CPE Catalog & Events

Our guidance on ethics comes from the AICPA and other groups, but it does not fully address the “why” behind ethics. This session will examine and define what ethics is and what it means to varying people in the workplace. Understanding what motivates people and understanding those people are key to both solving ethical dilemmas and workplace issues that can lead to greater job satisfaction and efficiency. To correct an issue, you need to delve into the root cause – the why?

Health savings accounts (HSAs) are an effective way for employers to provide employees with financial help so they can pay their out-of-pocket medical expenses in a tax-efficient manner. Individuals who are not participating in an employer-funded HSA may set up their own HSA to achieve the same ends. Clients often ask tax practitioners about the mechanics of HSAs and whether they are beneficial. This program is a two-hour discussion of the topic led by Roy Ramthun, who will take you through the many rules and complexities of this challenging subject.

Almost 50% of businesses that started five years ago are no longer in operation today. Controllers and CFOs can and must influence the longevity of their organization to improve their success rate.  Jim will help you be aware and understand the answers to these issues: Can you describe the financial health of your company? Can you also explain what the financial health of your industry is? Do you know your Business Cycle compared to the industry business cycle? Do you have an executable plan? Do you know what the competitive, legal and technological landscape is currently, and for the future? Is your organization aligned and incentivize to be successful? Jim has developed his groundbreaking Business Longevity concept as a keynote and a workshop, and would be happy to speak to your organization on this topic. This session will focus on assessment (financial health, competitive environment), determination (effective business planning, including the future landscape), and execution (gettin’ it done!)

The IRS has recently increased the pressure on how to calculate and report partner and shareholder basis.  Changes in the forms reflect these developments.  This program provides a detailed analysis of the calculations related to determining tax basis for a partnership interest and S corporation shareholder shares and loans. How to use the Form 1065, Schedule K-1  and Form 1120S, Schedule K-1 information for basis determination.  Illustrated examples with filled in forms will demonstrate how the processes works and their many potential pitfalls.  **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.

Did you know that simply by utilizing the built-in headings found under Styles in Microsoft Word you can create an automatic table of contents that can be updated in a matter of seconds if the body of the document changes? Did you know that Word can be used to open, edit, and re-save PDF documents? How about the fact that by using the Insert Caption tool in conjunction with the Cross-Reference feature, users can rid themselves of the need to manually renumber figures, tables or illustrations and will not even need to update references to these in the document text? This material shows tools and features that are easy to understand and use, will save time, and add consistency to documents. Participants in this session will come away knowing the power of Microsoft Word; this knowledge will benefit them greatly! This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Insurance companies can get a bad rap from business owners – but for thousands of small, mid-sized, and large companies (including Fortune 500) the benefits of captive insurance really stack up. They include potential cost savings, greater control over coverage and claims, underwriting profits, and tax benefits that make risk management profitable. Our webinar presenter has worked with captive insurance companies for business owners and NQDC plans for more than 15 years. The Webinar is sponsored by MSI Speaker Bio Jeremy Colombik is Managing Partner of MSI. He is an experienced, licensed CPA and financial professional who has worked with captive insurance companies for business owners and NQDC plans for over 15 years. He is a member of the North Carolina Captive Insurance Association, NCACPA and AICPA. Jeremy frequently works with the North Carolina Department of Insurance Commissioner as well as U.S. Congressmen and Senators in Washington D.C. regarding regulatory and compliance issues. He is a sought-after speaker at state and national conferences as well as a published author for various financial and insurance industry publications. 

For HR and Business professionals, navigating the intricate dynamics of executive decision-making can often be a daunting task. Despite the meticulous hours invested in research, strategy formulation, and planning, the true challenge often lies in effectively communicating and gaining acceptance for these transformative ideas. A key aspect of this is the art of persuasion, ensuring that the merits of our proposals are not just understood but wholeheartedly embraced by decision-makers. This session is designed to empower leaders with the tools and insights needed to craft persuasive pitches, build a robust business case, and confidently communicate the ROI of their initiatives. Moreover, attendees will gain insights into the common pitfalls that can hinder their pitches and learn techniques to address objections frequently raised by executive leadership.

This session will identify the progress of the AICPA Enhancing Audit Quality Initiative and evaluate whether audit quality is improving. Analyze the trends that are contributing to audit quality and recall the major issues identified and the related resources issued by the AICPA to improve practice quality. This session will also analyze the AICPA's new Statements on Quality Management Standards (SQMS). It will identify the related implementation challenges and timing and evaluate the potential impact on peer review. Learn about AICPA resources for SQMS implementation. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

“How will I EVER get this all done?"  It’s a question I often hear from clients and on a particularly stressful day, I can hear myself saying these words!  Instead of helping us focus, it's a question that leads to stress, anxiety and overwhelm! Regardless of where we are in business and in life, we will run into challenges and problems as we navigate business growth, leadership, work life balance and our quest for success and happiness. This workshop will explore the 7 HIGH QUALITY questions that lead to relief, enthusiasm and success.  It will be an interactive exploration that will leave you with a game plan to use right away, as well as an opportunity to practice the mindset that the most successful and happiest people use daily.    This program is for both the entrepreneur who wants to be more effective in their day as well as team leaders who want to stand out in their organization.  For the business owner or staff member you can expect a new way to work with your day so that it's profitable, productive and happier.  For leaders, you will learn new up- leveled skills to increase your efficiency, communication and productivity.  You and your team will shine.  Your staff will feel appreciated and connected to their value as well as the company's goals. Albert Einstein said 'we can't solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them'.  The quality of your question will impact the quality of your solution.  Learn the 7 questions that take you from confused and frustrated to creative and focused. 

This program provides an update to the latest tax developments, rules and regulations impacting individual taxpayers, with a review and integration of the numerous 2021/22 legislation. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

As spreadsheets evolve, so must your creating, editing, and auditing practices. In this program, you will gain an in-depth understanding of the best ways to work with Excel by learning best practices associated with Excel spreadsheets in each of the following areas: creating and editing Excel workbooks, securing Excel workbooks, collaborating with others in Excel, and reporting on data contained in Excel. Today's best practices for Excel differ significantly from those used in the past, and you will learn the best ways to work with Excel spreadsheets in this "must-see" CPE program. Course materials include relevant examples to enhance your learning experience. Join us for this program to help you utilize Excel fully.

Sampling - Avoiding Common Mistakes on Financial Statement and Compliance Audits will describe the proper process for both attribute testing and variable sampling in financial statement and compliance audits. Sampling is an important method for determining the extent of testing controls, testing compliance, and tests of substantive details. It allows the auditor to apply procedures to less than 100% of the population yet extend results to project likely conclusions about the entire population. Note: This course is recommended as a part of a 16-hour audit skills curriculum for experienced staff auditors, while it is also appropriate for anyone who has sampling responsibilities. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

What can we learn from one of the largest municipal frauds in U.S. history? Rita Crundwell stole nearly $54 million from the citizens of Dixon, Illinois over the course of two decades. This course examines circumstances that allowed this landmark fraud to occur. We will explore internal control deficiencies and other circumstances that hindered prevention or timely detection of Rita's scheme. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Our guidance on ethics comes from the AICPA and other groups, but it does not fully address the “why” behind ethics. Understanding what motivates people and understanding those people are key to both solving ethical dilemmas and workplace issues that can lead to greater job satisfaction and efficiency. To correct an issue, you need to delve into the root cause – the why?

This webinar presents a variety of time-saving ideas, shortcuts, and tips that are sure to boost personal productivity. We discuss better summing, address one of the biggest pitfalls that Excel users have faced over the past 25 years, present the most important keyboard shortcuts, demonstrate a better alternative to hiding rows or columns, illustrate how to quickly navigate to other workbooks and files, and demonstrate using Excel with styles.

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.

In the modern corporate landscape, the challenge for lean HR departments isn't just managing administrative tasks—it's about curating a meaningful and enriching employee journey. Small HR teams are uniquely poised to offer a level of personalization and touch that larger departments might struggle to replicate. These compact teams have the potential to craft individualized experiences, ensuring that each step of an employee's journey, from onboarding to advancement, resonates deeply and positively. Yet, knowing the potential and harnessing it are two distinct tasks. This session provides attendees with a deep dive into three transformative engagement strategies tailored for lean HR environments. By placing the employee journey at the heart of these strategies, HR professionals can ensure every interaction, every milestone, and every touchpoint is optimized for engagement, satisfaction, and growth. Discover methods that don't just streamline processes, but elevate the entire employee experience, creating a lasting impact on both individual careers and the organization's culture.

The COVID-19 pandemic has altered corporate and public accounting in ways we could never have imagined. This broad-based course will discuss accounting and auditing implications that have arisen as a result of the pandemic.

A discussion of the latest 2021/222 tax developments impacting business taxpayers, with a focus on important provisions, rules and concepts. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

The course, the first in a three-course series, concentrates on the identification of a lease and the classification of the lease as covered in ASC Topic 842-10. Since ASC Topic 842, Leases has been adopted by most entities, it is time to review the topic, including any recently issued updates. The course also includes pertinent note disclosures from several publicly traded companies across several industries. Be sure to register for all three parts of this series: Leases: Is it a Lease?-Topic 842-10 Leases: Lessee-Topic 842-21 Leases: Miscellaneous Topics