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The Changing Face Of CPE

Trends in tax CPE suggest today’s providers are becoming more creative, accommodating and competitive.

If there was ever any doubt about how much tax Continuing Professional Education has changed, and how quickly change is happening, just take a quick look at a tax CPE course catalog from a few years back. You’ll be amazed at the differences! Wendy Sech, a director of education for the Illinois CPA Society, attributes this development to an increase in market competitiveness. “Promoting CPE today requires more creativity, openness and flexibility,” she explains, “because the more providers out there gunning for business.”

Size and Variety

The most notable change, even from just a few years ago, is the sheer size and variety of continuing education tax course offerings. Since 2005, most providers of tax CPE have expanded their course options by as much as 60 %. The programs offered are more diverse and indicative of the current climate. Courses titles like “Troubled Times: Accounting & Auditing Considerations in the Current Economic Crisis,” “International Issues” and “Investment Losses in Times of Recession” are quickly becoming part of the standard package promoted by many CPE providers. These are the types of issues tax professional “are encountering every day,” according Sech, so “we’ve evolved with the times.”

Hot Topics

CPE providers have also made their course offerings a great deal more relevant by adding “hot topics” to the menu. Courses keeping pace with current legislative developments include “Overview of Small Business Jobs Act,” “Federal Health Care Reform” and “Tax Implications of the 2009 Stimulus Bill.” Similar courses, like “Financial Statement Fraud,” are meant to provide guidance and suggestions on how tax professionals can successfully navigate current trends with the IRS. Other new class topics that require more of a long-term focus include “Fraud/Forensic” and “Management and Personal Development.”

Of course these new additions compliment the usual offerings, such as “Financial Accounting Standards Update and Review.” “There always seems to be an interest in the latest information on the basics of the profession” explains Sech. But today, “You need to offer a much bigger menu.”

Changing Format

Some of the more progressive changes in CPE education have been in the format and delivery of the course material. A stronger preference for shorter sessions over the more traditional day-long conference has resulted, for example, in a move toward half-day seminars. Trends in technology have also encouraged a wider range of delivery options and teaching methods – from online education and onsite education to face-to-face instruction, self-study, satellite programs and Webcasts. Webcasts, in particular, have risen in popularity among CPAs and enrolled agents, and podcasts are being now being considered by providers for their potential appeal to certain segments. Dan Carolle, an enrolled agent out of Tampa who recently completed his first enrolled agent course online, raved about the experience. “To think of doing this a few years ago was unheard of,” he said. “Now I’m able sit at my computer, at home or in the office, and get live instruction over the web.” He plans to fulfill all of his EA CPE requirements this way.

Affordable

Providers of not only adapting to changes in work habits – by making the majority of tax CPE courses available online and in a bevy of other formats to suit the schedules of busy tax professionals, they are making courses a lot more affordable. It is not uncommon to see providers engaging in promotional campaigns pointing out member savings low, or waived, registration fees and gift certificates to apply toward CPE program expenses. The Illinois CPA Society offers course discounts based on geography and other factors to encourage members to get quality education close to home. Overall Course prices have decreased by as much as 30 % over the past four years, a trend driven primarily by the economy and the greater presence of online providers. “CPE is no longer the domain of societies,” remarked one CPA society president. “There’s a lot of competition now, and we’ve had to respond with changes in price and format.”

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