CPE & Event Calendar

The Enhancing Audit Quality Initiative has identified inadequate or nonexistent audit documentation as one of the most significant issues facing the profession today. Over half of the engagements reviewed by the AICPA failed to meet the requirements of AU-C 230, highlighting a critical need for improvement. This course addresses common misconceptions about audit documentation and provides actionable strategies to overcome these deficiencies. Attendees will learn best practices to ensure compliance with professional standards, enhance audit quality, and mitigate risks associated with poor documentation. Whether you are an experienced professional or new to auditing, this course will help you strengthen your documentation practices and uphold the highest standards of the profession.  

This intensive two-hour course addresses the critical need for accuracy and efficiency when developing spreadsheets using Microsoft Excel. Recognizing that even minor errors can have significant implications, this course delves deep into strategies and skills required to detect and correct errors in Excel. By the end of this course, participants will have a comprehensive understanding of how to efficiently identify and correct errors in Excel spreadsheets, enhancing their overall productivity and accuracy in their professional roles. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

How should internal auditors and finance team leaders use Agentic AI? What are the dos and do nots? When deployed properly AI is wonderful. Can AI help with SOX testing? We review how to avoid the common mistakes that eliminate the benefits that AI can provide. Join us to learn about those expensive lessons.   Agentic AI (‘Artificial Intelligence’) is rapidly being deployed by leading audit, compliance, and finance teams. While AI agents are not yet replacing all of today’s knowledge workers like auditors, accountants, and IT security professionals, the knowledge workers that effectively use Agentic AI may soon be replacing those knowledge workers who do not use these tools to drive high quality business growth and scale. AI is moving beyond automation to become a true teammate, especially in the governance, risk, and compliance processes. This session will show how supervised AI agents can work alongside accountants, auditors and IT security professionals to enhance efficiency, consistency, and assurance quality.  Of critical importance is training and supervision so that the AI agents accomplish their testing to mee the intended quality standards. Attendees will leave with a practical view of how AI-powered testing can be applied to both internal and external assurance. Be prepared and learn from others.

Schedule 1-A is a new tax form designed to consolidate four key OBBBA deductions that can be taken for the first time in 2025. Ultimately these four deductions: the tip deduction, the overtime deduction, the deduction for interest paid on a new car loan, and the senior deduction, appear as a single entry on line 13b of Form 1040. These deductions are phased out at higher income levels, the calculation of which takes place on Schedule 1-A. Accounting and finance professionals who wish to understand the mechanics of the four deductions and how they are expressed on Schedule 1-A and consolidated on Form 1040 would benefit from taking this program.

When putting together a financial plan, it is important to remember that the tax situation of the business and the individual are often intertwined. Therefore, decisions about entity type are vitally important. Practitioners need to understand not only how different entities are taxed, but also which taxes will have the greatest impact on the individual owner. In this course, we will explore when self-employment taxes apply to business income, as well as some of the lesser-known taxes that apply to flow-through entities. We will even explore when a PTE election could be helpful to a small business owner.

This interactive professional development course explores the concept of unconscious bias and its impact on workplace dynamics, decision-making, and organizational culture. Through engaging exercises, real-world case studies, and reflective activities, participants will gain a deeper understanding of how implicit attitudes shape perceptions and behaviors — often without conscious awareness. The course empowers learners to recognize their own biases, understand their origins, and develop strategies to mitigate their effects in professional settings. Participants will leave with actionable tools to foster a more inclusive, equitable, and respectful workplace.

This program addresses the most recent developments impacting partnerships operating as LLCs, with a focus on legislative, administrative, and tax form changes. Emphasis will be placed on partners "tax basis" capital accounts - now required for tax form reporting.  *Please Note:  If you need credit reported to the IRS for this IRS approved program, please download the IRS CE request form on the Coursw Materials Tab and submit to kori.herrera@acpen.com

The accounting profession faces unprecedented workforce challenges that demand a fundamental rethinking of traditional firm structures. This course examines why the century-old pyramid practice model is becoming obsolete and presents the inverted pentagon framework as a sustainable alternative. Based on comprehensive research showing that 52% of firms expect to shrink by 20% or more in the next five years, participants will learn how to restructure their firms to thrive with fewer entry-level staff while expanding specialized expertise. The course explores the "6 Ps of Business Model Transformation" - Precision Hiring, Proactive Retention, Practical Technology Implementation, Pricing Expertise, Practice Area Expansion/Focus, and People Acceleration. Drawing from success stories in manufacturing, healthcare, and technology industries, attendees will discover proven strategies for accelerating staff development, implementing effective knowledge transfer programs, and building sustainable talent pipelines in an era of technological disruption and demographic shifts. 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 will address the complex rules of retirement distributions, review key provisions of the SECURE Act 2.0, and provide practical strategies of maximizing tax benefits for your client. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

"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 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.

This session revisits useful, but potentially underutilized, managerial accounting techniques. You will appreciate a fresh look at concepts you may not have considered since your college days. We will illustrate practical ways you can immediately implement managerial accounting analysis in your professional endeavors. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Numbers and especially the digits within those numbers can conceal a lot of information.  Benford's Law and other digital analysis techniques can be the keys to unlocking that information.  This session will explain what Benford's Law is, how it works, and how it can be used to reveal bogus information and made-up data.  Accountants and auditors should understand how to use this valuable audit tool as well as other digital analysis techniques.  But, if you attend this session, you must promise not to reveal the secret behind these techniques to any fraud perpetrators.

With the rapid pace of change, change now happens daily in business and our personal lives. It can be difficult to navigate change when right and wrong get a bit fuzzy. New processes, new technology, new circumstances and new impacts to people must be measured and decisions made as the change evolves. Change always becomes something different than what was originally planned or imagined. In this session, learn how to measure your ethics through change. You will learn how to filter everything you do during change through a simple litmus test. Through the power of story, you will learn from the lessons of other organizations and their ethical mistakes. Lastly, you will take away what is required to manage yourself so that when ethical decisions arise, you have the mental capacity to manage through it well. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Discover the communication edge that will take your CPA career to the next level. This comprehensive course empowers CPAs with the tools to enhance clarity, build trust, and drive decisions. Learn to transform complex jargon into actionable insights and develop powerful persuasion techniques that resonate with clients and stakeholders. Join me to sharpen your communication skills and elevate your professional impact. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

U.S. Department of Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) imposed a new reporting requirement that went into effect on January 1, 2024. Millions of businesses may have to file a Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) Report. In a surprise turn of events, the Federal District Court from the Northern District of Alabama ruled on March 1, 2024 in National Small Business United v. Yellen ("NSB") that the CTA is unconstitutional. This course will discuss the CTA's provisions and the court's decision in NSB. Also covered will be future implications for business entities and steps to consider given the recent ruling. We will also discuss recent proposed rulemaking by FinCen with respect to nonfinanced purchases of residential real estate and gratuitous transfers so that businesses can prepare for any additional reporting burdens that might arise. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

This program makes sense of the controversial lease standard. The subtleties of the standard make it difficult to implement and monitor. There will be a detailed discussion on what constitutes a lease, how to monitor them, and ongoing challenges.

This course provides a concise overview of Gemini AI, Google's advanced multimodal artificial intelligence model. It explains how Gemini is integrated into different Google products, including Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and as a stand-alone chatbot. Participants will learn how Gemini enhances productivity by summarizing email threads, suggesting responses, drafting emails, generating formulas, creating tables, and more. By the end of the course, students will have a solid foundation in understanding Gemini AI's role in the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Every month, a new international tax topic. Join the Hodgen Law team live'fresh insights, straight from the source. Check back for specific topics, as they're updated monthly. 2026 Dates: May 29, June 26, July 31, August 28, September 25, October 30, November 20, December 18 2027 Dates: February 26, March 26, April 30

This seminar offers a practical and in-depth exploration of IRS Schedule K-1, a critical reporting document issued to taxpayers with interests in pass-through entities such as Partnerships, S Corporations, and Estates or Trusts. Participants will gain a clear understanding of how to interpret and accurately report Schedule K-1 data on Form 1040, with emphasis on common income, deduction, and credit items. The course also demystifies the Qualified Business Income (QBI) Deduction, including eligibility criteria, reporting mechanics, and integration with K-1 data. Key compliance topics-such as basis and loss limitations, material participation rules, and passive activity considerations-will be addressed through practical examples. In addition, attendees will be briefed on recent developments affecting Schedules K-2 and K-3, ensuring they are equipped to navigate evolving international reporting requirements. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.