Professional Development and Event Catalog

Single Audits are a critical area of focus within the profession and require a thorough understanding of the Uniform Guidance and its unique requirements for auditing federal awards. This course provides a clear, practical introduction to the performance and reporting standards that distinguish Single Audits from other types of engagements. Participants will explore foundational concepts, including internal controls over compliance, the structure and use of the Compliance Supplement, and the compliance requirements applicable to federal programs. The course also covers reporting considerations and the elements of a finding in a Single Audit. Designed for professionals new to Single Audits-or those seeking a structured refresher-this course equips participants with the essential knowledge needed to understand and navigate Single Audit engagements. The course has been updated to reflect the 2024 Uniform Guidance.  

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Every business will be sold eventually. When you have built a great business and decide to move on – you want the most you can get for that terrific organization! What are the steps to take to maximize the value realized? What do buyers really want? What are the three levers to achieve maximum value? If you want top dollar, preparing to sell takes years of planning. This seminar helps CEOs, entrepreneurs, CFOs, Board members, controllers, and their advisors prepare for a successful sale of the organization to maximize shareholder value. We will outline the process to get the most bang for the buck. Proper exit planning demands planning and time.

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If sales increase, so should profits.  Yet, the opposite result often leaves executive’s scratching their heads.  When organizations work with inferior cost information, they make mistakes in four specific situations.  Bad information causes sellers to overprice easy, high-volume work and under-price difficult, low-volume work.  This session discusses how to use activity-based costing to build accurate costing models that consider far more than just the labor and materials necessary to provide goods and services. 

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In today's rapidly changing world, finance professionals are required to wear many hats and are often the keys to the success of the organization. On one hand, they need to be abreast of the latest proven financial skills for making the best decisions, and on the other hand, they need the best skills to motivate, manage, and lead people. Being pigeonholed into one area or another is neither good for career building nor good for the organization. We'll cover the latest issues that all CFOs and controllers need to know about and provide how-to guidance to allow for immediate use in their organizations.

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Be the go-to person on financial statement compilation and preparation engagements. Specifically designed for those performing preparation and compilation engagements, this course will provide you with a hands-on application for performing preparation and compilation engagements under AR-C Section 70 and 80, respectively. You will learn the ins and outs of relevant sections of the SSARS related to preparation and compilation engagements with a focus on how recently issued updates to SSARS No. 21 impact these engagements. More importantly, you will be provided practical examples and illustrations to help you effectively and efficiently perform those engagements, including a detailed discussion of the reporting requirements under AR-C 80 related to compilation engagement. Lastly, the course will review recent peer review feedback on these types of engagements, highlighting areas where you can improve engagement quality.

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This program compares and contrasts the financial accounting for partnerships and LLCs, as well as discusses the tax accounting for these entities, with a thorough discussion of the important differences between financial accounting for partnership capital accounts and the tax accounting for partnership capital accounts. Financial accounting for operations of a partnership will also be addressed. This course does not qualify for IRS credit.

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Overcoming the challenges of auditing contracts Construction makes up a large portion of the economy. As such, a growing number of accounting and finance professionals may need to be aware of the accounting and auditing guidance for the construction industry. You'll delve into the audit considerations related to construction contracts, covering various topics, including: Audit planning and substantive auditing procedures The core knowledge necessary to succeed Key issues affecting construction auditing, including auditing under the new revenue recognition and leases guidance Audit risks and risk assessment

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Almost every business and individual has to file tax returns, which can be a great treasure trove of information for forensic accountants. Whether in a divorce, partnership dispute, recreating books and records, or bankruptcy proceeding, analyzing tax return information should be an initial step in uncovering income and assets. The IRS retains a large amount of information, both from taxpayers and 3rd parties who report financial transactions. This course will be your guide in gathering, analyzing, and evaluating tax return information, so that you have a full picture of the financial investigation. Your presenter is a 20 year veteran with IRS-Criminal Investigation, who used this information as a basis for his federal criminal investigations. 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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A well-designed internal controls system can and will drive all entity objectives. Too many times control creators focus too much on security. It is important to properly balance protection-based measures with those designed to enhance efficiency. This session works to illustrate the power of a strong and well supported control system. It also discusses steps to take in order to establish such a system. This material is becoming more and more beneficial as companies strive to address many new business challenges such as evolving markets, the rapid rate of change in the business world and the notable increase in governmental and industry-based regulation. Those that desire a balanced and workplace enhancing control system should strongly consider 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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This highly informative course comprehensively covers all the latest tax law developments. The focus is on individual taxation and discussion of the planning opportunities practitioners need to understand to help clients respond effectively. You will come away from the course with the up-to-date knowledge to educate your individual tax clients and implement tax-saving ideas that will serve their ever-evolving needs. This course is continually updated to reflect enacted legislation. Please Note: Due to content overlap, it is recommended that this course NOT be taken together with BFTU.

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This Conference is filled with 16 hours of fast-paced presentations designed to maximize your time and enhance your learning. Nationally recognized speakers have extensive expertise in numerous software applications. They will share their knowledge with you in order to help you do your job with efficiency and ease. Participants will receive helpful tips and advanced techniques, along with the tools and skills necessary to keep up with the ever-increasing pace of changes in computer technology. This conference is designed for CPAs in public practice or industry who want to take better advantage of technology to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

This course will provide an overview of the work and impact of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) on the US tax system, regulatory ethics, and accounting profession. TIGTA is an independent organization that provides oversight of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and conducts audits, investigations, and inspections and evaluations to promote integrity, economy, and efficiency in the administration of the nation's tax system. The course will explore the role of TIGTA in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the IRS, identifying opportunities to improve the administration of tax laws, and upholding ethical standards in the accounting profession. 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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Just about every company, no matter its size or the types of activities it undertakes, is at greater risk because of all the types of fraud that can be be carried out electronically. Potential perpetrators can be operating internally or externally and the scope of the damage that occurs is almost never limited to cyber-assets. While threat awareness is improving, there are still too many owners or top level executives that underestimate the scale of the issue. In this session, we delve into the types and the nature of many electronic defalcation schemes. The material then explores measures that organizations can implement to help stop these activities and add additional layers of security. 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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Financial Leaders often achieve their position primarily with left brain analytical skills.  They need to develop right brain thinking to evolve to the next level either professionally or as part of their personal growth plan.  This course will help the financial executive and professional focus on where they are currently and help them bridge the gap in leadership skills that will enable them to gravitate to the next level.  This course will guide the financial executive and professional to position themselves as leaders that others will trust and want to follow.  The financial executive and financial professional will walk away understanding a more holistic approach to people and organizations and a transformational leadership style.

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Audit Risk Assessment in Plain English, is a 2 hour webcast highlighting the AICPA’s clarified risk assessment standards, along with a new Statement on Auditing Standard (SAS 145) related to understanding the entity, the entity’s environment, the entity’s internal controls, and assessing the risks of material misstatement.  This session will attempt to simplify the requirements using common sense examples and language.

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Traditional managerial accounting has often been criticized as ineffective, and in some cases even misleading, leaving many line managers skeptical of the information it provides. Modern management accounting addresses these shortcomings by developing precise cost-per-unit metrics that support budgeting, cost analysis, and performance control. Activity-Based Costing (ABC) enhances accuracy by tracing costs through cause-and-effect relationships rather than relying on broad overhead allocations. This fact-based approach delivers clear visibility into true profit margins across products, service lines, sales channels, and customers. In addition, ABC empowers organizations to reduce costs and improve productivity by reporting unit costs that track trends and benchmark performance against competitors. By moving beyond outdated accounting methods, organizations can unlock significant strategic and financial advantages.

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Intro to Governmental Accounting 103 is the natural follow up course to the first two Intro to Governmental Accounting courses, 101 and 102, and will take a dive into more complex issues surrounding the reporting of capital assets and long-term debt, investment accounting, and a little introduction to grant accounting and reporting.  

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Excel gives you multiple ways to solve the same problem - but which formula is the right one? This course teaches a decision-based approach to function selection, helping you confidently choose between similar and competing functions. Through real-world examples and side-by-side comparisons, you'll learn when IFS or SWITCH is cleaner than nested IFs, how SUMPRODUCT can help with complex summarizing data, how to use LET in place of defined names, and much more. Ideal for professionals who want to make smarter, faster formula choices that are easier to maintain and audit. 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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S corporation taxation has a lot of pieces. There are helpful elections you can make that can potentially save your client money, but there are also rigid rules to adhere to. For example, if there is more than one class of stock, it can terminate the S corporation election. Learning how to successfully navigate these rules can make all the difference. In this course, we will discuss some of the more common specialty areas experienced by practitioners — late filing relief for S corporation elections, disproportionate distributions, and selling S corporation shares. While these items may not come up on every single Form 1120-S, you will be able to add more value to clients when they do.

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This comprehensive fall tax update is designed to prepare the practitioner for the upcoming filing season by providing an in-depth analysis and update of the business tax provisions enacted under OBBBA. Participants will examine statutory changes affecting corporate, pass-through, and individual business taxation, including modifications to depreciation, credits, deductions, compliance requirements, and planning strategies.   *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 terri.storer@acpen.com  

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