CPE & Event Calendar

Designed for accounting, auditing, and attestation practitioners at all levels in public accounting and business and industry, this course provides a detailed review of the multitude of FASB and AICPA standards and reports issued over the past few years, including a discussion of the FASB's Stage 3 PIR report on ASC 606. It also provides an overview of recent PCAOB inspection report findings and SEC rulemaking activity. Through hands-on examples and illustrations, this course will help you apply the guidance in practice. We further discuss other important A&A practice matters to be aware of, including an update on the quality management standards and soon-to-be-effective requirements for engagement quality reviews.

Auditing not-for-profits isn't the same as auditing for-profits, so why treat them alike? This course gives you the tools to recognize what makes not-for-profits unique and shows you how to incorporate those differences into your audit approach. With practical insights and 20 focused exercises, you'll learn how to plan and perform not-for-profit audits more effectively, efficiently, and with greater confidence.

Many small to medium sized companies do not properly address the risk that arises related to fraud because these organizations do not have the resources needed to mitigate this risk or because owners or those in top level management underestimate the scope of the issue. All organizations, regardless of size, must be aware of the risks associated with intentional fraudulent acts and know that a significant and effective fraud scheme could even create going concern issues for some entities. In this session, we delve into the reasons that fraud takes place. The material discusses the types of defalcations that are often executed against smaller entities and then explores measures that organizations can implement to help stop fraud activities and add security. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Non-fungible Tokens (NFTs), unique, identifiable digital assets based on blockchain technologies, have become a fast-growing industry. This course will provide a background on how NFTs came into the mainstream marketplace.  These materials will assist the practitioner to understand the tax implications of the creation, purchase and sale of these 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.

This course provides U.S.-based accounting and finance professionals with an in-depth understanding of the EU Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act, the first comprehensive AI regulation in the world. It explores the Act's key provisions, including its risk classification framework, compliance requirements for high-risk systems, and transparency obligations. Participants will gain insight into how the Act affects organizations operating internationally and how to prepare for compliance challenges. Interactive activities are integrated throughout the course to reinforce key concepts.

Artificial Intelligence is no longer a future concept; it is a current necessity. This session provides a practical roadmap for practitioners to leverage AI safely and effectively. We move from a survey of available tools (from free apps to specialized software) to a deep dive into the ethical guardrails required to protect client data and maintain professional standards. Participants will leave with a playbook of real-world use cases that can be implemented immediately.

This course is designed for accounting and finance professionals who desire financial reporting flexibility for small- and medium-sized entities (SMEs). We examine special-purpose frameworks (SPFs) that may offer simplification while enhancing the usefulness of financial reporting for SMEs. Our discussion offers practical ways to align financial reporting with the decision-making needs of users and other stakeholders. Real-world examples and case discussions will help attendees confidently prepare, review, and interpret SMEs’ financial statements. 

This CPE course explains Yellow Book independence including the general requirements, requirements for auditors providing non-audit services and documentation requirements. This course also explains the basic elements of a Uniform Guidance compliance audit, including an overview of requirements, major program determination with examples, an understanding of compliance requirements and related internal control over compliance, sampling, and single audit reporting. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Working from home presents both benefits and challenges for professionals. For employees, working from home provides opportunities to be more productive and gain time that would otherwise be spent commuting to and from the office. Employers who utilize remote work enjoy fewer fixed costs, more efficiency, and greater employee satisfaction. Without proper planning, professionals who work remotely may experience increased anxiety and disorganization. They may also jeopardize data privacy. However, when executed properly, working remotely can help organizations become more efficient and profitable, while at the same time improving employee morale. This course looks at how firms and companies have successfully implemented work from home programs and discusses mistakes that can be avoided through proper planning.

This session takes a unique review of the fundamental budget issues faced by all and walks through a detailed modeling process intended to generate discussion and best practices to improve your organization’s financial modeling.  From the beginning of the accounting process – ‘the chart of accounts’ to the end of the process – ‘the valuation of the company’, the budgeting cycle via a live case model to learn best practices common to successful companies.   This course stands on its own but is part two of a four part budget mastery series.

Conflict is often avoided, or dealt with in a passive manner. When ignored, conflict often escalates and can become polarizing. In this session, participants will gain insights for enhancing their natural responses to conflict, learn healthy communication styles, and build constructive behaviors to manage conflict. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

All organizations are looking for ways to gain an advantage over the competition. This practical and interactive session will present a toolkit of ideas to help CFOs, controllers, and finance professionals better position their organizations for the future. We know change is occurring at an exponential rate, and that has proven to be the case in all areas of finance, management, and leadership over the past year. The course deals with these new issues and will continue to be updated as necessary throughout the year. This year, we will take a special interest in the opportunities and threats of AI for the finance professional. Become the "financial hero" of your organization and make a positive impact on the bottom line.

Reporting findings under the Yellow Book and single audit standards comes with unique rules - but mastering them is easier than you think. This course gives you the tools and techniques to prepare, write, and present findings that meet the GAO and OMB requirements while sparking meaningful improvements for your clients. You'll learn exactly what to report, how to report it, and where to report it so you can deliver results with clarity, compliance, and impact.

This course covers recently issued accounting and financial statement reporting standards from the Financial Accounting Standards Board. Key implementation challenges and experiences from public company filings will be identified. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Join us for a comprehensive annual update of promulgations of the FASB and AICPA and will include the latest ASU, SAS and Ethics interpretations.

Technology changes daily, so it's essential to stay up-to-date with critical developments to effectively leverage today's technologies. Join us for this session to explore key technological developments impacting accounting and financial professionals.

This course is designed for accountants in public practice and industry who focus on nonprofit and governmental entities. We will cover the basics needed to understand what makes nonprofit and governmental accounting & auditing unique. The course starts with the key financial reporting differences for governmental and nonprofit entities and then switches focus to review the fundamentals of Yellow Book and Uniform Guidance audits. This foundational course is perfect for those getting started in the nonprofit and governmental arena and those looking for a refresher. 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 is designed as a comprehensive guide to the core concepts of trust and estate income tax preparation. The course explains the common terminology and complicated income tax rules of estates and trusts, fiduciary accounting, and an introduction to or refresher on preparing Form 1041. This practical, over 300-page manual is an excellent reference source for your practice, which begins with quite simple cases. Building upon that base throughout the manual, the course ends with two complicated preparation cases, one trust and one estate, each with filled-in forms.

Our financial and economic series is designed to take key topics for financial executives and explore them in detail such that the CFO/controller/financial executive can take away useful and practical recommendations dealing with the topic at hand. The program explores the current economic trends and analyze their impact on you as the financial executive in areas professional skepticism, medical care costs, social security viability, the dollar as a world currency, the national infrastructure and the "fate of the states" as well as the AICPA's top 10 trends and technologies. Specific recommendations and insights will be offered to you to deal with the challenges.

As experienced staff members master the preparation intricacies of an 1120-S tax return, they are expected to understand and apply the underlying concepts, principles and laws governing S corporation status. This course is designed to illustrate in both theory and practice overarching principles that govern S corporations from formation to revocation, termination and liquidation. Experienced, client-facing staff should be aware of the pitfalls that may inadvertently cause an S-status termination or may generate unintended tax consequences to shareholders.