CPE Catalog & Events
Surgent's Improving Your Profits: Identifying Cost Cutting Opportunities
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Virtual
2.00 Credits
What keeps companies from becoming streamlined? Behavioral biases Information processing biases Emotional biases How to deal with behavioral biases Connecting behavioral biases to cost cutting Creating a culture of cost cutting Rules of thumb for cost cutting Managing headcount Post-COVID common areas of excess cost Budgeting techniques Budget variances Benchmarking Common size financial statements Horizontal analysis Negotiation and contracting techniques Cash flow and the business cycle
Surgent's Recent Changes in Workplace Regulations: Overtime, Non-compete Agreements, and Employee/Independent Contractor
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Virtual
2.00 Credits
Final Rule - Employee or Independent Contractor Classification Under the FLSA: the multifactor “economic reality” test; What analysis guides whether a worker is an employee or independent contractor under this final rule? Can a worker voluntarily waive employee status and choose to be classified as an independent contractor? Are any of the economic reality factors adopted in this rule more important than others when evaluating a worker’s employment status? How does the final rule explain “extent to which the work performed is an integral part of the employer’s business?” The Federal Trade Commission’s Decision on Non-compete Agreements: impact on new and existing non-competes; treatment and definitional terms for senior executives; definition of a non-compete clause; definition of a “worker” New Overtime Rules: exemptions from minimum wage and overtime pay requirements for executive, administrative, professional, outside sales, and computer employees; increases in the standard level and the highly compensated employee total annual compensation threshold; new mechanism allowing for the timely and efficient updating of the salary and compensation thresholds Current status of DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) rules
2026/27 Annual Update for Accountants & Auditors
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Virtual
4.00 Credits
The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Key accounting and auditing developments affecting accountants and auditors across industries.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.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.
Surgent's Current Issues in Accounting and Auditing: An Annual Update
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Virtual
4.00 Credits
Recently issued but newly implemented Accounting Standards Updates (ASUs), the PCC Update, and items on the FASB’s Technical Agenda New ASUs covering disaggregated expenses, crypto assets (e.g., cryptocurrency), and business combinations Results and findings of the FASB’s Final (Stage 3) Post-Implementation Review (PIR) Report on Topic 606 Recently issued SASs and other AICPA activity through SAS No. 149 Detailed review of the three new Statement on Quality Management Standards (SQMS 1, SQMS 2, and SQMS 3) Other important A&A practice matters
ACPEN: HR Investigations – Episode 1 – Introduction-Assessing-Planning
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Online
1.00 Credits
Investigation terminology Assessment skills Investigative methodology
Don Farmer's Cryptocurrency Taxation: Tracking, Reporting & IRS Enforcement
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Virtual
2.00 Credits
Federal Tax Treatment of Digital Assets * IRS classification of cryptocurrency as property * Tax consequences of sales and exchanges * Mining and staking income * Hard forks and airdrops Reporting Requirements and Compliance * Form 1040 digital asset disclosure * Form 8949 and Schedule D reporting * Schedule C considerations * Overview of broker reporting rules and Form 1099-DA developments IRS Enforcement Trends * Exchange reporting and John Doe summonses * IRS compliance campaigns * Civil penalties and potential criminal exposure * Audit risk indicators Practitioner Considerations * Documentation and substantiation best practices * Client interview strategies * Ethical responsibilities in digital asset reporting
Surgent's The AI-augmented Professional: Practical Tools, Real Risks, and Immediate Use Cases
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Virtual
0.00 Credits
Explore from the history of automation to the current landscape of large language models (LLMs) and generative tools to demystify the technology Free, accessible apps to enterprise-grade solutions and specialized accounting software tailored for tax, audit, and advisory workflows Ethical obligations and professional standards that govern AI use, including data privacy, client confidentiality, and the management of "hallucinations" or inaccuracies Through specific use cases and prompting demonstrations, understand how to use AI to draft complex communications, summarize research, optimize Excel workflows, and enhance client advisory services
The 10 Must Know Excel Features
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Virtual
2.00 Credits
The major topics that will be covered in this class include:Excel Tables: Master the use of Excel tables for efficient data management, including sorting, filtering, and structured references, to manage data more effectively.Custom Sorting: Get to grips with custom sorting options to organize data in a way that best suits your needs, enhancing data readability and analysis.XLOOKUP: Discover the power of XLOOKUP for advanced data retrieval, a game-changer for complex analysis, allowing you to extract specific data from extensive datasets with ease.SUBTOTAL: Gain proficiency in using the SUBTOTAL function, a versatile tool for calculating data in visible cells, ideal for analyses that require dynamic calculations.SUMIF(S): Explore the functionality of SUMIF and SUMIFS functions for conditional summing, crucial for precise budgeting, expense tracking, and financial reporting.Array Formulas: Dive into array formulas to perform multiple calculations on one or more items in an array, enhancing the efficiency of complex accounting computations.Data Validations: Learn to implement data validations to ensure data integrity and prevent errors in financial data entry, a critical skill for maintaining accurate accounting records.Slicers: Learn to use slicers for interactive data segmentation in tables and PivotTables, enabling accountants to quickly filter and analyze specific subsets of financial data.Conditional Formatting: Understand how to apply conditional formatting to highlight critical financial data points, trends, and variances, making data analysis and interpretation more intuitive.PivotTables: An introduction to PivotTables, one of the most powerful Excel features, for summarizing, analyzing, and presenting large sets of financial data in a digestible format.
Surgent's Representing a Client in an IRS Audit
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Virtual
3.00 Credits
Impact of the Trump Administration on IRS funding Reduction in IRS staffing Potential reduction in IRS’s ability to process and audit tax returns Status of IRS Direct File program Auditing large corporations and partnerships Audits of high income and high net worth individuals Information document requests What happens when a client agrees or disagrees with the IRS’s audit findings The Dirty Dozen for 2025: roadmap to IRS audit issues
ACPEN: The Successful Family Business
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Online
4.00 Credits
Business Management Organization
Hot Topics Audit & Attest Update - 2026
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Virtual
2.00 Credits
The major topics that will be covered in this course include:The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Recent quality improvements to the SASs and SSARsOther matters that should be on your radar
ChatGPT and IRS Taxation Law Research
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Virtual
2.00 Credits
The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Utilizing ChatGPT for IRS Tax Law Research: Principles and PracticesNavigating IRS Databases Using Advanced AI TechniquesUsing IRS Prompt Templates: In-depth Analysis and ApplicationChatGPT in Action: Case Studies and Real-World ScenariosExploring IRS Tax Laws: Strategies, Loopholes, and ComplianceError Prevention and Correction in Tax Law ResearchFuture Trends: AI's Evolving Role in Taxation and Accounting
ACPEN: Viewing A&A Through the Eyes of a Tax Practitioner
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Online
2.00 Credits
The role of financial reporting for a myriad of users Fundamentals concepts Special Purpose Frameworks Financial statement analysis Cross-functional collaboration
ACPEN: HR Investigations – Episode 2 – Interview Techniques
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Online
2.00 Credits
Interview terminology Types of questions Levels of listening Verbal and nonverbal communications Documenting results
Ethics, AI, and Music: What Every CPA Must Know
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Virtual
1.00 Credits
The major topics that will be covered in this course include: Four key aspects of artificial intelligence that are relevant to CPAs: machine learning, generative AI, large language models, and GPT.The role that five powerful principles—the principles of ethical intelligence—play in using AI the right way. Short, focused writing exercises (30 seconds each) designed to deepen understanding of the topic. Real-world case studies about the use of AI in music as well as accountingAnswers to several crucial questions about how to use artificial intelligence with ethical intelligence.
ACPEN: K2's Ten Questions To Ask Your IT Team
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Online
1.00 Credits
Ten Strategic Question Frameworks for Technology Assessment Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Oversight Through Targeted Dialogue Cloud Governance and Remote Work Technology Evaluation
Beyond the Basics: Financial Ratios You Might Be Overlooking
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Virtual
1.00 Credits
The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Understanding Cost Behavior and Its Impact on Decision-MakingContribution Margin and Break-Even AnalysisMargin of Safety and Its Role in Risk ManagementOperating Leverage and Financial SensitivityAnalyzing Asset Turnover for Operational EfficiencyCash Conversion Cycle and Working Capital InsightsFree Cash Flow Yield as a Valuation Tool
ACPEN: A Guide to Sampling - Part 1
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Online
2.00 Credits
Auditing Yellowbook
ACPEN: Schedule C of Form 1040
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Online
2.00 Credits
When Schedule C applies Cash v. Accrual method Typical business deductions Business vehicle expenses Section 179 and bonus depreciation
Surgent's Progressive Discipline and Termination
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Virtual
0.00 Credits
Defining progressive discipline, including typical steps in any progressive discipline process The importance of a fair disciplinary process When and how progressive discipline should be used, including using progressive discipline in the lead-up to termination Documentation best practices Limitations on at-will employment, including contracts and laws regarding discrimination and retaliation Avoiding key risks in the termination process Best practices for legally compliant termination procedures
