Professional Development and Event Catalog

This course provides a concise overview of Gemini AI, Google's advanced multimodal artificial intelligence model. It explains how Gemini is integrated into different Google products, including Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and as a stand-alone chatbot. Participants will learn how Gemini enhances productivity by summarizing email threads, suggesting responses, drafting emails, generating formulas, creating tables, and more. By the end of the course, students will have a solid foundation in understanding Gemini AI's role in the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence. 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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When exit planning, it is important to weigh various issues, including tax implications, to achieve an effective management and/or ownership change. Many envision tax-free reorganizations being the most preferable structure to avoid capital gains tax, but the opportunities come at a cost to the seller. This course will provide a well-rounded discussion of the various strategies to consider when advising on exiting a business.

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Whether you're heading across town or across the globe, traveling with electronic devices carries real risks to the sensitive client and firm data stored on them. In this session, we'll explore the ethical obligations CPAs have to protect confidential information, including guidance from the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct and applicable laws. We'll examine how data can be accessed — legitimately or maliciously — by third parties during travel, and offer practical strategies to minimize risk, from using loaner devices and mobile device management to coordinating with IT before departure. The session includes current border search rules, international considerations, and actionable tips for staying secure in transit.

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Recent economic volatility has created added stress on accounting and finance professionals and their clients. When individuals or businesses lose money, they often blame others for their misfortune. Business disputes can sometimes lead to accounting malpractice claims. Understanding the most common types of accounting malpractice claims provides a roadmap of what not to do. This course provides a current overview of accounting malpractice litigation throughout the United States. The goal is to learn about the types of claims asserted against CPA firms and strategies to employ to avoid such claims. Reviewing malpractice claims allows us to identify patterns of behavior that may reduce litigation risk.

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As Americans live longer and increasingly move away from traditional pensions, Social Security has become the main source of retirement income for many clients. Meanwhile, concerns about solvency and a lack of understanding of key rules have led to confusion and sometimes misguided decisions. This program offers tax practitioners the knowledge they need to help clients make informed choices about Social Security and retirement income.

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Recent new auditing standards are designed to improve overall audit quality. The course will address the most common misapplied audit concepts in planning and performing effective and efficient financial statement audits. 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 accounting profession stands at a critical inflection point where artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are reshaping how firms operate, serve clients, and compete in the marketplace. This course, based on the 2025 CPA Firm Tech Report, provides expert guidance on overcoming the five key challenges that prevent firms from successfully adopting transformative technologies: decision paralysis from overwhelming choices, leadership resistance to change, difficulty proving ROI, growing cybersecurity risks, and critical skills gaps. Through real-world case studies and insights from industry leaders, participants will learn practical strategies for evaluating AI solutions, implementing change management frameworks, and building a technology-forward culture that enhances both efficiency and client value. Participants will explore the CPA Firm Digital Maturity Model to assess their firm's readiness for transformation, examine the evolving AI ecosystem specifically designed for accounting applications, and discover how leading firms are leveraging AI to move beyond traditional compliance work toward high-value advisory services. The course addresses critical considerations for firms of all sizes, from solo practitioners to large regional firms, providing actionable frameworks for prioritizing technology investments, measuring success beyond traditional ROI metrics, and developing the hybrid talent needed to thrive in an AI-enhanced future. Whether you're a firm leader hesitant about technology adoption or a forward-thinking professional ready to champion change, this course equips you with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate the technology revolution transforming the accounting profession. 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 new revenue recognition standard outlines five steps for proper compliance. At the surface, these steps seem simplistic. However, there are many considerations that should be considered within each step based on your process and industry. Previous courses in this series have covered the standard at a high level and evaluated step one and two of the standard. They are: Understanding the Revenue Recognition Standard Revenue Recognition: Identify the Contract - Part One Revenue Recognition: Identify the Contract - Part Two Revenue Recognition: Identify Performance Obligations – Part One Revenue Recognition: Identify Performance Obligations – Part Two Revenue Recognition: Determine Transaction Price - Part 1 Revenue Recognition: Determine Transaction Price - Part 2 Revenue Recognition: Allocate the Transaction Price Revenue Recognition: Recognize Revenue      This segment is designed to evaluate Step Three of the new model dealing with Determining the Transaction Price.

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This discussion outlines situations where ‘legal’ and ‘ethical’ are not necessarily in alignment.  How should you handle these issues?  We will detail a better thought process to help you avoid ‘crossing the line.’   

A common challenge for the controller role is in closing the month-end and period-end books in preparation to issue financial statements. This duty requires precision, timing and efficiency. In today’s digital world, many organizations have access to financial accounting software that will assist with the steps in the financial close. However, even with this aid it is critical the accountant understand the various steps for the close process and how they inter-relate to other accounting processes. This course gives you an insight into the inter-relationships between many processes that impact the financial close. The closing process has traditionally been a slow one with many companies taking two weeks to close its subsidiary’s books and another two to three weeks to roll up and consolidated the results. With the introduction of technology much has been done to help accelerate that process with integrated enterprise resource planning systems and general ledger and consolidate software. Within this segment we will discuss the elements of the financial close and also important concepts to assist the controller in accelerating their close timeline. This includes addressing all functional areas of the close including payroll, invoicing, payables, inventory, cash, and the general ledger. We will also discuss important concepts of ensuring your financial close is accurate by discussing bank reconciliations, overhead allocations, bad debt reserves, unpaid wages and accruals for vacation time, account reconciliations, deprecation and overall financial statement review. Note: This course does not address utilizing technology in the financial close. Its focus is to understand the varied procedures involved in the financial close whether or not technology is utilized.  

Navigating the complexities of business transactions requires a deep understanding of tax and estate planning strategies. In this comprehensive course tailored for financial professionals, participants will explore the intricacies of creative approaches to buying, selling, or gifting a business. Through real-world scenarios and practical insights, attendees will gain invaluable expertise in identifying tax risks, minimizing liabilities, and safeguarding assets. From evaluating valuation methods to exploring the details of stock versus asset purchases, this course equips you with the essential tools to provide informed counsel to clients. Discover the potential for strategic success as you master topics including estate transfer and tax implications, gifting strategies, and the utilization of various trusts and partnerships. Whether you're a CPA, EA, attorney, or financial planner, this course offers indispensable knowledge to elevate your practice. With a recommended 8 credit hours of Continuing Professional Education (CPE), this intermediate-level course is designed for professionals with a foundational understanding of business tax and estate planning. Join us and immerse yourself in a journey towards mastery in the vibrant landscape of business transactions. **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.

Nobody is immune to fraud risk. This course opens with stories of real fraud perpetrators then examines the similarities between the fraud perpetrators, discovering that they all have many common traits. It finishes with techniques accountants can use to deter these behaviors. 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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This course will help you to stay current on recent changes to the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct, as well as keep you abreast of emerging trends in ethics standards and regulatory initiatives and their potential impact on your practice. We will also explore frequent practitioner ethics compliance challenges, including competence, due professional care, audit quality, and independence. 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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If you have been a practitioner for any length of time, you know that there is often a difference between what clients should do and what they actually do. Have you ever wondered why that is? In this course, we will explore how we make decisions with less-than-perfect information. Through real-life examples and case studies, we will examine common behavioral biases and how to deal with them. 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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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.

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We all make predictions in our personal and professional lives. We base our decisions to marry, buy a house, launch a new product or hire staff on expectations about the future. In the past few years, research into improving predictions has advanced. We will look at this research and current best practices in forecasting to help us prepare better budgets and projections. 

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This segment is designed to evaluate Step Five of the new model dealing with recognizing revenue which is the final step in applying the new revenue recognition standard. For performance obligations that are fulfilled at a point in time, revenue is recognized at the fulfillment of the performance obligation. For performance obligations to be satisfied over time, an entity must decide how to appropriately measure the progress and completion of the performance obligation. A performance obligation is satisfied when or as control of the good or service is transferred to the customer. There are several issues companies should consider in applying step 5 of the standard: •   Determining if a Performance Obligation is satisfied over time •   Identifying indicators of transfer of control of good/services •   Utilizing input and output methods to measure progress of revenue recognition •   Understanding stand-ready obligations and how to apply discounts

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Many courses highlight ethical failures - this course goes beyond that. This course identifies the many barriers to ethical behavior, focuses on habits and techniques that improve ethics and offer ways to practice so that the ethical "muscle" is ready for any dilemma. This course incorporates ideas from leading ethical authors and includes data from the ACFE Report to the Nations. 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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This course provides a thorough examination of qualified tuition programs (Section 529 plans), focusing on their tax treatment, planning applications, and recent legislative changes. Participants will learn how 529 plans operate, what qualifies as education expenses, and how contributions, distributions, and beneficiary changes are treated under federal law. The course explores practical planning strategies, including 529-to-Roth IRA rollovers, multigenerational "dynasty" 529 planning, grandparent-owned account considerations, and interplay with financial aid. It also addresses state-level variations, compliance issues, and common pitfalls. Using real-world scenarios, the course evaluates when 529 plans are advantageous, the limitations families may encounter, and alternative approaches to education and long-term savings. Participants will gain a clear understanding of tax benefits, penalties, strategic funding approaches, and planning opportunities for high-net-worth families as well as typical households.

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The phrase "time management" is misleading. No one manages time. Instead, we manage events in our lives which consume time. Like money, time is both finite and valuable; it should be budgeted and used wisely. Those individuals who "manage" or budget their time wisely often are more productive, less stressed, and able to achieve their goals more effectively than others. Professionals by nature place a high value on their time. Still, successful time management strategies vary based upon the personality, motivation, and discipline of each individual. This course provides simple, practical, and powerful techniques that help professionals work efficiently and achieve better balance in their lives. Successful time management skills also reduce the risk of burnout, which in turn improves the likelihood of achieving success in any endeavor.

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