AI-Native Accounting

Presented by Digits

Hosted by Kacee Johnson, fintech innovation leader and Principal at Radical, AI-Native Accounting is the podcast at the crossroads of AI and the future of finance. Engage in monthly discussions with firm owners, tech pioneers, and visionary accountants. Explore real-world applications of AI, uncovering how it's streamlining processes and enhancing decision-making. Discover what's working, what's emerging, and what's on the horizon in the world of accounting technology.

  1. 4d ago

    AI in Tax Is Moving Fast. Are We Ignoring the Risks? | Danny Werfel

    AI in tax is advancing at a staggering pace, but are tax professionals moving too fast to understand the risks? In this episode of the AI Native Accounting podcast, Kacee Johnson sat down with Danny Werfel, former Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service and current Executive in Residence at the Johns Hopkins University School of Government and Policy, to talk about what responsible AI adoption should look like across the tax profession. Werfel recently developed an AI risk framework for tax authorities and tax preparers to help organizations evaluate AI systems before deployment. The conversation examines why extraordinary productivity gains should not automatically mean removing people from the process; how firms can more rigorously evaluate AI vendors; and why accuracy, auditability, transparency, and governance must remain central to AI risk management. The discussion also considers a significant long-term risk: the erosion of human expertise. As AI agents begin performing work traditionally handled by junior accountants and tax professionals, the profession must determine how the next generation will build the knowledge and judgment required to supervise those systems effectively. Werfel makes the case that AI should sit beside the tax professional, not take their chair. Additional topics include:  AI hallucinations human-in-the-loop systems client trust AI pricing and billing and the opportunity for the tax profession to become a model for responsible AI adoption. For accountants, tax professionals, firm leaders, technology providers, and anyone seeking to understand how AI will reshape the profession, this conversation offers an important counterweight to the race for maximum automation. Link to Danny’s AI Risk Framework: https://www.thetaxadviser.com/issues/2026/aug/a-risk-framework-for-ai-use-in-tax-administration-and-preparation/  Connect with us here: Danny WerfelKacee Johnson⁠⁠⁠DigitsAI Native Accounting Foundation

    AI in Tax Is Moving Fast. Are We Ignoring the Risks? | Danny Werfel

  2. Jul 31

    The Longest-Serving AICPA CEO on What Comes Next | Barry Melancon

    The biggest challenge facing accounting firms isn't learning AI. It's helping junior accountants build six years of business acumen in a fraction of the time. Former AICPA CEO Barry Melancon discusses the future of the profession, from AI-powered audits and changing business models to why providing assurance to clients will become even more valuable. Connect with us here: 1. Barry Melancon 2. Kacee Johnson 3. Digits

    The Longest-Serving AICPA CEO on What Comes Next | Barry Melancon

  3. Jul 8

    Why Small Firms No Longer Need a Big Budget to Win

    "We can't go out and just upload tax returns to ChatGPT because it's gonna be faster." Barry Brown, founder of EBITDA Advisors, joins Kacee Johnson and Bebe Kim to explain why the future belongs to firms that adopt AI deliberately, not recklessly. Looking at firms of every size, they break down why AI adoption and AI results are turning out to be two very different things. Connect with us here: Barry BrownBebe KimKacee JohnsonDigits

    Why Small Firms No Longer Need a Big Budget to Win

  4. Jun 17

    Pascal Finette on What Clients Pay Accountants For, Outlearning AI and the Future of Firms

    Were we wrong about how AI would change work? Pascal Finette, Co-Founder & Chief Heretic of radical, joins Kacee Johnson to explore why AI is impacting cognitive work faster than routine work and what that means for organizations trying to adapt. They also discuss why employees still hesitate to trust AI systems and why the ability to outlearn competitors may become more important than the technology itself. Connect with us here: 1. Pascal Finette 2. Kacee Johnson 3. Digits (00:00) Trailer (00:52) Introduction (01:40) What everyone got wrong about AI five years ago (03:23) Why AI adoption is still so low (06:30) The trust gap between executives and frontline workers (11:11) The Outlearn book and learning faster than the world changes (16:11) Engineering failure for accounting firms (19:41) AI will force the shift to value-based billing (26:28) Fintech will deliver insights before you do (33:41) How leaders should talk about failure (39:31) Lightning round (42:32) Wrap-up

    Pascal Finette on What Clients Pay Accountants For, Outlearning AI and the Future of Firms

  5. May 27

    Why Culture Beats Capital in Building Independent CPA Firms | Carla McCall

    “You're not going to take an old process and fit it into a new tech box.” Carla McCall believes the firms struggling most with AI are often the ones trying hardest to preserve the way they’ve always operated. As Managing Partner of AAFCPAs and former Chair of the AICPA, Carla shares why firms need to rethink management habits, communication structures, and even how young professionals are trained in an AI-enabled world. Tune in to hear how AAFCPAs scaled from $16M to nearly $80M by building a people-first culture. Connect with us here: 1. Carla McCall- https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlamccallaaf/ 2. Kacee Johnson- https://www.linkedin.com/in/kacee-johnson/ 3. Digits- https://www.linkedin.com/company/digits-financial/ (00:00) Trailer (01:11) Introduction (03:22) The path to becoming managing partner (05:17) Lessons from chairing the AICPA (07:39) Launching work from anywhere (09:22) What changed to make remote work successful (12:33) Happy team members equal happy clients (14:57) Organic growth without PE (18:30) What to say to leaders pushing return to office (22:42) What young talent actually wants from firms (25:16) How AI is reshaping early career work (27:23) Rolling out an enterprise-wide LLM (32:51) Starting with agentic pilots in audit (35:31) The highest value role for accountants going forward (39:43) Lightning round (41:23) Wrap-up

    Why Culture Beats Capital in Building Independent CPA Firms | Carla McCall

  6. May 6

    A Top 20 Accounting Firm's AI Playbook, Without the Hype | Tom DeMayo, PKF

    Most accounting firms are jumping into AI headfirst, buying tools, chasing models, and wondering why nothing is sticking. Thomas DeMayo, AI lead at PKF O'Connor Davies, one of the top 20 accounting firms in the country, has a different approach entirely. He breaks down why your knowledge layer has to come before any tool decision, what AI can and cannot do in audit, and why the billable hour is already on its way out. If you're a firm leader trying to build an AI strategy that holds up over time, this one is worth your time. Connect with us here: Thomas DeMayoKacee JohnsonAI Native AccountingDigitsPFK O’Connor Davies (00:00) Trailer (01:08) Introduction (03:16) From help desk to cyber security to AI leadership (05:15) What architecture first means in practice (08:35) Owning the data layer versus third-party tools (10:36) The governance council and risk management (13:23) Mistakes firms make chasing the hype (15:52) Balancing innovation with technical controls (17:15) Overcoming fear and resistance to AI adoption (19:04) Use cases delivering real value (22:42) AI in audit and regulatory sensitivity (24:28) Training programs and AI champions (26:02) How AI might change roles in firms (28:05) The road map to agentic workflows (28:54) Fee pressure and value-based billing (30:17) Advice for smaller firms (31:44) Lightning round (34:23) Wrap-up

    A Top 20 Accounting Firm's AI Playbook, Without the Hype | Tom DeMayo, PKF

  7. Apr 20

    Accounting’s Biggest Shift in 100 Years | Allan Koltin

    If AI can deliver the outputs, why would clients still pay for the accountant? Allan Koltin, CEO of Koltin Consulting Group, joins Kacee Johnson to explore how accounting firms must evolve from service providers to value creators in a rapidly changing landscape. They also explore: Why firms heavily dependent on compliance may see revenue declinePrivate equity is moving from large firms to mid-sized and even smaller firmsWhy the “talent shortage” may solve itself as the nature of work shiftsMany firms are held back by partnership models that can’t make fast or tough decisionsConnect with us here: Allan Koltin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/allan-koltin-24a8181/Kacee Johnson - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kacee-johnson/AI Native Accounting Foundation - https://www.linkedin.com/company/ai-native-accounting-foundation/Digits - https://www.linkedin.com/company/digits-financial/ (00:00) Trailer (01:02) Introduction (02:07) Structural forces reshaping the profession (06:22) By 2030, accountants won't prepare returns (10:45) AI and the repricing of compliance work (17:13) How AI impacts firm valuations and deals (22:24) Where the PE narrative has outpaced reality (29:10) Organic growth without M&A (34:36) The cross-selling mindset problem (37:13) Culture and leadership as the differentiator (41:50) Lightning round (47:07) Wrap-up

    Accounting’s Biggest Shift in 100 Years | Allan Koltin

  8. Mar 25

    The AI Advantage Accounting Firms Aren't Seeing Yet

    We may be overestimating AI adoption today, and underestimating its long-term impact. Kimberly Ellison-Taylor, Founder and CEO of KET Solutions LLC and past Chair of the AICPA, joins Kacee Johnson to explore how leaders are preparing for a more AI enabled profession. She challenges traditional views on ROI by shifting the focus from cost savings to productivity and impact, and explains why AI fluency requires dedicated time to learn rather than just pressure to adopt. Kimberly Ellison-Taylor- https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-n-ellison-taylor-b1a13a2/Kacee Johnson- https://www.linkedin.com/in/kacee-johnson/Digits- https://www.linkedin.com/company/digits-financial/ (00:00) Trailer (01:02) Introduction (02:09) Where is accounting with AI right now? (03:47) AI governance as a board-level issue (04:57) What boards expect from operators on AI (06:53) Signals that management is being thoughtful (09:17) Explainability and accountability in AI (11:30) ROI on AI initiatives (14:41) Innovation isn't a checkbox (17:02) Will AI reduce headcount in the profession? (21:31) Industry investment in upskilling (24:17) AI fluent versus AI fearful workforce (28:51) Lack of imagination as a risk factor (31:07) AI's role in education and learning (34:17) What we're overestimating and underestimating (39:20) Embedded finance and shifting client expectations (40:15) Kimberly's career aha moment (43:00) AI tools she uses personally (43:58) Book recommendations (45:00) Wrap-up and where to learn more

    The AI Advantage Accounting Firms Aren't Seeing Yet
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About

Hosted by Kacee Johnson, fintech innovation leader and Principal at Radical, AI-Native Accounting is the podcast at the crossroads of AI and the future of finance. Engage in monthly discussions with firm owners, tech pioneers, and visionary accountants. Explore real-world applications of AI, uncovering how it's streamlining processes and enhancing decision-making. Discover what's working, what's emerging, and what's on the horizon in the world of accounting technology.

Information

  • Creator
    Presented by Digits
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    18
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Presented by Digits
  • Show Website
    AI-Native Accounting

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