Professional Development and Event Catalog

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.

This course provides a comprehensive analysis of the SECURE 2.0 Act, which is part of a much larger legislative package entitled the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023. The principal focus of the Act is to expand retirement coverage and increase retirement savings. As such, the Act has many important changes relating to IRAs and qualified plans. This long-awaited new legislation alters the landscape of retirement planning for taxpayers of all ages, and there are changes taking immediate effect in January 2023. Make sure you are up-to-date with the latest information available in order to effectively advise your clients on these important changes. In addition, this guidance will be of particular relevance to practitioners' own retirement planning.

Gain the essentials Engaging with chapters 1-6 of Government Auditing Standards, 2018 Revision, gain the essentials for performing engagements in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards (GAGAS). Build an excellent foundation of the principles of GAGAS as it relates to understanding Yellow Book requirements and application guidance.

With the explosion of technology over the past thirty years, one fair question is, "what are the ethical considerations and impacts related to this technology?" Of course, practical technology issues such as data privacy and security undoubtedly carry ethical considerations. However, technology also affects the ethics associated with work-life balance, the digital divide, training needs, copyrights, and fraud, to name a few. This course will teach you about "technoethics" and its implications for individuals and organizations. To that end, you will explore many current and emerging issues associated with ethics and technology, such as copyrights, cybercrimes, privacy versus security, and geo-tracking technologies. Given the profound implications of ethics and technology, this could be the most impactful session you will ever attend.

Ethical situations occur more often than many realize. We must stay vigilant. Sometimes a seemingly simple situation may seem innocuous at first, but it can lead to large complications in the near future. In today’s competitive environment, one error posted on social media can damage a reputation forever. Social media posts can cause havoc. 

What happens when businesspeople think they can lie and cheat at work, as long as it makes a profit? Some believe that business is like war, and there are no rules!  Do you really want to behave differently in business than in your personal life? Can, or should, ethics be ‘switched on’ or off?

Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is a means of creating and enforcing security policies in an organization. For example, you can create DLP rules that programmatically block all outbound email messages containing Social Security or credit card numbers. Unfortunately, most business professionals have yet to discover DLP and how it improves security. In this session, you will learn the fundamentals of DLP and, through demonstrations, see how you can use DLP to enhance organizational security. You do not want to miss this chance to learn how to take advantage of one of the most innovative security options available to you!

This 2-hour mini course introduces how data analytics can be used to improve engagement quality and efficiency. Participants explore the use of data analytics to assess risk, support financial statement assertions, assess internal controls and uncover fraud. Apply the ADA IDEASc approach to using data analytics on engagements to ensure compliance with audit and review standards and to provide value-added services to clients. All of AHI's courses rely heavily on participant interaction and these virtual programs have co-opted many of Zoom's features to preserve the same strengths of the in-person training: visual interaction between the instructor and all participants (plan to be "on screen" throughout the program); breakout rooms to ensure small group engagement; and instructor interaction screen share for small group presentations, easy delivery of video presentations, and fillable PDF for online note-taking in the course materials.

With approximately 500 functions now available in Excel, some newer and more powerful tools are easy to overlook. 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, harness the AGGREGATE function's power, and create more accurate forecasts with Excel's FORECAST.ETS function. No matter your experience working with Excel, participating in this course will help you work more efficiently and effectively in Excel.

Every organization claims to be ethical, but words and deeds do not always jibe. How do you assess the real Ethics of an organization?  What are the key factors and behaviors to be aware of? Many organizations lack prescriptive policies, but is that an excuse to deviate from the spirit of doing the right thing? How can professionals abuse ‘what is right’ and circumvent policies for their personal benefit. What are some egregious examples of violating policies? How allowing exceptions invites abuse. This seminar outlines steps to gauge the ethics of an organization.

If ethics were easy, then why do so many professionals have a Code of Conduct? Some Ethical decisions are easy, others are not. We will discuss several thorny ethical issues and the ramifications.  What are the considerations and evaluation criteria to use? The need to carefully deliberate alternatives – is paramount. Be aware. 

You and I have a responsibility to our organizations and to the public to be ethical. We cannot forget this responsibility and this responsibility is constant. One lapse can cause profound issues that last. Ethics and trust are intertwined, no one follows a ‘leader’ who is not trusted. We will not focus on the negative and show the problems caused – rather, we focus on what and how to set the example for others to follow. This seminar outlines the seven components of trust, and how we should use these components daily.

Tax Season can be a daunting time for tax preparers, but it doesn’t have to be with the help of tax automation software tools and other innovative technology. This session will provide an overview of the latest technologies and tools that can help automate your workflow and make the entire tax return preparation process smoother and more efficient. From client portals, workflow management, and e-signatures to robotic process automation, you’ll learn about all the options available to help streamline your tax preparation process. So don’t dread Tax Season - attend this session and arm yourself with the tools you need to succeed!

Combatting today’s cybercriminals takes all of us 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 considerations if you prepare tax returns. Learn how to fulfill your obligations by participating in this session.  

Just as there is some convergence of U.S. accounting standards (GAAP) with international standards (IFRS), a convergence of U.S. professional ethics standards (AICPA Code of Professional Conduct) with the international Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants is continuing to emerge. This workshop compares these two sets of ethics standards, emphasizing both the theoretical aspects and practical implications for today's accounting professionals.

Automating the tax practice is – or should be – a major initiative of almost all public accounting firms today. From ingesting data, processing returns, distributing draft and final copies, and billing and collecting fees, practitioners have outstanding opportunities to automate their tax practice. Those that choose to automate will experience the benefits of reduced staff turnover, increased productivity and efficiency, fewer errors, and improved cash flow. Participate in this session to learn the “how’s and why’s” of automating your tax practice. This session includes critical topics such as hardware and software options, workflows, and security and privacy issues. Plan to join us in this session to position your tax practice for greater success! 

This course provides an in-depth exploration of Form 1120S, the tax return form used by S corporations. Students will learn the intricacies of preparing and analyzing this form, including how to determine the taxable income of the S corporation, how to properly report and allocate income, deductions, and credits, and how to calculate the shareholder's basis in the S corporation. **Please Note:  If you need credit reported to the IRS for this IRS approved program, please download the IRS CE request form on the Course Materials Tab and submit to kori.herrera@acpen.com.

How good are you with the technology you use daily? Are new technology tools available to save time and make you more effective? Technology continues to accelerate rapidly, and keeping pace is essential. This course is for you if you are not an information technology (IT) expert but need a technology update to maintain and improve your skills to serve your companies or clients more efficiently and effectively! In this fast-paced, update-style course, you will survey today's IT environment, learning about computer hardware, software (including Microsoft Office), operating systems (including Windows 11), peripheral devices, and what they mean for you. You will also learn about significant trends in information technology and how to take advantage of the opportunities presented by these trends. Examples include the latest Excel features, best practices for working with PDF files, and security and privacy issues. Additionally, you will learn how to improve the overall performance of your IT investment, thereby increasing your return on investment. Throughout this program, you will learn from real-time demonstrations of practical applications of the latest tools, which can provide you with the knowledge you need to harness the power of technology, both now and in the future. So register now for this "don't miss" opportunity to get the skills required to enhance the value of your IT investment.

Technology has boundless memory and can store all the answers, unlike humans. Regardless, technology and AI cannot discern the right questions to ask. Asking the right questions separates successful professionals from mediocre professionals. This session will take a big-picture approach and redefine auditing in a broader perspective which will deepen your skills, perspective, and know-how. The truth is that all professionals are auditors. We will illustrate three types of audits and dive into the most fundamental aspects of our daily work-lives that need constant attention, not seasonal treatments. We will show how to become a better listener and to ask better questions!

In the world of “Big Data,” virtually all business professionals have become data analysts, at least to some extent. However, that is particularly true in the field of auditing, where internal and external auditors are increasingly turning to data analytics to identify situations requiring follow-up and investigation. Those who understand how to take advantage of various tools to assist in these efforts benefit by conducting more thorough analyses and achieving superior results in less time. In this session, you will learn about various tools and techniques you can use for more thorough data analyses. The discussion includes Excel as a data analysis tool, multiple Excel add-ins, and Microsoft’s Power BI application.