Trust is essential, because without trust, there can be no teamwork.  Trust is like oxygen, when it is gone - we suffocate.  This session provides a 15-step action plan to gain commitment from your team members, build trust, hold each person accountable and create results for your organization. 

Understanding the dynamics of family interaction is one of the most important skills in helping a family business succeed.

This course takes a candid look inside the family business, and will help the participant navigate delicate issues while learning to provide counsel that will grow - or protect - the family business and non-family staff.

Yellow Book and Single Audit engagements are considered must select engagements for Peer Review. This course will cover the Yellow Book independence requirements which are required any time an auditor is performing a Yellow Book or Single Audit even when the engagement is for a for-profit entity. 

We'll take a look at the major changes in the 2024 Compliance Supplement as well as the changes to the Uniform Guidance. We'll close with major deficiencies identified by the federal agencies and peer reviewers. 

• Understand, apply SSARS No. 21, Clarification and Recodification
• Be familiar with changes due to the issuance of SSARS Nos. 22-26
• Be familiar with compilation and review program examples and disclosure illustrations
• Identify and apply compilation, preparation, and review procedures
• Be aware of the most recent compilation and review reports and other communications
• Utilize hands-on examples and illustrations to increase your overall understanding and application of the material

• SSARS No. 21, Clarification and Recodification, and updates to SSARS No. 21 due to the issuance of SSARS No. 23, Omnibus Statement on Standards for Accounting and Review Services
• SSARS No. 22, Compilation of Pro Forma Financial Information
• SSARS No. 24, Omnibus Statement on Standards for Accounting and Review Services -- 2018
• SSARS No. 25, Materiality in a Review of Financial Statements and Adverse Conclusions 
• SSARS No. 26, Quality Management for an Engagement Conducted in Accordance With Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services
• Sample comprehensive engagement work programs for preparation, compilation and review engagements
• Reporting and disclosure illustrations for each level of service, including attesting on personal financial statements, prescribed form, special purpose framework and other engagement variations
• Other communication requirements, such as sample engagement letters and management representation letters

The tax landscape is constantly changing, challenging tax practitioner to stay abreast of these developments.  This eight hour program will cover issues unique to business entities, including new court decisions, recent IRS publications, and the latest tax legislation that will impact businesses and individuals.  The remaining time will be spent on IRS procedure and other issues. This course will provide a concise look at the hottest topics affecting every tax practitioner. 

**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.

Mergers, acquisitions and alliances have been and continue to be major avenues to organizational growth and increased competitive advantage. Despite the great initial promise of many mergers and alliances, few seem to yield the anticipated results.

Numerous studies indicate that between 55% and 77% of mergers fail to accomplish their intended purpose. This course helps financial professionals, and their advisors identify, execute, and consummate mergers and acquisitions that create shareholder value while avoiding the many traps that can cause post-acquisition failure.

Power Query and Power BI offer great opportunities for accessing your data and making it more useful in reporting scenarios. Learn how to benefit from these tools in this session.

Form 1065 is the tax return filed by partnerships, which is one of the most common forms of business organizations in the United States. This course provides an in-depth understanding of the preparation and filing of Form 1065.

The course will cover the basics of partnership taxation, including how partnerships are taxed, the different types of partnerships, and the tax obligations of partners. It will also discuss the importance of keeping accurate financial records, the role of the partnership agreement in tax reporting, and the filing deadlines for Form 1065.

Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of the various sections of Form 1065, including the Schedule K-1, which reports each partner's share of the partnership's income, deductions, and credits. The course will also cover how to report partnership income, expenses, and deductions, as well as the tax implications of buying and selling partnership interests.

In addition, the course will provide an overview of common errors and omissions made when preparing Form 1065, and how to avoid them. It will also cover recent changes in tax laws that affect partnership taxation.

Overall, this course is designed for tax professionals, accountants, business owners, and individuals who need to understand the intricacies of partnership taxation and the preparation and filing of Form 1065. Upon completion of the course, participants will have a solid understanding of partnership taxation and will be able to prepare and file Form 1065 with confidence.

**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.

Pro forma statements are used by businesses to make decisions on planning and control, as well as for external reporting to owners, investors, and creditors. For example, giving financial estimates for a given period in a standardized manner is known as “presenting pro forma,” a Latin phrase that means “as a matter of form.”
Pro forma statements can be helpful tools for business owners, investors, creditors, or decision-makers to analyze various scenarios of future events based on certain financial assumptions. It might aid in making predictions performance of the company.

A pro forma income statement displays a firm’s anticipated sales and revenue. It also highlights anticipated fixed or variable operational expenses and, in the end, displays the potential profits and retained earnings for a future financial quarter. There are various types of pro-forma statements and methods to develop them.
The responsibilities/competencies of the Financial Controller position (FC) has changed in recent years. However, the creation of pro forma financial statements is still a core part of their responsibility.
 

• Learn in detail about the preparation of Form 1120S, Schedules M-1, K, and K-1
• Learn in detail about the preparation of Form 1065, Schedules M-1, K, and K-1
• Identify and handle commonly found S corporation and partnership tax issues

• Compare and contrast the tax consequences, opportunities, and pitfalls of operating a business as a partnership, LLC, or S corporation 
• Reporting Requirements for Schedules K-2 and K-3 
• Form 7203, S Corporation Shareholder Stock and Debt Basis Limitations 
• Gain a comprehensive understanding of income tax laws for S corporations from eligibility and election to tax return preparation, stock basis, and loss limitation issues 
• Recognize and properly handle special pass-through items of income and expense 
• Accurately prepare S corporation returns and reconcile book income to taxable income 
• Accurately prepare partnership returns and reconcile book income to taxable income 
• What the transactional method entails and how to report partners’ capital accounts under this method 
• Properly handle the tax treatment of distributions to shareholders, partners, or members 
• Understand the special restrictions and sanctions for tax year-end selection 
• Review the basics of partnership and LLC formation and basis calculation 
• Self-employment tax or NOT, for each entity 
• Filling in K-1s correctly for S corporations, partnerships, and LLCs. Major changes in K-1 reporting on both partnership and S corporation forms and content 
• The most frequently used forms and schedules, including some form “oddities” 

• Understand strategies and tactics to use in light of new legislation
• Understand the most current guidance on retirement planning
• Understand how to nail down valuable deductions and other reductions to the tax base

A multitude of tax changes have are currently taking place, challenging tax practitioner to stay well-informed. This 4 hour program will cover tax developments specific to business, including new court decisions, recent IRS publications, and the latest tax legislation that will impact individuals.  The remaining time will be spent on IRS procedure and other issues. This course will provide a concise look at the hottest topics affecting every tax practitioner. 

**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 COVID pandemic changed the way many people worked, yet others have had remote teams for decades and little changed.  Many organizations trying to bring people back to the office have experienced significant turnover.  Some practices have changed forever while some principles will always remain the same.  Keeping your people happy equals keeping your best people.  Learn the changes you should make now and the things you should do forever!

Managerial accounting provides economic and financial information for managers and other internal users. Managerial and Financial Accounting have similarities and differences. Each field of accounting deals with the economic events of a business. Both managerial and financial accounting require that a company’s economic events be quantified and communicated to interested parties.

This another course in our series on the controller’s role. The controller’s role encompasses many traditional functions. Within this segment of our controllership series, we discuss the area of managerial accounting and the basic concepts that surround this discipline as it primarily relates to cost accounting issues.
 

• Understand the latest enacted tax law changes
• Understand strategies and techniques to use in light of tax changes
• Understand current cases and rulings affecting individuals and businesses

• Comprehensive coverage of the Inflation Reduction Act, including:
• The Clean Vehicle Credit, Credit for Previously Owned Clean Vehicles, Credit for Qualified Commercial Clean Vehicles, Residential Clean Energy Credit, Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit, Premium Tax Credit, Elective Payment, Transferability, and Prevailing Wage and Apprenticeship Requirements
• Comprehensive coverage of the SECURE 2.0 Act, including:
• Expanding Enrollment in Retirement Plans, Increase in Age for Required Beginning Date for Mandatory Distributions, New Exceptions to Penalty-Free Withdrawal from Retirement Plans, and recent IRS guidance
• Timely coverage of breaking tax legislation
• Form 1099-K reporting requirements
• Detailed analysis and examples of Sale of Passthrough Entity Interest and Net Investment Income Tax
• The Gig Economy -- Tax implications, Independent Contractor vs. Employee Classification, and the 2024 DOL Final Rule
• New FinCEN reporting requirements under the Corporate Transparency Act in 2024, including recently updated FAQs
• Recent Employee Retention Tax Credit updates, including the limited-time reopening of the Voluntary Disclosure Program
• New Form 1099-DA
• Practice aids, including all the numbers applicable for the current year -- inflation-adjusted amounts, mileage rates, retirement contributions, and more
• Advanced practice, reporting, and other issues intertwined with advanced planning and discussion ideas

How well do you understand your organization’s cash flow? Good cash management techniques can provide a competitive advantage! This session shows you how to effectively measure and manage your cash conversion cycle. With a more complete understanding of how cash flows through your organization, you can eliminate impediments. Better cash management lowers your borrowing costs, reduces financing needs, and creates financial flexibility in your organization.

At some point in his or her career, every financial manager will face a choice of doing the right thing or taking the easy way out. Skillfully handling a conflict, ethical or otherwise, can make a big difference your career's trajectory. Professional standards provide procedures for resolving ethical conflicts. Yet, following these procedures alone will often cause a financial professional to lose their job.  This webcast will show you how to both do the right thing and keep your job.    

Single Audits are an area of focus for the AICPA's Enhancing Audit Quality Initiative. The Uniform Guidance provides very unique audit requirements when auditing federal funds. This course will look into the unique performance and reporting requirements in Single Audits. Participants will have a basic understanding of internal controls over compliance, compliance requirements, how to use the Compliance Supplement, and the elements of a finding in a Single Audit.

TBD

Collaboration is more important now than ever. In this session, you will learn how to take advantage of today’s collaboration tools to improve accuracy, customer/client service, and organizational efficiency.

Today’s economy and all of the digital enhancements have impacted the way companies engage with their customers as well as how the company manages their internal practices. The business control function needs to keep pace.

The rising importance of analytical capability is critical when defining the role of the modern controller. Execution of analytics can vary but there are still key questions that must be asked. What are the options and what we need to understand to decide the best way forward?

This course focuses on the value that can be brought by the Controller when becoming involved with data analytics powered by technology and also Big Data. The digitized world we live in has made it important for the Controller function to evolve and take on this advanced task.
 

This course provides a high-level overview and introduction into the world of the forensic accountant. Most accountants have an understanding of the concept of fraud and how it impacts companies, but many individuals do not have a full comprehension of the variance in the work performed by a forensic accountant versus a typical management accountant.  

This course is meant for those individuals interested in understanding the variances in the job tasks and responsibilities of forensic accountants versus typical financial or management accountants. Forensic accountants or auditors take a unique focus on performing their work.  Typically, when a person with forensic experience is called in to examine financial records, it is due to suspicion of fraud, evaluation of assets, or even to track down fundamentally incorrect accounting – intentional or not.

As fraud continues to raise its head in business processes, forensic accountants are discovering new and unique ways to identify, examine, and support their hypotheses and investigative techniques.  The work performed by a forensic specialist can be interesting and full of potential potholes if evidence isn’t examined according to proper protocols and standards.
 

By the nature of our work and training, financial professionals have more personal finance knowledge than the general population. However, sometimes we spend so much time planning our company's future that we neglect or defer taking steps to build our own personal net worth.

If you are dissatisfied about the speed that you are accumulating savings, this session will help put you on the right track. Even if you are meeting your goals, this session will provide insights and ideas which will add to and reinforce what you may already be doing.

Many organizations struggle to keep budgets current in an ever-changing business climate.  Twenty-first century performance metrics focus on determining what budgets should be rather than what they were in the past.  Using performance metrics effectively reduces work, reduces politics, provides flexibility and substantially improves the performance management process.  This session will show you powerful techniques to drive your organization’s performance.

Using Outlook for email management is routine for most business professionals these days. But unfortunately, using this tool for so long may cause some to perpetuate bad practices and habits when working in Outlook and exploring new options Outlook offers. In this session, you will discover ten valuable tips to take you to the next level of your email and work management.

• Identify differences in how business entity types are taxed for income tax purposes
• Recognize how personal financial planning for a business owner is related to financial planning for a flow-through entity business
• Identify how S-Corporations are taxed for self-employment tax purposes
• Recognize double-taxation and when it applies
• Identify when a transaction should be recorded on the accounting records under the cash method
• Recognize when income is recognized and an expense must be accrued on the accounting records under the accrual method
• Identify what account should not appear on the financial records if the accrual method is being used

• Financial planning pyramid
• What to consider when picking an entity
• Single member LLC vs. sole proprietorship
• Corporations – S vs. C
• Double taxation

• Recall key concepts in the risk assessment standards, including various requirements
• Recognize how to implement amendments to the existing standards in practice
• Identify approaches to comply with professional standards while auditing in a virtual environment

• Audit process and planning
• Setting materiality
• Assessing the risk of material misstatement and the design and implementation of internal controls
• Designing procedures to test the effectiveness of controls
• Designing procedures to perform substantive procedures
• Challenges in performing audit procedures in a virtual environment
• Performing and evaluating interim and year-end tests of control and substantive procedures
• Final audit procedures and wrap up

• Identify effective coaches and develop coaching strategies to support your team
• Give constructive criticism while managing defensive reactions

• The definition of “coaching” and the coaching process
• Characteristics of effective coaches
• Coaching strategies to support and assist others as they change ineffective behaviors
• Conducting one-on-one coaching sessions for setting goals and improving performance

Leaders naturally wield power and influence. But, to avoid the temptation of abusing power, leaders must apply ethical behaviors for themselves and others. Words,
actions and deeds which demonstrate integrity and trust yield the credibility that make others want to follow ethical leaders. Betraying trust can destroy careers, whole
organizations, and lives. This is why trust is a top prerequisite for principled and ethical leadership. Positive (and negative) influence is derived from the credibility trust brings.

Ethical leaders who continually work to earn and keep trust reap enormous payback in all aspects of business including superior economic, competitive, and strategic performance.

Organizations that use primitive costing methods make predictable mistakes. They allocate too much cost to easy, high-volume "gravy" products and too little cost to difficult, low-volume "dog" products. This puts the organization with inferior information at a significant disadvantage against a competitor who has a better cost model. The secret to having a great cost model is learning how to deal with overhead.
This webinar will show you how to assign 16 key categories of overhead. Whether you work in a wholesale, retail, health care, service or manufacturing business. This session will give you important insights into how to handle overhead. If you get your costing right, you will be able to give the "dogs" to your competitors and keep the "gravy" for yourself.

With many technologies now ready for “prime time,” it’s exciting to see some of the options for improved productivity in CPA firms. Learn more about these new tools in this session.

Forensic accounting, forensic accountancy or financial forensics is the specialty practice area of accounting that investigates whether firms engage in financial reporting misconduct. Forensic accountants apply a range of skills and methods to determine whether there has been financial reporting misconduct. Financial forensic engagements may fall into several categories. For example:

• Economic damages calculations, whether suffered through tort or breach of contract.
• Post-acquisition disputes such as earnouts or breaches of warranties
• Bankruptcy, insolvency and reorganization
• Securities and tax fraud
• Money laundering
• Business valuation
• Computer forensics/e-discovery

This session is designed to delve into further investigative procedures used including digital forensics. Future sessions will focus on computer forensics, network forensics and mobile forensics.
 

A common challenge for the controller role is in closing the month-end and period-end books in preparation to issue financial statements. This duty requires precision, timing and efficiency.

In today’s digital world, many organizations have access to financial accounting software that will assist with the steps in the financial close. However, even with this aid it is critical the accountant understand the various steps for the close process and how they inter-relate to other accounting processes. This course gives you an insight into the inter-relationships between many processes that impact the financial close.

The closing process has traditionally been a slow one with many companies taking two weeks to close its subsidiary’s books and another two to three weeks to roll up and consolidated the results. With the introduction of technology much has been done to help accelerate that process with integrated enterprise resource planning systems and general ledger and consolidate software.

Within this segment we will discuss the elements of the financial close and also important concepts to assist the controller in accelerating their close timeline. This includes addressing all functional areas of the close including payroll, invoicing, payables, inventory, cash, and the general ledger. We will also discuss important concepts of ensuring your financial close is accurate by discussing bank reconciliations, overhead allocations, bad debt reserves, unpaid wages and accruals for vacation time, account reconciliations, deprecation and overall financial statement review.

Note: This course does not address utilizing technology in the financial close. Its focus is to understand the varied procedures involved in the financial close whether or not technology is utilized.
 

"Transforming Strategic & Financial Management with ChatGPT: Insights for CPAs, CFOs, and Controllers" is a comprehensive 2-hour CPE course designed by Jim Lindell of Thorsten Consulting Group, Inc. This course delves into the revolutionary impact of ChatGPT on financial and strategic management, offering a blend of theoretical insights and practical applications tailored for financial professionals. Through an exploration of ChatGPT's capabilities in research, communication enhancement, benchmarking, risk analysis, and more, participants will learn how to leverage this advanced AI technology to streamline operations, enhance decision-making, and foster innovation in their practices. The course not only highlights the current applications but also provides a glimpse into the future of AI in financial management, encouraging professionals to embrace technology for competitive advantage.

This course is designed to equip CPAs, EAs, attorneys, and tax professionals with the essential knowledge and strategies needed to navigate the latest developments. Explore innovative approaches to maximize retirement savings, discuss tax- efficient retirement plan options, and align estate planning techniques with current trends. Gain a thorough understanding of altered rules for Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) and discover how to optimize estate plans in response to changing regulations. This update is tailored for professionals seeking practical insights in the realm of contemporary retirement planning.

**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.

• Be well informed on current topics impacting taxes, finance, and industry

• Each week’s topics will change based on the most critical issues affecting financial professionals

Good people believe everyone else is just like them. They cannot imagine someone could con them or their company and have no guilt or remorse about what they have done. Lack of guilt and empathy are key traits of a psychopath. Most of us envision psychopaths to be cold-blooded serial killers who are locked away in prison. However, experts estimate that 4% of corporate executives are psychopaths who may initially appear to be more normal than the rest of us. Psychopaths may present a convincing picture of virtue while helping themselves to money, status and sex while leaving a path of shattered expectations, empty wallets, and broken hearts in their wake. Learn how to recognize and deal with others who have no conscience. 

Every business will be sold eventually. When you have built a great business and decide to move on – you want the most you can get for that terrific organization! What are the steps to take to maximize the value realized? What do buyers really want? What are the three levers to achieve maximum value? If you want top dollar, preparing to sell takes years of planning. This seminar helps CEOs, entrepreneurs, CFOs, Board members, controllers, and their advisors prepare for a successful sale of the organization to maximize shareholder value. We will outline the process to get the most bang for the buck. Proper exit planning demands planning and time.

You spent your life building retirement savings.  Now you want to make sure your savings last the rest of your life and perhaps pass some on to the next generation.  Come hear a veteran financial educator talk about money management and planning issues for this phase of your life.  

If sales increase, so should profits.  Yet, the opposite result often leaves executives scratching their heads.  When organizations work with inferior cost information, they make mistakes in four specific situations.  Bad information causes sellers to overprice easy, high-volume work and underprice difficult, low-volume work. 

This session discusses how to use activity-based costing data to build accurate costing models that consider far more than just the labor and materials necessary to provide goods and services.  

Governmental accounting is very unique. This course will introduce the financial reporting basics for governments, including fund accounting and the modified accrual basis of accounting. Attendees will analyze the layouts of the fund financial statements as well as the government-wide financial statements. The course will also cover the concept of component units, Management Discussion & Analysis (MD&A), and the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report.

Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Bard, and Copilot are available to everyone and offer great promise for improved productivity. Learn how you can begin to take advantage of these tools by participating in this session.

For accounting and tax professionals, understanding the inner workings of blockchain and cryptocurrency is no longer just an advantage—it’s a necessity. This course provides an in-depth look into the mechanics of digital currencies and revolutionary blockchain technology, equipping attendees with the knowledge to navigate benefits and risks effectively. Special emphasis is placed on the tax implications for both individuals and estates, ensuring that attendees can confidently advise on these issues, which are becoming increasingly relevant in financial planning and asset management.

This offering is more than just a learning experience; it’s an investment in one’s professional growth. By understanding the tax complexities and estate planning challenges posed by digital assets, participants will be able to offer valuable insights and strategic solutions. They will emerge from this course not just with theoretical knowledge but with actionable skills that can be applied immediately. In a landscape where digital assets are becoming commonplace, this is the education that will differentiate the exceptional from the average. Join today and step into a role as a leader in finance for the digital age.

**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.

Many finance departments spend considerable time managing cash, particularly if the organization is highly leveraged or cash rich.  Many opportunities exist to reduce your financing costs or increase short-term cash returns if you manage cash effectively.  This session will cover a wide variety of day-to-day cash management tools.  

This course is a complement to our series on Becoming a Forensic Accountant and the focus of the course is on steganography techniques. Steganography is the art and science of embedding secret messages in a cover message in such a way that no one, apart from the sender and intended recipient, suspects the existence of the message.

The first use of steganography can be traced to 440 BC when ancient Greece, people wrote messages on wood and covered it with wax, that acted as a covering medium Romans used forms of Invisible Inks, to decipher those hidden messages light or heat were used. During World War II the Germans introduced microdots, which were complete documents, pictures, and plans reduced in size to the size of a dot and were attached to normal paperwork. Null Ciphers were also used to hide unencrypted secret messages in an innocent looking message. Given the amount of data being generated and transmitted electronically, it’s no surprise that numerous methods of protecting that data have evolved.

There are various types of steganography: Text Steganography - Hiding information inside the text files. This involves changing format of existing text, changing words in a text, generating random character sequences or using context-free grammars to generate readable texts. Image Steganography - Process of hiding text in an image without distorting the picture. Video Steganography - Technique to hide any kind of files into a cover video file. Audio Steganography - The secret message is embedded into an audio signal which alters the binary sequence of the corresponding audio file. Network Steganography - The process of utilizing active network protocols as carriers to transmit a covert message, undetectable by an uninformed party, from a host to its destination. This session will review these methods and also discuss relevant software.
 

In today’s business world, there is a war for talent and organizations with the best talent will win. We clearly need to motivate talented personnel. Equity compensation plans are useful to retain, reward and recruit. The GAAP and tax accounting for equity compensation plans is not static and decisions that you make during plan set-up can have major consequences to your organization’s bottom line and your management team’s personal tax situations. We will review nuances and details that impact proper accounting. Whether you are the CFO or CEO who has not been happy with prior equity compensation plans or the accountant who performs the intricate analysis and detailed accounting for these plans - this session will help you understand the issues and get it right the first time.

Most business professionals have used Excel for years, often without the benefit of any formal training. Thus, they don't know about key features in the application and, therefore, don't use them. Of course, this leads to inefficiencies and errors. Isn't it time to stop this madness? This session is for you if you're ready to become more efficient and effective with Excel! You will learn ten critical features that can help you get more work done in less time and improve your accuracy. We encourage you to make plans to join us for this session to learn the best ways of working with Excel!

This comprehensive four-hour course takes CPAs beyond the basics, diving deep into the ethical quandaries that professionals face. Beyond just the rules of Circular 230, you'll explore a variety of ethical issues, discovering the best ways to handle them with integrity and wisdom. The course provides a dual focus: understanding your obligations under Circular 230 and tackling wider ethical challenges that can arise in your day-to-day work. With real-world scenarios and interactive discussions, you'll come away with practical solutions and the confidence to make the right decisions, keeping your practice ethical and your professional standing secure.

**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.

Nonprofits face unique accounting challenges. This course will introduce attendees to the financial statements and unique accounting principles applicable to not-for-profit organizations. Specifically, we will focus on the typical transactions and account balances unique to NFPs, including net assets, agency transactions, contributions, endowments, and programmatic investments.

Protecting yourself from ransomware requires more than just anti-virus software. Additional technology protections are necessary. Further, business continuity, legal and regulatory, and cybersecurity insurance considerations should all be a part of your risk abatement strategy. Attend this session to determine if your current level of ransomware protection reduces your risk to an acceptable and identify ways to ensure that you are protected.

During this presentation, the most common mistakes made by employee benefit plan auditors, as well as, plan sponsors will be identified. Best practices for handling specific issues that arise during the course of the engagement will also be explored. This discussion will help auditors recognize potential pitfalls in audit procedures/documentation and assist plan sponsors with compliance issues.

A significant amount of information is electronically initiated, recorded, processed, or reported, and information to be used as audit evidence may be available only in electronic form. During this session we will look at different types of information commonly presented to an auditor during the audit of an employee benefit plan, and identify considerations for auditors when evaluating information to be used as audit evidence.

The AICPA's Auditing Standards Board has several large projects that will be impacting entities in the near future. We'll take a deep dive into the changes related quality management as well as group audits. We'll also review common audit deficiencies. This course will keep auditors up to date on the work of the ASB. 

Yellow Book and Single Audit engagements are considered must-select engagements for peer review. This course will review the common deficiencies noted by peer reviewers and federal agencies. We'll focus on the requirements of Yellow Book independence, CPE, and reporting. We will also review deficiencies related to internal controls over compliance, compliance testing, and major program determination for Single Audits. We'll close the course with a look at the deficiencies often identified in COVID-related funds.

Your home is now the digital center of your world, and even if you go to an office every day, you have more options to help you manage everything from shopping lists to email accounts. Unfortunately, many new devices your family connects to your WiFi can create security risks and may make remote work and school less secure. For example, tracking devices and services can help parents monitor children and seniors, but outsiders can use the same tools to stalk their loved ones digitally. This session will help you learn about devices, services, and app suites for families, share files, organize photos, manage passwords, and keep your home secure. Attend this breakout and learn about innovative new tools to help you stay safe and make the most of your time away from the office.

Automation options abound, and in this session, you will learn how to take advantage of many personal automation tools and services. You will learn about various automation platforms, creating automation workflows, and automation tools to become more efficient.

Based on an AICPA Enhancing Audit Quality study, 23% of all single audits subject to enhanced oversight were materially non-conforming with professional standards due to failure to properly test controls over compliance. 

This course will provide an overview of internal controls over compliance specifically related to Single Audits. We will discuss how to apply the concept of internal controls to various compliance requirements. Additionally, a common finding in the audits of governmental entities receiving federal grants is misidentifying controls and mistaking compliance for a control. That's why this course will also focus on identifying compliance versus controls over compliance.

This is a continuing part of our series on forensic accounting. Within this segment we discuss the concepts that are part of computer forensics known as cryptology. The term cryptography is from Ancient Greek and means “hidden secret”. It is the practice and study of techniques for secure communications in the presence of adversarial behavior. Cryptography is about constructing and analyzing protocols that prevent third parties or the public from reading private messages. Cryptography starts with secrets. Various aspects in information security such as data confidentiality, data integrity, authentication and non-repudiation (where a statement’s author cannot successfully dispute its authorship) are central to modern cryptography.

Why do for profit organizations exist??? To make money!!!!! What a great concept. But if the organization does not have the proper collections and credit procedures in place, they may not be able to access that money. Hence the importance of the credit and collection process.

Credit and collections are critical areas for the financial statement controllers. Customer credit is a form of payment that allows small business customers to purchase a product or service before paying for it in full. The process works similarly to the way a credit card does - you procure something and pay it back later. Collections is a term used by a business when referring to money owed to that business by a customer. When a customer does not pay within the terms specified, the amount of the bill becomes past due and is sometimes submitted to a collection agency.

The sales and collection process includes business activities related to selling products and services, maintaining customer records, billing customers, and recording payments from customers. It also includes activities necessary to manage accounts receivable, such as aging accounts and authorizing credit. 
This course delves into the topics that impact the sales, credit and collections process for management. We discuss strategic steps management can take to ensure their processes are efficient and that they are able to actually collect their revenue.
 

When you're working with clients, it's not always smooth sailing (though we wish it was). Often we need to have difficult conversations. Whether it's to overcome objections, negotiate a new contract, or manage a conflict, these conversations can be navigated successfully with the right tools. This workshop gives you those tools and an understanding how how the human mind works when it comes to processing communication in difficult situations.

Audit Risk Assessment in Plain English, is a 2 hour webcast highlighting the AICPA’s clarified risk assessment standards, along with a new Statement on Auditing Standard (SAS 145) related to understanding the entity, the entity’s environment, the entity’s internal controls, and assessing the risks of material misstatement.  This session will attempt to simplify the requirements using common sense examples and language.

Join our course on Multistate Taxation – Issues and Planning Opportunities designed for financial professionals. Learn about crucial topics like nexus implications, state taxable income calculations, and audit defense strategies. Gain practical insights to integrate these considerations into client financial plans effectively. From deciphering complex formulas to understanding state-specific regulations, this course equips you with actionable knowledge to excel in finance. Explore multistate business activities, choice of business entity, and interstate commerce clauses. By course completion, you'll be ready to identify common pitfalls, mitigate risks, and ensure compliance with multistate taxation. Join us and navigate the complexities of finance confidently.

**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 course explores the multitude of issues that taking on a new client can bring with it, and then interprets them using three sets of ethical rules.  A group of “players” reveal real-life challenges faced by the CPA firm in bringing the new client into compliance, as well as proper financial and tax compliance issues.

**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.

Almost 50% of businesses that started five years ago are no longer in operation today. Controllers and CFOs can and must influence the longevity of their organization to improve their success rate.  Jim will help you be aware and understand the answers to these issues:

Can you describe the financial health of your company?

Can you also explain what the financial health of your industry is?

Do you know your Business Cycle compared to the industry business cycle?

Do you have an executable plan?

Do you know what the competitive, legal and technological landscape is currently, and for the future?

Is your organization aligned and incentivize to be successful?

Jim has developed his groundbreaking Business Longevity concept as a keynote and a workshop, and would be happy to speak to your organization on this topic. This session will focus on assessment (financial health, competitive environment), determination (effective business planning, including the future landscape), and execution (gettin’ it done!)

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) has become a hot topic among standard setters. This session will look at the work of the FASB, GASB, and AICPA in the areas of ESG. We’ll also look at the types of engagements CPAs can provide to entities who want assurance around their ESG reporting.

Navigating the complexities of business transactions requires a deep understanding of tax and estate planning strategies. In this comprehensive course tailored for financial professionals, participants will explore the intricacies of creative approaches to buying, selling, or gifting a business. Through real-world scenarios and practical insights, attendees will gain invaluable expertise in identifying tax risks, minimizing liabilities, and safeguarding assets. From evaluating valuation methods to exploring the details of stock versus asset purchases, this course equips you with the essential tools to provide informed counsel to clients.

Discover the potential for strategic success as you master topics including estate transfer and tax implications, gifting strategies, and the utilization of various trusts and partnerships. Whether you're a CPA, EA, attorney, or financial planner, this course offers indispensable knowledge to elevate your practice. With a recommended 8 credit hours of Continuing Professional Education (CPE), this intermediate-level course is designed for professionals with a foundational understanding of business tax and estate planning. Join us and immerse yourself in a journey towards mastery in the vibrant landscape of business transactions.

**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.

How you onboard a new employee is critical in ensuring they understand your company culture and are immersed properly in your organization. On the flipside, in the event you are dealing with an employee termination, this too is critical in handling with care and sensitivity.  

• State how debt allocations affect the calculation of a partner’s basis in the partnership
• Recognize how recourse and nonrecourse debt are allocated to partners
• Identify the tax effects of 704(c) on contributed property

• Recourse debt allocations
• Constructive liquidation scenarios
• Nonrecourse debt allocations
• Minimum gains and nonrecourse deductions
• Section 704(c) gains
• Allocations under 704(c)

• Understand the advantages and disadvantages of the major pension-planning options for small- and medium-sized business owners
• Help clients evaluate pension plan options and select the best pension-planning option for them

• Factors business owners should take into account when choosing a retirement plan
• SIMPLE plans
• Simplified employee pension plans
• 401(k) plans
• Defined benefit plans
• Ensuring eligible employees are covered
• Employees’ impact on choice of plan
• Ongoing compliance requirements
• Establishing a plan after the tax year end
• Changes to safe harbor 401(k) plans
• Pooled employer plans

LLCs and partnerships continue to present some of the greatest challenges for return preparers and advisors.  This program will address the latest developments:

• New IRS audit initiatives
• An SE tax update for LLCs and partnerships
• Disregarded entity rules and transactions
• Common allocation problems
• Identifying various types of partnership debt properly for basis purposes
• The 754 election in the sale of interests and at death
• Reporting LLC and partnership interests on gift and estate tax returns and valuation of closely held businesses and minority interests

**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 comprehensive session is a must-attend event for any professional accountant who prepares financial statements for either a private enterprise or a firm client. We illustrate best practices for presentation and disclosure by revisiting fundamentals of financial reporting for various industries. This workshop explores best practices for United States GAAP in addition to considerations for special purpose frameworks. Experienced accountants will benefit from a refresher whereas other accountants will appreciate formative skill-building insights.

• Understand the major issues on which taxpayers and the IRS are in conflict
• Understand recent IRS guidance and legislation impacting pass-through entities

• Comprehensive coverage of the Inflation Reduction Act, including:
  • The Corporate Alternative Minimum Tax, The Clean Vehicle Credit, Credit for Previously Owned Clean Vehicles, Credit for Qualified Commercial Clean Vehicles, §45L New Energy Efficient Home Credit, Elective Payment, Transferability, and Prevailing Wage and Apprenticeship Requirements
• Principles and considerations for nonresident withholding, composite payments, and passthrough entity taxes
• Comprehensive coverage of the SECURE 2.0 Act with a focus on provisions applicable to employers
• Thinking beyond §163(j) -- Interest Allocation Rules, Original Issue Discount, Applicable High Yield Discount Obligations, Convertible Corporate Debt Instruments, and Debt-Financed Distributions 
• Retirements and redemptions: considerations for partnerships and S corporations
• Timely coverage of breaking tax legislation
• Selected Practice and Reporting Issues: What’s new?
• A review of recent cases and tax law changes and IRS guidance affecting S corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, and limited liability partnerships
• Form 1099-K reporting requirements
• Bonus depreciation in 2024
• Section 174 Research & Experimental Expenditures -- new guidance under Notice 2023-63 and Notice 2024-12
• New FinCEN reporting requirements in 2024, including recently updated FAQs
• Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs)

This program addresses the recent changes imposed by recent tax legislation that real estate owners and investors need to know, including Section 199A, the new Section 163(j) interest expense limits and the opportunity to elect out.  An introduction to opportunity zones and other important issues will also be addressed.

**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.

Conflict is inevitable whenever you have more than one person working together. But conflict doesn't have to be a bad thing. In fact, it's through conflict that some of the most productive conversations, changes, and innovations can occur in organizations...when they're navigated through effective communication. This workshop is designed to help you more strategically approach difficult conversations in the workplace and will arm you with both an understanding of how our minds approach these tough conversations and tools that you can use to approach these conversations more impactfully.

Common Audit and Financial Reporting Deficiencies in State and Local Governments, is a 2 hour webcast detailing many of the more common mistakes that auditors and accountants are making in either the preparation of their annual financial statements or the audits of such financial statements. Deficiencies in audit standards (AICPA, GAO, Single Audit) and preparation standards (GASB) noted in this webcast are driven by the most recent results found in audit organization peer reviews, workpaper or desk reviews, and various organizations checklists for oversight. 

Why do for profit organizations exist??? To make money!!!!! What a great concept. But if the organization does not have the proper collections and credit procedures in place, they may not be able to access that money. Hence the importance of the credit and collection process.Credit and collections are critical areas for the financial statement controllers. Customer credit is a form of payment that allows small business customers to purchase a product or service before paying for it in full. The process works similarly to the way a credit card does - you procure something and pay it back later. Collections is a term used by a business when referring to money owed to that business by a customer. When a customer does not pay within the terms specified, the amount of the bill becomes past due and is sometimes submitted to a collection agency.

The sales and collection process includes business activities related to selling products and services, maintaining customer records, billing customers, and recording payments from customers. It also includes activities necessary to manage accounts receivable, such as aging accounts and authorizing credit. This course delves into the topics that impact the sales, credit and collections process for management. We discuss strategic steps management can take to ensure their processes are efficient and that they are able to actually collect their revenue.
 

Loans, rental agreements, business combinations – what do these all have in common? They all have the potential of creating a related party transaction.  This program presents a detailed analysis of the financial accounting rules for transactions with related parties, as well as compares and contrasts those rules with the AICPA financial reporting framework for small and medium-sized entities.

Are you ready to expand your practice and offer comprehensive retirement planning services? Look no further! Delve deeper into the realm of IRAs and qualified retirement plans with this comprehensive eight-hour course tailored for financial practitioners. Understanding the intricate tax implications, design options, and strategic considerations of these plans is essential for meeting your clients' diverse retirement needs effectively. By the end of the program, practitioners will emerge equipped to confidently advise clients on a myriad of retirement planning strategies, enhancing their expertise and credibility in the field.

Explore the intricacies of different IRAs, ranging from traditional to Roth, and gain valuable insights into SEPs, qualified plans, and contribution plans. Navigate through the complexities of 401(k) plans, including Roth 401(k)s, and master the art of seamlessly navigating minimum distribution rules. Through practical highlights, case studies, and real-world scenarios, this course empowers practitioners to not only select the optimal retirement plans for their clients' unique financial goals but also to provide personalized retirement solutions tailored to individual needs. Don't miss out on this opportunity to elevate your practice and establish yourself as a trusted advisor in retirement planning. Enroll today and embark on a journey towards maximizing your clients' financial future!

**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.

Unlock the full potential of Excel with our comprehensive training on shortcuts and formulas. This course is designed for CPAs and financial professionals who want to enhance their efficiency and accuracy in Excel. Learn how to navigate and utilize different versions of Excel, discover powerful new functions, and master the art of creating effective tables and automations. With practical examples and hands-on exercises, you'll transform your Excel skills, making your daily tasks quicker and more precise.

Plus, benefit from insider tips and tricks drawn from the instructor's extensive real-world experience. Whether it's mastering keyboard shortcuts that save you time or applying formulas that simplify complex calculations, you'll gain practical knowledge that you can immediately apply in your work. This course isn't just about learning Excel; it's about learning to excel at Excel.

Welcome to a management course that helps CFOs and Controllers lead the Accounting Department. It is essential that the Accounting Department have a Vision which is aligned with the Business goals. Controllers must also be comfortable with wearing multiple 'hats' in the business. The head of the Accounting Department must be skilled in a variety of leadership skills, technical skills, managerial skills and current management techniquest.

Performing engagements in accordance with Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS or “Yellow Book”) requires additional reporting, ethics, and performance requirements. This course will identify and review the guidance found in the Yellow Book and analyze the relationship between Government Auditing Standards and the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct. We will review the Yellow Book requirements for financial statement audits while also touching upon ethical principles and independence

This course begins with a look at the GASB standards effective this year, including GASB 100, Accounting Changes and Error Corrections and GASB 101, Compensated Absences. We'll include practical application of the topics in the form of case studies. 

This course is a continuation of our series on preparing to become a forensic accountant. Within this segment we focus on elements of computer forensics. This session is designed to delve into further investigative procedures used in computer forensics.
 

The Not-for-Profit Advisory Committee has been busy discussing several projects that the FASB is working on and their impact on nonprofits. In this course, we will review the key issues and discussions from recent NAC meetings. We'll also take a look at ASUs issued by the FASB that may impact nonprofit financial statements. After a break, we then transition from accounting to auditing with a look at the common deficiencies found in nonprofit Yellow Book audits with a focus on CPE, reporting, and independence.

This course explores the increasingly complex features of Excel that facilitate efficient data analysis.  We will introduce numerous analytical methods and techniques by using practical examples to illustrate how to unleash the power of Excel when manipulating, analyzing and reporting information and dive into the powerful, but potentially under-utilized, capabilities of Microsoft Excel.  Designed for sophisticated users willing to approach spreadsheets from a unique perspective, this program encourages users to challenge the status quo by considering opportunities to take acceptable spreadsheets to a new level.

This course will address recent tax legislation, rules, and developments related to capitalization and depreciation; Section 179 and 168(k) 100 % bonus deduction; Depreciation of automobiles, including new luxury auto limits; ADS depreciation for electing farm and real estate business.

**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 is a 2 hour webcast that will focus on the similarities between all three of these GASB accounting standards that deal with contractual arrangements such as leases, Subscription-Based Information Technology Arrangements (SBITA) and P3s.  Compare and contrast these standards as you prepare for implementation this year of GASB 94 and GASB 96, and review the implementation efforts of Leases in Year 2. 

Many people, when they hear about feedbcak in organizations and the workplace, think immediately of performance reviews. But feedback should not be isolated to these formal structures. This workshop is about the more informal methods of feedback that managers and coworkers can use to have more productive conversations that drive behavioral change. Through understanding the importance of dialogue, strategic questions to drive conversation, and mistakes to avoid, you'll be able to have more productive feedback conversations in your workplace (and maybe even at home, too).

Social media has become a ubiquitous phenomenon in our business world. However, just because it exists is not a good reason to use it. This workshop is designed to give you an overview of the social media landscape to help you decide if you want to engage with and on social media and, if so, what channel(s) are most strategic for you and your business. The workshop ends with a simple framework to help you use social media as a credibility strategy for your business, giving you a strategy for creating a year's worth of social media content in a single day.

This course corresponds to our Controllership series. This course is dedicated to exploring the traditional controller role and stepping out of the box to identify areas where the controller can continue to add strategic value to their organizations. Within this segment of our controllership series, we discuss the area of cash and investments and explore how the controller can move these responsibilities into more of a strategic role.

In today’s world, the role of cash management is often a pivotal role in the organization. In economically difficult times, controllers may find that they spend a great deal of their time on understanding and managing the organizations' cash position. This is certainly important and, in some areas, can be seen as a staple of the lifeblood of the organization’s ongoing viability. This course takes a look at some of the typical objectives involved in Cash management and then evaluates how those objectives can be further stretched into strategic pillars of the organization. 
 

• Advise clients with respect to the risks associated with their treating workers as independent contractors rather than employees
• Understand how to employ Section 530 for purposes of defending against an IRS allegation that one or more workers are employees and not independent contractors

• The 20 common law factors in a worker classification audit that are used to distinguish an employee from an independent contractor
• How disgruntled independent contractors can use IRS Form 8919 against a former employer
• When and how to use §530 as a defense in worker classification audits
• What is "industry practice" for §530 purposes
• Common sense steps that will avoid the recharacterization of workers treated as independent contractors to employees
• The IRS’s Voluntary Classification Settlement Program — advantages and disadvantages
• The DOL Final Rule

Signed by President Biden on December 29, 2022, as part of the Consolidation Appropriations Act, this program provides an explanation of the Secure Act 2.0 provisions impacting individuals and business taxpayers.  Learn what you need to know for this filing season and how to plan for future years for 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.

• Understand which income tax returns and schedules have changed for individuals and pass-through entities
• Identify the legislative, administrative, and judicial developments that affect the income tax returns and schedules of individuals and pass-through entities

• Timely coverage of breaking tax legislation
• Comprehensive coverage of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and SECURE Act 2.0
• A tour of the most recent changes starting from gross income and ending with alternative minimum tax (AMT) and selected credits including the latest IRS guidance on recent tax legislation
• Hot developments affecting the upcoming tax season
• Review of new laws and changes in old forms to provide a familiarity for the upcoming tax season
• Key new tax and practice developments and how they impact the current-year tax forms for individuals

People skills are the most significant skills that Professionals need to develop and yet are often the last skills perfected. This course will help participants understand personality types and the successful interactions with clients, peers and family. In addition, participants will learn Neuro-linguistic programming and develop the ability to better understand nonverbal language which is key in communication. Participants will also learn techniques to enhance memory and to improve the ability to recall key facts.

One of the three major forms of occupational fraud, along with corruption and asset misappropriation, is financial statement fraud. 

From improper asset valuation to fictitious revenues, this course will review financial statement fraud red flags and examine real-life examples. 
 

In forensic accounting, interviewing is used to obtain important information from witnesses and suspects. An important aspect is the ability of investigators to obtain accurate and reliable information from victims, witnesses and the suspects or any interviewee. The interview process is an essential part of information gathering for any investigation. The importance of improving the quality of the interviewing with the potential for visual recording of all interviews should be placed high on the agenda of all organizations across the globe. A properly conducted forensic interview can result in an extreme benefit regarding collection of information. The interviewer’s role is to develop a full understanding of the facts.

There is a distinct difference between a forensic interview and a criminal interrogation. Typically, forensic auditors will not be involved in interrogations. The Canadian or U.S. forensic accounting profession does not have a standardized interview model to truly equip its professionals with the interview tools required to elicit confessions ethically. Majority of their skills are developed through experience, and not through a standardized model of training.  This session focuses on various interview concepts and methods.
 

This program explores the role of client internal controls for balancing efficiency and effectiveness in a risk-based audit. We offer practical insights regarding an auditor's assessment of the risk of material misstatement when auditing financial statements of non-issuers, with particular emphasis on internal controls of small-to-medium clients.

Whether you are responsible for managing 1 employee or 20, your leadership can make or break your team. Learn practical leadership strategies that you can implement when you return to your office. In today’s competitive market, it’s more imperative than ever that as leaders we are inspiring and motivating our teams to success.  

LLCs and partnerships continue to present some of the greatest challenges for return preparers and advisors.  This program will address the latest developments:

• New IRS audit initiatives
• An SE tax update for LLCs and partnerships
• Disregarded entity rules and transactions
• Common allocation problems
• Identifying various types of partnership debt properly for basis purposes
• The 754 election in the sale of interests and at death
• Reporting LLC and partnership interests on gift and estate tax returns and valuation of closely held businesses and minority interests

**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 course focuses on the key federal tax issues affecting business from the internal accountant's point of view, with a focus on the major ramifications of the TCJA and other recent tax legislation and developments.  Planning alternatives and the potential risks associated with those strategies will also be discussed.   

**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.

Elevate your data analysis capabilities with our focused course on Power Query. Tailored for financial professionals, this training will show you how to get started using Power Query and teach you some of the ways to take advantage of its ability to handle messy data and automate repetitive tasks.

Harness the efficiency of Power Query to revolutionize the way you work with data. Learn how to "program" your tasks once and set them on repeat, eliminating the need for repetitive, robotic work. This automation not only saves time but also ensures consistency and accuracy in your data processes.

Whether you're dealing with complex datasets or simply looking to streamline your reporting processes, this course will equip you with the tools and knowledge to make Excel work for you like never before.

Governmental Accounting 101, is a 2 hour webcast that takes the participant of a whirlwind tour of governmental accounting basics, focusing on wetting the participant’s appetite for more.  This session will be the first of a series of webcasts, with each subsequent webcast delving deeper and deeper into the governmental accounting basics. 

These are uncertain times. With constant economic fluctuation, geopolitical uncertainty and inflation pressures, corporations and their professionals are facing challenges at every turn. The Controllership function is accustomed to dealing with changing variables but when the
change is constant and every evolving, even the simplest of tasks like cash flow and cash forecasting can become difficult. 

This webinar is to focus on what methods the controller can elicit to attempt to address the current uncertainty when working with their cash flow issues and forecasting. Of course, there are basic measures that can be employed such as:

• Proactively managing receivables and payables
• Automate your accounts payable and receivables process
• Keep business expenses at a minimum
• Work with digital methods of payment from vendors
• Use credit wisely

However, this webinar will explore methods used to create and manage your cash flow and forecasting processes. These methods go one-step past your typical forecasting to enable management to explore various alternatives and scenarios for the business.

This program addresses the most recent developments impacting taxpayers incurring research and experimentation costs.  Emphasis will be placed on compliance with the 2022 change in Section 174 Amortization of research and experimental expenditures.

**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 Enhancing Audit Quality Initiative has identified inadequate or nonexistent audit documentation as one of the most significant issues facing the profession. Over half of the engagements reviewed by the AICPA did not meet the requirements of AU-C 230. This course will look at common misconceptions related to audit documentation and help attendees address these deficiencies with efficient and effective best practices.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, telework in state and local government was not often embraced as a form of employment. As the pandemic continues, governments are beginning to experience the benefits of remote work and are reevaluating hiring practices to offer more telework and hybrid work options, not simply as a result of an emergency. 

This course will review various telework options and best practices for success. 

Professional Athletes have multiple coaches - business people rarely utilize coaches. This course will focus on creating the coaching skills that are required to raise the performance of your employees. Coaching Model / Strategies Successful Communication Techniques Root Cause Analysis Performance Gap Analysis Personality impact on coaching model.

Bitcoin and crypto have been in the news recently for a variety of reasons. This course will cover the basics of accounting and auditing for cryptocurrency including recent standard setting by the FASB as well as a look at the AICPA's Accounting for and Auditing of Digital Assets practice aid.

Forensic accounting, forensic accountancy or financial forensics is the specialty practice area of accounting that investigates whether firms engage in financial reporting misconduct. Forensic accountants apply a range of skills and methods to determine whether there has been financial reporting misconduct. Financial forensic engagements may fall into several categories. 

• Economic damages calculations, whether suffered through tort or breach of contract.
• Post-acquisition disputes such as earnouts or breaches of warranties
• Bankruptcy, insolvency and reorganization
• Securities and tax fraud
• Money laundering
• Business valuation
• Computer forensics/e-discovery

This session is designed to delve a bit deeper into the world of forensic accounting and identify some of the specific areas of expertise required to become a forensic accountant. We will then first delve deeper into the art of document analysis and handwriting analysis.
 

With over 4.3 employees leaving their jobs as of early 2022, The Great Resignation presents a huge challenge for companies as they attract and retain talent. During this course, you'll learn practical strategies you can implement immediately to ensure you have the right tools in your toolbox to win the war on talent. 

In today's world, AI hype bombards us from every direction. Every system seems to boast magical AI capabilities, leading to confusion and overwhelming information. This course cuts through the noise to reveal the true, practical applications of AI for your business today. Our goal is to give you real world examples of using AI on a day-to-day basis, with a clear understanding of its particular strengths and limitations.

This hands-on workshop offers an analytical approach for designing, executing, and communicating results of a comprehensive financial statement analysis. We will explore numerous techniques and approaches that facilitate in-depth financial statement analysis. Accountants in public practice will obtain insight regarding analytical procedures, additional client services, and enhanced compliance with professional standards. Accountants in private enterprises will develop more robust techniques for understanding their organization’s financial statements to facilitate forward-thinking decisions and communication to internal and external stakeholders.

Understanding the complexities of estate and gift taxation can be challenging for many financial professionals, especially those who lack direct experience in this area. In this comprehensive course, participants will gain a solid foundation in Federal estate and gift tax law, providing them with the necessary tools to confidently handle tax compliance issues related to Forms 706 and 709. By exploring the details of the Internal Revenue Code sections pertinent to estate and gift taxation, attendees will gain a thorough understanding of key concepts, including deductions, valuations, and tax credits. This practical knowledge will not only enhance their expertise but also empower them to provide effective tax planning strategies for their clients.

Throughout the course, participants will investigate essential topics such as the valuation of assets, deductions for funeral and administrative expenses, charitable and marital deductions, and the calculation of tax credits. By mastering these critical areas, financial professionals will be better equipped to navigate the challenges of estate and gift taxation, ultimately enabling them to provide comprehensive and effective tax planning services for their clients. Whether you're looking to expand your expertise or deepen your understanding of tax compliance issues, this course offers invaluable insights and practical knowledge that can immediately be applied in your practice.

**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.

Tax planning is more than an estimated tax calculation, it's a process.  Where are we now and what can we change?  This timely program will highlight significant 2022-23 tax developments and discuss key tax planning ideas for your clients as you prepare for the upcoming tax season. Don’t wait until late December to start planning for 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.

This is the beginning of a series that will cover major aspects of the Controllership function. Controllers are essential to the day-to-day accounting for organizations. Yet, the role is not often readily understood. In today’s world of acronyms such as CFO, CEO, COO, CAO, etc., the Controller function may get lost in the shuffle. However, they are a critical group of professionals who ensure the adequacy and transparency of accounting and financial reporting information.

A Controller is an individual who has responsibility for all accounting-related activities including high-level accounting, managerial counting, and finance activities within a company. The duties of a Controller include assisting with the preparation of the operating budgets, overseeing financial reporting, and performing essential duties relating to payroll. However, in today’s evolving world, the Controller function can provide much more in-depth value to their organizations. This series is dedicated to exploring the traditional Controller role and stepping out of the box to identify areas where the Controller can add strategic value to their organizations.
In this first course we focus on the typical Controller function and begin to identify ways to elevate the function.
 

With new accounting standards, the economic landscape and evolving technology, accounting, financial reporting and finance continue to grow in complexity. FASB has tried to address the growing complexity, by working towards making GAAP less convoluted.  The struggle to stay on top of accounting financial reporting requirements and finance changes due to the economy continues for several reasons. Lack of in-house SMEs, managing high volumes of transactions, and data and evolving information technology systems.

In the future, executives must consider the challenges they will face in future years that will bring their own nuances and complexities. Budgeting is certainly one of those processes that must be evaluated and re-evaluated for efficiency. This session delves into the corporate budgeting process and discusses methods used and which methods may or may not allow for the organization’s to properly plan for a volatile future.

This program addresses the many issues impacting CPA practice with a world in crisis.  The unique challenges facing practitioners are related through actual practice situations – and then analyzed for their ethical implications. Based on real life experiences.

**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.

As spreadsheets evolve, so must your practices for creating, editing, and auditing them. In this program, you will gain an in-depth understanding of the best ways to work with Excel by learning best practices associated with Excel spreadsheets in each of the following areas: creating and editing Excel workbooks, securing Excel workbooks, collaborating with others in Excel, and reporting on data contained in Excel. Today’s best practices for Excel differ significantly from those used in the past, and you will learn the best ways to work with Excel spreadsheets in this “must-see” CPE program. Course materials include relevant examples to enhance your learning experience. Join us for this program to help you utilize Excel to its fullest potential.

This course will allow you to get reacquainted with the statement of cash flows. We will refresh your skills regarding both the preparation and utilization of the statement of cash flows. Significant emphasis will be placed on the informational role of the statement of cash flows and insights that can be obtained using the statement of cash flows in concert with the other elements of a company’s accrual-basis financial statements.

Ethics and professional skepticism are a cornerstone of public accounting. This course will review the Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants that practitioners must adhere to. This course will outline the pressures, opportunities, and rationalizations that lead to instances of fraud. In addition, this class will walk through some interactive examples to illustrate various scenarios of noncompliance during engagements. 

Fraud continues to plague businesses at epidemic levels, and technology control failures are a significant reason fraud occurs. Using a case study approach, in this session, you will learn about the pervasiveness of fraud, the control failures that contribute to fraud, and what you can do to mitigate fraud risk.

A specific focus of this course is the application of information technology general controls and information technology application controls. In this course, you will examine numerous reported fraud cases and identify the general control and application control failures that contributed to each of these frauds. By learning through these real-world case studies, you will be positioned better to reduce fraud risk.

Based on an AICPA Enhancing Audit Quality study, 23% of all single audits subject to enhanced oversight were materially non-conforming with professional standards due to failure to properly test controls over compliance. 

This course will provide an overview of internal controls over compliance specifically related to Single Audits. We will discuss how to apply the concept of internal controls to various compliance requirements. Additionally, a common finding in the audits of governmental entities receiving federal grants is misidentifying controls and mistaking compliance for a control. That's why this course will also focus on identifying compliance versus controls over compliance.

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.

This course provides in-depth information to enable the practitioner to make a well-informed decision as to whether a trust is the appropriate vehicle for a client’s financial, estate, and/or asset protection plan, and, if so, how the trust can best be implemented and operated. Participants will learn about the many different types of trusts that can be harnessed to save clients income, estate, generation-skipping, and other taxes, at both the federal and state level.

The AICPA has determined that one in ten audit firms are not compliant with the risk assessment standards. This course will discuss how to properly identify risks and assess risk under AU-C 315. We will then review how to respond to identified risks under AU-C 330. The course will focus on the audit risk model and cover both inherent risk and internal controls. We review common deficiencies and how a proper risk assessment drives a more efficient and effective audit. 

This program addresses the most recent developments impacting partnerships operating as LLCs, with a focus on legislative, administrative, and tax form changes.  Emphasis will be placed on partners “tax basis” capital accounts – now required for tax form reporting, as well an overview of K-2 and K-3 reporting requirements and effective dates.

**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 SSTS are tax standards that apply to all members who provide tax services and provide the framework for the AICPA ethical guidance for tax practitioners.  This program explores the revised AICPA Statements on Standards for Tax Services, effective January 1, 2024.  

**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.

Tax developments have been in the forefront of the news, and tax practitioner can find it challenging to remain up-to-date with these changes.  This 8 hour program will cover tax issues relating to individuals, including new court decisions, recent IRS publications, and the latest tax legislation.  The remaining time will be spent on IRS procedure and other issues. This course will provide a concise look at the hottest topics affecting every tax practitioner.  

**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.

As reported in the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners Occupational Fraud 2022:  A Report to the Nations, on average, small businesses lose 5% of their revenue due to fraud.  Can the average small business owner afford to lose 5% of their revenue due to fraud?  I think not.  This presentation is designed to illustrate the numerous ways employees commit fraud in small businesses, how to detect it, and most importantly, how to prevent it.  Both auditors and small business owners would both benefit from this presentation.

There is always too much to do and too little time to do it all.  Fortunately, if you know the right ways to manage people, projects and your time, you can get on top of everything by working smarter. 

In this seminar you'll learn the best ways to get more done in less time, how to stay sane with all you have to do, and how to get other people to do some of "your" work by building great relationships.

Charts and graphs are nothing new. However, many professionals struggle with building compelling visualizations. If that statement describes you, participate in this session to improve your skills in creating Excel charts and other visualizations. As a result, you will create visualizations to enhance your communication skills.

This session is much more than just a seminar on fundamental charts. Instead, in this session, you will learn how to create advanced charts that are interactive, dynamic, and aesthetically pleasing – three qualities that will help to ensure that your readers and audience will understand the data you are presenting. This seminar is a must if you want to improve your communication skills.

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 course corresponds to our Controllership series.

Within this course, we specifically address the Controllers role and pro-active potentials in organization Strategic and Annual Planning. This series of courses is dedicated to exploring the traditional controller role and stepping out of the box to identify areas where the Controller can add strategic value to their organizations. Controllers are essential to the day-to-day accounting for organizations. Yet, the role is not often readily understood. In today’s world of acronyms such as CFO, CEO, COO, CAO, etc. the Controller function may get lost in the shuffle. However, they are a critical group of professionals who ensure the adequacy and transparency of accounting and financial reporting information. When it comes to the task of strategic planning, many feel this role is primarily the responsibility of the executive team and board. However, in this course, we delve into the various steps of the strategic plan and explore where the Controller can add strategic value through providing functional input and insight.

Strategic planning is a process used to identify goals, the strategies necessary to accomplish those goals, and the internal performance management system that will be used to monitor and evaluate progress.

 

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.

More and more entities need Yellow Book engagements, including a growing number of for-profit entities. In this course, we will review the unique independence requirements in GAGAS. We'll also review the recent changes to quality management in Yellow Book. We'll close with a reminder of common deficiencies found in Yellow Book engagements.

Form 1065 is the tax return filed by partnerships, which is one of the most common forms of business organizations in the United States. This course provides an in-depth understanding of the preparation and filing of Form 1065.

The course will cover the basics of partnership taxation, including how partnerships are taxed, the different types of partnerships, and the tax obligations of partners. It will also discuss the importance of keeping accurate financial records, the role of the partnership agreement in tax reporting, and the filing deadlines for Form 1065.

Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of the various sections of Form 1065, including the Schedule K-1, which reports each partner's share of the partnership's income, deductions, and credits. The course will also cover how to report partnership income, expenses, and deductions, as well as the tax implications of buying and selling partnership interests.

In addition, the course will provide an overview of common errors and omissions made when preparing Form 1065, and how to avoid them. It will also cover recent changes in tax laws that affect partnership taxation.

Overall, this course is designed for tax professionals, accountants, business owners, and individuals who need to understand the intricacies of partnership taxation and the preparation and filing of Form 1065. Upon completion of the course, participants will have a solid understanding of partnership taxation and will be able to prepare and file Form 1065 with confidence.

**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.

Technology continues to revolutionize our professional and personal lives. Stay up to date on key technologies that may affect you in the very near future so that you may position you and your organization for success.

Microsoft’s Power Platform – incorporated into many Microsoft 365 subscriptions – offers tools to automate common business processes. Learn how to take advantage of the Power Platform in this session.

The Paperless Office is not a myth! With today’s technology, you have many fantastic options for “going paperless,” In this session, you will learn how to leverage these technologies for better document management and storage practices.

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 then move to the NFP side of the house with a look at the Accounting Standard Updates issued by the FASB that impacts nonprofit entities. Following that, we review the work of the Not-for-Profit Advisory Committee (NAC) and the projects they advise the FASB on. After the break, we will conduct a deeper dive into Yellow Book and Single Audit engagements. The course closes with a look at the significant changes in the 2024 Compliance Supplement, the changes to the Uniform Guidance and the common deficiencies identified by the federal agencies and peer reviewers. 

This program compares and contrasts the financial accounting for partnerships and LLCs, as well as discusses the tax accounting for these entities. It includes a thorough discussion of the important differences between financial accounting for partnership capital accounts and the tax accounting for partnership capital accounts. Financial accounting for operations of a partnership will also be addressed.

The well-informed tax practitioner will want to attend this two hour program in order to stay current on recent updates on partnership tax! Content includes recent court decisions on partnership tax issues as well as current updates to the new Forms K-2 and K-3.

**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 course will review the fundamentals of fiduciary accounting and provide a reporting guide for determining whether receipts and expenditures are assigned to income or principal/corpus. Critical issues, rules, and special opportunities when preparing your clients' Form 1041 U.S. Income Tax Return for Estates and Trusts will be examined, including what is considered taxable income and allowable deductions.  Planning and potential pitfalls will also be explored. 

Staff accountants have specific needs when working with Excel – needs that are often not met by their existing Excel knowledge. Chief among these are the needs to quickly summarize data, prepare accurate and aesthetically pleasing reports, and create accounting-centric calculations for elements such as depreciation, amortization, and interest. By participating in this eight-hour session, staff accountants will gain the essential skills they need to maximize their efficiency and accuracy when working with Excel.

This session begins with a quick overview of Excel best practices. It then progresses rapidly into discussions that address PivotTables, sophisticated formulas, Tables, formatting, and working with dates in Excel. Throughout the session, you will learn from accounting-centric examples to reinforce key learning points. In this session, you will learn in a “laptop-friendly” environment, and participants will have access to all the demonstration files used in the session. In sum, this seminar is a “must” for all staff accountants seeking to improve their efficiency and accuracy when working with Excel.

This course focuses on recent FASB updates with an emphasis on implications for private entities. We will also explore significant elements of the FASB’s technical agenda.

At its height, LIBOR was the benchmark for over US $350 trillion in financial contracts worldwide. Yet, due to concerns over the manipulation of the rate, standard setters determined that LIBOR should be discontinued. The global response to reference rate reform required financial reporting standard setters to provide practical expedients and exceptions to current modification guidance. This course will provide an overview of the standards issued (including amendments) from both the FASB and GASB to address the transition away from LIBOR.

Increasingly, automating business processes is a necessity. In this session, you will learn about real-world examples of automating business processes. Remember, the survival of your business might depend upon successful automation!

Participate in this session to learn about key emerging technologies, including quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and selfsupervised learning.

The course will start off with a look at the Accounting Standard Updates (ASUs) issued by the FASB that will be effective in 2024 as well as those that may be great for early adoption. The course will also review year 2 issues in lease accounting including how to handle lease modifications. We'll then turn our attention from accounting to auditing where we will cover the audit standards coming down the pike including group audit and quality management. 

Financial accounting for trusts and estates is one of the least understood branches of accounting. It is not particularly concerned with recording income and expenses but is obsessed with determining whether receipts and expenditures are assigned to income or principal/corpus. This course will dive into this tricky area and provide a reporting guide for fiduciary accounting.

This program addresses the many complex financial and tax accounting issues that are common in S corporation transactions, with discussion of common pitfalls and the new AICPA "small" GAAP accounting standards.

Seismic changes in tax legislation is currently taking place, and the well-informed tax practitioner will want to attend this four hour program in order to stay abreast of these developments.  This program will cover new court decisions, recent IRS publications, and the latest tax legislation that will impact businesses and individuals.  The remaining time will be spent on IRS procedure and other issues. This course will provide a concise look at the hottest topics affecting every tax practitioner. 

**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.

Fraud continues to plague businesses at epidemic levels, and technology control failures are a big reason fraud occurs. Using a case study approach, in this session, you will learn about the pervasiveness of fraud, the control failures that contribute to fraud, and what you can do to mitigate fraud risk.

A specific focus of this course is the application of information technology general controls and information technology application controls. In this course, you will examine numerous reported fraud cases and identify the general control and application control failures that contributed to each of these frauds. By learning through these real-world case studies, you will be better positioned to reduce fraud risk.

This session explores managerial accounting techniques with an emphasis on internal decision-making tools. You will appreciate a reminder regarding concepts you may not have considered since your college days. We will revisit managerial accounting concepts by illustrating practical examples that you can immediately bring back to the office!

The AICPA has determined than 1 in 10 firms are not compliant with the risk assessment standards. This course will discuss how to properly identify risks and assess risks under AU-C 315. We will then review how to respond to identified risks under AU-C 330. The course will focus on the inherent risk model. We will also review common deficiencies and how a proper risk assessment can drive a more efficient and effective audit.

This program examines the critical issues, rules, and special opportunities when preparing your clients' Form 1041 US Income Tax Return for Estates and Trusts. Learn what is considered taxable income; filing requirements and deadlines; impact of the 3.8 percent Medicare surtax on net investment income; and the 10 principles of tax accounting for trust income.

**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 IRS has recently increased the pressure on how to calculate and report partner and shareholder basis.  Changes in the forms reflect these developments.  This program provides a detailed analysis of the calculations related to determining tax basis for a partnership interest and S corporation shareholder shares and loans. How to use the Form 1065, Schedule K-1  and Form 1120S, Schedule K-1 information for basis determination.  Illustrated examples with filled in forms will demonstrate how the processes works and their many potential pitfalls. 

**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.

Unlike technologies we use every day, many currently emerging technologies can change how we work in the future. This session covers an assortment of technologies nearing mainstream adoption and helps you understand what they do, how they work, and some of the potential risks and rewards they offer. Attend this course, and learn the basics of blockchain, cryptocurrencies, big data, artificial intelligence, and machine learn.

The COVID-19 pandemic has altered corporate and public accounting in ways we could never have imagined. This broad-based course will discuss accounting and auditing implications that have arisen as a result of the pandemic.

Following on Part 1 of this course, in Part 2 you will learn advanced ways to solve problems without bruising egos, how to create profound trust quickly, and how to motivate clients and co-workers to do your bidding with a minimal amount of wasted time or hassles.    The bottom line will be better client and co-worker relationships, leading to increased enjoyment and productivity at work.

The ACFE/COSO Fraud Risk Management Guide (FRMG) was published in 2016 (and updated in 2023).  It has quickly gained acceptance as the set of best practices for preventing, detecting, and thus deterring fraud. The fraud landscape is constantly changing and evolving. The FRMG sets out a rigorous set of principles and leading practices for managing fraud risk for forward-thinking organizations to follow.  It covers:

• How to establish fraud risk management governance.
• How to conduct rigorous fraud risk assessments.
• How to design and implement fraud control activities.
• How to establish reporting mechanisms and investigative procedures.
• How to monitor the overall fraud risk management program.

Fraud risk can be managed.  All anti-fraud and accountability professionals will benefit from this session's focus on effective fraud risk management.

This course provides in-depth information to enable the practitioner to make a well-informed decision as to whether a trust is the appropriate vehicle for a client’s financial, estate, and/or asset protection plan, and, if so, how the trust can best be implemented and operated. Participants will learn about the many different types of trusts that can be harnessed to save clients income, estate, generation-skipping, and other taxes, at both the federal and state level.

In this comprehensive course, practitioners gain a deep understanding of strategic planning considerations and potential hurdles encountered when clients face difficult circumstances. Delving into an array of scenarios often classified as "challenging," the course offers tax insights. From divorce and personal bankruptcy to intricate personal relationship matters, participants will equip themselves to adeptly guide clients through these challenging scenarios by understanding the tax implications.

Strategic Planning for SMEs

• Explain the similarities and differences between GILTI, Subpart F, and PFIC regimes
• Understand the mechanics of income inclusions and foreign tax credits available under GILTI, Subpart F, and PFIC regimes
• Compare and contrast the overall tax liability under different circumstances
• Identify tax planning opportunities for income from foreign corporations

• Understand how to approach and analyze the U.S. taxation of foreign corporations
• Using an example, calculate GILTI, Subpart F, and PFIC income inclusions for an individual and C corporation
• Determine how much foreign tax credit can be claimed against such income inclusions
• Determine how subsequent dividend distributions from the foreign corporation are taxed
• Calculate capital gain on the disposition of the foreign corporation
• Discuss the impact of Section 962 election
• Compare different outcomes under GILTI, Subpart F, and PFIC regimes for individuals and corporations
• Identify basic strategies for managing tax liabilities related to foreign corporations

• Understand, apply SSARS No. 21, Clarification and Recodification
• Be familiar with changes due to the issuance of SSARS Nos. 22-26
• Be familiar with compilation and review program examples and disclosure illustrations
• Identify and apply compilation, preparation, and review procedures
• Be aware of the most recent compilation and review reports and other communications
• Utilize hands-on examples and illustrations to increase your overall understanding and application of the material

• SSARS No. 21, Clarification and Recodification, and updates to SSARS No. 21 due to the issuance of SSARS No. 23, Omnibus Statement on Standards for Accounting and Review Services
• SSARS No. 22, Compilation of Pro Forma Financial Information
• SSARS No. 24, Omnibus Statement on Standards for Accounting and Review Services -- 2018
• SSARS No. 25, Materiality in a Review of Financial Statements and Adverse Conclusions 
• SSARS No. 26, Quality Management for an Engagement Conducted in Accordance With Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services
• Sample comprehensive engagement work programs for preparation, compilation and review engagements
• Reporting and disclosure illustrations for each level of service, including attesting on personal financial statements, prescribed form, special purpose framework and other engagement variations
• Other communication requirements, such as sample engagement letters and management representation letters

• Mine a tax return for tax planning with a client
• Understand the planning implications of the current environment
• Determine the best tax strategies for retirement
• Understand tax planning for the middle-income client

• Comprehensive coverage of the SECURE Act 2.0
• Understanding the environment: what’s new, what’s expired or expiring, and what’s likely to change
• Reading a tax return for developing client-specific tax strategies
• Changes to the lifetime estate tax exemption in light of proposed regulations 
• The net investment income tax: planning for compliance
• Family income-splitting strategies that need to be considered
• Income tax issues: impact on timing of other income
• Selling a principal residence
• Two principal residences at the same time
• Use of life insurance to protect families: Whole Life Insurance, Term Life Insurance, Universal Life Insurance, and Variable Life Insurance
• Using Roth IRAs and Roth contribution programs to best advantage
• Conversions: do they still make sense?
• Taking distributions: matching timing to client requirements
• Qualified plan contributions to reduce current income and Social Security tax: implications for business owners and self-employed
• Social Security solvency issues
• Incentive Stock Options and Employee Stock Purchase Plan considerations
• What to do about itemized deductions
• Trans-generational planning: conversions, income, and gain-splitting
• Tax benefits of HSAs and other tax-advantaged accounts
• Identifying tax opportunities: reviewing the prior-year return to develop a plan for the future
• Planning for middle-income taxpayers: financial planning for the young, the working, and those approaching or in retirement
• Best financial planning ideas for young people

Due to the constant stress of a fast paced life, overwork, and family demands, it’s easy to feel one’s life is out of balance. When this happens, all areas of your life can suffer. By learning key methods for setting priorities and goals, overcoming stress, and deciding what’s most important to you, you can achieve new levels of balance and greater results. Having more balance in your life will allow you to do less of what you don’t want and more of what is truly important to you.

SAS 145, Understanding the Entity and Its Environment and Assessing the Risks of Material Misstatement, was issued in October 2021. This audit standard amends AU-C 315, making many changes to address common audit deficiencies. This course will provide an overview of SAS 145 and its changes to AU-C 315.

Sampling is often identified as a common audit deficiency in peer review. This course will review when is sampling applicable and basics of planning a sample. We'll then focus on the application of sampling in financial statement audits with a look at sampling for substantive procedures. We'll look at the use of monetary unit sampling and tools that can be leveraged to reduce bias in sampling.

With the increasing complexity and ever-changing nature of tax laws and issues, today’s accountant needs a one-day update course focusing on individual income tax issues with an emphasis of newly enacted income tax legislation. This comprehensive class will not only review the current Federal individual income tax laws but will also update tax return preparers of new tax forms, changes to existing tax forms, as well as tax planning opportunities and pitfalls. This is a “must-attend” course for all tax practitioners who want to be up to speed quickly and have a successful Federal individual income tax filing season.

**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 course will serve as an introduction to conducting effective walkthroughs to gain an understanding of the client's transaction processes as well as identify internal controls within each process. This course will review the procedures, questions to ask, and documentation requirements of walkthroughs. It will also include real-world examples of the red flags that may arise while executing a walkthrough. 

This course is designed to assist CPAs who perform financial statement preparation, compilation, or review engagements. Our panelists will provide an in-depth analysis of the SSARS and will provide practice tips that will assist you in performing profitable standard compliant engagements.

The ability to create and ask good questions as well as the ability to know when someone is being deceptive are important skills for managers, auditors, and investigators. This session will improve your interview techniques and your lie detection abilities. Multiple videos from various movies, TV shows, and public figures showcasing the behaviors of liars are included.

• Advise business owner clients on adopting tax planning strategies that would reduce their tax liability for 2024

• Complying with the beneficial ownership information reporting requirements
• The current status of the Employee Retention Credit Voluntary Disclosure Program
• Using the newly expanded access to business tax accounts for partners and shareholders of S corporations
• IRS guidance allowing car dealers to provide electric vehicle tax rebates upfront to qualified auto buyers
• Monetizing energy credits
• Amortization of research and experimental expenditures
• Dealing with the taxpayer loss in the Tax Court in Soroban Capital Partners requiring managers to pay self-employment tax on certain payments to limited partners
• Contributions to Roth “catch-up” plans
• Roth contributions to a SEP and Simple IRA
• Employer matching contributions to a Roth account
• Section 179 and bonus depreciation
• Roth 401(k) contributions no longer subject to RMDs during the owner’s lifetime

We believe in fairness. When others do wrong, and their action hurts us - the natural reaction is to fight back and seek retribution. Simple human nature and we are all human. We want fairness and want to fight back, but this is one of the toughest ethical dilemmas we all face.  What should we do and what we do are not always the same. What if being nice, or specifically being a positive best version of yourself, makes you a more effective leader?   Ethical leadership is effective leadership.  That’s what Dr. Cohen, noted psychologist, transformational speaker, executive coach, and author of Be The Sun, Not The Salt, has been teaching organizations to do for years. Dr. Cohen’s work is based on scientific studies of human behavior broken down into simple, easily digestible pillars structured around the Heliotropic Effect.  In this webcast we will discuss Dr. Cohen’s path to this work, what the Heliotropic Effect is, and how Be The Sun, Not The Salt is the perfect reminder to Do More of That every day.

This is not your average CPE course! In this fun and practical course, you'll learn how to remember names, where you put things, what you read, or anything else 300% (or more) effectively than before. You will also learn how to prevent dementia, and halve your stress by using exercises that take under two minutes a day to do. Additionally, you'll receive information on ways to improve your memory by improving your overall health and wellness. This course will give you an overview of natural supplements to enhance your memory as well as share tips to improve your sleep. This course will change your life both now and in the future by making sure you know the best ways to remember information, handle stress and keep your mind sharp until the day you die. The information in this course to help increase your professional efficiency and improve your overall quality of life.

Enterprise Risk Management for SMEs

Over the next decade, the area of “Advisory Services” has the greatest potential for growth in your practice.  Complexities within your clients’ financial, estate, and asset protection plans coupled with the ever-changing Internal Revenue Code has created an opportunity for the CPA, the EA, and other advisors to expand their client offerings. This course provides the practitioner with the framework for practice expansion as well as an understanding of a variety of necessary issues and techniques.

• Identify how the economy performs during election years using key economic indicators
• Recall how key investments perform during various stages of the economic cycle
• Recognize how investment performance is affected by elections
• Recognize how tax policy changes affect the economy

• Key characteristics of the economic cycle
• Market indicators
• Which investments historically have performed better in which part of the economic cycle
• Election years and investments
• The January Effect
• The effect of inflation on certain investments
• Tax policy and the economy

Numbers and especially the digits within those numbers can conceal a lot of information.  Benford's Law and other digital analysis techniques can be the keys to unlocking that information.  This session will explain what Benford's Law is, how it works, and how it can be used to reveal bogus information and made-up data.  Accountants and auditors should understand how to use this valuable audit tool as well as other digital analysis techniques.  But, if you attend this session, you must promise not to reveal the secret behind these techniques to any fraud perpetrators.

In trying to achieve life balance, various internal and external obstacles arise.  In this course we will look at these obstacles and provide specific ways to overcome them.  In addition, we will look at how to excel in every area of your life including your relationships, finances, sense of purpose, level of  happiness, and your physical health and leisure time pursuits.  You will leave this course with powerful methods and a specific plan to move forward in your life in a balanced, healthy, and productive manner.  Don't forget to take Part 1 of this amazing course.

When we verbally communicate with an individual, we must make a conscious decision as to whether we believe what we have heard.  Little do we realize that we are not making a decision based on what we have heard; rather we make a subconscious decision based primarily on what we have seen, or how the body was behaving when the subject was speaking.  We often walk away from a conversation with a gut feeling that the person was not telling the truth.  That gut feeling is your subconscious.  Yet we often have no idea as to why we have that feeling.

This presentation is designed to provide the participant with the tools to identify those both verbal and nonverbal indicators that we all give off when we are under stress.  Normally, telling the truth does not create stress.  When we lie, we know that we are not supposed to and that creates stress, and it will manifest itself in some manner, and that is what a trained interviewer is looking to observe.

When we observe indicators of deception, how do we deal with it?  How do we get the subject to admit to a wrong-doing when it is not in their best interest to do so?  That is one of the many things that will be addressed in this presentation.  Whether you are a parent dealing with you kids; an employer dealing with employees or and investigation interviewing a suspect, this presentation will provide you with the tools to assist you in finding the truth.

As reported in the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners Occupational Fraud 2022:  A Report to the Nations, on average, small businesses lose 5% of their revenue due to fraud.  Can the average small business owner afford to lose 5% of their revenue due to fraud?  I think not.  This presentation is designed to illustrate the numerous ways employees commit fraud in small businesses, how to detect it, and most importantly, how to prevent it.  Both auditors and small business owners would both benefit from this presentation.

AU-C Section 315 requires the auditor to gain an understanding of the entity and its environment and the entity's internal controls in order to design appropriate audit procedures. This course will review  the key requirements of COSO which is one of the most widely used internal control frameworks. We'll also review the limitations of internal controls. Additionally, this course will introduce the risk assessment process and the various audit procedures to evaluate controls and to determine whether to test the operating effectiveness of controls. 

Artificial Intelligence ("AI") can do and does amazing things, but there are myriad ethical issues involved with AI. We will discuss the many ethical questions that AI raises and how to prevent them from having an adverse impact. We must be more diligent and aware of the ethical issues.  AI has severe ethical pitfalls that we should understand clearly. AI is here to stay and we must understand how to mitigate the ethical issues.     

Communication is the glue that connects people, but it doesn’t come easy for many of us. If you want to quickly and effectively handle problems with co-workers or clients, and you want people to do what you want without a lot of hassle, this seminar is for you. The bottom line will be better client and co-worker relationships, leading to increased enjoyment and productivity at work.

It is virtually impossible to pick up the daily newspaper and not find an article on some type of fraudulent event. In the wake of the “Era of Fraud, Waste and Excess,” one might suspect that potential fraudsters would think twice before committing illegal acts. However, just the opposite seems to be the case.  Is there really more fraud or is there simply more fraud awareness?  The harsh reality is that it is a little bit of each.  Not only has fraud worldwide reached a level of over $7.0 billion in lost  revenue but savvy C-level executives now realize that it could happen to their companies—very easily. When you put these facts together, it adds up to a completely new era of vigilance.

• Understand how an HSA works and who can set one up
• Recognize why an employer would want to set up an HSA for its employees
• Describe how enrollment in Medicare affects an HSA

• Benefits of an HSA
• How an employer sets up an HSA
• How individuals qualify to set up an HSA
• High deductible health plans and how they relate to an HSA
• Eligible medical expenditures
• Annual contributions to an HSA
• Importance of enrollment in Medicare
• Qualified HSA funding distribution

• Understand the key provisions of Circular 230 and how they apply to your practice
• Know your rights and responsibilities under Circular 230
• Understand the lifecycle of a disciplinary case and its possible outcomes

• Office of Professional Responsibility – Authority and Procedures
• Current status of the regulations governing tax practice before the IRS (Circular 230 Rev. 6/2014)
• In depth coverage of the various Due Diligence obligations of tax professionals
• Overview of other key Circular 230 provisions
• Practitioner responsibilities to their clients and to the Tax Administration System
• Best Practices for all tax professionals

Individuals who work in a governmental environment have many rules of ethics that must be followed. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) issues Yellow Book providing rules related to ethics and independence, which received a significant update in 2018. We'll review some of the key elements of ethics relevant to governmental entities and auditors to prevent independence noncompliance.

In order not to perform an excessive number of audit procedures (over audit) auditors must perform procedures in order to determine in what areas are there weak internal controls that could result in a risk that the financial statements would be materially misstated and not be detected.  SAS No. 122, AU 300 – 499, Measuring Audit Risk provides guidance as well as required procedures that must be performed in every audit in order to determine the risk of material misstatement.  No longer can the auditor state that they assess the risk of material misstatement at maximum without having a basis for making such assessment.  As a result, the standards now require that the auditor make such an assessment of a material misstatement of the financial statement on every audit in order to have a basis for such assessment.  This program is an overview of the statement documentation requirements in assessing such a risk.

This course is designed to assist CPAs who perform financial statement preparation, compilation, or review engagements. Our panelists will provide an in-depth analysis of the SSARS and will provide practice tips that will assist you in performing profitable standard compliant engagements.

• Be familiar with AI tools and the current status of AI tool development
• Be able to explain what ChatGPT is and how it works
• Understand how AI tools will change the accounting and finance professions
• Be able to explain the benefits and risks of adopting AI tools
• Begin drafting policies around AI implementation for your firm or company

• What are AI tools?
• Where are we with AI tool development?
• What is ChatGPT?
• ChatGPT – what kind of queries are possible?
• Copyright and intellectual property issues
• Benefits of AI tools
• Concerns with AI tools
• Impact on business use of AI
• Policy on AI tools

• Identify and manage client risks and expectations
• Develop strategies for boosting client satisfaction and loyalty
• Understand client management best practices
• Develop practical skills to build stronger client relationships and improve client satisfaction
• Leverage technology to enhance your client service capabilities
• Discover strategies to optimize client retention and drive growth in your practice

• The evolving landscape of client expectations in the accounting profession
• Building strong and lasting client relationships through effective communication, empathy, and proactive service
• Implementing efficient client onboarding and engagement processes
• Leveraging technology to streamline communication, enhance collaboration, and deliver personalized service
• Effectively resolving client concerns and complaints
• Utilizing client feedback to continually improve your practice

Non-fungible Tokens (NFTs), unique, identifiable digital assets based on blockchain technologies, have become a fast-growing industry. This course will provide a background on how NFTs came into the mainstream marketplace.  These materials will assist the practitioner to understand the tax implications of the creation, purchase and sale of these assets. 

**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.

• Identify key tax due dates by entity type
• Recognize how late filing, late payment, and other common penalties are calculated
• Recall common information return due dates and applicable penalties
• State first time abatement relief qualifications and other common remedies
• State what the term nexus means and how it differs for sales tax and income tax reporting obligations
• Recognize economic nexus and when it applies
• Identify when a company has to file an income tax return or sales tax return

• Estimated taxes and deadlines
• Tax due dates for common returns and filings
• Potential penalties and interest
• Information return penalties
• Penalties applicable to pass-through entities
• Accuracy-related penalties
• First-time abatement (FTA)
• FTA eligible returns
• Reasonable cause
• Nexus: sales tax vs. income tax
• Sales tax nexus with state specific examples
• Remote work and sales tax nexus
• Income tax nexus with state-specific examples
• Remote work and income tax nexus
• Sales factor: throwback rules

Bears are intelligent and motivated to find food. When I left some fried chicken in my Jeep while in Gatlinburg, a bear tore a hole in the top and ate the chicken and part of my Jeep. He was just a bear being a bear. I'm responsible because I left the chicken in the Jeep and gave him the opportunity. Similarly, people are intelligent and motivated to survive. If we give them opportunity by not implementing good internal controls, they will take our assets. This session reviews the investigation and prosecution of the former director of a conference center who took advantage of lax internal controls of a joint-venture and stole thousands. She was just a fraudster being a fraudster.

This session will focus on the most common types of fraud in the procurement and contracting arena, with a focus on fraud in construction.  The session will examine fraud vulnerabilities in the four key phases of the procurement process:

• Presolicitation.
• Negotiation.
• Performance.
• Closeout and Claims. 

Within each phase, “red flags” will be discussed.  These are the indicia of possible fraud that managers should be alert for.  Also, within each phase, the most common fraud schemes will be highlighted and discussed.  Finally, the session will describe the generally accepted safeguards or controls that should be established to prevent the various fraud schemes that can occur.  This part of the program will make extensive use of actual fraud case studies designed to demonstrate fraud risks and fraud detection strategies.

This is not your average CPE course--Part 2! In this second part course (which is equally fun and engaging), you will learn how to feel confident--even in highly stressful situations. You will learn new secrets to great health that take under 10 minutes per week, and you will learn how to know what is most important to you--so you can be happier and healthier in the long run. Tune in for techniques to relieve stress and tips on incorpating meditation into your daily routine. All of which will help improve your memory and overall mental health and wellbeing. In addition, you'll learn an unsurpassed method for making sure you stay consistent with actually implementing these methods in your daily life.

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.  The same theory applies to departmental performance—the overall result is only as strong as its weakest contributor.  Leave our interactive and entertaining session with insight for developing and sustaining the best team you can possibly assemble.  The four elements in this process are (1) development, (2) leadership, (3) hiring and (4) environment.  Discuss how to effectively use these elements in your creation of an outstanding organization. Discover the power of the 10 Attributes for Leadership Success and the negative impact of Leadership’s Fatal 13. Above all, learn how to combine these four elements as a successful catalyst for sustained high-quality output and results.  

Good judgment works well in handling most employee relations matters.  However, there are special situations where legal requirements dictate specific handling to avoid significant personal and employer liability.   This course provides practical knowledge and scripts for responding to requests for accommodations regarding religious practices or disabilities, confronting employees in substance abuse situations, and handling disclosures of contagious infections so that individual is properly helped, and the health of your workforce is protected.

The Uniform Guidance identifies COSO and Green Book as best practices in internal control. This course will cover the background on COSO and its 2013 update. We’ll also review the application of COSO to Green Book. Attendees will learn how to leverage Part 6 of the Compliance Supplement for documentation of internal controls.

You often can perform an audit in accordance with all of the standards, and still have a substandard audit IF you did not get out among the clients employees (let them know you are there and where you located), talk to as many people as you can regardless as to whether you may think that they may have any helpful information; constantly observe your surrounding where ever you are at (you never now what you might see) and lastly, listen to not only what people are saying to you but are also saying around you.

This presentation is designed to illustrate the importance of making yourself available to your client’s employees, let them know that you are there and where you can be found. Talk with them because if there is a problem, somebody knows and they will often tell you all about it IF you just ask them.  Look at your surrounding everywhere you go.  What are you looking for?  I don’t know but I’ll know it when I see it. Lastly, listen to what they have to say.  Every word is important because they may say something that you had not asked about. 

Remember, you never want to discover something and go to an individual who you determined knew about it and ask, why didn’t you tell me about this and their response was, you never asked me!

Two conmen used lies and falsified documents to convince the State of Tennessee to give them a $3,000,000 economic development grant to create 1,000 jobs by purchasing and rehabilitating a vacant factory in rural Tennessee. Instead, they spent most of the money on an extravagant lifestyle and invested over $1M in a scheme to defraud the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) out of over $30,000,000 pursuant to a contract to provide the tarps for areas such as Puerto Rico, affected by hurricanes. This session provides a detailed case study of how the investigators accumulated, organized, and analyzed hundreds of documents, identified the falsifications and misrepresentations, conducted multiple interviews, and ultimately convicted the conmen. This case study provides multiple takeaways for detecting and investigating grant fraud, which is especially relevant in light of the numerous federal stimulus programs in recent years.

In this course we will look at the highlights of what valuation is doing, how to go about it and what to look for in business valuation reports.  Areas such as types of reports, the standards by which they are prepared and process that is used to go from data to report.  We will also discuss the purposes of reports and how that purpose may impact the value.  Finally, we discuss how to determine the value of minority interests.

Did you know that AI can now write your marketing copy? Create videos with your digital likeness? Provide subjective advice to your clients? Produce training for your employees? Even if you're on the fence about trusting artificial intelligence tools, knowing about these technologies, especially when combined with forms of synthetic media (think deep fakes, but not nefarious), is important for any business leader. Imagine being able to have your likeness communicate in over 40 languages. Think about how amazing it would be to create customized content for every situation without building each piece from scratch. Marvel at how that *perfect* image can manifest from typing just a few keywords. In this session you'll learn about the evolution of communication technologies, how artificial intelligence has expanded our range of connective possibilities, and what possibilities exist for leveraging these channels of communication in your business.

Debt is a real problem for many clients, business owners, and the general public.  It can be ever increasing and causes financial, emotional and physical challenges that seem to spiral out of control.

What if you could help your clients “do debt differently”? This strategy turns the game upside down and presents solutions from the inside out.  As a CPA, you are already a trusted advisor for your clients.  What if you could help your clients be free of this burden?  This is a tremendous resource you can offer to your clients, expanding the value of what you offer them by adding these processes to your packages.  Clients will be happy to pay for this kind of relief as you support them in doing debt differently.  

If you are one of the many people who are personally burdened by this situation, these strategies, tools, mindsets and actions will personally help you get better results…so you can go back to the task of expanding and growing your business, sleeping better at night and gaining access to the creativity that will take you to your next level of financial fulfillment. 

Paying off debt is an inside/outside job.  Successful strategies include the internal shifts to mindset and enhancing the inner qualities that are most helpful in paying off debt, and practical tools to help make the transition from thinking about paying off debt to actually doing it. This program combines both -- emotional support and dozens of tools and action steps to Do Debt Differently, including:

• An inventory process to objectively assess the situation and face it head on
• Guided mind/body processes to alleviate anxiety about the situation
• Creative exploration (writing and drawing) to gain clarity and specificity
• Stories and discussion to strengthen your access to the qualities that will be most helpful to your success
• Using a menu of options to create a personal action plan and an ongoing support team

The techniques in this program are creative and easy, but immensely practical.   We will combine practical, nuts-and-bolts action steps with powerful tools for mindset-shifting.

There is no reason to continue to suffer the burden and overwhelm of debt. Relief is here! Through discussion, interactive exercises, skill building, mindset shifting and powerful actions, you and your clients could be on your way to a debt free life. Please join me for this empowering approach to changing your financial situation.

"Did you know that fraud is like a parasite, feeding on the lifeblood of the industry and causing billions in losses each year? Join Chuck Gallagher, a renowned expert in fraud prevention, for 'The Many Faces of Fraud: Shedding Light on the Tactics of Modern-Day Swindlers,' a captivating two-hour course that will empower you to thwart these financial predators.

Chuck will guide you through the most common forms of fraud, revealing the psychology and motivations of swindlers. Through real-life case studies and hands-on exercises, you'll learn practical strategies for identifying red flags and responding effectively to safeguard your organization.

Enroll now to gain invaluable insights and join the fight against these cunning adversaries!"

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer just a theoretical concept! Instead, AI is a practical tool available today to help you address and solve real-world problems. In this course, you will learn about the fundamentals of AI and how you can put this amazing technology to work today to help you and your team work more efficiently and effectively. Participate in this course to learn about the fundamentals of AI and specific types of problems AI can help you address. You will learn about AI features available in everyday applications – including Excel – and how you can use these features in situations such as detecting fraud and identifying potential errors in transactions. You will also learn how AI is changing how accounting and financial professionals work, both today and in the future.

This session provides insight on the realities of internal audit management roles, and the elements needed to build a strong internal audit department to provide the most value for your company.

The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) has done a tremendous job raising the profile of the auditing profession. As auditors, we strive to abide by the standards and guidelines. But have you ever asked management within your company if they knew such standards existed? Do they truly understand the concepts of risk-based auditing, independence and obligations to the board or charter requirements? It is surprising how so many of these basic concepts are taken for granted by auditors and that we assume management is aware.

Individuals considering an internal audit management role should understand the challenges as well as benefits that may be presented to them within this role. It is critical that certain elements of the job be well understood by those holding the positions. This session is designed to step into the reality of the internal audit management role and discuss some of the concepts that aren’t always openly discussed within organizations…but are important concepts the internal audit manager should ensure they can clarify with management and be prepared to address on the job.

• Make better financial decisions that have a positive impact on the organization
• Lead the organization into the rapidly changing decade
• Apply what we have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic for a positive impact on the organization

• Latest state of the economy
• Expense control that works
• Understanding our changing workforce and working environment
• Financial risk analysis
• Enterprise risk management
• Improving bank relationships

• Update on latest cases, rulings, and regulations including the final regs
• Provisions of Revenue Procedure 2022-19: Relief for S corporations
• Legislative update on retirement plan changes of the SECURE Act 2.0
• How to handle liabilities of LLCs
• Planning opportunities and pitfalls in determining basis and amounts at risk -- recourse and nonrecourse debt issues for LLCs, and much more
• Section 199A pass-through deduction planning
• Partnership planning -- Structuring partnership distributions and transfers of interests
• Optional basis adjustments -- §§754 and 732(d)
• Planning for the utilization of §179 and for the scheduled phase out of bonus depreciation beginning in 2024
• Basis, distribution, redemption, and liquidation issues of S corporations
• Compensation in S corporations
• Sale of a partnership -- the best planning concepts
• What you need to know about family pass-throughs -- Estate planning, family income splitting, and compensation planning
• Partnership and LLC allocations
• A brief look at possible future changes to the taxation of pass-through entities
• The who, what, when, where, and how of the new FinCEN BOI reporting requirements