Professional Development and Event Catalog

Pro forma statements are used by businesses to make decisions on planning and control, as well as for external reporting to owners, investors, and creditors. For example, giving financial estimates for a given period in a standardized manner is known as “presenting pro forma,” a Latin phrase that means “as a matter of form.” Pro forma statements can be helpful tools for business owners, investors, creditors, or decision-makers to analyze various scenarios of future events based on certain financial assumptions. It might aid in making predictions performance of the company. A pro forma income statement displays a firm’s anticipated sales and revenue. It also highlights anticipated fixed or variable operational expenses and, in the end, displays the potential profits and retained earnings for a future financial quarter. There are various types of pro-forma statements and methods to develop them. The responsibilities/competencies of the Financial Controller position (FC) has changed in recent years. However, the creation of pro forma financial statements is still a core part of their responsibility.  

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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.

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GAAP is changing at an increasing rate. Financial leaders are faced with the dual challenge of navigating evolving accounting standards while strategically guiding their organizations toward sustainable growth and profitability. What are the newer accounting changes that will impact professional accounting? This seminar will equip finance professionals with the critical skills and practical insights needed to effectively manage the complexities of ever-changing accounting standards and upgrade your essential strategic planning skills. Strategies that do not keep pace with the market are doomed to fail. If we do not keep up, our successor will.

Navigating the complexities of business transactions requires a deep understanding of tax and estate planning strategies. In this comprehensive course tailored for financial professionals, participants will explore the intricacies of creative approaches to buying, selling, or gifting a business. Through real-world scenarios and practical insights, attendees will gain invaluable expertise in identifying tax risks, minimizing liabilities, and safeguarding assets. From evaluating valuation methods to exploring the details of stock versus asset purchases, this course equips you with the essential tools to provide informed counsel to clients. Discover the potential for strategic success as you master topics including estate transfer and tax implications, gifting strategies, and the utilization of various trusts and partnerships. Whether you're a CPA, EA, attorney, or financial planner, this course offers indispensable knowledge to elevate your practice. With a recommended 8 credit hours of Continuing Professional Education (CPE), this intermediate-level course is designed for professionals with a foundational understanding of business tax and estate planning. Join us and immerse yourself in a journey towards mastery in the vibrant landscape of business transactions. **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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In today's data-driven world, spreadsheets serve as the backbone of business and personal productivity. However, creating complex and error-prone spreadsheets can lead to critical mistakes and inefficiencies. This course aims to equip you with the knowledge and tools to build robust spreadsheets, implementing a range of controls and safeguards to ensure data integrity, streamline processes, and maximize accuracy. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

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Security and privacy issues must be top-of-mind concerns for business professionals using AI. Yet, for far too many of these K2’s AI – Security And Privacy Issues professionals, no concern is given for the potential security and privacy risks associated with AI, setting the stage for potentially disastrous results! In this session, you will learn about AI security and privacy risks and how to manage them. This session includes discussions of the major AI companies’ security and privacy policies, how AI platforms might use your data, and how you can stay in control. Given how quickly AI is spreading, this is one session you simply cannot afford to miss.

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We encounter pressure from many varied sources every day. We will focus on one of the more overlooked areas where fraud can be found.  Employees respond to pressure, and sometime the pressure leads to unethical actions. Where should you look and what should you look for? Risk assessment is not something ‘nice to do’, but it is required for internal audits, external audits, and every leader. If you are in a leadership position, learn where to look?

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Substance abuse and mental health issues among CPAs has become of great concern among many state boards and the AICPA in recent years. This program will cover the factors that push CPAs to unhealthy behaviors, the prevalence of drug and alcohol abuse, and possible options in addressing the situation.  We will also discuss steps that friends and family can take to support their struggling CPA find hope and healing.

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Today, more than ever, effective performance management is critical to the well-being of an organization, as well as the engagement and satisfaction of staff. Unfortunately, performance management is also often one of the most dreaded responsibilities managers face. This session will provide insight into what performance management is, how to prepare and conduct performance appraisals, how to coach the marginal employee, legal considerations to be aware of when conducting an appraisal, and ways to engage and motivate staff. In addition to providing tools to conduct effective appraisals, we will also look at the ethical implications of employee reviews. When done well, performance management has the power to improve communication between managers and their staff as well as help foster stronger career paths and routes for growth. It can motivate, re-engage, and energize everyone involved. Ethical values such as fairness, accountability, respect, intellectual honesty, and trust will be incorporated into this session. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

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Targets can be a powerful catalyst for remarkable achievements - from landing humans on the moon to eradicating smallpox and repairing the ozone layer. However, poorly designed targets can have severe consequences, potentially leading to executive imprisonment, corporate collapse, or even loss of life. This course uses real-world examples and case studies to guide you through a practical, step-by-step process for crafting robust, effective, and credible targets for your organization. You'll learn how to harness the positive potential of targets whilst avoiding the pitfalls that can derail even the most well-intentioned performance initiatives.

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Recent generally accepted auditing standards were written to improve the quality of risk-based financial statement audits, audit reporting, and required by-product communications. This course will discuss the important clarifications and enhancements intended to improve audit quality to ensure better compliance with requirements contained in SAS Nos. 134-145. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

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This course will provide a detailed analysis of how to determine a partner's tax basis for a partnership interest, with an explanation of the use of both "inside" and "outside" basis determination. An illustrated example with filled in forms will demonstrate how the process works and the potential pitfalls. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

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Obligating Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) by December 31, 2024 is essential to ensure a recipient does not have to return funds to the Treasury. There are a number of requirements to properly obligate SLFRF funds and opportunities to make changes to projects after the obligation deadline. In this course, we will define what an obligation is under SLFRF, review guidance from the Treasury, learn how to meet the SLFRF obligation deadline in multiple areas, and identify when changes can be made to estimates, contracts, and subawards after the obligation deadline.

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This course focuses on how to integrate integrity and objectivity in situations accounting professionals face daily. The participant will be able to know not just what is the right thing to do according to the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct, but how to put values into action! As part of this course, we will also walk through real world examples of individuals and companies faced with these dilemmas. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

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More and more entities need Yellow Book engagements, including a growing number of for-profit entities. In this course, we will review the unique independence requirements in GAGAS. We'll also review the recent changes to quality management in Yellow Book. We'll close with a reminder of common deficiencies found in Yellow Book engagements. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

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Since 2017, employees have not been eligible to take an itemized deduction for a home office. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act suspended all miscellaneous itemized deductions for tax years 2018 through 2025. That deduction is scheduled to go into effect in 2026. Self-employed individuals can deduct office expenses on Schedule C, Form 1040. The home office deduction includes typical office-connected expenditures such as supplies, postage, computers, printers, and all the other ordinary and necessary expenses a person would have in connection with running a home office. The home office tax deduction for the self-employed would cover expenses for the business use of a home, which includes mortgage interest, rent, insurance, utilities, repairs, and depreciation. This program discusses many of the most important issues relating to the deductibility of home office-related expenses.

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For the past two decades the trend has been to move away from brick and mortar offices and have a greater number of people work or telecommute from home. Because of the upheaval caused by recent events, the rate of this move has been accelerated. This has and will continue to create control challenges and organizations must work to address these. Such things as moving from time based employee value to task completion based measurement and the ability to drive needed inter-company communication are just a sample of the issues with which entities must contend. This session looks at the benefits and pitfalls of workers that telecommute. It then discusses important risks and controls to consider as this trend continues and evolves in the business world. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

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George Washington once wrote, "We ought not to look back, unless it is to derive useful lessons from past errors, and for the purpose of profiting by dear bought experience." The cost of fraud, dearly paid by governments and nonprofits, is too severe not to learn and profit from. In this course, we will look back at real-world government and nonprofit frauds and derive useful controls to stop them. The course materials utilize a highly illustrative and innovative format. Over 15 focused exercises are included to provide an enhanced working knowledge of fraud and anti-fraud controls to both auditors and industry professionals.

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Unlock the secrets to understanding a company's financial health and management performance through comprehensive financial analysis. This seminar will guide you through essential tools such as vertical analysis, horizontal analysis, and ratio analysis to gain deep insights into business performance. - Vertical Analysis: Learn how to express each line item of financial statements as a percentage, making it easier to compare companies of different sizes and identify key trends. - Horizontal Analysis: Discover how to compare financial information over multiple periods to spot significant changes and trends, providing a clearer picture of a company's growth and performance. - Ratio Analysis: Dive into calculating and interpreting financial ratios to assess profitability, liquidity, and solvency. Understand how these ratios reveal the effectiveness of management and the potential of the business. This seminar goes beyond just teaching terms and formulas. We will apply these analytical tools to real-world financial data, demonstrating how to derive meaningful insights and make informed decisions. Join us to enhance your financial analysis skills and gain a competitive edge in evaluating business performance. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

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Transform your data presentation skills with our comprehensive course on creating impactful dashboards and reports using Excel. This workshop is tailored for professionals who: Regularly produce or update dashboards and reports Struggle with confusing or overly complex reporting tools Seek to streamline varied reporting styles across their organization Aim to establish a consistent, replicable "house style" for reporting Want to impress stakeholders with clear, user-friendly data presentations Through a combination of theory and hands-on practice, you'll learn the fundamental principles that make reports and dashboards easy to understand. We'll distill these concepts into a set of practical rules and guide you through their application in Excel.

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