The business environment is complex and evolving more rapidly than ever. A world-wide pandemic has required us to work differently, accelerated our adoption of technology by years and injected new risks and opportunities into the system. In order to position ourselves for success, we must understand prevailing environmental trends, how they impact what we do as assurance providers, and the opportunities they present.

This session covers frequently asked A&A questions asked by AICPA members through their technical hotline and CPEA in the areas of accounting, financial reporting, audit, compilation, and review engagements, with a focus on private company issues.

Auditing remotely is quickly becoming the new normal. Join this session for practical considerations when conducting your audits remotely. From evaluating internal controls and identifying fraud risks to observing inventory counts and considering the authenticity of client records, we've got you covered.

This session will provide attendees with an update on recent changes to the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct as well as current and planned projects of the Professional Ethics Executive Committee. Recent revisions to the SEC independence rules will also be highlighted.

Join us to hear insights from diverse (in background and role) leaders from within the accounting profession who will explain how to make investments in a diverse talent, as well as in creating an inclusive workforce to increase your pipeline and retention rates to expand leadership representation.

The AICPA Chief Auditor and the Immediate Past Chair of the Accounting and Review Services Committee (ARSC) will discuss recently issued standards for audits and attestation engagements and recent activities of the ARSC for reviews, compilations and financial statement preparation engagements performed in accordance with Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services (SSARSs). The discussion will also include the Auditing Standards Board and ARSC's active agendas including ongoing efforts to modernize auditing and attestation standards, enhance outreach to stakeholders regarding proposed standards and post-implementation reviews of issued standards. This session will feature a discussion of the current status of the projects to: Revise the quality control standards and make narrow revisions to auditor/accountant communications regarding NOCLAR.

Join us to hear the Co-chairs of the AICPA LGBTQ+ Initiatives committee give an overview of the strategic initiatives, as well as the mission and vision of the committee. During this session you will also hear about a new resource that Dr. Jones assisted the committee in creating, which will aid your understanding of the importance of being an advocate to your LGBTQ+ workforce and community, and provide actions to leverage on your inclusiveness journey.

Risk assessment is at the core of every audit and recently issued SAS 145 introduces new and enhanced requirements related to the identification and assessment of the risks of material misstatement. Join three of the profession’s leading voices, Tom Groskopf, the technical director for the AICPA’s Center for Plain English Accounting and Director at Barnes Dennig, Chuck Landes, retired AICPA V.P. of Auditing Standards and author of the new AICPA’s Risk Assessment Guide, and Liz Gantnier, Partner at DHG Audit Innovation & Methodology, as they provide practical advice on scaling the new risk assessment requirements to smaller firms. Also, the presenters will preview what to expect in the new Guide, which the CPEA is advising on. Come learn what’s new about SAS 145 and get all your implementation questions answered by these experts.

This last year has been one of the most challenging ever for single audits due to the significant influx of federal funding emerging from the COVID-10 pandemic. There will be many of the same types of challenges to address in the coming year. This session will provide an overview of what is happening in the single audit arena. You will learn about: COVID-19 funding nuances and related single audit implications; Key information in the OMB Compliance Supplement; The latest Uniform Guidance and single audit developments; News from the Governmental Audit Quality Center; and The single audit landscape looking forward

What’s inclusion got to do with it? At Plink leadership, we believe leaders build their competence by demonstrating the traits of inclusive leaders. Most leaders don’t intend to exclude others. Yet, leaders can fail to get the best out of their teams due to personal bias and the inability to adapt and listen deeper. In this session, you will gain insight into what it means to be an inclusive leader, including taking on the difference as your own and being courageous in conversation and your actions.

Learn from a top-notch panel of accountants and practitioners about the likely implementation challenges private companies and nonprofits will face when adopting the new lease standard (ASC 842), which is effective for 2022 calendar year ends. Our speakers possess deep expertise and experience when it comes to implementing ASC 842. Lessons learned and insights specific to private companies and nonprofits will be distilled down to practical advice for attendees. Some areas that will be addressed include transition nuances, options and challenges, discount rate complexities and tips, as well as challenges and best practices related to identifying leases. It’s crunch time for the new lease standard; make your implementation a success by attending this session.

This course is designed to obtain an understanding of the proper accounting, audit and tax implications for businesses receiving COVID related government assistance program funding.

An interactive session with members of the senior standard setting committees.

A common question is how to assess the evidential value of simple as well as complex analytical procedures. This session will discuss a framework for integrating AI and other analytical procedures into the audit and assessing their evidential value. The new Evidence Standard better clarifies the application of analytical procedures to provide audit evidence and value.

The accountants view of Graphic Packaging's ESG Story. The role of accounting, risk, and audit in ESG

46 million Americans now own bitcoin. Yet, only a few tax professionals understand how to help individuals and businesses dealing with cryptocurrency. This session walks you through tax implications of common cryptocurrency-related transactions and how to successfully service clients affiliated with cryptocurrency. We will also cover current developments surrounding this topic, such as the inclusion of the virtual currency question on the front of Form 1040 and tax planning opportunities.

Business intelligence provides the ability to make better informed and intelligent decisions within CPA firms and client environments. While many accounting software services have built in visuals and graphics, users often want and need more than most services and packages provide. This session illustrates how Power BI can bridge the gap between commonly used accounting software and key decision maker needs within firms and client organizations.

Listen to women in the profession talk about how they were able to overcome barriers and achieve their accomplishments while not falling prey to the “superwoman” mentality.

A revolution in BI tools has unlocked a new way to work: Fast. Efficient. Direct. But to unlock the full potential, you must move beyond yesterday’s methods. In this session, you will see the application of Power BI and modern Excel using real-world scenarios. Come learn how these modern tools allow you to unlock your superpowers and create more dynamic and impactful insights.

This session will discuss recent audit and accounting standards which impact employee benefit plan audits, as well as recent and proposed legislation affecting such audits. This session will primarily focus on SAS 136.