CPE Catalog & Events

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:AI fundamentals: how large language models work, why they hallucinate, and the distinction between generative and agentic AIPractical applications of AI in damages calculations, financial statement and ratio analysis, and books-and-records reconstructionProfessional ethics under the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct, SSFS No. 1, and the ACFE Code of Professional Ethics as applied to AI-assisted workCourt requirements for disclosure and discovery of AI use, including judicial standing orders, Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26, and proposed Federal Rules of Evidence 707 and 901(c)Preparation for cross-examination on AI use, including how to build and document a defensible AI-assisted workflow.

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Professional accountability for AI-generated workAI errors, hallucinations, and malpractice exposureEmerging cases, sanctions, and disciplinary actionsAI regulatory expectations in the US, Canada, and UKProfessional liability insurance and AI coverage gapsConfidentiality, privilege, privacy, and data exposureVerification, documentation, governance, and defensibility

The major topics covered in this course include:Lightning round review of the following apps, with an explanation and demonstration of what each of them offersTeams - the foundation of all that you do in Microsoft 365SharePoint / OneDrive - secure cloud storagePower BI - the new financial reporting modelStream - the YouTube for your organizationBookings - streamline your appointment scheduling OneNote - get your content organized for quick retrieval Lists - create custom list tracking reportsTo Do - consolidate all your Outlook, Planner and general "to do's" in one appPlanner - manage simple and complex engagements and projects in an intuitive appA quick look at many of the remaining apps

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Professional skepticism and existing CPA standardsSix traits of the skeptical professional mindAutomation bias and other AI-related cognitive biasesEvidence and verification rules for AI outputsPractical questioning and challenge techniquesVendor claims, benchmarks, and AI due diligenceReview, documentation, accountability, and skeptical firm culture 

The major topics that will be covered in this class include:The foundational ethical principles CPAs are required to follow and how these principles apply to audit quality, data privacy and security, and the use of emerging technologies.The profession's need to change to meet its ethics standard in a technology-centric environment.Changes being considered by the AICPA and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy that could impact the profession.

Types of contractors Non-revenue GAAP accounting for contractors Contractor financial statements Sureties and their place in the construction relationship

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:What accounts should get reconciled?Why the banking feed still needs reconciliationThe Reconcile interfaceStep-by-step reconcilingTricks to locate errors quicklyHow to solve common QBO workflow errors that create extra transactions...and a slew of time-saving techniques

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Evidence Preservation & Cryptographic Security: Prioritizing immediate data protection by exporting defensible QuickBooks Online (QBO) snapshots and utilizing Windows PowerShell or Command Prompt to generate file hashes to prove data integrity.Standards Compliance & Access Management: Navigating the legal and professional boundaries of AICPA SSFS No. 1 and ACFE standards, which prohibit CPAs and CFEs from making final legal conclusions of fraud, while managing administrative access levels and uncooperative gatekeepers.Ledger Auditing & Transaction Reconstruction: Using the QBO Audit Log to uncover deleted or voided entries, performing reconciliation health checks, auditing bank feed gaps, and examining Undeposited Funds and journal entries to trace hidden or manipulated cash.Analytical Procedures & Metadata Analysis: Applying comparative horizontal and vertical financial statement analysis, drilling down into General Ledger transaction details, and evaluating created-date metadata to flag anomalies like weekend or after-hours entries.Targeted Fraud Detection & Testing: Cross-matching vendor and payroll records to expose shell vendors or ghost employees, analyzing accounts receivable write-offs for lapping schemes, and applying safe, isolated scenario-testing techniques within QBO

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Why leadership capacity gets cappedExternal pressures on public accounting firms: private equity, technology disruption, talent shortageThe three kinds of work: hard (physical), smart (intellectual), uncomfortable (emotional)The cost of saying yes: avoided conversations, rework, and time lost to lower-value workThe inventory: five categories of low-value commitmentsMeetings and events (e.g., meetings without agendas, "got a minute" interruptions, fear of not being in the know)Unrealistic expectations (e.g., scope creep, upward delegation, duties outside the role)Strategies and opportunities (e.g., shiny-object initiatives, unqualified leads, FOMO partnerships)Tasks and projects (e.g., low-priority admin, unnecessary reporting, work that should be delegated, deferred, discontinued, or done differently)Suboptimal performance (e.g., avoided accountability conversations, discount requests, non-revenue activities, technology avoidance)Quantifying the gapEstimating weekly hours lost, applying a conservative haircut, annualizingWhat the reclaimed hours are worth when redirected to highest-value workCommitting to one changeSelecting one inventory item to decline for the next monthNaming the higher-value activity the time will fundWhere this step sits in the broader six-step process for doing uncomfortable work

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Update on significant 2025-26 business tax developments and related cases and rulingsReview of recent business tax provisions and their integration into tax formsDepreciation changes in Section 179 and Sec. 168(k) bonus depreciationTax issues impacting “gig” workers, including Form 1099-KRulings on OBBBA of 2025 business provisions.

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:IRC § 274 meals and entertainment rules Tax Cuts and Jobs Act changes affecting meals and entertainment Deductible versus nondeductible expenditures Definition of “entertainment” Definition of “business associate” Reimbursement arrangements Exceptions under IRC § 274(e) Compensation-related exceptions Recreational activity exceptions Public availability exceptions Goods or services sold to customers Separately stated food and beverage costs Employer-provided meals Per diem reimbursements Compliance and documentation requirements

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Advantages of budgetingThe role of budgetingMaster budgetingFlexible budgetingStandards and variancesCapital budgeting

VLOOKUP function MATCH function INDEX function Error trapping IF function

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Identify tax deductions available to real estate professionalsIntegration of the real estate professional rules with reporting on Form 1040, Schedule EReal estate professionals and indirectly owned (partnerships, S corporations) entity’s reporting on Form 1040Real estate professionals and the Form 8582 (Passive Activities)How "real estate business" is interpreted under the Section 199A rules and how it integrates with the passive activity rulesHow to make the "grouping" election for passive activities and the flow-through deduction

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Why smart leaders avoid difficult conversations, even when they know they should notHow small issues quietly become major organizational problemsPractical techniques for starting difficult conversations with confidenceCommon communication mistakes that damage trust and credibilityStrategies for delivering difficult messages without creating unnecessary conflictBuilding a culture where important conversations happen earlier, not later

All times listed are Eastern Time ZoneWeek 1: Avoiding That Conversation Has a Cost - Choose Comfort And Lose!CPE: 2Field of Study: Business Management and OrganizationDiscussion Leader: Robert Berry MBA, CPA, CIA, CISADate: Friday, March 5, 11:00 am Week 2: Analyzing & Mitigating: 6 Systemic Risks That Cause Havoc(pt1)CPE: 2Field of Study: AuditingDiscussion Leader: Bob Mims, CPADate: Friday, March 12, 11:00 am Week 3: Are You Really Making a Profit? Understand Hidden Risk & CostsCPE: 2Field of Study: FinanceDiscussion Leader: Brian Maturi, MBA, FCADate: Friday, March 19, 11:00 am Week 4: C-Suite Blind Spots: What You Don't See Can Hurt YouCPE: 2Field of Study: Business Management and OrganizationDiscussion Leader: Jane Mims, PhD, LPC-MHSP, EMDR-T, PCCDate: Friday, March 26, 11:00 am 

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:The emerging CPA role in AI system evaluationNIST, ISO, SOC 2, COSO, and AI assurance frameworksAI regulatory and compliance developmentsHallucination, bias, model drift, sycophancy, and security risksAI benchmarks, golden datasets, red-teaming, and performance testingAI governance, controls, documentation, and evidenceAI evaluation engagements, independence, ethics, and professional liability

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Discuss ethics from an every-day real-world perspectiveHow to prevent an ethical lapse that can turn your business into the next news story

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Participants will review the scope of the interpretationsThe responsibilities of members in public practice and members in businessConsiderations involving confidentiality, communication, documentation, withdrawal, and further action in the public interest. Related requirements under SAS No. 147 and the 2024 Yellow Book, including how auditors must handle communications related to NOCLAR.

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Comprehensive overview of SOC 2 reports, focusing on their structure, purpose, and how to interpret and apply them in a compliance or risk management context. The five Trust Services Criteria (Security, Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, and Privacy).The difference between Type I and Type II reports.The key components of a SOC 2 report including the system description, management assertion, and testing results.