Professional Development and Event Catalog

The term “automate” has been an industry buzzword for at least a decade. Yet, few organizations have embarked on successful automation journeys, leading to greater efficiencies, reduced errors, and happier team members. In this session, you will learn how to crank up your automation projects and see first-hand how easy and effective automation can be. More specifically, this session shows you exactly how you can work with tools from Zoho, Zapier, and Microsoft to enable powerful routines that will allow you and your team to get more done in less time.

PowerPoint is a widely available resource that is potentially underutilized by accountants because many accountants do not stray beyond Excel and Word in the Microsoft Office suite. You will learn how to create and edit a professional PowerPoint slide deck. This session places particular emphasis on efficiency tips and tricks that will allow you to develop creative, professional visual aids while minimizing time and effort. The course’s author will share personal insights he has cultivated throughout more than two decades of public speaking. Although the session will focus on creating and editing slides, we will illustrate best practices for presentation delivery. We will also explain how PowerPoint can be used for purposes other than delivering presentations.

This comprehensive training is designed to get the accountant up to speed quickly with the different types of individual retirement accounts (IRAs). The cornerstone of the course is an in-depth coverage of the contribution and distribution rules to the Traditional, Roth, Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) and Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees (SIMPLE) IRAs. The course will also discuss the basics of the health savings account (HSA) as well as any newly enacted tax legislation related to IRAs. **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

A well-organized chart of accounts supports robust responsibility reporting, makes it easy to answer "what if?" questions and helps eliminate data entry errors. However, many organizations cling to the primitive practices of a half-century ago that impose barriers to developing budgets, holding people accountable, gathering useful data and keeping errors from creeping into their financial statements. Best practices today look little like the examples you may have seen in business school. If you sense that your general ledger could do far more, this session will show you how to fix your problems This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

With approximately 500 functions now available in Excel, some newer and more powerful tools are easy to overlook. But, if you do that, your productivity will suffer. In this session, you will learn how to take advantage of many of Excel’s more advanced features – some new and some legacy – to elevate your productivity to higher levels. In this session, you will learn about many of Excel’s newer tools, including XLOOKUP, SUMIFS, SWITCH, and STOCKHISTORY. Also included in this session are discussions of advanced financial functions, such as IPMT and PPMT, and how to retrieve summarized data easily using GETPIVOTDATA and CUBEVALUE. Additionally, you will learn how to make sophisticated calculations easier with Dynamic Array formulas, harness the AGGREGATE function's power, and create more accurate forecasts with Excel’s FORECAST.ETS function. No matter your experience working with Excel, participating in this course will help you work more efficiently and effectively in Excel.

Many small to medium sized companies do not properly address the risk that arises related to fraud because these organizations do not have the resources needed to mitigate this risk or because owners or those in top level management underestimate the scope of the issue. All organizations, regardless of size, must be aware of the risks associated with intentional fraudulent acts and know that a significant and effective fraud scheme could even create going concern issues for some entities. In this session, we delve into the reasons that fraud takes place. The material discusses the types of defalcations that are often executed against smaller entities and then explores measures that organizations can implement to help stop fraud activities and add security. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Navigate the intricate world of tax compliance for fiduciary entities with confidence through this comprehensive course tailored for financial professionals. Gain practical insights and expertise in preparing the U.S. Income Tax Return for Estates and Trusts (Form 1041), addressing specific issues surrounding decedents' estates and trusts. Delve into the fundamentals of Subchapter J of the Internal Revenue Code and master the art of compliance while decoding complex tax regulations. With engaging case studies and line-by-line instruction, participants will acquire the skills necessary to recognize and address key components of Form 1041, ensuring accuracy and efficiency in tax preparation. Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your proficiency and advance your career in fiduciary taxation. **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.

As our business environment shifts, so do trends with fraud schemes and perpetrators. This course will give you the absolutely latest information with how to identify and mitigate shifting fraud risks in any entity. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Excel tables are a fundamental feature that streamlines data organization, analysis, and visualization in Excel. Throughout this course, you will discover how to transform raw data into elegant, efficient, and visually appealing tables. By harnessing the full potential of Excel tables, you will be able to make better data-driven decisions and collaborate more effectively in various professional settings. Join us in "Improve Design and Productivity with Excel Tables" and unlock the full potential of Excel tables to revolutionize the way you manage, analyze, and present data, leading to improved efficiency and better decision-making in your personal and professional endeavors. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

At its height, LIBOR was the benchmark for over US $350 trillion in financial contracts worldwide. Yet, due to concerns over the manipulation of the rate, standard setters determined that LIBOR should be discontinued. The global response to reference rate reform required financial reporting standard setters to provide practical expedients and exceptions to current modification guidance. This course will provide an overview of the standards issued (including amendments) from both the FASB and GASB to address the transition away from LIBOR.

Every organization today is facing an onslaught of pressure to master Artificial Intelligence “AI” strategies across their enterprises. Never before have we witnessed such a steep expectation for how a “technology” can transform a business, and never before have we been expected to leverage a technology so quickly and so completely.  There is no denying AI presents perhaps the opportunity of a lifetime to transform and improve operations, but to date few plans or roadmaps on how to unlock the promise of AI exist. In this class, Steve Cadigan, a globally renowned future of work expert, will present a practical plan for how you can build your own AI strategy, and how you can thrive in the AI revolution. Steve will show present a roadmap of how to build your confidence with AI to address this massive change management challenge.

Cybersecurity protection is one of the most important responsibilities of every CPA professional to protect the confidentiality of sensitive client information. While there are many aspects of cybersecurity that need to be addressed, the biggest vulnerability to protect against is unauthorized access to your application login credentials. Once your login credentials are breached, the cybercriminal essentially has the keys to your data kingdom. John Higgins, a national leader in the CPA technology, will demonstrate the ease with which you can protect all of your login credentials with maximum security with minimal expense. You will leave this course prepared to deploy this state of the art security tool in your organization. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Globalization continues to make it easier for taxpayers to live abroad, do business in other countries, or invest in foreign enterprises. This creates significant complications and tax planning opportunities when it comes to filing U.S. tax returns. This course provides an overview of the unique tax challenges and solutions presented to U.S. expats or investors living or investing abroad. It examines how foreign-source income is taxed in the U.S. and how the tax consequences could be mitigated by applying the tax treaties, claiming credit for foreign taxes paid, or excluding foreign-earned income. Additionally, the course discusses the numerous foreign informational form reporting requirements and the significant penalties that could be imposed by the IRS. Examples from real-life client scenarios are included.

The Accountant role is evolving from data aggregation to knowledge extraction, with a significant emphasis on understanding and leveraging technological advancements. In this era of rapid digital transformation, it is crucial for accountants to grasp the shift towards more analytical roles, learn the tools, and integrate Business Intelligence (BI) and Data Analytics (DA) in their organization and daily practices. This course will focus on raising the accountant's awareness of BI and DA practices, the impact of AI technologies like ChatGPT, and how these can benefit their organization. By embracing these technologies, accountants can enhance their value proposition by transitioning from traditional accounting roles to becoming strategic advisors and decision-makers.

Ethical behavior continues to be a problem in society and even in the CPA ranks. "Ethics - A Line in the Sand" looks at the behavioral issues that influence how CPA's act. The course will address why individuals make ethical blunders, the state of ethical conduct in business organizations, the relationship between strong cultures, policy and procedures and successful ethical work environments. In addition, the course will highlight the one behavior to watch for as an indicator of potential ethical violations.

The course will start off with a look at the Accounting Standard Updates (ASUs) issued by the FASB that will be effective in 2024 as well as those that may be great for early adoption. The course will also review year 2 issues in lease accounting including how to handle lease modifications. We'll then turn our attention from accounting to auditing where we will cover the audit standards coming down the pike including group audit and quality management. 

Isn’t it time you learned how to take advantage of critical features available in your Microsoft 365/Office 365 subscription? In this session, you will learn to use tools such as Teams, Planner, Power Automate, and others to enhance productivity and efficiency.

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.

Fraud continues to be a pervasive problem for organizations of all sizes and in all industries. And it can happen to your organization. Accountability professionals are the first line of defense against fraud. Accordingly, accountants, internal auditors, external auditors, and risk management professionals need to develop the skills needed to prevent, detect, and deter fraud. According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners’ (ACFE) 2022 Report to the Nations: Certified Fraud Examiners estimate that the typical organization loses about 5% of its revenues each year due to fraud.  The median loss per fraud case is $117,000; the average loss per fraud case is $1,783,000. 42% of frauds are discovered by tips, usually from employees. Asset misappropriation schemes are the most common (86%) but least costly ($100,000 median loss). Financial statement fraud schemes are the least common (9%) but most costly ($593,000 median loss). Corruption is the most common scheme in all global regions. These statistics are alarming and should be a wake-up call for all business and government professionals. The impact of fraud is almost always devastating and can be catastrophic. The 2023 Business Fraud Update is another fast-moving seminar that will provide a comprehensive look at the latest developments about fraud from the technical, legal, and operational perspectives and update participants on the most recent legal and regulatory developments in this important area of professional responsibility.   In addition, attendees will watch a unique and specially designed simulated case of fraud in a corporate setting and watch as the panelists, in their roles as characters in the simulation, respond to the emerging situation and deal with it as a corporate and legal matter to determine the fraud, identify the perpetrators, respond as an organization and deal with criminal and corporate fallout. Following each stage of the fact situation the entire panel will discuss the developments and consider how damage to the company could have been avoided and how it can be mitigated! **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.

Business intelligence efforts continue to grow, and Microsoft’s Power BI platform is central to many of these efforts. Participate in this session to learn more about business intelligence and how to create dashboards using Power BI.