Professional Development and Event Catalog
Understanding Internal Control Constructs
Monday, Dec. 28 1:30pm - 5:30pm
Online
4.00 Credits
Member Price: $149
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Organizations of all sizes often fail to successfully install needed foundational components of an internal control system. Whether large or small, entities must view policies, procedures, and all controls in a wholistic manner in order to develop a system of controls that will keep the entity on its intended course. Moreover, those that design policies and procedures benefit by knowing why control measures are necessary. This session sets forth internal control concepts and explains the importance of strong internal control policies. It provides an understanding of the interrelated nature of all controls created by any organization. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
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Strategic Government Budgeting: Tools for Long-Term Sustainability
Monday, Dec. 28 2:00pm - 2:57pm
Online
1.00 Credits
Member Price: $39
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This course equips participants with the tools and strategies needed to create sustainable, long-term budgets that align with policy goals and ensure fiscal responsibility. Participants will explore key budgeting frameworks, learn techniques for forecasting revenue and expenditures, and analyze scenarios to mitigate financial risks. The course incorporates practical exercises and case studies to provide hands-on experience with scenario planning, enhancing budget transparency and resilience. By the end of the session, attendees will have the knowledge and confidence to design and implement budgets that support long-term governmental priorities and strengthen financial stability.
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Beyond the Basics: Financial Ratios You Might Be Overlooking
Monday, Dec. 28 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Online
1.00 Credits
Member Price: $55
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Overview: Understanding your company's financial health requires more than just traditional metrics. This webinar is designed to reveal deeper insights through advanced, underutilized financial ratios. In this session, accounting and finance professionals will explore metrics such as operating leverage, free cash flow yield, and margin of safety-tools that go beyond standard ratios to deliver nuanced perspectives on profitability, risk exposure, and operational efficiency. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
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The Ethics Hour: Accounting Scandals: What Happened and Why? Can We Prevent Them?, featuring Tracy Cooper and Don Minges
Monday, Dec. 28 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Online
1.00 Credits
Member Price: $39
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The staggering volume of accounting scandals is a scandal. What has happened and what were the root causes? Why do many financial professionals choose to do the wrong thing? What has been the cumulative impact on the profession? What can we do to enhance our professional reputation? We will discuss the many "fixes" imposed to address previous accounting scandals, including COSO; were they effective? We must understand that accounting fraud is prevalent and what should we look out for? Be aware. We do not want history to repeat itself.
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Critical Thinking and Skepticism in AI-Augmented CPA Work
Monday, Dec. 28 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
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This course provides a concise overview of critical thinking and professional skepticism in AI-augmented CPA work. As artificial intelligence increasingly performs drafting, analysis, calculation, research, and other preparation tasks, CPAs are shifting toward higher-value roles involving review, verification, challenge, and professional judgment. Participants will examine professional standards, human cognitive biases, AI failure modes, evidence requirements, questioning techniques, vendor claims, documentation practices, and firm-level controls. The course emphasizes a central principle: AI output should be treated as an unverified claim requiring appropriate human challenge before professional reliance. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
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Ethics and Technology for CPAs
Monday, Dec. 28 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
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Explore the ethical principles included in the Code of Professional Conduct that address the emerging practice issues created by new technologies. Consider how technologies may impact audit quality and the integrity of the financial systems, and whether they create a need for CPAs to adjust their skill sets to address those challenges. Look at the potential ethical challenges created by the data related to privacy, security, and its application. Discuss the changes being proposed to address emerging ethics challenges. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
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Surgent's Mastering the Offer in Compromise: Strategies for Preparation and Negotiation
Monday, Dec. 28 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $99
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This course is designed to equip tax professionals with a deep understanding of the IRS offer in compromise (OIC) program. Participants will learn the strategic, procedural, and practical elements of preparing and negotiating successful OICs for taxpayers facing significant tax liabilities. The course will walk through the eligibility criteria, financial analysis standards, supporting documentation requirements, and techniques to enhance the likelihood of IRS acceptance. Common pitfalls, recent trends, and real-world case studies will also be covered.
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The Seven High Quality Questions that Lead to Success and Solutions
Monday, Dec. 28 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
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“How will I EVER get this all done?" It’s a question I often hear from clients and on a particularly stressful day, I can hear myself saying these words! Instead of helping us focus, it's a question that leads to stress, anxiety and overwhelm! Regardless of where we are in business and in life, we will run into challenges and problems as we navigate business growth, leadership, work life balance and our quest for success and happiness. This workshop will explore the 7 HIGH QUALITY questions that lead to relief, enthusiasm and success. It will be an interactive exploration that will leave you with a game plan to use right away, as well as an opportunity to practice the mindset that the most successful and happiest people use daily. This program is for both the entrepreneur who wants to be more effective in their day as well as team leaders who want to stand out in their organization. For the business owner or staff member you can expect a new way to work with your day so that it's profitable, productive and happier. For leaders, you will learn new up- leveled skills to increase your efficiency, communication and productivity. You and your team will shine. Your staff will feel appreciated and connected to their value as well as the company's goals. Albert Einstein said 'we can't solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them'. The quality of your question will impact the quality of your solution. Learn the 7 questions that take you from confused and frustrated to creative and focused.
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Surgent's Advising a Client Regarding the Tax Consequences Associated with Buying or Selling a Business
Monday, Dec. 28 2:00pm - 5:00pm
Online
3.00 Credits
Member Price: $149
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Buying and selling a business can be a complex transaction with many tax issues. These issues include whether the transaction is or should be a stock or an asset sale when the business involved is a corporation, as well as the tax consequences associated with the sale of a partnership or a C or S corporation. Accounting and finance professionals who advise clients who are buying or selling a business primarily focus on the tax issues that apply. This program explains and analyzes the tax issues practitioners must address in order to properly advise clients who are either buyers or sellers of businesses.
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Federal Tax Update for Individuals with Doug Van Der Aa
Monday, Dec. 28 2:00pm - 5:36pm
Online
4.00 Credits
Member Price: $149
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This program will address recent legislation, rulings and developments affecting individual taxpayers and provide practitioners with a comprehensive update for the upcoming tax season. *Please Note: If you need credit reported to the IRS for this IRS approved program, please download the IRS CE request form on the Course Materials Tab and submit to terri.storer@acpen.com
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Tax Season and OBBBA Update for Individual with Steve Dilley
Monday, Dec. 28 2:00pm - 6:00pm
Online
4.00 Credits
Member Price: $149
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This comprehensive fall tax update provides an in-depth review of the latest federal tax changes and IRS guidance following the enactment of OBBBA 2025 for individual taxpayers, highlighting new legislation and provisions, regulatory shifts, and planning opportunities that will affect individual and tax compliance in the current filing season and beyond. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
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10 Keys to Outstanding Service and More Referrals
Monday, Dec. 28 2:30pm - 6:04pm
Online
4.00 Credits
Member Price: $149
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In a competitive economy, CPA's and their firms need a way to stand out. The best way to do this is to give outstanding service to your clients. In this experiential workshop, you’ll learn skills that lead to dramatic client satisfaction. In addition, you'll learn several specific ways to guarantee you'll get a lot of word of mouth referrals that will lead to a dramatic increase in your number of clients.
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Corporate Storytelling in Financial Reporting
Monday, Dec. 28 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Online
1.00 Credits
Member Price: $55
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Developments in the Management Commentary and MD&A Narrative reporting is entering a new era-one that moves beyond compliance checklists to focus on cohesive, decision-useful communication. This seminar examines the evolution of corporate narrative reporting through the revised 2025 IFRS Practice Statement 1: Management Commentary and the U.S. GAAP-based MD&A under SEC Regulation S-K, with key comparisons to help practitioners understand how each framework supports investor-focused disclosure. Using real-world examples and excerpts from the actual annual report of an IFRS reporting company, this seminar highlights how the revised Management Commentary guidance aims to improve the quality, relevance, and connectivity of narrative insights. Participants will explore its emphasis on strategy, risks, sustainability factors (ESG), key performance indicators (KPIs), and the integration of financial and non-financial information. The session also analyzes the modernization efforts in U.S. MD&A, including principles-based guidance, reduction of boilerplate disclosures, and expanded expectations for entity-specific analysis and trend-based insights. Through a comparative approach, participants learn how both frameworks are converging around common principles: enhanced connectivity, balanced presentation, entity-specific content, and alignment of strategy, performance, risk, and value creation. This practical seminar provides accounting, finance, and business professionals with the knowledge needed for better understanding the management commentary and MD&A. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
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Internal Controls – Why They Are Important
Monday, Dec. 28 3:00pm - 4:48pm
Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $85
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The topic of internal control has long been an issue for business. Management may view internal control as a set of forms, checklists, and templates that auditors require. However, internal control is much more. Since the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX), internal control (especially over financial reporting) has become a major focus for all organizations, regardless of their status as public, private, not-for-profit, sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation. It is essential that managers understand and establish sound, effective, and proper internal controls for operations, compliance, and financial processes within the organization. Internal control can truly provide ultimate organizational value. Internal controls are defined as the mechanisms, rules, and procedures implemented by a company to ensure the integrity of financial and accounting information, promote accountability, and prevent fraud. Internal controls are a means by which an organization’s resources are directed, monitored, and measured. This includes operational and compliance activities. It plays an important role in preventing and detecting fraud and protecting the organization’s resources. Internal control is affected by an organization’s structure, work and authority flows, people, and information systems, and is designed to help the organization accomplish specific goals or objectives. For instance, a small organization with limited resources may not be able to segregate duties with the same rigor that a larger organization can. However, that does not give small organizations an excuse to ignore the importance of that control. They must find other ways to mitigate potential issues. In any event, internal control is part of an organization’s overall responsibility and requires due diligence to ensure its operations are effective. Management is the “keeper” and “inventor” of internal controls and must take ownership.
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Key Tax Issues for Individual Taxpayers
Monday, Dec. 28 3:00pm - 4:49pm
Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
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This course addresses the most recent legislative developments impacting individual taxpayers, with a focus on important provisions, rules and concepts to apply when preparing client 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.
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An Ethical Approach to Mental Health Issues at Work
Monday, Dec. 28 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
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In the past talking about mental issues in the workplace was taboo. Not anymore!!! So many of us suffer with mental health issues at some point in our lives. Poor mental health impacts, from a work perspective, productivity, absenteeism, retention and more. On a personal level it often causes personal distress and hopelessness. The Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) is addressing mental illness as a critical factor for the wellbeing of organizations. Additionally, the EEOC is cracking down on mental health discrimination. It is a very important topic for any functional business! This ethics-based webinar will bring awareness to this issue and offer suggestions on managing mental health issues in ethical, compassionate and healthy ways. It will offer suggestions on managing mental health issues for leaders, managers and all staff to create and environment of safety and belonging. This webinar will also address the topic of suicide talking about warning signs and resources. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
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Invest in Your Mental Health and Avoid Burnout
Monday, Dec. 28 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
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For the ambitious female finance professional, working hard and going above and beyond are necessary for success. Sadly, taking time to care for themselves can be seen as counter-productive to meeting their career goals. Over ninety percent of women executives are feeling significantly higher levels of stress that they attribute to increased responsibilities and priorities outside the workplace compared to life before the pandemic. Burnout is a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that causes exhaustion, negativity toward one's job and reduced professional efficacy. It has become so pervasive that it's now recognized as an occupational phenomenon by the World Health Organization. To reignite your enthusiasm at work, you don't necessarily need to find a new job or time for a spa day or bubble bath. You need concrete strategies to invest in your mental health without compromising your ability to rise to the next level in your career. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
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Not Just Your Everyday FASB Update
Monday, Dec. 28 3:00pm - 6:41pm
Online
4.00 Credits
Member Price: $149
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This course highlights significant updates that affect financial reporting and related attestation services. We will explore novel FASB pronouncements while examining the enduring impact of lease accounting and revenue recognition standards. This course will provide reminders regarding both GAAP and non-GAAP financial reporting alternatives for closely held entities. We will also explore selected guidance regarding audit, review, and compilation engagements.
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AI 101 for CPAs: Core Concepts and Practical Applications
Monday, Dec. 28 3:30pm - 5:30pm
Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
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New to AI? Start here. This beginner-friendly course explains how generative AI works, what terms like "LLM" and "agentic AI" really mean, and how CPAs can safely put these tools to use. You'll leave with a solid understanding of AI fundamentals and how they apply to accounting, tax, and finance. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
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Smart Formula Selection in Excel: What to Use When
Monday, Dec. 28 3:30pm - 5:30pm
Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
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Excel gives you multiple ways to solve the same problem - but which formula is the right one? This course teaches a decision-based approach to function selection, helping you confidently choose between similar and competing functions. Through real-world examples and side-by-side comparisons, you'll learn when IFS or SWITCH is cleaner than nested IFs, how SUMPRODUCT can help with complex summarizing data, how to use LET in place of defined names, and much more. Ideal for professionals who want to make smarter, faster formula choices that are easier to maintain and audit. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.