CPE Catalog & Events

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, we will go through numerous concepts in detail.   Speaker - Lynn Fountain

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Building on Part 1, this course will review the application of sampling in financial statement audits with a focus on sampling for tests of controls. We'll also review the requirements for sampling in Single Audits with a focus on tests of controls and tests of compliance.  Speaker - Melisa Galasso

Positive client relationships require work. Miscommunication, unrealistic expectations, and differing personality styles may strain a client's relationship with professional advisors. Fortunately, there are tested strategies that foster and strengthen client relationships. Creating appropriate boundaries early on is one of many effective strategies that can help. This course explores actions accounting and finance professionals can take to create and grow their client relationships. This webinar provides actionable insights on how to engage new and old clients alike. Strained client relationships can harm both the client and the firm's profitability. Yet automation, for example, allows some firms to remain more engaged while others miss the mark. There is a science underlying client retention that involves understanding the client journey, ensuring consistent client interactions, and equipping employees with the tools needed to satisfy client needs. Understanding these skills should help you protect the relationships that sustain your business.

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This program focuses on two parts of Subchapter K, partnership distributions and sales of partnership interests - topics that tax practitioners are often asked about by clients. Tax practitioners are called upon to advise both the partnership which makes distributions and the partners receiving the distributions regarding the tax consequences of these transactions. Additionally, tax practitioners will be deeply involved in decisions regarding the sale and purchase of a partnership interest. These topics are thoroughly covered in this program. The presenters also discuss several types of partnership distributions and the tax rules relating to them, as well as analyze the tax rules relating to the sale of a partnership interest. Tax practitioners will be given an in-depth analysis of these complex topics, so that they can effectively answer their clients' questions.

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Does your firm have interest in expanding its’ services beyond traditional CPA services?  Do you have staff with the expertise to compete against non-CPA firms? Welcome to a course that will lead you through the maze of creating a successful Consulting Business Practice for your CPA firm. The course will help you understand: where consulting business opportunities exist, what are the firm’s professional responsibilities and most importantly how to recognize the needs of the client. Speaker - James Lindell

This case-driven training is designed to get the inexperienced accountant up to speed quickly in the most common areas of partnership, limited liability company (LLC) and limited liability partnership (LLP) taxation. A cornerstone of this course is the preparation of the Form 1065 using a fairly complex trial balance common to most partnership, LLP and LLC income 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 Speaker - J. Patrick Garverick

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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. Speaker - Bruce McGovern, James Smith, C. Clinton Davis, Abbey Garber

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As they gain more experience, staff are expected to take on more complex assignments with minimal supervision. The course is designed to be a stepping stone for staff interested in pursuing more advanced partnership and LLC issues than mere preparation, via deeper life-cycle study into critical areas of formation, special allocations of income and deductions, basis calculations and implications of recourse and nonrecourse debt, basis step-up under 754 on transfer of an ownership interest, distributions, self-employment tax issues, and termination/liquidation of the LLC. With the right blend of legal and tax ramifications of LLC-specific issues, this course identifies all the major areas that are potential sources of increased complexity.

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This course provides tools and insights into financial statement analysis - both quantitative and qualitative. We'll look not only at the three main financial statements but also dive into the MD&A and footnotes. We'll also discuss the affect of industry nuances on comparability of different analysis tools. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.Speaker - Keely Gohl, CPA, CGMA

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Although Windows incorporates the OneDrive app, you may not have configured it correctly for your specific needs. Using the OneDrive app and the related Cloud storage service to their fullest potential means you can access your files when and where you need them. Further, sharing your files and collaborating with others is easy when using OneDrive correctly. In this session, you will learn best practices for taking full advantage of OneDrive. Speaker - Connie Clark

The Audit Risk Model - Understanding Foundational Principles is a critical foundational course. Financial statement auditors are engaged to provide reasonable assurance that financial statements are not materially misstated, whether due to fraud or error. Professional standards require auditors to obtain sufficient and appropriate evidence to support that opinion. It is critical for effective and efficient auditors to have a clear understanding of all the important elements and concepts related to properly identifying, evaluating, and deciding how to respond to risk in a financial statement audit. Note: This course is recommended as a part of a 16-hour audit skills curriculum for beginning auditors, while it is also appropriate for anyone who has the need to understand the foundational principles of the audit risk model. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.Speaker - Jennifer F. Louis, CPA

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The Accountant role is evolving from data aggregation to knowledge extraction, with a significant emphasis on understanding and leveraging technological advancements. In this era of rapid digital transformation, it is crucial for accountants to grasp the shift towards more analytical roles, learn the tools, and integrate Business Intelligence (BI) and Data Analytics (DA) in their organization and daily practices. This course will focus on raising the accountant's awareness of BI and DA practices, the impact of AI technologies like ChatGPT, and how these can benefit their organization. By embracing these technologies, accountants can enhance their value proposition by transitioning from traditional accounting roles to becoming strategic advisors and decision-makers. Speaker - James Lindell

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Just about every company, no matter its size or the types of activities it undertakes, is at greater risk because of all the types of fraud that can be be carried out electronically. Potential perpetrators can be operating internally or externally and the scope of the damage that occurs is almost never limited to cyber-assets. While threat awareness is improving, there are still too many owners or top level executives that underestimate the scale of the issue. In this session, we delve into the types and the nature of many electronic defalcation schemes. The material then explores measures that organizations can implement to help stop these activities and add additional layers of security. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.Speaker - Karl Egnatoff, CPA.CITP

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The course provides a comprehensive, hands-on, pencil pushing understanding of the preparation of both S corporation and partnership/LLC tax returns, along with the underlying laws, regulations, etc. The course uses the basic concepts underlying the two main types of business returns: 1120S and 1065 as building blocks for more complex concepts tax preparers should be aware of. The theoretical concepts get illustrated in comprehensive examples that incorporate the most up-to-date law changes and provisions.

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Recall lessons learned and practical implementation challenges and complexities with the FASB's Accounting Standard Update for Leases (ASC Topic 842). Identify key differences between ASC Topic 842 and ASC Topic 840, Practical Expedients, remeasurement-triggering events. Session will go beyond the basics and will apply to specific examples. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.Speaker - Allison M. Henry, CPA, CGMA

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Most small and mid-sized businesses are at least considering cloud-based suites for business management, performance management, and productivity. Unfortunately, many owners and accounting professionals need to learn the difference between using cloud-native tools, employing a managed service provider, and utilizing a desktop hosting provider. This session helps participants understand the differences in the levels of service provided by these offerings and will also highlight some of the regulatory barriers which could create problems for your organization. Attend this session and learn what you need to know before saying “see ya” to your servers. Speaker - Brian Tankersley

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In today's data-driven world, spreadsheets serve as the backbone of business and personal productivity. However, creating complex and error-prone spreadsheets can lead to critical mistakes and inefficiencies. This course aims to equip you with the knowledge and tools to build robust spreadsheets, implementing a range of controls and safeguards to ensure data integrity, streamline processes, and maximize accuracy. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.Speaker - Bryan L. Smith, CPA.CITP, CISA

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Both businesses and individual clients face major changes as a result of new legislation, and tax professionals face the considerable challenge of delivering effective planning advice and services to address this myriad of recent developments. This course addresses this challenge and also encompasses the latest cases and rulings applicable to individual and business clients. Continually updated to reflect enacted legislation. Please Note: Due to content overlap, it is recommended that this course NOT be taken together with BIT4.

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Internal Control Fundamentals - Satisfying Audit Requirements for Evaluating Design and Implementation is a critical foundational course. Obtaining an understanding of the entity and its environment is part of assessing risk of material misstatement, in order to design the nature, timing and extent of further audit procedures necessary to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence to support the auditor's report. A critical component of understanding the entity and its environment is to evaluate the design and implementation of internal control over financial reporting. Note: This course is recommended as a part of a 16-hour audit skills curriculum for beginning auditors, while it is also appropriate for anyone who has responsibilities for evaluating the design and implementation of internal controls over financial reporting. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.Speaker - Jennifer F. Louis, CPA

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Schedules K-2 and K-3 are promulgated by the IRS in order to standardize the reporting of foreign-related tax information for pass-through entities. Even pass-through entities that have no foreign activities, investments, or partners may have a reporting requirement. Schedules K-2 and K-3 for reporting partners' income, deductions, and credits from foreign activity are now required for passthrough returns (Form 1065, 1120-S and 8858). This requirement starts with returns with a tax year that ends in 2021. This course discusses each part of these schedules and explain these new reporting obligations in detail. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.Speaker - Allison M. McLeod, LL.M., CPA

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