CPE Catalog & Events

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.

Fraud continues to plague businesses at epidemic levels, and technology control failures are a big reason fraud occurs. Using a case study approach, in this session, you will learn about the pervasiveness of fraud, the control failures that contribute to fraud, and what you can do to mitigate fraud risk. A specific focus of this course is the application of information technology general controls and information technology application controls. In this course, you will examine numerous reported fraud cases and identify the general control and application control failures that contributed to each of these frauds. By learning through these real-world case studies, you will be better positioned to reduce fraud risk.  

We kick off this course with a look at the GASB standards that are effective this year including GASB 100, Accounting Changes and Error Corrections and GASB 101, Compensated Absences. We will then switch to the audit side of the house to examine the impact of the 2024 Compliance Supplement on Single Audits and the changes to the Uniform Guidance. We close with a look at common deficiencies found in Single Audits. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Gain the essentials Engaging with chapters 1-5 of *Government Auditing Standards, 2018 Revision,* gain the essentials for performing engagements in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards (GAGAS). Build an excellent foundation of the principles of GAGAS as it relates to understanding Yellow Book requirements and application guidance.

Navigating the complexities of estate and trust administration is a vital skill for professionals, who play an integral role in the administration team. This comprehensive course is designed to equip professionals with a thorough understanding of their responsibilities and the processes involved in estate administration, enhancing their ability to address estate settlement issues effectively. Participants will be provided with a detailed overview of the professional’s role in estate and trust administration, emphasizing practical insights and strategies for managing assets, addressing the legitimacy of debts and creditors, and ensuring the proper distribution of assets. **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.

Looking to stay ahead in tax matters? Join our 2025 Individual Tax Update course for an essential deep dive into Form 1040 essentials. Designed for tax pros eager to sharpen their skills, this course unpacks recent tax code changes and equips you with the know-how to navigate them effortlessly. From mastering IRS Form 1040 to leveraging new tax benefits, you'll emerge ready to optimize returns for your clients while staying compliant with the latest regulations. Don't miss out on this opportunity to boost your expertise and ensure financial success for both you and your clients! **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 tax landscape is constantly changing, challenging tax practitioner to stay abreast of these developments.  This eight hour program will cover issues unique to business entities, including new court decisions, recent IRS publications, and the latest tax legislation that will impact businesses and individuals.  The remaining time will be spent on IRS procedure and other issues. This course will provide a concise look at the hottest topics affecting every tax practitioner.  **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.

Employee Benefit Plan (EBP) audit engagements remain under close examination by regulators and peer reviewers, stemming from a historical pattern of noncompliance with applicable professional standards. It is imperative that auditors possess the requisite skills to carry out EBP engagements with proficiency. This involves navigating the audit process from the initial engagement acceptance through to reporting and completion. Given that 401(k) plans represent the predominant plan type subjected to audits, we engage in a comprehensive examination of these plans. Discover strategies to meticulously plan and execute risk-based plan audits, ensuring adherence to professional standards without compromising on efficiency.

Basic, but not boring Newcomers to tax return preparation are exposed to the many topics that encompass individual taxation. Topics, discussed in an approachable format, include: Filing requirements and dependents Gross income inclusions and exclusions Adjustments to income Standard and itemized deductions Refundable and nonrefundable tax credits Tax computations Penalties Taking advantage of present opportunities for your clients' future Tax planning involves understanding a client's current situation to anticipate areas of future tax savings. You'll review common individual tax planning topics to better help clients prepare for their future. Decoding recent legislative changes for individual taxpayers You'll be able to provide your clients with the most current tax planning and tax-saving strategies for their tax plans. This course is updated for recent IRS guidance and legislation, including: IRS revenue procedures and notices SECURE 1.0 SECURE 2.0 Inflation Reduction Act

This fast-paced course focuses on using Excel Power Pivot features to enhance data analysis. One of the strengths of Power Pivot is the formula language DAX (Data Analysis eXpressions). We will spend considerable time using the power of DAX to create meaningful calculations that add new dimensions to our data. We will also review the use of a date or calendar table that allows us to perform date analysis that was never possible before. This will allow us to use the new time-intelligent functions to perform complex calculations on our data such as: month-to-date, quarter-to-date, year-to-date, last year same period, last year-to-date, etc. We will also demonstrate the hottest tips and tricks that will take your data analysis to the next level. Although our focus will be on using Power Pivot, we will review some of the other Power BI Tools including: Power Query (Get & Transform), Power BI Desktop and Power BI Services (PowerBI.com). NOTE: If you want to apply the concepts presented, you will need Excel 2013, 2016 or 2019/Office 365 AND the Power Pivot add-in pre-installed. To see our full prerequisite recommendations, see PROGRAM CONTENT section below. This session is presented using Excel 2019/Office 365. Regardless of the version you are using, most concepts covered in this course apply to all versions of Excel. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

This highly informative course comprehensively covers all the latest tax law developments. The focus is on individual taxation and discussion of the planning opportunities practitioners need to understand to help clients respond effectively. You will come away from the course with the up-to-date knowledge to educate your individual tax clients and implement tax-saving ideas that will serve their ever-evolving needs. This course is continually updated to reflect enacted legislation. Please Note: Due to content overlap, it is recommended that this course NOT be taken together with BFTU.

In this 2024 Year-End Payroll Update, we will provide a robust overview of the critical year-end payroll topics affecting employers and payroll professionals, such as reconciling your payroll returns to your W-2s, annual updates and law changes that impact payroll, as well as some tips and tricks you can implement immediately that will help you improve the quality of your year-end payroll process. The most consistent thing about payroll is that it changes EVERY YEAR. And those changes go into effect on January 1. So don't delay. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Ethical situations occur more often than many realize. We must stay vigilant. Sometimes a seemingly simple situation may seem innocuous at first, but it can lead to large complications in the near future. In today’s competitive environment, one error posted on social media can damage a reputation forever. Social media posts can cause havoc. 

We all are busy, pressed for time and we strive to do as much as we can – as fast as we can. This is our world.  However, there are times when we should stop and think. When we do not analyze (one of our many talents) this inaction causes problems. We will review the penalties of moving too fast. Let’s learn from the mistakes of others.

Bitcoin and crypto have been in the news recently for a variety of reasons. This course will cover the basics of accounting and auditing for cryptocurrency including recent standard setting by the FASB as well as a look at the AICPA's Accounting for and Auditing of Digital Assets practice aid.

Powerful people can choose to undermine or elevate morality in their sphere of influence and authority. Why do some succumb to the dark side of power? This updated course explores the complex relationship between power and morality in our own times. It illustrates enduring ethical principles through recent examples of prominent leaders who rationalized or ignored their abuses of power and disrespected fundamental ethics. This session uses findings from modern science to explain why and how power heightens self-focus and indulges unethical tendencies. It also demonstrates how the universal law of reciprocity guarantees a countering desire and effort to exact consequences from offenders. Whether you aspire to be influential or already possess authority, understanding the insidious side of power and influence can help you walk the tightrope of leadership accountability without falling into an abyss of consequences.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, telework in state and local government was not often embraced as a form of employment. As the pandemic continues, governments are beginning to experience the benefits of remote work and are reevaluating hiring practices to offer more telework and hybrid work options, not simply as a result of an emergency.  This course will review various telework options and best practices for success. 

The Enhancing Audit Quality Initiative has identified inadequate or nonexistent audit documentation as one of the most significant issues facing the profession. Over half of the engagements reviewed by the AICPA did not meet the requirements of AU-C 230. This course will look at common misconceptions related to audit documentation and help attendees address these deficiencies with efficient and effective best practices.

In forensic accounting, interviewing is used to obtain important information from witnesses and suspects. An important aspect is the ability of investigators to obtain accurate and reliable information from victims, witnesses and the suspects or any interviewee. The interview process is an essential part of information gathering for any investigation. The importance of improving the quality of the interviewing with the potential for visual recording of all interviews should be placed high on the agenda of all organizations across the globe. A properly conducted forensic interview can result in an extreme benefit regarding collection of information. The interviewer’s role is to develop a full understanding of the facts. There is a distinct difference between a forensic interview and a criminal interrogation. Typically, forensic auditors will not be involved in interrogations. The Canadian or U.S. forensic accounting profession does not have a standardized interview model to truly equip its professionals with the interview tools required to elicit confessions ethically. Majority of their skills are developed through experience, and not through a standardized model of training.  This session focuses on various interview concepts and methods.  

The walking dead aren't the only threat to your business. So are several dangerous, even terrifying myths about what ethical leadership is and is not. This fun and distinctive webinar will present what Forbes contributor Bruce Weinstein, The Ethics Guy, calls "zombie ethics"-myths about accounting that hinder your ability to serve your clients and enjoy a thriving business. Taking a page from Nobel laureate Paul Krugman's recent work, zombie ethics are ideas about ethical leadership that deserve to remain buried but keep resurfacing from time to time. They walk the earth and wreak havoc. In this engaging webinar, The Ethics Guy will show you how to send them back to the cemetery for good. You can then fearlessly bring in new business--and watch your practice soar! This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.