CPE Catalog
Note
AICPA On-Demand & Self-Study courses take up to 24 hours to process.
Understanding Internal Control Constructs
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Online
4.00 Credits
Organizations of all sizes often fail to successfully install needed foundational components of an internal control system. Whether large or small, entities must view policies, procedures, and all controls in a wholistic manner in order to develop a system of controls that will keep the entity on its intended course. Moreover, those that design policies and procedures benefit by knowing why control measures are necessary. This session sets forth internal control concepts and explains the importance of strong internal control policies. It provides an understanding of the interrelated nature of all controls created by any organization. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
ACPEN: K2’s Excel Essentials For Staff Accountants
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Online
8.00 Credits
Staff accountants often face unique challenges when working with Excel, and their existing knowledge might not always meet their needs. This comprehensive eight-hour session is designed to bridge that gap and empower you with the essential skills to maximize efficiency and accuracy. Participate in this dynamic and engaging session, and you will learn how to: • Summarize data quickly and accurately • Generate stunning, professional reports • Create essential accounting calculations for depreciation, amortization, and interest We start with a quick overview of Excel best practices and dive into advanced topics like PivotTables, sophisticated formulas, Tables, formatting, and working with dates. Our course is packed with accounting-centric examples to reinforce key learning points. Plus, you'll enjoy a "laptop-friendly" environment with access to all demonstration files. This seminar is a must for all staff accountants eager to enhance their Excel skills and transform their workflow. Don't miss out on this opportunity to elevate your Excel expertise and take the first step towards mastering Excel today! Presented by: Thomas StephensType: Live Webcast Replay
ACPEN: A Practical Guide to Trusts
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Online
8.00 Credits
This course provides financial professionals with a comprehensive understanding of trusts and their role in estate planning. Participants will learn how to determine whether a trust aligns with a client's financial goals and explore strategies to maximize tax efficiency. The course covers various trust structures and their potential to reduce income, estate, and generation-skipping taxes at both federal and state levels. Additionally, it delves into trustee responsibilities and the benefits of irrevocable life insurance trusts and dynasty trusts. With a focus on practical applications and real-world scenarios, this course equips CPAs, EAs, attorneys, bankers, and financial planners with the expertise to navigate probate avoidance, streamline asset distribution, and manage complex tax considerations. Whether working with revocable or irrevocable trusts, participants will gain the tools to enhance their clients' financial well-being across generations. *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 Presented by: Arthur WernerType: Live Webcast Replay
ACPEN: Mergers & Acquisitions: Tips and Speed Bumps to Avoid
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Online
2.00 Credits
Mergers, acquisitions and alliances have been and continue to be major avenues to organizational growth and increased competitive advantage. Despite the great initial promise of many mergers and alliances, few seem to yield the anticipated results. Numerous studies indicate that between 55% and 77% of mergers fail to accomplish their intended purpose. This course helps financial professionals, and their advisors identify, execute, and consummate mergers and acquisitions that create shareholder value while avoiding the many traps that can cause post-acquisition failure. Presented by: Richard KarwicType: Live Webcast Replay
Introduction to Risk Assessment
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Online
2.00 Credits
Effective risk assessment is foundational to designing an appropriate audit response. This course introduces the audit risk model and provides an overview of the risk assessment procedures performed during engagements. Participants will review the components of the audit risk model and examine common risk assessment procedures, including inquiries, analytical procedures, and observation and inspection techniques. Emphasis is placed on understanding how risk assessment drives engagement planning and supports the development of appropriate audit responses. Designed for auditors seeking a structured introduction or refresher, this course builds foundational knowledge necessary for effective engagement planning and execution. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
The Future of Audit: Technology, Talent & Transformation
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Online
1.00 Credits
The audit profession stands at a critical inflection point, facing unprecedented challenges from technological disruption, evolving regulatory landscapes, and workforce transformation. This comprehensive course, based on the Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs' groundbreaking research report "The Future of the Audit: Building Relevance and Sustaining Quality," provides auditors with essential insights and actionable strategies to navigate these seismic shifts. Through expert perspectives from industry leaders including PCAOB board members, Big Four executives, and audit committee chairs, participants will explore how artificial intelligence, blockchain, and data analytics are fundamentally reshaping audit practices while creating new opportunities for value creation and risk assessment. Beyond technology adoption, this course addresses the pressing talent crisis facing the profession and offers practical solutions for building a future-ready workforce. Participants will learn how to leverage emerging technologies to enhance audit quality, understand the implications of regulatory modernization including the concept of "regulatory sandboxes," and develop strategies for attracting and retaining top talent in an increasingly competitive market. Whether you're a partner in a small firm, a manager in a large organization, or an audit professional seeking to future-proof your career, this course provides the roadmap for maintaining relevance, ensuring quality, and thriving in the evolving audit landscape. You'll leave with concrete action steps for immediate implementation and a clear vision for transforming your audit practice to meet the demands of tomorrow's financial ecosystem. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
ACPEN: The Controllership Series - The Controllers Role in Strategic Thinking and Advising - Part 2
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Online
1.20 Credits
The strategic controller helps leadership decide what should happen, not just explain what has already been done. The controller often acts as the enterprise translator between strategy, operations, and financial outcomes. This can sometimes appear to be accuracy-focused and not necessarily decision useful insight. Controllers must move away from just variance explanation and include performance interpretation. To do this, the controller must understand business models and value drivers, be able to translate strategy into financial growth and align KPIs with strategic priorities. Part of this process includes understanding concepts of root-cause analysis vs. surface-level variance analysis. It also includes understanding correlation vs. causation in financial data. Within this segment we will review all of these concepts and controllers will come away with insightful ideas regarding how to elevate their roles. Presented by: Lynn FountainType: Live Webcast Replay
ACPEN: Ethical Tax Practice Strategies in a Crisis World
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Online
2.00 Credits
This program addresses the many issues impacting CPA practice with a world in crisis. The unique challenges facing practitioners are related through actual practice situations - and then analyzed for their ethical implications. Based on real life experiences. This course does not qualify for IRS credit. Presented by: Steven DilleyType: Live Webcast Replay
ACPEN: Predictive Accounting – Driver-Based Budgeting and Rolling Financial Forecasts
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Online
2.00 Credits
Traditional annual budgeting is often viewed as outdated, inflexible, and disconnected from strategy—quickly becoming irrelevant, easily manipulated, and too cumbersome to support real decision-making. This course introduces capacity-sensitive, driver-based budgeting as a modern alternative. By linking financial projections to business drivers, organizations can create agile budgets that adapt to growth, enable rapid scenario planning, and provide meaningful insights for long-term forecasting. Participants will learn how to refresh budgets into rolling forecasts and transform managerial accounting into a tool for strategic, economics-based decision-making. Presented by: Gary CokinsType: Live Webcast Replay
ACPEN: Common Sense CFO: Crisis Management, Innovation, and Other Expectations Put on CFOs
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Online
2.00 Credits
The role of today's financial leader, including CFO, transcends traditional financial stewardship; it demands agility, innovation, crisis management, and strategic foresight. This seminar will discuss the new, multifaceted skills and insights needed to excel in the dynamic role of modern finance. Through a blend of theory, research, and practical exercises, participants will explore the diverse roles of a CFO as innovation champions, technology evangelists, crisis managers, and change agents - leveraging practical principles to drive organizational success. Financial leaders can adapt or be left behind. Whether you are a seasoned CFO or aspiring to step into a leadership position, this seminar will discuss the essential tools and insights to navigate the newer demands of financial managers with confidence and competence. Presented by: Bob MimsType: Live Webcast Replay
ACPEN: Advanced Excel: Hidden Secrets and Gems
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Online
2.00 Credits
This course dives into the powerful, but potentially under-utilized, capabilities of Microsoft Excel. Designed for sophisticated users willing to approach spreadsheets from a unique perspective, this program encourages users to challenge the status quo by considering opportunities to take acceptable spreadsheets to a new level. Presented by: Dr. Chris HarperType: Live Webcast Replay
Profiles in Fraud
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Online
2.00 Credits
Nobody is immune to fraud risk. This course opens with stories of real fraud perpetrators then examines the similarities between the fraud perpetrators, discovering that they all have many common traits. It finishes with techniques accountants can use to deter these behaviors. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
ACPEN: Creating A Coaching Leadership Style
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Online
3.00 Credits
This course explores the leadership and coaching principles, concepts, frameworks, techniques, and competencies that will lead to a Coaching Leadership Style. While it is often said that effective leadership is situational, the leadership style that is employed in the everyday workplace is typically the dominant style of the leader. The leadership style that emphasizes coaching in lieu of others that are more autocratic, affiliative, or even more participative can be more fulfilling for the leader, employee, and team. The course illustrates how a Coaching Leadership Style leads to a highly desirable organization culture. This course takes the attendee through a coaching process and discovery that can be applied to various situations. Results one can expect from the Coaching Leadership Style are covered as are measurements depicting the success of this leadership style. The attendee will walk away with the knowledge and skills necessary to begin leading their company towards a coaching culture that will leave employees motivated, transformed and driven to higher levels of innovation and performance from the empowerment of the Coaching Leadership Style. Presented by: Mario FloresType: Live Webcast Replay
Coping With the Growth of Online Fraud
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Online
4.00 Credits
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.
ACPEN: K2’s Excel PivotTables For Accountants
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Online
8.00 Credits
Many business professionals consider PivotTables the most powerful feature in Excel, yet most accounting and financial professionals do not use them in their day-to-day activities. If you are ready to learn how to take advantage of PivotTables or extend your existing knowledge, then this course is for you! In this dynamic and engaging session, you'll master how to: • Build PivotTables from scratch • Group data inside PivotTables, including options for fiscal periods • Create user-defined calculations in your PivotTables We start with the fundamentals and quickly move to advanced techniques, including: • Building PivotTables that consolidate data from multiple ranges • Connecting PivotTables dynamically to external databases and financial accounting systems • Leveraging other Excel features associated with PivotTables, such as Slicers, Power Query, and Power Pivot This seminar is a must for anyone eager to enhance their Excel skills and transform their workflow. With guidance and coaching from your K2 instructor, you'll be ready to use PivotTables to analyze and report on extensive data sets in a fraction of the time you spend completing such tasks. Presented by: Thomas StephensType: Live Webcast Replay
Hot Topics Accounting Update - 2026
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Online
2.00 Credits
Many accountants desire to have a quick overview of only the most current issues in accounting and financial reporting. This course will provide an executive summary of the most important changes in U.S. GAAP. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
IRS Penalties and Abatements
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Online
2.00 Credits
Penalty abatement is a technique that tax practitioners can utilize to help their clients reduce penalties and interest they owe to the IRS if the taxpayer can prove "reasonable cause". This informative and insightful webinar will provide you with some insider tips, practical steps and effective strategies to help your client manage IRS tax penalties and interest. Learn about various types of penalties that you may face, and the various forms and procedures used for requesting penalty and interest abatement, including First Time and Reasonable Cause abatement. Plus, learn about the procedure to follow when requesting refund of paid penalties. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
Al Capone to Cybercrime: The Journey of IRS Special Agents
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Online
4.00 Credits
Since 1919, the Internal Revenue Service had a civil and criminal function in the United States tax system. Little do people know, the IRS has an elite criminal function that started with five United States Postal Inspectors. From its early days in taking down Al Capone to now solving cybercrimes, the IRS special agents are tasked with investigating tax fraud, money laundering, and other white collar crimes. This presentation will show you the importance of this law enforcement function, the training, techniques, expertise, and actions that cause them to be known as the "world's finest financial investigators." This presentation has been prepared by a 20 year veteran with the IRS-Criminal Investigation. The presenter investigated crimes, and trained and mentored other special agents. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
ACPEN: Professional Skepticism for the Public Accountant
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Online
1.00 Credits
Accountants are expected to demonstrate a questioning mindset. While such professional skepticism is an obvious requirement for assurance engagements, it is applicable elsewhere in the practice of public accounting. In fact, a skeptical mindset offers benefits to both public accountants and those who work in industry. This course provides specific examples of professional skepticism while suggesting best practices. Presented by: Dr. Chris HarperType: Live Webcast Replay
ACPEN: Federal Disasters - How to Deduct Personal Casualty Losses
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Online
1.00 Credits
Literally thousands of individual taxpayers may have increased deductions or exclusions from gross income as a result of the Disaster Relief Act of 2023 and OBBBA of 2025. Casualty provisions are retroactive to December 19, 2019 through late 2025. Both low and high-income taxpayers may benefit from RETROACTIVE AND CURRENT deductions. There are also exclusions of payments received as compensation for wildfire damages — retroactive to 2014! This course will review these provisions which can bring substantial tax savings to clients. *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 Presented by: Steven DilleyType: Live Webcast Replay