WICPA CPE & Special Event Catalog
The Bookkeeper Goes to Prison
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
This course profiles Brenda, a financial executive from the state of Washington. Despite earning her college degree, Brenda did not find employment in her area of study. Instead, she landed a series of dead-end jobs. Business reversals frequently led to the loss of employment. When a company that she knew to be unethical offered her an executive position that included bookkeeping tasks, including overseeing all finances, she accepted. While on the job, Brenda saw owners of the company misappropriating funds. Rather than reporting the fraud, she created an elaborate scheme to benefit herself - without the owner's knowledge. Her bad decisions led to a guilty plea for wire fraud, after authorities accused her of absconding with more than $600,000 in corporate funds. A prison term of 20 months followed. Listen and learn from Brenda's experience. 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.
Achieve Competency in Three Basic Tool Categories: Master the Fundamentals
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Online
4.00 Credits
Member Price: $149
Financial skills needed in many situations are constantly changing. It is prudent to routinely look into your toolbox to restock or revise your tool set. In this course we will examine three tool categories that form the foundation for many analytical processes.
2026/27 Annual Update for Accountants & Auditors
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Online
4.00 Credits
Member Price: $149
This comprehensive annual update brings together key accounting and auditing developments affecting accountants and auditors across industries. The course combines recent standard-setting activity issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board with major audit and attestation updates from the AICPA, providing a well-rounded view of changes impacting financial reporting and engagement performance. Participants will begin with an overview of recently issued and upcoming Accounting Standards Updates (ASUs), including standards effective for December 31, 2026 year-ends for public companies, private entities and not-for-profit organizations. The course also highlights issued ASUs with future effective dates and provides high-level insight into recent exposure drafts to support implementation planning. The course then shifts to auditing and attestation developments, including the next phase of quality management with a focus on monitoring and remediation requirements. Participants will also review recent and proposed standards affecting audit, attestation and consulting engagements, including SSAE No. 24, SSARS No. 26, exposure drafts related to confirmations and fraud and SAS No. 149 addressing group audits. Designed for preparers, auditors and firm professionals, this course helps participants understand how recent accounting and auditing changes intersect-and what to watch for as standards and 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.
2026/27 Not-for-Profit Accounting & Auditing Update
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Online
4.00 Credits
Member Price: $149
This comprehensive annual update brings together key accounting, auditing & compliance developments affecting not-for-profit organizations. The course integrates recent standard-setting activity, audit & attestation updates & Single Audit developments to provide a practical view of changes impacting nonprofit financial reporting & oversight. Participants will begin with an overview of accounting developments affecting not-for-profit organizations, including recently issued Accounting Standards Updates (ASUs) From the Financial Accounting Standards Board & an introduction to the International Non-Profit Accounting Standard (INPAS). Emphasis is placed on understanding the purpose & structure of INPAS & how it compares conceptually to U.S. GAAP requirements for NFPs. The course then shifts to auditing & attestation developments From the AICPA, including the next phase of quality management with a focus on monitoring & remediation responsibilities. Participants will also review recent & upcoming standards affecting audit, attestation & consulting engagements, including updates related to SSAEs, SSARSs, exposure drafts on confirmations & fraud & changes affecting group audits.
K2’s Mastering Advanced Excel Functions
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Online
4.00 Credits
Member Price: $149
With approximately 500 functions now available in Excel, some newer & more powerful tools are easily overlooked. But if you do that, your productivity will suffer. In this session, you will learn how to take advantage of many of Excel's more advanced features-some new & some legacy-to elevate your productivity to higher levels. In this session, you will learn about many of Excel's newer tools, including XLOOKUP, SUMIFS, SWITCH & STOCKHISTORY. Also included in this session are discussions of advanced financial functions, such as IPMT & PPMT & how to retrieve summarized data easily using GETPIVOTDATA & CUBEVALUE. Additionally, you will learn how to make sophisticated calculations easier with Dynamic Array formulas, harness the AGGREGATE function's power & create more accurate forecasts with Excel's FORECAST.ETS function. Regardless of your experience working with Excel, participating in this course will help you work more efficiently & effectively in Excel.
Fringe Benefits & Compensation Planning: Today & Beyond
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Online
8.00 Credits
Member Price: $250
In today's dynamic economic landscape, staying ahead with effective fringe benefit planning is more critical than ever for both businesses & individual clients. With evolving tax laws & shifting market dynamics, understanding the intricacies of fringe benefit planning is essential to ensure financial well-being & compliance. This course offers a comprehensive overview of essential tools & techniques tailored for financial professionals, allowing them to navigate the complexities of fringe benefit planning with confidence & precision. By attending this course, practitioners will gain invaluable insights into various planning tools & techniques essential for meeting fringe benefit planning objectives. From mastering the subtleties of employee benefit planning, including ERISA reporting & disclosure requirements, to unraveling the complexities of IRC 132 fringe benefit options, attendees will enhance their expertise to deliver superior advisory services. The curriculum also delves into the practical aspects of cafeteria plans, flexible spending accounts, group term life insurance plans & strategies for financing retiree medical benefits, among others. With a focus on practical application & real-world scenarios, this course equips participants to tackle fringe benefit planning challenges head-on, providing them with the tools & knowledge needed to optimize benefits for both business & personal needs, now & in the future. 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.
How Changes in Business Methods Affects Internal Control
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Online
8.00 Credits
Member Price: $239
New Technology, the move toward telecommuting, the widespread adoption of electronic documentation and a wide range of other factors have significantly and forever changed the way business is conducted. It should go without saying that changes in tools and methods lead to upheaval in any organizations internal control system. In this session, we look at all the changes that are occurring and discuss what's coming in the not too distant future. The material then looks at how internal controls have been affected and what other updates are on the horizon. Anyone trying to use controls to keep their organization efficient and secure should consider this session because the rate of change to both operational methods and control processes has been and will continue to be incredible. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
Strategies for Guiding Clients Through Challenging Situations: Tax Insights
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Online
8.00 Credits
Member Price: $250
This course equips practitioners with the knowledge needed to help clients navigate complex tax & financial challenges. It addresses difficult client situations including divorce, bankruptcy, debt issues & other personal & business matters that create significant tax consequences. The course provides key insights into the tax implications associated with these situations & highlights planning considerations practitioners should evaluate when advising clients. Participants will explore the tax treatment of divorce-related matters, including filing status, support obligations & property division. The course also examines bankruptcy, debt cancellation, business dissolution & other financial hardships that may affect a taxpayer's reporting & obligations. Through practical discussion & analysis, participants will gain strategies to help clients make informed decisions while understanding the related tax implications. 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
Surgent's Tax Forms Boot Camp: LLCs, Partnerships & S Corporations
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Online
8.00 Credits
Member Price: $279
The course provides a comprehensive, hands-on, pencil pushing understanding of the preparation of both S corporation and partnership/LLC tax returns, along with the underlying laws, regulations, etc. The course uses the basic concepts underlying the two main types of business returns: 1120S and 1065 as building blocks for more complex concepts tax preparers should be aware of. The theoretical concepts get illustrated in comprehensive examples that incorporate the most up-to-date law changes and provisions.
The Best Federal Tax Update Course by Surgent
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Online
8.00 Credits
Member Price: $299
In this continually revised course, tax advisors will be fully updated on the most recent enacted legislation and IRS guidance, as well as major trends on the horizon with a view toward planning considerations. This update course is designed for all practitioners, both those working in public accounting as well as those in private industry, who need the latest information on tax changes. Please Note: Due to content overlap, it is recommended that this course NOT be taken together with BITU.
Build Better Budgets: Fundamental Techniques
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
This session provides insights for enhancing the preparation and utilization of budgets. Seasoned accountants will benefit from a refreshed awareness of popular techniques. Budding financial professionals will obtain novel insight regarding fundamental budgeting concepts. All participants will develop an appreciation for the holistic nature of budgeting as an integral tool for planning and control. 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
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.
AI 101 for CPAs: Core Concepts & Practical Applications
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
New to AI? Start here. This beginner-friendly course explains how generative AI works, what terms like "LLM" and "agentic AI" really mean and how CPAs can safely put these tools to use. You'll leave with a solid understanding of AI fundamentals and how they apply to accounting, tax and finance. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
26-27 FASB & AICPA Update (ASU, SAS, Ethics)
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Online
4.00 Credits
Member Price: $175
This 4-hour program addresses the latest promulgations of FASB ASU impacting privately-held entities, AICPA SAS and selected AICPA ethics interpretations.
The ACFE Report to the Nations 26-27
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Online
4.00 Credits
Member Price: $175
Every two years, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners releases a study that details fraud cases internationally. This comprehensive study can serve as an important tool in investigating fraud, establishing internal controls and identifying red-flags in an audit.
A&A Update for Closely Held Businesses 26-27
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Online
6.00 Credits
Member Price: $259
This course is designed for the accounting and auditing professional who provides attestation services to closely held businesses. The course reviews recent standard-setting activities of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the AICPA, specifically focusing on those standards having the most significant impact on closely held non-public business entities. The course also discusses adopting the latest audit standards, including the new audit risk assessment requirements.
Comprehensive Pass-Through Owners: Basis & Distribution Rules 26-27
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Online
8.00 Credits
Member Price: $329
Pass-throughs (S corporations and Partnerships) are the most popular choice of newly formed business entities. However, for years, taxpayers and their preparers have struggled to calculate, update and maintain the pass-through entity owners" tax basis information in each investment correctly. Calculating and accounting for tax basis and adequately reporting the impact of operating and liquidating distributions for these entities are among the most frequently cited audit deficiencies. Taxpayers have also misapplied the tax rules when calculating the gain or loss from the sale of the interest. Recently, the IRS initiated enforcement initiatives designed to audit owners of pass-through entities regarding their calculations of tax basis and their tax treatment of distributions. This course will teach you how to properly account for both items for your clients who own an interest in a partnership or an S-corporation. Learn to identify the most common mistakes and errors and report these items correctly before your client is audited.
Real Estate Taxation 26-27
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Online
8.00 Credits
Member Price: $329
Examine significant real estate tax issues and concepts, including planning and compliance topics emphasizing tax elimination or deferral. Discuss the qualified business income deduction (Sec. 199A) as it relates to real estate investments; limited discussion of opportunity zones (Sec. 1400Z-2) relating to real estate; 1031 exchanges; home sale exclusion (IRC Sec. 121); passive activities loss rules; estate planning and gifting with real estate; and California property tax issues, updated for passage of Proposition 19 affecting parent-child transfers and transfer of assessments to a new principal residence.
360 Budgeting: A Holistic Approach to Process & Solutions
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Online
8.00 Credits
Member Price: $250
The budgeting process can be a time consuming & frustrating process for accountants. The constraints & pressures can lead to poor decisions in both the technical & human components. This series will offer solutions to the budgeting woes From both the big picture & in the details. Budget Mastery: Process, Problems & Solutions The budgeting process can be a mundane one for accountants. Let's be realistic & agree that even the word "budget" does not bring excitement to you & your departmental colleagues. The constraints & pressures can lead to poor decisions in both the technical & human components. This session is the first part of a four part series & will cover the big picture of keeping the process fresh, pragmatic & useful. We discuss these keys in an engaging manner by discussing both our flaws & strengths, including how to build on these characteristics towards an enjoyable solutions-based method that should deliver effective results for your organization. Budget Mastery: Walkthroughs & Real World Calculations Towards Tying Budgets to Value This session takes a unique review of the fundamental budget issues faced by all & walks through a detailed modeling process intended to generate discussion & best practices to improve your organization's financial modeling. From the beginning of the accounting process: 'the chart of accounts' to the end of the process: 'the valuation of the company', the budgeting cycle via a live case model to learn best practices common to successful companies. This course stands on its own but is part two of a four part budget mastery series. Budget Mastery: The Human Side of Budgeting-Navigating People's issues with 360 Insight You have a fantastic budget, but certain players are not pleased. Financial plans have a technical component & human component. We can resolve some of our budget issues by exploring the process' human aspect. Understanding what makes you & others operate can enhance your understanding of the entire organization & build upon the respect & influence needed to navigate & lead the budgeting cycle. This session includes a case study that measures an individual's personality type & then explores how to use our strengths & weaknesses to create a better budget process & quite frankly maybe a better you. This is a great & fun course on its own, but is also part three of a four part series on budget mastery. Budget Mastery: From Numbers to Narrative: Effectively Presenting Your Budget & Reporting Perhaps the most important element of the budget process is its communication. If management does not understand the budget: there is an issue. Knowing the right ways to communicate at all levels is essential to stakeholders laying an ownership claim to successful budgets. This session reveals several key guidelines in successful budget presentations & will identify key problems in how people often communicate financial plans. Presenting your budget & reporting is the final part of a four part series, but can easily stand on its own course that is intended to be fun, enjoyable & educational.
Accounting & Attestation for ESG
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Online
2.00 Credits
Member Price: $89
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting has become an increasingly important area of focus for standard setters, regulators and stakeholders. This course provides an overview of how ESG considerations intersect with accounting and attestation services, with attention to developments affecting both preparers and assurance providers. Participants will review current ESG-related initiatives and projects underway at the Financial Accounting Standards Board, Governmental Accounting Standards Board and the AICPA. The course also explores the types of services CPAs may provide in connection with ESG reporting, including advisory and attestation engagements and discusses how these engagements differ in scope and responsibility. Designed for CPAs seeking to understand the evolving ESG landscape, this course helps participants recognize where ESG fits within existing professional standards and how CPAs can support organizations seeking credibility and assurance over ESG information. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
