CPE Catalog & Events

ACPEN: Upholding Independence While Holding Your Client's Hand

Circumstances that may cause recent FASB pronouncements to introduce threats to independence AICP's Code of Professional Conduct Best practice tips and practical strategies for preserving independence when assisting clients with technical matters

ACPEN: Creating Terrific Equity Compensation Plans: Beware of the Pitfalls

Why most equity compensation plans fail? Complexity of GAAP accounting for equity compensation plans Tax implications of equity compensation plans Who and how an equity compensation plan should be administered? Compliance issues to consider Recommendations to design a better equity compensation plan

Exercise Your Ethics: Techniques to Improve Ethical Response

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Explore research for common answers to "what does ethics mean to you?" and examine whether those are valid.Identify common ethical barriers - reflecting the latest from the ACFE Report to the Nations.Discover ways to improve ethical response.Practice, using practical advice from leading thinkers in ethics.

2026/27 Annual Update for Not-for-Profit Accountants & Audit

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Overview of accounting developments affecting not-for-profit organizations, including recently issued Accounting Standards Updates (ASUs) from the Financial Accounting Standards Board and an introduction to the International Non-Profit Accounting Standard (INPAS).Auditing and attestation developments from the AICPA, including the next phase of quality management with a focus on monitoring and remediation responsibilities. Recent and upcoming standards affecting audit, attestation, and consulting engagements, including updates related to SSAEs, SSARSs, exposure drafts on confirmations and fraud, and changes affecting group audits. 

ACPEN: K2’s Small Business Internal Controls, Security, And Fraud Prevention And Detection

Common challenges associated with implementing appropriate internal controls in small business environment Fraud in small business environments Internal control options in small business accounting software Understanding the need for application controls and general controls

Surgent's Handbook for Mastering Basis, Distributions, and Loss Limitation Issues for S Corporations, LLCs, and Partnerships

Timely coverage of breaking tax legislation Applicable coverage of any basis considerations within any recent tax legislation   Passthrough basis calculations required as attachments to certain individual returns  Executor’s form for disclosing basis in certain distributed property; what about the basis of a property distribution from a trust?  How §179 limitations affect basis and how tax-benefit rule is applied  Basis implications of personal assets converted to business use  How to calculate basis of inherited qualified and joint tenancy property  Tax basis capital account reporting requirements  S corporations: Beware of final IRS regulations regarding “open debt”; determine how to calculate basis; worksheets are included; understand the effect of stock basis and debt basis and IRS’s recent focus on “at-risk basis” for shareholders; recognize how AAA applies or doesn’t apply to S corporations; learn to apply the complex basis ordering rules and special elections that can have a big tax result; discuss loss limitation rules in depth; when you can have a taxable dividend in an S corporation; understand distributions of cash and property; understand the post-termination transition rules, and temporary post-termination rules for eligible corporations, which will be important for S corps returning to C corps  LLCs and partnerships: Learn the detailed rules of §704 for preventing the shifting of tax consequences among partners or members; learn to calculate basis under §704 & for “at-risk” under §465; recognize how recourse, nonrecourse, and qualified nonrecourse debt can create significantly different tax results; learn the difference between basis and “at-risk basis”; review §754 step-up in basis rules; the economic effect equivalence test or “dumb-but-lucky” rule; learn to apply the complex rules of distribution of cash vs. property, and the basis treatment of charitable contributions and foreign taxes paid 

Surgent's Latest Developments in Government and Nonprofit Accounting and Auditing

Developing issues related to the Yellow Book and single audits Key AICPA developments affecting audits of governments and nonprofits The implementation of GASB No. 103 on financial reporting model improvements  GASB No. 104 addressing disclosure of certain capital assets Impacts of recently applied governmental standards, recently issued implementation guide questions, and additional GASB projects (e.g., subsequent events) The essential disclosure requirements specific to not-for-profit organizations and strategies for enhancing clarity and value  The advantages, challenges, and best practices for effectively presenting a measure of operations

Tax Fundamentals of LLCs and Partnerships - Tax Staff Essentials

Basic tax structure of partnerships and LLCs Check-the-box elections to be taxed as a partnership Partnership distributions Compensatory payments to partners At-risk and passive activity limits Profit and loss allocations: general rules and restrictions

Best Practices: Conducting Meaningful Walkthroughs

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Review of audit procedures.Documentation requirements.Real world examples of red flags that may arise.

Avoiding the Most Misapplied Audit Concepts

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Risk Assessment - Properly assessing inherent, control, and detection risk on an engagement, and linking the results to an appropriately tailored detailed audit plan based on risk assessment and client service goals, regardless of entity type.Substantive Analytics- Leveraging strong substantive analytic procedures as audit evidence to cut back on tests of details.Selecting items to test common misunderstandings related to designing, performing and concluding on tests of details, including sampling.Identifying and Evaluating Internal Control Deficiencies - Emphasizing the importance of identifying both design and operating effectiveness deficiencies during the course of the audit, and how to properly categorize deficiencies as inconsequential, significant or material for impact on the audit or required communications with management and those charged with governance.

ACPEN: HR Investigations – Episode 1 – Introduction-Assessing-Planning

Investigation terminology Assessment skills Investigative methodology

Surgent's Excel Lookups: Moving Beyond VLOOKUP Limitations

Using lookup functions as an alternative to direct cell references Understand the limitations of the VLOOKUP function Discover ways to move beyond these limitations

Surgent's Top Individual Tax Planning Strategies

Extension and enhancement of reduced rates and the standard deduction The temporary senior deduction Extension and enhancement of increased Child Tax Credit Extension and enhancement of increased estate and gift tax exemption amounts Contributions to ABLE accounts and benefitting from the Saver’s Credit Increased SALT deduction Deduction for car loan interest Using Trump Accounts Extension and enhancement of paid family and medical leave credit Enhancement of Adoption Credit, the dependent care assistance program and the child and dependent care tax credit Tax credit for contributions of individuals to scholarship granting organizations Additional expenses treated as qualified higher education expenses for purposes of 529 accounts Individual charitable contributions Health savings account related tax changes

Surgent's Virtual Currency: Keeping Up with the Tax Code

Overview of virtual currency Property transactions with virtual currency Receiving virtual currency as payment Paying using virtual currency Charitable donations with virtual currency Gifting of virtual currency Form 8300 reporting

ACPEN: 2026 Spring Tax Update for Individuals with Steve Dilley

Tips, overtime, car loan interest, and senior deduction developments Recent legislative developments, cases and rulings impacting individual taxpayers Federal Disasters—tax deduction options Individual income items, itemized deductions and credits Updated tax rate schedule and other inflation adjusted items Implications for self-employed taxpayers of various legislation

Analyzing IFRS Financial Statements

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Financial Analysis fundamentals: Overview of financial statements, their interconnections, and the foundation of advanced analysisLoblaw Companies Case Study: Introduction to our example company and its financial performanceAdvanced Analysis Techniques: Common size analysis, Dupont framework, financial leverage, and operational metricsOperational Focus: Separating core business performance from financing activitiesApplied analysis and managerial ratios: Segment analysis, cash flow analysis, and managerial ratiosManagement Commentary: Overview of the corporate narrative as presented from IFRS lens.

Compilation, Preparation and Review Basics and Peer Reviews

The major topics covered in this class include:Basic requirements included in AR-C Section 60, General Principles; AR-C Section 70, Preparation of Financial Statements; AR-C Section 80, Compilation Engagements; and AR-C Section 90, Review of Financial Statements.New requirements included in SSARS No. 25, Materiality in a Review of Financial Statements and Adverse Conclusions.Common peer review findings.Practice tips for high-quality engagements.

ACPEN: Benefits and Best Practices for Telework

Communication Business Management

ACPEN: Treasury Circular 230 for EAs and Other Tax Preparers

Circular 230 Conflicts of interest  Loving case RTRP Other Ethical Issues  Fees Qualifying continuing education

Streamlined Excel Reporting Series Session 3: PivotTable Wrap-Up and Web Data