CPE & Event Calendar

We're all impacted directly or indirectly by the laws of real estate taxation, possibly as an owner, investor, landlord, developer, or real estate professional. This course explores the key principles of real estate taxation from all these perspectives. We'll discuss personal residences, vacation homes, credits, passive losses, qualified business income, installment sales, involuntary conversions, like-kind exchanges, real estate investment trusts (REITs), and the One Big Beautiful Bill's enhancement of depreciation deductions.

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.

This course covers authoritative GAAP for construction contractors as addressed in FASB ASC 910 and the AICPA Guide for Construction Contractors. Jeff explains the unique aspects of accounting within the construction industry and how the applicable standards and guidance address those issues. The course includes practical examples to support understanding of key concepts, including revenue recognition and contract-related issues. Jeff presents the material in an engaging manner to help reinforce learning and maintain focus.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the hottest topic in technology circles today. And for good reason! AI can help all business professionals – including HR professionals – work more efficiently and effectively. AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot are proving themselves daily as valuable assets. These tools can help you automate research, draft documents, summarize emails, analyze Excel data, and even create PowerPoint presentations for you. If you haven't yet explored what today's AI tools can do, you'll want to participate in this session to become more productive and efficient with this very practical technology.

As the managers' role continue to evolve, it is crucial for us to understand the strategic aspects of managing a diverse workforce, beginning with understanding the big trends in employee demographics. We begin with a rhetorical question - asking if employees are assets? GAAP tells us they are not, so discussion will revolve around whether this treatment delivers an unhealthy bias on our view of the people in our organization. What do the most successful organizations believe and why? If you have an opinion as to whether employees are an asset or not, this is a fun session intended to be interactive with participation either live, virtual or both.

Arguably the most discussed topics to come out of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) are the taxation of tips and overtime. Practitioners need to understand these provisions now, as they are effective for 2025 tax returns. This program provides practitioners with the background currently available to advise clients regarding these two important tax developments. Both employers and employees need to understand these timely changes to taxation.

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.

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!

This course explores the tests used to determine whether a worker is properly characterized as an employee or an independent contractor for tax purposes, with a focus on the cost of getting it wrong and possible Section 530 relief.  The game changing impact of the Dynamex case and AB5 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      

The phrase "time management" is misleading. No one manages time. Instead, we manage events in our lives which consume time. Like money, time is both finite and valuable; it should be budgeted and used wisely. Those individuals who "manage" or budget their time wisely often are more productive, less stressed, and able to achieve their goals more effectively than others. Professionals by nature place a high value on their time. Still, successful time management strategies vary based upon the personality, motivation, and discipline of each individual. This course provides simple, practical, and powerful techniques that help professionals work efficiently and achieve better balance in their lives. Successful time management skills also reduce the risk of burnout, which in turn improves the likelihood of achieving success in any endeavor.

This program will address recent legislation, rulings and developments affecting individual taxpayers and provide practitioners with a comprehensive update for the upcoming tax season.   *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  

The term "artificial intelligence" (AI) has become mainstream and while most have a layperson's understanding of AI, few know the depth and breadth of this technology's capability. AI is affecting just about everything in business and in people's personal lives. The operation of an internal control system is also changing because of this incredible advancement. This session explains what AI is and how it works and then goes into detail about how it can be applied to a system of internal control. The material speaks about changes occurring in today's world as well as what's coming in the not-too-distant future. 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 tax professionals with a framework for applying project management principles to tax preparation engagements. Participants will explore the full client lifecycle, from onboarding through workflow execution and delivery. The course emphasizes improving efficiency, reducing bottlenecks, and enhancing client communication while managing risks in a deadline-driven environment.

Explore the ethical implications of using generative AI. This course addresses potential risks and dilemmas, providing guidelines to ensure responsible and compliant integration. Learn how to balance innovation with ethical obligations to maintain trust and integrity. 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 offers a comprehensive exploration of the cannabis industry, delving into essential topics such as cannabis regulations, business models, financial management, and ethical considerations. A key focus is on distinguishing between Marijuana and Industrial Hemp, including their respective tax treatments. Participants will gain a thorough understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities within the cannabis sector, covering federal and state tax implications, licensing requirements, and market trends. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Traditional budgets often consume significant time while delivering limited operational value. This session reframes budgeting as a tactical management tool rather than a once-a-year accounting exercise. Participants will explore how to redesign the budget process to improve communication, accountability, and decision-making across the organization. The session emphasizes output-based metrics, flexible budgeting approaches, benchmarking, and educating non-financial managers so budgets become a tool for managing performance, not just controlling spending.

Most business ethics courses focus on concepts like “tone at the top”, “integrity”, “code of conduct”, “values”, and “ethical culture." These are extremely important concepts and must be understood But often, when a professional finds they are in a potential “ethical” situation, they question “What should I do?” It is not as easy as flipping a coin. Ethics aren’t always black and white and there are many variables that can impact both the issue and the outcome This course presents real-life ethical scenarios then challenges you to put yourself in the place of the professional to truly think about “What would I do?” The scenarios are all true…. the names have been changed to protect the innocent You will come away from this training with a new view of putting ethics into practice

"Transforming Strategic & Financial Management with ChatGPT: Insights for CPAs, CFOs, and Controllers" is a comprehensive 2-hour CPE course designed by Jim Lindell of Thorsten Consulting Group, Inc. This course delves into the revolutionary impact of ChatGPT on financial and strategic management, offering a blend of theoretical insights and practical applications tailored for financial professionals. Through an exploration of ChatGPT's capabilities in research, communication enhancement, benchmarking, risk analysis, and more, participants will learn how to leverage this advanced AI technology to streamline operations, enhance decision-making, and foster innovation in their practices. The course not only highlights the current applications but also provides a glimpse into the future of AI in financial management, encouraging professionals to embrace technology for competitive advantage.

This course is a case study designed to provide a comprehensive overview of U.S. taxation of a foreign corporation. Using a specific example, the course will walk through step-by-step mechanics on how to calculate the income inclusions and foreign tax credits under tested income (formerly known as global intangible low-taxed income or GILTI), Subpart F, and passive foreign investment company (PFIC) regimes. These computations have been updated to reflect changes enacted by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). The case study will further evaluate the tax impact of subsequent distributions from the foreign corporation and sales of its stock. A compare-and-contrast approach will highlight the different outcomes of these regimes for individuals and for C corporations, empowering participants to advise their clients on the most tax-efficient way to structure their foreign investments.

Client advisory services (CAS) professionals are becoming a more integral part of the operations of any CPA firm. As such, they must stay on top of changing tax law. In this course, we will explore tax changes in areas CAS professionals are involved with — information reporting, payroll tax issues, and tax credit and deduction documentation. We will also discuss relevant changes to individual and business tax returns so that CAS professionals can better assist clients with tax needs in the upcoming year.