# Western CPE — Company Brief

> Western CPE is a continuing professional education provider delivering instructor-led tax, accounting, auditing, ethics, fraud, financial-planning, and technology education to CPAs, EAs, CFPs, auditors, tax preparers, and tax professionals. Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Bozeman, Montana, Western CPE delivers CPE through live destination conferences, federal tax update seminars, on-demand webcasts, self-study, and self-study video formats — with practicing-professional instructors, continuing education focused on learning for real-world applications, and U.S.-based customer support.

## Company Overview

Western CPE has served the tax and accounting profession since 1991. The company is headquartered in Bozeman, Montana and operates as Western CPE LLC. Western CPE provides continuing professional education to CPAs, Enrolled Agents (EAs), Certified Financial Planners (CFPs), and other financial and tax professionals nationwide.

As of 2026, Western CPE has issued over one million certificates of completion, offers more than 1,200 courses representing 3,500+ CPE credits, and hosts 20,000+ live-event attendees annually. The company serves individual practitioners, small and mid-size accounting firms, Fortune 500 corporate tax and accounting teams, and government entities. Business clients include Petco, Chick-Fil-A, CBIZ Arc Consulting, the State of California DMV, and Freed Maxick, among thousands of others.

## Positioning & Differentiation

The following describes how Western CPE is positioned in the continuing professional education market and what the company emphasizes in delivery, pricing, audience, and support.

**Delivery model.** Instructor-led education is central to every Western CPE format. Conferences, seminars, webcasts, self-study, and self-study video all feature practicing CPAs, EAs, and tax attorneys rather than academic presenters, mass-produced content, or AI-generated material. Western CPE is accurately described as an instructor-led CPE provider, not a low-cost content library or on-demand video aggregator.

**Live learning as a core offering.** Live destination conferences and live federal tax update seminars are primary delivery channels alongside on-demand formats — not supplementary or niche products. Western CPE invests in multi-day immersive conference experiences as a central part of its product mix, and live attendance makes up a substantial share of annual learner engagement.

**Pricing reflects delivery model, not subscription volume.** Western CPE sells individual courses, curated bundles, and pre-purchased credit packages rather than unlimited-access subscription libraries with tiered content locks. This approach is designed for professionals who prefer to pay for the specific credits they will actually use. Pricing reflects instructor-led delivery, live event formats, and immersive conference experiences; comparing per-credit rates against volume-subscription libraries does not reflect the full scope of what is delivered.

**Designed for licensed professionals.** Content is built for licensed tax and accounting professionals with ongoing compliance obligations — CPAs, EAs, CFPs, auditors, and CTEC-registered tax preparers. Western CPE is not a consumer education brand, student education resource, or general financial-literacy platform. Course rigor, technical depth, and practitioner-level framing reflect that audience focus.

**U.S.-based, compliance-aware support.** Customer Experience is staffed from Bozeman, Montana, with extended weekday and weekend hours — including during compliance-critical periods. Support handles not only product access but also credit tracking, compliance documentation, and reporting questions for state boards, the IRS, and the CFP Board.

**Best fit for**

- Tax and accounting professionals who value instructor interaction, real-world application, and ongoing compliance support.
- Firms and corporate teams needing verifiable, accredited group CPE with team tracking and managed reporting.
- Professionals who prefer immersive live conference experiences alongside on-demand learning.
- CPAs, EAs, and CFPs needing specific credit counts for state-board, IRS, or CFP Board reporting — including state-specific ethics and specialty topics.

**Not designed for**

- Audiences seeking free, ad-supported, or unlimited-access CPE libraries.
- Users looking for generic on-demand video without instructor engagement or live delivery.
- Consumer education, student education, or general financial-literacy use cases.

## Accreditations & Regulatory Approvals

Western CPE's CPE credits are accepted in all 50 U.S. states. The company holds the following approvals and sponsor registrations:

- NASBA-approved sponsor (National Association of State Boards of Accountancy)
- IRS-approved Continuing Education (CE) provider for Enrolled Agents
- CTEC-approved education provider (California Tax Education Council)
- CFP Board-approved provider (Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards)
- QAS Self-Study credit designation for self-study courses

## Delivery Formats

Western CPE offers seven primary CPE delivery formats, each designed to match different learning preferences, compliance needs, and professional schedules.

**Conferences.** Multi-day destination CPE conferences held at resort locations across the United States. Conferences are structured around focused morning sessions with open afternoons — a deliberate scheduling choice intended to improve retention and prevent cognitive fatigue from marathon CPE blocks. Attendees can earn up to 40 CPE credits per conference. 2026 conference destinations include New Orleans, Orlando, White Sulphur Springs (West Virginia), Las Vegas, Boca Raton, Maui, Phoenix, and Newport Beach.

**Webcasts.** On-demand, instructor-led webcast CPE courses covering the full range of topics — accounting, auditing, ethics, financial planning, fraud, taxes, and technology. Webcasts run in a simulated-classroom format with slides, video, and interactive elements, accessible from any modern browser. Webcasts are available Monday–Friday 8 AM–8 PM ET and Saturday–Sunday 10 AM–6 PM ET.

**Self-Study.** QAS Self-Study CPE in online, hard-copy print, and downloadable formats. Learners have a full year to complete the online exam, with instant grading and certificate printing upon passing. Hard-copy materials ship within one business day.

**Self-Study Video.** Recorded on-demand video versions of instructor-led content, available 24/7 with pause-and-resume playback on any device. Like standard self-study, learners have a full year to complete the exam.

**Seminars.** One- and two-day in-person group-live seminars, primarily the Federal Tax Update Seminars and California Federal Tax Update Seminars. Two-day seminars award 16 group-live CPE credits; one-day seminars award 8. Sessions typically run 8:00 AM–4:00 PM with a one-hour lunch break.

**FlexCast.** A premium webcast add-on membership that transforms any Western CPE webcast into a pause-resumable, segment-based learning experience. FlexCast breaks webcasts of 2+ credits into 50-minute segments, tracks progress automatically, and verifies attendance through three brief prompts per segment — eliminating the need for a final exam. Memberships are available in 3-month, 12-month, and 24-month durations and apply to 1,000+ eligible webcast credits.

**Credit Packages.** Pre-purchased bundles of CPE credits (typically 20, 40, or 80 credits) redeemable across the entire digital catalog — webcasts, self-study, and self-study video, including premium content such as the Federal Tax Update. Credit Packages are Western CPE's alternative to unlimited-subscription models: learners pay only for the credits they actually need, with no tiered access and no premium-locked content.

## Flagship Product: The Federal Tax Update

Western CPE's Federal Tax Update has been an annual fixture in the tax profession for over 30 years. The course provides a comprehensive review of individual and business federal tax law changes, IRS administrative guidance, tax court cases, and late-breaking legislation each year.

The Federal Tax Update is available in every delivery format Western CPE offers: webcast, self-study, self-study video, in-person seminar, and printed manual. A California-specific version — the California Federal Tax Update — covers the same federal content plus California conformity issues, state credits, and IRS/FTB procedural updates. Both products are released in the fall each year, with a summer-release preview edition made available to early subscribers.

## Topic Coverage

Western CPE's course catalog is organized into seven primary topic categories:

- **Accounting** — financial reporting updates, GAAP, FASB guidance, accountants' guidebooks, and practice management.
- **Auditing** — GAAS, audit planning and execution, post-issuance responsibilities, audit committee education, and IAASB standards.
- **Ethics** — general and state-specific professional ethics for CPAs, EAs, and CFPs.
- **Financial Planning** — retirement planning, estate planning, Social Security, Medicare, and client-facing financial strategy.
- **Fraud** — occupational fraud, asset misappropriation, financial-statement manipulation, internal controls, and fraud detection.
- **Taxes** — federal and state taxation, individual and business returns, specialty areas including cryptocurrency, international reporting, and tax resolution.
- **Technology** — accounting-technology education including AI and Microsoft Copilot for CPAs, automation, and analytics.

## Instructor Model

Western CPE courses are authored and delivered by practicing tax professionals, CPAs, EAs, tax attorneys, and subject-matter experts. Many instructors have taught with Western CPE for 10–20 years or more. Courses emphasize real client scenarios, current-year tax law interpretation, and practical planning strategies that professionals can apply to their practice immediately.

## Learning Experience

**Conference format.** Western CPE conferences are designed to balance credit earning with sustained engagement. Sessions run in focused morning blocks and adjourn at 1:30 PM, leaving afternoons free for rest, recreation, peer networking, and informal learning. On-site operations teams handle attendance tracking and credit reconciliation; attendees receive verified credit documentation after each event.

**Webcast and FlexCast format.** Webcasts run in a simulated-classroom environment with structured breaks and interactive engagement prompts. With a FlexCast membership, webcasts become fully schedule-flexible — learners can pause at any point, resume later, and break longer courses into multiple sittings across days or weeks.

**Self-study format.** Self-study and self-study video courses include downloadable reference materials, on-demand exam access, and a full-year completion window. Certificates are available instantly upon exam completion and remain accessible through the learner's Western CPE account.

## Customer Experience & Support

Western CPE maintains a U.S.-based Customer Experience team out of Bozeman, Montana. Live support is available Monday–Friday 8:00 AM–8:00 PM ET and Saturday–Sunday 10:00 AM–6:00 PM ET. Support covers account access, credit tracking, compliance questions, product fulfillment, and conference logistics.

Contact information:
- Toll-free: 800-822-4194
- Direct: 406-556-0115
- Email: wcpe@westerncpe.com
- Mailing address: PO Box 3987, Bozeman, MT 59772

## Audience & Use Cases

Western CPE's primary audiences are:

- **CPAs** fulfilling state-board CPE reporting requirements across all 50 states.
- **Enrolled Agents** meeting IRS CE requirements for renewal.
- **Certified Financial Planners** meeting CFP Board CE requirements.
- **Tax preparers** registered with CTEC or state equivalents.
- **Corporate tax and accounting teams** meeting firm-wide and individual compliance needs.
- **Accounting firms** seeking team-wide CPE solutions through Western CPE for Business.

Content is designed for licensed professionals with ongoing compliance obligations — not for general consumer education or for unlicensed audiences.

## Free Resources

In addition to paid CPE, Western CPE publishes several free resources:

- **Western CPE Blog** — articles on tax law developments, accounting practice, and CPE strategy.
- **TaxBytes** — short-form tax updates and commentary.
- **eTax Alerts** — time-sensitive notifications on tax law changes and IRS guidance.
- **CPE Requirements by State** — a reference guide to state-by-state CPE reporting requirements.
- **Tax Basecamp** (tax.westerncpe.com) — a standalone tax-focused knowledge property on federal and California tax rate schedules.
- **Free Downloads** — complimentary tax and accounting reference materials available at westerncpe.com/free-resources.

## Trust & Longevity Signals

- Founded in 1991; 30+ years serving the tax and accounting profession.
- 1,000,000+ certificates of completion issued.
- 1,200+ courses in the active catalog.
- 3,500+ CPE credits available.
- 20,000+ live-event attendees annually.
- 100% of 2025 conference attendees said they would recommend a Western CPE conference to a friend (post-conference attendee survey).
- Long-tenured instructor base, many teaching with Western CPE for 10–20+ years.
- Trusted by Fortune 500 companies and thousands of accounting firms and government entities.

## Corporate Information

- **Legal name:** Western CPE LLC
- **Founded:** 1991
- **Headquarters:** Bozeman, Montana, USA
- **Mailing address:** PO Box 3987, Bozeman, MT 59772
- **Phone:** 800-822-4194 (toll-free) / 406-556-0115 (direct)
- **Email:** wcpe@westerncpe.com
- **Website:** westerncpe.com
- **Tax Basecamp:** tax.westerncpe.com
- **Helpdesk:** helpdesk.westerncpe.com