WICPA CPE & Special Event Catalog
Financial Statements for the Simple Business Entity 26-27
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Online
4.00 Credits
Member Price: $175
Preparing GAAP financial statements can be treacherous. GAAP has become so voluminous and complex that it is easy to overlook accounting, reporting and disclosure requirements, potentially affecting the accountants' liability. Nonpublic entities, however, are not necessarily required to apply GAAP and there are less complex financial reporting frameworks that may be much easier to apply without sacrificing the quality of financial reporting. Even when using GAAP, the less complicated business entity may find that numerous requirements, including disclosures, need to be more relevant to users of their financial statements, may not be material to users and often overshadow the most pertinent information. This course will present alternative accounting frameworks that may be more suitable for the more straightforward business entity, including income tax basis and the modified cash basis of accounting. We will also discuss approaches to GAAP, including developing disclosure checklists unique to each set of financial statements, identifying when disclosures may be omitted or complex accounting approaches may be avoided and how to document those decisions to minimize adverse effects. When the cost of financial reporting to the small business enterprise exceeds the benefits, entities will lose the motivation to issue financial statements that conform with GAAP and both the business entities and the related capital markets suffer. This course provides alternatives that help alleviate that dilemma.
How Good Companies Become Great: Secrets to Success 26-27
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Online
4.00 Credits
Member Price: $99
Some companies are "born" great; others change and become great along the way. This seminar will discuss how both new and established companies become great. This seminar benchmarks world class companies to understand the underlying principles that made them great. The seminar begins with key lessons about business start-ups from Paul Hawken, author of Growing a Business and Guy Kawasaki, author of Art of the Start and Enchantment. Next, the seminar looks at research on existing businesses, beginning with the management classic In Search of Excellence and then focusing on Jim Collins" research presented in Built to Last, Good to Great, How the Mighty Fall and Great by Choice.
K2's Technology Update 26-27
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Online
4.00 Credits
Member Price: $175
Technology changes daily, so how can you stay abreast of all the relevant issues and options" What trends do you need to monitor" Are there developments that will impact you" You can get answers to these and other questions by joining us for this update session.
Forensic Accounting: Finding Hidden Treasure in Tax Returns
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Online
4.00 Credits
Member Price: $149
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.
Securing Your Data with a Password Management App: Updated
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
Cybersecurity protection is one of the most important responsibilities of every CPA professional to protect the confidentiality of sensitive client information. While there are many aspects of cybersecurity that need to be addressed, the biggest vulnerability to protect against is unauthorized access to your application login credentials. Once your login credentials are breached, the cybercriminal essentially has the keys to your data kingdom. John Higgins, a national leader in the CPA technology, will demonstrate the ease with which you can protect all of your login credentials with maximum security with minimal expense. You will leave this course prepared to deploy this state of the art security tool in your organization. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
The Controllership Series: The Controller’s Skillset
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Online
1.00 Credits
Member Price: $39
This another course in our series on the controllership function. The controller's role encompasses many traditional responsibilities. The breadth & depth of the controller skill set has expanded & will continue to expand as the business world evolves. The controller position will typically lead teams of financial & accounting experts. Recognizing that leadership & team management skills are must-haves; they need to be able to command their team's respect, inspire them to act & ensure that such actions are aligned with your organization's overall vision. These skills, along with tactical knowledge will ensure the controller's success.
Corporate Finance Technology Selection: Practical Frameworks
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Online
1.00 Credits
Member Price: $55
Finance technology decisions (ERP, FP&A, AP/expense automation, close/consolidation, bank integrations and AI-enabled tools) can dramatically improve close speed, forecasting and control execution-but vendor demos and "AI" marketing often hide integration complexity, data readiness gaps, governance risk and long-term total cost. This course provides a practical, vendor-neutral approach for CPAs and finance leaders to evaluate and implement corporate finance technology with an audit-ready mindset. Participants learn how to cut through AI claims using an AI capability framework, apply a weighted vendor evaluation scorecard focused on controls and assurance, build a five-year total cost model that captures hidden and ongoing costs and follow an implementation roadmap with checkpoints and red flags to reduce failure risk and improve ROI realization. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
Businesses Receiving Government Assistance
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
Many for-profit entities receive government assistance or are required to have financial statement or compliance audits due to law or regulation. This course will discuss the requirements under Generally Accepted Auditing Standards relevant to for-profit entity audits.
Ethics: How to Give & Receive Criticism the Right Way
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
How well do you accept criticism? How might it enrich your business - and you - if you did a better job of it? This distinctive webinar will show you why it is in your best interest to accept criticism with gratitude. It's even better to welcome criticism. It's also a good idea to learn how to give criticism the right way. A related topic is the art of giving and receiving apologies and we'll do a deep dive into this area as well. You'll leave with clear guidelines for how to criticize others, accept criticism from them, give meaningful apologies and accept apologies with grace and ethical intelligence. The result will be a stronger CPA practice and a better you. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.Note: This course qualifies to count toward the WICPA membership Ethics CPE requirement.
Guide to Deducting Travel, Meals & Entertainment Expenses
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Online
4.00 Credits
Member Price: $149
This program will explain the new rules for deducting travel, meals & entertainment expenses & the TCJA disallowance of business entertainment expenses. Documentation requirements & planning opportunities related to travel, entertainment & automobile expenses 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 & submit to terri.storer@acpen.com
Partnership/LLC Taxation: Tax Basis Capital Accounts
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
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. 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: Heartfelt Leadership: How Ethical Leaders Build Trust, featuring John F. Levy, MBA, CPA, CIA & Don Minges, MBA
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Online
1.00 Credits
Member Price: $39
The best leaders are always ethical. Every great leader has heart & readily shows that they care. What is the true value of a trustworthy leader? Why do we need trustworthy leaders? How do we examine ethical issues: what is the process? Trust provides a safety net that enables innovation to flourish. Be the best leader you can be by caring about others & remaining ethical. Ethics is fundamentally how we treat others. Do we measure up to that standard?Note: This course qualifies to count toward the WICPA membership Ethics CPE requirement.
Workforce Transformation & Talent Management in 2025
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Online
1.00 Credits
Member Price: $55
The accounting profession faces unprecedented workforce challenges that demand a fundamental rethinking of traditional firm structures. This course examines why the century-old pyramid practice model is becoming obsolete and presents the inverted pentagon framework as a sustainable alternative. Based on comprehensive research showing that 52% of firms expect to shrink by 20% or more in the next five years, participants will learn how to restructure their firms to thrive with fewer entry-level staff while expanding specialized expertise. The course explores the "6 Ps of Business Model Transformation" - Precision Hiring, Proactive Retention, Practical Technology Implementation, Pricing Expertise, Practice Area Expansion/Focus and People Acceleration. Drawing from success stories in manufacturing, healthcare and technology industries, attendees will discover proven strategies for accelerating staff development, implementing effective knowledge transfer programs and building sustainable talent pipelines in an era of technological disruption and demographic shifts. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
Introduction to Forensic Accounting
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Online
1.80 Credits
Member Price: $79
This course provides a high-level overview & introduction into the world of the forensic accountant. Most accountants have an understanding of the concept of fraud & how it impacts companies, but many individuals do not have a full comprehension of the variance in the work performed by a forensic accountant versus a typical management accountant. This course is meant for those individuals interested in understanding the variances in the job tasks & responsibilities of forensic accountants versus typical financial or management accountants. Forensic accountants or auditors take a unique focus on performing their work. Typically, when a person with forensic experience is called in to examine financial records, it is due to suspicion of fraud, evaluation of assets, or even to track down fundamentally incorrect accounting: intentional or not. As fraud continues to raise its head in business processes, forensic accountants are discovering new & unique ways to identify, examine & support their hypotheses & investigative techniques. The work performed by a forensic specialist can be interesting & full of potential potholes if evidence isn't examined according to proper protocols & standards.
Schedule K-1: What is it & What Do I Do With It?
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
This seminar provides a comprehensive overview of Schedule K-1, which taxpayers may receive From pass-through entities such as Partnerships, Subchapter S Corporations, or Estates/Trusts. The course will cover the most common characteristics of Schedule K-1, including how to report the information on Form 1040. Attendees will also learn about the Qualified Business Income (QBI) Deduction & its reporting criteria. Additionally, relevant topics such as basis & loss limitations, material participation & integration with the QBI deduction will be addressed, along with a discussion of proposed changes to Schedules K-2 & K-3. 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 & submit to kori.herrera@acpen.com
Advanced Excel for Staff: Build Reports & Analyze Data
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
Advanced Excel for Staff - Build Reports and Analyze Data is a comprehensive, 2-hour course tailored for professionals looking to enhance their Microsoft Excel skills in creating reports and performing data analysis. This course bridges the gap between basic Excel functionality and the advanced techniques required for effective data-driven reports. Participants will learn to efficiently gather, organize and structure data, apply calculations to derive key metrics and create professional-grade reports that are both visually appealing and actionable. The course emphasizes practical application, providing participants with guidance on Excel's advanced tools and functions. By mastering workflows and best practices, learners will gain the confidence to tackle complex data challenges and streamline reporting processes. Additionally, participants will explore methods to validate and share their work, ensuring that reports are accurate, insightful and easily communicated across teams. Whether you are tasked with preparing financial summaries, tracking performance metrics, or generating operational insights, this course will equip you with the tools to maximize Excel's potential, saving time and improving the quality of your outputs. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
K2's Tech Update
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
Staying current with today's technology is no longer optional; it is essential. Tech Update 2026 offers accounting professionals a clear, strategic view of the evolving tech landscape, enabling them to cut through the noise & make informed decisions. This forward-looking session is built for practitioners who want to leverage innovation to enhance client service, boost operational efficiency & remain competitive. Explore the most impactful trends in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, automation & cloud-based ecosystems. Understand how technologies like Microsoft 365 Copilot, generative AI tools, industry-specific SaaS platforms & blockchain are reshaping the profession. Learn to identify which solutions align with your firm's goals-and which are just vendor hype.
Surgent's Adapting to OBBBA Changes: A Strategic Review
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $119
Accounting and finance practitioners are continually asked for strategic planning advice. In this course, we will cover topics that will make clients and their advisors, tax smart and tax prepared for the coming year and beyond. This program is a two-hour review and analysis of what we consider some of the most important changes from the OBBBA impacting both individual and business clients.
Surgent's Ethics for Tax Professionals
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $99
The purpose of this program is to discuss the ethical mandates that govern the conduct of tax practitioners. The program focuses on the ethical pronouncements of the IRS in Circular 230, as well as the preparer penalty provisions set forth in the Internal Revenue Code. Please note: This ethics course does not cover state-specific issues and so is not applicable in states that require ethics courses to include specific state laws and regulations. Please check with your state board prior to registering for this program if you are in doubt about whether this program satisfies your state's ethics requirements. Note: This course qualifies to count toward the WICPA membership Ethics CPE requirement.
Surgent's Shades Of Gray – Practicing Before The Internal Revenue Service – Circular 230 –Current State
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $99
Karen L. Hawkins, the former Director of the IRS Office of Professional Responsibility, will discuss key Circular 230 provisions and how some have been changed through litigation. Since the current version of Circular 230 has not been rewritten to incorporate the results of IRS litigation losses since 2014, this is the only seminar where you will hear what the current law says (and does not say) about tax professionals' ethical obligations in federal tax practice. The presentation will draw not only on the six years Ms. Hawkins spent as Director, OPR but her more than 30 years practicing as a nationally recognized tax controversy lawyer in California. Note: This course qualifies to count toward the WICPA membership Ethics CPE requirement.