Free CPE for CPAs: Webcasts, Webinars, & Courses

If you’re a CPA, the learning never stops.

You earned your certification by meeting the requirements of your state board of accountancy. You’ve also met the education requirements and passed the CPA exam.

But what about continuing professional education (CPE) courses?

Although investing in a solid, IRS-approved subscription is best, there are free options out there. I’ve compiled a list of my favorite options below.

Key Takeaways

• Variety of Sources: Access free CPE courses from reputable providers like AICPA, BDO, and Corporate Finance Institute.
• Accredited Programs: Ensure courses are NASBA-approved to meet state and professional standards to get credit for your effort.
• Interesting Topics: Explore a wide range of subjects, from ethics and cybersecurity to specialized knowledge in taxation and financial planning.
• Cost Efficiency: Utilize these free resources to effectively manage the expenses of maintaining your CPA license.

How to Choose a Free CPE Course for CPAs

The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) works with the AICPA to create the Statement on Standards for Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Programs. CPE can be delivered as online courses using live webcasts, live webinars, or recorded online courses presented as self-study courses. Before you take a CPE course, verify that the sponsor is approved by NASBA.

• Accreditation and Certification: Ensure the course is accredited by a reputable organization and offers a recognized certificate of completion.
• Relevance and Quality: Choose courses relevant to your field with high-quality, up-to-date content presented by knowledgeable instructors.
• Format and Flexibility: Look for accessible formats (video, text, webinars) that fit your schedule and learning preferences.
• User Reviews and Support: Read reviews from other professionals and ensure there is adequate technical support.
• Hidden Costs: Verify that no hidden fees are associated with the course.

1. AICPA CPE Courses

The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) offers hundreds of CPE self-study courses.

If an accounting change occurs, the best way to learn more is to check the AICPA-CIMA website. This site provides the most current information on proposed accounting changes and reports when policy changes are approved.

To find free courses, type “free CPE” in the search bar, and you’ll find CPE courses. You can also go check out their free resources here. I really love their Transformative Mindset pack, which includes courses on:

• Ethics
• DEI
• Strategic thinking
• Digital mindset
• Creative thinking
• Sustainability

These courses are online self-study programs and are only free for members.

2. BDO Online CPE

BDO is a CPA firm based in Belgium. The company offers auditing, tax and consulting services in 162 countries. BDO offers free CPE webcasts multiple times each month, often scheduled for 3 PM EST. They also host frequent complimentary events at their 60+ local US offices. To join a free BDO webcast, simply register with the BDO Online CPE Network.

Examples of CPE webcasts offered by BDO include:

• How Internal Audit Can Adopt and Address the Risk of Artificial Intelligence
• International Tax, Transfer Pricing, and Customs and Trade Update
• Exploring NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0

Each webcast is equivalent to one CPE credit.

3. CPEThink Courses

CPE Think is dedicated to providing industry-leading online interactive self-study Continuing Professional Education (CPE) and professional development courses for CPAs, licensed professionals, general practitioners, and individuals.

Established in 2004, the platform addresses the need for high-quality CPE courses at reasonable prices. It offers content created by experts such as CPAs, attorneys, university professors, and information systems professionals. Cpethink.com’s courses meet or exceed state and NASBA/AICPA QAS Self-Study standards.

Currently, featured free courses include:

• The Charitable Payraise: A Strategy for Better Retirements and Lasting Legacies
• When Bots Attack: Safeguarding Against AI Cyber Threats

4. Crowe CPE for CPAs

Crowe is a US-based public accounting firm that offers auditing, tax, and consulting services. The firm offers CPE credit through conferences and webinars. You must view the original live webcast to earn CPA credits for webinars.

Crowe features webinars on topics like:

• Navigating CMS’ latest Worksheet S-10 filing requirements
• 5 considerations for evaluating financial crime AI vendors
• Identifying opportunities and avoiding pitfalls in SALT
• Decoding AI: Public sector internal audit insights

They also offer peer group support opportunities for CFOs and CAOs.

5. Deloitte CPE

This international Big 4 accounting firm offers its famous live Deloitte webcasts called Dbriefs.

Deloitte conducts several industry surveys and presents the survey results in a webcast format. You can also learn about developments in the accounting profession and get industry updates.

Current topics include:

• The expanding role of the CFO
• Smart manufacturing in government
• Tracking and reducing Scope 3 emissions in the chemical industry

There are lots of other webcasts available as well! You can use this page to find upcoming webcasts organized by industry.

6. EY CPE and Webcasts

This firm offers a large number of courses and webcasts; many provide free CPE credits. You can listen to EY webcasts live and on-demand. Ernst and Young separate their CPE courses into several categories:

• Service lines: Including accounting technical, tax, and international tax courses
• Industries: Automotive, banking and capital markets, and consumer products courses
• Other topics: Affordable Care Act, Brexit, and tax reform topics

I really love the set of this website and how many different webcasts are offered. This FAQ page explains their requirements for earning CPE credits.

7. Edward Jones

This company offers CPE programs to CPAs and tax preparers who work as Enrolled Agents (EAs). Accountants take courses at participating Edward Jones branch offices— some of which are free.

Some interesting webcasts I found when researching the Edward Jones offerings include:

• Critical issues relating to IRAs and Retirement Accounts (IRRA)
• Representing clients under audit by the IRS (ERCA)
• A complete guide to purchasing and selling a business (PSAB)

Contact an Edward Jones financial advisor in your area to find out more.

8. CPACharge

Wells Fargo Bank offers free CPE courses for accounting professionals through CPACharge. What I love most about their offerings is how relatable the topics are. Many CPE providers only give away the niche courses and hide the most popular ones behind a paywall. This isn’t the case with CPACharge.

I’ve considered the following OnDemand options:

• Tricks for Disputing and Managing Chargebacks
• Working Remotely, Strategies for Success
• 5 Tips to Impact Your Firm’s Bottom Line

9. FreeLiveCPE

This site provides links to several free CPE courses from many companies, including some of the ones discussed in this article, such as Crowe. If you want a mix of CPE opportunities, I suggest checking out what they have to offer.

10. Grant Thornton CPE

While they don’t offer as many free CPE options as some of the other providers, I still suggest Grant Thorton and have considered attending their event, Navigating Off-Channel Communications in Today’s Digital Landscape.

Not interested in this one?

You can find a number of Grant Thornton’s CPE webcasts and free courses here.

11. Moss Adams Continuing Professional Education

Moss Adams is an accounting firm that focuses on public and private middle-market companies. Here are some webcasts that you can currently access:

• How to Create a Positive and Ethical Workplace
• Fraud Schemes Targeting Higher Education
• Create Effective Finance, Investment, and Audit Committees

One word of caution with this provider is that while most of their webcasts are worth 1 CPE credit, some are worth zero. So, make sure to determine whether you’ll actually get credit for participating for those signing up.

A final note: Moss Adams also hosts conferences and events that are worth up to 15 CPE credits, so make sure to check those out as well.

12. PWC CPE

PWC is an international accounting firm that offers cutting-edge research on accounting and finance topics. They also provide their PWC webcasts and CPE on demand that meet CPE requirements.

Check out their webcast library for a list of current offerings.

To earn CPE credits, you must remain online for the entire program and answer the polling questions asked during the program. The current requirement for polling questions is four questions for each 60 minutes of content.

Here’s my final recommendation. Bookmark this page and revisit this discussion as you progress through your professional education. Consult this resource to save money on CPE courses and help advance your career! You can also find reasonably priced CPA CPE courses if you want to take it up a notch.

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