CPE + Events Catalog

How well do you accept criticism? How might it enrich your business - and you - if you did a better job of it? This distinctive webinar will show you why it is in your best interest to accept criticism with gratitude. It's even better to welcome criticism. It's also a good idea to learn how to give criticism the right way. A related topic is the art of giving and receiving apologies, and we'll do a deep dive into this area as well. You'll leave with clear guidelines for how to criticize others, accept criticism from them, give meaningful apologies, and accept apologies with grace and ethical intelligence. The result will be a stronger CPA practice and a better you. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

According to a recent study, over 70% of accounting professionals suffer from burnout, leading to feelings of exhaustion, inefficiency, and dissatisfaction with their careers. Recurring challenges for accounting and finance professionals include long hours, repetitive work, pressing client demands, and changing rules and regulations. Together, these conditions contribute to chronic workplace stress. Burnout is real, and firms that ignore this common problem pay a high price. Nearly three out of five employees in accounting and finance professions report psychological harm from work-related stress, including an overall feeling of lack of interest, motivation, or energy. Fortunately, individuals and organizations are beginning to take career burnout more seriously, especially in the post-pandemic era. This course looks at the causes of accounting burnout and examines strategies organizations are implementing to address and reduce a well-known but often overlooked problem.

Fraud is constantly in the news. Whether its employee retention credit mills, FTX, the City of Dixon, it appears like fraud is everywhere. We'll start this session with a review of the common fraud schemes as identified in the 2024 Report to the Nations. We'll also review the commonalities of fraudsters. We'll then look at methods of prevention. We'll close with a look at the auditor's responsibility for the consideration of fraud in AU-C 240.

For practitioners, it’s a challenge to stay current or ahead of the curve! Change in the tax law is a virtual certainty and keeping up to date is always difficult. The 2024 elections may have an impact on the Congress, the Presidency and, probably the IRS. This ACPEN course will include a panel of national tax practitioners and experts reviewing the latest judicial, legislative and regulatory developments affecting individuals, corporations and other business entities. They will also try to project future developments! Even if Congress cannot muster enough votes to pass new legislation before the next elections, the IRS is instituting a variety of new audit programs directed at non-filers and high net worth individuals and passthrough entities. More are announced regularly! Various tax provisions will expire or benefits will be reduced if Congress fails to act. The courts and the IRS continue to churn out rulings and decisions that affect your clients. **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.

In addition to the many challenges faced by small businesses in today’s Post-COVID world, with labor shortages, serious inflation and “supply-chain” issues, small businesses face a variety of tax challenges from the time of formation of the business until sale.  There are numerous special rules in the Code.  And the IRS plans on increasing its small business audit emphasis. **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.

Are you comfortable giving presentations and feel good about your performance, or does the experience make you anxious and leave you feeling dissatisfied? In this session, learn how to let your best self shine during interactions with your staff, the auditee, and the governing board. Jim Comer is an accomplished speechwriter and presentations skill coach for executives. Leita Fanta has led over 1500 full-day seminars. Let Jim and Leita help you establish genuine and comfortable professional relationships and avoid mistakes that will detract from your message. *Qualifies for Yellowbook credit This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Small businesses have better options now than ever before in the market of accounting solutions. Participate in this session to learn more about these options and which might be best for you or your clients.

Financial forecasting is an important part of any successful business. It enables businesses to plan for the future and anticipate scenarios based on strategy. The controller helps forecast financials by calculating future revenue and income streams. In recent years, corporate finance has undergone many dramatic changes due to the growth of a number of high-tech tools. The responsibilities/competencies of the Financial Controller position (FC) has changed in recent years To maximize performance, Controllers must be aware of how the FC position is changing, and how they must adjust to these changes. There are many types and methods of financial forecasting. This course will review the most prevalent forecasts and relative methods being used.

Workplace harassment - especially sexual harassment - has dominated headlines in light of the #MeToo movement. While nothing suggests that such harassment is more prevalent than it was before the movement, people now feel more empowered to speak out, and the standard of appropriate workplace conduct is changing. With harassment claims to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission increasing over 50% in 2018, it is more important than ever to understand how to prevent and avoid harassment in the workplace.

Considers the sale of the stock of both C corporations and S corporations to accomplish the sale of a business. Discuss the use of compensation for services, covenants not to compete, personal goodwill and contingent consideration, and installment sales. Expertise in the sale of a corporate business by selling corporate stock can result in effective tax planning, reducing the tax cost to both the buyer and the seller. Also, consider the possible application of IRC 1202, 1042 and 1045. The possible value of a Section 338, 338(h)(10) or when 336(e) elections are considered.

This course explores the FASB codification provisions and AICPA financial reporting framework for transaction with related parties, including business owners and special purpose entities. Real-life examples are used to illustrate the various authoritative standards and discuss the consequences of failing to comply. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Business professionals can automate data collection processes by using today’s electronic forms. Learn about these tools and how to deploy them in this session.

Once an employee decides to report an issue, the risk for retaliation must be minimized. Metrics matter. As such, capturing and reviewing employee data for indicators of possible retaliation are key to protecting those who report. The more subtle forms of retaliation, though, require a focused communication plan to address. This course offers recommendations for implementing specific retaliation monitoring protocols.

This is a two-part series that discuss new trends and concepts the financial controller should begin to execute in order to truly become a valued member of the senior leadership team. The rapid pace of the evolving technological landscape has promoted changes in how accountants and financial professionals focus attention on strategy and modernize their roles to leverage digital technology. There is increased demand for enhancing flexibility into finance cycles and initiating real-time reporting and insights. These are the core attributes that will assist in transforming the work that controllership function performs. Is the financial controllership prepared to meet future business demands? The IMA® (Institute of Management Accountants) and Deloitte’s Center for Controllership aimed to better understand the current state of controllership and expectations of future demands for controllers and accounting professionals. They conducted a survey in late 2022 and identified several trends. The survey takes a look at how prepared controllership is to meet future business demands. It also highlights some insights for leaders to consider that may increase their preparedness. It also identified areas of additional insight and questions to answer on the controllership transformation journey. In this segment one, we go through numerous concepts in detail and the remaining concepts will be covered in segment two.

SAS 145, Understanding the Entity and Its Environment and Assessing the Risks of Material Misstatement, was issued in October 2021. The audit standard amends AU-C 315, including many changes to address common audit deficiencies. This course will provide an overview of SAS 145 and its changes to AU-C 315. Attendees will have an opportunity to evaluate the impact on audit methodology and documentation.

Fringe benefits are just another way of paying your employees. Do you know how to correctly track fringe benefits, as well as apply and report the various withholding tax rules for those fringe benefits? The IRS says fringe benefits must be included in and reported as a part of employee pay, but with any good tax law, there are always exclusions to that rule. Knowing how to handle fringe benefits can be complicated, especially in an area that changes on an annual basis. Attendees will leave with an understanding of what the requirements are around fringe benefits, what constitutes a fringe benefit, and whether it is taxable or not. We will also explore the evergreen areas of reporting S-Corp Shareholder Health, HSA, and when cash is not taxable compensation. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

This updated course offers an in-depth look at the FASB leases standard (ASC 842), which requires organizations to recognize lease assets and liabilities on the balance sheet. This comprehensive course will cover recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure requirements, while also focusing on a critical area of change which is the proper identification of a lease using a principles-based approach. We will discuss implementation requirements from both the lessee and lessor accounting models.  In addition, we explore a variety of scenarios, including short-term leases, purchase options, variable lease payments, and remeasurement. This course offers practical journal entry examples, lessons learned from implementation, and explores recently issued amendments to the lease accounting guidance.

This session provides an overview of compilation, review, and audit engagements. We will explore major considerations regarding each type of engagement in addition to contrasting and comparing these three major professional services provided by certified public accountants. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Bounded ethicality explores the edges of ethical decision-making and the invisible borders that exist in our ethical judgment. In an entertaining and enlightening session, we will unveil surprising judgment errors we make when we face ethical dilemmas and search for the reasons behind them. We will explore areas of ethical decision-making where people consistently predict they will do the right thing but rarely do so. We will find out why people repeat stubborn errors of ethical judgment, and review steps that behavioral researchers have identified that can help us stop making these errors once and for all. We will identify ways to recognize our own errors and steps we can take to improve our ethical thinking. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Internal Controls (IC) are in place for a reason. They help maintain the control environment and establish efficient and effective processes. They also serve as a mitigation technique for identifying when processes have changed and when procedures need to be adjusted. In today’s business world, all personnel must understand the concept of internal control, how they should be utilized and their benefits.   The purpose and value of internal controls are often misunderstood and misapplied by management. Internal controls should be viewed as a value-oriented activity that assists the organization in the effective execution of its objectives. Properly designed and executed controls are the key to ensuring this view.   A previous course “The Manager’s Responsibility for Internal Control," addressed these concepts at a higher level. This course further explores the types of ICs, how they can be properly utilized and the cost benefit considerations for implementation.   Internal control is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the achievement of objectives in the following areas: Effectiveness and efficiency of operations Reliability of financial reporting Compliance with applicable laws and regulations Safeguarding assets