CPE Catalog & Events

For the past two decades the trend has been to move away from brick and mortar offices and have a greater number of people work or telecommute from home. Because of the upheaval caused by recent events, the rate of this move has been accelerated. This has and will continue to create control challenges and organizations must work to address these. Such things as moving from time based employee value to task completion based measurement and the ability to drive needed inter-company communication are just a sample of the issues with which entities must contend. This session looks at the benefits and pitfalls of workers that telecommute. It then discusses important risks and controls to consider as this trend continues and evolves in the business world.Speaker - Karl Egnatoff

Sometimes the vernacular of accounting seems more challenging than technical aspects. This session offers suggestions for translating the foreign language of taxation into tangible terms for non-accountants. We explore techniques for simplifying the complexity of taxation terminology. This course will equip you with tools for demystifying tax technicalities so you can help clients and other non-tax professionals grasp fundamental concepts.Speaker - Chris Harper

Many leaders in business organizations of all sizes view the system of Internal Control almost purely as a protective security measure. A well-designed internal control system can and will drive all entity objectives which includes successful operations. This session uses information gathered from years of creating internal control systems as well as concepts from well-respected authoritative pronouncements and frameworks to illustrate the power of a strong and well supported control system as well as actions that can help establish such a system. Those that work with internal controls who are tasked with developing ways to improve operation level capabilities should strongly consider this session.Speaker - Karl Egnatoff

Excel is a popular tool for data analysis, yet most users have never learned the basics of data analysis using Excel or the tools that Excel offers to help with data analysis. This session is designed to teach participants the importance of PivotTables for analyzing data. We will demonstrate how PivotTables can make data analyzation an easy task for all accountants. Participants will learn the step-by-step process to create PivotTables and PivotCharts. We will also cover all the setup options and features. This session is presented using Excel 2019/Office 365. Regardless of the version you are using, most concepts covered in this course apply to all versions of Excel.Speaker - Bryan L. Smith, CPA.CITP, CISA

Most accountants use Excel to help them make decisions about their data. However, as the amount of data grows, it becomes difficult to make strategic decisions based on rows and rows and columns and columns of data. In this course, you will learn how to build robust dashboards for analyzing key metrics in Excel. We will begin with some dashboard design guidelines, such as understanding your audience and identifying necessary metrics. Then, we will work through creating key performance indicators (KPIs) for the dashboards. You will learn how you can add charts and eye-catching visuals, in order to make your dashboards easily understood. This course focuses on using standard Excel features to create visuals. Although we will introduce new tools like Power BI Desktop, this course is NOT about using Power BI to create visuals. This session is presented using Excel 2019. Regardless of the version you are using, most concepts covered in this course apply to all versions of Excel.Speaker - Bryan L. Smith, CPA.CITP, CISA

This course is an extension of the Power BI series of courses that specifically explores using OLAP formulas and advanced time intelligent functions. OLAP formulas provide the ability to create a calculation in a cell that is based upon the measure in the data model. This powerful tool provides the ability to create calculations in an Excel worksheet without using a PivotTable to perform the calculation. Gone are the days of creating a PivotTable, then using those values in the PivotTable for additional calculations.When using Power BI to build a data model that connects to data files, you may want to know the date of these files. This class teaches you how to create a measure based upon the refresh date of your data. In the class "Power BI - Use Advanced Calculations with DAX Formulas," you learned the basics of time intelligent functions, the ability to calculate measures based upon dates. In THIS course, we will take it to the next step and teach you how to perform many more date-based calculations.This session is presented using Excel 2019/Office 365. Regardless of the version you are using, most concepts covered in this course apply to all versions of Excel.Speaker - Bryan L. Smith, CPA.CITP, CISA

Before you can analyze data, you first must get the data. This course focuses on getting data into Excel using different data sources. Whether your data is text, comma delimited (CSV), reports, Excel, databases, web, applications and/or many others, Excel provides the ability to access that data. You will learn about tools that have been added to Excel that will make accessing that data even easier, such as data models and Power Query (Get and Transform). After this class, you will finally be able to get the data you need to perform data analysis.This session is presented using Excel 2019/Office 365. Regardless of the version you are using, most concepts covered in this course apply to all versions of Excel.Speaker - Bryan L. Smith, CPA.CITP, CISA

Data can be messy! In other words, it is not always clean and neat. Data comes from various sources like text files, Excel spreadsheets, databases, report files, etc. This is how most data analysis projects fail - the inability to get the correct data. This class focuses on using Power Query (Get and Transform) to clean, shape and transform your messy data while still allowing you a one-click refresh. We will review various data issues including appending files, combining multiple files from a folder, adding custom columns, unpivoting data, creating a lookup table, and much more. This session is presented using Excel 2019. Regardless of the version you are using, most concepts covered in this course apply to all versions of Excel.Speaker - Bryan L. Smith, CPA.CITP, CISA

Many people that use Microsoft Excel know a great deal about the functionality of the application. There are, however, a tremendous number of hidden tools that a high percentage of users overlook. Additionally, there are newer features that some have not had the opportunity to explore. This session shows some of the numerous time-saving tools and features that often go unused by spreadsheet creators. People that wish to become more efficient when using Excel should take this session!Speaker - Karl Egnatoff

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.Speaker - Karl Egnatoff

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.Speaker - Chris Harper

Organizations of all sizes often fail to successfully install needed foundational components of an internal control system. Whether large or small, entities must view policies, procedures, and all controls in a wholistic manner in order to develop a system of controls that will keep the entity on its intended course. Moreover, those that design policies and procedures benefit by knowing why control measures are necessary. This session sets forth internal control concepts and explains the importance of strong internal control policies. It provides an understanding of the interrelated nature of all controls created by any organization. Speaker - Karl Egnatoff

Successful organizations, both large and small, must understand the importance of effective internal controls and be able to develop a system of controls that will keep the entity on its intended course. Moreover, those that design policies and procedures benefit by knowing why control measures are necessary. This session sets forth internal control concepts and explains the importance of strong internal control policies. The material highlights some of the reasons that measures are needed and it also provides an overview of control creation methods. Finally, it discusses ways to successfully implement the developed policies and procedures. Participants that take this course will gain a well-rounded understanding of internal control procedures of all types.Speaker - Karl Egnatoff

Successful organizations, both large and small, must understand the importance of effective internal controls and be able to develop a system of controls that will keep the entity on its intended course. Moreover, those that design policies and procedures benefit by knowing why control measures are necessary. This session sets forth internal control concepts and explains the importance of strong internal control policies. The material highlights some of the reasons that measures are needed and it also provides an overview of control creation methods. Finally, it discusses ways to successfully implement the developed policies and procedures. Participants that take this course will gain a well-rounded understanding of internal control procedures of all types.Speaker - Karl Egnatoff

Unlock the secrets to understanding a company's financial health and management performance through comprehensive financial analysis. This seminar will guide you through essential tools such as vertical analysis, horizontal analysis, and ratio analysis to gain deep insights into business performance.Speaker - Eric Knight

This course will allow you to get reacquainted with the statement of cash flows. We will refresher your skills regarding both the preparation and utilization of the statement of cash flows. Significant emphasis will be placed on the informational role of the statement of cash flows and insights that can be obtained using the statement of cash flows in concert with the other elements of a company's accrual-basis financial statements.Speaker - Chris Harper

This CPE course explains Yellow Book independence including the general requirements, requirements for auditors providing nonaudit services and documentation requirements. This course also explains the basic elements of a Uniform Guidance compliance audit, including an overview of requirements, major program determination with examples, an understanding of compliance requirements and related internal control over compliance, sampling and single audit reporting.Speaker - Adelina Burke, CPA

Many Excel users have received little or no formal training to help them use the ubiquitous productivity application. This session can help users that wish to improve their Excel skills to increase their productivity. The material starts by covering basic topics such as time saving tips and keyboard shortcuts and then moves to more advanced areas like conditional formatting and complex formula building. Users that find themselves looking at the spreadsheets that others design and wishing they could do as much with Excel will benefit greatly by taking this course.Speaker - Karl Egnatoff

Many Excel users have received little or no formal training to help them use the ubiquitous productivity application. This session can help users that wish to improve their Excel skills to increase their productivity. The material starts by covering basic topics such as time saving tips and keyboard shortcuts and then moves to more advanced areas like conditional formatting and complex formula building. Users that find themselves looking at the spreadsheets that others design and wishing they could do as much with Excel will benefit greatly by taking this course.Speaker - Karl Egnatoff

There has never been a greater opportunity to leverage technology tools to automate various aspects of 1040 tax preparation. This course will provide specific examples of how you can use AI (artificial intelligence) based tools to complement your core 1040 tax prep software. You will learn how to leverage AI to automate the collection and organization of client source documents, enhance the engagement management process and add value to your 1040 service through AI enhanced 1040 advisory services. This course will separate the hype from reality about AI and how it can be used in 1040 tax preparation.Speaker - John Higgins