CPE & Event Calendar

Individuals are leaving the workforce in droves due to retirement or resignation, and many are choosing to start their own businesses. The One Big Beautiful Bill encourages this choice. This course explores the planning opportunities for those starting their own businesses or advising clients. Issues addressed include making sure you will be treated as a business, choice of entity, Schedule C deductions, depreciation, avoiding the self-employment tax, retirement plans, self-employed health insurance, employing family members, and loss limitations.

This course is designed as a comprehensive guide to the core concepts of trust and estate income tax preparation. The course explains the common terminology and complicated income tax rules of estates and trusts, fiduciary accounting, and an introduction to or refresher on preparing Form 1041. This practical, over 300-page manual is an excellent reference source for your practice, which begins with quite simple cases. Building upon that base throughout the manual, the course ends with two complicated preparation cases, one trust and one estate, each with filled-in forms.

Single auditing can seem so complex! With literally thousands of pages of potential AICPA, GAO and OMB guidance converging for the audit of one client, auditors can easily lose focus and confidence in what they are supposed to do. It does not have to be that way! This course is designed to sharpen your skills and knowledge in performing single audits. Through more than 30 focused exercises, the course provides a highly practical, hands-on approach to mastering today's most critical single audit challenges.

You have a fantastic budget, but certain players are not pleased. Financial plans have a technical component and human component.  We can resolve some of our budget issues by exploring the process’ human aspect.  Understanding what makes you and others operate can enhance your understanding of the entire organization and build upon the respect and influence needed to navigate and lead the budgeting cycle. This session includes a case study that measures an individual’s personality type and then explores how to use our strengths and weaknesses to create a better budget process and quite frankly maybe a better you.  This is a great and fun course on its own, but is also part three of a four part series on budget mastery.

According to a 2020 AICPA survey, advisory and consulting services were considered the greatest unmet needs of clients. The recent growth in Client Advisory Services (CAS) has led many to ask what is included in this broad category as well as how to develop the services for clients. With so much focus on the recent success of CAS offerings, now is the time to learn how the services differ from what you currently offer, which of your clients would benefit most, and what you need in place to add a quality CAS program to your firm's menu of services.

The purpose of this program is to discuss the ethical mandates that govern the conduct of tax practitioners. The program focuses on the ethical pronouncements of the IRS in Circular 230, as well as the preparer penalty provisions set forth in the Internal Revenue Code. Please note: This ethics course does not cover state-specific issues and so is not applicable in states that require ethics courses to include specific state laws and regulations. Please check with your state board prior to registering for this program if you are in doubt about whether this program satisfies your state's ethics requirements.

How much can clients contribute to a Roth IRA, Roth 401(k), Roth SEP IRA, or Roth SIMPLE IRA? When do enhanced (super) catch-up contributions apply, and when must those catch-up contributions be made on a Roth basis? How does a Roth distribution qualify as tax-free? How did SECURE Act 1.0 and SECURE Act 2.0 fundamentally change Roth funding and distribution rules? These are among the core Roth questions advisors must be able to answer with confidence. As Roth accounts continue to play an increasingly central role in retirement savings strategies — and as contribution rules become more layered and complex — Roth proficiency is no longer optional. In addition, new rules governing age-based enhanced catch-up contributions and the Roth mandate for certain higher-income participants have added a new level of coordination between tax planning, payroll, and retirement plan design. In this course, Denise Appleby simplifies the critical rules that govern Roth funding and Roth distributions across Roth IRAs, Roth 401(k)s, and related employer plans. Emphasis is placed on understanding how the rules interact, where advisors commonly make mistakes, and how recent legislative changes affect real-world planning.

Breaking the Wall of blind acceptance; avoiding habitual complacency and Yoking the dots between cause and effect.

This course provides a high-level overview of the most important accounting, financial reporting, compliance and audit issues facing nonprofit entities and their accountants. The focus is on explaining the basis behind major issues and trends in executive summary (yet practical) form, enabling professionals to understand the most important aspects of relevant standards, and the basis for any potential changes on the horizon. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

In today's data-driven world, Microsoft Excel has become an essential tool for professionals in any organization. To harness the full potential of Excel, it is crucial to understand and master its lookup functions. This course is designed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively utilize Excel's lookup functions and enhance their data analysis capabilities. Throughout this comprehensive course, participants will dive deep into the world of lookup functions and gain experience through practical exercises and real-world scenarios. Whether you're a seasoned Excel user looking to fine-tune your skills or a beginner eager to unlock Excel's full potential, this course is tailored to meet your learning needs. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) imposed a new reporting requirement that went into effect on January 1, 2024.  Millions of businesses may have to file a Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) Report. In a surprise turn of events, the Federal District Court from the Northern District of Alabama ruled on March 1, 2024 in National Small Business United v. Yellen (“NSB”) that the CTA is unconstitutional.  This course will discuss the CTA’s provisions and the court’s decision in NSB.  Also covered will be future implications for business entities and steps to consider given the recent ruling. We will also discuss recent proposed rulemaking by FinCen with respect to nonfinanced purchases of residential real estate and gratuitous transfers so that businesses can prepare for any additional reporting burdens that might arise. **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.

The construction industry faces many unique challenges to survive and remain profitable. These include specific accounting and reporting aspects for construction contracts and estimating project costs and profitability. Analyze revenue recognition under the percentage of completion method (including comparing current standards to the new FASB revenue standard) by exploring the underlying details. Reduce potential errors made using established concepts, including the shortfalls of the "cost to cost" method. Take a focused look at construction contractors' accounting, reporting and auditing. Discuss techniques and examples that provide a realistic audit approach for the contractor, including detailed auditing procedures for many types of contracts.

This course will elevate your individual income tax preparation skills and knowledge. It will help you go beyond the basics and will help you provide superior service to your clients. We will cover topics including taxation of investments, reporting of partnership and S-corporation income, net investment income tax, calculation of self-employment taxes, household employer taxes, social security taxation, basic retirement planning opportunities and Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). In addition, we will also do a review of loss limitations and much more.

Individuals are leaving the workforce in droves due to retirement or resignation, and many are choosing to start their own businesses. The One Big Beautiful Bill encourages this choice. This course explores the planning opportunities for those starting their own businesses or advising clients. Issues addressed include making sure you will be treated as a business, choice of entity, Schedule C deductions, depreciation, avoiding the self-employment tax, retirement plans, self-employed health insurance, employing family members, and loss limitations.

Please join us for an introductory course on the fundamentals of preparing and filing an individual federal income tax return. We will cover topics such as what the federal income tax is and how it is computed. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

If a great leader is someone we are willing to sacrifice for – what do those leaders do that makes us want to do more? Many of us work in dysfunctional organizations that want followers, but have no leaders that lead. What makes a leader effective? True leaders sacrifice, they are trustworthy and they empathize. We discuss the steps to take so you can become a true leader: including, integrity, humility, communication, self-control and self-awareness. With diligence, you can become a better leader and we will discuss how.  

Stay current on key developments affecting governmental audits with this focused update on the 2024 revision of the Yellow Book. This course highlights significant changes related to quality management and updates affecting key audit roles, with an emphasis on how these revisions impact audit planning and execution. The course also addresses the GAO's implementation delay and its implications for 2026 audit planning. Participants will gain context around recent leadership changes at the U.S. Government Accountability Office and what those transitions may signal for future guidance and oversight priorities. In addition, the course includes an overview of recent updates to the Green Book, helping auditors understand changes to internal control guidance that may affect governmental entities and Single Audit engagements. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Section 199A compliance has evolved after OBBA — and so have the risks of getting it wrong. From revised definitions of qualified business income to updated reporting obligations, practitioners must navigate nuanced guidance affecting partnerships, S corporations, and sole proprietorships. Walk away with practical tools, compliance checklists, and calculation frameworks you can apply immediately.

This course provides a comprehensive analysis of the SECURE 2.0 Act (Act) that includes key provisions of the Act available for implementation in 2025. The principal focus of the Act was to expand retirement coverage and increase retirement savings. As such, the Act included many important changes relating to IRAs and qualified plans. This legislation alters the landscape of retirement planning for taxpayers of all ages. Make sure you are up to date with the latest information relating to these changes in order to effectively advise your clients on these important provisions.

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.