CPE + Events Catalog

In June 2022, the AICPA Auditing Standards Board (ASB) issued three interrelated standards on quality management (collectively, the QM standards). The new QM standards represent a significant change in how CPA firms will approach audit and attestation quality in the future, moving from a policies-based approach to a risk-based approach. The new standards will affect every firm that performs engagements in accordance with the SASs, SSARSs and SSAEs. Implementation of these new standards is required by Dec. 15, 2025. The key changes brought about by the new standards are: A new risk-based approach, incorporating a risk assessment process driving firms to focus on quality management tailored to their circumstances Revised components of the system of quality management-two new components, including information and communication More robust leadership and governance requirements Enhanced monitoring and remediation processes New requirements for networks and service providers The new standards require firms to determine their quality management risks, to determine the root cause for the identified risk,; and to develop responses to eliminate the identified risks and avoid non-performance

Buying or selling an interest in a closely held corporate business is an important transaction. CPAs must be prepared to fully consider the unique tax characteristics of an S corporation to advise their clients, whether sellers or buyers. We'll consider buyer and seller perspectives, relevant law, tax planning opportunities, pitfalls to avoid and necessary compliance issues. Review rules related to determining the stock basis of an S corporation, treatment of suspended losses, distributions, accumulated adjustment accounts, the built-in gain tax, excess net passive income tax, allocation of income and losses related to changes in ownership of an S Corp, and tax treatment of S corporation terminations. Finally, consider different tax consequences of asset and stock sales, including Sect. 338 and 336(e) elections.

Meet the ethics requirement while addressing significant changes in the statutory and regulatory standards that govern tax practitioners. We'll explore rules that govern professional conduct in tax practice, including responsibilities to advise clients on tax positions and related penalty avoidance. Portions of course materials are from Kip Dellinger's Practical Guide to Federal Tax Practice Standards (CCH).

Organizations are challenged with identifying, evaluating, and responding to a wide variety of risks. This course will discuss tips and best practices for enterprise-wide risk management for accounting and finance professionals. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Pass-throughs (S corporations and Partnerships) are the most popular choice of newly formed business entities. However, for years, taxpayers and their preparers have struggled to calculate, update, and maintain the pass-through entity owners' tax basis information in each investment correctly. Calculating and accounting for tax basis and adequately reporting the impact of operating and liquidating distributions for these entities are among the most frequently cited audit deficiencies. Taxpayers have also misapplied the tax rules when calculating the gain or loss from the sale of the interest. Recently, the IRS initiated enforcement initiatives designed to audit owners of pass-through entities regarding their calculations of tax basis and their tax treatment of distributions. This course will teach you how to properly account for both items for your clients who own an interest in a partnership or an S-corporation. Learn to identify the most common mistakes and errors and report these items correctly before your client is audited.

Internal Controls to Mitigate Financial Reporting Risk - Designing Stronger Internal Controls for Small or Mid-Size Entities provide practical analysis and tips for how a reporting entity can manage financial reporting risk in an effective and efficient way. Internal controls are applied within an organization to satisfy objectives related to operations, compliance, and financial reporting. This module will also differentiate the auditor's responsibilities for internal controls under Sarbanes Oxley, Government Auditing Standards and Single Audit Act requirements. Note: This course is recommended as a part of a 16-hour audit skills curriculum for supervisory or managerial auditors, while it is also appropriate for anyone who has responsibilities for designing or evaluating the design of internal controls. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Award winning discussion leader Mark Hugh discusses how to create and capture value with consulting services. Whether you want to consult a little or full time, this valuable course reviews identifying a specialty, growing a practice, capturing value, creating deliverables, and effective marketplace marketing strategies.  

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.

This program will address the important provisions, rules and concepts related to business tax returns.  **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 introductory course provides a clear, concise, step-by-step example of the fundamentals of how to import data into Alteryx, how to select and configure its tools to transform that data according to your needs, and how to export the cleaned-up version to an Excel workbook for further CPA-related calculations. It also introduces those new to Alteryx to frequently used technical terms and concepts, and how you can use Alteryx as a powerful complement to Excel to turbocharge your ability to produce CPA work products. In addition, this course covers the purposes and functionality of the various sections of Alteryx's main screen, including the Canvas, the Tool Palette, the Configuration Window, and the Results window. This and other foundational knowledge taught in the course will increase your ability to confidently and expertly use the program's software tools. Finally, this course shares numerous insights and commentary that pertain directly to CPAs and the kind of work we do. If you've wanted to learn about Alteryx and how it can boost your productivity and advance your career, this course is for you!

This course addresses the most recent legislative developments impacting business taxpayers, with a focus on important provisions, rules and concepts to apply when preparing client returns.     **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.

It’s a whole new world for lessees under ASC topic 842.  Soon nearly all leases will need to be disclosed as a liability on the balance sheet – from buildings right down to autos and copiers.  Although the greatest impact will be on large entities, this will affect the financial statements of small and mid-size entities as well.  This program will dive into the new standard on leases, effective dates, and address what you need to know now.

If you use Outlook on a daily basis to process your email, chances are pretty good that you are missing out on a lot of opportunities to improve your efficiency in composing, processing and organizing your messages. There are many different features in Outlook that often get overlooked, even though we are working in the app all day, every day. John Higgins, a strategic advisor to the profession on Microsoft 365 deployment, will review numerous tips and features to improve your productivity in Outlook. You will learn many time-saving, practical ways to improve the quality of your email message. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

We kick off this course with a look at the GASB standards that are effective this year including GASB 100, Accounting Changes and Error Corrections and GASB 101, Compensated Absences. We will then switch to the audit side of the house to examine the impact of the 2024 Compliance Supplement on Single Audits and the changes to the Uniform Guidance. We close with a look at common deficiencies found in Single Audits. 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 explores the nature of analytical procedures, with significant emphasis placed upon professional standards involving the use of analytical procedures in audit and review engagements. Practical examples to illustrate the application process will also be given. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Most Staff Accountants learned Excel in college and many others learned Excel on their own, however most users never learned the important productivity tips that help them build spreadsheets more efficiently. This course will teach new and experienced users how to leverage the many productivity tools built within Excel in order to build spreadsheets with maximum effectiveness. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

A personal brand is your story. Having a well-defined personal brand can help you not only cultivate powerful connections but also set you apart. Explore the integral components to building a strong brand and gain strategies to help you create your own marketable personal brand.

Auditing Revenue Recognition - Grasping the Higher Risks and Special Audit Considerations will provide tips and techniques for obtaining sufficient and appropriate audit evidence to support conclusions related to accounting for revenues obtained from contracts with customers. Revenue recognition is presumed to be a significant risk for financial statement auditing purposes due to the increased risk of both fraud and error. Note: This course is recommended as a part of a 16-hour audit skills curriculum for supervisory or managerial auditors, while it is also appropriate for anyone who has responsibilities in auditing revenues. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Buying and selling a business can be a complex transaction with many tax issues. These issues include whether the transaction is or should be a stock or an asset sale when the business involved is a corporation, as well as the tax consequences associated with the sale of a partnership or a C or S corporation. Tax practitioners who advise clients who are buying or selling a business primarily focus on the tax issues that apply. This program explains and analyzes the tax issues practitioners must address in order to properly advise clients who are either buyers or sellers of businesses.

You are not required to be a professional to prepare tax returns, but you are required to abide by regulations when preparing tax returns and representing clients with the IRS. Circular 230 is the guidebook that the United States Treasury uses to regulate those activities. Every year, return preparers are sanctioned, penalized, and sometimes imprisoned for violating various statutes and regulations. If a substantial amount of your CPA firm's revenue comes from tax preparation, this course is a must. Every year, return preparers violate these regulations, and are caught by the IRS. This presentation will help the CPA know the rules so they can stay in compliance with confidence while providing their client with tax preparation and IRS representation service. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.