WICPA CPE & Special Event Catalog
Introduction to Governmental Accounting
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
Governmental accounting differs significantly From other forms of accounting & requires a distinct approach to financial reporting. This course introduces the foundational principles of governmental accounting, including fund accounting concepts & the modified accrual basis of accounting. Participants will explore the structure & purpose of governmental fund financial statements & government-wide financial statements, gaining clarity on their objectives, layouts & key elements. The course also addresses essential topics such as component units, the role & structure of Management's Discussion & Analysis (MD&A) & the preparation & significance of the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR). Designed for those new to governmental accounting-- or those seeking a refresher-this course provides a solid foundation for understanding & applying governmental financial reporting principles. The course has been updated to reflect recent guidance issued by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board, including GASB Statements 101-105.
Introduction to Risk Assessment
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
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 Many Faces of Fraud
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
What does fraud look like? It depends. What may appear to be an indicator of fraud in one client's operation could be normal in another, making it critical to understand your client & the transactions you expect to see. Look for what should be present but isn't-- and for what is present but shouldn't be. This course emphasizes the importance of professional skepticism, which has no on/off switch-- it must be applied continuously. As auditors, our role is to independently verify, yet too often we rely on client representations without sufficient validation, increasing the risk of missing fraud. Many auditors recognize, in hindsight, that they have encountered fraud indicators but failed to identify them at the time. This session will provide you with the tools to recognize those indicators & strengthen your ability to detect fraud-- so you are better prepared for what you may find.
Internal Controls Over Compliance versus Compliance
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Online
1.00 Credits
Member Price: $55
Accurately identifying and testing controls over compliance is critical, yet it remains a common deficiency highlighted in peer reviews. This course offers a comprehensive overview of internal controls over compliance, with a focus on their application to Single Audits. Participants will learn how to effectively align internal controls with specific compliance requirements. Additionally, we will address one of the most frequent findings in audits of governmental entities receiving federal grants: the misidentification of controls and the confusion between compliance and control processes. This course will help clarify the distinction, equipping you with the tools to enhance audit quality and ensure compliance effectiveness. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
Upholding Independence While Holding Your Client's Hand
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
Many entities look to their CPA as a trusted advisor when tackling complex accounting topics. This is more relevant now than ever. The FASB's big three accounting pronouncements involving revenue recognition, leasing & credit losses have placed a magnifying glass on this reality. Practitioners need to exercise caution to ensure they maintain independence as they assist their review & audit clients with such matters, as well as with compilation engagements. This course addresses these issues & explores best practices & guidance provided by the AICPA's Code of Professional Conduct.Note: This course qualifies to count toward the WICPA membership Ethics CPE requirement.
Foundations of IT Audit for CPAs
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Online
3.00 Credits
Member Price: $109
This course introduces CPAs, financial auditors as well as technology auditors to the foundational concepts of IT auditing. Participants will learn how IT systems support financial reporting, how to assess risk in IT environments & how IT General Controls (ITGCs) & application controls impact audit procedures. The course also introduces IT audit planning & scoping to help auditors determine what systems & controls to evaluate.
Consulting Services Secrets
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Online
1.00 Credits
Member Price: $39
Award winning discussion leader Mark Hugh discusses how to create & capture value with consulting services. Whether you want to consult a little or full time, this valuable course reviews identifying a specialty, growing a practice, capturing value, creating deliverables & effective marketplace marketing strategies.
The AB5s of Employees & Independent Contractors
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
This course explores the tests used to determine whether a worker is properly characterized as an employee or an independent contractor for tax purposes, with a focus on the cost of getting it wrong & possible Section 530 relief. The game changing impact of the Dynamex case & AB5 will also be discussed. 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
Benford’s Law & Other Digital Analysis Techniques
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Online
1.80 Credits
Member Price: $79
Numbers & especially the digits within those numbers can conceal a lot of information. Benford's Law & other digital analysis techniques can be the keys to unlocking that information. This session will explain what Benford's Law is, how it works & how it can be used to reveal bogus information & made-up data. Accountants & auditors should understand how to use this valuable audit tool as well as other digital analysis techniques. But, if you attend this session, you must promise not to reveal the secret behind these techniques to any fraud perpetrators.
IT Controls & SOC Reporting in Financial Audits
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Online
3.00 Credits
Member Price: $109
This course provides a practical understanding of IT controls & SOC reporting within financial audits. Participants will learn how to interpret SOC reports, evaluate control effectiveness & determine reliance strategies. Real-world examples will demonstrate how IT controls tie directly to relevant financial statement areas & alignment with Complementary User Entity Controls (CUECs).
How to Audit Prepaid Expenses
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
Understanding how to effectively audit prepaid expenses is a key skill for audit staff. This course provides a comprehensive overview of the fundamentals, including the applicable audit assertions & common risks & threats associated with the prepaid expense balance. Participants will learn how to perform substantive auditing procedures to ensure accuracy & reliability, with guidance on applying these techniques to real-world scenarios. Designed to enhance practical knowledge, this session equips auditors with the tools & confidence needed to navigate prepaid expense audits with proficiency.
Advanced Cost Accounting: Eliminate Calculation Distortions
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
Organizations that use primitive costing methods make predictable mistakes, allocating too much cost to easy, high-volume "gravy" products & too little cost to difficult, low-volume "dog" jobs, putting an organization with inferior information at a significant competitive disadvantage. The secret to being the "smart competitor" is learning how to deal with overhead. This session will show you how to assign 16 key overhead categories. Whether you work in a wholesale, retail, healthcare, service or manufacturing business, you will find this session invaluable. Get your cost right & you will be able to give the "dogs" to your competitors & keep the "gravy" for yourself.
CFO Series: Essential Cost Containment
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Online
8.00 Credits
Member Price: $369
This event is a rebroadcast of a live event.The CFO Series provides a convenient, one-stop way for CFOs and those who aspire to be CFOs, to earn an entire year of CPE with a single decision. Each day consists of a subject matter expert leading discussions about four different topics. The CFO Series features high-quality presentations and an interactive, executive level colleague-to-colleague approach with case studies, group discussions, and team exercises. We all want to make the organization more profitable, but do we do it the best way? Many simply hack away at costs and then repeat the same unwieldy process every eighteen months. Do our internal and external customers truly understand our numbers? There is a better way to communicate financial information, so they DO understand and take the proper actions. Building an effective team always results in improved performance, talent retention and reduces costs. We also discuss the ethics of creativity -- is creativity good or bad or a mixed bag? We will discuss how, and specifically what, you can do to rein in costs and get the most from what the organization already has and remains ethical. These four sessions will help you become better at controlling the right costs and becoming more successful. Module 1: Improving Profitability the Right Way: How to Cut the Right CostsCost cutting is easy, cutting the right costs is NOT easy. Most cost-cutting exercises fail either; by cutting the wrong costs, cutting too much, ignoring interrelated impacts, taking shortcuts, cutting too little or waiting too late. The internal politics are problematic. One key solution is to take sufficient time to plan properly and assess the true goals and objectives? Planning is essential, we will show you how to cut the right costs correctly and avoid career-killing blunders. Module 2: Building High Performing Teams: Cohesive Teams Get ResultsTeamwork is the ultimate competitive advantage both because it is so powerful and so rare. Why do some teams produce and win, while others fail? What do great team leaders do that makes the team a success? Whether you run the executive staff of a multinational company, a small department within a large organization or even if you are a team member in a small team that needs improvement, we will share proven techniques to enhance teamwork. It is not complicated to build a team, but it takes effort, and we will show you how. Module 3: Do Creative Accountants Belong in Prison? True or False?Creativity is one of the top ten most desirable traits, but should everyone, including accountants, be creative? Are there exceptions? What are the positives and the downsides of creativity? Creativity can be used for good, but creativity can also lead to serious, unethical behaviors. There is a strong relationship between creativity and dishonesty. We will review the negative consequences of creativity and discuss how to properly utilize resourcefulness and imagination. The title is not rhetorical -- creativity can easily be great or disreputable, learn how to make it work for you -- and be ethical. Module 4: Storytelling Your Financials for Impact: Narrative Beats NumbersData alone does not drive decisions -- stories do. Financial professionals must go beyond spreadsheets and craft compelling financial narratives that engage boards, CEOs, and team members. Using real-world examples, we will demonstrate how to frame financial results within a broader business story, drawing insights and communicating tangible meaning - instead of just displaying boring numbers. Learn how to shift from "presenting financials" to telling a story that aligns with strategic goals, inspires confidence, and drives action. This session equips attendees with the tools to turn financial statements into strategic storytelling assets. Our clients do not recall numbers, but they do remember stories. Stories are memorable, we will show you how. Note: This course qualifies to count toward the WICPA membership Ethic CPE requirement.
The Future of Audit: Technology, Talent & Transformation
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Online
1.00 Credits
Member Price: $55
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.
Group Audits: Who is Responsible for What?
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
Financial statement audits often involve audits of components of a larger entity. This course will focus on the responsibilities for both the group auditor & component auditor, including implementation of SAS No. 149 relate to group audits.
Analyzing Financial Statements
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
This course provides tools and insights into financial statement analysis - both quantitative and qualitative. We'll look not only at the three main financial statements but also dive into the MD&A and footnotes. We'll also discuss the affect of industry nuances on comparability of different analysis tools. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
Cost & Pricing Models: Boost Your Bottom Line
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
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 & 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 & materials necessary to provide goods & services.
Surgent's Successful Communication
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Online
4.00 Credits
Member Price: $159
Technology has created numerous ways for us to communicate with each other - but it's also increased the number of ways in which the message can get garbled. Effective communications skills are crucial to successful management. Learn how to control your message with clear communications strategies. You'll learn to recognize communication barriers, assess styles and behaviors and learn how to listen more effectively as well.
What's Changing in A&A for Governmental Entities (2026/27)
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Online
4.00 Credits
Member Price: $149
This comprehensive course provides a timely update on key accounting and auditing developments affecting governmental entities, bringing together recent standard-setting, auditing and compliance changes into a single, cohesive learning experience. Participants will begin with an update on major pronouncements issued by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board, including GASB Statements No. 103, 104 and 105, along with a high-level overview of active GASB exposure drafts and ongoing projects. Emphasis is placed on understanding how these changes affect governmental financial reporting, disclosures and communication with stakeholders. The course then shifts to auditing developments, covering significant updates to the Yellow Book issued by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, including changes related to quality management, effective dates and recent updates to the Green Book. Participants will also gain insight into the GAO's implementation delay and its implications for audit planning. Finally, the course addresses recent changes affecting Single Audits, including the 2024 Uniform Guidance overhaul, updates to Appendix B of the AICPA GAS/Single Audit Guide, recent Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memoranda and reporting changes related to SAM.gov. Designed for auditors, preparers and financial leaders working with governmental entities, this course helps participants understand how recent accounting and auditing changes intersect-and what to watch for as expectations continue to evolve. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
LLC's & S Corporations: a Comparative Analysis
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Online
8.00 Credits
Member Price: $239
This course focuses on the most common aspects and tax implications of Limited Liability Companies and S Corporations. It will further compare forms of entities, along with corporate formalities compliance issues of each entity type. Electing Subchapter S status as well as reviewing the mechanics of electing Subchapter S status will be discussed. Highlights of entity specific tax forms will be discussed, as well as accountable plans, taxable fringe benefits, officer reasonable compensation, estate planning, business continuation planning and audit strategies. Schedules K-1, K-2, K-3 and effectively connected income will be reviewed in this course as well. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
