CPE Catalog & Events

The ACFE/COSO Fraud Risk Management Guide (FRMG) was published in 2016 (and updated in 2023).  It has quickly gained acceptance as the set of best practices for preventing, detecting, and thus deterring fraud. The fraud landscape is constantly changing and evolving. The FRMG sets out a rigorous set of principles and leading practices for managing fraud risk for forward-thinking organizations to follow.  It covers: How to establish fraud risk management governance. How to conduct rigorous fraud risk assessments. How to design and implement fraud control activities. How to establish reporting mechanisms and investigative procedures. How to monitor the overall fraud risk management program. Fraud risk can be managed.  All anti-fraud and accountability professionals will benefit from this session's focus on effective fraud risk management.

AU-C Section 315 requires the auditor to gain an understanding of the entity and its environment and the entity's internal controls in order to design appropriate audit procedures. This course will review the key requirements of COSO which is one of the most widely used internal control frameworks. We'll also review the limitations of internal controls. Additionally, this course will introduce the risk assessment process and the various audit procedures to evaluate controls and to determine whether to test the operating effectiveness of controls. 

This course will allow you to get reacquainted with the statement of cash flows. We will refresher 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.

More and more entities need Yellow Book engagements, including a growing number of for-profit entities. In this course, we will review the unique independence requirements in GAGAS. We'll also review the recent changes to quality management in Yellow Book. We'll close with a reminder of common deficiencies found in Yellow Book engagements. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Comply With All Standards As You Prepare, Compile and Review Engagements This webcast is a go-to reference for staying in compliance with all professional standards surrounding engagements performed in accordance with Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services (SSARSs).

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

It is virtually impossible to pick up the daily newspaper and not find an article on some type of fraudulent event. In the wake of the “Era of Fraud, Waste and Excess,” one might suspect that potential fraudsters would think twice before committing illegal acts. However, just the opposite seems to be the case.  Is there really more fraud or is there simply more fraud awareness?  The harsh reality is that it is a little bit of each.  Not only has fraud worldwide reached a level of over $7.0 billion in lost  revenue but savvy C-level executives now realize that it could happen to their companies—very easily. When you put these facts together, it adds up to a completely new era of vigilance.

This program explores the role of client internal controls for balancing efficiency and effectiveness in a risk-based audit. We offer practical insights regarding an auditor's assessment of the risk of material misstatement when auditing financial statements of non-issuers, with particular emphasis on internal controls of small-to-medium clients.

Since 1919, the Internal Revenue Service had a civil and criminal function in the United States tax system. Little do people know, the IRS has an elite criminal function that started with five United States Postal Inspectors. From its early days in taking down Al Capone to now solving cybercrimes, the IRS special agents are tasked with investigating tax fraud, money laundering, and other white collar crimes. This presentation will show you the importance of this law enforcement function, the training, techniques, expertise, and actions that cause them to be known as the "world's finest financial investigators." This presentation has been prepared by a 20 year veteran with the IRS-Criminal Investigation. The presenter investigated crimes, and trained and mentored other special agents. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

New personal financial planning strategies are emerging due to evolving personal goals in rough economic and legal environments. Drawn from recent publications and government directives, this course reviews the latest financial strategies and planning changes from the past year in insurance, investments, tax, estate and retirement, including Social Security and Medicare. Additionally, Randy covers estate and tax planning strategies that enable practitioners to better serve clients by allowing them to take advantage of new opportunities.

Taxation of partnerships continues to become more complex every year. This course highlights the significant areas of concern for tax advisors and their clients in compliance and planning for partnership operations, distributions and transactions. Topics covered include unique and targeted allocations, proper calculation of outside and inside tax basis, tax consequences of distributions, the impact of ?hot assets? on distributions, transfer of partnership interests, and issuance of partnership interests to service partners. This course will also help you add immediate value to your partnership clients by correctly calculating and reporting critical partnership tax items that generate most IRS audit adjustments.

Not-for-profit organizations always need volunteers as treasurers or members of the financial oversight committee! CPAs are often asked to fulfill these roles. This course highlights the accounting needs of such organizations. Along with covering the status of the not-for-profit organizations, an update on recent ASC updates affecting nonprofit entities is covered. QuickBooks 2024 Desktop will be used to demonstrate how its tools provide more efficient and effective financial management for your not-for-profit entity. This course is geared toward hands-on, or future hands-on, treasurers of service clubs and similar not-for-profit organizations.

The Secure Act 2.0 was passed in a flurry of year-end legislation. This one hour program will cover the important changes that employers need to know about company retirement plans. Employers will also need to consider how Secure Act 2.0 will the administration of existing plans or the creation of new ones.  This course will provide a concise look at these hot topics.   **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 session is designed as a primer to introduce artificial intelligence (AI) and to discuss how it will impact accountants as they work. The material will briefly explain what AI is and then focus on ways that it is already serving those in the accounting realm. It will close with a look at future AI-centric developments that will have great potential to positively impact the accounting profession. Those wishing to gain an understanding of what artificial intelligence is and how it will be used by accountants should consider attending this session. 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 practical suggestions for improving leadership skills, including self-awareness, communication, delegation, empowerment, coaching, and counseling. 

Starting with tax year 2021, Form 7203, S Corporation Shareholder Stock and Debt Basis Limitation, may be required to accompany shareholders’ Individual Income Tax Returns (Form 1040). This form is essential for reporting a shareholder's outside basis and debt basis to properly apply loss limitations under I.R.C. §461 and at-risk limitations. This course will provide a detailed overview of Form 7203, including its mechanics and strategies for completing it accurately. Additionally, strategies for reconstructing shareholder basis when it has not been maintained in the past will be discussed, helping practitioners handle these scenarios effectively. *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 volume of individual tax returns requiring preparation can create an environment that leads to errors or omissions. Identify common errors practitioners make on individual tax returns for single filers.

Running or advising a small business? The KPI Bootcamp can help you rapidly identify and implement the right KPIs to achieve your or your client's goals. Delivered by Bernie Smith, KPI specialist and seasoned entrepreneur, this course will guide you through selecting a powerful set of measures tailored to your business. The structured approach helps you refine your objectives and choose KPIs that drive growth and profitability. The program includes access to over 400 pre-defined KPIs, each with a clear, jargon-free definition, business benefits, real-world examples, and practical implementation tips.

2025 will be a big year for small businesses no matter what decisions are made:  Will tax cuts/changes enacted as part of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act expire at year end as scheduled or will they be extended? If extended, which provisions are included and how long is the extension?  Will overtime pay be taxed differently in the future causing additional changes to small business payroll systems?  Will employers be relieved of reporting tip income and what exactly is tip income?  What additional requirements may be imposed on employers to deter employment of illegal/undocumented workers?  What requirements and penalties are already in place and what’s coming? What will happen to ongoing judicial efforts of small businesses to fight self-employment taxes imposed by the IRS on LLC Members and active limited partners?  How is the IRS reacting to changes? **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 course offers an in-depth exploration of the "vision" capabilities of ChatGPT specifically tailored for accountants. The session demonstrates how artificial intelligence can interpret and analyze visual content to revolutionize financial management. The curriculum covers a wide range of applications, from understanding GPT Vision and its unique benefits to leveraging aerial and street view imagery for comprehensive financial analysis. Through detailed case studies, participants will learn how to access and utilize GPT Vision effectively, incorporating it into tasks like data visualization, text and object recognition from images, and the use of descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive (DDPP) analysis methods to enhance decision-making processes. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.