CPE Catalog & Events

The IRS defines the "gig economy" as people earning income providing on-demand work, services, or goods on either a part-time or full-time basis. The economic times we live in are changing and tax practitioners must learn how the rules apply in this new gig economy. The tax rules that apply to gig workers challenge traditional ideas of who is an employee and who is an independent contractor, and tax practitioners must have the knowledge to make this determination. This program addresses federal and state tax issues tax practitioners must address with clients and their own workers.

Good writing is good business. Studies show that the average business worker receives 121 emails per day. That's a lot of emails. Are your emails effective? Are they being read? Are they professional and tone-smart? In this course, you will learn techniques and skills to get your emails to stand out and improve their effectiveness and professionalism.

If you do not understand the entity that you are auditing, you won’t know what type of transactions they should be entering into.  As a result, you won’t recognize those transactions they should not be there.  In other words, you will be performing the audit without having any idea of what you should be looking at.  This statement requires that the auditor document their understanding of the entity and its environment that it operates in as well as assessing the risks of material misstatement. Prior to this statement, auditors often assessed risk at maximum and did not evaluate internal controls.  A big change made by this statement is that, while it allowed the auditor to continue to assess risk at maximum, they now must first evaluate internal controls in order to have a basis for making such an assumption.  As a result, auditors are now required to document their evaluation of internal controls on every financial statement audit. This presentation is an overview of the many procedures auditors are now required to perform and document on every audit related to their understanding of the entity and its environment and the basis for assessing the risk of material misstatement.

With the increasing complexity and ever-changing nature of tax laws and issues, today’s accountant needs a one-day fast-paced update course focusing on the hottest Federal income tax topics affecting individuals, businesses and their owners with an emphasis of newly enacted income tax legislation. **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 comprehensive case-driven training is designed to get the accountant up to speed quickly in the area of basis calculations and distribution planning for the owners of pass-thru entities (i.e., S corporations, partnerships, and limited liability companies (LLCs)). The cornerstone of this course is the line-by-line analysis of the Schedule K-1s and how it affects the basis calculations.  **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

In this innovative course, participants will learn to combine the power of artificial intelligence with the functionality of Microsoft Excel. You will learn how to leverage ChatGPT, OpenAI's powerful language model, to improve your Excel skills and decrease the time it takes to build spreadsheets. The course will include a quick introduction to ChatGPT but the majority of the time will be spent using ChatGPT to create an Excel spreadsheet. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

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.  

Privacy should be everywhere, yet every day seemingly brings a new story about a privacy violation. While it can be frustrating and sometimes scary to think about mishandling our personal information, it’s important to remember that we can take steps to protect our privacy. This session will teach you where your critical threats are and what information you may already have at risk. More importantly, you will learn how to manage and mitigate privacy risks. In an era of increasing connectivity – and by extension, risk – this session should be high on your list to take as soon as possible.

This course addresses the most recent legislative developments impacting individual taxpayers, with a focus on important provisions, rules and concepts to apply when preparing client returns.    *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

Freelance work and other non-permanent employment arrangements are becoming increasingly popular ways for people to earn a living. Although these non-traditional activities offer novel, flexible ways to earn income from diverse sources, they also introduce nuanced recordkeeping, reporting, and attestation issues. We investigate characteristics of the gig economy, employee-versus-contractor considerations, bookkeeping, regulatory compliance, and external reporting considerations. We also explore best practices for CPAs who fulfill the role of trusted advisor for gig economy clients. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

During part 3, of this 4-part series, we'll focus on the accounting and taxation of Complex Trusts. Using a series of calculations, determine whether the fiduciary or the beneficiary bears the burden of taxation and if the trust or estate is treated as a taxpaying entity or a conduit. The requirements and use of a charitable contribution deduction are also reviewed and its relationship with and difference from fiduciary accounting. Be sure to register for all courses in this series: Fiduciary Taxation Part 1: Introduction to Form 1041 Fiduciary Taxation Part 2: Fiduciary Accounting & Simple Trusts Fiduciary Taxation Part 3: Complex Trusts & Charitable Deduction Fiduciary Taxation Part 4: Miscellaneous Topics & AMT

How can you solidify an appropriate investment strategy based on risk, help clients stay on top of potentially life-altering situations and help them understand the intricacies of investment planning? Gain a better understanding of investment markets and the effects of world events, assess client risk and matching to expected return, deal with increasing client concerns, and develop better investment solutions in a rapidly changing environment. Attendees will consider the following questions during this course: How should you adjust your investment philosophy based on a world that is not secure? With new market heights attained often and unexpected events occurring regularly, how does one feel comfortable with an investment strategy? Where are investments headed in an economy?to some?on borrowed time? Be sure to register for all of our PFP updates: PFP Update: Income Tax, Retirement, and Estate Planning PFP Update: Issues, Exposures, and Developing Client Strategy PFP Update: Investment Planning in This New Era

Accounting for income taxes is now a complex set of standards with computational difficulties and confusion. Particularly concerning private companies. Durring this course we'll take a practical approach to navigating the maze, simplify basic calculations, and clarify financial statements. Includes a review of the impact of the 2017 Tax Reform Act on calculations.

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 will review the fundamentals of fiduciary accounting and provide a reporting guide for determining whether receipts and expenditures are assigned to income or principal/corpus. Critical issues, rules, and special opportunities when preparing your clients' Form 1041 U.S. Income Tax Return for Estates and Trusts will be examined, including what is considered taxable income and allowable deductions. Planning and potential pitfalls will also be explored.  This course only qualifies for 2 IRS credits. *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

Welcome to a management course that helps CFOs and Controllers lead the Accounting Department. It is essential that the Accounting Department have a Vision which is aligned with the Business goals. Controllers must also be comfortable with wearing multiple 'hats' in the business. The head of the Accounting Department must be skilled in a variety of leadership skills, technical skills, managerial skills and current management techniquest.

Discover the communication edge that will take your CPA career to the next level. This comprehensive course empowers CPAs with the tools to enhance clarity, build trust, and drive decisions. Learn to transform complex jargon into actionable insights and develop powerful persuasion techniques that resonate with clients and stakeholders. Join me to sharpen your communication skills and elevate your professional impact. 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.

Have you ever found yourself wondering why people won't just listen to you? Or maybe you have found yourself surrounded by people that make your jaw clench...you know the people...the challenging people.  HR Professionals walk a tight rope of being strong, but not aggressive, polite, but not a push over. It is exhausting! In this session, you will uncover the secrets to working with (and overcoming) challenging people derived from the decades of experience Summer brings from her time on the frontlines and as an HR Professional working with companies such as Walt Disney World, H-E-B and even a dude ranch.  

Creating a culture of safety in a workplace requires attention in many different areas.  We will bring these areas into focus and provide attendees with information on how to make their individual workplaces safer for everyone.