CPE Catalog
Note
AICPA On-Demand & Self-Study courses take up to 24 hours to process.
Navigating IRS Authorizations: Understanding Power of Attorney, Form 2848, and Form 8821 - 2 hrs
-
Online
2.00 Credits
This two-hour course provides a comprehensive overview of the IRS collection process, guiding tax professionals through each stage, from the initial notice to enforced collection actions. Participants will gain insights into taxpayer expectations during the collection process, as well as strategies for resolving tax debts. The course highlights when to use Form 433-A or 433-B, the documentation needed, and the criteria for submitting an Offer in Compromise (OIC) to settle tax debts for less than the full amount owed. Attendees will also learn about the various payment options available and practical approaches to advising 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 kori.herrera@acpen.com
Using e-Signature Software to Process Agreements-Updated
-
Online
2.00 Credits
Transforming your practice or business to a digital model is a journey, not a destination. There are some digital initiatives that require a great deal of time and money to deploy. There are also many "low hanging fruit" initiatives that are relatively easy and inexpensive to deploy. E-signature software is a perfect example of the latter. John Higgins, a nationally recognized leader in accounting technology, will guide you through the process of evaluating, selecting and implementing e-signature software to streamline a solution, and secure your document signing processes. You will be surprised to discover how easy it is to take your engagement letter and contract signing workflow digital. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
Fraud Assessment for Small and Medium Sized Businesses
-
Online
4.00 Credits
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.
Partnership Checkup: Tax Issues & Forms Reporting
-
Online
4.00 Credits
This program addresses the most recent developments impacting partnerships operating as LLCs, with a focus on legislative, administrative, and tax form changes. Emphasis will be placed on partners "tax basis" capital accounts & now required for tax form reporting, as well an overview of K-2 and K-3 reporting requirements and effective dates. *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
Behind the Curtain: Exploring IRS Audit Technique Guides
-
Online
2.00 Credits
Have you ever considered a tax audit from the perspective of an IRS examiner? This session explains how you can use IRS Audit Technique Guides (ATGs) to enhance tax compliance. You will obtain a glimpse of the audit process from the viewpoint of an IRS agent as we explore insights that the IRS provides to its own examiners. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
The Ethics Hour: Accounting Scandals: What Happened and Why? Can We Prevent Them?, featuring Tracy Cooper and
-
Online
1.00 Credits
The staggering volume of accounting scandals is a scandal. What has happened and what were the root causes? Why do many financial professionals choose to do the wrong thing? What has been the cumulative impact on the profession? What can we do to enhance our professional reputation? We will discuss the many "fixes" imposed to address previous accounting scandals, including COSO; were they effective? We must understand that accounting fraud is prevalent and what should we look out for? Be aware. We do not want history to repeat itself.
Addressing Misconduct
-
Online
1.00 Credits
The objective of corrective action is to change conduct through teaching. Corrective action may be sequential, out of order, repetitive, or not appropriate to take at all. The action selected should reflect the type, frequency, and severity of the misconduct. Changing conduct through teaching requires effective employee relations skills. This course provides practical knowledge and scripts for handling a wide array of sensitive misconduct situations with good judgment, such that personal and employer liability is avoided.
The Mindful-CPA
-
Online
2.00 Credits
In today's world of everchanging demands and dynamics of the workplace, it is imperative that we use a tool to help us bring balance, strength, and stability in all we do at work and at home. Mindfulness is an easy and effective tool to help us with this. The Mindful-CPA program via this webinar is designed specifically for Finance and Accounting Professionals. You will learn: • The fundamental principles of Mindfulness • An 8-minute Mindfulness Practice to be done daily • Creative and fun ways to apply Mindfulness to work activities • Effective overall strategies to bring creativity, balance, and energy to daily activities. Sunish Mehta, CPA has been a practitioner and instructor of Mindfulness for over 20 years and has worked with several Mindfulness Organizations to date. Having studied with some of the top Mindfulness Teachers in the world including His Holiness The Dalai Lama, Sunish has integrated mindfulness into his learning and consulting work with the focused goal to help conscious professionals bring focus, creativity, and balance to their professional and personal lives. You can learn more at www.mindful-cpa.com.
Ethics: IRS Behavioral Insights for Accountants
-
Online
2.00 Credits
This course provides a concise overview of how the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) thinks. The session reviews how the agency uses behavioral insights -- the study of how people reflect and behave -- to drive compliance, positively impact taxpayer engagement, and reduce taxpayer burden. While the IRS is governed by federal tax law, it's also shaped by social norms. As part of their mission to collect taxes and administer the Internal Revenue Code, the agency utilizes human psychology to achieve their goals. These activities include public identity (using the IRS logo, seal, and symbol), voluntary compliance (using public shaming and the "Wesley Snipes" effect), trust building (using a Taxpayer Bill of Rights), and error reductions (using alerts and reminders to nudge behaviors). The session reveals how to "get into the head" of the agency and better understand the key psychological factors (individual, environmental, social) that drive leading IRS operations and decisions. The course also spotlights the leading issues and pain-points that are currently "top of mind" for the agency and how practitioners can be more mindful in their interactions with the IRS to improve outcomes. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
Tactics to Find Work Life Balance in a Complex World
-
Online
1.00 Credits
This session will explore key aspects of getting more satisfaction out of the work you choose to do and how to find greater balance between the demands of work and other lifestyle choices in an ever more complex and changing world. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
Travel Expenses and Taxes: How to Maximize Deductions and Stay Compliant
-
Online
2.00 Credits
This program reviews the statutory and regulatory guidance as they relate to fringe benefits. There will be an emphasis on entertainment, meals and business transportation expenses, including qualified employer-provided parking, with a focus on planning opportunities. Recent federal tax legislation, cases and rulings will also be addressed. *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
Fiduciary Accounting & Tax Planning for Estates & Trusts
-
Online
4.00 Credits
This course will review the fundamentals of fiduciary accounting and provide a reporting guide for determining whether receipts and expenditures are assigned to income or principal/corpus. Critical issues, rules, and special opportunities when preparing your clients' Form 1041 U.S. Income Tax Return for Estates and Trusts will be examined, including what is considered taxable income and allowable deductions. Planning and potential pitfalls will also be explored. This course only qualifies for 2 IRS credits. *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
Preparing to be a Forensic Accountant - Focus on Computer Forensics - Part 1
-
Online
1.00 Credits
This course is a continuation of our series on preparing to become a forensic accountant. Within this segment we focus on elements of computer forensics. This session is designed to delve into further investigative procedures used in computer forensics.
Preparing to be a Forensic Accountant - Focus on Computer Forensics - Part 3 (Steganography)
-
Online
1.60 Credits
This course is a complement to our series on Becoming a Forensic Accountant and the focus of the course is on steganography techniques. Steganography is the art and science of embedding secret messages in a cover message in such a way that no one, apart from the sender and intended recipient, suspects the existence of the message. The first use of steganography can be traced to 440 BC when ancient Greece, people wrote messages on wood and covered it with wax, that acted as a covering medium Romans used forms of Invisible Inks, to decipher those hidden messages light or heat were used. During World War II the Germans introduced microdots, which were complete documents, pictures, and plans reduced in size to the size of a dot and were attached to normal paperwork. Null Ciphers were also used to hide unencrypted secret messages in an innocent looking message. Given the amount of data being generated and transmitted electronically, it’s no surprise that numerous methods of protecting that data have evolved. There are various types of steganography: Text Steganography - Hiding information inside the text files. This involves changing format of existing text, changing words in a text, generating random character sequences or using context-free grammars to generate readable texts. Image Steganography - Process of hiding text in an image without distorting the picture. Video Steganography - Technique to hide any kind of files into a cover video file. Audio Steganography - The secret message is embedded into an audio signal which alters the binary sequence of the corresponding audio file. Network Steganography - The process of utilizing active network protocols as carriers to transmit a covert message, undetectable by an uninformed party, from a host to its destination. This session will review these methods and also discuss relevant software.
Financial & Tax Accounting for S Corporations
-
Online
4.00 Credits
This program addresses the many complex financial and tax accounting issues that are common in S corporation transactions, with discussion of common pitfalls and the AICPA "small" GAAP accounting standards. This course does not qualify for IRS credit.
The Ethics Hour: Dealing With Conflicts of Interest: Members in Business and Industry, featuring Don Minges
-
Online
1.00 Credits
Often a simple situation may seem innocent, but it can lead to large complications quickly. Conflicts of interest are unavoidable and occur frequently for CPAs in business and industry. What will you do when they happen? Will you take the necessary steps to remain ethical and to protect your license? We will show you how in detail. You and I have a responsibility to our organizations and to the public to be ethical. If you do not follow the prescribed steps, as detailed in the Code of Professional Conduct, there will be problems. Do not forget your duty to the public.
Sticky Ethical Choices, featuring Bob Mims and Don Minges
-
Online
1.00 Credits
If ethics were easy, then why do so many professionals have a Code of Conduct? Some Ethical decisions are easy, others are not. We will discuss several thorny ethical issues and the ramifications. What are the considerations and evaluation criteria to use? The need to carefully deliberate alternatives – is paramount. Be aware.
K2's Ten PDF Tips You Need To Know
-
Online
1.00 Credits
Portable Document Format (PDF) documents are everywhere! Yet few know how to work effectively with these documents. If you are interested in working more effectively and efficiently with PDFs, this session is for you. In this session, you will learn valuable tips you can use to assist you with creating, editing, and securing PDFs. You will also learn how to convert PDFs to fillable forms and secure PDFs, among other features. Don't miss this chance to learn ten PDF tips you need to know to increase your ROI on PDFs.
K2's What's New With QuickBooks
-
Online
1.00 Credits
QuickBooks Desktop, Online, and Enterprise Solutions remain three of the most widely used accounting applications in use today. However, each platform continues to experience major changes across several fronts. Feature sets, licensing requirements, and price changes all impact users at unprecedented levels. Further, competition continues to emerge in the small business accounting battleground, adding confusion to the options existing QuickBooks and QuickBooks Online users may have. In this session, you will learn about many of the changes impacting QuickBooks Desktop, Online, and Enterprise users, and you can manage these changes for the benefit of your company or your clients.
A Guide to Sampling - Part 1
-
Online
2.00 Credits
Sampling is often identified as a common audit deficiency in peer review. This course will review when is sampling applicable and basics of planning a sample. We'll then focus on the application of sampling in financial statement audits with a look at sampling for substantive procedures. We'll look at the use of monetary unit sampling and tools that can be leveraged to reduce bias in sampling.