CPE Catalog & Events

Performing a single audit Exploring various topics related to single audits will give you the knowledge you need to perform these engagements skillfully. You can learn about: Major program determination Pass-through entity responsibilities SEFA requirements The Compliance Supplement requirements The administrative requirements and cost principles found in the Uniform Guidance Uniform Guidance compliance audit basics Gaining an understanding of the Uniform Guidance basics will prepare you for compliance audit engagements. You can examine various topics, such as: Requirements overview Applying GAAS and the Yellow Book to compliance audits Entities that must undergo this type of engagement Federal awards decoded You can also learn the different types of federal awards, along with audit implications for a recipient or subrecipient. Federal award topics covered include: Becoming aware of the SEFA Major program determination Testing and reporting responsibilities You will acquire a fundamental understanding of your responsibilities related to testing and reporting by examining topics, such as: Testing internal control over compliance Testing compliance Writing an audit findingSpeaker - Melisa F. Galasso

If there is a potential error, the IRS will assess a tax and add a hefty penalty, without even knowing the facts. As a tax professional, you will be exposed to the IRS and their methods of penalizing taxpayers for the smallest of violations. This presentation will focus on the rules and regulations that create the penalty, and the reasons that exist that the IRS will consider to remove those penalties. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.Speaker - Robert Nordlander, CPA, CFE

This course provides essential knowledge for Client Advisory Services (CAS) professionals navigating multistate taxation and managing tax deadlines. We'll start by exploring the implications of the Wayfair decision, focusing on general rules for sales and income tax nexus across states. You'll learn what to look for in state statutes and gain a solid foundation for filing requirements. Additionally, we'll cover key tax due dates, how to handle missed deadlines, and potential relief options. Whether you're new to the field or running your own practice, this course will equip you with the tools to succeed.Speaker - Dave Peters, CPA, CFP, CLU, CPCU, MST, MBA

For the ambitious female finance professional, working hard and going above and beyond are necessary for success. Sadly, taking time to care for themselves can be seen as counter-productive to meeting their career goals. Over ninety percent of women executives are feeling significantly higher levels of stress that they attribute to increased responsibilities and priorities outside the workplace compared to life before the pandemic. Burnout is a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that causes exhaustion, negativity toward one's job and reduced professional efficacy. It has become so pervasive that it's now recognized as an occupational phenomenon by the World Health Organization. To reignite your enthusiasm at work, you don't necessarily need to find a new job or time for a spa day or bubble bath. You need concrete strategies to invest in your mental health without compromising your ability to rise to the next level in your career. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.Speaker - Tara Whitney, CPA, ACC

Management Skills - Exhibiting Traits of a Balanced Leader-Manager provides tips and techniques for striking the right balance between managing individuals and engagement teams and leading the overall strategic direction of a firm. Short-term profitability and long-term viability are important objectives of any successful organization. Note: This course is recommended as a part of a 16-hour audit skills curriculum for managers, while it is also appropriate for anyone who has responsibilities for leading or managing others. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.Speaker - Jennifer F. Louis, CPA

Performance Management is about getting the best out of everyone. It's about setting the stage so staff can excel as an individual and as a team member. It's about knowing what to say, how to say it, and when to say it to inspire and elevate staff performance. For staff to hear, understand, and act on performance feedback they have to trust the person delivering the feedback. The feedback must be constructive, useful, and implementable. And surprisingly, the performance management process is as much about listening as it is about delivering feedback. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.Speaker - Jennifer Elder, CSP, CPA, CMA, CIA, CFF, CGMA, MS

The sheer mass of Internal Revenue Code provisions affecting individual taxpayers presents a considerable challenge for CPAs and tax professionals. These provisions combined with the potential for input error when utilizing the array of income tax software available, create the potential for a multitude of errors that can occur when preparing your client's tax return. Join us as we discuss the common errors practitioners make on individual tax returns that are often missed by review staff. Sharpen your reviewing skills by examining case studies discussing issues for which additional information from the client may be warranted, and areas of tax law that require additional analysis and information.Speaker - William Harden

Developments in U.S. federal tax In this Tax Rewind quarterly, join Art Auerbach, CPA, CGMA, to discuss the latest U.S. federal tax and its impacts on individuals and businesses. Art will also cover: Tax planning strategies Legislative changes The latest IRS tax practices and proceduresSpeaker - Arthur (Art) Auerbach

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The IRS defines the "gig economy" as people earning income providing on-demand work, services, or goods on either a part-time or full-time basis. The economic times we live in are changing and tax practitioners must learn how the rules apply in this new gig economy. The tax rules that apply to gig workers challenge traditional ideas of who is an employee and who is an independent contractor, and tax practitioners must have the knowledge to make this determination. This program addresses federal and state tax issues tax practitioners must address with clients and their own workers.Speaker - Mike Tucker, Ph.D., LL.M., J.D., CPA

Making Rain - Improving Success with Retaining Clients and Attracting Prospects provides tips and techniques for ensuring that your firm has the capacity to grow and expand its book of business in a healthy way. It costs more money to develop a new client than to simply retain an existing one. While a CPA firm with longevity needs to continuously develop new business to replace departing clients, a proper balance of marketing efforts should be divided between existing clients and prospects. Note: This course is recommended as a part of a 8-hour audit skills curriculum for managers, while it is also appropriate for anyone who has client relationship or prospecting responsibilities. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.Speaker - Jennifer F. Louis, CPA

If you find yourself working with PDF files consistently throughout the day, this course will teach you how to review, annotate, format and organize PDF files more effectively and in less time. You will also learn how to use Adobe Acrobat for e-signatures to reduce document processing time significantly and enhance confidentiality. Adobe Acrobat has many features that you can take advantage of and this course will explain and demonstrate how to use them. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.Speaker - John Higgins, CPA.CITP

When we try to improve efficiency, we seek to delegate manual tasks to Excel. This implies that we seek to convert manual input cells into formula cells. When we realize that Excel can operate on and return date and text values, the opportunity for efficiency greatly expands. This webcast covers key date and text functions. It also demonstrates how to greatly improve the utility of the conditional summing function by using comparison operators. The webcast is designed with time for you to work along. This hands-on workshop is an effective way to learn Excel, since you'll be completing the same exercises demonstrated by the instructor. A link will be provided, so you can download the necessary Excel files. During the webcast, the instructor will provide time for you to complete the exercises using your Microsoft Excel for Windows. For each topic presented, the instructor explains the topic and demonstrates it with Excel exercises. Then, the instructor provides time for you to complete many of the same exercises. Finally, the instructor demonstrates the solutions for all the exercises in the practice workbook and then moves to the next topic. This format allows you to work along rather than just watch passively, enabling you to immediately practice the skills demonstrated.Speaker - Jeff Lenning

REGISTRATION CLOSES MONDAY, APRIL 28.Free to our Student and Candidate Affiliates! For many candidates, taking the CPA Exam can be one of the biggest obstacles to overcome when transitioning into the profession. Often aspiring CPAs are not sure if they are truly prepared to sit for each section. In order to help provide more transparency into exam-readiness, LCPA and Surgent CPA Review have partnered to offer student and candidate affiliates a FREE simulated CPA Exam section of your choice. This exercise will show you what it's like to sit for any CPA Exam section as you immerse yourself in questions pulled from the actual CPA Exam Blueprints.Plus, you will leave the session with your own personalized ReadySCORE™ (an accurate measurement of your actual exam score) as well as a detailed report showing your areas of strength and weakness for that section. PRO EXAM TIPS Register for this event using the same email address that you'll use the day of the simulation — it's how Surgent will identify you. Consider in advance which portion of the exam you'd like to try.  Watch for a software activation email from Surgent CPA Review the morning of the Mock Exam. Review your personalized Exam ReadySCORE along with your diagnostic report and work on areas that may need improvement. Not an LCPA Student or Candidate Affiliate? See if you qualify to join. Questions? Contact our Member Service Team, 504.464.1040.

This course provides an in-depth exploration of Form 1120S, the tax return form used by S corporations. Students will learn the intricacies of preparing and analyzing this form, including how to determine the taxable income of the S corporation, how to properly report and allocate income, deductions, and credits, and how to calculate the shareholder's basis in the S corporation. **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. Speaker - Arthur Werner

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One of the most important aspect of transforming your practice or business to a digital model is to know how to prioritize the applications and initiatives that you focus on and invest in. There is an abundance of "low hanging fruit" initiatives that can provide useful benefits quickly and economically. Using Microsoft Teams meeting app is a perfect example. Chances are pretty good that you are already investing in Microsoft 365 subscriptions for your office. This course will show you how to use the Microsoft 365 subscription ROI by fully utilizing the meeting app and eliminate the unnecessary cost of a separate third-party meeting app. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.Speaker - John Higgins, CPA.CITP

Participant data and contributions testing (bold) Employee benefit plan audits are quite different from corporate audits and require an understanding of the unique audit areas specific to plans. Part 2 of the 401(k) audit basics series addresses participant data and contribution testing, including: What participant data needs to be tested and why The different ways a participant can enroll in a plan The various types of contributions received by a 401(k) plan Parties in interest and prohibited transactions Common issues and errors seen in these areasSpeaker - Marilee Lau

In the course of legal actions, payments may be made pursuant to a final disposition of a court case or a mutually agreed-upon settlement.  This course will cover the tax implications for payments made for personal injury, emotional distress, lost wages, punitive awards, pre- and post-judgement interest, contract claims, among other damages. **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.   Speaker - Allison McLeod

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Navigating the challenges of estate and gift taxation can be overwhelming for practitioners, especially those lacking extensive experience in this field. In this comprehensive course, participants will undergo a practical exploration through the preparation of the Federal Forms 706 and 709 - line by line. Through hands-on instruction, attendees will gain invaluable insights into the complexities of tax compliance, equipping them with the skills and confidence needed to seamlessly integrate estate and gift tax preparation into their practice. With a focus on practical application, this course offers participants a unique opportunity to master the preparation of crucial tax returns, enhancing their professional expertise and strengthening client service offerings. From a detailed overview of the Federal Forms 706 and 709 to insights on complying with "Portability" and navigating postmortem estate planning issues, attendees will emerge with a newfound proficiency in estate and gift tax preparation, ready to excel in their practice. **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. Speaker - Arthur Werner

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Learn about the latest challenges and solutions faced by the construction industry and the CPAs who work with them.  10:00am CDT - 10:05am CDT  Welcome & Opening Remarks Michael Sause, Senior Manager, Aldrich CPAs + Advisors LLP10:05am CDT - 11:05am CDTEconomic Update: Prepare for Risks, Look for OpportunitiesSteve Scranton, Chief Investment Officer & Economist, Washington Trust BankThis session will provide an economic update for both the national and Oregon economy. Topics will current state of the economy, interest rate forecast, and risks to monitor.11:05am CDT - 12:05pm CDTConstruction Industry Compensation – Best Practices and Legal ImplicationsNicole Elgin, Attorney, Barran Liebman LLPNicole Elgin is an attorney at Barran Liebman where she advises employers on labor relations and employment law matters. In this presentation, Nicole will cover the laws governing common compensation issues in the construction industry. Topics will include prevailing wage rate rules, premium rate complications under the FLSA, bonus plans, project labor agreements, and other labor prehire agreements that all effect compensation in this field. Throughout the presentation, Nicole also always provides practice considerations and best practices for employers.12:05pm CDT - 12:20pm CDT Break 12:20pm CDT - 2:20pm CDTConstruction Tax UpdateColin Quill, State and Local Tax Manager, Moss Adams LLP2:20pm CDT - 3:20pm CDT Lunch Break 3:20pm CDT - 4:20pm CDTEverything You Need to Know About AI...But Didn't Know to AskJames Spellos, President, Meeting U.Since ChatGPT exploded in our lives in 2022, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is already having a significant impact on the tasks and and requirements needed for today’s education and professional work. While many are fearful that AI will replace the need for many, thereality is much more nuanced than what many are preaching, though the skill sets and tasks required are evolving. Attend this session to keep up the various tech tools that will impact your career moving forward.4:20pm CDT - 5:20pm CDTConstruction A&A Update and Best PracticesJared Asay, Founder & Financial Partner, Conover Asay CPAs, PLLC 7819 S 42nd WayThis session will bring attendees up to date on hot topics, technical matters, and current events that affect accounting and financial reporting in the construction industry. Additional topics include best practices and characteristics of successful contractors.5:20pm CDT - 5:35pm CDT Break 5:35pm CDT - 6:35pm CDTSurety Bonding: Market UpdateWilliam Kaufmann, KPD InsuranceIn this session, we will walk through the current state of the surety bonding marketplace, and use this information to anticipate the direction of the construction industry.

Internal controls are more important than ever, and their importance increases daily. However, internal controls present a challenge for many smaller organizations. This program will teach you how to evaluate, develop, and implement an effective internal control structure in a small business environment. You will identify how to assess risk in smaller organizations and implement preventive, detective, deterrent, and compensating controls to mitigate these risks, even without proper segregation of duties. Additionally, participating in this program will teach you technology-focused techniques for preventing and detecting fraud and securing information systems and sensitive data. For small organizations, maintaining an effective system of internal controls presents a significant challenge. Realistically, implementing many theoretical concepts surrounding internal controls may not be possible in some cases. Consequently, many internal control structures foster an environment where too much risk exists. This factor and uncontrolled information systems can often lead to disastrous results. Participate in this program to learn the necessary insights and tools to design, implement, and monitor effective internal controls, security, and anti-fraud measures in small organizations. Speaker - Randolph (Randy) Johnston, Brian Tankersley, Thomas Stephens, Mac McClelland, Steven M. Yoss, Jr., CPA