- 55 minutes 20 secondsIntuit Stock Gets Hammered & Trump's Wild IRS Settlement
Is AI about to break the billable hour? Blake and David unpack what they heard at a major AI tax summit, where new tools promise to prepare complex returns in minutes instead of hours. They also debate Intuit’s stock slide, Trump’s extraordinary IRS settlement, and what shrinking oversight at the PCAOB could mean. You’ll hear where AI is already changing accounting—and where humans still matter most.
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Chapters- (00:00) - TAP 489
- (02:24) - Blackor AI Tax Summit
- (03:14) - AI Agents Disrupt Tax
- (07:16) - Billable Hour Pressure
- (09:00) - Advisory Future Forecast
- (10:14) - Intuit Stock Shock
- (12:29) - TurboTax vs Tax Pros
- (17:31) - Intuit Layoffs Strategy
- (20:04) - Trump IRS Settlement
- (24:59) - PCAOB SEC Shakeup
- (27:33) - OnPay Payroll Pitch
- (28:42) - IRS Mystery Payments
- (30:48) - Busy Season Burnout
- (33:35) - California SaaS Tax Plan
- (34:54) - Big Four AI Hallucinations
- (36:48) - Are Consultants Replaceable
- (40:03) - AI Job Loss Chart
- (43:50) - Maxima Close Automation
- (45:12) - Musk Tax Return Training
- (46:03) - SpaceX IPO Breakdown
- (50:11) - CPE and Listener Q&A
- (52:51) - Wrap Up and Shoutouts
Show Notes
Intuit Lays Off 3,000 Employees Amid AI Push
https://officechai.com/ai/intuit-lays-off-3000-employees-amid-ai-push/
U.S. Government Agrees to Drop Tax Claims Against Trump in Broadening of IRS Settlement
https://www.npr.org/2026/05/19/g-s1-122938/irs-trump-settlement-tax-returns-audit
DOJ Settlement 'Forever' Bars IRS Trump Audits, Sparks Backlashhttps://tax.thomsonreuters.com/news/doj-settlement-forever-bars-irs-trump-audits-sparks-backlash/
U.S. Audit Watchdog Should Rescind Its Independence Rules, SEC Official Says
The SEC's New SOX Group – Potential Impacts for Audit Firms, Their Professionals, and Future PCAOB Enforcement
IRS to Develop System to Track Missing Payments, TIGTA Says
78% of Tax Pros Say Tax Season Negatively Impacts Personal and Professional Life
California Proposes Tax on All Digital Software Sales
EY Gets Busted and Yeets Cybersecurity Report Littered With AI Hallucinations
Investigation: Hallucinations in Ernst & Young Report on Loyalty Fraudhttps://gptzero.me/investigations/ey
Is AI Putting Graduates Out of Work Already?
Musk's xAI Fails to Pay Staff $420 for Giving Tax Returns to Grok
SpaceX Files for IPOhttps://spacenews.com/spacex-files-for-ipo/
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Thanks for listening and the great reviews! We appreciate you! Follow and tweet @BlakeTOliver and @DavidLeary. Find us on Facebook and Instagram. If you like what you hear, please do us a favor and write a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser. Call us and leave a voicemail; maybe we'll play it on the show. DIAL (202) 695-1040.
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29 May 2026, 9:00 pm - 57 minutes 51 secondsIs GAAP Inflating the AI Bubble?
Is AI really the next Google—or are investors repeating the last tech bubble? Blake and David dig into OpenAI’s legal win, the accounting mechanics behind soaring AI valuations, and why cloud credits and paper gains may be inflating the market. They also explore what could make AI tools actually sticky for businesses, from workflow automation to personal finance and small-business use cases, and what all of this means for accountants.
Sponsors
Digits - http://accountingpodcast.promo/digits
R.E. Cost Seg - http://accountingpodcast.promo/recostseg
OnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpay
Maxima.AI - http://accountingpodcast.promo/maxima
Chapters- (00:00) - TAP 488
- (00:22) - Cash Flow Forecast Debate
- (00:29) - Road Show Updates
- (00:56) - Conference Rebrand News
- (01:31) - Nasdaq AI Summit Preview
- (04:29) - Livestream Check In
- (05:14) - Musk vs OpenAI Ruling
- (07:25) - AI Bubble Warning Signs
- (10:47) - Roundtrip Accounting Explained
- (15:38) - Paper Profits Hit Big Tech
- (18:28) - Do AI Giants Have Moats
- (27:15) - ChatGPT Personal Finance Push
- (30:54) - Agentic App Platforms
- (31:44) - Query Volume As Moat
- (33:00) - Claude Small Business Suite
- (35:20) - Cash Flow Forecast Debate
- (37:02) - AI Tax Workbook Example
- (41:03) - Personal Finance Is A Hobby
- (44:14) - Synthetic And Bench Lessons
- (47:16) - Why GLs Still Matter
- (50:43) - Klarna Rehires Humans
- (52:45) - Token Prices Will Rise
- (54:07) - Wrap Up And Next Time
Show Notes
Jury Dismisses Elon Musk's Lawsuit Against OpenAI Over Statute of Limitations
https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/05/18/1137488/elon-musk-suit-openai-verdict/
OpenAI Closes $122 Billion Funding Round, Largest in Silicon Valley History
Alphabet and Amazon Stakes in Anthropic Boost Profits by Billions
Half of Google's and Amazon's 'Blowout AI Profits' Came From a Stake in Anthropichttps://fortune.com/2026/04/30/google-amazon-ai-profits-anthropic-stake-bubble-earnings-2026/
What Microsoft's 10-Q Says About OpenAIhttps://om.co/2026/05/01/what-microsofts-10-q-says-about-openai/
OpenAI Launches ChatGPT for Personal Finance, Will Let You Connect Bank Accounts
Introducing Claude for Small Businesshttps://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-for-small-business
Sasha Orloff (Puzzle) LinkedIn Post: Klarna, AI Agent Costs, and Accounting Quality Riskhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/sashaorloff
Klarna Reverses Course on AI Customer Support, Resumes Human Hiring
Khosla Ventures Is Betting $10M on Ian Crosby, Whose Last Startup Bench Imploded
How Intuit Plans to Ride Out the 'SaaS-pocalypse' (CFO Brew Interview with CTO Alex Balazs)https://www.cfobrew.com/stories/2026/04/14/intuit-cto-alex-balazs-saas-pocalypse
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26 May 2026, 5:00 pm - 1 hour 5 minutesSEC Prepares for Semi-Annual Reporting & the True Cost of the Iran War
Could public companies stop reporting every quarter? Blake and David break down the SEC’s push toward optional semiannual reporting, OpenAI’s new consulting arm, and what both moves could mean for accountants. They also cover tariff refund accounting, audit lawsuits, AI outperforming doctors in diagnosis tests, and why accountants may be better positioned than ever to build software and solve higher-value problems.
Sponsors
Cloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/cas
OnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpay
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Fishbowl - http://accountingpodcast.promo/fishbowl
Chapters- (00:00) - TAP 487
- (02:52) - Semiannual reporting shift
- (06:46) - OpenAI enters consulting
- (09:59) - True cost of Iran war
- (15:40) - Xero founder scandal
- (18:42) - Tariffs and refund accounting
- (24:51) - WNBA millionaire tax myth
- (28:18) - NYC pied a terre tax
- (31:42) - Education loans and accounting
- (34:58) - Chat Prompts Cyber Accounting
- (36:15) - PwC Audit Scandal Lawsuit
- (38:17) - BDO First Brands Fallout
- (40:50) - PCAOB QC Rule Debate
- (44:34) - RSM Layoffs Audit Demand
- (46:54) - AI Beats ER Doctors
- (49:18) - Chegg Disrupted By AI
- (51:13) - Rethinking Education Model
- (53:17) - Accountants As Vibe Coders
- (56:55) - Build Accounting In Excel
- (01:01:44) - Wrap Up CPE And Travel
Show Notes
SEC, FASB Prepare for Semi-Annual Reporting Option
https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/sec-fasb-prepare-for-semi-annual-reporting-option
OpenAI Launches the OpenAI Deployment Company to Help Businesses Build Around Intelligence
https://openai.com/index/openai-launches-the-deployment-company/
Opinion | The Iran War Will Cost Trillionshttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/08/opinion/hegseth-war-cost.html
Global Economic Conditions Survey: Q1 2026https://www.accaglobal.com/us/en/professional-insights/global-economics/gecs-q1-2026.html
Xero Founder Sir Rod Drury Returns New Zealander of the Year Award Amid Misconduct Claims
Refunds on Trump Tariffs Pose Accounting Dilemmas for Companies
WNBA Star Kelsey Plum Shows Embarrassing Lack of Tax Knowledgehttps://thespun.com/wnba/wnba-star-kelsey-plum-shows-embarrassing-lack-of-tax-knowledge
Column: WNBA Star Kelsey Plum Is Taking Heat for Getting California Tax Law Wrong. But Don't Blame Her
New York's Pied-a-Terre Tax Sets Up Legal Fight Over Valueshttps://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/24/new-york-pied-a-terre-tax.html
Education Dept. Rejects Accounting as Professional Degreehttps://www.accountingtoday.com/news/education-dept-rejects-accounting-as-professional-degree
Corporate Travel's Accounting Shock: What It Means for PwC and the Wider Industry
First Brands Creditor Sues Auditor BDO Over Missed Red Flags
Layoff Watch '26: RSM Trims Down in Audithttps://www.goingconcern.com/layoff-watch-26-rsm-trims-down-in-audit/
AI Is Starting to Beat Doctors at Making Correct Diagnoseshttps://www.science.org/content/article/ai-starting-beat-doctors-making-correct-diagnoses
Chegg Was Dying Way Before ChatGPT – Chatbots Just Dealt the Fatal Blow
Anthropic's Boris Cherny: Why Coding Is Solved, and What Comes Nexthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlGRN8jh2RI
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18 May 2026, 3:00 pm - 1 hour 5 minutesAn AI-Powered Firm of One, KPMG Shuts Down Fed Audits
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OnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpay
R.E. Cost Seg - http://accountingpodcast.promo/recostseg
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Fishbowl - http://accountingpodcast.promo/fishbowl
Chapters- (00:00) - TAP 486
- (02:25) - Firm of One AI Tax
- (04:39) - Automating Firm Ops
- (09:35) - Claude Connectors Tested
- (17:45) - Sage Buys Doyen AI
- (19:48) - AI Efficiency Paradox
- (22:06) - Vibe Coding for CAS
- (26:06) - KPMG Federal Audit Exit
- (29:02) - Tariff Refund Lawsuits
- (31:15) - Tariffs and Job Losses
- (33:01) - IRS Lawsuit Snag
- (33:28) - Hearing Conflict Question
- (33:49) - Nonprofit Form 990 Shakeup
- (37:30) - Autofill Tax Return Bill
- (38:54) - IRS Whistleblower Boost
- (40:38) - Fed Nominee And Rates
- (42:39) - Jobs Data Doesn’t Add Up
- (44:28) - Intuit Hiring And Benefits
- (47:26) - Canopy AI Coworker Agents
- (52:34) - AI Meeting Notes To Tasks
- (54:58) - Procrastination Pays In AI
- (58:42) - Wrap Up CPE And Events
Show Notes
The 2026 Best Accounting Firms for Technology
https://www.accountingtoday.com/list/the-2026-best-accounting-firms-for-technology
AI Can Boost Productivity, but Who Sustains the Customer Economy?
Sage Acquires Doyen AI to Help SMBs Migrate and Go Live Faster with AI
KPMG Closes U.S. Federal Audit Practice, Trims Advisory Staffhttps://www.accountingtoday.com/news/kpmg-closes-u-s-federal-audit-practice-trims-advisory-staff
Gamers Sue Nintendo Over Tariff Refundshttps://www.gamefile.news/p/gamers-sue-nintendo-over-tariff-refunds
No, Tariffs Are Not Strengthening the Economyhttps://fortune.com/2026/04/29/tariffs-not-strengthening-economy-trump-trade-war-data/
Trump's $10 Billion IRS Suit Hits Snag with Skeptical Judge
IRS to Revamp Form 990 to Require More Info from Charitieshttps://www.accountingtoday.com/news/irs-to-revamp-form-990-to-require-more-info-from-charities
Congressman Introduces Bill to Autofill Tax Formshttps://www.accountingtoday.com/news/congressman-introduces-bill-to-autofill-tax-forms
House Passes IRS Whistleblower Program Improvement Acthttps://www.accountingtoday.com/news/house-passes-irs-whistleblower-improvement-act
Accountant Job Outlook & Demand Report 2026https://www.intuit.com/blog/innovative-thinking/accountant-job-outlook-demand-report/
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Thanks for listening and the great reviews! We appreciate you! Follow and tweet @BlakeTOliver and @DavidLeary. Find us on Facebook and Instagram. If you like what you hear, please do us a favor and write a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser. Call us and leave a voicemail; maybe we'll play it on the show. DIAL (202) 695-1040.
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Transcripts
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7 May 2026, 5:00 am - 51 minutes 59 secondsKPMG Lays Off 10% Audit Partners, Best AI Still Fails 1/5 Accounting Tasks
What does it mean when Big Four partners can be demoted—and AI still gets 1 in 5 accounting tasks wrong? Blake and David unpack KPMG’s audit partner cuts, EY and KPMG’s quiet partner demotions in the UK, PwC’s return-to-office push, and why firms like Decimal are rethinking tech-driven bookkeeping. They also debate AI’s limits in accounting, explore the future of CPE after a surprising Nasba warning, and explain what these shifts mean for accountants building their careers.
Sponsors
Cloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/cas
OnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpay
Fishbowl - http://accountingpodcast.promo/fishbowl
Chapters- (00:00) - TAP 485
- (01:47) - Bookkeeping Market Shakeup
- (02:38) - Decimal Pivots to Franchising
- (05:31) - AI Accuracy Reality Check
- (07:57) - Inventory Counts Still Human
- (10:28) - H&R Block Goes Year Round
- (11:55) - AI CEO Experiments and Limits
- (16:34) - Earmark Sponsor and NASBA Letter
- (21:37) - Context and CPE Reform Debate
- (26:11) - CPE Checkbox Culture
- (28:11) - Fixing CPE With AI
- (32:07) - Live Chat and Teams CPE
- (34:37) - Sponsor OnPay Break
- (35:51) - Big Four Partner Cuts
- (41:27) - AI Predicts Misstatements
- (43:31) - Sponsor Fishbowl Break
- (44:55) - Where Accountants Are Missing
- (48:39) - 150 Hour Rule Changes
- (49:19) - Wrap Up and Thanks
Show Notes
The Best AI Model Still Fails 1 in 5 Accounting Tasks
DualEntry AI Accounting Benchmark (Claude Opus 4.7 Results)https://www.dualentry.com/blog/claude-opus-4-7-accounting-ai-benchmark-results
The Least Glamorous Side of Accounting That Still Can't Be Automatedhttps://controllerscouncil.org/the-least-glamorous-side-of-accounting-that-still-cant-be-automated/
Decimal Sells Its Accounting Firm to Franchise the Operating System Behind It
Collective Acquires Open Ledger to Accelerate All-in-One Financial Solution for Solopreneurshttps://www.axios.com/pro/fintech-deals/2026/04/22/collective-open-ledger-acquisition
H&R Block Wants to Be More Than a Tax Companyhttps://fortune.com/article/hr-block-tax-year-round-financial-adviser-fintech-innovation/
An AI Agent Takes Over a Store and Orders Too Many Candles
Customers Bank CEO Uses AI Clone on Earnings Call, Signs OpenAI Dealhttps://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/27/openai-partners-with-customers-bank-in-push-to-automate-finance.html
KPMG Lays Off 10% of US Audit Partnershttps://www.accountingtoday.com/news/kpmg-lays-off-10-of-us-audit-partners
KPMG and EY Demote Partners in End of Job-for-Life Model in UK
PwC Tells Remote Tax Staff to Get Their Butts Into the Officehttps://www.goingconcern.com/pwc-tells-remote-tax-staff-to-get-their-butts-into-the-office/
PwC Pays $166 Million to Settle HK Evergrande Audit Probe
Predicting Material Misstatements Using Machine Learning (Phys.org summary)https://phys.org/news/2026-predicting-material-misstatements-machine-learning.html
Is Your State Running Low on Accountants? (Sam's List Accountant Shortage Index)https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2026/04/21/is-your-state-running-out-of-accountants/181991/
Kentucky Passes CPA Licensure Modernization Billhttps://www.accountingtoday.com/news/kentucky-passes-cpa-pathway-bill
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Thanks for listening and the great reviews! We appreciate you! Follow and tweet @BlakeTOliver and @DavidLeary. Find us on Facebook and Instagram. If you like what you hear, please do us a favor and write a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser. Call us and leave a voicemail; maybe we'll play it on the show. DIAL (202) 695-1040.
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2 May 2026, 12:00 am - 56 minutes 7 secondsFirms Need New Metrics, Accountants Worried About Iran
Can the accounting profession grow with fewer people? Blake Oliver and David Leary unpack how AI is reshaping firms, from PwC Australia’s staffing cuts and rising partner pay to new questions about performance metrics, CPA pathways, and the future of CAS. They also cover the IRS’s tax season recap, tariff refunds, Deloitte’s fake AI citations, and why firms need better ways to measure value in an AI-driven world.
Sponsors
Digits - http://accountingpodcast.promo/digits
Cloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/cas
OnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpay
Wurthy - http://accountingpodcast.promo/wurthy
Chapters- (00:00) - Show kickoff and tax season
- (01:05) - Sponsor Digits AI bookkeeping
- (02:45) - IRS CEO tax season recap
- (06:18) - Direct File and enforcement debate
- (07:54) - Tariff refund portal CAPE
- (09:54) - IRS CI pulled to ICE then back
- (11:49) - CAS growth engine for firms
- (15:12) - New firm metrics beyond hours
- (24:02) - AI ROI metrics survey
- (25:30) - Sponsor Cloud Staffing and OnPay
- (29:45) - Rethinking Course Requirements
- (31:44) - States Drop 150 Hours
- (33:16) - Experience Sign Off Hurdles
- (33:59) - Geopolitical Risk Survey
- (35:25) - Deloitte Fake Citations
- (38:46) - Big Four Cuts and Pay
- (41:51) - Worthy Sponsor Break
- (43:23) - ARR Metric Trouble
- (48:37) - Shorter Contracts Shift
- (49:49) - Ilhan Omar Filing Error
- (53:18) - Wrap Up and Free CPE
Show Notes
IRS CEO Touts Successful Tax Season Despite Cutbacks
https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/irs-ceo-touts-successful-tax-season-despite-cutbacks
The CAPE Tariff Refund System Is Here — Are You Ready?
IRS Shakes Up Leadership Ahead of Tax Seasonhttps://www.accountingtoday.com/news/irs-shakes-up-leadership-ahead-of-tax-season
Looking to Grow Like a Top 100 Firm? Try CAShttps://www.accountingtoday.com/news/looking-to-grow-like-a-top-100-firm-try-cas
Accounting Firms Need New Metrics for an Old Modelhttps://www.accountingtoday.com/opinion/accounting-firms-need-new-metrics-for-an-old-model
Only 18% of Organizations Track AI ROIhttps://www.accountingtoday.com/news/only-18-of-organizations-track-ai-roi
CPA Licensing Laws Are Constraining Accounting Firms in the AI Era
Maryland Approves CPA Licensure Pathways Billhttps://www.accountingtoday.com/news/maryland-approves-cpa-licensure-pathways-bill
Nevada Implements CPA Licensure Changeshttps://www.accountingtoday.com/news/nevada-implements-cpa-licensure-changes
Accountants Worried About War in Iranhttps://www.accountingtoday.com/news/accountants-worried-about-war-in-iran
Accounting Watchdog to Investigate Deloitte Over Fake Citations in $1.6M Healthcare Report
PwC Australia Profit Drops, But Fewer Partners Split the Pot
Deloitte US to Cut Benefits for Segment of Employees Amid Job Architecture Reshuffle
What Is ARR? Behind the Least-Trusted Metric of the AI Era
AI Tools Are Upending Typical Software Contracts
Rep. Ilhan Omar Cites Accounting Error in $30 Million Financial Disclosure
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24 April 2026, 4:00 pm - 49 minutes 22 secondsWhen Tax Day Was Party Night at the Post Office
What happens when AI starts doing the audit work itself? Blake and David dig into KPMG’s prediction that routine audit testing could soon happen with almost no human auditors directly involved. They also cover the IRS’s unfinished AI projects, the end of Direct File, new tax-on-tips rules, and why firms investing more in marketing are growing faster. Press play to hear what these shifts could mean for accountants, firms, and clients.
Sponsors
Cloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/cas
OnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpay
Wurthy - http://accountingpodcast.promo/wurthy
Chapters- (00:00) - Audits Without Humans
- (00:22) - Tax Day Show Kickoff
- (02:30) - When Tax Day Hit Post Office
- (04:34) - E Filing Ends The Party
- (05:23) - This Week Top Stories
- (05:58) - Warehouse Fire Accounting Impact
- (08:52) - Compliance Time Cost
- (11:04) - No Tax On Tips Rules
- (13:44) - IRS AI Projects Stall
- (14:43) - Direct File Cost Debate
- (17:30) - Xero Os Buzzword Critique
- (20:32) - Can Ai Replace QuickBooks
- (21:23) - Reddit Claude Accounting System
- (22:45) - Firms Lose Stack Control
- (23:27) - AI Makes More Cleanup
- (23:58) - Tidwell Spreadsheet Accounting
- (25:13) - Tax Preparer Fraud Cases
- (27:17) - Big Four Audit Automation
- (30:58) - EY Office Mandate and Careers
- (34:01) - Firm Growth Marketing and AI
- (36:19) - Audit Lawsuits and Penalties
- (40:19) - Juno AI Tax Prep Funding
- (42:27) - Workers Skipping AI Review
- (44:36) - Agentic Frameworks and Omni
- (47:19) - Wrap Up and Free CPE
Show Notes
How Tax Day Turned Into Party Night at the Post Office
https://www.history.com/articles/tax-day-parties
Americans to Spend 11.6 Billion Hours Completing Federal Compliance Forms
IRS Publishes List of Jobs That Qualify for 'No Tax on Tips' Provisionhttps://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/13/irs-tax-on-tips-big-beautiful-bill.html
IRS AI Projects Fall by the Wayside Due to Staff Cutshttps://www.accountingtoday.com/news/irs-ai-projects-fall-by-the-wayside-due-to-staff-cuts
IRS Inflated Direct File Costs by $45 Million in 2025
Xero OS: Your Operating System for the Future of Autonomous Financehttps://blog.xero.com/news-events/xero-os-ai-native-operating-system/
Tidwell — MCP Accounting Server (Reddit reference)
Warehouse Worker Charged in $500M Arson Attack at Kimberly-Clark Distribution Center
New Jersey Tax Preparer Sentenced in Largest COVID-19 Tax Relief Fraud Case
Pennsylvania Tax Preparer Jessica Cordero Faces Federal Charges in New Fraud Scheme
In This Critical Part of Audits, the Accountant's Role Is Shrinking Fasthttps://www.wsj.com/finance/accounting/auditors-ai-kpmg-pwc-ey-7f07d3a5
KPMG Plans to Cut Up to 440 Audit Jobs in UK
EY Requiring U.S. Tax Staff to Work In-Person 12 Days a Monthhttps://www.accountingtoday.com/news/ey-requiring-us-tax-staff-to-work-in-person-12-days-a-month
AI Is Changing How EY Recruits, Develops and Promotes Employeeshttps://www.businessinsider.com/ey-ai-talent-career-paths-accounting-2026
High-Growth Accounting Firms Spend Twice as Much on Marketinghttps://hingemarketing.com/blog/story/marketing-financial-services-the-2025-forecast
Evergrande Liquidators and PwC Head to Courthttps://www.accountingtoday.com/news/evergrande-liquidators-and-pwc-head-to-court
Ontario Securities Commission Accuses KPMG of Botching Audits for Bridging Finance
Juno Raises $12M Seed to Scale AI Tax Preparation Platform
AI Slop Survey: A Third of Workers Rarely Check AI Output Before Using It
Agentic AI Frameworks and Artifact's Omni Platform Launch
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Subscribe to the Earmark Podcast:20 April 2026, 5:00 pm - 1 hour 4 minutesPerplexity Goes After Tax Prep, IRS Testing Palantir for Audits
What happens when AI starts doing more than answering questions? Blake and David dig into Perplexity’s move into tax prep and bookkeeping, the IRS testing Palantir to help select audit targets, and why many firms still aren’t seeing real ROI from AI. They also unpack the surprising success of Trump accounts and what all of this could mean for accountants, firm workflows, and the future of the profession.
Sponsors
OnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpay
Cloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/cas
REFRAME 2026 - http://accountingpodcast.promo/reframe2026
Wurthy - http://accountingpodcast.promo/wurthy
Chapters- (00:00) - TAP 482
- (02:37) - Trump Accounts Boom
- (07:22) - CPE With Earmark
- (08:38) - Perplexity Targets Taxes
- (12:32) - AI Agents And Moats
- (23:43) - Claude Cowork Bookkeeping
- (30:25) - Digits Outcome Pricing
- (30:58) - Digits Pay For Performance
- (31:25) - Zero Touch Guarantee
- (31:56) - Pricing Power Debate
- (32:20) - Switching GL Friction
- (33:11) - Reframe Conference Sponsor
- (34:26) - AI Security Banter
- (35:14) - IRS Palantir Snap Audits
- (39:09) - AI ROI Wrong Math
- (44:27) - Find The Bottleneck
- (46:14) - Automate Client Intake
- (48:02) - Claude PBC Workflow
- (54:40) - Weekly Close Discipline
- (56:13) - DHS Tax Extension Story
- (57:48) - Mentoring And Webinars
- (59:15) - Future Firm Tech Stack
- (01:01:45) - Wrap Up And CPE
Show Notes
4 Million Children Have Been Signed Up for Trump Accounts with 1 Million Claiming the $1,000 Pilot Program Contribution
Introducing Computer for Taxes
https://www.perplexity.ai/hub/blog/introducing-computer-for-taxes
The IRS Wants Smarter Audits. Palantir Could Help Decide Who Gets Flagged
Digits Announces Outcome-Based Pricing
https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/digits-announces-outcome-based-pricing
Your AI Business Case Is Built on the Wrong Math
Treasury and IRS Announce Tax Filing Relief to DHS Personnel
https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0431
Need CPE?Get CPE for listening to podcasts with Earmark: https://earmarkcpe.com
Subscribe to the Earmark Podcast: https://podcast.earmarkcpe.comGet in Touch
Thanks for listening and the great reviews! We appreciate you! Follow and tweet @BlakeTOliver and @DavidLeary. Find us on Facebook and Instagram. If you like what you hear, please do us a favor and write a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser. Call us and leave a voicemail; maybe we'll play it on the show. DIAL (202) 695-1040.
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Transcripts
The full transcript for this episode is available by clicking on the Transcript tab at the top of this page
13 April 2026, 6:00 pm - 1 hour 4 minutesTreasury Declares US Insolvent, AI Does Taxes (with Kenji Kuramoto)
Can AI really prepare a tax return without a human touching the keyboard? Blake and David dig into a wave of new accounting tools that promise exactly that, from AI tax prep and bookkeeping agents to month-end automation. They’re joined by Kenji Kuramoto of Basis to discuss what this means for firms, pricing, and jobs. Plus: the U.S. government’s worsening balance sheet, Tether’s long-awaited audit, and why token costs may become accounting’s next big metric.
Sponsors
Cloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/cas
OnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpay
UNC - http://accountingpodcast.promo/unc
Chapters- (00:00) - TAP 481
- (02:34) - US Insolvency Breakdown
- (06:04) - Household Budget Analogy
- (07:49) - GAO Disclaimer Explained
- (08:37) - AI Tax Prep Agents
- (11:45) - Kenji Joins the Show
- (15:07) - Kenji New Role at Basis
- (19:40) - Basis Agents for CAS
- (25:36) - AI Skills and Pricing Shift
- (28:04) - Token Billing and FinOps
- (33:55) - Tokens Not Timesheets
- (34:17) - Delve Compliance Fallout
- (36:18) - Xero Adds Claude AI
- (38:16) - Who Really Owns Data
- (41:06) - Ramp Accounting Agent
- (45:19) - Ramp Budgets Reality Check
- (48:27) - Canopy Bookkeeping Module
- (53:11) - Billcom Agents Soapbox
- (55:09) - Audit Tech Fundraising
- (56:37) - Tether Finally Gets Audited
- (59:52) - Costco Tariff Refund Lawsuit
- (01:02:16) - Wrap Up And CPE
Show Notes
The Treasury just declared the U.S. insolvent. The media missed it.
https://fortune.com/2026/03/23/us-government-insolvent-fiscal-crisis-fix/
TaxGPT AI agent aims to complete the whole tax return
As Tax Deadline Approaches, Consumers Are Going to AI Before Filing
AI Efficiency Gains Push Accounting Firms to Reimagine Pricing
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/ai-efficiency-gains-push-accounting-firms-to-reimagine-pricing
Accounting Jobs Requiring AI Skills Jump 67%
https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/accounting-jobs-requiring-ai-skills-jump-67
Xero and Anthropic Collaborate to Bring AI-Powered Financial Intelligence to Millions of Small Businesses
Ramp Launches Accounting Agent to Automate Bookkeeping with Real-Time Close
Ramp Launches Ramp Budgets
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ramp-launches-ramp-budgets-302667840.html
Canopy Unveils Canopy Bookkeeping to Eliminate Month-End Friction for Accounting and CAS Teams
Canopy Expands Tax Workflow With AI-Powered Tax Preparation Through New Filed Integration
Double AI Journal Entries
https://doublehq.com/ai-journal-entries/
Tech News: Ramp, Canopy Both Announce AI-Powered Bookkeeping Solutions (includes Bill.com AI agents coverage)
Exclusive: Founded By 2 Brothers In Their 20s, YC-Backed Denki Raises $4.1M To Automate Financial Audits
https://news.crunchbase.com/venture/yc-backed-denki-raise-financial-audit-automation-ai/
Tether Taps Big Four Firm KPMG for First Financial Audit of $184 Billion Stablecoin Issuer
https://www.theblock.co/post/395423/tether-taps-kpmg-for-first-financial-audit
Americans Are Demanding Refunds from the $180 Billion in Tariffs They Paid, Including Suing Companies Like Costco
https://fortune.com/2026/03/13/americans-demanding-tariff-refunds-suing-costco-fedex/
Need CPE?
Get CPE for listening to podcasts with Earmark: https://earmarkcpe.com
Subscribe to the Earmark Podcast: https://podcast.earmarkcpe.comGet in Touch
Thanks for listening and the great reviews! We appreciate you! Follow and tweet @BlakeTOliver and @DavidLeary. Find us on Facebook and Instagram. If you like what you hear, please do us a favor and write a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser. Call us and leave a voicemail; maybe we'll play it on the show. DIAL (202) 695-1040.
Sponsorships
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1 April 2026, 11:00 pm - 1 hour 2 minutesFake SOC 2 Reports as a Service & Games for Busy Season
Can AI really handle accounting and tax work—or is it just creating new ways to fake compliance? Blake and David dig into allegations of fraudulent SOC 2 reports, how taxpayers are actually using AI for tax prep, and why tools like Claude are creeping into finance workflows. They also cover FAA staffing risks, threats to state accountancy boards, and what listeners should watch as AI reshapes trust in the profession.
Sponsors
Digits - http://accountingpodcast.promo/digits
Cloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/cas
OnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpay
UNC - http://accountingpodcast.promo/unc
Chapters- (00:00) - TAP 480
- (01:28) - Sponsor Digits Overview
- (02:54) - LaGuardia Crash Breakdown
- (05:36) - Shutdown Staffing Fallout
- (07:58) - Livestream and CPE Plug
- (08:49) - Delve SOC 2 Allegations
- (15:57) - How Fake Audits Happen
- (20:49) - Sponsor Cloud Staffing
- (22:00) - Is Anyone Using AI
- (24:02) - AI for Tax Prep Examples
- (35:14) - AI Tax Advice Limits
- (36:04) - Tech Creates More Cleanup
- (36:41) - OnPay Payroll Sponsor
- (37:53) - Games To Beat Busy Season
- (40:42) - Florida Board Threat Averted
- (44:02) - UNC MAcc Sponsor
- (45:20) - Guess The Finance App
- (46:47) - Claude Targets Finance Workflows
- (50:29) - Will AI Replace The GL
- (55:07) - Women Partners Progress
- (01:00:50) - Wrap Up And CPE
Show Notes
Air Traffic Audio Appears to Show Tower Was Dealing With Incident Before Crash (New York Times via DNYUZ)
Delve — Fake Compliance as a Service — Part I (DeepDelver on Substack)
https://deepdelver.substack.com/p/delve-fake-compliance-as-a-service
Delve Accused of Misleading Customers with 'Fake Compliance' (TechCrunch)
https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/22/delve-accused-of-misleading-customers-with-fake-compliance/
What 81,000 People Want from AI (Anthropic)
https://www.anthropic.com/research/what-people-want-from-ai
WSJ Readers Share How They Are Using AI for Tax Prep (Wall Street Journal via TaxProf Blog)
https://taxprofblog.aals.org/2026/03/09/wsj-readers-share-how-they-are-using-ai-for-tax-prep/
10 Fun Games to Play at Work and Their Impact on Productivity (Small Business Trends)
https://smallbiztrends.com/games-to-play-at-work/
FICPA Legislative Update: End of 2026 Session — HB 607 Did Not Advance (Florida Institute of CPAs)
Claude for Financial Services (Anthropic)
https://www.anthropic.com/financial-services
Glass Ceiling Shattered? Female Lead Engagement Partners in S&P 500 Audits (The CPA Journal)
https://www.cpajournal.com/2026/03/13/glass-ceiling-shattered/
Need CPE?
Get CPE for listening to podcasts with Earmark: https://earmarkcpe.com
Subscribe to the Earmark Podcast: https://podcast.earmarkcpe.comGet in Touch
Thanks for listening and the great reviews! We appreciate you! Follow and tweet @BlakeTOliver and @DavidLeary. Find us on Facebook and Instagram. If you like what you hear, please do us a favor and write a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser. Call us and leave a voicemail; maybe we'll play it on the show. DIAL (202) 695-1040.
Sponsorships
Are you interested in sponsoring The Accounting Podcast? For details, read the prospectus.
Need Accounting Conference Info?
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Subscribe
- Apple Podcasts: http://cloudacctpod.link/ApplePodcasts
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Want to get the word out about your newsletter, webinar, party, Facebook group, podcast, e-book, job posting, or that fancy Excel macro you just created? Let the listeners of The Accounting Podcast know by running a classified ad. Go here to create your classified ad: https://cloudacctpod.link/RunClassifiedAd
Transcripts
The full transcript for this episode is available by clicking on the Transcript tab at the top of this page
26 March 2026, 10:00 pm - 59 minutes 2 secondsBaby, Where The Hell Is My Audit?
Will AI actually take accountants’ jobs—or just change what their work looks like? Blake and David unpack the gap between AI hype and reality, from a LinkedIn challenge that found zero accountants replaced by AI to how firms like PwC and EY are shifting strategy. They also explore probabilistic audit opinions, AI agents in accounting workflows, and what professionals can do now to stay ahead.
Sponsors
OnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpay
UNC - http://accountingpodcast.promo/unc
Chapters- (00:00) - TAP 479
- (02:27) - Auditor Karaoke Protest
- (03:58) - Baby Where My Audit
- (07:14) - Reactions and Afroman
- (10:19) - Probabilistic Audit Opinions
- (14:57) - BDO Lawsuit and Liability
- (18:52) - Super Micro Fraud Signals
- (24:19) - Deterministic AI Checklists
- (30:16) - Checklist Driven AI Agents
- (31:28) - How LLMs Differ From Brains
- (33:00) - Puzzle Functions And Guardrails
- (36:06) - Prompting For Clarifying Questions
- (36:48) - UNC MAcc Sponsor Break
- (38:30) - PwC Goes AI First
- (41:46) - EY Bets On CPA Talent
- (43:27) - AI Exposure Index Reality Check
- (47:40) - Will Accounting Jobs Disappear
- (50:23) - Coan Paradox And Rising Standards
- (52:43) - AI As A Career Upskill
- (55:20) - Who Is Losing Work To AI
- (56:23) - Livestream Chat And Wrap Up
Show Notes
Massachusetts Auditor DiZoglio Performs "Baby Where the Hell Is My Audit" Parody
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/04/16/metro/diana-dizoglio-auditor-legislature-audit-democrats/
Afroman Wins Defamation Lawsuit Filed by Ohio Police Officers
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/afroman-wins-lawsuit-ohio-police-raid-music-videos/
Would You Take a Probabilistic Audit Opinion?
https://www.accountingtoday.com/opinion/would-you-take-a-probabilistic-audit-opinion
BDO Faces Investor Lawsuit That Could Impact Other Firms
https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/bdo-faces-investor-lawsuit-that-could-impact-other-firms
Super Micro Computer Co-Founder Charged With Smuggling Nvidia AI Chips to China
https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/19/politics/super-micro-computer-founder-charged-ai-chips-china
Puzzle Launches AI Close for Accountants
https://puzzle.io/blog/puzzle-accounting-ai
PwC CEO: You Cannot Opt Out of AI
https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/pwc-ceo-you-cannot-opt-out-of-ai
EY Doubles CPA Exam Bonus to $10K
https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/ey-doubles-cpa-exam-bonus-to-10k
Anthropic AI Labor Market Impacts Report
https://www.anthropic.com/research/labor-market-impacts
Microsoft AI Chief Gives It 18 Months for All White-Collar Work to Be Automated
Only 14% of UK Finance Leaders See Traditional Accounting Skills as Valuable for Next Generation
Accounting and Tax Staff Worry AI Threatens Jobs
https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/accounting-and-tax-employees-feel-ai-threatens-job-prospects
AI's First Substitution: Freelancers (Ramp Economics Lab)
https://ramp.com/velocity/ai-labor-market-impact-freelancers
Record Number of Companies Are Ditching Old CEOs for Younger, Less Experienced Executives
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/fired-record-number-companies-ditching-152914066.html
Need CPE?
Get CPE for listening to podcasts with Earmark: https://earmarkcpe.com
Subscribe to the Earmark Podcast: https://podcast.earmarkcpe.comGet in Touch
Thanks for listening and the great reviews! We appreciate you! Follow and tweet @BlakeTOliver and @DavidLeary. Find us on Facebook and Instagram. If you like what you hear, please do us a favor and write a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser. Call us and leave a voicemail; maybe we'll play it on the show. DIAL (202) 695-1040.
Sponsorships
Are you interested in sponsoring The Accounting Podcast? For details, read the prospectus.
Need Accounting Conference Info?
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Subscribe
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