Professional Development and Event Catalog

Just as there is some convergence of U.S. accounting standards (GAAP) with international standards (IFRS), a convergence of U.S. professional ethics standards (AICPA Code of Professional Conduct) with the international Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants is continuing to emerge. This workshop compares these two sets of ethics standards, emphasizing both the theoretical aspects and practical implications for today's accounting professionals.

Even though they have been around for several years, the tax laws pertaining to S corporations remain some of the more difficult areas of the Internal Revenue Code. In this course, we will examine how S corporations break away from the normal tax rules for flow-through entities. We will explore which employee benefits are disallowed for S corporation shareholders, as well as which taxes are assessed at the entity level. Finally, we will discuss how state level taxation may have changed permanently with the addition of PTE elections.

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

The GASB has been working on some big projects lately. We kick off this course with a look at the GASB standards that are effective this year including GASB 100, Accounting Changes and Error Corrections and GASB 101, Compensated Absences. We will then switch gears to the GASB standards coming down the pike, including the major projects of the GASB. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

The course provides a comprehensive, hands-on, pencil pushing understanding of the preparation of both S corporation and partnership/LLC tax returns, along with the underlying laws, regulations, etc. The course uses the basic concepts underlying the two main types of business returns: 1120S and 1065 as building blocks for more complex concepts tax preparers should be aware of. The theoretical concepts get illustrated in comprehensive examples that incorporate the most up-to-date law changes and provisions.

Don't let the title frighten you. It is critical that staff be trained on the increasingly complex forms-related issues that challenge them each busy season. This course will help experienced staff focus on the essential amidst the cacophony of IRS and legislative changes and avoid costly mistakes. This course brings to the forefront advanced preparation issues, from individual returns to flow-through entities such as S corporations, LLCs, and partnerships.

In this continually revised course, tax advisors will be fully updated on the most recent enacted legislation and IRS guidance, as well as major trends on the horizon with a view toward planning considerations. This update course is designed for all practitioners, both those working in public accounting as well as those in private industry, who need the latest information on tax changes. Please Note: Due to content overlap, it is recommended that this course NOT be taken together with BITU.

This course provides an update of the recent changes that have occurred in the financial reporting frameworks commonly used by small and medium-sized entities (SMEs). Troublesome areas in these financial reporting frameworks as identified in peer reviews and litigation will be highlighted. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

It is easy for us to get caught up in our work, but it is better to examine the ‘big picture’ by studying the outside factors that impact our business beyond our internal processes and day to day responsibilities. We are sometimes so busy with our tasks that we miss new developments until the developments have a profound impact on us and the organization. This session is designed to review many of these current trends, while thinking and discussing how these trends can impact our organizations and us. This is a fun and lively session that is intended to be interactive with participants either live, virtual or both. Our ever-changing world is evolving more than many realize.

The process of closing out the books every month can make year-end accounting a breeze! But isn't this time consuming? Not when you know the steps to take on a monthly basis. We'll show you what to do in QuickBooks Online as well as what you can do monthly to ensure a tax return that will stand up again an IRS audit. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

How do you keep your team connected with the limitations of virtual meetings? Suddenly, it’s more important than ever for each member to understand and appreciate their differences; to see beyond the screen and see each other’s human-side to maintain trust. In this session, Tina Hallis, Ph.D., will explore the neuroscience of trust and why it’s critical for optimum teamwork. But more importantly, you will leave with specific strategies and tools that you can choose from to use with your people. 

Over the last few years, mental health has become more of a mainstream issue. In fact, statistics indicate that approximately one in four adults experience a mental health condition.  Therefore, it is more important now than ever for organizations to make mental health and wellness a priority, given all the rapid changes leading to higher levels of stress and uncertainty in the post-COVID workplace.  The goal of this course is to outline the signs of mental health challenges in the workplace, such as changes in behavior, mood, or performance, while providing practical strategies for HR Professionals and Business Leaders to build and implement accommodations for a mentally healthy work environment.

Over 80% of all employment-related lawsuits relate to termination.  Every termination should be treated as a potential lawsuit.  The facts supporting a leader's recommendation of discharge must be fully investigated. The discharge of an employee  requires prior review and approval.  Narrow self-interest, spite, or personal animosity must not play a part in making termination decisions.  This course provides practical knowledge and scripts for handling discharges with good judgment such that personal and employer liability is avoided.

A harmonious working environment is one in which people feel safe, seen, heard, and respected.  Critical to maintaining it are that employees have high self-esteem, are treated with respect, and work in a safe, non-violent setting.  This course provides practical knowledge and scripts on how to take appropriate action and deal effectively with discriminatory comments, sexual harassment, and threats and acts of violence,such that personal and employer liability is avoided.

Leaders have the right to exercise customary management functions.  Employees have the right to be kept free from discrimination.  Neither employer rights nor employee rights are absolute.  The courts are equally protective of the rights of employees and employers.  A courtroom is the wrong place for anyone to find this out.  This course provides practical knowledge on how to effectively balancing these two sets of rights, such that employees and leaders stay out of court. Employers avoid lawsuits, rather than win lawsuits.

Our guidance on ethics comes from the AICPA and other groups, but it does not fully address the “why” behind ethics. This session will examine and define what ethics is and what it means to varying people in the workplace. Understanding what motivates people and understanding those people are key to both solving ethical dilemmas and workplace issues that can lead to greater job satisfaction and efficiency. To correct an issue, you need to delve into the root cause – the why?

Practitioners need to exercise caution to ensure they maintain independence as they assist their clients with reviews, audits, and compilation engagements. This course provides a roadmap to best practices and guidance provided by the AICPA's Code of Professional Conduct and analyzes and applies it to actual scenario-based case studies, providing accounting professionals with ethical standards to integrate into their practices. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available for questions during the event.

How much can you contribute to a Roth IRA, Roth 401(k), SEP Roth IRA, or SIMPLE Roth IRA? How will a Roth distribution qualify to be tax-free? How did SECURE Act 1.0 and SECURE Act 2.0 change the Roth rules? These are only some of the key Roth questions advisors must know the answers to. Plus, as Roth accounts have increasingly become an essential component of retirement savings portfolios, with one-third of IRA owners owning Roth IRAs, advisors have even more reasons to be Roth-proficient. To that end, the instructor will simplify critical rules that govern Roth funding and Roth distributions for Roth IRAs, Roth 401(k)s, and sister plans.

If you use Outlook to process your email, you are likely spending a substantial part of your day processing incoming email messages. This course is designed to show you a multitude of tips and tricks to reduce time spent processing emails. We will cover every feature available in Outlook to streamline and automate your email processing. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

With the increasing complexity and ever-changing nature of tax laws and issues, today’s accountant needs a one-day fast-paced update course focusing on the hottest Federal income tax topics affecting individuals, businesses and their owners with an emphasis of newly enacted income tax 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