CPE & Event Calendar

Effective teamwork pays its own way by creating greater productivity and profitability in any accounting organization. A team of people working cooperatively can produce more than the sum of individual members working alone. One good idea stimulates another — but only if the team members are engaged and motivated to do so. Teamwork is inhibited in today's high-stress and changing accounting regulatory environment. Integrated into this informative yet pragmatic seminar are tried-and-true motivational principles for the realities of today's changing accounting workplace. It's not easy, but it can be done. You will learn how to form, motivate, steer, and get greater results from all team members by understanding what makes them tick and strategizing approaches to engage all team members.

What makes a business valuable? Who determines value? What are the key factors that make businesses valuable? In this course, we explore the different ways to value a business. We will apply foundational valuation and corporate finance concepts to real world examples in an effort to see what makes up an investment's price.

This comprehensive course delves into the intricate world of executive compensation, focusing on the taxation and reporting procedures for various types of compensation arrangements. Participants will gain a deep understanding of the key differences between incentive stock options (ISOs) and nonqualified stock options (NQSOs), as well as the tax treatment and reporting requirements for restricted stock awards, stock appreciation rights (SARs), phantom stock plans, and employee stock purchase plans (ESPPs). The course will also cover the accurate analysis of tax forms and schedules used for reporting executive compensation, common tax reporting errors to avoid, and strategies for handling extensions, estimated taxes, and increased IRS scrutiny.

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.

If you work with governments or not-for-profits, mastering the fundamentals of Yellow Book and single audits is essential. This beginner-friendly course breaks down the key requirements of the Yellow Book and the Uniform Guidance for Federal Awards into clear, manageable concepts. You'll learn the essentials of performing Yellow Book and single audits with confidence—building a strong foundation, boosting your understanding, and equipping you to conduct audits efficiently and effectively.

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.

Intro to Governmental Accounting 103 is the natural follow up course to the first two Intro to Governmental Accounting courses, 101 and 102, and will take a dive into more complex issues surrounding the reporting of capital assets and long-term debt, investment accounting, and a little introduction to grant accounting and reporting.  

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 called for delivering nearly $80 billion to the IRS over 10 years to allow the IRS to purchase new technology and hire employees. This funding would have provided the IRS with new equipment and new employees, possibly to handle more audits, many of them involving very complex tax issues. The Trump Administration has reversed this with prospects for a reduction in IRS employees and less money to fund the purchase and development of new software. This program discusses the current state of IRS audits. Trump administration changes will of course have enormous impacts on these audits going forward.

This course focuses on the key federal tax issues affecting business from the internal accountant's point of view, with a focus on the major ramifications of the TCJA and other recent tax legislation and developments.  Planning alternatives and the potential risks associated with those strategies will also be discussed.      *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 terri.storer@acpen.com  

Google Gemini has emerged as a top leader in the generative AI competition. Due to the extraordinary size of the Google user base, every CPA should have a basic understanding of how to use it and apply it in business. This course will provide a comprehensive review and demonstration of how to put Google Gemini AI to work for you and your clients. It is designed as a "hands-on" course that facilitates following along with the presenter to apply the features of Gemini on your computer. Practice files will be provided so that you don't have to expose your confidential data. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

This session explores the importance of internal controls with an emphasis on best practices for small- and medium-sized entities.  We will examine the roles of both preventive and detective controls and practical, cost-effective suggestions for implementing effective internal controls will be addressed.

This session offers insight for tax practitioners beyond merely checking a box to satisfy accounting and auditing requirements for license renewal. We devote significant attention to extracting utility from financial statements to support decision needs of both external financial statement users and internal stakeholders. We explore best practices for cross-functional support within firms that perform tax, accounting solutions, financial statement, and consulting services. We also highlight similarities and differences between U.S. GAAP and tax-basis accounting. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

In this cutting-edge course, participants will gain a deep understanding of how to leverage ChatGPT, OpenAI's powerful language model, to innovate and enhance business advisory services in the accounting sector. The course integrates theory and practice, demonstrating how various enterprise evaluation methodologies can be applied in conjunction with ChatGPT for increased business analysis efficiency, profitability, and growth. It also provides hands-on training for implementing these techniques in real-world scenarios. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

In today's challenging talent market, accounting firms face unprecedented pressure to retain their best performers. This course provides actionable, research-backed strategies to help firms keep their top talent from leaving. Based on comprehensive surveys of both current accounting professionals and those who have recently left the profession, participants will learn the real reasons employees stay or go-and what firms can do about it. The course goes beyond simple solutions like "pay more, expect less" to explore comprehensive retention strategies including whole-person compensation, work-life balance improvements, career development pathways, and necessary business model transformations. Participants will discover why 73% of surveyed professionals want to stay with their current firm, yet many still leave-and how to bridge that gap. Key topics include understanding the true cost of turnover versus retention, implementing flexible work arrangements that actually work, creating meaningful career paths for non-partner track professionals, and transforming firm operations to support both profitability and employee satisfaction. Special attention is given to retaining diverse talent and adapting to the expectations of younger professionals who will comprise 27% of the workforce by 2025. Whether you're a firm leader, HR professional, or manager responsible for team retention, this course provides the insights and tools needed to build a sustainable talent strategy in an evolving profession. 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 Our Next Roundtable Open to NECPAs members, roundtables offer a small-group setting to exchange ideas, discuss shared challenges and learn from peers through open, candid conversation. CPE Credit Information To receive CPE credit, you must: Be in attendance for at least 50 minutes Respond to required attendance check polling questions Please note: We recommend using the email address linked to your NECPAs profile when logging into Zoom. Questions? Contact Melissa Nystedt at mnystedt@necpas.org.

According to a 2020 AICPA survey, advisory and consulting services were considered the greatest unmet needs of clients. The recent growth in Client Advisory Services (CAS) has led many to ask what is included in this broad category as well as how to develop the services for clients. With so much focus on the recent success of CAS offerings, now is the time to learn how the services differ from what you currently offer, which of your clients would benefit most, and what you need in place to add a quality CAS program to your firm's menu of services.

With all the planning, procedures, and reporting involved in a single audit, sometimes things can slip through the cracks. But what if the thing that slips through is fraud? Compiled from news releases, court records, and the thrilling annals of the Federal Audit Clearinghouse, this course tells the tale of seven real-world frauds that seemingly dodged detection in the single audit process. Leveraging the incredible gift of hindsight, this course is designed to raise your awareness and sharpen your focus on the potential for fraud in single audits!

The employer-employee relationship strains both sides in uncertain times, and businesses need CPAs, controllers, and other advisors to provide understanding of the complex legal, tax, and health care issues associated with all aspects of employment. This course provides in-depth coverage of this critical area. It will be updated and supplemented throughout the year to cover breaking developments.

This course builds on the foundational knowledge from Part 1, Fundamentals of the 1040 - Core Concepts. It expands into business income taxation and additional reporting requirements. Participants will learn how to accurately report self-employment income, income from pass-through entities on Form 1040. This course covers Schedule C, Schedule E, and essential forms such as Form 7203 and Form 7217 to ensure accurate tax preparation for clients with business activities. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting has become an increasingly important area of focus for standard setters, regulators, and stakeholders. This course provides an overview of how ESG considerations intersect with accounting and attestation services, with attention to developments affecting both preparers and assurance providers. Participants will review current ESG-related initiatives and projects underway at the Financial Accounting Standards Board, Governmental Accounting Standards Board, and the AICPA. The course also explores the types of services CPAs may provide in connection with ESG reporting, including advisory and attestation engagements, and discusses how these engagements differ in scope and responsibility. Designed for CPAs seeking to understand the evolving ESG landscape, this course helps participants recognize where ESG fits within existing professional standards and how CPAs can support organizations seeking credibility and assurance over ESG information. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.