CPE & Event Calendar

The best leaders are always ethical. Every great leader has heart and readily shows that they care. What is the true value of a trustworthy leader? Why do we need trustworthy leaders? How do we examine ethical issues - what is the process? Trust provides a safety net that enables innovation to flourish. Be the best leader you can be by caring about others and remaining ethical. Ethics is fundamentally how we treat others. Do we measure up to that standard?

Answering clients' tax questions accurately and on time is a key challenge for tax practitioners. Through simple, plain language explanations and examples, this course will help practitioners perform tax research more efficiently by describing the structure of the primary sources, highlighting the difference between primary and secondary sources, and describing the steps in the tax research process.

Forensic accounting encompasses fraud investigation and prevention, as well as a wide variety of functions in litigation. Forensic accountants provide services ranging from serving as an expert witness, to litigation consultant and bankruptcy trustee. As our economy grows more complex, the need for forensic accountants grows as well. One critical role of the forensic accountant is exposing and examining financial fraud. Technology expands the way companies conduct business; however, technology also provides greater opportunities for those willing to commit fraud. Forensic accountants rely on their skills in accounting, coupled with their investigative skills, to explain to clients, courts, and jurors how fraudulent schemes occur and the effect caused by fraud. Forensic accountants also provide expert opinions in calculating damages in litigation and administering bankruptcy estates, as well as a host of other services.

Organizations and individuals enticed by the siren song of artificial intelligence cannot ignore ethical considerations. Professionals must consider accuracy of information, data privacy, independence, source citations, organizational policies, security, data retention, and other ethical matters. This course discusses ethical issues associated with the utilization of AI in a professional setting and provides suggested best practices. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

We see multiple stories about the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and its entry into our lives in the form of AI tools, including ChatGPT. They seem to be everywhere. It is difficult to overstate how much things will change with the rise of these new technologies, or how important it is that companies embrace the opportunity to execute them correctly. Having conversations regarding the proper adoption of these technologies and tools is a crucial first step, including drafting policies to assist companies with their beneficial and thoughtful implementation and use. This course will define the state of AI tools, what benefits and risks exist, and which steps to take to begin adopting these technologies with appropriate guardrails, policies, and training. It is less likely that AI will destroy industries, and more likely that companies that embrace AI will overtake those companies that do not.

In February 2016, FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases, which provides new guidelines that change the accounting for leasing arrangements. To be able to properly account for leases, financial professionals must understand ASU 2016-02 (also referred to as Topic 842). This guidance covers information on how leases should be accounted for. The previous leasing standard (ASC 840) had been in existence for almost 40 years. Under ASC Topic 842, lessors continue to classify leases as operating, direct financing, or sales-type. While lessees now classify leases as operating or financing leases. Previous guidance only required capital leases to be reflected on the BS. The new guidance requires all leases to be reflected on the BS. This is a major change for organizations and will cause their balance sheets to swell as leases must now be disclosed on the balance sheet. The standards original effective dates were prior to 2019. In April 2020, due to COVID-19, FASB voted to defer the effective date for ASC 842 for private companies and certain not-for-profit's for one year. For private companies and private not-for-profits, the leasing standard will be effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022. For public companies the leasing standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The course covers elements of lease classification for both lessees and lessors. Also, numerous examples are incorporated as reference.  

Do you find yourself challenged to achieve the results you want? While leading employees can be one of the most challenging activities, it is also one of the most impactful leadership skills few seem to master. Inspirational leadership looks like lifelong employees reaching their full potential AND impactful business results that are repeated year after year. Striking the balance between these two critical aspects does not have to be rocket science. In this power-packed course, the formula to be an Inspirational leader has been masterfully developed and covers the soft skills of Inspirational leadership and the Results Model: Goal Setting + Coaching + Follow Up with proven results from dozens of both large and small companies. These cornerstones are simple but can be hard to execute because it is HOW you do it first, then WHAT you do second. This exciting course is designed to ignite your leadership skills by putting theory into practice; drilling into real live examples and experiencing first-hand what excellence sounds like through role-playing and building your action plan. Get ready to become an inspirational leader and learn the steps required to get the results you really want. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Unlock the secrets to understanding a company's financial health and management performance through comprehensive financial analysis. This seminar will guide you through essential tools such as vertical analysis, horizontal analysis, and ratio analysis to gain deep insights into business performance. - Vertical Analysis: Learn how to express each line item of financial statements as a percentage, making it easier to compare companies of different sizes and identify key trends. - Horizontal Analysis: Discover how to compare financial information over multiple periods to spot significant changes and trends, providing a clearer picture of a company's growth and performance. - Ratio Analysis: Dive into calculating and interpreting financial ratios to assess profitability, liquidity, and solvency. Understand how these ratios reveal the effectiveness of management and the potential of the business. This seminar goes beyond just teaching terms and formulas. We will apply these analytical tools to real-world financial data, demonstrating how to derive meaningful insights and make informed decisions. Join us to enhance your financial analysis skills and gain a competitive edge in evaluating business performance. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Have you ever met an accountant who exhibits solid technical prowess but possesses lackluster communication skills? It is not unusual to meet a savvy accountant who is a technical expert, but could enhance the delivery of written and spoken words. This course is designed to help CPAs improve their written and verbal communication skills. Participants will learn how to tailor communication to their audience, with particular emphasis on techniques for crafting a message that effectively conveys technical information in an engaging manner. The course's author will share personal success tips gleaned from more than two decades of experience communicating myriad topics to a variety of audiences.

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.

Sampling is an important method for determining the extent of testing controls, testing compliance, and tests of substantive details. It allows the auditor to apply procedures to less than 100% of the population yet extend results to project likely conclusions about the entire population. This module will describe the proper process for both attribute testing and variable sampling in financial statement and compliance audits.

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.

This comprehensive annual update brings together key accounting and auditing developments affecting accountants and auditors across industries. The course combines recent standard-setting activity issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board with major audit and attestation updates from the AICPA, providing a well-rounded view of changes impacting financial reporting and engagement performance. Participants will begin with an overview of recently issued and upcoming Accounting Standards Updates (ASUs), including standards effective for December 31, 2026 year-ends for public companies, private entities, and not-for-profit organizations. The course also highlights issued ASUs with future effective dates and provides high-level insight into recent exposure drafts to support implementation planning. The course then shifts to auditing and attestation developments, including the next phase of quality management with a focus on monitoring and remediation requirements. Participants will also review recent and proposed standards affecting audit, attestation, and consulting engagements, including SSAE No. 24, SSARS No. 26, exposure drafts related to confirmations and fraud, and SAS No. 149 addressing group audits. Designed for preparers, auditors, and firm professionals, this course helps participants understand how recent accounting and auditing changes intersect-and what to watch for as standards and expectations continue to evolve. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Technology adoption often comes with resistance, but it's possible to transform this challenge into an opportunity for growth. This course explores the journey from resistance to resilience in embracing new technologies, focusing on overcoming barriers and ensuring successful implementation. Participants will examine cutting-edge audit technologies, including AI, data analytics, and automation, and learn how to align these innovations with both organizational and personal goals. Through case studies, insights into the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), and practical discussions, participants will gain the tools and strategies to foster acceptance, driving seamless integration of new technology into both individual tasks and team workflows. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Women finance leaders face challenges that traditional corporate training and mentoring rarely prepare them to overcome. For example, you've demonstrated yourself as an excellent tactician, you know how to get the job done, and do it very well on your own. Yet, what got you to your current level of success won't get you to the next level. It's time to change the way you think and operate in your role. You need to move from doer to leader. You're familiar with the saying that if you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together. In this workshop, you'll learn key strategies that are unique and critical to women to be successful in their careers. These strategies will help you grow, expand and elevate yourself professionally. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Since its inception nearly 30 years ago, many have continued to struggle with applying the current model for accounting for income taxes, ASC 740. But this does not have to be you. This course will provide you with the basic knowledge necessary to understand the complexities of this challenging topic. Through discussions and the use of exercises, this course will analyze the authoritative literature to provide a thorough understanding of such topics as deferred taxes, income tax expense, uncertain tax positions, and other classification and disclosure requirements. We will also explore some specialized areas of income tax accounting, such as intraperiod allocations of income tax expense, global minimum tax developments, and the financial reporting impact of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) signed into law in July 2025, and review finalized and emerging updates to ASC 740, including expanded disclosure requirements under ASU 2023-09. In summary, this course is the place to be to enhance your accounting for income taxes IQ.

If you have ever had someone just read you the rules in an ethics class, you know there is a better way.  Cases in Corporate Ethics reviews 8 real life cases and puts you in the position of someone in the middle of it all. You'll learn about conflicts that corporate financial professionals often encounter, you'll gain skills for dealing with a boss who is behaving badly and find out where to go for help. Once you have studied ethics using real world cases, you'll never want to do it any other way.

This course examines the critical issues and special opportunities facing partnerships and their partners, with a focus on reporting tax basis capital accounts.   *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    

In this webinar we will explore the powerful concept of splitting data from reports and dig into the mechanics that enable this technique. The key feature discussed is the Tables feature, and the key function discussed is the multiple-condition summing function. We will illustrate these items in a variety of ways, including building crosstab style reports and mapping tables.

A significant number of projects fail to achieve their initial goals and/or are not completed within budget and their original timetable. As a team member, a CMA has a unique skill set and experiences to assist in project management. In addition to their analytical training and knowledge of budgets and controls, they typically have ongoing contacts with other professionals from a variety of backgrounds. Familiar analytical tools/techniques can be applied to managing projects. This brief program is designed to aid both experienced and less experienced participants in increasing their knowledge of, and comfort with, the steps and skills needed for success.