CPE + Events Catalog

Loans, rental agreements, business combinations – what do these all have in common? They all have the potential of creating a related party transaction.  This program presents a detailed analysis of the financial accounting rules for transactions with related parties, as well as compares and contrasts those rules with the AICPA financial reporting framework for small and medium-sized entities. **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.

All organizations are looking for ways to gain an advantage over the competition. This practical and interactive session will present a toolkit of ideas to help CFOs, controllers and finance professionals better position their organizations for the future. We know change is occurring at an exponential rate, and that has proven to be the case in all areas of finance, management, and leadership over the past year. The course deals with these new issues and will continue to be updated as necessary throughout the year. Become the "financial hero" of your organization and make a positive impact on the bottom-line.

A well-designed internal controls system can and will drive all entity objectives. Too many times control creators focus too much on security. It is important to properly balance protection-based measures with those designed to enhance efficiency. This session works to illustrate the power of a strong and well supported control system. It also discusses steps to take in order to establish such a system. This material is becoming more and more beneficial as companies strive to address many new business challenges such as evolving markets, the rapid rate of change in the business world and the notable increase in governmental and industry-based regulation. Those that desire a balanced and workplace enhancing control system should strongly consider this session. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Tax tips and tax strategies to help your new and existing individual clients.

Most Accounting and Financial Professionals have been preparing individual income tax returns for years, and while many of the returns are easy, there are always a number of issues that come up in busy season of which experienced practitioners wish they had more knowledge. This course is designed to explore the tough tax issues for experienced practitioners and help them provide better planning strategies and results for their higher income clients.

As long as LLCs, partnerships, and S corporations form the backbone of many CPAs' practices, in-depth knowledge of all tax aspects of these entities will be essential. The purpose of this practical course is to focus on planning issues in creating, operating, and liquidating S corporations, partnerships, and LLCs. This course is essential for CPAs in public accounting and industry who advise these entities or their investors.

This year practitioners need to keep abreast of tax changes affecting pass-through entities used by their business clients and employers, and this enlightening course delivers that information. You will learn invaluable strategies, techniques, innovative tax-planning concepts, income-generating ideas, and other planning opportunities available to S corporations, partnerships, LLCs, and LLPs. In addition, this course will discuss current trends and emerging issues, helping practitioners stay informed about relevant and significant topics that may impact their clients. Continually updated to reflect enacted legislation.

Don't look now, but ChatGPT is taking the business world, including the accounting profession, by storm. Every CPA, whether in public accounting or working in corporate, should have a fundamental understanding of ChatGPT and generative AI applications more broadly. This course will provide you with a foundation of knowledge about ChatGPT technology that will prepare you to have conversations with clients, customers, colleagues and service providers. More importantly, you will learn how to leverage ChatGPT to increase your personal productivity. If you feel your ChatGPT knowledge is lacking, that will not be the case after you attend this course, taught by John Higgins, one of the leading technology strategists and thought leaders for the accounting profession. 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 will review the Accounting Standard Updates issued by the FASB that impact nonprofit entities. We will also look at the work of the Not-for-Profit Advisory Committee (NAC) and the projects they are advising the FASB on.

Getting ready for busy season involves not only knowing the tax rules for 2024, but also knowing how those rules are incorporated into the IRS tax forms practitioners will be using to prepare 2024 tax returns. This course provides tax return preparer attendees with an up-to-date review of important new tax forms, key tax developments, and tax law changes as they are reflected in IRS forms for 2024 and IRS filing issues and deadlines as they relate to 2024.

Stop struggling with PDFs! Adobe Acrobat and other PDF tools provide access to features that make working with PDF files a breeze. In this course, you will learn how to use tools and features such as PDF forms, redaction, converting PDFs to Word and Excel files, and electronic signatures. You will also learn how to create and apply tick marks, build indices, catalogs, and portfolios, and secure PDF documents to their fullest. The popularity and usefulness of PDFs increase daily, but most PDF users have not learned how to manipulate PDF documents effectively. Accordingly, they struggle and strain with these standard files. You do not need to let this be the case. Join us in this very timely session where you will learn the top features necessary to optimize your work with PDF documents.

Preparation, compilation and review engagements continue to be a hot topic for peer review despite SSARS 21 having been around for nearly a decade. This course will concentrate on the most common peer review findings with a focus on how to comply in an efficient but practical perspective. This course will discuss the root cause of noncompliance so that overall engagement quality increases.

This course explores actual fraud circumstances through the lens of potential prevention. We will examine how selected frauds were accomplished and consider what internal controls may have prevented fraudsters from achieving their nefarious acts. Then we will switch gears to an interactive, case-based discussion that asks participants to reach their own conclusions by analyzing facts in concert with the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct and other sources of ethical guidance. This course provides practical, action-oriented insight that can be implemented by accounting professionals in both public practice and industry.

New features in Excel provide tremendous opportunities to improve Excel-based operational and financial reports. For example, Data Models, Power Query, Data Analysis Expressions, Power Pivot, and many others can help you create more powerful summaries and schedules in less time than ever. Bundle these tools with some of Excel’s “legacy” features, and you have significant new opportunities to improve your Excel-based reporting environments. In this fast-paced seminar, you will learn about the importance of using Power Query to link data into Excel data models and how you can manage these data models to facilitate better and more efficient reporting. Additionally, you will learn how to incorporate Key Performance Indicators, Slicers, and Timelines into your reports to enhance the analytics and understandability of the data. Further, you will learn best practices to quickly and easily format your spreadsheets to give them a polished and professional appearance. This course should be at the top of your professional development list if you use Excel for any reporting process.

This course will start with the Accounting Standard Updates effective in 2024 for public entities, private entities, and nonprofits. We'll then switch our attention to the items coming down the pike, including a look at the projects identified by the FASB's Invitation to Comment: Agenda Consultation. We'll also review year 2 considerations for leases including modification accounting. Then we will switch gears, switching to the audit side of the house. We'll review the impact of the changes to auditing  group audits as well as the status of the AICPA's quality management project management. This course will keep auditors up to date on the work of the ASB.

The tax laws keep changing and nonprofit entities must continue to adjust to new rules.  As part of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, passed in August 2022, hundreds of billions of dollars in government funding and costs were allocated to energy and climate initiatives. As part of the legislation, for the first-time, tax-exempt organizations (including not-for-profits and government agencies) can claim certain energy credits on their federal income tax returns and receive a refund from the federal government even if they have zero federal income tax liability. Donor advised funds continue to be an area of focus within the IRS and Treasury, with proposed regulations recently issued (with more expected on the way). This year’s tax update will include s summary of these regulations already issued, as well as what’s on the table prospectively. This year’s Annual Not-for-Profit Update will include a tax update and review of key issues in completing IRS Form 990, and related Schedules. It is more important than ever for non-profits to understand and complete this annual tax form to ensure that the organization and its donors are also protected so they can accomplish their corporate intentions and goals. On the accounting standards front, some nonprofits will still be implementing the FASB’s new Credit Losses standard (Accounting Standards Codification [ASC] Topic 326), the last of the FASB’s recent wave of major standards. This standard primarily affects two groups of nonprofits: (1) those making loans or financial guarantees (e.g., foundations, community development financial institutions, universities) and (2) those with accounts receivable arising from service (or goods) delivery rather than grants and contributions (e.g., hospitals, universities). Meanwhile, the FASB has been progressing through its next generation of projects, informed by a public agenda consultation in 2021, as well as preparing for a follow-on public agenda consultation to be conducted beginning later this year. Although many of these projects are focused on business enterprises and the needs of their investors, there are several recent standards (Accounting Standards Updates [ASUs]) and current projects that have or could have significant applicability to some or many nonprofits. These include recent ASUs on Crypto Assets (2023-08) and on Income Tax Disclosures (2023-09) and current projects on Software Development Costs and on two specific Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) issues with potential financial statement impact, Financial Instruments with ESG-linked Features (part of a project on Derivatives Scope Refinements) and Environmental Credit Programs. This year’s FASB Update will include helpful implementation reminders for Credit Losses, and for Leases between Entities under Common Control (ASU 2023-01), which was important follow-on guidance for another of the FASB’s major recent standards, Leases (ASC Topic 842). The Update will also provide background information and discuss key provisions of the ASUs on Crypto Assets and Income Tax Disclosures, and a summary of efforts to-date on the Software Development Costs and ESG-related projects, as well as provide a brief preview of upcoming 2024 agenda consultation. Auditing Update - a review of Statements on Auditing Standards 142 (Audit Evidence), 143 (Accounting Estimates), 144 (Amendments to AU-C 501, 540 and 620); 145 (Understanding the Entity and Assessing Risk), 146 (Quality Management),148 (Amendments to AU-C 935), that will impact audits conducted in 2023 and beyond, with emphasis on practical application to NFP organizations. This session will also discuss the Statements on Quality Management Standards and their impact on smaller firms. Ethics Update – Our course will provide a review of recently enacted Ethics Interpretations, including NOLAR, Unpaid Fees, Accounting Standards Implementation, Loans, Information system services, Officer and directors, and Compliance Audits, as well as consideration of exposure drafts currently outstanding. Qualifies as one hour of ethics CPE.   This program will also provide an overview of other recent standards issued and projects in progress that impact Not-for-Profit entities. **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.

As experienced staff members master the preparation intricacies of an 1120-S tax return, they are expected to understand and apply the underlying concepts, principles and laws governing S corporation status. This course is designed to illustrate in both theory and practice overarching principles that govern S corporations from formation to revocation, termination and liquidation. Experienced, client-facing staff should be aware of the pitfalls that may inadvertently cause an S-status termination or may generate unintended tax consequences to shareholders.

Accounting standards affecting not-for-profit (NPF) organizations have become increasingly complex, and, as a result, a great deal of confusing exists as to how to properly account for certain transactions unique to these organizations. This course will clarify proper accounting and reporting for these troubling areas. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Every professional faces situations and scenarios where they feel their independence and objectivity related to an issue is impaired. They may feel pressured by management to minimize their report findings or, in some cases, look the other way. When these situations occur, professionals are faced with the dilemma of "what do I do?" or "how do I handle this situation?". These are the types of scenarios for which our university programs and business schools do not adequately prepare us. Experience can often be a good teacher. However, all individuals should be armed with some basic concepts that will prepare them to choose the right path when such difficult situations occur. This course is designed to prepare professionals for those difficult situations by sharing key concepts to maintaining objectivity. After completing this course, you should understand how to ensure your work can be represented as independent and objective, and ultimately provide the greatest risk mitigation to your company.

Join us for an in-depth webcast on Charitable Remainder Trusts (CRTs) and the essential aspects of preparing Form 5227.  This course will provide a comprehensive overview of CRTs, including their purpose, benefits, and practical considerations. Moreover, we will delve into the intricacies of Form 5227, the informational return for charitable remainder trusts, ensuring you have the necessary knowledge to accurately complete and file this crucial document. During this webcast, Art Werner will guide you through the fundamental concepts of Charitable Remainder Trusts, illustrating how they can be utilized as a strategic tool for tax planning. We will explore various types of CRTs, their formation, and the different scenarios in which they are most beneficial.  A significant portion of the webcast will be dedicated to Form 5227, the reporting requirement for charitable remainder trusts. We will provide an in-depth analysis of the form's components, line by line, ensuring you gain a comprehensive understanding of the information it requires. From trust assets and income to distributions and charitable beneficiaries, we will cover each section, discussing common pitfalls and best practices for accurate reporting. Mr. Werner will address the recent updates and changes to Form 5227, enabling you to stay up to date with the latest compliance requirements.