CPE & Event Calendar

Storytelling makes wisdom stick.

This course explores how autonomous agents are transforming internal and external audit functions. Agentic AI is redefining how auditors perform risk assessments, gather evidence, test controls, and issue reports. Participants will examine real-world examples, including audit bots from Big Four firms, and consider the impact on assurance quality, auditor judgment, and documentation standards. Key frameworks from the PCAOB, ISA, and AICPA will be discussed, along with governance strategies to ensure audit agents operate reliably, securely, and ethically. This redefines the CPA's role in ensuring the integrity and reliability of audit evidence when leveraging AI agents, impacting audit quality and professional skepticism.

Advanced Excel for Staff - Build Reports and Analyze Data is a comprehensive, 2-hour course tailored for professionals looking to enhance their Microsoft Excel skills in creating reports and performing data analysis. This course bridges the gap between basic Excel functionality and the advanced techniques required for effective data-driven reports. Participants will learn to efficiently gather, organize, and structure data, apply calculations to derive key metrics, and create professional-grade reports that are both visually appealing and actionable. The course emphasizes practical application, providing participants with guidance on Excel's advanced tools and functions. By mastering workflows and best practices, learners will gain the confidence to tackle complex data challenges and streamline reporting processes. Additionally, participants will explore methods to validate and share their work, ensuring that reports are accurate, insightful, and easily communicated across teams. Whether you are tasked with preparing financial summaries, tracking performance metrics, or generating operational insights, this course will equip you with the tools to maximize Excel's potential, saving time and improving the quality of your outputs. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Ethical behavior is not a destination it is a journey with twists, turns, and bumps in the road. We are faced with ethical dilemmas every day. Do I speed to make it to a meeting? Do I call in sick because I need a break? When does "helping my child with their homework" become "doing it for them"? CPAs are ethical most of the time, but staying ethical is hard. It gets harder when we are under stress. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Not-for-profit organizations encounter distinct accounting complexities. This course provides an introduction to the financial statements and specialized accounting principles relevant to nonprofits. Attendees will explore key topics such as net assets, agency transactions, contributions, and endowments, focusing on the unique transactions and account balances that define not-for-profit accounting.

This seminar provides a comprehensive overview of Schedule K-1, which taxpayers may receive from pass-through entities such as Partnerships, Subchapter S Corporations, or Estates/Trusts. The course will cover the most common characteristics of Schedule K-1, including how to report the information on Form 1040. Attendees will also learn about the Qualified Business Income (QBI) Deduction and its reporting criteria. Additionally, relevant topics such as basis and loss limitations, material participation, and integration with the QBI deduction will be addressed, along with a discussion of proposed changes to Schedules K-2 and K-3. *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

Good people believe everyone else is just like them. They cannot imagine someone could con them or their company and have no guilt or remorse about what they have done. Lack of guilt and empathy are key traits of a psychopath. Most of us envision psychopaths to be cold-blooded serial killers who are locked away in prison. However, experts estimate that 4% of corporate executives are psychopaths who may initially appear to be more normal than the rest of us. Psychopaths may present a convincing picture of virtue while helping themselves to money, status and sex while leaving a path of shattered expectations, empty wallets, and broken hearts in their wake. Learn how to recognize and deal with others who have no conscience. 

Gift taxation is a critical component of estate planning, and Form 709 serves as the key reporting tool. This course provides a comprehensive line-by-line guide to preparing Form 709, ensuring accuracy and compliance. Participants will learn how to determine taxable gifts, apply exclusions, and utilize available deductions. Special attention will be given to valuation techniques, gift-splitting, and generation-skipping transfer tax (GSTT) considerations. Additionally, this course will examine any new legislative changes from the current administration and how they may impact gift tax planning and 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 Course Materials Tab and submit to kori.herrera@acpen.com

Staying current with today's technology is no longer optional; it is essential. Tech Update 2026 offers accounting professionals a clear, strategic view of the evolving tech landscape, enabling them to cut through the noise and make informed decisions. This forward-looking session is built for practitioners who want to leverage innovation to enhance client service, boost operational efficiency, and remain competitive. Explore the most impactful trends in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, automation, and cloud-based ecosystems. Understand how technologies like Microsoft 365 Copilot, generative AI tools, industry-specific SaaS platforms, and blockchain are reshaping the profession. Learn to identify which solutions align with your firm's goals-and which are just vendor hype.

Budget methods are the key to allowing department managers to efficiently prepare their budget in Excel. For example, a budget method may be to spread prior year actuals or match prior year actuals, or match prior year actuals less 10%. In this webinar, we will explore how to allow users to pick a budget method from a drop-down list for each account and then have Excel perform different calculations depending on the budget method selected. We use several features and functions at the same time to pull this off. Even if you are not involved in the budgeting process, the underlying features and functions discussed have a wide range of uses.

Research tells us that leaders, supervisors and managers have more impact on an employee than does a therapist and/or life partner. Being a leader is a huge opportunity and privilege and requires introspection and personal growth. This webinar is infused with values of fairness, compassion, respect and more and will be of most value to individuals who believe that everyone, regardless of circumstance, deserve "certain general conditions that are ...equally to everyone's advantage" (John Rawls). The Noble leader believes in people. The Noble leader is curious and humble and invites challenge and feedback into his/her/ world. The Noble leader is a true believer in seeing the good in others, helping them to be their best which in turn helps the Leader grow as well. The Noble leader does not shy away from confronting bad behavior/performance in a respectful and clear way while believing in the inherent dignity of each individual This workshop based on ethical principles offers a glimpse into what it takes to become a Noble Leader and how one can journey through for increased self awareness and skill development. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Between 2010 and 2020 a parade of Court Cases, IRS Factsheets, Job Aids and Internal Memos, plus Heightened IRS scrutiny and Preparer Penalties has brought the issue of 'Reasonable Compensation for S Corp's out of the shadows and placed it forefront as a priority issue for CPA's, EA's, Tax and Financial advisors to cover with their clients. We will explore key court cases, IRS guidelines, preparer penalties and some of the obscure tools the IRS has put in place. We debunk common myths and fiction on how reasonable compensation should be calculated and replace it with facts and methodologies that the IRS relies on. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Following the ever-changing tax deprecation rules is not a game for the faint hearted! This course analyzes the current landscape of depreciating, capitalizing and disposing of business assets, with examples and illustrated case studies to enhance the CPAs understanding of the most current tax depreciation provisions. *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 delivers a comprehensive, practitioner-focused analysis of 401(k) plans, emphasizing rules, planning opportunities, and common execution risks faced by employees, executives, and business owners. Participants will develop a detailed understanding of plan mechanics, contribution limits, testing requirements, and timing rules, with particular attention to avoiding overfunding, coordinating multiple plans, and maximizing employer benefits. The course examines employee and employer contribution structures, including elective deferrals, catch-up contributions, after-tax contributions, matching and profit-sharing formulas, and special coordination issues for executives, multiple employers, and solo 401(k) plans. Participants learn how to identify and implement advanced strategies such as Roth vs. traditional optimization, mega Roth planning, in-plan conversions, and effective use of employer stock through net unrealized appreciation (NUA). Distribution planning is a core focus, including tax treatment, early distribution penalties, rollover mechanics, and basis tracking across pre-tax, Roth, and after-tax sources. The course emphasizes practical decision-making when evaluating lump sum vs. annuity options, executing rollovers correctly, managing withholding and tax payments, and applying penalty exceptions. Special scenarios, including inherited 401(k) accounts, trust beneficiaries, and Roth-specific timing rules, are also addressed.

Financial skills needed in many situations are constantly changing.  It is prudent to routinely look into your toolbox to restock or revise your tool set.  In this course we will examine three tool categories that form the foundation for many analytical processes.

This practical program provides accounting professionals with actionable strategies for evaluating and implementing technology solutions that drive firm growth and efficiency. Participants will examine case studies showcasing different organizational approaches to hardware, software, cloud, and on-premises solutions while addressing the unique needs of remote workers and in-office teams. The program focuses on immediate implementation techniques rather than theoretical frameworks, ensuring attendees can apply concepts directly within their practice environments. Through examination of diverse organizational examples, participants will identify practical technology assessment methods and implementation approaches suited to various firm sizes and client service models. The program addresses common technology adoption challenges while providing concrete strategies for managing organizational change and measuring technology investment outcomes. Attendees will gain ready-to-use tools for building technology roadmaps that enhance both operational efficiency and client service delivery capabilities.

Participants will learn how to interpret the most common IRS correspondence, adhere to response deadlines, and effectively communicate with the IRS to resolve issues and minimize risks. It provides professionals with knowledge and strategies needed to handle the most common notices including audit requests, collections & return inquiries as well as error notices. Focusing on best practices to ensure compliance and avoiding penalties or escalation. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Human Resources professionals are often tasked with investigating allegations of employee misconduct, discrimination, and others. Investigation training is traditionally presented from the position of an outsider looking in, such as a governmental agency, law firm, or private investigator. HR investigations require similar skills, but the environment and the approach are quite different. This session explores these differences and provides best practices for planning, executing, documenting, and reporting the results of an HR investigation. Attendees will end the session with takeaways to immediately implement in future HR investigations. 

CPAs can be requested to assist attorneys in litigation support in criminal proceedings. For criminal tax cases, the IRS has recommended prosecution. However, the rules and stakes are different than a simple civil audit. This presentation will focus on how to assist defense attorneys in calculating tax loss, asking the right questions, and probe possible weaknesses in criminal tax investigations. 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.