CPE Catalog & Events

One of the most cost effective methods for storing your files safely and economically in the cloud is with Microsoft 365 OneDrive and SharePoint apps. If you use either or both of these cloud storage apps, this course is a "must take." There are often times when you want or need cloud based files to be stored on your local laptop or desktop PC. With the OneDrive Sync app, you can have the best of both worlds. You can have copies of a file stored locally and in the cloud simultaneously. The Synch app will update both copies of the file in real time for any changes that are made in the local or cloud copy of the file. A classic example is if you have a QuickBooks Desktop data file that you need to store locally to work with the files in QuickBooks. However, you also want the file stored in the cloud for anytime, anywhere access and enhanced security. The Sync app facilitates this scenario effortlessly. Nationally recognized accounting technology advisor and thought leader, John Higgins, will take you through the step-by-step process of setting up and using the Sync app. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

In this continually revised course, tax advisors will be fully updated on the most recent enacted legislation and IRS guidance, as well as major trends on the horizon with a view toward planning considerations. This update course is designed for all practitioners, both those working in public accounting as well as those in private industry, who need the latest information on tax changes. Please Note: Due to content overlap, it is recommended that this course NOT be taken together with BITU.

Increasingly, automating business processes is a necessity. In this session, you will learn about real-world examples of automating business processes. Remember, the survival of your business might depend upon successful automation!

Embezzlement happens often to many small businesses. Unfortunately, the lack of internal controls allow the embezzlement to remain undetected for years. But when it is discovered, the small business owner will most likely contact their CPA for advice. What should you do when your client contacts you about their employee embezzling money from their business? What options should you present to your client? How can your client protect themselves, while investigating the embezzlement? What steps need to be taken about preserving any documents, emails, texts, or phone calls? This course teaches how to engage the client, properly identify the evidence needed to prove the crime, how to write the report for civil and criminal trial, and best practices in preserving electronic and paper evidence. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Fraud has not been conquered.  Although most organizations like to think, “it can’t happen to us,” the fact of the matter is that fraud can happen to any organization and its impact can be catastrophic.  Accountability professionals are the first line of defense against fraud. When fraud happens, management always turns to the accountability professional and either says (a) “this must be your fault,” or (b) “you were right; you warned us; help us make sure this cannot happen again.” Consequently, accountants, internal auditors, external auditors, fraud examiners, and risk management professionals need to develop the skills needed to prevent, detect, and deter fraud and need to be proactive in promoting and effecting organizational change. According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners’ (ACFE) 2024 Report to the Nations: The median loss per fraud case is $145,000; the average loss per fraud case is $1.7 million. 43% of frauds are discovered by tips, usually from employees. Asset misappropriation schemes are the most common (89%) but least costly ($120,000 median loss). Financial statement fraud schemes are the least common (5%) but most costly ($766,000 median loss). Corruption is the most common scheme in all global regions. Median losses for frauds by owners/executives ($459,000) were more than 7X GREATER than those carried out by employees ($60,000). 84% of fraudsters exhibited at least one behavioral red flag. Organizations that have implemented anti-fraud measures suffer significantly lower losses and find fraud much more quickly. These conclusions are alarming and should be a wake-up call for all business and government professionals. The impact of fraud is always devastating and can be catastrophic.  The 2025 Business Fraud Update is another fast-moving seminar that will provide a comprehensive look at the latest developments about fraud from the technical, legal, and operational perspectives and update participants on the most recent legal and regulatory developments in this important area of professional responsibility.   In addition, our panel of legal, accountability, and forensic experts will explain key steps and methods in conducting a successful fraud investigation: Establishing predicate for an investigation Gathering and preserving evidence Conducting interviews and obtaining confessions When to involve law enforcement professionals and regulators The CPA's Role Preparing an expert report Providing expert testimony Implementing corrective action plans

This course will review the Accounting Standard Updates issued by the FASB that impact nonprofit entities. We will also look at the work of the Not-for-Profit Advisory Committee (NAC) and the projects they are advising the FASB on. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Enhance your productivity and streamline your accounting practices with ideas learned in this course. This dynamic program, designed specifically for accountants seeking a competitive edge, delves into the practical applications of ChatGPT in your daily workflow. From conducting comprehensive research and crafting compelling correspondence to swiftly addressing technical inquiries and optimizing Excel formulas, you will gain invaluable skills to expedite your tasks and improve overall efficiency. Furthermore, we will delve into the power of ChatGPT plugins, equipping you with the knowledge to process PDF documents seamlessly and efficiently navigate the vast expanse of the web. Join us on this transformative journey and unlock your potential as a proficient and empowered accountant.

Financial Acumen for the HR Professional is a part of the series "The HR Professional's Guide to Evolving Business Strategy, Finance and Development." This course identifies how HR Professionals can increase their financial understanding to participate more effectively with management as well as understand the financial results and implications for the business.

In today's fast-paced world, maintaining a healthy work-life balance is essential for mental wellness. This course is designed to provide practical tools and strategies to help you create a balanced, fulfilling life. You'll learn actionable techniques for improving sleep hygiene, incorporating proper nutrition, fostering open communication, and managing stress. Whether you're struggling with burnout, seeking better work-life harmony, or simply looking to improve your overall well-being, this course offers valuable insights and tools to help you thrive. Designed to fit into your busy schedule, it delivers the guidance you need to make practical, sustainable changes in your life, starting today. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Recent feedback from the AICPA has emphasized the importance of performing an effective risk assessment to identify and evaluate the risk of material misstatement in a financial statement audit. SAS 145, the 2023 amendment to AU-C 315, makes significant changes to the extant risk assessment standard and certain changes to other standards as well. The amendments clarify confusion that the AICPA believes auditors experienced under the existing standard and also conforms, for the most part, to the IAASB standard on the same topic. SAS 145 has been effective for two years now starting with December 31, 2023 audits. This course will focus on how to perform the risk assessment process under the new standard, providing participants with a summary of the changes to existing guidance. It will discuss linking the results of the risk assessment to further testing (internal control and substantive testing) and procedures performed in concluding on the evidence obtained. In addition, it will also discuss documentation and audit communications.

Difficult conversations tend to be avoided because professionals shy away from the uncomfortable, and the fear of polarizing their relationships. Participants will learn strategies and tactics to engage in productive conversations which address challenges and deepen relationships. They will understand where and why they are avoiding having difficult conversations. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Financial statements are a window into what is going on in the day-to-day operations of the company. They help us see what the company's strengths and weaknesses are. However, financial statements can often have different messages depending on the user. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

This course provides tools and insights into financial statement analysis - both quantitative and qualitative. We'll look not only at the three main financial statements but also dive into the MD&A and footnotes. We'll also discuss the affect of industry nuances on comparability of different analysis tools. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Microsoft Teams is one of the most exciting personal and organizationally productivity tools to ever appear on the business landscape. With Teams, you can communicate and collaborate easily and securely with others, including colleagues outside your organization. Further, you can extend the already-robust functionality in Teams by incorporating add-in solutions with just a few clicks of the mouse. Unfortunately, despite Teams’ power and relatively simple interface, many organizations struggle with deploying and using Teams.  In this session, you will learn how you can get up and running quickly in Teams so that you can take full advantage of this powerful tool. More specifically, you will learn how you can get started in Teams and critical decisions that will affect your deployment. Also, you will learn how to work in Teams, including how to take advantage of the chat, voice, and video call services and how to share documents securely with others. Moreover, you will learn how to extend your Teams platform to external organizations for improved communication and collaboration. Additionally, you will identify how you can add other applications into Teams and optimize Team's configuration for the best overall efficiency and security. If you are working with Teams or plan to do so, this is one CPE session you can’t afford to miss!

Have you ever met an accountant who exhibits solid technical prowess but possesses lackluster communication skills? It is not unusual to meet a savvy accountant who is a technical expert but could enhance the delivery of written and spoken words. This course is designed to help CPAs improve their written and verbal communication skills. Participants will learn how to tailor communication to their audience, with particular emphasis on techniques for crafting a message that effectively conveys technical information in an engaging manner. The course's author will share personal success tips gleaned from more than two decades of experience communicating myriad topics to a variety of audiences. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

The world of work changed radically and became much more virtual after the pandemic’s onset in 2020.  Over two years into the “new normal,” our team has compiled a list of the top technology productivity tips, tricks, and traps.  In this session, you will learn about shortcuts and hacks to help you accomplish more in Excel, Teams, Outlook, virtual meetings, and many other applications you use every day. Attend this session and learn the best tips to help you and your team accomplish more in less time.  

If you find yourself working with PDF files consistently throughout the day, this course will teach you how to review, annotate, format and organize PDF files more effectively and in less time. You will also learn how to use Adobe Acrobat for e-signatures to reduce document processing time significantly and enhance confidentiality. Adobe Acrobat has many features that you can take advantage of and this course will explain and demonstrate how to use them. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

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.

Literally thousands of individual taxpayers may have increased deductions or exclusions from gross income as a result of the Disaster Relief Act of 2024! Casualty provisions of the Act are retroactive to December 19, 2019 through early 2025. Both low and high income taxpayers may benefit from the Act through exclusions of payments received as compensation for wildfire damages - retroactive to 2014! This course will review the provisions of this new act. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Unlock the power of artificial intelligence to transform your firm's marketing strategy. This course will explore how AI can revolutionize your marketing efforts, helping you to reach your target audience more effectively and boost your firm's growth. In this session, Gaynor Meilke will guide you through the steps to implement an AI-enabled marketing strategy tailored to your firm's needs. Key Takeaways: Understand the fundamental principles of AI and its applications in marketing. Learn how to leverage AI tools and technologies to enhance your marketing campaigns. Discover practical strategies for integrating AI into your firm's marketing workflow. Gain insights into measuring the effectiveness of your AI-driven marketing efforts. Explore real-life case studies and success stories of firms that have successfully implemented AI in their marketing strategies. By the end of this course, you will be equipped with the knowledge and tools to harness the power of AI, streamline your marketing processes, and achieve remarkable results for your firm. Don't miss this opportunity to stay ahead of the competition and lead your firm to new heights with AI-enabled marketing This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.