Professional Development and Event Catalog

Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Bard, and Copilot are available to everyone and offer great promise for improved productivity. Learn how you can begin to take advantage of these tools by participating in this session.

Payroll is among the most common tasks an employer undertakes in the course of running their business. At it's most basic level, payroll consists of an agreement between an employer and employee related to compensation for services. However, once you look under the hood, there is so much more to payroll, including various kinds of compensation, payroll taxes and required reporting on government forms. Ethics in payroll is present in every step in the payroll process, from handling employee confidential information and dealing with pay, compensation and fringe benefits, to acting as an intermediary on behalf of federal, state, and local governments in the collection and remittance of payroll taxes. All levels of payroll staff- from payroll processor to payroll manager to CEO - encounter ethical considerations in their conduct when dealing with payroll matters. This course will discuss ethics as it pertains to payroll. Attendees will leave with a comprehensive framework for ethical decision making in the payroll function, as well as some real-life examples of what happens when stakeholders in the payroll process make the decision to decouple ethics from payroll. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Estate planning continues to evolve, and staying informed about the latest trends and strategies is crucial for professionals in the field. This forward-looking course delves into the intricacies of estate planning, with a specific focus on current issues. Participants will explore cutting-edge techniques, emerging legal considerations, and industry developments to ensure they are equipped with the knowledge and skills to create effective estate plans that withstand the test of time and safeguard their clients' legacies.  

Gear up for tax season with Steve Dilley's annual update!  This program provides an update to the latest tax developments, rules and regulations affecting both business and individual taxpayers, including a review and integration of 2023-2024 legislation.    **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 now common for those who live to the age of 65 to expect to live at least another 20 years. With increased length of life comes the need to understand that certain necessities must be considered for elderly/disabled clients. We walk you through issue spotting, including senior housing and care giving options, guardianships, conservatorships, financial and health care powers of attorney, Medicaid qualification and asset protection planning. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Financial forecasting is an important part of any successful business. It enables businesses to plan for the future and anticipate scenarios based on strategy. The controller helps forecast financials by calculating future revenue and income streams. In recent years, corporate finance has undergone many dramatic changes due to the growth of a number of high-tech tools. The responsibilities/competencies of the Financial Controller position (FC) has changed in recent years To maximize performance, Controllers must be aware of how the FC position is changing, and how they must adjust to these changes. There are many types and methods of financial forecasting. This course will review the most prevalent forecasts and relative methods being used.

Most business professionals have used Excel for years, often without the benefit of any formal training. Thus, they don't know about key features in the application and, therefore, don't use them. Of course, this leads to inefficiencies and errors. Isn't it time to stop this madness? This session is for you if you're ready to become more efficient and effective with Excel! You will learn ten critical features that can help you get more work done in less time and improve your accuracy. We encourage you to make plans to join us for this session to learn the best ways of working with Excel!

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.

Are you comfortable giving presentations and feel good about your performance, or does the experience make you anxious and leave you feeling dissatisfied? In this session, learn how to let your best self shine during interactions with your staff, the auditee, and the governing board. Jim Comer is an accomplished speechwriter and presentations skill coach for executives. Leita Fanta has led over 1500 full-day seminars. Let Jim and Leita help you establish genuine and comfortable professional relationships and avoid mistakes that will detract from your message. *Qualifies for Yellowbook credit This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

There is no shortage of data, but relatively few organizations have an environment and process to isolate, capture, analyze, and convert data into actionable information. Too often, we collect as much data as possible, continue to use historic measurements, and communicate data using traditional vehicles. Good decisions are not the result of the amount of data gathered, but of the quality and understanding of the information. The goal of this program is to explore a number of analytical tools and techniques and identify applications for them within an organization. Analytical techniques will be introduced throughout the discussion, and a significant amount of time will be spent addressing the steps needed to establish a data-driven environment and identifying and discussing potential/specific applications. In this way, participants get experience they can begin to use in their organizations. An expanded list of reference books and next level software is also provided.

Tax practitioners advising their business clients must be fully informed regarding the multiple loss limitation provisions that apply to individuals conducting businesses and pass-through entities. This program covers the loss limitation rules that tax practitioners must know in order to advise their individual and pass-through entity clients fully and adequately as to when and if a loss limitation applies. The loss limitations discussed in this program start with an introductory discussion of hobby loss rules and graduate to a more substantive discussion of the remaining loss limitations: basis limits, at-risk rules, passive loss limits, excess business loss limits, net operating losses, and the Section 163(j) interest limitation. Knowing when loss limits apply is essential for any tax practitioner. This program will put you in a position to advise clients fully and intelligently regarding each of the loss limits.

Forensic accounting encompasses fraud investigation and prevention, as well as a wide variety of functions in litigation. Forensic accountants provide services ranging from serving as an expert witness, to litigation consultant and bankruptcy trustee. As our economy grows more complex, the need for forensic accountants grows as well. One critical role of the forensic accountant is exposing and examining financial fraud. Technology expands the way companies conduct business; however, technology also provides greater opportunities for those willing to commit fraud. Forensic accountants rely on their skills in accounting, coupled with their investigative skills, to explain to clients, courts, and jurors how fraudulent schemes occur and the effect caused by fraud. Forensic accountants also provide expert opinions in calculating damages in litigation and administering bankruptcy estates, as well as a host of other services.

While ethics training is required by many states, the true value of the CPA license is in understanding how critically important ethical behavior is to our customers, our firms, and the public. This course will explore the basic tenets of ethical behavior and use case studies to explore ethical dilemmas in various companies and organizations with a focus on dilemmas that may face CPAs in the industry.

Nonprofit entities have a high degree of public accountability. This course will examine the most common fraud schemes and provide multiple examples of how to prevent or detect these schemes. Nonprofit entities have a high degree of public accountability. This course will examine the most common fraud schemes and provide multiple examples of how to prevent or detect these schemes. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

During this presentation, the most common mistakes made by employee benefit plan auditors, as well as plan sponsors will be identified. Best practices for handling specific issues that arise during the course of the engagement will also be explored. This discussion will help auditors recognize potential pitfalls in audit procedures/documentation and assist plan sponsors with compliance issues. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

This course will provide overview of key cybersecurity security domains that CPA's should evaluate in an audit. It will provide an overview of each security domain, and an overview of how to evaluate and assess the sufficiency of the cybersecurity control. Examples of security domains that will be covered include: Change management Access management Data integrity This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

This course is a 'deep dive' into many aspects involving the taxation of real estate for the mid-level practitioner moving into this complex area. You will deepen your understanding of the complex considerations and strategies that individuals must navigate in acquiring, operating, and selling real estate. You will leave the course able to navigate critical issues associated with the relevant returns and plan strategically for your company or clients. We will discuss in detail the impact that recent tax changes have had on the real estate industry, as well as new credits that are available after the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

SAS 145, Understanding the Entity and Its Environment and Assessing the Risks of Material Misstatement, was issued in October 2021. This audit standard amends AU-C 315, making many changes to address common audit deficiencies. This course will provide an overview of SAS 145 and its changes to AU-C 315.

Now more than ever, navigating loss, grief and crisis in the workplace is a skillset that leaders must possess. Keeping the heart in human resources is so important, especially in this post-pandemic state we are living in. We will explore ways that you can show empathy to your employees while also balancing your business needs. 

In the dynamic landscape of modern workplaces, the ability to retain top talent and foster employee engagement is a key determinant of organizational success. "The Education Advantage" is a one-hour program designed to help HR professionals, employers and employees understand: Turnover Costs Cost of Disengaged Employees Professional Development as a Strategic Imperative Employer Hesitations How to Embrace Professional Development Initiatives Types of Educational Opportunities This one-hour session is ideal for HR professionals, managers, and organizational leaders seeking tangible solutions to elevate employee engagement and retention through strategic professional development. Elevate your workforce and organizational success with "The Education Advantage."