Professional Development and Event Catalog

Prior to the original SAS No. 82 on Consideration of Fraud In A Financial Statement Audit (now codified as SAS No. 122, AU 240), the word fraud never appeared in a single SAS, nor was it described anywhere.  SAS No. 82 stated that auditors failed to detect fraud for two reasons:  1) They did not know what it looked like and 2) They had not been trained to look for it.  Although the SASs did not provide any guidance, auditors have always been responsible for the detection of anything that would cause a material misstatement of the financial statements whether caused by error or irregularities.  (They would not even say the word fraud until it appeared in SAS No. 82) The standards were replete with guidance on the detection of an error but silent on how to detect irregularities.  Now auditors are required to document in every financial statement audit their process of determining the risk of financial misstatement due to fraud. This presentation is designed to focus on frauds that were missed by the auditors and, in some cases, why it was missed.  There will also be discussion as to what the auditor must do in order to improve their track record on detecting fraud.  As reported on the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners Occupational Fraud 2022: A Report to the Nations, only 4% of frauds were initially discovered by the external auditor.  It was reported that more frauds were discovered by accident, (5%) then was discovered by the external auditor.

The COVID-19 pandemic has altered corporate and public accounting in ways we could never have imagined. This broad-based course will discuss accounting and auditing implications that have arisen as a result of the pandemic.

Auditing Cash - Applying Basic Skills to the Starting Point of Any Audit demonstrates how the approach to auditing different cash accounts may vary and how to strengthen inquiry which is an important audit procedure in this area. Cash tends to be one of the first areas assigned to new auditors, as there is typically little complexity and subjectivity involved. In addition, persuasive audit evidence from a third-party is generally available. However, research shows that around 80% of asset misappropriation relates to cash. Therefore, the audit of accounts and classes of disclosures related to cash and cash equivalents does tend to carry some level of risk of material misstatement. Note: This course is recommended as a part of a 16-hour audit skills curriculum for beginning auditors, while it is also appropriate for anyone who has responsibilities for auditing cash and cash equivalents. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Imagine being able to see into the future with confidence.  The ability to be a great forecaster is not innate but learned.  By examining great forecasters, we can learn to improve our ability to predict the future.  We will examine best practices and current research to improve our ability to predict events that will affect our business.  

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.

For many business professionals, accessing and managing data in Excel is one of the biggest stumbling blocks when creating reports and analyses. Common practices include far too many manual processes and formulas, including never-ending manual processes needed to update your data and related reports. Make plans now to join us in this session to learn best practices for accessing and managing data using Excel. In this session, you will learn how you can use Power Query and other Excel tools to quickly access and manipulate your data and generate reports in record time! This is a “must-see” session for any business professional working with Excel!    

Automating the tax practice is – or should be – a major initiative of almost all public accounting firms today. From ingesting data, processing returns, distributing draft and final copies, and billing and collecting fees, practitioners have outstanding opportunities to automate their tax practice. Those that choose to automate will experience the benefits of reduced staff turnover, increased productivity and efficiency, fewer errors, and improved cash flow. Participate in this session to learn the “how’s and why’s” of automating your tax practice. This session includes critical topics such as hardware and software options, workflows, and security and privacy issues. Plan to join us in this session to position your tax practice for greater success! 

To make more money in less time, all accountants need to learn to market themselves effectively to their clients or their firm. For better or worse, promotions and more money go to those who are the best marketers, rather than the most competent accountants.  In this fascinating and fun workshop, participants will learn seven key ways to get more clients and/or promotions through the art of marketing.

ChatGPT is the fastest growing application in the history of technology with over 100 million users adopting it in within two months. It is a revolutionary technology that boosts the quality and efficiency of business processes in every industry. As "knowledge workers", CPAs and CFOs are positioned to be prime beneficiaries of this technology. This half day hands-on course will get you well on your way to becoming a ChatGPT expert. John Higgins, a nationally recognized advisor and educator on CPA technology, will guide you through the process of accessing ChatGPT and applying it to a variety of practical accounting, finance and tax scenarios. This course will catapult you to the top of the pyramid of CPAs who are knowledgeable in ChatGPT and you will be ready to put it to use in your day-to-day tasks. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

We all want to be successful and deeply fulfilled, but most of us have not learned what really leads to a life of abundance, happiness, purpose, and great relationships.  In this seminar, you will learn the most effective methods for creating the life you really want.  In his interviews with such people as Oprah, the Dalai Lama, Deepak Chopra, Tony Robbins, Ted Turner, and dozens of others, Jonathan has learned what really works and what does not.  In this seminar you’ll learn the best personal and professional growth techniques he’s acquired over his career.  Once you know these great ideas and methods, you'll be able to take your life and career to a whole new level. 

The tax landscape is constantly changing, challenging tax practitioner to stay abreast of these developments.  This eight hour program will cover issues unique to business entities, including new court decisions, recent IRS publications, and the latest tax legislation that will impact businesses and individuals.  The remaining time will be spent on IRS procedure and other issues. This course will provide a concise look at the hottest topics affecting every tax practitioner.  **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.

You are not required to be a professional to prepare tax returns, but you are required to abide by regulations when preparing tax returns and representing clients with the IRS. Circular 230 is the guidebook that the United States Treasury uses to regulate those activities. Every year, return preparers are sanctioned, penalized, and sometimes imprisoned for violating various statutes and regulations. If a substantial amount of your CPA firm's revenue comes from tax preparation, this course is a must. Every year, return preparers violate these regulations, and are caught by the IRS. This presentation will help the CPA know the rules so they can stay in compliance with confidence while providing their client with tax preparation and IRS representation service. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Once an employee decides to report an issue, the risk for retaliation must be minimized. Metrics matter. As such, capturing and reviewing employee data for indicators of possible retaliation are key to protecting those who report. The more subtle forms of retaliation, though, require a focused communication plan to address. This course offers recommendations for implementing specific retaliation monitoring protocols.

This is a two-part series that discuss new trends and concepts the financial controller should begin to execute in order to truly become a valued member of the senior leadership team. The rapid pace of the evolving technological landscape has promoted changes in how accountants and financial professionals focus attention on strategy and modernize their roles to leverage digital technology. There is increased demand for enhancing flexibility into finance cycles and initiating real-time reporting and insights. These are the core attributes that will assist in transforming the work that controllership function performs. Is the financial controllership prepared to meet future business demands? The IMA® (Institute of Management Accountants) and Deloitte’s Center for Controllership aimed to better understand the current state of controllership and expectations of future demands for controllers and accounting professionals. They conducted a survey in late 2022 and identified several trends. The survey takes a look at how prepared controllership is to meet future business demands. It also highlights some insights for leaders to consider that may increase their preparedness. It also identified areas of additional insight and questions to answer on the controllership transformation journey. In this segment one, we go through numerous concepts in detail and the remaining concepts will be covered in segment two.

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.

'Whether your organization is developing a new control framework or seeking to strengthen its current controls; practical development and implementation is critical.  This course will review the intersectionality of controls and provide real-world examples and best practices from people to technology and process.  

This course will serve as an introduction to conducting effective walkthroughs to gain an understanding of the client's transaction processes as well as identify internal controls within each process. This course will review the procedures, questions to ask, and documentation requirements of walkthroughs. It will also include real-world examples of the red flags that may arise while executing a walkthrough. 

This session will identify the progress of the AICPA Enhancing Audit Quality Initiative and evaluate whether audit quality is improving. Analyze the trends that are contributing to audit quality and recall the major issues identified and the related resources issued by the AICPA to improve practice quality. This session will also analyze the AICPA's new Statements on Quality Management Standards (SQMS). It will identify the related implementation challenges and timing and evaluate the potential impact on peer review. Learn about AICPA resources for SQMS implementation. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Hacks, attacks, ransomware, malware – where does it end? Unfortunately, tech crimes continue to plague businesses of all sizes. Participate in this session to learn how you can reduce the risk of becoming yet another victim.

Regardless of size, most public accounting firms are mandated to have a written security plan in place. Failing to have such a plan in place can lead to substantial fines. Join us in this session to learn what your security plan should include and how to implement it.