CPE Catalog & Events

This course is designed to provide a deep understanding of NQDC plans, focusing on the regulations, tax nuances, and strategies to understand to effectively advise clients. Participants will learn about the key features of NQDC plans, their differences from qualified retirement plans, and the compliance requirements under IRC Section 409A and other relevant regulations. The course will cover the taxation of NQDC plans, including income recognition, FICA, and federal/state taxes, for both employers and employees. Attendees will explore various types of NQDC plans and discuss their unique features and benefits. The course will also delve into financing and funding options for NQDC plans and provide guidance on developing and implementing effective planning strategies based on participant demographics, company objectives, and tax efficiency. By the end of the course, participants will have the knowledge and tools to properly advise clients on NQDC plans to maximize benefits while ensuring compliance with regulations.

Preparing GAAP financial statements can be treacherous. GAAP has become so voluminous and complex that it is easy to overlook accounting, reporting and disclosure requirements, potentially affecting the accountants' liability. Nonpublic entities, however, are not necessarily required to apply GAAP, and there are less complex financial reporting frameworks that may be much easier to apply without sacrificing the quality of financial reporting. Even when using GAAP, the less complicated business entity may find that numerous requirements, including disclosures, need to be more relevant to users of their financial statements, may not be material to users, and often overshadow the most pertinent information. This course will present alternative accounting frameworks that may be more suitable for the more straightforward business entity, including income tax basis and the modified cash basis of accounting. We will also discuss approaches to GAAP, including developing disclosure checklists unique to each set of financial statements, identifying when disclosures may be omitted or complex accounting approaches may be avoided, and how to document those decisions to minimize adverse effects. When the cost of financial reporting to the small business enterprise exceeds the benefits, entities will lose the motivation to issue financial statements that conform with GAAP, and both the business entities and the related capital markets suffer. This course provides alternatives that help alleviate that dilemma.

QuickBooks remains one of the leading accounting solutions for small and growing businesses and Intuit has added numerous advanced features to the application over the past few releases. In this seminar, you will learn how to take advantage of many of QuickBooks’ new and advanced features to solve important issues. For example, you will learn advanced inventory management techniques, including the ability to change the default costing methodology in QuickBooks, and implementing lot and serial number tracking. You will also learn how to build complete sets of financial statements in Excel that link in real-time to underlying QuickBooks data files and how to create multi-company financial statements. Additionally, you will learn how to put the Client Data Review feature to work to streamline the process of identifying and correcting errors and closing accounting periods in QuickBooks. Knowing how to take advantage of the advanced tools and features available can determine your level of success when working with QuickBooks. Take advantage of this opportunity to learn about QuickBooks’ “deep” features so that you maximize your effectiveness with the application.

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.

How do you raise your skills to the next level to master the Controller or CFO role?  Welcome to a course that provides insights that align the CGMA Competency Framework. The course will examine each of the areas: Technical, Business, Leadership and People to increase your competency.  How are your technical skills?  Are you a traditional accountant or have you learned to expand your technical skills to go beyond “what are the financial numbers?” to “why did these financial results occur?”  Are you able to use ratios to understand the business dynamics and the implications to change course or take corrective action?  Are the systems that you implement and operate best practices or merely stop-gap solutions? How are your business skills?  Can you set a vision? Can you develop a strategy?  Do you understand the macroeconomic environment of your organization?   Can you lead a major project to a successful conclusion?  This session will explore the role of business as opposed to tracking the results of the business. How are your people skills?  How good is your ability to influence others? How are successful are your negotiation skills?   How well can you communicate?  Are you a collaborator or a partner?  This section will help accountants understand that it is people skills that drive the overall success of the accounting operations. Finally, how are your Leadership skills?  Do you inspire staff or make them angry?  Do you know why your staff work for your company and you?  Do you understand what employees want from their position?  Do you know how to deal with a difficult staff person?  Can you lead difficult change?  This session will help you recognize what leadership truly is as opposed to what passes for day to day management.

Cover critical aspects, common problem areas and strategies for successful 1031 exchanges. Examine Form 8824 preparation, replacement property adjusted basis computations, advanced 1031 strategies and more. Study advanced 1031 exchange strategies such as reverse exchange, partners/TIC structures, and improvement exchanges (including "Bartell" parking arrangements). Bring questions and increase your expertise. Updated in 2018 for effects of the 2017 tax reform act.

Participants will go over the changes on preparation, compilation and review engagements using SSARS rules, followed by a general overview of how to perform these services. This interactive workshop is designed for practitioners in small and medium-sized CPA firms and will include a lecture with generous time for questions and case studies.

This course provides junior tax professionals with a strong foundation in individual tax preparation for the 2025 tax year, focusing on Form 1040 and key schedules. Participants will gain step-by-step guidance on filing requirements, income reporting, deductions, tax credits, and compliance standards under Circular 230. Emphasizing preparer due diligence and ethical responsibilities, the course also covers recent tax law updates, including potential changes from the expiration of TCJA provisions. It introduces essential forms such as Schedule C, Schedule E, Form 7203, and Form 7217 to ensure participants understand business income, rental income, and shareholder reporting. By the end, junior staff will be equipped to prepare individual tax returns accurately and maintain IRS compliance. *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

Women finance leaders face challenges that traditional corporate training and mentoring rarely prepare them to overcome. For example, you've demonstrated yourself as an excellent tactician, you know how to get the job done, and do it very well on your own. Yet, what got you to your current level of success won't get you to the next level. It's time to change the way you think and operate in your role. You need to move from doer to leader. You're familiar with the saying that if you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together. In this workshop, you'll learn key strategies that are unique and critical to women to be successful in their careers. These strategies will help you grow, expand and elevate yourself professionally. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Microsoft 365/Office 365 continues to grow and evolve, yet most utilize only a fraction of the tools available in their subscription. For example, powerful resources such as SharePoint Online and audio and video conferencing can change how your organization communicates and collaborates. In contrast, more personal apps such as Teams, Planner, Flow, and Sway allow individuals to work more efficiently and effectively in virtually all facets of their jobs. Further, security enhancements to Office 365 mean that your organization can take advantage of all these features in a highly secure environment.  Isn’t it time you learned how to move beyond the traditional Microsoft 365/Office 365 applications such as Excel, Word, and Outlook and unleash all your subscription offers? Join us in this fast-paced and highly interactive seminar where you will learn what you need to know to succeed with Microsoft 365/Office 365.

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.

Technical expertise may get you in the door—but emotional intelligence (EQ) is what builds trust, earns loyalty, and sustains lasting success. For CPAs, attorneys, financial professionals, bankers, and insurance agents, your ability to navigate emotions—your own and others'—is often the difference between a good client interaction and a great one, between a team that functions and a team that thrives. This interactive course goes beyond theory and dives into real-world application. You’ll uncover what emotional intelligence really is, why it matters more than ever in today’s professional world, and how to strengthen your EQ to improve performance, strengthen relationships, and manage stress with confidence. You’ll walk away with tools you can use immediately to transform how you lead meetings, manage conflict, build client trust, and drive results—while also enriching your personal life. Whether you're looking to become a better leader, communicate with more clarity, or create meaningful client connections, this course gives you the insight and strategies to make it happen.  

Many for-profit entities receive government assistance or are required to have financial statement or compliance audits due to law or regulation. This course will discuss the requirements under Generally Accepted Auditing Standards relevant to for-profit entity audits.

Single Audits are a critical area of focus under the AICPA's Enhancing Audit Quality Initiative, requiring a thorough understanding of the Uniform Guidance's unique audit requirements for federal funds. This course examines the distinctive performance and reporting standards in Single Audits, equipping participants with foundational knowledge to navigate these complex audits effectively. Key topics include an overview of internal controls over compliance, understanding compliance requirements, using the Compliance Supplement, and identifying the elements of a finding in a Single Audit. This course is ideal for professionals seeking a clear and practical introduction to the essentials of Single Audits.  

People fear presenting more than they do “death”.  Communicating numbers is a scary proposition to overcome for both the presenter and the recipients. This course is designed to enhance the communication skills of CPAs and CFOs by emphasizing the importance of understanding and mastering the facts before delivering any presentation, understand the key elements of presenting a narrative, and provide examples to engage live and virtual teams in effective numbers presenting. The goal is to equip financial professionals with the tools needed to overcome fears and provide the best practices research on all types of presentations-from communicating complex financial information effectively to conducting a casual virtual meeting.   This is a fun session intended to be interactive with participation either live, virtual or both.  

This course equips tax professionals with the knowledge and strategies needed to handle the most common IRS letters, including general notices, audit requests, collections, return inquiries, and error notices. Participants will learn how to interpret IRS correspondence, adhere to response deadlines, and effectively communicate with the IRS to resolve issues and minimize risks. The session also highlights best practices for ensuring compliance and avoiding penalties or escalation, empowering attendees to navigate IRS correspondence with confidence. *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

Learn practical strategies to increase revenue generation using AI-driven ideation methods. This course provides a concise overview of cutting-edge artificial intelligence tools and methodologies that enable professionals to transform innovative ideas into sustainable revenue streams. Through a practical, hands-on approach, participants will explore various AI platforms and workflows that streamline the process of creating digital assets, content, and products. The course emphasizes real-world applications and demonstrates how to leverage AI technology to diversify service offerings and generate new income sources. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Transform your data presentation skills with our comprehensive course on creating impactful dashboards and reports using Excel. This workshop is tailored for professionals who: Regularly produce or update dashboards and reports Struggle with confusing or overly complex reporting tools Seek to streamline varied reporting styles across their organization Aim to establish a consistent, replicable "house style" for reporting Want to impress stakeholders with clear, user-friendly data presentations Through a combination of theory and hands-on practice, you'll learn the fundamental principles that make reports and dashboards easy to understand. We'll distill these concepts into a set of practical rules and guide you through their application in Excel.

Learn the basic skills new staff need to hit the ground running and efficiently complete assigned tasks, including what new auditors are expected to know and do, including the nature, timing, and extent of common audit procedures. Focus on why certain procedures are performed and perform typical procedures.

There is always too much to do and too little time to do it all.  Fortunately, if you know the right ways to manage people, projects and your time, you can get on top of everything by working smarter.  In Part 2 of this seminar we will go into more depth about how to get more done in less time, as well as how to not burnout from all the work you do.  We will discuss additional methods for working smarter through technology, communication, stress reduction, and creating smart and helpful goals.