Professional Development and Event Catalog

Loans, rental agreements, business combinations – what do these all have in common? They all have the potential of creating a related party transaction.  This program presents a detailed analysis of the financial accounting rules for transactions with related parties, as well as compares and contrasts those rules with the AICPA financial reporting framework for small and medium-sized entities.

Valuation techniques and cash management activities are two other tool categories that can round out your analytical toolbox. In this course we will initially discuss how to turn your financial plan into a powerful valuation engine.  We then will discuss the formation of an efficient cash management program based on solid banker relationships.  Finally, we will review Ten Steps for keeping your financial toolbox full.

This course focuses on the key federal tax issues affecting business from the internal accountant's point of view, with a focus on the major ramifications of the TCJA and other recent tax legislation and developments.  Planning alternatives and the potential risks associated with those strategies will also be discussed.    **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.

Protecting yourself from ransomware requires more than just anti-virus software. Additional technology protections are necessary. Further, business continuity, legal and regulatory, and cybersecurity insurance considerations should all be a part of your risk abatement strategy. Attend this session to determine if your current level of ransomware protection reduces your risk to an acceptable and identify ways to ensure that you are protected.

This course describes how cyber attacks through impersonation are conducted. It also provides practical advice and recommended security controls to implement, reducing the likelihood and impact of an impersonation cyber attack. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Cloud computing has become a source of cyber-crime. “Cloud forensics is the application of digital forensics in cloud computing as a subset of network forensics to gather and preserve evidence in a way that is suitable for presentation in a court of law.” Cloud forensics is a combination of the varied types of accounting forensics including: •    Digital forensics •    Network forensics. •    Hardware forensics In cloud crime, the cloud is considered the object when the target of the crime is the cloud service provider they are directly affected by the act. It is considered the subject of the crime when the criminal act is committed within the cloud environment. It is considered the tool when it is used to plan or conduct a crime. This course will delve into the many concepts involved in cloud forensics. The course complements other courses in the series of Becoming a Forensic Accountant.  

The ACFE/COSO Fraud Risk Management Guide (FRMG) was published in 2016 (and updated in 2023).  It has quickly gained acceptance as the set of best practices for preventing, detecting, and thus deterring fraud. The fraud landscape is constantly changing and evolving. The FRMG sets out a rigorous set of principles and leading practices for managing fraud risk for forward-thinking organizations to follow.  It covers: How to establish fraud risk management governance. How to conduct rigorous fraud risk assessments. How to design and implement fraud control activities. How to establish reporting mechanisms and investigative procedures. How to monitor the overall fraud risk management program. Fraud risk can be managed.  All anti-fraud and accountability professionals will benefit from this session's focus on effective fraud risk management.

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.

Non-fungible Tokens (NFTs), unique, identifiable digital assets based on blockchain technologies, have become a fast-growing industry. This course will provide a background on how NFTs came into the mainstream marketplace.  These materials will assist the practitioner to understand the tax implications of the creation, purchase and sale of these 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.

Implementing ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) is sure to have a major impact on your balance sheet and potentially on your business as well. This course is a one-stop shop for what you need to know about the now-effective changes to the lease accounting guidance. In this course, we will review how to measure the lease liability and right-of-use asset that will now be recorded on the balance sheet for all leases. We will also tackle the tricky issues of accounting for lease modifications and other lease remeasurement events as well as address the other major provisions of ASC 842, such as disclosures and transition. We will also review the income statement treatment of lease expense for all leases for both lessees and lessors and discuss recent FASB implementation guidance. Lastly, the course will cover all recent updates to the originally issued guidance in Topic 842, including that related to discount rates. With Topic 842's effective date here, now is the time to get up to speed on this complex new standard.

Despite the fact that a client's tax matter may be taken directly to court, utilizing IRS Appeals usually results in saving your client both time and money. Join us as we discuss the misunderstood process of going to IRS Appeals.

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.  The same theory applies to departmental performance—the overall result is only as strong as its weakest contributor.  Leave our interactive and entertaining session with insight for developing and sustaining the best team you can possibly assemble.  The four elements in this process are (1) development, (2) leadership, (3) hiring and (4) environment.  Discuss how to effectively use these elements in your creation of an outstanding organization. Discover the power of the 10 Attributes for Leadership Success and the negative impact of Leadership’s Fatal 13. Above all, learn how to combine these four elements as a successful catalyst for sustained high-quality output and results.  

If you have ever had someone just read you the rules in an ethics class, you know there is a better way. Cases in Corporate Ethics reviews 10 real life cases and puts you in the position of someone in the middle of it all. You'll learn about conflicts that corporate financial professionals often encounter, you'll gain skills for dealing with a boss who is behaving badly and find out where to go for help. Once you have studied ethics using real world cases, you'll never want to do it any other way. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

In today's dynamic economic landscape, staying ahead with effective fringe benefit planning is more critical than ever for both businesses and individual clients. With evolving tax laws and shifting market dynamics, understanding the intricacies of fringe benefit planning is essential to ensure financial well-being and compliance. This course offers a comprehensive overview of essential tools and techniques tailored for financial professionals, allowing them to navigate the complexities of fringe benefit planning with confidence and precision. By attending this course, practitioners will gain invaluable insights into various planning tools and techniques essential for meeting fringe benefit planning objectives. From mastering the subtleties of employee benefit planning, including ERISA reporting and disclosure requirements, to unraveling the complexities of IRC §132 fringe benefit options, attendees will enhance their expertise to deliver superior advisory services. The curriculum also delves into the practical aspects of cafeteria plans, flexible spending accounts, group term life insurance plans, and strategies for financing retiree medical benefits, among others. With a focus on practical application and real-world scenarios, this course equips participants to tackle fringe benefit planning challenges head-on, providing them with the tools and knowledge needed to optimize benefits for both business and personal needs, now and in the future. **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.

Our financial and economic series is designed to take key topics for financial executives and explore them in detail such that the CFO/controller/financial executive can take away useful and practical recommendations dealing with the topic at hand. The program explores the current economic trends and analyze their impact on you as the financial executive in areas professional skepticism, medical care costs, social security viability, the dollar as a world currency, the national infrastructure and the "fate of the states" as well as the AICPA's top 10 trends and technologies. Specific recommendations and insights will be offered to you to deal with the challenges.

In order to prepare accurate and effective not-for-profit financial statements, professionals must have a strong working knowledge of the reporting requirements. Now is the time to obtain that knowledge! This course explains the requirements, illustrates how the requirements manifest in the financial statements, and clarifies options available to not-for-profits in applying the requirements. The course covers key accounting areas that affect not-for-profits, including revenue recognition, contributions, and leases. The course materials utilize a highly illustrative and innovative format, including over 30 focused exercises to provide an enhanced working knowledge of not-for-profit accounting and reporting.

Don't let the title frighten you. It is critical that staff be trained on the increasingly complex forms-related issues that challenge them each busy season. This course will help experienced staff focus on the essential amidst the cacophony of IRS and legislative changes and avoid costly mistakes. This course brings to the forefront advanced preparation issues, from individual returns to flow-through entities such as S corporations, LLCs, and partnerships.

This highly informative course comprehensively covers all the latest tax law developments. The focus is on individual taxation and discussion of the planning opportunities practitioners need to understand to help clients respond effectively. You will come away from the course with the up-to-date knowledge to educate your individual tax clients and implement tax-saving ideas that will serve their ever-evolving needs. This course is continually updated to reflect enacted legislation. Please Note: Due to content overlap, it is recommended that this course NOT be taken together with BFTU.

This course will enable practitioners to understand and apply the AICPA "clarification" auditing standards to audits of Small- and Medium-Sized Entities (SMEs). Further, this course will provide guidance on how to perform an effective, efficient and profitable audit engagement. The course is loaded with practical practice aids to help enable participants to comply with the standards. Troublesome areas as identified in peer reviews and litigation will be covered. Participants who take this course will enjoy smooth sailing in their peer reviews, guaranteed! This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Elevate your data reporting skills to new heights with our cutting-edge course, "Create Paginated Reports with Power BI Report Builder." This two-hour, expertly crafted training is designed to transform the way you visualize and present data, leveraging the powerful capabilities of Microsoft Power BI Report Builder. Ideal for professionals who aspire to turn complex data into compelling, print-ready reports, this course is a game-changer in the realm of data visualization and business intelligence. Delve into the world of paginated reporting with a curriculum that balances theoretical knowledge with practical examples and demonstrations. You'll learn how to navigate the Power BI Report Builder interface with ease, design intricate report layouts, and connect to diverse data sources for comprehensive reporting. The course covers a spectrum of skills, from creating eye-catching visualizations to utilizing advanced features like sub-reports and drill-through capabilities. By the end of this session, you'll be adept at publishing and sharing professional-grade, paginated reports that can inform and persuade your audience. Enroll now and take the first step towards mastering the art of paginated reporting with Power BI Report Builder. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.