CPE + Events Catalog

Have you ever met an accountant who exhibits solid technical prowess but possesses lackluster communication skills? It is not unusual to meet a savvy accountant who is a technical expert but could enhance the delivery of written and spoken words. This course is designed to help CPAs improve their written and verbal communication skills. Participants will learn how to tailor communication to their audience, with particular emphasis on techniques for crafting a message that effectively conveys technical information in an engaging manner. The course's author will share personal success tips gleaned from more than two decades of experience communicating myriad topics to a variety of audiences. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Governmental accounting and auditing has many unique requirements. In this course, we will start off with a look at the recent changes in accounting as GASB has been very busy issuing standards impacting state and local governments. We will take a deeper dive into GASB 87, Leases by reviewing the impact for both lessees and lessors. We will also cover other standards effective this year impacting state and local governments including the recently renamed annual comprehensive financial report and reference rate reform. As we turn our attention to the auditing side of the house, we will look at the 2021 Technical Update and review the 2018 Yellow Book independence requirements. The course closes with a look at the Uniform Guidance including changes in the new compliance supplement as well as the impact of ARPA

In 2020, 96% of the world's largest 250 companies published reports on their sustainability performance in accordance with national and international standards. Now many more companies are committing to sustainability, and Net Zero emissions in particular. This creates a new responsibility and opportunity for HR leaders. Staff must be trained in new policies, goals and procedures. Executives need help as leaders in this new approach. This one-hour course summarizes SHRM research into HR and sustainability, plus other expert sources and the instructor's own 30-year journey helping companies become more sustainable. The course presents key concepts, tools and sources to help HR find its role.

When we're going through change and life feels out of balance, it's normal to get stuck focused on all the problems and challenges that stress us out. How will the changes impact our team, our job, our lives? It doesn't help that our brains are wired to anticipate the worst possible outcome. This wiring can make it difficult to be our best; to provide our best teamwork, our best ideas, and our best leadership. However, studies show that there are things we can do to shift our thinking so we can spend more time in positive emotions, like curiosity, enthusiasm, and optimism. Now everything gets easier and better, including: ~ Productivity ~ Customer relations ~ Change management ~ Teamwork ~ Leadership Join Tina to learn and apply The Path for PositivityT framework based in Positive Psychology. You will learn strategies and insights to help you experience less stress, a smoother transition, and higher productivity even when the future seems uncertain. Share the framework and strategies with your team, too.

Join us for an in-depth webcast on Charitable Remainder Trusts (CRTs) and the essential aspects of preparing Form 5227. This course will provide a comprehensive overview of CRTs, including their purpose, benefits, and practical considerations. Moreover, we will delve into the intricacies of Form 5227, the informational return for charitable remainder trusts, ensuring you have the necessary knowledge to accurately complete and file this crucial document. During this webcast, Art Werner will guide you through the fundamental concepts of Charitable Remainder Trusts, illustrating how they can be utilized as a strategic tool for tax planning. We will explore various types of CRTs, their formation, and the different scenarios in which they are most beneficial. A significant portion of the webcast will be dedicated to Form 5227, the reporting requirement for charitable remainder trusts. We will provide an in-depth analysis of the form's components, line by line, ensuring you gain a comprehensive understanding of the information it requires. From trust assets and income to distributions and charitable beneficiaries, we will cover each section, discussing common pitfalls and best practices for accurate reporting. Mr. Werner will address the recent updates and changes to Form 5227, enabling you to stay up to date with the latest compliance requirements.

Performing engagements in accordance with Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS or "Yellow Book") requires additional reporting, ethics, and performance requirements. This course will identify and review the guidance found in the Yellow Book and analyze the relationship between Government Auditing Standards and the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct. We will review the Yellow Book requirements for financial statement audits while also touching upon ethical principles and independence

Tax rates appear to be on the most certain long-term increase. Tax planning's main objective is keeping tax rates at their lowest possible level through time. The time is exactly right now to accomplish this. There's a window today to convert from a traditional IRA to a Roth - and it's closing very soon. In this course, you'll learn exactly how to prevent increasing tax rates (and other proposed changes) from seriously battering the value of a retirement nest egg. A Roth conversion is an intensely personal decision that requires impeccable attention to a client's specifics. We'll establish for you the Roth conversion thinking process and all things to consider.

Until recently, a percentage of organizations discounted the risk related to external fraud attempts. Most were only concerned with protecting physical assets such as inventory or fixed assets. However, because of the many highly publicized corporate hacking events, such as the ones that affected the Colonial Pipeline and JBS Meats, more attention is being paid to external fraud risk of all types. In this session, we look at what is included in a definition of external fraud and then delve into specific control issues that can give rise to increased risk. We then discuss measures that organizations can employ to help reduce exposure to external attacks. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

In this course, you'll learn why being able to do public speaking well is a major advantage in becoming successful in your career. You'll learn how to write a good talk, how to present it well, and how to use your new found ability to get more clients and/or a promotion. In addition, you'll learn how to overcome your nervousness, and how to overcome stress in less than a minute.

In this comprehensive course, practitioners gain a deep understanding of strategic planning considerations and potential hurdles encountered when clients face difficult circumstances. Delving into an array of scenarios often classified as "challenging," the course offers tax insights. From divorce and personal bankruptcy to intricate personal relationship matters, participants will equip themselves to adeptly guide clients through these challenging scenarios by understanding the tax implications.

In this five part master series, class participants will gain a comprehensive view into the world of forensic data analytics (FDA). From understanding practical use cases of FDA in the audit, internal audit, investigations and proactive monitoring to understanding necessary data sources, validation proceudres, success factors and pitfalls to avoid. We will also explore hundreds of leading anti-fraud tests around corruption, conflicts of interest, fake vendor schemes, segregation of duties, revenue recognition and sales abuse, among dozens of other schemes. Participants will develop their own library of anti-fraud tests from various open source locations and apply them in relevant contexts such as the COSO Fraud Risk Management Guide. Finally, participants will also peek into future innovations in FDA and how technologies such as ChatGPT, data visualization, machine learning, AI and cryptocurrencies are all impacting the discipline. We can't promise you'll be a programmer after this course, but you will certainly be armed with the information needed to project manage an FDA project and "direct" the programmers to accomplish your fraud risk / FDA objectives.