CPE Catalog & Events

Preparation, compilation and review engagements continue to be a hot topic for peer review despite SSARS 21 having been around for nearly a decade. This course will concentrate on the most common peer review findings with a focus on how to comply in an efficient but practical perspective. This course will discuss the root cause of noncompliance so that overall engagement quality increases.

An advanced guide to prompting techniques that maximize AI efficiency and precision in everyday business research, operational due diligence and accounting tasks. Designed for accountants with no prior AI knowledge, the session explores how simple language and strategic prompting can unlock powerful, layered responses from large language models (LLMs). Participants will learn to overcome the "lazy" defaults of AI, using specific techniques to enhance detail, accuracy, and contextual understanding in their queries. By understanding prompt engineering's role, attendees will discover how to guide AI to provide practical, relevant, and analytical insights suited to complex financial scenarios, without needing extensive technical expertise. 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 workplace, employees are faced almost daily with customers or teammates that may have needs or concerns that we are forced to handle. Though many of these situations are easily dealt with through simple communication skills, others may become heated and, in some instances, violent. Today we will discuss healthy ways to de-escalate a wide variety of potential issues.

Good judgment works well in handling most employee relations matters. However, there are special situations where legal requirements dictate specific handling to avoid significant personal and employer liability. This course provides practical knowledge and scripts for responding to requests for accommodation regarding religious practices or disabilities, confronting employees in substance-abuse situations, and handling disclosures of contagious infections so that individual is properly helped, and the health of your workforce is protected.

This session focuses on the power of pivot tables within Microsoft Excel. We initially discuss the creation of pivot tables and various ways to summarize information. Then we explore ways to utilize summarized pivot table data. The course uses several practical examples that should inspire participants to find their own creative uses for pivot tables.

When asked the question, "What would you like to improve about your leadership and communication style?". More than 65% of leaders say they want to be more confident and assertive in their communication. Confidence and clarity communicate leadership. If you are responsible for growing a profitable company or a productive team, you want team members who have the ability to reach goals, make sales, finish projects, and serve customers. Being a confident, compelling leader helps to inspire better relationships, promotes trust, and reduces stress in the workplace. Confident communication cultivates cooperation, goal achievement, and a more respectful work environment. Clear and compelling leaders are better equipped to move projects forward and make things happen while improving cooperation and respect from partners and subordinates.

This course is designed for tax professionals seeking to understand and navigate the IRS collection process effectively. Participants will gain indepth knowledge of the various collection methods employed by the IRS, including liens, levies and wage garnishments. Additionall, participants will leand strategies to avoid or halt collection actions and the implications of the statute of limitations on tax collection. 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 examines the critical issues and special opportunities facing partnerships and their partners, with a focus on reporting tax basis capital accounts.  **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.

Gift taxation is a critical component of estate planning, and Form 709 serves as the key reporting tool. This course provides a comprehensive line-by-line guide to preparing Form 709, ensuring accuracy and compliance. Participants will learn how to determine taxable gifts, apply exclusions, and utilize available deductions. Special attention will be given to valuation techniques, gift-splitting, and generation-skipping transfer tax (GSTT) considerations. Additionally, this course will examine any new legislative changes from the current administration and how they may impact gift tax planning and reporting. *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

Why do for profit organizations exist??? To make money!!!!! What a great concept. But if the organization does not have the proper collections and credit procedures in place, they may not be able to access that money. Hence the importance of the credit and collection process.Credit and collections are critical areas for the financial statement controllers. Customer credit is a form of payment that allows small business customers to purchase a product or service before paying for it in full. The process works similarly to the way a credit card does - you procure something and pay it back later. Collections is a term used by a business when referring to money owed to that business by a customer. When a customer does not pay within the terms specified, the amount of the bill becomes past due and is sometimes submitted to a collection agency. The sales and collection process includes business activities related to selling products and services, maintaining customer records, billing customers, and recording payments from customers. It also includes activities necessary to manage accounts receivable, such as aging accounts and authorizing credit. This course delves into the topics that impact the sales, credit and collections process for management. We discuss strategic steps management can take to ensure their processes are efficient and that they are able to actually collect their revenue.  

Yellow Book and Single Audit engagements are considered must-select engagements for peer review. This course will review the common deficiencies noted by peer reviewers and federal agencies. We'll focus on the requirements of Yellow Book independence, CPE, and reporting. We will also review deficiencies related to internal controls over compliance, compliance testing, and major program determination for Single Audits. We'll close the course with a look at the deficiencies often identified in COVID-related funds.

This course corresponds to our Controllership series. This course is dedicated to exploring the traditional controller role and stepping out of the box to identify areas where the controller can continue to add strategic value to their organizations. Within this segment of our controllership series, we discuss the area of cash and investments and explore how the controller can move these responsibilities into more of a strategic role. In today’s world, the role of cash management is often a pivotal role in the organization. In economically difficult times, controllers may find that they spend a great deal of their time on understanding and managing the organizations' cash position. This is certainly important and, in some areas, can be seen as a staple of the lifeblood of the organization’s ongoing viability. This course takes a look at some of the typical objectives involved in cash management and then evaluates how those objectives can be further stretched into strategic pillars of the organization.  

Cover the basic requirements for performing preparation, compilation, and review engagements under Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services (SSARS), including the new SSARS No. 25, Materiality in a Review of Financial Statements and Adverse Conclusions. Review common issues found on SSARS engagements in connection with peer reviews and the impact of various findings on the results of a peer review. Identify key issues to consider during SSARS engagements, and determine how to incorporate quality control recommendations and tips for performing high-quality SSARS engagements. 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 equips participants with the tools and strategies needed to create sustainable, long-term budgets that align with policy goals and ensure fiscal responsibility. Participants will explore key budgeting frameworks, learn techniques for forecasting revenue and expenditures, and analyze scenarios to mitigate financial risks. The course incorporates practical exercises and case studies to provide hands-on experience with scenario planning, enhancing budget transparency and resilience. By the end of the session, attendees will have the knowledge and confidence to design and implement budgets that support long-term governmental priorities and strengthen financial stability.

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. 22-25 by the ARSC. The course will also 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 SSARSs requirements and guidance, but more importantly, it will provide you with practical examples and illustrations to help you effectively and efficiently perform compilation, preparation, and review engagements.

Calculating partnership basis is one of the most important things that we do as practitioners. However, it is also one of the most confusing. When we use the term "basis," we really could be referring to one of three different things. This course will explore the differences between inside basis, outside basis, and 704(b) basis. Through several examples and practice problems, we will show you how to easily distinguish among these terms. We will also explore the tax implications of initial contributions of property to a partnership as well as the different types of partnership distributions.

This program addresses the most recent developments impacting partnerships operating as LLCs, with a focus on legislative, administrative, and tax form changes. Emphasis will be placed on partners "tax basis" capital accounts & now required for tax form reporting, as well an overview of K-2 and K-3 reporting requirements and effective dates. *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

People skills are the most significant skills that professionals need to develop and yet are often the last skills perfected. This course will help participants understand personality types and the successful interactions with clients, peers and family. In addition, participants will learn Neuro-linguistic programming and develop the ability to better understand nonverbal language, which is key to communication. Participants will also learn techniques to enhance memory and to improve the ability to recall key facts.

This 8-hour program covers recent promulgations of the FASB and AICPA with broad applicability. In addition, the course includes the 2-hour Tax Basis Financial Statements, 2-hour SSARS Highlight Reel and 2-hour SQMS programs available as stand-alone courses.

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