CPE Catalog & Events

Perhaps the most important element of the budget process is its communication.  If management does not understand the budget – there is an issue. Knowing the right ways to communicate at all levels is essential to stakeholders laying an ownership claim to successful budgets.  This session reveals several key guidelines in successful budget presentations and will identify key problems in how people often communicate financial plans. Presenting your budget and reporting is the final part of a four part series, but can easily stand on its own course that is intended to be fun, enjoyable and educational.

It is easy for us to get caught up in our work, but it is better to examine the ‘big picture’ by studying the outside factors that impact our business beyond our internal processes and day to day responsibilities. We are sometimes so busy with our tasks that we miss new developments until the developments have a profound impact on us and the organization. This session is designed to review many of these current trends, while thinking and discussing how these trends can impact our organizations and us. This is a fun and lively session that is intended to be interactive with participants either live, virtual or both. Our ever-changing world is evolving more than many realize.

Wow! So many new Excel features and so little time! Microsoft continues to add tremendous functionality to Excel - the business professional's tool of choice. Yet most Excel users have not discovered these new tools and remain mired in yesterday's practices for working in Excel. In this session, you will learn how to use many of Excel's latest features to work more efficiently and effectively with your spreadsheets. Participate in this session to learn about recently released features such as PIVOTBY, GROUPBY, Office Scripts, integration with Copilot, new ways to share and collaborate in Excel, and data entry and formula improvements. If you work with Excel - and who doesn't - this session is necessary to help you improve your efficiency and effectiveness when using Excel.

Each year, the IRS issues an updated edition of its Written Information Security Plan (WISP) template to better assist CPAs, tax preparers and small practitioners with drafting an effective WISP. Develop a customized WISP to fit your business needs and identify the latest resources available to assist. Time will be spent on the requirement for a security plan as well as its implementation.

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. 

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 course provides an overview of the Quality Management standards and the requirements under SQMS 1. The AICPA requires CPA firms with accounting and auditing practices to implement a system of quality management, including firms performing preparation and compilation engagements. While the objective is to improve quality within the profession, implementation may seem overwhelming. To assist, the AICPA has developed practice aids to guide firms through the development and documentation process. In this webcast, Jeff walks through where to find the practice aids, how to use them, required documentation, use of the risk assessment template, and development of final documentation. Practical guidance is provided throughout to simplify implementation.

This course reviews the legal, fiduciary, and federal tax responsibilities of an executor or personal representative during the administration of a decedent’s estate. Participants will examine the executor’s duties from initial appointment through final distribution, including identifying and managing estate assets, settling creditor claims, and administering distributions to beneficiaries. The course also reviews filing requirements for the decedent’s final Form 1040, the estate’s Form 1041, and the federal estate tax return, Form 706, along with the treatment of income in respect of a decedent (IRD) and basis adjustments. Participants will also examine IRS procedural requirements, including obtaining an EIN for the estate, responding to IRS notices, and recognizing potential audit risks. Emphasis is placed on practical estate administration procedures, executor liability considerations, and maintaining proper estate accounting records and documentation to support compliance with federal tax requirements. *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 terri.storer@acpen.com    

The QuickBooks Online (QBO) ecosystem is rapidly expanding, with millions of small businesses now relying on it for their accounting and business management needs. However, many QBO implementations lack adequate internal control infrastructures, which can lead to potential risks and inefficiencies. This is often due to a lack of understanding of the internal control options available in the cloud-based version of QuickBooks and how to implement them effectively. Join our session to learn about the four common types of internal controls and how to assess the internal control structure of a small business. We'll guide you through the opportunities to enhance internal controls in QBO environments using features found within the application. Additionally, you'll discover additional internal control procedures for situations where adequate controls cannot be established in QBO. Contrary to popular belief, QBO-based organizations can indeed benefit from strong internal controls, and this session will show you how. Don't miss this opportunity to strengthen your QuickBooks Online implementation and ensure your business is safeguarded against risks. Sign up now and take the first step towards a more secure and efficient QBO environment!

This course explores provisions of Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Engagements (SSARS) that govern review, compilation, and preparation engagements. Participants will recall foundational concepts, examine recent updates, understand practitioner responsibilities, and apply best practices for engagement performance. Attendees will learn how to efficiently perform SSARS engagements while complying with professional requirements.

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to preparing individual income tax returns using Form 1040. Designed as a basic-level program, it walks participants through the core components of the individual return in a clear and practical manner. Participants will learn filing requirements, filing statuses, and how to determine dependents. The course covers common types of income, including wages and basic investment income, along with adjustments to income, standard versus itemized deductions, and commonly used tax credits. In addition, the course introduces basic reporting for self-employment and rental activity, focusing on how these items flow to the individual return. Preparer responsibilities, due diligence requirements, and taxpayer rights under IRS rules are also covered to provide a strong foundational understanding of individual tax preparation. *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 terri.storer@acpen.com  

This course allows you to get reacquainted with the statement of cash flows. We will refresh your skills regarding both the preparation and utilization of the statement of cash flows. Significant emphasis will be placed on the informational role of the statement of cash flows and insights that can be obtained using the statement of cash flows in concert with the other elements of a company's accrual-basis financial statements. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Volume to Value: A New Era of Precision Hiring in Accounting examines how accounting firms are shifting from high-volume recruiting models to "precision hiring" as AI adoption accelerates and talent scarcity continues. Participants will explore why traditional hiring processes often overemphasize technical accounting knowledge while under-assessing the competencies that most impact performance-critical thinking, professional communication, and AI ethics awareness. The course explains how AI-enabled recruiting tools can support candidate screening, assessment, and retention forecasting, and why firms that do not modernize their hiring approach may struggle to compete for top talent. Participants will leave with practical approaches to competency-based assessment, ethical guardrails for AI use in hiring, and a high-level implementation roadmap with metrics to evaluate quality of hire, performance, and retention. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

In today's fast-paced and competitive business landscape, the ability to foster creativity is more crucial than ever. Unleashing Creativity in the Workplace is a CEU course designed for HR professionals who are eager to cultivate an environment where creativity drives productivity, innovation, and engagement. Through this course, you will learn how to leverage creativity to enhance individual, team, and organizational performance-ultimately achieving your company’s goals faster and more efficiently. Christine Wilson, a counselor turned coach and the creator of the Think Time planner, will guide you through a comprehensive approach to fostering creativity and innovation in your organization. Whether you're looking to inspire new ideas, improve employee engagement, or create a culture of innovation, this course offers actionable strategies and insights to help you unlock the full potential of your workforce.

Excel gives you multiple ways to solve the same problem - but which formula is the right one? This course teaches a decision-based approach to function selection, helping you confidently choose between similar and competing functions. Through real-world examples and side-by-side comparisons, you'll learn when IFS or SWITCH is cleaner than nested IFs, how SUMPRODUCT can help with complex summarizing data, how to use LET in place of defined names, and much more. Ideal for professionals who want to make smarter, faster formula choices that are easier to maintain and audit. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

When we leave our jobs, we also leave the protection our employer provides us with regards to internet and Wi-Fi security. Hired people may be able to help with the newest applications, but they may not understand the security risks posed. This session will cover some basic information about cybersecurity weaknesses and some of the scams that target older, retired people. Many times, the perpetrator is someone close and someone who we think we can trust. In this course, you will learn some basic tools to protect against those who wish to perpetrate fraud.

Answering clients' tax questions accurately and on time is a key challenge for tax practitioners. Through simple, plain language explanations and examples, this course will help practitioners perform tax research more efficiently by describing the structure of the primary sources, highlighting the difference between primary and secondary sources, and describing the steps in the tax research process.

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.

Designed for accounting, auditing, and attestation practitioners at all levels in public accounting and business and industry, this course provides a detailed review of the multitude of FASB and AICPA standards and reports issued over the past few years, including a discussion of the FASB's Stage 3 PIR report on ASC 606. It also provides an overview of recent PCAOB inspection report findings and SEC rulemaking activity. Through hands-on examples and illustrations, this course will help you apply the guidance in practice. We further discuss other important A&A practice matters to be aware of, including an update on the quality management standards and soon-to-be-effective requirements for engagement quality reviews.

Auditing not-for-profits isn't the same as auditing for-profits, so why treat them alike? This course gives you the tools to recognize what makes not-for-profits unique and shows you how to incorporate those differences into your audit approach. With practical insights and 20 focused exercises, you'll learn how to plan and perform not-for-profit audits more effectively, efficiently, and with greater confidence.