CPE Catalog
Note
AICPA On-Demand & Self-Study courses take up to 24 hours to process.
What's Going on at the AICPA (2025)
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Online
4.50 Credits
The AICPA is buzzing with activity in 2025, and this course will ensure you stay ahead of the curve. We'll begin by exploring the new quality management standards which will be effect this year and their impact on practice management. From there, we'll dive into the latest ethics standards, recent SSARS updates, and changes to the Peer Review Program driven by quality management requirements. To round out the session, we'll examine common deficiencies in employee benefit plan (EBP) audits and highlight the initiatives of the National Pipeline Advisory Group to address the talent pipeline challenge. Don't miss this comprehensive overview of what's happening at the AICPA!
Public Speaking Secrets That Wow Audiences
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Online
4.00 Credits
In this course, you'll learn why being able to do public speaking well is a major advantage in becoming successful in your career. You'll learn how to write a good talk, how to present it well, and how to use your new found ability to get more clients and/or a promotion. In addition, you'll learn how to overcome your nervousness, and how to overcome stress in less than a minute.
Are Those Independent Contractors Really Independent Contractors?
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Online
1.00 Credits
Various legal tests are used to evaluate whether a worker should be classified as an employee or an independent contractor. There is no uniform standard or bright-line rule for determining whether an individual is properly classified as an independent contractor. Instead, the inquiry is always fact-intensive, and the analysis can vary based what body is performing it, i.e. the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), Department of Labor (“DOL”), various state agencies, or the courts. This presentation will review the various tests and highlight some of the common, most important factors for consideration.
Addressing Common Documentation Deficiencies
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Online
2.00 Credits
The Enhancing Audit Quality Initiative has identified inadequate or nonexistent audit documentation as one of the most significant issues facing the profession today. Over half of the engagements reviewed by the AICPA failed to meet the requirements of AU-C 230, highlighting a critical need for improvement. This course addresses common misconceptions about audit documentation and provides actionable strategies to overcome these deficiencies. Attendees will learn best practices to ensure compliance with professional standards, enhance audit quality, and mitigate risks associated with poor documentation. Whether you are an experienced professional or new to auditing, this course will help you strengthen your documentation practices and uphold the highest standards of the profession.
Financial Accounting for Related Party Transactions
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Online
2.00 Credits
Loans, rental agreements, business combinations - what do these all have in common? They all have the potential of creating a related party transaction. This program presents a detailed analysis of the financial accounting rules for transactions with related parties, as well as compares and contrasts those rules with the AICPA financial reporting framework for small and medium-sized entities. This course does not qualify for IRS credit.
Accounting for Leases
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Online
2.60 Credits
In February 2016, FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases, which provides new guidelines that change the accounting for leasing arrangements. To be able to properly account for leases, financial professionals must understand ASU 2016-02 (also referred to as Topic 842). This guidance covers information on how leases should be accounted for. The previous leasing standard (ASC 840) had been in existence for almost 40 years. Under ASC Topic 842, lessors continue to classify leases as operating, direct financing, or sales-type. While lessees now classify leases as operating or financing leases. Previous guidance only required capital leases to be reflected on the BS. The new guidance requires all leases to be reflected on the BS. This is a major change for organizations and will cause their balance sheets to swell as leases must now be disclosed on the balance sheet. The standards original effective dates were prior to 2019. In April 2020, due to COVID-19, FASB voted to defer the effective date for ASC 842 for private companies and certain not-for-profit's for one year. For private companies and private not-for-profits, the leasing standard will be effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022. For public companies the leasing standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The course covers elements of lease classification for both lessees and lessors. Also, numerous examples are incorporated as reference.
Fiduciary Accounting for Estates and Trusts
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Online
4.00 Credits
Financial accounting for trusts and estates is one of the least understood branches of accounting. It is not particularly concerned with recording income and expenses but is obsessed with determining whether receipts and expenditures are assigned to income or principal/corpus. This course will dive into this tricky area and provide a reporting guide for fiduciary accounting.
Assessing Independence Under Yellow Book
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Online
1.00 Credits
Maintaining independence and adhering to strict ethical standards are essential for professionals in governmental auditing. The Government Accountability Office's (GAO) Yellow Book sets the benchmark for ethics and independence in this field, forming the foundation of professional compliance. This course provides a focused review of key principles and independence requirements, equipping participants with the tools to identify and mitigate common risks of noncompliance. Through practical guidance and real-world examples, attendees will learn to uphold the highest ethical standards and ensure independence in governmental auditing.
Employment Law 101
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Online
1.00 Credits
Review of the major employment laws governing the workplace, when they are triggered, and key compliance aspects under each law. This presentation is designed to give viewers enough information to issue spot when matters arise in the workplace.
Overcome Your Obstacles to Abundance
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Online
4.00 Credits
Getting rich requires many things. First, you need to know how to overcome previous limitations you may have had about making a lot of money. Second, you need to know and use the best financial strategies for becoming wealthy--including the latest investment and marketing strategies. And third, you need to be able to enjoy your lifestyle, and look at what obstacles get in the way of you being rich and fully contented. By exploring the latest methods for achieving financial and personal success, you'll be able to make a lot more money and have a great time doing it.
Understanding the Tax Implications of Retirement Plan Distributions
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Online
1.00 Credits
This session will address the complex rules of retirement distributions, review key provisions of the SECURE Act 2.0, and provide practical strategies of maximizing tax benefits for your client. **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.
The Controllership Series - The Future Role of the Controller Part 1
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Online
1.50 Credits
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.
Inventory, Expense and Payroll Fraud
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Online
2.00 Credits
Inventory is a wonderful place to both hide fraud and commit fraud. The reasons that inventory is subject to so much fraud is the it is often very large, spread out over a large area, and many people have access to it. When there are little or no internal controls related to inventory control, you are begging employees to steal it. No with so many ways to dispose of stolen inventory via the internet, i.e., EBAY, inventory fraud is much more appealing to a lot of individuals. The more common ways to commit expense fraud and how to cover it up will also be discussed. Travel and entertainment are some of the favorite areas of committing expense fraud. In addition, payroll fraud will be discussed. Although there are many ways to commit payroll fraud, it is very easy to prevent. This presentation is designed to familiarize the participants with the many ways to commit inventory, expense and payroll fraud, how to detect it, and more importantly, how to prevent it.
Preparing to be a Forensic Accountant - Focus on Computer Forensics - Part 2 (Cryptology)
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Online
1.00 Credits
This is a continuing part of our series on forensic accounting. Within this segment we discuss the concepts that are part of computer forensics known as cryptology. The term cryptography is from Ancient Greek and means “hidden secret”. It is the practice and study of techniques for secure communications in the presence of adversarial behavior. Cryptography is about constructing and analyzing protocols that prevent third parties or the public from reading private messages. Cryptography starts with secrets. Various aspects in information security such as data confidentiality, data integrity, authentication and non-repudiation (where a statement’s author cannot successfully dispute its authorship) are central to modern cryptography.
Global Internal Audit Standards (GIAS) Domain V - Part 2
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Online
2.00 Credits
The new Global Internal Audit Standards were released on January 9, 2024, and will become effective January 9, 2025. The previous version, the International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing, released in 2017, remains approved for use during a one-year transition period. The Global Internal Audit Standards guide the worldwide professional practice of internal audit. They serve as a basis for evaluating and elevating the quality of the internal audit function. The Standards use 15 guiding principles with five separate domains that enable effective internal audit implementation and examples of evidence of conformance. The Global Standards are organized into five domains. Domain I: Purpose of Internal Auditing Domain II: Ethics and Professionalism Domain III: Governing the Internal Audit Function Domain IV: Managing the Internal Audit Function Domain V: Performing Internal Audit Service
K2's Optimizing Your Tech Stack For Efficiency And Cost-Effectiveness
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Online
2.00 Credits
In the ever-evolving landscape of business technology, it is about having the right tools and optimizing for efficiency and cost- effectiveness. K2's Optimizing Your Tech Stack for Efficiency and Cost-Effectiveness is designed for professionals seeking to balance functionality with financial prudence. This session delves into strategies for streamlining your technology stack without sacrificing performance. We will guide you through assessing your current tech tools, identifying redundancies, and exploring less expensive yet effective alternatives. You will learn techniques to evaluate the total cost of ownership of tech tools and make informed decisions to avoid overspending. This course is necessary for professionals seeking the most value from their technology investments.
New Client Ethical Challenges: The CPAs Guide
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Online
2.00 Credits
This course explores the multitude of issues that taking on a new client can bring with it, and then interprets them using three sets of ethical rules. A group of "players" reveal real-life challenges faced by the CPA firm in bringing the new client into compliance, as well as proper financial and tax compliance issues. *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
Devious Ethics: Avoiding Snakes in Suits
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Online
2.00 Credits
Good people believe everyone else is just like them. They cannot imagine someone could con them or their company and have no guilt or remorse about what they have done. Lack of guilt and empathy are key traits of a psychopath. Most of us envision psychopaths to be cold-blooded serial killers who are locked away in prison. However, experts estimate that 4% of corporate executives are psychopaths who may initially appear to be more normal than the rest of us. Psychopaths may present a convincing picture of virtue while helping themselves to money, status and sex while leaving a path of shattered expectations, empty wallets, and broken hearts in their wake. Learn how to recognize and deal with others who have no conscience.
IRS Cybersecurity Checklist
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Online
2.00 Credits
This course is designed to provide learners with an understanding of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Cybersecurity Checklist and how it can be used to protect taxpayer data. The course will cover the basics of cybersecurity, including threats, risks, and vulnerabilities. Learners will be introduced to the IRS Cybersecurity Checklist, which provides a framework for organizations to assess and enhance their cybersecurity practices. The course will cover the various elements of the IRS Cybersecurity Checklist, including access control, data protection, and employee training. Learners will gain an understanding of the importance of each element and how it contributes to the overall security of taxpayer data. The course will also cover best practices for implementing each element of the IRS Cybersecurity Checklist. Throughout the course, learners will be presented with real-world examples of cybersecurity threats and breaches, highlighting the importance of effective cybersecurity practices. Learners will also be given practical exercises and assessments to reinforce their understanding of the IRS Cybersecurity Checklist. *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.
Bytes, Bias, and Balance: Data Ethics for Tech-Savvy Accountants
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Online
2.00 Credits
This course explores the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) in accounting and auditing, highlighting its vast potential while addressing the associated risks and ethical considerations. Participants will discover how to harness AI tools to enhance efficiency and innovation, while mitigating challenges such as overreliance, data security vulnerabilities, and ethical dilemmas. Through case studies and interactive discussions, you'll gain practical skills to navigate AI complexities, ensure trustworthy outputs, and uphold ethical standards in today's fast-paced digital environment.