Professional Development and Event Catalog
Class Pass
Available Until Friday, March 31st, 2023
Purchase your professional development program credits in advance (as either a 40-hour Class Pass or 80-hour Class Pass) and enjoy significant savings. This year’s pass applies to seminars, conferences, webinars, and livestream programs now through March 31, 2023. Class Pass is also a great way to get your staff the training they need at a discounted price.
K2'S Supercharging Your Spreadsheet Collaboration
Friday, January 27th, 10:00am - 10:50am
Online
1.00 Credits
Collaboration is a key to productivity and success. But remote work can make collaboration more challenging, including collaborating on spreadsheets. Fortunately, tools such as portals with check-in/check-out capabilities, version control, comment tracking, and co-authoring can enable online spreadsheet collaboration. Further, Excel’s Inquire tool can facilitate spreadsheet collaboration in offline environments. Don’t let remote work hamper your spreadsheet collaboration needs! Participate in this session to learn how to collaborate on spreadsheets effectively from anywhere using tools you already own or license.
K2'S The K2 Team's Top Tech Productivity Tips And Tricks
Friday, January 27th, 10:00am - 11:40am
Online
2.00 Credits
The world of work changed radically and became much more virtual after the pandemic’s onset in 2020. Over two years into the “new normal,” our team has compiled a list of the top technology productivity tips, tricks, and traps. In this session, you will learn about shortcuts and hacks to help you accomplish more in Excel, Teams, Outlook, virtual meetings, and many other applications you use every day. Attend this session and learn the best tips to help you and your team accomplish more in less time.
Excel: Advanced Formatting to Improve Your Spreadsheets
Friday, January 27th, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Online
2.00 Credits
In the "Excel - Formatting Spreadsheets for Beginners" class, you learned basic formatting of a spreadsheet. In this class, we take you to the next level by teaching you how to customize many of the formatting options. Learn to customize cell styles and how to use these styles in other workbooks. Most Excel users know how to select number formats but this class shows how to leverage the Custom Number Formatting option to create special formatting options. Many of the formatting options are applied manually, cell-by-cell or by range. This can be tedious if there is a condition by which you want to apply a format. You will learn to use Conditional Formatting to format based upon a criteria. Have you ever finalized a spreadsheet, only to accidently make changes over the top? This action is something that is very easy to do. This class demonstrates various options to prevent this from happening and will look at various security options within Excel. This session is presented using Excel 2019/Office 365. Regardless of the version you are using, most concepts covered in this course apply to all versions of Excel. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
Surgent's Employee Stock Options: What Financial Professionals Should Know When Advising Their Clients
Friday, January 27th, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Online
2.00 Credits
Companies often offer stock options as an additional form of compensation to attract and retain the best talent. Used appropriately, stock options can generate significant wealth. Yet many employees are unfamiliar with how stock options work and why options serve as a valuable opportunity for employees to establish and grow their wealth. Unfortunately, employees who receive stock options are often unaware of their inherent risks. Research has shown that over 75% of employees have never exercised their stock options. Almost half of these individuals (48%), say they held off on selling their options due to fear of making a mistake. This course provides accounting and financial professionals with a broad overview of employee stock options. The webinar is designed to help participants better understand the fundamentals behind these investments and in turn, better advise their clients.
Real Estate Tax Update
Friday, January 27th, 10:00am - 2:00pm
Online
4.00 Credits
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 leighanne.conroy@acpen.com.
K2's Budgeting and Forecasting Tools and Techniques
Friday, January 27th, 10:00am - 5:38pm
Online
8.00 Credits
Are your budgeting and forecasting processes working as well for you as they should? Probably not, as many organizations report that budgeting and forecasting activities consume tremendous amounts of time and yield only marginal benefits. In this course, you will learn how to achieve a greater return on your budgeting and forecasting activities by taking advantage of various tools and techniques available in today’s market. In addition to learning how to utilize Excel more effectively for budgeting and forecasting activities, you will also learn about other tools, such as Budget Maestro, PROPHIX, and Host Analytics, and how reducing your dependency on Excel can lead to better results. Additionally, you will learn how to account for risk and uncertainty in your budgeting and forecasting models and why doing so is a best practice for more meaningful budgets and forecasts. If you are involved in budgeting and forecasting activities, you will not want to miss this opportunity to learn how to reduce the amount of time you spend on these tasks while simultaneously increasing their value.
K2's Business Intelligence, Featuring Microsoft's Power BI Tools
Friday, January 27th, 10:00am - 5:39pm
Online
8.00 Credits
Business Intelligence (BI) is perhaps the hottest topic in most professional circles in today’s business climate. Increasingly, organizations of all sizes seek to take advantage of the data available to them to identify previously undiscovered insights and gain competitive advantages thought to be out-of-reach just a few short years ago. A growing array of tools – ranging from Excel add-ins to dedicated solutions such as Power BI – now allow you to leverage your existing knowledge and skills to create powerful, interactive dashboards and analyses unthinkable until recently. In this program, you will learn how to implement “do it yourself business intelligence” using various techniques and tools. You will learn how to work with some of the advanced data query and summarization features in Excel to create Excel-based dashboards. You will then learn how to leverage that knowledge to build even more powerful BI objects using Microsoft’s Power BI tools. If gaining better insights into your data to make better decisions is of interest to you, then join us for a fast-paced look at how you can take advantage of these fantastic tools.
K2's Paperless Office
Friday, January 27th, 10:00am - 5:40pm
Online
8.00 Credits
Would you like to find important documents in 10 seconds or less? Would you like to ensure that all your digital information is safe and secure? Would you like to improve workflow efficiency? Of course you would, and with a bit of planning and guidance, you will be on your way to realizing these and other benefits associated with a paperless office. Of course, no one expects a completely “paperless” office, but reducing the amount of paper we shuffle can lead to tremendous rewards. In this course, you will learn best practices and proven processes for effective document management. By participating in this program, you will learn how to implement simple, inexpensive document management systems at an individual, workgroup, or small business level. You will also learn how to implement more sophisticated and comprehensive document management systems – complete with automated workflow processing – appropriate for larger offices and organizations. Your instructor will guide you through issues such as digitizing paper files, exporting and importing data from specialized applications into a document management system, essential hardware and software considerations, and the policies necessary to facilitate a successful office. Upon completing this course, you will have a comprehensive understanding of your options and a clear direction for implementing your version of the Paperless Office.
K2's Case Studies in Fraud and Technology Controls - 8 Hrs
Friday, January 27th, 10:00am - 5:41pm
Online
8.00 Credits
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.
K2's Excel Essentials For Staff Accountants
Friday, January 27th, 10:00am - 5:42pm
Online
8.00 Credits
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.
K2's QuickBooks for Accountants
Friday, January 27th, 10:00am - 5:42pm
Online
8.00 Credits
The QuickBooks platform is a robust environment with features and capabilities that many users are unaware of or do not know how to utilize effectively. This course helps you get more out of QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online and resolve the issues that even experienced QuickBooks users struggle with, such as locking down prior periods. This program starts fast with a chapter covering the top issues accountants face with QuickBooks. The day continues with practical guidance and solutions designed to help accountants get the most out of QuickBooks for themselves or their clients. You will learn about issues, such as setting up a new company, configuring and customizing QuickBooks preferences, and enabling system security and password protection features. Also, you will learn how to lock down transactions in prior periods, the audit trail, customizing reports, exporting reports to Excel, and extending QuickBooks’ usefulness with tools such as the Fixed Asset Manager and Loan Manager. Despite the product’s user-friendly design, the most common QuickBooks problems involve recording transactions incorrectly. Adequate training is necessary to prevent these and other issues. Help your company or client put the power of QuickBooks to work the right way. Register for this professional educational seminar today!
ACPEN Signature: 2022 Handling IRS Audits and Collections Today
Friday, January 27th, 10:00am - 6:00pm
Online
8.00 Credits
Between Covid protocols and procedural changes, as tax professionals we are facing challenges handling IRS audits and collection cases. This course will cover preparing for the audit which includes the types of audits, handling client expectations, working with the auditors, confidentiality and the Kovel Agreement. We will also address issues that arise during the audit including requests for extensions of the assessment statute; surprises; handling tricky issues; and expanded audits. Finally, we will discuss the end of the audit including the options your client has. Appeals? Should the case go to tax court? What happens then? There are several times where it is appropriate to reopen and audit. We will discuss the benefits of the various ways. In the collection arena we will discuss how the case gets to collection, the types of IRS collectors and what each can do. We will cover the methods of resolving a balance due issue; preparing the forms for collection, allowable expenses. As it relates to appeals, we will cover the different types of resolution and what to watch out for in working a collection case. We will also discuss the differences between handling an income tax collection case versus a payroll tax case. As well as the steps the tax preparer can take to prepare their client and help them to cure the problems. The IRS has several enforcement tools. We will review how to represent your client when the different types of collection tools are used. This will include liens and the different types of certificates available when a lien has been filed; levy actions including levies on business assets; and when to worry that the case could be referred to Criminal Investigation. Finally, we will address the different ways to appeal proposed actions as well as handling actions already taken and handling the case in Appeals. **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 leighanne.conroy@acpen.com.
K2's Mastering Advanced Excel Functions
Friday, January 27th, 10:15am - 1:59pm
Online
4.00 Credits
With approximately 500 functions now available in Excel, it is easy to overlook some of the newer and more powerful tools available. But, if you do that, your productivity will suffer. In this session, you will learn how to take advantage of many of Excel’s more advanced features – some new and some legacy – to elevate your productivity to higher levels. In this session, you will learn about many of Excel’s newer tools, including XLOOKUP, SUMIFS, SWITCH, and STOCKHISTORY. Also included in this session are discussions of advanced financial functions, such as IPMT and PPMT, and how to retrieve summarized data easily using GETPIVOTDATA and CUBEVALUE. Additionally, you will learn how to make sophisticated calculations easier with Dynamic Array formulas, how to harness the power of the AGGREGATE function, and how to create more accurate forecasts with Excel’s FORECAST.ETS function. No matter your level of experience working with Excel, participating in this course is sure to help you work more efficiently and effectively in Excel.
K2's Best Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint Features
Friday, January 27th, 10:30am - 2:10pm
Online
4.00 Credits
Most professionals routinely use Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint, but many are self-taught and, as a result, have not been exposed to the best features of these three applications. Consequently, they often use “brute force,” inefficient means when working in these three components of Microsoft Office. If that describes you, then make sure you carve time out of your schedule to participate in this four-hour session, because in it, you will learn how you can work much more efficiently when using these tools.
K2'S Emerging Technologies For Accountants, Including Blockchain And Cryptocurrencies
Friday, January 27th, 10:30am - 2:11pm
Online
4.00 Credits
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 that are 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 learning, as well as some of the uses, benefits, risks, and threats posed to legacy businesses by these innovative yet disruptive platforms.
K2's Excel Charting and Visualizations
Friday, January 27th, 10:30am - 2:11pm
Online
4.00 Credits
Charts and graphs are nothing new. However, many professionals struggle with building compelling visualizations. If that statement describes you, take part in this session to improve your skills when creating charts and other visualizations in Excel. As a result of doing so, you will create visualizations that will 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. If you are looking to improve your communication skills, this seminar is a must for you.
Taxation of Judgements and Settlements
Friday, January 27th, 11:00am - 1:00pm
Online
2.00 Credits
In the course of legal actions, payments may be made pursuant to a final disposition of a court case or a mutually agreed-upon settlement. This course will cover the tax implications for payments made for personal injury, emotional distress, lost wages, punitive awards, pre- and post-judgement interest, contract claims, among other damages. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
K2's Small Business Internal Controls, Security, and Fraud Prevention and Detection
Friday, January 27th, 11:00am - 6:46pm
Online
8.00 Credits
Internal controls are more important than ever, and their importance increases seemingly daily. However, internal controls present a challenge for many smaller organizations. In this program, you will learn how to evaluate, develop, and implement an effective internal control structure in a small business environment. You will identify how to assess risk in smaller organizations and implement preventive, detective, deterrent, and compensating controls to mitigate these risks, even without proper segregation of duties. Additionally, by participating in this program, you will learn technology-focused techniques for preventing and detecting fraud and securing information systems and sensitive data. For small organizations, maintaining an effective system of internal controls presents a significant challenge. Implementing many of the theoretical concepts surrounding internal controls may not be possible in some cases. Consequently, many small businesses' current internal control structure fosters an environment in which too much risk is present. This factor, coupled with the presence of uncontrolled information systems, can often lead to disastrous results. Participate in this program to learn the necessary insights and tools to design, implement, and monitor effective internal controls, security, and anti-fraud measures in small organizations.
K2'S Privacy Issues And Solutions - What You Need to Know!
Friday, January 27th, 12:00pm - 12:50pm
Online
1.00 Credits
Privacy should be everywhere, yet every day seemingly brings a new story about a privacy violation. While it can be frustrating and sometimes scary to think about mishandling our personal information, it’s important to remember that we can take steps to protect our privacy. This session will teach you where your critical threats are and what information you may already have at risk. More importantly, you will learn how to manage and mitigate privacy risks. In an era of increasing connectivity – and by extension, risk – this session should be high on your list to take as soon as possible.