Professional Development and Event Catalog

In this course, we will discuss what derailer habits keep you from achieving your fullest potential and deserving place.

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With the increasing complexity and ever-changing nature of tax laws and issues, today’s accountant needs a S corporation course focusing on the birth, growth, maturity, and death of a closely held S corporation. This case driven course will deal with S corporation income tax laws from formation to liquidation.  **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

It is virtually impossible to pick up the daily newspaper and not find an article on some type of fraudulent event. In the wake of the “Era of Fraud, Waste and Excess,” one might suspect that potential fraudsters would think twice before committing illegal acts. However, just the opposite seems to be the case.  Is there really more fraud or is there simply more fraud awareness?  The harsh reality is that it is a little bit of each.  Not only has fraud worldwide reached a level of over $7.0 billion in lost  revenue but savvy C-level executives now realize that it could happen to their companies—very easily. When you put these facts together, it adds up to a completely new era of vigilance.

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Are you looking to take your PivotTables to the next level? Many experts consider PivotTables to be Excel's most powerful feature. Yet, most who create and work with them barely scratch the surface of all that PivotTables can do. In this session, you'll learn eight powerful features you may have missed. From user-defined calculations to consolidating reports and adding KPIs, we'll show you how to get the most out of your PivotTables. These are just some examples of the great things you can do with PivotTables, and in this session, you will learn these and other techniques to make your PivotTables even more powerful.

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Office Scripts is a new feature that allows you to automate tasks in Excel and other Office applications. Unlike VBA, a legacy language that runs only on Windows, Office Scripts can run on any platform and device that supports Office on the web. Further, Office Scripts has a modern and intuitive interface that lets you easily create, edit, and share your scripts. Office Scripts are stored in the Cloud, and they work with Office Online apps and integrate with Power Automate for process automation. Save time and improve productivity using Office Scripts in Excel and other Office applications.

Various legal tests are used to evaluate whether a worker should be classified as an employee or an independent contractor. There is no uniform standard or bright-line rule for determining whether an individual is properly classified as an independent contractor. Instead, the inquiry is always fact-intensive, and the analysis can vary based what body is performing it, i.e. the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), Department of Labor (“DOL”), various state agencies, or the courts. This presentation will review the various tests and highlight some of the common, most important factors for consideration.   

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

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Numbers and especially the digits within those numbers can conceal a lot of information.  Benford's Law and other digital analysis techniques can be the keys to unlocking that information.  This session will explain what Benford's Law is, how it works, and how it can be used to reveal bogus information and made-up data.  Accountants and auditors should understand how to use this valuable audit tool as well as other digital analysis techniques.  But, if you attend this session, you must promise not to reveal the secret behind these techniques to any fraud perpetrators.

The world of work changed radically and became much more virtual after the pandemic’s onset in 2020.  Over two years into the “new normal,” our team has compiled a list of the top technology productivity tips, tricks, and traps.  In this session, you will learn about shortcuts and hacks to help you accomplish more in Excel, Teams, Outlook, virtual meetings, and many other applications you use every day. Attend this session and learn the best tips to help you and your team accomplish more in less time.  

Review of the major employment laws governing the workplace, when they are triggered, and key compliance aspects under each law. This presentation is designed to give viewers enough information to issue spot when matters arise in the workplace.   

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This session isfor accounting professionals aiming to enhance their automation expertise with the low-code/no-code tools in Microsoft Power Apps and Power Automate. Participants will explore techniques to create simple workflows and develop custom applications, including "describe it to design it." The session focuses on automating processes, such as approvals, workflow automation, and data manipulation, while accessing and utilizing data from Microsoft Fabric and external databases. Attendees will learn about different types of workflows and the platform's tools for Robotic Process Automation (RPA). Further, they will leave with a better understanding of the Power Platform so they can drive digital transformation in their organizations.

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.

This course is designed to equip CPAs, EAs, attorneys, and tax professionals with the essential knowledge and strategies needed to navigate the latest developments. Explore innovative approaches to maximize retirement savings, discuss tax- efficient retirement plan options, and align estate planning techniques with current trends. Gain a thorough understanding of altered rules for Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) and discover how to optimize estate plans in response to changing regulations. This update is tailored for professionals seeking practical insights in the realm of contemporary retirement planning. **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.

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This session takes a unique review of the fundamental budget issues faced by all and walks through a detailed modeling process intended to generate discussion and best practices to improve your organization’s financial modeling.  From the beginning of the accounting process – ‘the chart of accounts’ to the end of the process – ‘the valuation of the company’, the budgeting cycle via a live case model to learn best practices common to successful companies.   This course stands on its own but is part two of a four part budget mastery series.

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This comprehensive course provides the essential updates for professionals working with governments and not-for-profit organizations. We'll begin with an in-depth review of recent GASB standards, including compensated absences, certain asset disclosures, risk and uncertainty disclosures, and financial reporting model improvements. For each standard, we'll cover its background, potential impact, and practical strategies for implementation to ensure you're fully prepared. Next, we'll shift focus to the FASB and its implications for nonprofit organizations. While there haven't been recent nonprofit-specific standards, several Accounting Standard Updates (ASUs) significantly impact NFPs. We'll explore these ASUs, evaluate changes to programmatic investments, and discuss their interplay with the CECL standard. Additionally, we'll highlight the movement in IFR4NPO, a global initiative to develop universal financial reporting standards for nonprofits, offering insights into its potential worldwide impact. In the second half, we'll turn to governmental auditing. Key topics include the 2024 Yellow Book updates, the transition from quality control to quality management, and the implementation timelines. For Single Audits, we'll cover the 2024 Uniform Guidance changes, the 2025 Compliance Supplement, GAO reports on improper payments and fraud, the Financial Data Transparency Act (FDTA), and recent Department of Education guidance on related parties.  

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Which technology trends will impact you and your business? What emerging technologies will potentially help you to address security and efficiency? How will the emergence of Windows 11 affect you? Should you consider subscription-based software? What does the future of communication technology have in store for you? Get answers to these and other questions by participating in K2's Technology Update, a four-hour review of technology trends and developments affecting virtually all business professionals. In this session, you will learn about significant issues such as: • Hardware trends, • Software innovations, • Communication and collaboration tools, • Security issues and solutions, • Key products to consider for implementation, and • Unusual and emerging technologies you may have missed. If you're taking just one technology-focused training session this year, this should be it!

Microsoft Office Excel is one of the most widely used applications by accounting and financial professionals. Yet, many remain unaware of new and improved features in Excel and, therefore, fail to reach the level of productivity and accuracy they desire. Further, with new features appearing in Excel provided through Microsoft 365 subscriptions and Excel 2024, it is more important now than ever to get up-to-speed on the world’s most popular spreadsheet! Make plans now to elevate your Excel skills by participating in this session. You will learn about the newer features available to improve efficiency and accuracy in it. You will also learn about the importance of numerous legacy features in Excel and how you can – and should – continue to use these tools to improve productivity.

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Young doctors sometimes arrive at an exotic medical diagnosis (You've got Kuru!), when a more common place explanation is likely (You've got a cold). These diagnoses are known as Zebras and doctors are taught, "When you hear hoofbeats, think of horses not zebras". Sometimes, the patient really has a rare disease and suffers from misdiagnosis and subsequent improper treatment. Similarly, managers, auditors, and investigators often see indicators of fraud, but dismiss them because they've been taught or assume based upon experience that it is just a mistake that looks like fraud. This session uses case studies to explore some of the more common symptoms of fraud that are often misdiagnosed.

The mad scramble to remote work and utilize apps like Teams has been trying for most organizations over the past couple of years. With a rush to install and no time to plan, most team members did their best, prioritizing remote meetings as the primary concern. Therefore, as a result, Teams is vastly misunderstood and underutilized in most organizations. Join us in this session to go beyond the remote meetings aspect of Teams and to learn how to optimize efficiency, communication, and workflow with Teams.

Anyone can "crunch numbers" but it takes special skills to make them meaningful to the user. Financial statements and ratios need to be interpreted correctly using a process that sets the context, identifies the right analysis tools, and makes recommendations in an understandable format. This course will help you present your insights in a way that is insightful and impactful to your client.