Professional Development and Event Catalog

Whether you are a seasoned CFO or a staff professional, you want to enhance your skills and become more effective. We will discuss methods to improve, including getting the most from the sales function, how CFOs can (and should) deliver much more value, new skills to develop and how to find the time to do this. We will also review the value of sustainability, ESG reporting and measurement.

This course is designed for firm partners and managers to explore ways to incorporate data analytics and related technologies in their audit practices. Participants explore how small and mid-size firms are using these tools to improve engagement efficiency and quality while providing opportunities for 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.

This isn’t your average tax course — this is the ultimate showdown of retirement planning strategies, delivered with the energy and excitement of a sports highlight reel. Join us as we break down the playbook for selecting the best retirement plans for small businesses. With a mix of humor, real-world examples, and expert insights, you’ll learn how to help your clients score big on tax savings and secure their future. We’ll dive into the latest moves from the SECURE Act 2.0 (signed into law Dec. 29, 2022), including the new Roth SIMPLE and SEP IRA provisions that are changing the game for the 2024 tax year. Don’t just sit on the sidelines — get in the game with Don Farmer’s 2024 Retirement Plan Playbook and become the MVP for your clients’ retirement strategies!

This 2-hour mini course is from our Level V course, which highlights leadership skills and situations that are common for managers and senior managers in CPA firms. Participants will be encouraged to examine and challenge their beliefs and approaches to managing and leading people. Leading Others - Coaching & Developing Staff - prioritizing the coaching and development of staff in a post-pandemic work environment, including delegation for development, effective feedback, and managing virtual employees. Building Leadership Communication Skills - strategies to influence and lead others through effective communication in both individual and group settings. Helping the Firm Grow - the three levels of helping the firm grow and how to involve the entire team in expanding services to existing clients and generating referrals to new 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.

Tax practitioners have been hard-pressed to keep up with recent legislation and new IRS guidance. In this course, tax advisors will be fully updated on the most important legislative and regulatory developments of the season as well as major trends and changes in the case law, with a view toward planning considerations. This course is continually updated to reflect enacted legislation.

The partnership section of the Internal Revenue Code is arguably one of the most complicated. That complexity, and the reliability of tax software to properly handle it, can create many issues for you and your staff when processing your client's LLC and partnership tax returns. Join us as we discuss the common errors practitioners make on partnership tax returns that are often missed by review staff. The intent is to sharpen skills for reviewers by examining case studies and discussing issues where additional information from the client may be warranted and areas of tax law where proper treatment requires additional analysis and information. Multiple issues will be discussed, including income, deductions, K-1 reporting, and K-2 and K-3 reporting. This course follows a highly illustrative case study format to increase participant comprehension and retention.

Join us for an enlightening presentation where we delve into the pivotal technology trends reshaping the accounting profession. This course covers an array of topics including cloud computing, big data, data analytics, Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Machine Learning (ML), Artificial Intelligence (AI), cryptocurrency, blockchain technology, and the metaverse. We will also provide an update on the current market for cloud-based accounting / ERP and personal productivity software. Designed for forward-thinking professionals, this session offers insights into how these technologies impact your business, your firm, your clients and most importantly, your career. Stay ahead in your field by understanding these emerging technologies and their practical applications in business.

The QuickBooks platform is robust with features and capabilities that many users are unaware of or do not know how to utilize effectively. This course helps you get more out of QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online and resolve the issues even experienced QuickBooks users struggle with, such as locking down prior periods. This program starts fast with a chapter covering the top issues accountants face with QuickBooks. Then, the day continues with practical guidance and solutions designed to help accountants get the most out of QuickBooks for themselves or their clients. You will learn about issues like setting up a new company, configuring and customizing QuickBooks preferences, and enabling system security and password protection features. Also, you will learn how to lock down transactions in prior periods, use the audit trail, customize reports, export reports to Excel, and extend QuickBooks' usefulness with tools such as the Fixed Asset Manager and Loan Manager.

*IMPORTANT:  The Federal Tax Conference will only be held VIRTUALLY this year Attend this can't-miss event for just-in-time updates, legislative news, and information from IRS officials.

Important:  This conference is a VIRTUAL program and is being offered in partnership with the Virginia Society of CPAs. Bringing you dynamic speakers and inspiring content!The Women's Leadership Forum is dedicated to amplifying the voices of female leaders from diverse backgrounds and fostering an environment of collaboration.Join changemakers and female trailblazers for an energizing day of discovery at the Women's Leadership Forum on Dec. 5. Gain invaluable strategies to inspire transformative change, connect with a like-minded community, and empower yourself and others to achieve personal growth regardless of where you are in your career.

This comprehensive update will assist you in the application of Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services (SSARSs). Participants who attend this update will learn about recently issued SSARSs and other related developments impacting a SSARSs practice.

Internal controls are more important than ever, and their importance increases daily. However, internal controls present a challenge for many smaller organizations. This program will teach you how to evaluate, develop, and implement an effective internal control structure in a small business environment. You will identify how to assess risk in smaller organizations and implement preventive, detective, deterrent, and compensating controls to mitigate these risks, even without proper segregation of duties. Additionally, participating in this program will teach you technology-focused techniques for preventing and detecting fraud and securing information systems and sensitive data. For small organizations, maintaining an effective system of internal controls presents a significant challenge. Realistically, implementing many theoretical concepts surrounding internal controls may sometimes be impossible. Consequently, many internal control structures foster an environment where too much risk exists. This factor and uncontrolled information systems can often lead to disastrous results. Participate in this program to learn the necessary insights and tools to design, implement, and monitor small organizations' internal controls, security, and anti-fraud measures.

Tax compliance issues for fiduciary entities are sometimes confusing to practitioners since many lack experience in this area. This course provides the practitioner with a practical understanding of the issues involved in preparing the U.S. Income Tax Return for Estates and Trusts (Form 1041).

Just added!!  Join us for an insightful presentation featuring John Higgins, a renowned technology advisor to the CPA profession, who has assisted many firms with Microsoft 365 deployment. Discover how to leverage the Microsoft 365 suite of applications to unlock new efficiencies and opportunities within your business organization or CPA firm. Don't miss this chance to supercharge your operations with cutting-edge tools! Whether you are working in public practice or business and industry, this event will provide you with a return on investment many times greater than your investment to attend.

This is another year of significant change in the world of nonprofit accounting and auditing. Time is valuable, and it's hard to stay current in today's rapidly changing environment. Let us save you time and effort with this informative update course. The course materials utilize a highly illustrative and innovative format. Over 30 focused exercises are included to provide an enhanced working knowledge of the latest developments in nonprofit accounting and auditing.

Staff accountants have specific needs when working with Excel. Unfortunately, their existing Excel knowledge often does not meet these needs. Chief among these are summarizing data quickly and accurately, generating accurate and aesthetically pleasing reports, and creating accounting-centric calculations for elements such as depreciation, amortization, and interest. By participating in this eight-hour session, staff accountants will gain the essential skills to maximize efficiency and accuracy when working with Excel. This session begins with a quick overview of Excel best practices. It then progresses rapidly into discussions that address PivotTables, sophisticated formulas, Tables, formatting, and working with dates in Excel. Throughout the session, you will learn from accounting-centric examples to reinforce key learning points. In this session, you will learn in a "laptop-friendly" environment, and participants will have access to all the demonstration files. In sum, this seminar is a "must" for all staff accountants seeking to improve their efficiency and accuracy when working with Excel.

Develop your soft skills in training courses that benefit both the person attending and their organization. This course, the final course of the five-course series, is applicable for various accounting departments (i.e. audit, tax, consulting, and accounting services) but because these are universal leadership concepts, they are equally applicable to other professional business leaders. The Level V course highlights leadership skills and situations that are common for managers and senior managers of organizations. Participants will be encouraged to examine and challenge their beliefs and approaches to managing and leading people.

*IMPORTANT:  This is a virtual conference being run in partnership with the North Carolina Society of CPAs This conference will prepare you to build and foster a culture of innovation within your organization. Our one-day conference provides attendees with sessions involving immersion into organization-level initiatives driving cultural shifts mixed with others diving deeper into specific applications of technological and/or innovative efforts currently in use today!

Understand your professional responsibilities when performing risk assessment procedures. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) issued Statements on Auditing Standards (SASs) No. 145, Understanding the Entity and Its Environment and Assessing the Risks of Material Misstatement, along with other related SASs. Participants who attend this course will learn about the new, revised, and enhanced requirements.