ACPEN has joined forces with Practice Protect to present a webinar series, "Mastering Cybersecurity," carefully crafted to empower CPAs with the essential knowledge and tools required for effectively safeguarding their practices and client information.

This classroom comprises of three parts and if you are a member, you'll receive one of them for free. Don't pass up this opportunity. 

Cybercrime is on the rise and CPAs that handle sensitive client data are often the target of cybercrimes.  

In this bundle, you get:

• Eight Biggest Threats to your business and introducing Three Pillars of Cybersecurity
• Mastering The Three Pillars of Cybersecurity: Exploring the Technology Pillar
• Mastering The Three Pillars of Cybersecurity: Team & Compliance

You'll learn what the eight biggest threats are to your business and uncover the three pillars of cybersecurity that you can build your firm's defense around.

Welcome to the ACPEN Employee Relations Micro-Credential. In order to successfully complete this program, there are 6 required sessions and a final exam to test competency. The sessions are scheduled with multiple date/time options that you may choose from. This group of courses will address the following concepts: 

• Maintaining a Harmonious Work Environment 
• Addressing Accomodations in the Workplace
• Coaching and Counseling 
• Balancing Employee and Employer Rights

These sessions will provide you with practical knowledge and critical information that will help your firm or company to thrive in an increasingly complex work environment. This comprehensive program is designed to help practitioners, business owners, managers and leaders create successful, positive work places and avoid litigation.  The sessions included are as follows:  Balancing Employee and Employer Rights, Maintaining a Harmonious Working Environment, Coaching & Counseling - Performance Management,     Coaching & Counseling - Addressing Misconduct, Preparing for & Conducting Discharge Meetings, Accommodation Requests - Substance Abuse - Contagious Infections

In addition to the microcredential, the successful completion of this program will award 7 hours of CPE in the applicable NASBA field of study.

Welcome to DEI: From the Inside Out! Many of you have participated in different versions of DEI programs over the last several years. DEI has been a big buzzword in the workplace over the past four years. Many companies and organizations, large and small, have established DEI initiatives. Based on the research, however, many still need help with successful implementation. From our company's perspective, the primary reason is the approach! Many DEI initiatives are about race and other factors and negate the one aspect with the most remarkable ability to move the needle, the humanistic element of DEI. This approach is about valuing, welcoming, and appreciating the people around us as human beings, regardless of their differences in culture, race, gender, etc. The system of diving into bias training, microaggressions, etc.—has not worked very well. We are not negating their importance, but when we view things from the humanistic side, we begin to see the beauty and benefit of DEI as a growth and benefits tool for your company or organization.

That is what the DEI From the Inside-Out Model is all about.

This 2-session Micro-Credential program, will provide valuable tools to add to or develop your DEI efforts so that all stakeholders will benefit from the investment of money and time. It will also create a safe space for people to learn, grow, and adjust where necessary.

Welcome to the ACPEN Fraud Micro-Credential. In order to successfully complete this program, there are 6 required sessions and a final exam to test competency. The sessions are scheduled with a variety of dates and times, so you can select the days that work with your schedule.

This group of courses will address the following concepts: 

• Preventing and Detecting Business Fraud
• Managing Risks Associated with Business Fraud
• Types of Business Fraud - Payroll, Embezzlement, Accounting & Auditing
• Interviewing & Interrogation

In addition to the microcredential, the successful completion of this program will award 19.5 hours of CPE in the applicable NASBA field of study.  Course titles will include:  Prevention & Detection of Fraud In Small Businesses, Auditing for Fraud, Expense and Payroll Fraud, ACPEN Signature 2023:  Business Fraud Update and Managing the Risk of Fraud, Accounting Fraud & Embezzlement: Case Studies from the Trenches, Was It Fraud or Just Poor Audit Quality?

Welcome to the ACPEN Yellowbook Micro-Credential. This program will award you all 24 hours of Governmental CPE so you can be Yellowbook compliant. 

In order to successfully complete this program, there are 6 required sessions and a final exam to test competency. The sessions are scheduled in order and there are many date/time options that you may choose from for each session. This group of courses will address the following concepts: 

• Learn about the similarities between all three 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. 
• Take a whirlwind tour of governmental accounting basics while focusing on wetting the participant’s appetite for more. 
• Stay up-to-date on rapidly changing developments by participating in the 2024 Governmental Accounting and Auditing Update! 
• Learn about Common Audit and Financial Reporting Deficiencies in State and Local Governments.
• Learn how to simplify the requirements using common sense examples and language. 
• Learn what you need to know if you are performing audits under these audit standards and the Uniform Guidance for Federal Awards. 

 The sessions included are as follows:  GASB 96 –SBITA, GASB 94 P3, and GASB 87 Leases (Year 2), Governmental Accounting 101, ACPEN Signature 2024: Governmental Accounting & Auditing Update, Common Audit and Financial Reporting Deficiencies in State and Local Governments, Audit Risk Assessment in Plain English, and ACPEN Signature 2024: Single Audit and Uniform Guidance Issues Update

Welcome to the ACPEN Future Of Work Micro-Credential! 

This 3-session Micro-Credential program, approximately sixty minutes per session, will provide you with 3 hours of CPE, as well as a micro-credential badge. 

In order to successfully complete this program, there are 3 required sessions and a final exam to test competency. The sessions should be taken in order and there are multiple date/time options that you may choose from. These sessions will provide you with practical knowledge and critical information that will help your plan for the future work. 

The Workplace Safety Micro-Credential offers a comprehensive curriculum designed to equip individuals with the essential knowledge and skills to ensure workplace safety and effectively respond to emergencies. This program comprises five modules, each focusing on critical aspects of incident preparedness:

1. Pre-Incident Awareness and Threat Recognition: This module provides participants with the necessary knowledge to recognize potential threats and hazards in the workplace. Topics include identifying warning signs, understanding situational awareness, and implementing proactive measures to prevent incidents before they occur.

2. Responding to a Threat: Participants learn how to effectively respond to various threats, including active shooters, and workplace violence.

3. Life-Saving Medical Training: This module emphasizes the importance of immediate medical intervention in emergencies. Participants acquire essential first aid skills, bleeding control (wound packing, tourniquet).

4. Interaction with First Responders: Participants learn how to effectively communicate and collaborate with first responders during emergency incidents. This module covers the role of law enforcement, fire departments, and emergency medical services, as well as best practices for facilitating a smooth transition of command and control.

5. Deescalation Training: This module focuses on conflict resolution and deescalation techniques to prevent potentially volatile situations from escalating into violence. Participants learn communication strategies, active listening skills, and practical deescalation tactics to defuse tension, promote cooperation, and foster a safe and respectful work environment.

Upon successful completion of all modules, participants will receive a Workplace Safety Micro-Credential, demonstrating their proficiency in incident preparedness and their commitment to maintaining a safe and secure work environment. This credential not only enhances individual skills but also contributes to a culture of safety within the workplace, ultimately safeguarding the well-being of employees and stakeholders.

• Identify the critical changes occurring in governmental accounting today
• Skillfully implement today’s most challenging GASB standards
• More effectively audit governmental entities through superior knowledge of key accounting issues

• The 2024 implementation of GASB No. 100 on accounting changes and error corrections
• The end of 2024 application of GASB No. 101 addressing compensated absences
• Additional recently issued GASB standards and projects

• Determine initial basis and organizing tax-free under §351 and §721
• Understand what affects basis and how to treat distributions
• Pass the four loss limitation hurdles to deduct pass-through losses

• Timely coverage of breaking tax legislation
• Applicable coverage of any basis considerations within any recent tax legislation  
• Passthrough basis calculations required as attachments to certain individual returns 
• Executor’s form for disclosing basis in certain distributed property; what about the basis of a property distribution from a trust? 
• How §179 limitations affect basis and how tax-benefit rule is applied 
• Basis implications of personal assets converted to business use 
• How to calculate basis of inherited qualified and joint tenancy property 
• Tax basis capital account reporting requirements 
• S corporations: Beware of final IRS regulations regarding “open debt”; determine how to calculate basis; worksheets are included; understand the effect of stock basis and debt basis and IRS’s recent focus on “at-risk basis” for shareholders; recognize how AAA applies or doesn’t apply to S corporations; learn to apply the complex basis ordering rules and special elections that can have a big tax result; discuss loss limitation rules in depth; when you can have a taxable dividend in an S corporation; understand distributions of cash and property; understand the post-termination transition rules, and temporary post-termination rules for eligible corporations, which will be important for S corps returning to C corps 
• LLCs and partnerships: Learn the detailed rules of §704 for preventing the shifting of tax consequences among partners or members; learn to calculate basis under §704 & for “at-risk” under §465; recognize how recourse, nonrecourse, and qualified nonrecourse debt can create significantly different tax results; learn the difference between basis and “at-risk basis”; review §754 step-up in basis rules; the economic effect equivalence test or “dumb-but-lucky” rule; learn to apply the complex rules of distribution of cash vs. property, and the basis treatment of charitable contributions and foreign taxes paid 

• Understand the drivers of fraud risk in a financial statement audit
• Conduct procedures required by professional literature to assess the risk of fraud
• Develop discussion points to review with management and those charged with governance
• Identify the main types of fraud that occur in small to mid-sized companies and develop internal controls responsive to those risks
• Evaluate fraud case examples and identify how fraud occurred and how it could have been prevented or detected

• The fraud landscape in the United States
• Fraud risk procedures as updated by recently issued standards
• Most likely fraud types found in small to mid-sized entities
• Internal controls to prevent and detect fraud
• What to do when fraud is identified or suspected
• Case studies based on recent frauds
• Cyber fraud schemes and how to prevent and detect them
• Analytics that can be used as fraud risk procedures
• Assessing the risk of grant fraud in a Single Audit

The audit standards state that one of the reasons auditors fail to detect fraud is that they don’t know what it looks like.  Prior to the original SAS No. 82, Consideration of Fraud In A Financial Statement Audit, nowhere in any SAS was there a description of what fraud looked like.  So, as they say, if you don’t know what you are looking for, you can often look right at it and not recognize it!

This presentation illustrates some of the more common indicators of fraud they most individuals would overlook unless they 1) knew what they were looking for and were 2) actually looking for it.  Contrary to what the standards say about fraud being concealed, I have found that fraud is often laying on the table right in front of you; but no one has discovered it because they have no idea what the indicators of fraud are.

Are you looking to fortify your practice against the ever-growing threats in the digital landscape? Join us for the third installment of our exclusive webinar series, "Mastering Cybersecurity," brought to you by Practice Protect. 

In today's digitally connected world, the need for comprehensive cybersecurity is paramount. With cyberattacks becoming more sophisticated, it's crucial to stay ahead of the curve in protecting your sensitive client data. This webinar series is designed to equip CPAs with the knowledge and tools needed to secure their practices and client information effectively.

American businesses report losing $400 billion a year to unclear writing that wastes time, kills contracts and turns off customers.  Optimize your time spent in communications as a writer and a reader.  Prevent your readers from deleting your email or sending your document to the circular file because they are too much work to decipher.  Write with clear purpose and enjoy the results and time saved.

Be part of the solution, not part of the problem – write it right the first time.

This course is essential for the tax practitioner who wants to update their knowledge of business income taxation so that the practitioner can provide solid planning advice to their clients prior to year-end. This course will provide a comprehensive review of business issues for the current tax year. Included will be a thorough review of all Internal Revenue Code changes made by year-to-date. In addition, this course will instruct the participant as to where to expect potential changes to be made by the current administration.

This comprehensive case-driven training is designed to get the accountant up to speed quickly in the area of basis calculations and distribution planning for the owners of pass-thru entities (i.e., S corporations, partnerships, and limited liability companies (LLCs)). The cornerstone of this course is the line-by-line analysis of the Schedule K-1s and how it affects the basis calculations. 

**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 case-driven training is designed to get the inexperienced accountant up to speed quickly in the most common areas of S-corporation taxation. The cornerstone of this course is the preparation of the Form 1120S using a fairly complex trial balance common to most S corporation income tax returns.

**Please Note:  If you need credit reported to the IRS for this IRS approved program, please download the IRS CE request form on the Course Materials Tab and submit to kori.herrera@acpen.com

With the increasing complexity and ever-changing nature of tax laws and issues, today’s accountant needs a partnership/LLC course focusing on the hottest tax topics and most frequently encountered issues. This case driven course will deal with both partnership/LLC and partner/member developments addressing the most common, yet complex Federal partnership/LLC issues and problems.

**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 training is designed to get the accountant up to speed quickly with partnership and limited liability company (LLC) formation and preparation issues as well as a complete understanding of calculating a partner and LLC member’s basis. The cornerstone of this course is the in-depth line-by-line analysis of the Form 1065 Schedule K and K-1 and how these items affect the partner/member’s individual income tax return.

**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

• Explain best practices with regard to progressive discipline
• Advise employers regarding steps they can take to reduce litigation risks associated with employee termination
• Understand wrongful termination and discrimination claims, including how to avoid them

• Defining progressive discipline, including typical steps in any progressive discipline process
• The importance of a fair disciplinary process
• When and how progressive discipline should be used, including using progressive discipline in the lead-up to termination
• Documentation best practices
• Limitations on at-will employment, including contracts and laws regarding discrimination and retaliation
• Avoiding key risks in the termination process
• Best practices for legally compliant termination procedures

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. 

• Calculate an S corporation shareholder's basis in his or her S corporation shares on Form 7203
• Understand and apply the S corporation shareholder loan basis rules

• Introduction to Form 7203
• Introduction to the calculation of stock basis
• Introduction to the calculation of loan basis
• Taxable and nontaxable S corporation distributions to shareholders
• The election to reduce basis by deductible losses and expenses before reducing basis by nondeductible expenses

• Understand and explain the taxation and reporting procedures for nonqualified deferred compensation (NQDC) arrangements
• Distinguish between incentive stock options (ISOs) and nonqualified stock options (NQSOs) in terms of taxation and reporting requirements
• Describe the tax treatment and reporting procedures for restricted stock awards
• Differentiate between the taxation and reporting requirements for stock appreciation rights (SARs) and stock options
• Discuss the taxation and reporting considerations for phantom stock plans
• Explain the tax benefits, reporting procedures, and participant eligibility for employee stock purchase plans (ESPPs)
• Understand the tax consequences and reporting requirements of stock bonus plans
• Outline the tax incentives, contribution limits, and reporting procedures for employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs)
• Interpret and analyze the tax forms and schedules used for reporting executive compensation
• Recognize and prevent common tax reporting errors associated with executive compensation plans
• Formulate strategies for stock sale reporting, estimated taxes, filing deadlines and extensions, and state taxation

• Nonqualified deferred compensation (NQDC)
• Nonqualified stock options (NQSOs)
• Incentive stock options (ISOs)
• Restricted stock/restricted stock units (RSUs)
• Stock appreciation rights (SARs) and phantom stock
• Employee stock purchase plans (ESPPs)
• Applicable tax forms and schedules
• Stock sale reporting
• Estimated taxes
• Filing deadlines and extensions
• State taxation

• State the basic distinctions between various entity types
• Identify when self-employment taxes must be paid by a flow-through entity owner
• Recognize how an S corporation can avoid the built-in gains tax
• Recall which entity types may make a PTE election under IRS Notice 2020-75

• Considerations for a small business owner
• Self-employment taxes
• Guaranteed payments to partners
• QBI deductions: Section 199A
• Built-in gains tax: S corporations
• Excess passive income tax: S corporations
• PTE elections: S corporations and partnerships
• Taxation of fringe benefits: S corporations
• Double taxation of C corporation dividends
• Taxation of limited liability companies
• Which entity to choose?

Leaders have the right to exercise customary management functions.  Employees have the right to be kept free from discrimination.  Neither employer rights nor employee rights are absolute.  The courts are equally protective of the rights of employees and employers.  A courtroom is the wrong place for anyone to find this out.  This course provides practical knowledge on how to effectively balancing these two sets of rights, such that employees and leaders stay out of court. Employers avoid lawsuits, rather than win lawsuits.

The tools for managing performance and addressing misconduct are not identical. The failure to point this out to leaders has often resulted in the use of the wrong tool. Reinforcing good performance and securing improvements in performance requires skill in coaching employees, making effective requests, and providing effective feedback   This course provides practical knowledge and scripts for setting, communicating, and enforcing performance expectations, such that personal and employer liability is avoided.

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.  

• Understand the process of selling a business from finding a buyer to completing the sale
• Understand how business brokers operate and the fees that they charge
• Discuss the difference between selling the business and leaving the business: the transition period
• Protect the seller’s interest in a seller-financed sale
• Understand how estate planning and family succession of a business interact
• Understand the use of discounts in transfers of ownership interests to family members
• Discuss when to turn over operations while maintaining control of a family business: drawing distributions from the business for retirement and receiving a step-up in basis at death
• Understand various structuring options for family business succession

• How to find unrelated buyers of a business
• Maintaining control of the business succession process
• Turning over the reins to family members: when to give up control
• Finding the right team to sell a business
• Options for selling a business to an unrelated party
• Options for selling a business to family members
• Options for selling a business to employees
• Overcoming the emotional attachment to a business
• Selling to family members for a life annuity
• Using family partnerships and trusts to transfer a business

• List behavioral biases that prevent companies from being streamlined
• Identify techniques that may be used to make cost cutting a part of the company’s culture and business strategy
• Describe techniques that may be used to discern whether additional headcount is necessary
• Demonstrate vertical and horizontal financial statement analysis
• List key considerations when benchmarking against competitors
• Describe contracting and negotiation techniques
• Discuss the business cycle and how cash flow management changes during each stage

• What keeps companies from becoming streamlined? 
• Behavioral biases
• Information processing biases
• Emotional biases
• How to deal with behavioral biases 
• Connecting behavioral biases to cost cutting
• Creating a culture of cost cutting
• Rules of thumb for cost cutting 
• Managing headcount
• Post-COVID common areas of excess cost
• Budgeting techniques
• Budget variances
• Benchmarking
• Common size financial statements
• Horizontal analysis
• Negotiation and contracting techniques
• Cash flow and the business cycle

• Identify how effective inventory management procedures can affect internal controls over financial reporting in general and inventory in particular
• Identify the differences between inventory management vs. inventory control
• Identify inventory analysis methods and KPIs that are most effective, understandable, and can be effectively applied
• Identify the synergies between inventory management and supply chain management
• Use real-time data analytics to make decisions that can create a more customer-centric business model and minimize costs while boosting efficiency
• Discover from an inventory perspective, how becoming more data-driven allows businesses to make better demand forecasts, move toward just-in-time inventory replenishment and get and provide near-real-time updates on where supplies or shipments are and when they'll arrive at their destinations
• Identify inventory management trends for retailers, warehouses, and the optimization of the supply chain

• Inventory management vs. inventory control
• Inventory analysis methods and KPIs
• Top inventory management trends
• Inventory analysis: methods and KPIs
• Inventory management trends for retailers
• Inventory management and supply chain management
• Top trends in warehouse management
• Supply chain inventory optimization

Are you falling head over heels for the ASC 842 Lease Accounting Standard? Avoid the most common trip-ups associated with its implementation by analyzing lessons learned and reviewing potential audit issues.

• Identify common frauds occurring in governments and nonprofits today
• Skillfully develop controls to combat frauds
• Protect governments and nonprofits from fraud

• Examine real-world misappropriations of cash, check frauds, vendor scams, credit card abuse, grant frauds, benefit schemes, inventory thefts, and payroll frauds
• Consider and develop controls to stop fraud
• Tailor controls to the size and fit of the government or nonprofit

A harmonious working environment is one in which people feel safe, seen, heard, and respected.  Critical to maintaining it are that employees have high self-esteem, are treated with respect, and work in a safe, non-violent setting.  This course provides practical knowledge and scripts on how to take appropriate action and deal effectively with discriminatory comments, sexual harassment, and threats and acts of violence,such that personal and employer liability is avoided.

The objective of corrective action is to change conduct through teaching.  Corrective action may be sequential, out of order, repetitive, or not appropriate to take at all.  The action selected should reflect the type, frequency, and severity of the misconduct.  Changing conduct through teaching requires effective employee relations skills. This course provides practical knowledge and scripts for handling a wide array of sensitive misconduct situations with good judgment, such that personal and employer liability is avoided.

Cybercrime is on the rise and CPAs that handle sensitive client data are often the target of cybercrimes.  By attending this session you'll learn what the eight biggest threats are to your business and uncover the three pillars of cybersecurity that you can build your firm's defense around.

In this session, participants will delve into the differences and similarities that coexist between the Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z in the workplace. Guided by generational whisperer, Summer Jelinek, this immersive session will equip HR professionals with actionable strategies to foster understanding, drive productivity, and promote a harmonious working environment, irrespective of generational backgrounds.

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.

Prior to the original SAS No. 82 on Consideration of Fraud In A Financial Statement Audit (now codified as SAS No. 122, AU 240), the word fraud never appeared in a single SAS, nor was it described anywhere.  SAS No. 82 stated that auditors failed to detect fraud for two reasons:  1) They did not know what it looked like and 2) They had not been trained to look for it.  Although the SASs did not provide any guidance, auditors have always been responsible for the detection of anything that would cause a material misstatement of the financial statements whether caused by error or irregularities.  (They would not even say the word fraud until it appeared in SAS No. 82) The standards were replete with guidance on the detection of an error but silent on how to detect irregularities.  Now auditors are required to document in every financial statement audit their process of determining the risk of financial misstatement due to fraud.

This presentation is designed to focus on frauds that were missed by the auditors and, in some cases, why it was missed.  There will also be discussion as to what the auditor must do in order to improve their track record on detecting fraud.  As reported on the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners Occupational Fraud 2022: A Report to the Nations, only 4% of frauds were initially discovered by the external auditor.  It was reported that more frauds were discovered by accident, (5%) then was discovered by the external auditor.

To make more money in less time, all accountants need to learn to market themselves effectively to their clients or their firm. For better or worse, promotions and more money go to those who are the best marketers, rather than the most competent accountants.  In this fascinating and fun workshop, participants will learn seven key ways to get more clients and/or promotions through the art of marketing.

This course is essential for the tax practitioner who wants to update their knowledge of individual income taxation so that the practitioner can provide solid planning advice to their clients prior to year-end. This course will provide a comprehensive review of Form 1040 issues for the current tax year. Included will be a thorough review of all Internal Revenue Code changes made by year-to-date. In addition, this course will instruct the participant as to where to expect potential changes to be made by the current administration.

Congress was EXTREMELY busy in late December 2022! During this lame-duck session, Congress was able to pass SECURE 2.0, which is essentially the original SECURE Act that was passed in late 2019.  There are over 50 tax-related provisions within SECURE 2.0 which an advisor needs to be able to master.  This course will provide the participant with everything that that they need to know about SECURE 2.0 so that they will be able to better serve their clients’ retirement planning needs.

**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 familiar with the fundamentals of artificial intelligence
• Recognize the different types of artificial intelligence in use today
• Understand how artificial intelligence will change the accounting and finance professions
• Be able to explain data security and privacy best practices

• What is artificial intelligence?
• What are the different forms of artificial intelligence?
• The difference between artificial intelligence and machine learning
• The types of problems artificial intelligence can solve
• The role of algorithms
• How artificial intelligence will affect accounting and finance careers
• Data governance, security, and privacy
• How accounting firms are using AI today
• The role of artificial intelligence in asset management

• Recognize the behavioral biases that may negatively affect financial decision-making
• Overcome these biases so as to be better able to meet long-term financial goals

• Availability bias
• Herding
• Loss aversion
• Present bias
• Anchoring
• Home country bias

• 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

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.

• Identify key provisions of SQMS 1, SQMS 2, and SQMS 3
• Recall quality management provisions in SAS 146 and SSARS No. 26
• Understand the role of firm leadership in establishing quality management standards
• Recall the requirements for engagement quality reviews

• Quality management standards
• SSARS No. 26
• SAS 146
• Risk assessment and risk-based approaches to quality management
• Audit engagement leadership
• Managing technology and the use of external service providers

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.

When the leadership in any organizations carries out their responsibilities of establishing, maintaining and monitoring internal controls, it significantly reduces the possibility of fraud occurring.  When and if it does occur, a good system of internal controls will often detect it early on. 

This presentation is an illustration of what can happen when top management fails to carry out their responsibility of protecting an entity’s assets through a good system of internal controls.

Are you  looking to fortify your practice against the ever-growing threats in the digital landscape? Join us for the second installment of our exclusive webinar series, "Mastering Cybersecurity," brought to you by Practice Protect.

In today's digitally connected world, the need for comprehensive cybersecurity is paramount. With cyberattacks becoming more sophisticated, it's crucial to stay ahead of the curve in protecting your sensitive client data. 

This webinar series is designed to equip CPAs with the knowledge and tools needed to secure their practices and client information effectively.

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.

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.

As discussed in the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners’ Occupational Fraud 2022: A Report to the Nations, 86% of all frauds are misappropriation of assets.  Why is the misappropriation of assets so large?  Because there as so many of them it creates many, many opportunities.  And the asset which is stolen the most?  CASH!  Because it’s easy to conceal and you don’t have to convert it.  During this presentation, the many, many different ways to misappropriate (steal) assets and which assets (besides cash) are most subject to misappropriation are discussed as well as how to recognize such and more importantly, how easy it is to prevent it!

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.

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!

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.

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 Part 2 of this seminar we will go into more depth about how to get more done in less time, as well as how to not burnout from all the work you do.  We will discuss additional methods for working smarter through technology, communication, stress reduction, and creating smart and helpful goals.

Combatting today’s cybercriminals takes everyone working together. The Internal Revenue Service works with state tax agencies and the tax industry to fight these 21st-century identity thieves. Unfortunately, data thefts at tax professionals’ offices are on the rise. Online providers also must follow the six security and privacy standards in Publication 1345, Handbook for Authorized IRS e-file Providers of Individual Income Tax Returns. In addition, you fall under the PTIN and 4557 mandates if you prepare tax returns. Learn how to fulfill your obligations by participating in this session.

Regardless of size, most public accounting firms are mandated to have a written security plan in place. Failing to have such a plan in place can lead to substantial fines. Join us in this session to learn what your security plan should include and how to implement it.

How do you keep your team connected with the limitations of virtual meetings? Suddenly, it’s more important than ever for each member to understand and appreciate their differences; to see beyond the screen and see each other’s human-side to maintain trust. In this session, Tina Hallis, Ph.D., will explore the neuroscience of trust and why it’s critical for optimum teamwork. But more importantly, you will leave with specific strategies and tools that you can choose from to use with your people. 

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.

Over 80% of all employment-related lawsuits relate to termination.  Every termination should be treated as a potential lawsuit.  The facts supporting a leader's recommendation of discharge must be fully investigated. The discharge of an employee  requires prior review and approval.  Narrow self-interest, spite, or personal animosity must not play a part in making termination decisions.  This course provides practical knowledge and scripts for handling discharges with good judgment such that personal and employer liability is avoided.

In the dynamic landscape of modern workplaces, the ability to retain top talent and foster employee engagement is a key determinant of organizational success. "The Education Advantage" is a one-hour program designed to help HR professionals, employers and employees understand:

• Turnover Costs
• Cost of Disengaged Employees
• Professional Development as a Strategic Imperative
• Employer Hesitations
• How to Embrace Professional Development Initiatives
• Types of Educational Opportunities

This one-hour session is ideal for HR professionals, managers, and organizational leaders seeking tangible solutions to elevate employee engagement and retention through strategic professional development. Elevate your workforce and organizational success with "The Education Advantage."

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.

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.  

According to the FBI, “white-collar crime is … synonymous with the full range of frauds committed by business and government professionals … characterized by deceit, concealment, or violation of trust …. The motivation behind these crimes is financial—to obtain or avoid losing money, property, or services or to secure a personal or business advantage.”  CPAs can and should play a crucial role in preventing and detecting white-collar crime, as well as in prosecuting the perpetrators.  This session will explore whether we are up to this challenge, heighten awareness regarding the CPA’s role as a front-line defender of the public interest, and assess whether we are deserving of the public trust we enjoy.

This course examines actual fraud circumstances through the lens of potential prevention. We will examine how selected frauds were accomplished and consider what internal controls may have prevented fraudsters’ ability to accomplish their nefarious acts.

Most business ethics courses focus on concepts like “tone at the top”, “integrity”, “code of conduct”, “values”, and “ethical culture." These are extremely important concepts and must be understood

But often, when a professional finds they are in a potential “ethical” situation, they question “What should I do?” It is not as easy as flipping a coin. Ethics aren’t always black and white and there are many variables that can impact both the issue and the outcome

This course presents real-life ethical scenarios then challenges you to put yourself in the place of the professional to truly think about “What would I do?” The scenarios are all true…. the names have been changed to protect the innocent

You will come away from this training with a new view of putting ethics into practice

• 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)

• Analyze the impact on an organization of current economic trends to include employment, deficits, unfunded liabilities, municipal debt, and interest rates
• Analyze the impact of the Dodd-Frank Bill on banking relationship and financial needs of the organization
• Review the impact of the Health Reform legislation
• Determine the safety and soundness of the financial plans for your organization in an uncertain economic climate
• Manage cash in a rapidly changing economic landscape
• Determine the impact on an organization of an aging U. S. population and succession planning
• Evaluate the impact of federal, state, and municipal deficits and unfunded mandates as it relates to tax planning
• Evaluate programs with Social Security funding as it relates to providing retirement plans for employees
• Determine the safety and soundness of credit and collections processes and selection of customers in an uncertain environment
• Identify factors influencing the debt and equity mix to manage growth and risk
• Influence growth through acquisition of distressed organizations
• Pinpoint the economic way ahead for 2017 and beyond

• Regulatory, fiscal, and monetary policies impact on the organization
• Dodd-Frank Bill and impact on financial reform
• Health insurance reform and the impact on the employer
• Managing risk in an uncertain economic climate

Navigating the challenges of estate and gift taxation can be overwhelming for practitioners, especially those lacking extensive experience in this field. In this comprehensive course, participants will undergo a practical exploration through the preparation of the Federal Forms 706 and 709 - line by line. Through hands-on instruction, attendees will gain invaluable insights into the complexities of tax compliance, equipping them with the skills and confidence needed to seamlessly integrate estate and gift tax preparation into their practice.

With a focus on practical application, this course offers participants a unique opportunity to master the preparation of crucial tax returns, enhancing their professional expertise and strengthening client service offerings. From a detailed overview of the Federal Forms 706 and 709 to insights on complying with "Portability" and navigating postmortem estate planning issues, attendees will emerge with a newfound proficiency in estate and gift tax preparation, ready to excel in their 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.

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.

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.

When performing a financial statement audit, auditors have always been responsible for the detection of anything that would cause a material misstatement of the financial statements whether caused by error of fraud.  However, in the past the audit profession focused on material misstatements due to errors and more or less ignored the possibility of misstatements due to fraud.  Now, SAS No. 122, AU 240 requires significant documentation as to what the auditor did in order to determine if there any material risk of a misstatement of the financial statements.  This presentation is an overview of what the auditor is to document in there working papers on every financial audit as to the procedures they performed in order to determine the risk of a material misstatement.  If a material risk is discovered, they are then required to document what they did in order to determine if the financial statements were misstated.

For an accounting practice or career to thrive, it must grow and develop. But what about the "Catch-22" of practice development: expertise at anything new requires experience, and experience cannot be attained while you are a non-expert! Or can it? This workshop looks at some of the more popular pathways to practice development (e.g., cybersecurity, client advisory services and cannabis) and considers the drawbacks of reaching too far, too fast.

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.

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.

Office Scripts are an exciting new development for Excel and other applications. Although they are like macros in some respects, most users will likely find them easier to work with. Learn how to put this powerful automation tool to use!

This program addresses the critical issues and special opportunities facing S-corporations, with a focus on reporting shareholder basis and distributions. 

**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 program provides an update to the latest tax developments, rules and regulations affecting business taxpayers, including a review and integration of 2023-24 legislation.  

**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 and prepare for the 2023 calendar year-end implementation of SAS No. 145 on risk assessment and two highly-related SASs related to auditing accounting estimates and compliance auditing (i.e., SAS Nos. 143 and 148)
• Recognize the effects of SAS Nos. 144, 146, and 147, which are also on the short-term implementation horizon

• The performance of risk assessment procedures to attain the knowledge needed to assess risk
• How the auditor identifies and assesses the risks of material misstatement
• The new “stand-back” requirements related to risk assessment

• Understand the differences between a Power of Attorney, guardianship, and a will
• Understand the factors to consider in choosing an executor
• Understand why everyone should have a will
• Understand why a trust can be a powerful tool in administering the estate
• Understand how to care for a pet after death
• Review good practices in regards to estate claims and insurance

• Overview of estate planning
• The dangers of a Power of Attorney
• The most important aspect of a will
• Role, scope, rights, and responsibilities of an executor
• Benefits of incorporating a trust
• Bequests
• Caring for a pet
• Claims against the estate
• Insurance
• Consequences of poor estate planning

• Understand how to successfully start and grow a small business or advise clients who are starting a small business
• Understand basic legal issues that need to be addressed when forming a business
• Explore marketing and financing plans to launch and develop a business
• Recognize ways to protect business assets and owners from different forms of liability

• Understanding the time commitment required to start and run a business
• Selecting a corporate structure to protect your personal assets
• Building your product or service
• Sales and marketing in your business
• Establishing your owners, investors, managers, and employees
• Accounting, recording-keeping, and other software programs
• Leases, contracts, and employee agreements
• Protecting intellectual property
• Insurance
• Business plans
• Financing
• Market position

Enter the complex world of elder planning with this comprehensive course tailored for financial professionals. Gain invaluable insights into estate and financial strategies designed specifically for older clients, equipping you with the knowledge and skills to address their unique needs and challenges.

Throughout the course, participants will explore a wide range of topics, from understanding the complexities of Medicare and various life insurance types to navigating Social Security considerations and exploring Medicaid planning details. With a focus on practical application, attendees will learn to customize estate planning strategies, explore housing and care alternatives, and address gifting complexities relevant to older clients. By the end of the program, you'll develop expertise in executing specialized planning requirements for mature clients, ensuring you're well-prepared to provide informed counsel and support in this important aspect of financial practice. Join us and enhance your knowledge in estate and financial planning for the older client today.

• Organize thoughts to create purposeful, clear, and concise writing
• Understand how to write for your reader
• Practice applying techniques for writing more efficient, readable, outcome-focused emails
• Use an appropriate tone and professionalism in business communications
• Plan for continued improvement and apply learned skills

• Preparing to write: what is my purpose and objective and who is my audience
• When email is the appropriate communication methodology and when it’s not
• Common email mistakes and how to avoid them
• Proven techniques for writing more efficient, readable, and outcome-focused emails

• Understand the types of transactions that give rise to malpractice lawsuits brought against tax advisors
• Take steps to limit exposure to an action in malpractice brought by a tax client

• Tax practitioner “horror stories” that illustrate what tax practitioners should try to avoid at all costs
• Avoiding malpractice lawsuits brought against tax practitioners

The Corporate Transparency Act now requires many entities to file BOI reports with information about their owners. The due date for most initial reports is January 1, 2025, which is quickly approaching. Depending on the entity structure selected and whether the entity falls within one of 23 exceptions, an entity may be considered a reporting company and an individual may be considered a beneficial owner. The broad language of the statute and regulations has potential for surprise results. This course provides a guide for the new filing requirements, and examines the impact of choice of entity on BOI reports.

If you are an experienced Excel user seeking to elevate your skills, join the K2 team for K2’s Advanced Excel. In this laptop-friendly program, you will learn critical advanced Excel skills in six key areas: 1) collaborating with other users and securing workbooks, 2) using tables to analyze and report data, 3) integrating and manipulating data from external sources, 4) creating and auditing complex formulas, 5) advanced data analysis tools, and 6) visualization techniques to analyze and communicate information.

The course draws from over twenty-five years of experience delivering Excel training to accountants and other business professionals. Throughout the program, relevant, real-world examples reinforce the topics presented. Take advantage of this opportunity to become more efficient and proficient in Microsoft Office Excel, the tool of choice for accounting and financial professionals. This course covers advanced Excel topics found in Excel 2019 and newer.

This course introduces practical ways that public accountants can use Excel to enhance both the efficiency and effectiveness of client engagements. We will reinforce core concepts by illustrating ways that Excel is a tool for analysis and reporting. We will introduce numerous analytical methods and techniques by using practical examples to illustrate how to unleash the power of Excel when obtaining, analyzing, and reporting information.

Navigate the intricate world of tax compliance for fiduciary entities with confidence through this comprehensive course tailored for financial professionals. Gain practical insights and expertise in preparing the U.S. Income Tax Return for Estates and Trusts (Form 1041), addressing specific issues surrounding decedents' estates and trusts. Delve into the fundamentals of Subchapter J of the Internal Revenue Code and master the art of compliance while decoding complex tax regulations. With engaging case studies and line-by-line instruction, participants will acquire the skills necessary to recognize and address key components of Form 1041, ensuring accuracy and efficiency in tax preparation. Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your proficiency and advance your career in fiduciary taxation.

**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 dynamic course tailored for seasoned accountants who are looking to elevate their skills in navigating and leading through organizational change. This advanced program focuses on enhancing agility by providing the tools and techniques necessary to manage and adapt to rapid shifts in the accounting landscape. Participants will explore theoretical frameworks alongside practical strategies that support effective change management for diverse business environments.

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

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.

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 session describes a state agency's quality review of a not-for-profit organization's A-133 Single Audit.  The case study describes the organization audited, its federally- and state-funded programs, and the CPA firm retained to do the audit.  Various anomalies in the financial statements alerted state officials to potential problems, and a detailed quality review followed.  Find out how the entity turned hundreds of thousands of dollars in bank overdrafts into hundreds of thousands of dollars of cash on its balance sheet.  Explore other “creative” ways to deal with fixed assets, accounts receivable, and related-party transactions.  Were the auditors just sloppy, ignorant, negligent?  Or were they active participants in producing fraudulent financial statements?  You be the judge.

Is your tech stack aligned with your organizational goals? Is there duplication among software titles? Is your hardware where it needs to be? Get answers to these and other questions in this session!

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.

In today's dynamic economic landscape, staying ahead with effective fringe benefit planning is more critical than ever for both businesses and individual clients. With evolving tax laws and shifting market dynamics, understanding the intricacies of fringe benefit planning is essential to ensure financial well-being and compliance. This course offers a comprehensive overview of essential tools and techniques tailored for financial professionals, allowing them to navigate the complexities of fringe benefit planning with confidence and precision.

By attending this course, practitioners will gain invaluable insights into various planning tools and techniques essential for meeting fringe benefit planning objectives. From mastering the subtleties of employee benefit planning, including ERISA reporting and disclosure requirements, to unraveling the complexities of IRC §132 fringe benefit options, attendees will enhance their expertise to deliver superior advisory services. The curriculum also delves into the practical aspects of cafeteria plans, flexible spending accounts, group term life insurance plans, and strategies for financing retiree medical benefits, among others. With a focus on practical application and real-world scenarios, this course equips participants to tackle fringe benefit planning challenges head-on, providing them with the tools and knowledge needed to optimize benefits for both business and personal needs, now and in the 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.

This presentation highlights the latest legislative changes affecting depreciation and capitalization rules, including inflation increases and Section 179 and 168(k) deductions.  Planning and potential pitfalls will also be presented. 

**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.

A detailed analysis of the calculations related to determining a shareholder's tax basis for S corporation shares and loans. How to use the Form 1120S, Schedule K-1 information for basis determination, as well as an update on Schedules K-2 and K-3. An illustrative example demonstrates how the process works, as well as the 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.

QuickBooks remains one of the leading accounting solutions for small and growing businesses and Intuit has added numerous advanced features to the application over the past few releases. In this seminar, you will learn how to take advantage of many of QuickBooks’ new and advanced features to solve important issues. For example, you will learn advanced inventory management techniques, including the ability to change the default costing methodology in QuickBooks, and implementing lot and serial number tracking. You will also learn how to build complete sets of financial statements in Excel that link in real-time to underlying QuickBooks data files and how to create multi-company financial statements. Additionally, you will learn how to put the Client Data Review feature to work to streamline the process of identifying and correcting errors and closing accounting periods in QuickBooks.

Knowing how to take advantage of the advanced tools and features available can determine your level of success when working with QuickBooks. Take advantage of this opportunity to learn about QuickBooks’ “deep” features so that you maximize your effectiveness with the application.

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.

• Understand what differentiates highly successful organizations from their less successful peers, according to research
• Recognize the myths regarding organizational success
• Implement strategies to improve corporate culture and effectiveness

• Creating a visionary company
• Traits of successful, visionary companies
• Goal setting to create a successful organization
• The role of experimentation and failure in achieving success
• How successful organizations emphasize learning new skills
• The role of effective communication in achieving corporate success
• The importance of emotional intelligence in building corporate culture
• How leadership can direct a company toward success

In this session, participants will delve into a comprehensive exploration of what Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) truly entails. Often met with resistance due to its perceived condemnatory nature, this session aims to provide a more nuanced definition of DEI, fostering a better understanding among attendees. By demystifying the language surrounding DEI, participants will be equipped with straightforward approaches to seamlessly integrate these principles into their perspectives.

This session will spotlight the distinctive features of our DEI model in comparison to other systems. Attendees will gain valuable insights into the model, understanding its unique perspective on achieving DEI success. At its core, our approach is grounded in the simple premise that we are all human beings sharing the common human experience. The goal is to convey to participants the importance of embracing DEI through this paradigm, effectively humanizing the DEI experience.

One of the most remarkable DEI experiences unfolded during my son's 18th birthday celebration in our backyard. The event brought together individuals from diverse backgrounds, spanning various walks of life and races, who interacted in a profoundly humanistic manner— an encounter unlike any I had witnessed before. In this session, we will deconstruct this experience and draw parallels to its relevance in workplace dynamics.

• Be aware of recent private company standard setting activities
• Review the latest FASB Accounting Standards Updates (ASUs)
• Understand the new lease accounting guidance found in Topic 842, Leases
• Recall key provisions of recently issued FASB Updates

• Private company standard setting activities
• Recent FASB Accounting Standards Updates (ASUs)
• Topic 842, Leases
• ASC 326: CECL

• Advise owners of C corporations and those wishing to acquire C corporations of the tax consequences associated with an asset or stock acquisition

• Advantages and disadvantages to buyer and seller of an asset acquisition and a stock acquisition
• Tax treatment of consulting agreements and covenants not to compete
• Sale of personal goodwill associated with an asset acquisition
• Tax consequences associated with a stock acquisition and an asset acquisition
• Acquisitive reorganizations
• Non-tax issues that must be considered when a corporation is acquired

• Obtain a thorough understanding of the auditor’s responsibilities related to internal control in a single audit
• Skillfully apply the single audit requirements related to testing direct and material compliance requirements for major programs
• Perform single audits that make peer reviewers happy

• The essential internal control concepts applied in a single audit
• How the auditor obtains an understanding of controls over compliance and then tests the effectiveness of those controls in a single audit
• How the auditor plans and performs tests of compliance in a single audit
• The identification and reporting of control and compliance findings

Auditors are required by Generally Accepted Auditing Standards to perform audit procedures to determine if the financial statements are materially misstated due to error OR FRAUD.  Unfortunately, in the past the profession has focused on misstatements due to errors and largely ignored to possibility of misstatements due to fraud.  While SAS No. 122, AU 240, Consideration of Fraud in a Financial Statement Audit sets forth the procedures that auditors are required to perform in each audit to determine if the financial statements are materially misstated due to fraud, this program presents a practical approach to making such a determination.  It’s not a substitute for the requirements in SAS 122, AU 240, but rather an informal supplement to the standard with some common-sense procedures which are designed from my over 30 plus years of directing fraud investigations.  After attending this session, you will more than likely never look at a financial statement audit the same way.

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.