CPE + Events Catalog

Tax rates, personal liability, operations - these are all factors to be weighed when advising clients about their choice of entity decision. This session provides a comparison of the multiple entity choices to start the discussion with clients and selecting the best tax efficient option for them. *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 and submit to kori.herrera@acpen.com

Cash is essential to every business, and is often one of the first accounts audit staff are exposed to. This course will cover the basics of auditing cash, including the related audit assertions, risks, & threats to the cash balance. During this course, we will also highlight the various substantive auditing procedures that staff should perform, and also walk through some real-world examples. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

This course fills an important need for both financial managers and accountants in the practice of public accounting by offering the tools to help ensure the future success of a business. Practical guidance for the effective use of benchmarking and analytical procedure is also provided. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Elevate your data reporting skills to new heights with our cutting-edge course, "Create Paginated Reports with Power BI Report Builder." This two-hour, expertly crafted training is designed to transform the way you visualize and present data, leveraging the powerful capabilities of Microsoft Power BI Report Builder. Ideal for professionals who aspire to turn complex data into compelling, print-ready reports, this course is a game-changer in the realm of data visualization and business intelligence. Delve into the world of paginated reporting with a curriculum that balances theoretical knowledge with practical examples and demonstrations. You'll learn how to navigate the Power BI Report Builder interface with ease, design intricate report layouts, and connect to diverse data sources for comprehensive reporting. The course covers a spectrum of skills, from creating eye-catching visualizations to utilizing advanced features like sub-reports and drill-through capabilities. By the end of this session, you'll be adept at publishing and sharing professional-grade, paginated reports that can inform and persuade your audience. Enroll now and take the first step towards mastering the art of paginated reporting with Power BI Report Builder. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Seismic changes in tax legislation is currently taking place, and the well-informed tax practitioner will want to attend this four hour program in order to stay abreast of these developments.  This program will cover new court decisions, recent IRS publications, and the latest tax legislation that will impact businesses and individuals.  The remaining time will be spent on IRS procedure and other issues. This course will provide a concise look at the hottest topics affecting every tax practitioner.  **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 and submit to kori.herrera@acpen.com.

Two college graduates built impressive careers: One worked in sales, the other in technology and investing. Both of those people made decisions in the course of their business that led to government investigations. They had to hire attorneys, go through judicial processes, face charges, and plead guilty. Each of those people are on their way to prison. Learn from the lessons they offer. We interview both financial professionals, and they tell us more about how their decisions influenced the consequences that followed. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Unlock the full potential of Microsoft Excel PivotTables with this comprehensive course. This training is designed to equip participants with the skills to effectively analyze and summarize data, transforming raw numbers into actionable insights. Whether you're a seasoned professional or new to data analysis, this course provides an in-depth understanding of PivotTables and their capabilities, helping you uncover patterns, compare data, and make informed decisions. The program includes a step-by-step approach to creating and customizing PivotTables, focusing on how to use them to analyze data efficiently. Participants will learn how to group and filter data, identify trends, and apply advanced features to solve real-world business challenges. Beyond technical knowledge, this course introduces data visualization through PivotCharts, teaching participants how to present their analysis effectively to stakeholders. By the end of the course, you'll not only master PivotTable fundamentals but also gain advanced techniques to streamline data analysis and support strategic decision-making in any context. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

This course equips practitioners with the knowledge to help clients navigate complex tax and financial challenges. Covering a range of difficult situations—such as divorce, bankruptcy, and other personal and business matters—this course provides key tax insights and strategic planning considerations. Participants will gain practical strategies to support clients in making informed decisions while understanding the tax implications of these situations.

Tax credit and incentive programs offer significant but rarely utilized savings. This presentation will introduce the most important federal and California tax credits and incentives available to business taxpayers. Attendees will hear an overview of these benefits and learn how to identify these opportunities for their clients.

Power BI - Bringing It All Together for Data Analysis is an advanced-level course designed for professionals looking to integrate and optimize their use of Microsoft Power Pivot and Power BI. Building on the foundational knowledge from previous courses, this session focuses on the crucial next steps after creating data models and measures, guiding participants on how to fully utilize the potential of these tools to uncover insights and create impactful, actionable visualizations. This course takes a deep dive into the critical aspects of using Power BI to its fullest potential, emphasizing a holistic approach to data analytics. You'll learn how to build a streamlined workflow, ensuring every step in your data journey contributes to actionable insights. The course also focuses on optimizing performance for data models, utilizing advanced features of Power BI Services, and moving beyond basic data models to create advanced solutions tailored to real-world business needs. By the end of the course, you'll be able to synthesize all your Power BI skills to design and deliver powerful analytics solutions tailored to any audience. Whether you're presenting to stakeholders, sharing insights across teams, or managing enterprise-level reporting, this course will equip you with the tools and strategies to succeed. Perfect for Power BI users looking to tie all the pieces together into a comprehensive, efficient workflow. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

In today's world, AI hype bombards us from every direction. Every system seems to boast magical AI capabilities, leading to confusion and overwhelming information. This course cuts through the noise to reveal the true, practical applications of AI for your business today. Our goal is to give you real world examples of using AI on a day-to-day basis, with a clear understanding of its particular strengths and limitations.

Tax practitioners advising their business clients must be fully informed regarding the multiple loss limitation provisions that apply to individuals conducting businesses and pass-through entities. This program covers the loss limitation rules that tax practitioners must know in order to advise their individual and pass-through entity clients fully and adequately as to when and if a loss limitation applies. The loss limitations discussed in this program start with an introductory discussion of hobby loss rules and graduate to a more substantive discussion of the remaining loss limitations: basis limits, at-risk rules, passive loss limits, excess business loss limits, net operating losses, and the Section 163(j) interest limitation. Knowing when loss limits apply is essential for any tax practitioner. This program will put you in a position to advise clients fully and intelligently regarding each of the loss limits. NOTE: This course qualifies for IRS CE (PTIN) credit. To receive IRS CE credit, please email your PTIN to profdev@orcpa.org at the end of the course. Surgent will report credit at the end of each quarter.If you have questions, you can contact Professional Development at 503-641-7200, ext. 3 or email profdev@orcpa.org.

Form 1065 is the tax return filed by partnerships, which is one of the most common forms of business organizations in the United States. This course provides an in-depth understanding of the preparation and filing of Form 1065. The course will cover the basics of partnership taxation, including how partnerships are taxed, the different types of partnerships, and the tax obligations of partners. It will also discuss the importance of keeping accurate financial records, the role of the partnership agreement in tax reporting, and the filing deadlines for Form 1065. Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of the various sections of Form 1065, including the Schedule K-1, which reports each partner's share of the partnership's income, deductions, and credits. The course will also cover how to report partnership income, expenses, and deductions, as well as the tax implications of buying and selling partnership interests. In addition, the course will provide an overview of common errors and omissions made when preparing Form 1065, and how to avoid them. It will also cover recent changes in tax laws that affect partnership taxation. Overall, this course is designed for tax professionals, accountants, business owners, and individuals who need to understand the intricacies of partnership taxation and the preparation and filing of Form 1065. Upon completion of the course, participants will have a solid understanding of partnership taxation and will be able to prepare and file Form 1065 with confidence.   **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 and submit to kori.herrera@acpen.com.

In today’s business world, there is a war for talent and organizations with the best talent will win. We clearly need to motivate talented personnel. Equity compensation plans are useful to retain, reward and recruit. The GAAP and tax accounting for equity compensation plans is not static and decisions that you make during plan set-up can have major consequences to your organization’s bottom line and your management team’s personal tax situations. We will review nuances and details that impact proper accounting. Whether you are the CFO or CEO who has not been happy with prior equity compensation plans or the accountant who performs the intricate analysis and detailed accounting for these plans - this session will help you understand the issues and get it right the first time.

This program will explain the new rules for deducting travel, meals and entertainment expenses and the TCJA disallowance of business entertainment expenses.  Documentation requirements and planning opportunities related to travel, entertainment, and automobile expenses will also be addressed.  **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 and submit to kori.herrera@acpen.com.

It is easy for us to get caught up in our work, but it is better to examine the ‘big picture’ by studying the outside factors that impact our business beyond our internal processes and day to day responsibilities. We are sometimes so busy with our tasks that we miss new developments until the developments have a profound impact on us and the organization. This session is designed to review many of these current trends, while thinking and discussing how these trends can impact our organizations and us. This is a fun and lively session that is intended to be interactive with participants either live, virtual or both. Our ever-changing world is evolving more than many realize.

How do you raise your skills to the next level to master the Controller or CFO role?  Welcome to a course that provides insights that align the CGMA Competency Framework. The course will examine each of the areas: Technical, Business, Leadership and People to increase your competency.  How are your technical skills?  Are you a traditional accountant or have you learned to expand your technical skills to go beyond “what are the financial numbers?” to “why did these financial results occur?”  Are you able to use ratios to understand the business dynamics and the implications to change course or take corrective action?  Are the systems that you implement and operate best practices or merely stop-gap solutions? How are your business skills?  Can you set a vision? Can you develop a strategy?  Do you understand the macroeconomic environment of your organization?   Can you lead a major project to a successful conclusion?  This session will explore the role of business as opposed to tracking the results of the business. How are your people skills?  How good is your ability to influence others? How are successful are your negotiation skills?   How well can you communicate?  Are you a collaborator or a partner?  This section will help accountants understand that it is people skills that drive the overall success of the accounting operations. Finally, how are your Leadership skills?  Do you inspire staff or make them angry?  Do you know why your staff work for your company and you?  Do you understand what employees want from their position?  Do you know how to deal with a difficult staff person?  Can you lead difficult change?  This session will help you recognize what leadership truly is as opposed to what passes for day to day management.

Every business will be sold eventually. When you have built a great business and decide to move on – you want the most you can get for that terrific organization! What are the steps to take to maximize the value realized? What do buyers really want? What are the three levers to achieve maximum value? If you want top dollar, preparing to sell takes years of planning. This seminar helps CEOs, entrepreneurs, CFOs, Board members, controllers, and their advisors prepare for a successful sale of the organization to maximize shareholder value. We will outline the process to get the most bang for the buck. Proper exit planning demands planning and time.

Don't look now, but ChatGPT is taking the business world, including the accounting profession, by storm. Every CPA, whether in public accounting or working in corporate, should have a fundamental understanding of ChatGPT and generative AI applications more broadly. This course will provide you with a foundation of knowledge about ChatGPT technology that will prepare you to have conversations with clients, customers, colleagues and service providers. More importantly, you will learn how to leverage ChatGPT to increase your personal productivity. If you feel your ChatGPT knowledge is lacking, that will not be the case after you attend this course, taught by John Higgins, one of the leading technology strategists and thought leaders for the accounting profession. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini and many others are transforming the digital landscape of virtually every business, including CPA firms. We will demystify the complex world of generative AI in this informative session designed specifically for CPAs. We will break down the nuts and bolts of how generative AI works, making the technical aspects accessible and relevant. Equip yourself with the foundational knowledge to leverage AI in your practice or business. You will learn multiple examples of how you can apply generative AI tools in accounting, finance and tax to boost your team's productivity and improve the quality of your work product. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.