Professional Development and Event Catalog

Breaking the Wall of blind acceptance; avoiding habitual complacency and Yoking the dots between cause and effect.

This hands-on workshop offers an analytical approach for designing, executing, and communicating results of a comprehensive financial statement analysis. We will explore numerous techniques and approaches that facilitate in-depth financial statement analysis. Accountants in public practice will obtain insight regarding analytical procedures, additional client services, and enhanced compliance with professional standards. Accountants in private enterprises will develop more robust techniques for understanding their organization’s financial statements to facilitate forward-thinking decisions and communication to internal and external stakeholders.

Based on an AICPA Enhancing Audit Quality study, 23% of all single audits subject to enhanced oversight were materially non-conforming with professional standards due to failure to properly test controls over compliance.  This course will provide an overview of internal controls over compliance specifically related to Single Audits. We will discuss how to apply the concept of internal controls to various compliance requirements. Additionally, a common finding in the audits of governmental entities receiving federal grants is misidentifying controls and mistaking compliance for a control. That's why this course will also focus on identifying compliance versus controls over compliance.

We all know that Fraud Happens. But, why? Why do people we think we can trust let us down? This session will explore the minds of white-collar criminals and examine some recent high-profile fraud cases. Why did they do it? How did they do it? What were the warning signs? If you think that fraud cannot happen to your organization, this session might give you pause.

This program addresses the many issues impacting CPA practice with a world in crisis.  The unique challenges facing practitioners are related through actual practice situations – and then analyzed for their ethical implications. Based on real life experiences. **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 course explores the multitude of issues that taking on a new client can bring with it, and then interprets them using three sets of ethical rules.  A group of “players” reveal real-life challenges faced by the CPA firm in bringing the new client into compliance, as well as proper financial and tax compliance issues. **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.

Understanding the complexities of estate and gift taxation can be challenging for many financial professionals, especially those who lack direct experience in this area. In this comprehensive course, participants will gain a solid foundation in Federal estate and gift tax law, providing them with the necessary tools to confidently handle tax compliance issues related to Forms 706 and 709. By exploring the details of the Internal Revenue Code sections pertinent to estate and gift taxation, attendees will gain a thorough understanding of key concepts, including deductions, valuations, and tax credits. This practical knowledge will not only enhance their expertise but also empower them to provide effective tax planning strategies for their clients. Throughout the course, participants will investigate essential topics such as the valuation of assets, deductions for funeral and administrative expenses, charitable and marital deductions, and the calculation of tax credits. By mastering these critical areas, financial professionals will be better equipped to navigate the challenges of estate and gift taxation, ultimately enabling them to provide comprehensive and effective tax planning services for their clients. Whether you're looking to expand your expertise or deepen your understanding of tax compliance issues, this course offers invaluable insights and practical knowledge that can immediately be applied in your 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.

Automation options abound, and in this session, you will learn how to take advantage of many personal automation tools and services. You will learn about various automation platforms, creating automation workflows, and automation tools to become more efficient.

This course will address recent tax legislation, rules, and developments related to capitalization and depreciation; Section 179 and 168(k) 100 % bonus deduction; Depreciation of automobiles, including new luxury auto limits; ADS depreciation for electing farm and real estate business. **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.

The adage, “what gets measured, gets managed,” has never been more true than it is today. Organizations of all kinds and sizes are creating systems and processes to categorize, track, and report on many of their operations by creating reports featuring key performance indicators (KPIs). This session will teach you about many different kinds of KPIs. Further, you will learn how to find data and use tools like Microsoft Excel and Power BI to measure performance. You will also identify the benefits and drawbacks of using KPIs in management philosophies like holacracy to make it easier for employees to know in real time where they stand.

This program analyzes and applies the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct and other sources of ethical guidance to actual scenario-based case studies, providing accounting professionals with ethical standards to integrate into their practices. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

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 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.

Arthur Werner will provide financial professionals with the information their teams will need to successfully plan and execute mergers and acquisitions. For major topics covered, see below. This course may be customized or tailored based on the needs of your organization.

This course explores the latest tax provisions impacting non-profit entities, including charities, hospitals, and universities, with a focus on common issues CPAs may face when completing their clients Form 990. **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.  

Do you ever get blank looks when you present your company's financial statements? Does your board nod knowingly, during your presentation, but never seem to have any meaningful questions? It could be that they have no idea what you are talking about and are just pretending to understand! Learn how to connect with your CEO, board, fellow managers, and ordinary employees so they understand your message. Learn to motivate them to action. Come hear a veteran CFO tell you how. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Accounting and financial reporting for construction contractors may be the most difficult area to be in compliance with the various standards. Also, construction engagements are, in many instances, more "dangerous" than most lines of business due to the many users of the financial statements (especially considering the impact of COVID-19). In this course, we will discuss why construction accounting and financial reporting are so complex and discuss the relationship between the contractor and the surety, both from an underwriting and claims perspective. We will also explore what the surety looks for in order to maximize potential bond credit.

Whether your employees report in every day to the floor or from an off-site network, the success of your organization depends a great deal on the motivation they bring to the job. This program helps identify specific methods you can use to improve employee motivation. You'll learn how to use observation tools to find out what motivates your employees and you'll study classic motivational theories. The results will help you influence the behaviors of others and tweak your own behavior to improve your bottom line.

We kick off this course with a look at the GASB standards that are effective this year including GASB 100, Accounting Changes and Error Corrections and GASB 101, Compensated Absences. We will then switch to the audit side of the house to examine the impact of the 2024 Compliance Supplement on Single Audits and the changes to the Uniform Guidance. We close with a look at common deficiencies found in Single Audits. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Add an invaluable skill set to your career. Showcasing a comprehensive cost accounting system of an actual company. Precisely identify direct costs for individual products and services. How to link direct costs with other direct costs. Identify certain fluctuating variable and semi-fixed costs that are, in fact, direct costs. Budgeting techniques for setting accurate standard costs and guidelines for revising standards during the year.