CPE & Event Calendar

When asked, most people would say they are an ethical person. So why is it that every month there are reports of ethical breaches at major companies? The concept of ethics is easy to understand, easy to talk about, but incredibly hard to implement on a consistent basis. In this course, we will discuss current ethical issues, and walk-through a nine-step ethical decision-making model. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Financial statements are intended to communicate the financial condition of an organization, but the numbers themselves are only a translation of underlying business operations. When financial professionals focus solely on the accounting presentation without understanding the operational realities behind those numbers, significant risks, distortions, or even fraud can go undetected. This course explores how CPAs, auditors, controllers, and financial analysts can apply operational thinking when reviewing financial information. Participants will learn how to translate financial results back into operational language and evaluate whether a business model is plausible. Through practical examples and real-world case studies, the program highlights warning signs that may indicate financial distortion or misrepresentation. The session equips participants with practical questions and analytical tools to help identify what may be hiding behind seemingly reasonable financial statements.

Step into the heart of the Cretaceous Conservatory for an unforgettable inventory observation adventure! In this immersive simulation, you'll travel to a remote island where the inventory isn't just vast, it's alive. As an auditor responsible for ensuring accuracy in the company's dinosaur-development operations, you'll face wild risks, navigate complex inventory procedures, and confront the unexpected. Through hands-on scenarios, you'll learn to identify misstatements, evaluate unique inventory challenges, and apply standard observation techniques all while staying one step ahead of potential disaster. Can you survive the wilds of the Cretaceous and emerge as the ultimate inventory explorer, or will the risks prove too much to handle?  

Microsoft Teams is now one of the most widely used tools in the business world today. Yet, most business professionals take advantage of only a fraction of its features. Participate in this session to learn six essential Teams features you should use and how they will improve your productivity.

Applying Topic 606 in an environment of uncertainty can be especially challenging. This course will discuss the proper application of the revenue recognition model when facts and circumstances are changing.

Debt is a real problem for many clients, business owners, and the general public.  It can be ever increasing and causes financial, emotional and physical challenges that seem to spiral out of control. What if you could help your clients “do debt differently”? This strategy turns the game upside down and presents solutions from the inside out.  As a CPA, you are already a trusted advisor for your clients.  What if you could help your clients be free of this burden?  This is a tremendous resource you can offer to your clients, expanding the value of what you offer them by adding these processes to your packages.  Clients will be happy to pay for this kind of relief as you support them in doing debt differently.   If you are one of the many people who are personally burdened by this situation, these strategies, tools, mindsets and actions will personally help you get better results…so you can go back to the task of expanding and growing your business, sleeping better at night and gaining access to the creativity that will take you to your next level of financial fulfillment.  Paying off debt is an inside/outside job.  Successful strategies include the internal shifts to mindset and enhancing the inner qualities that are most helpful in paying off debt, and practical tools to help make the transition from thinking about paying off debt to actually doing it. This program combines both -- emotional support and dozens of tools and action steps to Do Debt Differently, including: An inventory process to objectively assess the situation and face it head on Guided mind/body processes to alleviate anxiety about the situation Creative exploration (writing and drawing) to gain clarity and specificity Stories and discussion to strengthen your access to the qualities that will be most helpful to your success Using a menu of options to create a personal action plan and an ongoing support team The techniques in this program are creative and easy, but immensely practical.   We will combine practical, nuts-and-bolts action steps with powerful tools for mindset-shifting. There is no reason to continue to suffer the burden and overwhelm of debt. Relief is here! Through discussion, interactive exercises, skill building, mindset shifting and powerful actions, you and your clients could be on your way to a debt free life. Please join me for this empowering approach to changing your financial situation.

You and I have a responsibility to our organizations and to the public to be ethical. We cannot forget this responsibility and this responsibility is constant. One lapse can cause profound issues that last. Ethics and trust are intertwined, no one follows a ‘leader’ who is not trusted. We will not focus on the negative and show the problems caused – rather, we focus on what and how to set the example for others to follow. This seminar outlines the seven components of trust, and how we should use these components daily.

Artificial Intelligence has taken the world by storm. In just three short years, AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot have revolutionized how business professionals approach everyday tasks. In this session, you will learn how you can use AI to help you solve specific problems and work more efficiently, effectively, and accurately. Throughout this session, we will focus on real-world scenarios and how AI can help you realize better results in less time. This is a must-see session for all who want to improve efficiency and effectiveness. 

Are you ready to take your productivity to the next level? Join our exclusive two-hour CPE course designed for accounting professionals and technology enthusiasts. Discover how to harness the power of Microsoft 365's versatile applications to streamline your workflows and enhance collaboration. In this course, you'll explore ten essential apps, including Shared Mailboxes, Planner, Lists, To Do, Stream, Viva Learning, Forms, Bookings, Approvals, and Places. Discover how to effectively integrate these tools into your daily tasks and experience immediate improvements in your efficiency. Don't miss out on this opportunity to unlock the full potential of Microsoft 365 and transform the way you work. Sign up now and take the first step towards a more productive and collaborative work environment!

This program addresses the critical issues and special opportunities facing S-corporations, with a focus on reporting shareholder basis and distributions.    *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    

Accounting and finance professionals advising their business clients must be fully informed regarding the multiple loss limitation provisions that apply to individuals conducting businesses and pass-through entities. This program covers the loss limitation rules that accounting and finance professionals must know in order to advise their individual and pass-through entity clients fully and adequately as to when and if a loss limitation applies. The loss limitations discussed in this program start with an introductory discussion of hobby loss rules and graduate to more substantive discussion of the remaining loss limitations: basis limits, at-risk rules, passive loss limits, excess business loss limits, net operating losses, and the Section 163(j) interest limitation. Knowing when loss limits apply is essential for any accounting and finance professional. This program will put you in a position to advise clients fully and intelligently regarding each of the loss limits. This program discusses new OBBBA changes that impact tax loss limitations impacting individuals and pass-through entities.

You could pay $0 for this course!This course qualifies for EA/IRS and CFP credit. If you need EA/IRS credit, please contact Tyler Dion (tdion@necpas.org) after you have registered and provide him your PTIN number. Required minimum distributions (RMDs) from employer retirement plans and IRAs must be made or steep penalties will be incurred. Planning opportunities exist in certain situations to minimize distributions. Also, special rules exist for inherited retirement funds. Your clients depend on you to help them navigate the rules regarding required minimum distributions and the taxation of distributions. This course addresses compliance issues and planning opportunities regarding required minimum distributions. Massachusetts firms/companies with fewer than 50 staff can be reimbursed up to 100% of the cost of training and firms/companies with 50-100 employees can be reimbursed up to 50% of the cost of training. You must register for the course and apply for reimbursement through the Massachusetts Workforce Training Express Fund website a minimum of three weeks prior to the start of the course to be eligible. The course code for this program is C-3097. To learn more, click here or contact Julia Ekelund at jekelund@necpas.org.

Taxation of partnerships continues to become more complex every year. This course highlights the significant areas of concern for tax advisors and their clients in compliance and planning for partnership operations, distributions and transactions. Topics covered include unique and targeted allocations, proper calculation of outside and inside tax basis, tax consequences of distributions, the impact of "hot assets" on distributions, transfer of partnership interests, and issuance of partnership interests to service partners. This course will also help you add immediate value to your partnership clients by correctly calculating and reporting critical partnership tax items that generate most IRS audit adjustments.

Any corporation or individual can be vulnerable to scams and hoaxes. Learn how to break down the deception into the psychology of the con. We'll review best practices to avoid embezzlement and fraud and case studies of embezzlement, including payroll scams, fraudulent payees, skimming and new technology scams. Fraud can also arise when companies downsize and technology goes missing because there aren't enough gatekeepers on watch. Learn about opportunistic vulnerabilities that stem from having few employees/contractors and using free software.

Cover critical aspects, common problem areas and strategies for successful 1031 exchanges. Examine Form 8824 preparation, replacement property adjusted basis computations, advanced 1031 strategies and more. Study advanced 1031 exchange strategies such as reverse exchange, partners/TIC structures, and improvement exchanges (including "Bartell" parking arrangements). Bring questions and increase your expertise.

With tax laws growing more complex and evolving by the minute, CPAs need more than just a surface-level understanding of partnership and LLC taxation. This course takes a lifecycle approach'from formation through growth and operations to eventual liquidation'focusing specifically on closely held entities. Through case-driven instruction, you'll tackle real-world tax issues at both the partnership and partner level. We'll break down key concepts with practical examples and scenarios you're likely to encounter in the field. Attendees will leave with a comprehensive reference manual packed with practice aids, actionable guidance, and fully developed case studies you can put to work immediately.

Designed as an all-you-need-to-know update for accounting, auditing, and attestation practitioners at all levels in public accounting and industry, this course provides a comprehensive review of recent standard-setting and rulemaking activities of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). On the financial accounting front, we will cover the FASB's Post-Implementation Review (PIR) report released in late 2025 for lease accounting under ASC 842 and discuss the best practices in applying the standard and identifying any ongoing issues practitioners are experiencing with applying the standard. We will also discuss the more than a dozen ASUs the FASB has issued since the beginning of 2024 and into 2026 covering government grants, derivatives and financial instruments, practical expedients for credit losses under ASC 326, and expense disaggregation on the income statement. Our focus on AICPA standards includes a detailed discussion of revamped AICPA quality management standards. The AICPA updated and modernized the standards by issuing Statement on Quality Management Standards 1, 2, and 3 (SQMS 1, SQMS 2, and SQMS 3, respectively), SSARS No. 26, and SAS 146, Quality Management for an Engagement Conducted in Accordance with Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (SAS 146). These standards, now effective as of December 15, 2025, modernize quality management standards to reflect an increased focus on risk assessment, technology use, and the presence of outside experts on engagements. We will also discuss AICPA's proposed SAS, The Auditor's Responsibilities Relating to Fraud in an Audit of Financial Statements, intended to supersede AU-C section 240. We will also cover new rules impacting public company audits and present case studies on recent fraudulent accounting stories and best practices for detecting and preventing such frauds. In summary, the course is your go-to source for all things A&A and will prepare you for your upcoming engagements throughout the rest of the year.

This course covers basic legal principles that every accountant should be familiar with to avoid common legal disputes and costly litigation. By analyzing business law issues from the standpoint and background of accountants and auditors, this course will help you develop an approach to client and practice issues with a sensitivity and appreciation for potential legal ramifications.

Cash is essential to every business, and is often one of the first accounts audit staff are exposed to. This course will cover the basics of auditing cash, including the related audit assertions, risks, & threats to the cash balance. During this course, we will also highlight the various substantive auditing procedures that staff should perform, and also walk through some real-world examples. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Cash flow management is often the most important task of any CFO or financial leader. Regardless of whether one works in start-ups or established companies, non-profit or for-profit entities, cash flow makes our organizations run. Have you ever wondered whether you are optimizing your company's cash flow? In this course, we will explore how to improve your company's cash flow using analysis and financial theories in the context of real-world situations. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.