CPE & Event Calendar

Build your network and make lasting connections with peers who can help you throughout your career. You will stay up-to-date on hot topics in accounting, plus engage in meaningful dialogue on the issues affecting your organization. This is a forum to share ideas, resources and establish a robust network of accounting peers who you can turn to for guidance and advice. Whether you recently left public accounting or you've been with your organization for decades, all industry members are encouraged to participate. Please reach out to Melissa Nystedt at mnystedt@masscpas.org with topics and questions. CPE Credit: In order to verify your attendance, you must log into zoom using the same email address used to register for this event and linked to your MassCPAs profile  

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) has become an area of increasing focus. ESG reporting includes a broad spectrum of quantitative and qualitative information. Interested parties seek to understand the effects of relevant ESG matters on an entity's business strategy, cash flows, financial position, and financial performance. This course will focus on the impact of ESG-related matters on the fair preparation of financial statements and related disclosures, and the related financial statement audit considerations. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

This program provides an update to the latest tax developments, rules and regulations impacting business taxpayers, with a review and integration of the numerous 2021/22 legislation. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

This program compares and contrasts the financial and tax accounting differences of partnerships, LLCs, and S corporations, as well as discuss the tax accounting for these entities. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Two of the hottest topics in the CPA profession today are CAS (client advisory services) and ChatGPT. This course will explain how to bring these two worlds together by integrating ChatGPT and other generative AI applications into your client advisory services. John Higgins, a leading advisor to the profession on ChatGPT and a seasoned client advisor on technology based solutions, will show you how you can position your firm and yourself as a "go to" advisor on how to embrace this technology in virtually any type of business. John will address how to use this technology as a research and writing assistant in your client services and how to advise your clients on this revolutionary technology and all benefits and "gotchas" that come with it. If you want to step up your advisory game, this course is a "must take." This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Forensic accounting, forensic accountancy or financial forensics is the specialty practice area of accounting that investigates whether firms engage in financial reporting misconduct. Forensic accountants apply a range of skills and methods to determine whether there has been financial reporting misconduct. Financial forensic engagements may fall into several categories.  Economic damages calculations, whether suffered through tort or breach of contract. Post-acquisition disputes such as earnouts or breaches of warranties Bankruptcy, insolvency and reorganization Securities and tax fraud Money laundering Business valuation Computer forensics/e-discovery This session is designed to delve a bit deeper into the world of forensic accounting and identify some of the specific areas of expertise required to become a forensic accountant. We will then first delve deeper into the art of document analysis and handwriting analysis.  

The issue of civility, or lack thereof, has garnered much attention from leaders, Human Resource professionals and employees at large. The cost of incivility is high not only to the bottom line but to the human spirit. This webinar, based on ethical principles and values, is designed to look at the fundamental relationship skills that foster workplace civility. Understanding that workplace civility is far more than manners, we will dive into behaviors that help promote a workplace where each individual feels respected and valued. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Starting and owning a small business has often been referred to as the "Third Pillar of Wealth," right behind investments and owning real estate. Essentially, all businesses start off as "small businesses." Small businesses, however, require a large amount of preparation in order to successfully launch and grow. Starting a business requires the owners and managers to address a host of issues, including an understanding of applicable laws, appropriate financing, staffing requirements, marketing, liability protection, and many more. This course provides a broad overview of the critical issues business owners, as well as their professional advisors, must consider when starting and growing a small business. There is extensive research regarding best practices in this area, and this webinar is intended to distill down such information and focus on what is critical to get a small business up and running as seamlessly as possible.

In today's data-driven world, spreadsheets serve as the backbone of business and personal productivity. However, creating complex and error-prone spreadsheets can lead to critical mistakes and inefficiencies. This course aims to equip you with the knowledge and tools to build robust spreadsheets, implementing a range of controls and safeguards to ensure data integrity, streamline processes, and maximize accuracy. 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 will highlight tax accounting considerations such as ASC 740 application to the GAAP and tax treatment of various property, plant and equipment including measuring and recognizing timing difference impacts on the tax accrual and related footnotes. ASC 740 application of preparing or reviewing the current tax payable calculation of permanent and temporary differences by being aware of cost of goods sold and selling, general and administrative expenses will be discussed. We'll discuss asset acquisition or business combination in relation to PPA accounting, as well as differing tax positions between the audited financial statement and tax returns. Considerations around the more-likely-than-non-standard vs reasonable basis will be covered.

Appreciation affects your bottom line and your workplace culture. Don’t think so? Think again! Your customers, clients, and co-workers want and need to know they are appreciated. How do you show them appreciation? You show them in their preferred appreciation style.  You have a bias for how you like to receive appreciation, and so do the people with whom you work. In this program, we will build on the research of Gary Chapman and Paul White on appreciation languages – words, time, service, and gifts.  Appreciation is a skill and practice that promises to influence your work life positively. You will experience strategies you can employ in your day-to-day lives to improve your team culture and manage work relationships.

Client and Engagement Management - Managing the Black Holes That Erode Profitability 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. Note: This course is recommended as a part of a 16-hour audit skills curriculum for in-charge or supervisor auditors, while it is also appropriate for anyone who has responsibilities for client and audit engagement management. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

One of the important roles of any member of the financial team. Including the controller, may be involvement in the preparation of the company’s financial statements. Even if that responsibility falls within the office of the CFO, the controller and other finance personnel must understand how their transitions recorded impact the financial statements. Financial statements (or financial reports) are formal records of the financial activities and position of a business, person, or other entity. Relevant financial information is presented in a structured manner and in a form which is easy to understand. They typically include four basic financial statements accompanied by a management discussion and analysis: A balance sheet or statement of financial position reports on a company's assets, liabilities and owners’ equity at a given point in time. An income statement may have varying names including profit and loss report (P&L report), statement of comprehensive income, or statement of revenue & expenses. These report on a company's income, expenses, and profits over a stated period. A profit and loss statement provides information on the operation of the enterprise. These include sales and the various expenses incurred during the stated period. A statement of changes in equity or “statement of equity” also called “statement of retained earnings” reports on the changes in equity of the company over a stated period. A cash flow statement reports on a company's cash flow, particularly its operating, investing and financing activities over a stated period. A balance sheet represents a single point in time, where the income statement, the statement of changes in equity, and the cash flow statement each represent activities over a stated period. For large corporations, these statements may be complex and may include an extensive set of footnotes to the financial statements, management discussion and analysis and supplementary information. The notes typically describe each item on the balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement in further detail. Notes to financial statements are considered an integral part of the financial statements.  

Even though the current transfer tax exemption is extremely high to the point that few decedents have a federal estate tax liability, administering an estate is a burden for many family members. In many cases, the family members will look to their professional advisors for help in estate planning and administering an estate. The purpose of this program is to discuss those issues that practitioners with clients involved in estate planning administration need to know so as to be able to advise those clients. Lack of planning and preparedness in estate issues can cost the heirs time and money upon a decedent's death.

In recent history, even the most prestigious CPA firms have had ethical lapses and oversights that have cost them both financially and, at that moment, clouded their brand. This course will review the AICPA code of ethics for both accounting and tax practitioners and encourage you to examine your firm's policies and choices relative to those standards and common sense through thought-provoking and sometimes humorous Q&A and case studies. This course fulfills the four-hour ethics education requirement.

Financial statements are a window into what is going on in the day-to-day operations of the company. They help us see what the company's strengths and weaknesses are. However, financial statements can often have different messages depending on the user. This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

Oversight by the SEC of public company financial reporting is critical in maintaining an efficient market for investors by providing accurate and truthful information about reporting entities, the securities they are selling, and the risks involved in investing. This course is designed to provide participants with an overview of the laws that govern the securities industry including the financial reporting and disclosure requirements established by the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as amended. This program will make extensive use of the SEC's Financial Reporting Manual for the selection of program topics. This program was developed and will be presented from the perspective of the practitioner preparing and disclosing public company financial information necessary to comply with SEC regulations. Public company disclosure examples will be illustrated throughout this program.

This course provides a complete framework for transforming the culture in your organization. Key topics covered include: - What is organizational culture - A self assessment - Why culture matters - How to change your culture This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.

The course provides general information on proceedings that led to a grand jury indictment of television reality stars, Todd and Julie Chrisley. Participants learn how business decisions can lead to federal charges for conspiracy, bank fraud, wire fraud, and tax evasion. The grand jury also indicted the Chrisley's accountant, Peter Tarantino, on tax-related offenses. Participants learn how to develop resources and tools for effective detection and deterrence of federal crimes, and the learn the consequences that follow white-collar crime, including how responses can influence lengthy prison terms. 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 will discuss key US international tax and Transfer Pricing (TP) issues that we have often seen in the Cannabis industry, along with structure planning ideas.