Professional Development and Event Catalog

Each year brings its own set of tax planning challenges, and this year is no exception. This course aims to arm tax planners with planning strategies and ideas that all clients, but in particular, wealthy clients, middle-income clients, and closely held business owners need to consider right now to take advantage of present opportunities and plan for future tax advantages. Learn strategies that can really have an impact on client lives, while also bringing value to you and your firm. This material is continuously updated for recent legislation impacting individual taxpayers.

This is indeed another year of significant change in the world of government and nonprofit accounting and auditing. Time is valuable, and it's hard to stay current in today's rapidly changing environment. Let us save you time and effort with this informative update course. The course materials utilize a highly illustrative and innovative format. Over 30 focused exercises are included to provide an enhanced working knowledge of the latest developments in government and nonprofit accounting and auditing.

This session will explore the ethical considerations CPAs and CPA firms should be cognizant of when considering services to the state legal, regulated cannabis industry. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Until recently, a percentage of organizations discounted the risk related to external fraud attempts. Most were only concerned with protecting physical assets such as inventory or fixed assets. However, because of the many highly publicized corporate hacking events, such as the ones that affected the Colonial Pipeline and JBS Meats, more attention is being paid to external fraud risk of all types. In this session, we look at what is included in a definition of external fraud and then delve into specific control issues that can give rise to increased risk. We then discuss measures that organizations can employ to help reduce exposure to external attacks. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Individuals may cite retaliatory concerns when weighing their decision to report an issue; during an investigation; or, after an investigation’s conclusion. No matter the timing, when an individual raises a retaliation concern, their claims should be taken seriously and fully reviewed. Does your organization analyze retaliation allegations and investigate outcomes as part of their cultural assessment?   Most organizations track retaliation matters at a general, non-specific level. The type of retaliation and the perceived cause of the retaliatory act are not delineated. When a retaliation matter requires investigation, an organization should gather key data points for trending purposes and to fine tune future training and policy initiatives. This course offers recommendations for (1) framing responses to retaliation allegations (2) capturing key data points (3) developing specific metrics for retaliation matters

This is a two-part series that discuss new trends and concepts the financial controller should begin to execute in order to truly become a valued member of the senior leadership team. The rapid pace of the evolving technological landscape has promoted changes in how accountants and financial professionals focus attention on strategy and modernize their roles to leverage digital technology. There is increased demand for enhancing flexibility into finance cycles and initiating real-time reporting and insights. These are the core attributes that will assist in transforming the work that controllership function performs. Is the financial controllership prepared to meet future business demands? The IMA® (Institute of Management Accountants) and Deloitte’s Center for Controllership aimed to better understand the current state of controllership and expectations of future demands for controllers and accounting professionals. They conducted a survey in late 2022 and identified several trends. The survey takes a look at how prepared controllership is to meet future business demands. It also highlights some insights for leaders to consider that may increase their preparedness. It also identified areas of additional insight and questions to answer on the controllership transformation journey. In this segment, we will go through numerous concepts in detail.  

Embark on a journey to master Power BI, a powerful tool for data analysis and business intelligence, in our comprehensive course, "Get Started with Power BI." This course is meticulously designed for professionals who seek to understand the full spectrum of Power BI capabilities, including its integration with Excel's Power BI features like Power Pivot and Power Query, and its comparison with standalone Power BI tools such as Power BI Desktop, Power BI Service, and Power BI Report Server. In the first part of the course, participants will be introduced to the fundamentals of Power BI. This includes an overview of Power BI's interface, key features, and its seamless integration with Excel. The course will cover Excel's Power BI tools - Power Pivot, for advanced data modeling, and Power Query, for efficient data transformation and preparation. This segment is essential for understanding how Power BI extends and enhances the data processing and analytical capabilities of Excel. The second section of the course delves into the standalone Power BI tools. Here, participants will explore Power BI Desktop for creating complex data models and sophisticated reports, Power BI Service for cloud-based collaboration and sharing, and Power BI Report Server for on-premises report deployment. This part of the course will focus on the unique features and strengths of these standalone tools, providing attendees with the skills to leverage Power BI in a variety of business contexts. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

How much can you contribute to a Roth IRA, Roth 401(k), SEP Roth IRA, or SIMPLE Roth IRA? How will a Roth distribution qualify to be tax-free? How did SECURE Act 1.0 and SECURE Act 2.0 change the Roth rules? These are only some of the key Roth questions advisors must know the answers to. Plus, as Roth accounts have increasingly become an essential component of retirement savings portfolios, with one-third of IRA owners owning Roth IRAs, advisors have even more reasons to be Roth-proficient. To that end, the instructor will simplify critical rules that govern Roth funding and Roth distributions for Roth IRAs, Roth 401(k)s, and sister plans.

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) were implemented to improve the lives of employees. FMLA allows eligible employees to take job-protected leave for their own serious health conditions or to care for sick family members. The ADA was intended to ensure "equality of opportunity" and "economic self-sufficiency" for individuals with disabilities. Yet both laws have proven challenging for employers. These laws are complex with rules that can be confusing and often misunderstood. This webinar is designed to provide information, guidelines, and examples of the key concepts under both laws.

Understanding the dynamics of family interaction is one of the most important skills in helping a family business succeed. This course takes a candid look inside the family business, and will help the participant navigate delicate issues while learning to provide counsel that will grow - or protect - the family business and non-family staff.

Navigating the complexities of estate and trust administration is a vital skill for professionals, who play an integral role in the administration team. This comprehensive course is designed to equip professionals with a thorough understanding of their responsibilities and the processes involved in estate administration, enhancing their ability to address estate settlement issues effectively. Participants will be provided with a detailed overview of the professional’s role in estate and trust administration, emphasizing practical insights and strategies for managing assets, addressing the legitimacy of debts and creditors, and ensuring the proper distribution of assets. **Please Note:  If you need credit reported to the IRS for this IRS approved program, please download the IRS CE request form on the Course Materials Tab and submit to kori.herrera@acpen.com.

Looking to stay ahead in tax matters? Join our 2025 Individual Tax Update course for an essential deep dive into Form 1040 essentials. Designed for tax pros eager to sharpen their skills, this course unpacks recent tax code changes and equips you with the know-how to navigate them effortlessly. From mastering IRS Form 1040 to leveraging new tax benefits, you'll emerge ready to optimize returns for your clients while staying compliant with the latest regulations. Don't miss out on this opportunity to boost your expertise and ensure financial success for both you and your clients! **Please Note:  If you need credit reported to the IRS for this IRS approved program, please download the IRS CE request form on the Course Materials Tab and submit to kori.herrera@acpen.com.

Have you ever considered a tax audit from the perspective of an IRS examiner? This session explains how you can use IRS Audit Technique Guides (ATGs) to enhance tax compliance. You will obtain a glimpse of the audit process from the viewpoint of an IRS agent as we explore insights that the IRS provides to its own examiners. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

This course provides a concise overview of how to leverage ChatGPT and other AI tools to develop comprehensive, efficient, and compliant policy manuals for accounting firms. The revolutionary PRIME Method (Policy Refinement and Integration through AI-Managed Elaboration) empowers accounting professionals to create sophisticated policy documentation while maintaining human oversight and expertise. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

No matter what role you play in your professional life, being able to command an audience--whether of one or of thousands--is an important skill. Public speaking, no matter how you slice it, is a practice that is worthy of attention. This workshop teaches you approachable strategies to improve your public speaking and presentation skills, recognizing that everyone comes with different comfort levels and experiences. There is no one-size-fits-all speaking style, and trying to force yourself into a specific presentation persona can be more harmful than helpful. Learn actionable tips to help you be more confident next time you need to take the proverbial (or literal) stage.

Network forensics - defined as the investigation of network traffic patterns and data captured in transit between computing devices - can provide insight into the source and extent of an attack. It is used in forensic accounting and with the expansion of information technology it has become a growing field. Network forensics is a relatively new field of forensic science. Computing has become network centric. Data is now available outside of disk-based digital evidence. Network forensics can be performed as a standalone investigation or alongside a computer forensics analysis. When used alongside a computer forensic analysis it is used to reveal links between digital devices or reconstruct how a crime was committed. Network investigations deal with volatile and dynamic information and is a sub-branch of digital forensics. It relates to the monitoring and analysis of computer network traffic for information gathering, legal evidence, or intrusion detection. This course is a complement to our other courses in the series on becoming a forensic accountant.  

This session introduces theories on human nature and organizational factors affecting ethical choices. Robbie examines the role of gossip in the workplace, provides tools for ethical decision making and offers concrete actions for creating and sustaining an ethical work environment. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

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.

Financial statements are a window into what is going on in the day-to-day operations of the company. They help us see what the company's strengths and weaknesses are. However, financial statements can often have different messages depending on the user. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Get ready to elevate your tax game with the 2025 Business Tax Update, designed exclusively for tax practitioners looking to sharpen their skills in business income taxation. This course doesn't just scratch the surface – it thoroughly explores the complexities of the tax code, ensuring you're equipped to navigate the ever-evolving tax landscape with confidence. From recent legislative updates to complex tax considerations like COVID-19-related subsidies, this course covers it all. Gain practical strategies and insights that you can immediately apply to assist your clients in optimizing their business income tax planning. Don't miss this opportunity to stay ahead in business taxation and enhance your expertise in a rapidly changing regulatory environment. With a focus on real-world application and comprehensive exploration of essential topics, the 2025 Business Tax Update promises to be a game-changer for your tax practice. Whether you're dealing with partnership, corporation, or LLC taxation issues, this course provides precise guidance tailored to diverse business clients. Plus, you'll gain invaluable insights into recent legislative changes, including their implications on tax code sections like Section 199A. Stay at the forefront of business taxation and ensure you're delivering top-notch advice to your clients by enrolling in this essential course today. **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.