CPE Catalog & Events

Asset Misappropriation - Let Me Count the Ways

Identifying opportunity The three most common behavioral red flags that we should always look for The many ways to commit check fraud (it’s so easy) Why inventory is such a good place to hide theft of assets How to cover up inventory fraud Accounts Receivable Fraud and how it works How to count inventory that’s not there

Profitability Pricing: Boost your Bottom Line

Competitive bids Achieving target profitability   

Introduction to Forensic Data Analytics

Data analytics Key fraud risk management guidance documents  Data analytics frameworks  Leading techniques and innovations for preventing and detecting fraud

IRS Cybersecurity Checklist

Defining Cybersecurity and Cyber Risks Implications of Cybercrime Cyber Attack Trends Landscape of Cyberattacks Laws and Regulations Security Standards and Frameworks Cybersecurity Roadmap

Eight Biggest Threats to your business and introducing Three Pillars of Cybersecurity

Technology Cybersecurity

Mastering The Three Pillars of Cybersecurity: Exploring the Technology Pillar

Technology Cybersecurity

SUBSCRIPTION: Audit Skills for Beginners

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Course 1: Audit 101: AICPAs Code of Professional Conduct PrinciplesCPE: 2Description: AICPAs Code of Professional Conduct - as a whole will provide an overview of the basic principles of the AICPA's Code of Professional Conduct with practical implementation examples. CPAs must seamlessly transition to a profession that relies heavily on conformance with technical and ethical standards. It is critical for CPAs to seek to serve the public interest with a strong sense of character, integrity, competence, and due professional care. In addition, CPAs must appropriately safeguard any threats to independence and objectivity.Course 2: Audit 102: Professional Skepticism - Finding Fraud and ErrorCPE: 2Description: Professional Skepticism is a critical skill for audit and other attest services. The public places a high value on assurance services provided by an external public accountant, as the CPA's involvement directly enhances the degree of confidence intended users can place on the financial statements to make economic decisions. A proper mindset, including professional skepticism, is a critical feature of a high-quality audit or other attest service. Professional skepticism is an essential attitude that enhances the ability to identify and respond to conditions that may indicate possible material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.Course 3: Audit 103: Adapting to the Engagement - Complying with SSARSCPE: 2Description: Adapting to the Engagement is a critical foundational course. A CPA may perform various attest services under relevant professional standards, including compilations, reviews and audits. Reviews and audits are also considered assurance services, providing either limited or reasonable assurance that financial statements are free of material misstatement. In addition, the CPA may perform non-attest services, such as bookkeeping or preparation of financial statements. CPAs must fully understand the professional responsibilities related to each of these varying levels of services, in order to effectively and efficiently satisfy engagement objectives.Course 4: Audit 104: Audit Documentation - Workpapers To Pass ReviewCPE: 2Description: Audit Documentation is an important foundational course. Proper documentation is essential to a high-quality audit and other assurance services, as auditors are required to prepare and maintain documentation to demonstrate that sufficient and appropriate audit evidence was obtained to support the auditor's opinion. It is critical for workpapers to provide a clear understanding of the nature, timing and extent of procedures applied, the results of those procedures, source of evidence obtained, and conclusions reached. Both audit effectiveness and efficiency are directly impacted by the nature and extent of audit documentation.Course 5: Audit 105: The Audit Risk Model - Foundational PrinciplesCPE: 2Description: The Audit Risk Model is a critical foundational course. Financial statement auditors are engaged to provide reasonable assurance that financial statements are not materially misstated, whether due to fraud or error. Professional standards require auditors to obtain sufficient and appropriate evidence to support that opinion. It is critical for effective and efficient auditors to have a clear understanding of all the important elements and concepts related to properly identifying, evaluating, and deciding how to respond to risk in a financial statement audit.Course 6: Audit 106: Internal Control Fundamentals - Evaluating DesignCPE: 2Description: Internal Control Fundamentals is a critical foundational course. Obtaining an understanding of the entity and its environment is part of assessing risk of material misstatement, in order to design the nature, timing and extent of further audit procedures necessary to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence to support the auditor's report. A critical component of understanding the entity and its environment is to evaluate the design and implementation of internal control over financial reporting.Course 7: Audit 107: Auditing Cash - Applying Basic Audit SkillsCPE: 2Description: Auditing Cash - Applying Basic Skills demonstrates how the approach to auditing different cash accounts may vary and how to strengthen inquiry which is an important audit procedure in this area. Cash tends to be one of the first areas assigned to new auditors, as there is typically little complexity and subjectivity involved. In addition, persuasive audit evidence from a third-party is generally available. However, research shows that around 80% of asset misappropriation relates to cash. Therefore, the audit of accounts and classes of disclosures related to cash and cash equivalents does tend to carry some level of risk of material misstatement.Course 8: Audit 108: Auditing PP&E and Leases - Common RisksCPE: 2Description: Auditing PP&E, Including Leases will address tips and techniques for auditing tangible long-lived assets for various assessed risk levels, with a special emphasis on lease accounting under Topic 842. Property, plant and equipment can range from a low-risk to a high-risk audit area, depending on the nature of transaction and events engaged in by the reporting entity. Construction, capitalized interest and complex leasing arrangements tend to result in higher risk of material misstatement.

SUBSCRIPTION: Audit Skills for Client Management

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Course 1: Audit 301: Code of Professional Conduct - Key for AuditorsCPE: 2Description: Code of Professional Conduct will dig deeper into important foundational principles, primarily focusing on threats to independence and how to avoid or appropriately safeguard them. The AICPAs Code of Professional Conduct provides guidance for ethical business conduct, as well as other potentially relevant ethical requirements from the PCAOB and international bodies. An important pillar of any Code of Professional Conduct is the rules governing independence when performing attest services, particularly when both attest and non-attest services are provided.Course 2: Audit 302: Planning Effective and Efficient AuditsCPE: 2Description: Planning Effective and Efficient Audits will focus on how to enhance engagement team brainstorming and discussions to leverage knowledge to create a high-quality and profitable audit approach. The biggest factors that lead to an effective and efficient financial statement audit are the properly identification, evaluation, and response to risk of material misstatement. Assessed risk of material misstatement leads to the generation of the nature, timing and extent of further audit procedures.Course 3: Audit 303: Internal Controls - Required CommunicationsCPE: 2Description: Internal Control - Required Communications will help the auditor with understanding how to improve required internal control communications to be more value-added from the perspective of the client. Professional and regulatory audit standards require communication of internal control matters noted in a financial statement audit. This assists management and those charged with governance with satisfying responsibilities for designing, implementing, maintaining, and monitoring internal controls. In addition, in order to retain existing clients, lower fee pressures and gain invaluable referral sources, financial statement auditors must place a priority on being a value-added business advisor.Course 4: Audit 304: Auditing Basic Investments - Common RisksCPE: 2Description: Auditing Basic Investments will provide an overview for evaluating the proper recognition, measurement and disclosure of the most common investments types. Many small- and mid-size entities hold less-complex investments, including mutual funds, 'plain vanilla' derivatives (such as interest rate swaps), and permanent life insurance policies.Course 5: Audit 305: Strengthening Substantive Analytic ProceduresCPE: 2Description: Strengthening Substantive Analytic Procedures will provide the tips and best practice techniques for strengthening substantive analytic procedures in order to reduce over-reliance on tests of details. One of the ways to perform a more effective and efficient audit is to maximize the use of substantive analytic procedures in the detailed audit plan.Course 6: Audit 306: Reviewing Workpapers - A Role in Quality ControlCPE: 2Description: Reviewing Workpapers will provide the tips and tools for satisfying important workpaper reviewer responsibilities. Audit documentation provides the principal support for an auditor's report. Therefore, it is critical for workpaper reviewers to perform quality control procedures to ensure that technical, professional, and regulatory standards are met. In addition, the workpaper review process should be used as a tool for professional development and promoting efficient audits.Course 7: Audit 307: Client and Profitable Engagement ManagementCPE: 2Description: Client and Profitable Engagement Management will provide guidance on how to maximize return on time spent with critical areas, such as budgeting, scheduling, client assistance, and delegation. Sound client and engagement management can influence both the effectiveness and efficiency of an audit engagement.Course 8: Audit 308: Audit Reporting and General Audit ProceduresCPE: 2Description: Audit Reporting and General Audit Procedures will provide guidance for properly altering financial statements and audit reports for certain complex transactions and events that are often uncovered through general audit procedures, such as subsequent testing, reviewing minutes, and more. Each set of financial statements and auditor's report thereon must properly address the unique circumstances of the specific reporting entity's circumstances.

SUBSCRIPTION: Audit Skills for Emerging Leaders

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Course 1: Audit 401: Critical Traits of a Thinking AuditorCPE: 2Description: Critical Traits of a Thinking Auditor will provide tips and best practices for stretching experienced auditor past the basics in each of the three pillars of success. Those in charge of the day-to-day supervision of engagements need to consciously embrace and demonstrate characteristics that will enable him/her to transition to a firm leader. This includes a focus on three key pillars: financial success, retaining clients through superior client service, and developing other professionals.Course 2: Audit 402: Audit Quality Control - Avoid Peer Review IssuesCPE: 2Description: Audit Quality Control - Avoiding Peer Review Issues highlights the most important considerations for those at all levels of the engagement team with quality control responsibilities on audit engagements. Upper-level reviewers have significant responsibilities for ensuring high-quality audit engagements. Unfortunately, deficient audits have serious negative consequences for both the CPA firm and the profession as a whole.Course 3: Audit 403: Fraud Trends - Applying Real-Life LessonsCPE: 2Description: Fraud Trends - Applying Real-life Lessons will focus on real-life and practical examples of fraud in smaller- and mid-size environments, including nonprofits. Fraud involves an intentional act to deceive, which may result in material misstatement in the financial statements due to fraudulent financial reporting or misappropriation of assets. Management's responsibility is to design, implement, maintain and monitor a system of internal control to prevent, or detect and correct, fraud.Course 4: Audit 404: Maximizing Analytic Procedure Evidence on AuditsCPE: 2Description: Maximizing Analytic Procedure Evidence on Audits will enhance an ability to read and interpret financial information as a critical audit skill. Financial statement auditors need to be able to analyze financial results to not only enhance audit quality, but to also improve client service through being a better business advisor.Course 5: Audit 405: Designing Internal Controls for Smaller EntitiesCPE: 2Description: Designing Stronger Internal Controls for Small or Mid-Size Entities provide practical analysis and tips for how a reporting entity can manage financial reporting risk in an effective and efficient way. Internal controls are applied within an organization to satisfy objectives related to operations, compliance, and financial reporting. This module will also differentiate the auditor's responsibilities for internal controls under Sarbanes Oxley, Government Auditing Standards and Single Audit Act requirements.Course 6: Audit 406: Auditing Revenue Recognition - Common RisksCPE: 2Description: Auditing Revenue Recognition will provide tips and techniques for obtaining sufficient and appropriate audit evidence to support conclusions related to accounting for revenues obtained from contracts with customers. Revenue recognition is presumed to be a significant risk for financial statement auditing purposes due to the increased risk of both fraud and error.Course 7: Audit 407: Auditing Contingencies and Going ConcernCPE: 2Description: Auditing Contingencies and Going Concern will provide tips and techniques for obtaining sufficient appropriate audit evidence to support conclusions related to contingencies and going concern uncertainty. Financial statements may contain significant uncertainties requiring special audit consideration for evaluating proper accounting and financial reporting treatment.Course 8: Audit 408: Coaching Staff to Stay on the Right TrackCPE: 2Description: Coaching Staff to Stay on the Right Track provides tips and techniques for critical coaching responsibilities. Being a successful coach requires tackling various responsibilities, including motivating, providing positive and constructive feedback, and otherwise getting the best performance out of engagement team members in the given situation.

SUBSCRIPTION: Audit Skills for Experienced Staff

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Course 1: Audit 201: Fraud Risk - Minimum Audit RequirementsCPE: 2Description: Fraud Risk - Minimum Audit Requirements will highlight the audit procedures most effective in identifying, assessing and responding to fraud risk. The financial statement auditor's overall responsibility is to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence to provide reasonable assurance as to whether the financial statements are materially misstated due to fraud or error. The difficulty is that there are inherent limitations related to detecting fraud due to deliberate schemes to conceal the intent to deceive, such as collusion.Course 2: Audit 202: Applying Audit Risk to the Detailed Audit PlanCPE: 2Description: This course will emphasize the key concepts and best practices that drive a thoughtful risk-based approach to forming an opinion on the financial statements. Properly identifying, assessing, and responding to risk through a detailed audit plan is critical to an effective and efficient financial statement audit.Course 3: Audit 203: Auditing Accounts Receivable - Common RisksCPE: 2Description: Auditing Accounts Receivable will explain tips and best practice techniques for auditing common accounts receivable risks, primarily focusing on existence and valuation. Accounts receivable tends to carry higher risk of material misstatement due to the complexity and subjectivity involved with initial recognition, subsequent measurement, and valuation. In addition, revenue recognition is presumed to be a significant fraud risk.Course 4: Audit 204: Auditing Basic Inventory - Focus on ObservationsCPE: 2Description: Auditing Basic Inventory will primarily focus on performing the inventory observation, while introducing other risk concepts related to inventory. Assets classified as inventory varies widely with the nature of the entity and industry. Depending on the complexity of the inventory and the related pricing model, risk of material misstatement will vary widely as well.Course 5: Audit 205: Auditing Liabilities and Long-Term Debt RisksCPE: 2Description: Auditing Liabilities and Long-Term Debt will discuss tips and techniques for auditing accounts payable, accrued expenses, and common long-term financing arrangements and related debt covenants. The completeness and proper classification of liabilities are the typical higher audit risks. The complexity of the debt financing arrangements may create a significant risk requiring more persuasive audit evidence.Course 6: Audit 206: Analytical Procedures - Audit FundamentalsCPE: 2Description: Analytical Procedures - Audit Fundamentals will provide the tips and techniques necessary to gather sufficient appropriate audit evidence to support conclusions using analytic procedures common to financial statement audits. Properly designing, documenting and evaluating results of analytic review procedures is critical for performing an effective and efficient audit engagement.Course 7: Audit 207: Sampling - Avoiding Common Mistakes on AuditsCPE: 2Description: Sampling - Avoiding Common Mistakes on Audits will describe the proper process for both attribute testing and variable sampling in financial statement and compliance audits. Sampling is an important method for determining the extent of testing controls, testing compliance, and tests of substantive details. It allows the auditor to apply procedures to less than 100% of the population yet extend results to project likely conclusions about the entire population.Course 8: Audit 208: Audit Reporting Basics - Report Issuance ProcessCPE: 2Description: Audit Reporting Fundamentals will provide tips and techniques necessary for issuing and reporting on high-quality financial statements prepared under any applicable financial reporting framework. The ultimate objective of a financial statement audit is to issue an auditor's report.

Digging Deep with Excel Pivot Tables

The major topics covered in this course include:Data preparation and cleansingPivot table creationPivot table customizationNavigating Excel’s PivotTable Analyze tab

Excel for Accounting Professionals Session 5: Error Trapping and Improving Lookups

SUBSCRIPTION: Project Management Skills

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Course 1: Project Management: Employ Best Practices & MindsetCPE: 2Description: Project Management is not the same as workflow management, and a project manager is more than a task master. Driving change, leading a team and managing client engagements requires a great deal of organization and planning. Successfully launching a new technology, onboarding clients, developing a new service line… all takes more than a checklist of to-do items. You need to monitor risks and opportunities. You need to gain buy-in to drive adoption. Proper scoping and projections help keep projects on course, and not become a costly experiment that gets shoved to the back burner. Project managers are trained in analyzing the data while also managing people. In this session explore basic project management best practices and mindset to more effectively managing change in your firm.Course 2: Enhancing Ongoing Client EngagementsCPE: 2Description: The work for clients is not as linear as it used to be with the inclusion of more advisory services, more cross functional teams, and due dates moving. Quality client engagements are not just about a solid workflow, we need project management skills. In this session we will discuss how to apply project management techniques to designing a one firm, team approach to serving clients.

What's Going on at the GASB (2024)

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:GASB 100, Accounting Changes and Error Corrections.GASB 101, Compensated Absences.GASB standards coming down the pike.

Strategies for Guiding Clients Through Challenging Situations: Tax Insights

Navigating the tax and non-tax dimensions of divorce. Unveiling tax and non-tax considerations in personal bankruptcy, debt cancellation, foreclosure, repossession, and bad debt reporting. Exploring the tax and non-tax aspects of personal relationship matters, encompassing cohabitation, property rights, premarital agreements, filing status, exemptions, and dependents. Grasping the intricacies of support considerations for spouses and former spouses. Addressing support matters for children of divorced or separated parents, alongside the tax treatment of back child support. Delving into the business implications in instances of business dissolution. Tackling specialized topics, including marital property rules, tax rate comparisons for married and unmarried individuals, head of household status, and treatment of refunds and deficiencies.

2024 Annual Update for Governments & Not-for-Profits

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:New GASB standardsGASB 100, Accounting Changes and Error CorrectionsGASB 101, Compensated Absences.Accounting Standard Updates issued by the FASBNot-for-Profit Advisory Committee (NAC) and the projects they advise the FASB on.Yellow Book and Single Audit engagements.Changes in the 2024 Compliance SupplementChanges to the Uniform GuidanceCommon deficiencies identified by the federal agencies and peer reviewers.

SUBSCRIPTION: Advanced Managerial Skills for Auditors

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Course 1: Audit 501: Personality Styles - Improving Your InteractionsCPE: 2Description: Personality Styles provides guidance for effectively adapting to various personality styles. Every individual has a dominant personality style, which includes relevant strengths and weaknesses. Effective interactions require individuals to adapt behaviors to complement, balance or counteract the traits of others.Course 2: Audit 502: The Art of Discipline and Getting Things DoneCPE: 2Description: The Art of Discipline and Getting Things Done provides best practices for various areas that support this culture of discipline, including time, team, and project management. Those in a supervisory or managerial role must create a culture of discipline, where a high priority is placed in accomplishing responsibilities in an effective and efficient manner.Course 3: Audit 503: Management - Being a Balanced Leader-ManagerCPE: 2Description: 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.Course 4: Audit 504: Making Rain - Success with Clients and ProspectsCPE: 2Description: 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.

SUBSCRIPTION: Investigating Fraud

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:Course 1: Becoming a Fraud InvestigatorCPE: 2Description: This course helps the forensic accountant prepare to perform a fraud investigation. We discuss occupational fraud schemes and their characteristics and how to spot a fraud in progress. You will learn the skills a fraud investigator needs for successful investigations, as well as how to plan and prepare for a fraud investigation.Course 2: Starting a Fraud InvestigationCPE: 2Description: In this session we focus on the early stages of a fraud investigation, including: who should be on the team, how to create an investigation plan, and the evidence that should be acquired and evaluated. Investigative techniques involving a variety of different sources will be covered, including financial document analysis, background checks, data analysis, and interviewing.Course 3: How-To Guide to Fraud InvestigationsCPE: 2Description: Learn how to investigate an asset misappropriate scheme. We will dig into asset misappropriation by learning some of the most common schemes and red flags. Learn data analysis techniques used in the early stages of a fraud investigation. You will be guided through a detailed case study to see forensic accounting techniques in action.Course 4: Reporting the Results of a Fraud InvestigationCPE: 2Description: This course focuses on concluding a fraud examination and participating in court activity. You will learn how to draft an effective written report on a fraud investigation, including exhibits and visual aids that will help make your case. We will discuss common questions asked of financial experts and techniques for successfully testifying at deposition and trial.

Surgent's Preparing Individual Tax Returns for New Staff and Paraprofessionals

Comprehensive coverage of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and The SECURE Act 2.0  Preparation of various Form 1040 individual tax returns and schedules; provided answers include “filled-in” forms  Coverage of Form 7203  Coverage of §199A qualified business income, its calculation, limitations, and examples  Dividends and interest – Ordinary, return of capital, and capital gain distribution dividends; tax-exempt interest, original issue discount, etc.  Security transactions – From Form 1099-B to Form 8949 to Schedule D, plus mutual fund sales and related basis issues  Self-employed person issues  Schedule C deductions including depreciation  Sale and exchange of property – Understanding Form 4797 and depreciation recapture; capital gains  A working understanding of passive losses – How to handle rental property and how the passive loss rules flow to the tax forms  Itemized deductions – A thorough understanding of what’s deductible and what’s not  Interest deductions – Limitations and timing problems  Charitable contributions substituting for taxes, IRS says – No!  Retirement contributions and education credits and deductions  Tax computations – The Kiddie Tax, AMT, regular tax, tax credits  Individual problems illustrated by form preparation for various items, with numerous “practice tips”  Impact of recent legislation and forms changes on the 1040 

The Best Individual Income Tax Update Course by Surgent

Comprehensive coverage of the Inflation Reduction Act, including: The Clean Vehicle Credit, Credit for Previously Owned Clean Vehicles, Credit for Qualified Commercial Clean Vehicles, Residential Clean Energy Credit, Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit, and Premium Tax Credit Comprehensive coverage of the SECURE 2.0 Act, including: Expanding Enrollment in Retirement Plans, Increase in Age for Required Beginning Date for Mandatory Distributions, and New Exceptions to Penalty-Free Withdrawal from Retirement Plans Timely coverage of breaking tax legislation New Form 1099-K reporting requirements Detailed analysis and examples of Sale of Passthrough Entity Interest and Net Investment Income Tax Residency and Domicile Selling a principal residence, including tax planning strategies Real Estate professional requirements Virtual currency, including recent developments regarding NFTs Review of pertinent cases and rulings affecting taxpayers Practice aids, including all the numbers applicable for the current year -- inflation-adjusted amounts, mileage rates, retirement contributions, and more Advanced practice, reporting, and other issues intertwined with advanced planning and discussion ideas