lessons from the best in a short time, this seminar is for you.  Popular speaker Don Minges will review the key lessons from five fantastic business books that will help you become more effective.  The topics are; leadership, how to create a valuable business, how to turnaround a business, how to make terrific presentations and how do humans think?  These lessons are valuable for every business leader. 

The difference between star performers and average ones in leadership roles is attributable largely to emotional intelligence (EQ). It’s surprising, then, that EQ is underrated as an essential ingredient for success in life and leadership. This presentation highlights the importance of EQ and provides participants with actionable tools to develop better relationships within and outside of the workplace, build healthy teams, and navigate constant change.

Mastering two leadership skills will decrease your stress, and give you room to enjoy your career. Delegating and listening are key essential skills to hone to elevate your career. You were born with two ears and one mouth. And yet, good listeners aren't born. World-class listeners deliberately practice this skill, even when their audience is challenging. This is a skill which can be learned. Participants will gain awareness into their blind spots to listening, strategies to regain focus, how to stop interrupting, and demonstrate to their audience they are listening. How often have you said, "It would just be easier if I did this myself?" or "Nobody can do this task as well as I can, so I'll just do it myself." If this sounds like you, then it's time to start working on your delegation skills. Delegation is not only important as a means to save you time, but it is also about developing the next generation of leaders. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Tax planning is more than an estimated tax calculation, it's a process.  Where are we now and what can we change?  This timely program will highlight significant 2022-23 tax developments and discuss key tax planning ideas for your clients as you prepare for the upcoming tax season. Don’t wait until late December to start planning for your clients! **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.

In this innovative course, participants will learn to combine the power of artificial intelligence with the functionality of Microsoft Excel. You will learn how to leverage ChatGPT, OpenAI's powerful language model, to improve your Excel skills and decrease the time it takes to build spreadsheets. The course will include a quick introduction to ChatGPT but the majority of the time will be spent using ChatGPT to create an Excel spreadsheet. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Why not learn, or re-learn, some amazing business lessons from the past that are still effective today? What did Henry Ford do when annual employee turnover was 370% and workers demanded more pay? Sound familiar to today’s world? Ford’s solution worked! We see today’s problems and believe that these problems have never occurred before. Not true. We will discuss timeless business lessons that are as practical today as when they were written decades ago. We will review; ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People,’ ‘Today and Tomorrow,’ and ‘The Art of War.’ Let's learn from the very best, as these lessons have been battle-tested and proven over time.

This course concisely explains the latest "see, hear, speak" multi-modal updates to ChatGPT and how they can be used in an accounting context. New features include vision processing, voice conversation, image generation, real-time Internet access, advanced data analysis, plugins and more. Discover how this technology can be used in mind-blowing ways to analyze financial data, optimize processes, and solve problems in the accounting domain. Through the lens of ChatGPT, practitioners can explore innovative solutions, automate routine tasks, and generate deeper insights and value to their clients and organizations in previously unimaginable workflows. You'll walk away with scores of advanced ChatGPT strategies and tips that can be immediately applied and deliver instant results to elevate the efficiency and effectiveness of your accounting projects and tasks. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Many team members now work remotely, whether by choice or necessity. As a result, questions abound about remote access to desktops and data, security, communications, collaboration, and other considerations in this new normal. When implemented correctly, remote work strategies can be a “win-win” for all involved; however, failed implementations may lead to inefficiencies, security issues, and dissatisfied team members. This session will teach you today’s best practices for working remotely. Specifically, you will learn about various remote access tools, communication and collaboration options, and security best practices. You will also learn about managing and monitoring workflows in remote work environments and tools you can use. After completing this session, you can implement a remote work strategy that yields efficiency, security, and satisfaction to all involved.

Are you ready to expand your practice and offer comprehensive retirement planning services? Look no further! Delve deeper into the realm of IRAs and qualified retirement plans with this comprehensive eight-hour course tailored for financial practitioners. Understanding the intricate tax implications, design options, and strategic considerations of these plans is essential for meeting your clients' diverse retirement needs effectively. By the end of the program, practitioners will emerge equipped to confidently advise clients on a myriad of retirement planning strategies, enhancing their expertise and credibility in the field. Explore the intricacies of different IRAs, ranging from traditional to Roth, and gain valuable insights into SEPs, qualified plans, and contribution plans. Navigate through the complexities of 401(k) plans, including Roth 401(k)s, and master the art of seamlessly navigating minimum distribution rules. Through practical highlights, case studies, and real-world scenarios, this course empowers practitioners to not only select the optimal retirement plans for their clients' unique financial goals but also to provide personalized retirement solutions tailored to individual needs. Don't miss out on this opportunity to elevate your practice and establish yourself as a trusted advisor in retirement planning. Enroll today and embark on a journey towards maximizing your clients' financial future! **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 program will address the complex rules for partnership distribution of property with a focus on liquidating of a partner's interest, Section 751 and how to complete the new Form 7217.

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. 

Accounting and finance managers and executives must demonstrate sound soft skills necessary for personal growth and organizational success.  This course will provide insights into the most crtical  personal skills critical for CFOs and Controllers - or those that want to be!

To make more money in less time, all accountants need to learn to market themselves effectively to their clients or their firm. For better or worse, promotions and more money go to those who are the best marketers, rather than the most competent accountants.  In this fascinating and fun workshop, participants will learn seven key ways to get more clients and/or promotions through the art of marketing.

Do you understand the root cause for many professional and personal goals not being achieved? The SMART acronym is valuable in setting goals but insufficient for achieving them. You need two types of goals to boost your chances of success. Outcome goals focus on the results you want to attain. Process goals identify the action steps required to accomplish those desired outcomes. This session explores the essence of both types of goals, and practical examples and tips for the execution of your goals.

With over 4.3 employees leaving their jobs as of early 2022, The Great Resignation presents a huge challenge for companies as they attract and retain talent. During this course, you'll learn practical strategies you can implement immediately to ensure you have the right tools in your toolbox to win the war on talent. 

With increasing competition for finding the best qualified candidates and retaining today’s workforce, it’s more important than ever to consider flexible work options in the workplace. We will review the most popular flexible work options your company could consider implementing: telecommuting, compressed work weeks, flexible hours, phased return from leave of absence, job sharing, early release days, and more! We’ll discuss the benefits of this talent management strategy, including increased productivity, decreased costs, better work-life “integration”, and increased employee engagement and satisfaction. You’ll learn how to propose flexible scheduling to your executive team, including how to logistically roll out this program. Whether you’re in a manufacturing plant, corporate headquarters, or retail industry, you can apply any of these flexible work options to your organization. 

The Enhancing Audit Quality Initiative has identified inadequate or nonexistent audit documentation as one of the most significant issues facing the profession today. Over half of the engagements reviewed by the AICPA failed to meet the requirements of AU-C 230, highlighting a critical need for improvement. This course addresses common misconceptions about audit documentation and provides actionable strategies to overcome these deficiencies. Attendees will learn best practices to ensure compliance with professional standards, enhance audit quality, and mitigate risks associated with poor documentation. Whether you are an experienced professional or new to auditing, this course will help you strengthen your documentation practices and uphold the highest standards of the profession.  

Leaders were once chosen for their character, but today we live in an age where loudmouthed extroverts seem to take center stage in everything, including business, politics and entertainment.  While the talkative, charismatic leader makes the front page of business magazines, recent research shows that successful business leaders tend to be more reserved, pensive and sometimes outright shy.  Learn why your desire to spend significant time inside your own head may be your greatest asset. Whether you are introverted or not, you likely work with, manage or are a related to an introvert.  We will discuss proven methods to better understand introverts, how to manage them, and how to get the most out of their amazing talents.  If you want to enhance your leadership skills, this seminar is for you.