The Accounting Podcast

Blake Oliver & David Leary
  • 4.4 (347)
  • Business News
  • Updated Weekly

The most authoritative voice in accounting news. Every week, Blake Oliver and David Leary break down the stories reshaping the profession — AI, the Big Four, firm M&A, audit failures, and the talent crisis — with analysis you won't get from the trade press. Earn free NASBA-approved CPE just for listening, with the Earmark app.

  1. Sep 10

    EY to Bonus Staff $100M, Deloitte Pays $21M to Settle DEI Case

    Can AI prepare a tax return—and catch errors the software misses? Blake shares how Claude Cowork reconciled books, built workpapers, and completed two business returns, while David examines EY’s bonuses for human judgment, Deloitte’s $21 million DEI settlement, and PwC’s Evergrande exposure. Plus, Cloud Accountant Staffing’s Jordan Sublette explains why onshoring is joining offshore hiring strategies for accounting firms. SponsorsOnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpayThomson Reuters - http://accountingpodcast.promo/taxautomationSavant Labs - http://accountingpodcast.promo/savantCloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/cas Chapters(00:00) - Ethics And Job Security (00:18) - Show Intro And Headlines (02:34) - Livestream Shoutouts (03:03) - Claude CoWork Tax Prep (06:54) - AI Catches TaxAct Errors (11:26) - Accrual Buys Puzzle (18:19) - EY Human Skills Bonuses (20:33) - Deloitte DEI Settlement (27:43) - Salaries And Big Four Fallout (31:22) - PwC Evergrande Liability (35:03) - Grant Thornton Buys CBIZ (36:25) - CBIZ Returns Reality Check (37:23) - Marcum Deal And Partner Payouts (38:34) - IRS Revenue Hits Record (40:50) - Chat Reactions And AI Ledgers (44:03) - AI Cost Seg Pitfalls (53:00) - Jordan Joins And Origin Story (55:06) - Jason Staats Partnership Explained (59:37) - Onshoring Portal And Pricing (01:04:58) - Candidate Vetting And Training (01:09:37) - Meetups And CPE Wrap Up   Show Notes Accrual to Acquire Puzzle to Expand Into Client Accounting Services https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2026/09/02/accrual-takes-the-leap-into-cas-by-acquiring-puzzle/189565/ EY Rewards Employees' Human Skills With $100M https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/ey-rewards-employees-human-skills-with-100m Deloitte to Pay $21.5M to Settle Claims Its DEI Programs Violated Federal Civil Rights Law https://www.cfo.com/news/deloitte-to-pay-215m-to-settle-claims-its-dei-programs-violated-federal-c/828948/ Accounting Firm Salaries Rose Slightly This Year https://www.cfobrew.com/stories/accounting-firm-salaries-rose-slightly-this-year KPMG Australia to Axe 5% of Workforce https://www.cfo.com/news/kpmg-australia-to-axe-5-of-workforce-John-Sams/828636/ PwC International Can't Exit Evergrande Case, HK Court Rules https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-26/pwc-international-can-t-exit-evergrande-case-hk-court-rules CBIZ Told Grant Thornton No, No, No, Before Saying Yes https://cpatrendlines.com/2026/09/01/cbiz-told-grant-thornton-no-no-no-before-saying-yes/ IRS Enforcement Activity Fell Despite Record Tax Collections, TIGTA Says https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/news/2026/aug/irs-enforcement-activity-fell-despite-record-tax-collections-tigta-says/ Cost Segregation in the Age of AI: What the IRS Audit Technique Guidelines Reveal https://www.accountingtoday.com/opinion/cost-segregation-in-the-age-of-ai-what-the-irs-audit-technique-guidelines-reveal Need CPE? Get CPE for listening to podcasts with Earmark: https://earmarkcpe.comSubscribe to the Earmark Podcast: https://podcast.earmarkcpe.com Get 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?  Check out our new website - accountingconferences.com Limited edition shirts, stickers, and other necessities TeePublic Store: http://cloudacctpod.link/merch Subscribe Apple Podcasts: http://cloudacctpod.link/ApplePodcastsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAccountingPodcastSpotify: http://cloudacctpod.link/SpotifyPodchaser: http://cloudacctpod.link/podchaserStitcher: http://cloudacctpod.link/StitcherOvercast: http://cloudacctpod.link/Overcast Classifieds Fearless Foundry - www.advisoryamplified.comExpense Bot - https://www.expensebot.ai/accountantProfitRoot - https://tryprofitroot.com/ 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 Th...

    EY to Bonus Staff $100M, Deloitte Pays $21M to Settle DEI Case

  2. Sep 2

    TurboTax Losing Customers Over Price, Thomson Reuters Builds Own AI

    Can AI make tax prep cheaper without replacing the experts behind it? Hector Garcia joins Blake and David to unpack Intuit’s TurboTax pricing pressure, QuickBooks’ push into the mid-market, and whether AI-powered services are a bridge to automation. They also examine Thomson Reuters’ proprietary tax-and-legal AI model, Relate’s $100 million raise, and a student’s unusual path onto the New Mexico Board of Accountancy. SponsorsCloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/casThomson Reuters - http://accountingpodcast.promo/taxautomationOnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpaySavant Labs - http://accountingpodcast.promo/savant Chapters(00:00) - TAP 503 (02:47) - Intuit earnings overview (03:52) - Meet Hector Garcia (04:40) - Intuit stock and AI fears (07:57) - TurboTax pricing pressure (11:34) - TurboTax Live strategy shift (16:12) - TurboTax Live vs firms (19:47) - AI plus human bridge (22:13) - QuickBooks Free and Light (25:54) - Thomson Reuters builds LLM (30:29) - Trust security and ownership (34:16) - Vertical models disrupt giants (35:18) - Copilot partnership pitch (36:51) - Bulk AI Adoption (38:59) - Rillet Unicorn News (39:21) - Workday Buyout Math (40:50) - Switching Costs Reality (43:12) - Intuit Versus Rillet (45:26) - How Rillet Wins (48:18) - AI Spend Line Item (51:15) - Stripe Buys OpenRouter (53:22) - Reframe Conference Pitch (56:01) - Pablo Pledgebar Cautionary (57:08) - Britton Joins Board (01:01:37) - Student View On PE (01:04:57) - Education And AI Concerns (01:09:33) - Board Dynamics Explained (01:12:12) - Regulation Priorities (01:15:13) - Wrap Up And CPE   Show Notes Intuit Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year Fiscal 2026 Results; Sets Fiscal 2027 Guidance https://investors.intuit.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/1320/intuit-reports-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-fiscal-2026-results-sets-fiscal-2027-guidance Thomson Reuters Leverages its World-Class Data Assets to Launch Its Own Frontier Model https://www.thomsonreuters.com/en/press-releases/2026/august/thomson-reuters-leverages-its-world-class-data-assets-to-launch-its-own-frontier-model Rillet Raises $100 Million Series C at $1 Billion Valuation, Becomes Unicorn https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/19/rillet-raises-100m-series-c-at-1b-valuation-2-years-after-emerging-from-stealth/ Silver Lake Eyes $51 Billion Workday Take-Private in Mega Software Deal https://www.axios.com/2026/08/14/silver-lake-workday-take-private Stripe Agrees to Acquire OpenRouter to Help Businesses Optimize Token Routing and Usage https://stripe.com/newsroom/news/stripe-agrees-to-acquire-openrouter From Accounting Major and Frat Brother to Suspected of Being Penn State's Largest Drug Dealer https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/penn-state-agostino-abbatiello-drug-scheme-rcna593041 Accounting Student Appointed to the New Mexico Public Accountancy Board https://news.unm.edu/news/accounting-student-appointed-to-the-new-mexico-public-accountancy-board Need CPE? Get CPE for listening to podcasts with Earmark: https://earmarkcpe.comSubscribe to the Earmark Podcast: https://podcast.earmarkcpe.com Get 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?  Check out our new website - accountingconferences.com Limited edition shirts, stickers, and other necessities TeePublic Store: http://cloudacctpod.link/merch Subscribe Apple Podcasts: http://cloudacctpod.link/ApplePodcastsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAccountingPodcastSpotify: http://cloudacctpod.link/SpotifyPodchaser: http://cloudacctpod.link/podchaserStitcher: http://cloudacctpod.link/StitcherOvercast: http://cloudacctpod.link/Overcast Classifieds Fearless Foundry - www.advisoryamplified.comExpense Bot - https://www.expensebot.ai/accountantProfitRoot - https://tryprofitroot.com/ 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 to...

    TurboTax Losing Customers Over Price, Thomson Reuters Builds Own AI

  3. Aug 27

    Rogue AI Agents, Off-Balance-Sheet AI Financing & Xerocon 2026

    AI agents are going rogue — deleting bookings, sending unauthorized emails, and lying about it — and Blake and David trace the trend into the $3 trillion of off-balance-sheet AI commitments hiding in Big Tech's footnotes (and why accountants will get blamed when the bubble pops). They also recap what stood out at XeroCon 2026. Then Hoover Institution fellow Ben Jaros runs the real numbers on California's Prop 40 billionaire wealth tax — why the $100 billion estimate is closer to $40 billion, and whether taxing 200 people is even constitutional. SponsorsCanopy - http://accountingpodcast.promo/canopyThomson Reuters - http://accountingpodcast.promo/taxautomationOnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpayCloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/cas Chapters(00:00) - Welcome to The Accounting Podcast (03:00) - Rogue AI Agents Gone Wild (07:53) - Controlling Agent Permissions (12:08) - Microsoft AI Receivables Surge (14:49) - Three Trillion Off Book Commitments (17:09) - Meta Hyperion Lease Loopholes (21:33) - Bubble Risk and Circular Financing (28:24) - XeroCon Highlights and AI Agents (32:21) - Bank Reconciliation and Roadmap Gripes (34:10) - Conference Vaporware Rant (34:37) - Billionaire Tax Preview (36:33) - Prop 40 Basics (38:40) - Revenue Reality Check (42:44) - Residency Cutoff Drama (45:01) - Wealth Tax vs Income Tax (45:52) - One Time Or Not (46:34) - Healthcare Backfill Claims (51:42) - Better Ways To Tax (55:23) - Constitutional Challenges (58:01) - Why Voters Oppose It (01:02:09) - Trial Balloon And Wrap Up   Show Notes Coming soon! Need CPE? Get CPE for listening to podcasts with Earmark: https://earmarkcpe.comSubscribe to the Earmark Podcast: https://podcast.earmarkcpe.com Get 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?  Check out our new website - accountingconferences.com Limited edition shirts, stickers, and other necessities TeePublic Store: http://cloudacctpod.link/merch Subscribe Apple Podcasts: http://cloudacctpod.link/ApplePodcastsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAccountingPodcastSpotify: http://cloudacctpod.link/SpotifyPodchaser: http://cloudacctpod.link/podchaserStitcher: http://cloudacctpod.link/StitcherOvercast: http://cloudacctpod.link/Overcast Classifieds Flowglad - https://cal.com/team/flowglad/flowgladFearless Foundry - www.advisoryamplified.comExpense Bot - https://www.expensebot.ai/accountantProfitRoot - https://tryprofitroot.com/ 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

    Rogue AI Agents, Off-Balance-Sheet AI Financing & Xerocon 2026

  4. Aug 19

    NVIDIA AI Funding Deal Has "Shades of Enron" & EY Speeds Audits 125%+

    Is AI creating an audit boom—or hiding the next Enron-style risk? Blake and David unpack NVIDIA’s $500 billion data-center financing plan, why Michael Burry sees warning signs, and how AI is speeding up audits while challenging existing standards. They also cover improved PCAOB inspection results, the end of BOI reporting, Tether’s long-awaited audit, QuickBooks Live’s overhaul, and practical AI workflows small firms can use today. SponsorsDigits - http://accountingpodcast.promo/digitsOnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpayThomson Reuters - http://accountingpodcast.promo/taxautomationCloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/cas Chapters(00:00) - AI Biggest Audit Shift (01:35) - Headlines And Sponsors (02:20) - Digits AI Ledger (04:02) - Nvidia Deal Explained (06:31) - Enron Echoes And SPVs (09:46) - Bubble Risks And GAAP (12:31) - EY Audit Efficiency Claims (15:25) - PCAOB Reports Debate (17:40) - OnPay Payroll Sponsor (18:53) - FinCEN Ends BOI (19:52) - Audit AI Adoption Stats (21:08) - PCAOB Must Set AI Rules (25:52) - Quarterly Reporting Comments (29:17) - Tether Finally Audited (33:17) - Thomson Reuters Tax Automation (35:07) - Ancient Rome Tax Scam (38:45) - Why Tax Fraud Meant Death (39:18) - Clients Want AI Dashboards (39:45) - Small Firm AI Workflows (44:35) - Sponsor Cloud Staffing (45:49) - AI Raises Client Demands (46:27) - Audit Disruption Debate (48:35) - QuickBooks Live Rebrand (51:10) - Taiwan Receipt Lottery (54:40) - OnPay Benefits Upgrade (01:05:17) - Switch Payroll Midyear (01:09:19) - Wrap Up And CPE   Show Notes 'Shades of Enron': Michael Burry shorts Nvidia as its $500 billion chip-financing deal fuels a bubble https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/nvidia-ai-push-echoes-enron-123355872.html EY leverages AI for audit https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/ey-leverages-ai-for-audit In ancient Rome, tax fraud was punishable by death https://www.popsci.com/science/tax-fraud-death-penalty-ancient-rome/ PCAOB inspection reports of largest audit firms show improvements https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/pcaob-inspection-reports-of-largest-audit-firms-show-improvements FinCEN ends beneficial ownership reporting https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/fincen-ends-beneficial-ownership-reporting Gartner Survey Finds Audit Teams' AI Use is Common, But Most Teams are Lacking Strategic Adoption and Application https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2026-08-10-gartner-survey-finds-audit-teams-ai-use-is-common-but-most It's Time for the US Audit Board to Set Corporate AI Standards https://news.bloombergtax.com/tax-insights-and-commentary/its-time-for-the-us-audit-board-to-set-corporate-ai-standards SEC quarterly earnings proposal draws flood of public complaints https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/sec-quarterly-earnings-proposal-draws-112015106.html Firms (and Some Guy Obsessed With China) Have Weighed in on the PCAOB Turning an Eye to AI https://www.goingconcern.com/firms-and-some-guy-obsessed-with-china-have-weighed-in-on-the-pcaob-turning-an-eye-to-ai/ Tether says KPMG issued 'clean' opinion in first full audit of USDT issuer's financials https://www.coindesk.com/business/2026/08/13/tether-says-it-completed-long-promised-big-four-audit-of-finances-behind-usd180-billion-usdt-stablecoin Real-life ways small firms use AI https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/issues/2026/aug/real-life-ways-small-firms-use-ai/ QuickBooks Live is Dead, Long Live Intuit Experts https://uqb.show/154 Need CPE? Get CPE for listening to podcasts with Earmark: https://earmarkcpe.comSubscribe to the Earmark Podcast: https://podcast.earmarkcpe.com Get 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?  Check out our new website - accountingconferences.com Limited edition shirts, stickers, and other necessities TeePublic Store: http://cloudacctpod.link/merch Subscribe Apple Podcasts: http://cloudacctpod.link/ApplePodcastsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAccountingPodcastSpotify: http://cloudacctpod.link/SpotifyPodchaser: http://cloudacctpod.link/podchaserStitcher: http://cloudacctpod.link/StitcherOvercast:

    NVIDIA AI Funding Deal Has "Shades of Enron" & EY Speeds Audits 125%+

  5. Aug 13

    PwC Cuts Disney & The Uncertain Career Path for CPAs

    What does episode 500 reveal about where accounting is headed? Blake Oliver and David Leary celebrate the milestone with CFO.com’s Adam Zaki and Going Concern’s Adrienne Gonzalez. They unpack AI’s pressure on billable hours, shrinking entry-level pathways, the changing route to CFO, and PwC’s canceled Disney intern event. Plus, Blake shares what happened after NASBA challenged his CPE comments. SponsorsOnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpayCanopy - http://accountingpodcast.promo/canopyThomson Reuters - http://accountingpodcast.promo/taxautomationCloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/cas Chapters(00:00) - ‌ (00:20) - Episode 500 Kickoff (02:59) - Origin Story Live Chat (07:22) - Billable Hour Fading (13:36) - AI Knowledge vs Data Risk (16:21) - PwC Intern Disney Cut (24:31) - Pyramid to Diamond Firms (34:29) - CFO Pathway Disrupted (37:25) - AI Without Apprenticeship (38:55) - Would You Work for AI (39:47) - CFO Pipeline Shrinking (41:11) - Skipping Entry Level (43:15) - Simulations vs Real Work (45:05) - Metaverse Training Fail (47:35) - Crypto Fraud Irony (49:10) - Listener Milestones (51:58) - Billable Hour Debate (01:01:21) - AI Auditing Future (01:02:33) - NASBA Speech Clash (01:11:48) - Wrap Up and Thanks   Show Notes CrossCountry Consulting's new co-CEOs say billable hour is 'waning' https://www.cfo.com/news/crosscountry-consulting-new-co-ceo-amy-bjarnason-neil-smith-discuss-their-industrys-future/826266/ Diamonds May Be a Firm's Best Strategy: How AI Is Rewriting the Structure of Modern Practice https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2026/08/05/diamonds-may-be-a-firms-best-strategy-how-ai-is-rewriting-the-structure-of-modern-practice/188060/ Teikametrics CFO Brian Beaupre says the career path he took is disappearing https://www.cfo.com/news/teikametrics-cfo-brian-beaupre-says-the-career-path-he-took-is-disappearing-cfo-leadership-council-/824716/ The Age of Artificial Intelligence: Quinnipiac University Poll on AI https://poll.qu.edu/poll-release?releaseid=3955 We Went to the Boot Camp Where KPMG Teaches Auditors to Think Critically https://www.wsj.com/business/kpmg-summer-interns-auditing-ai-training-941ad5cc In Case You Didn't Hear, PwC Interns Won't Be Swarming Disney World This Year https://www.goingconcern.com/in-case-you-didnt-hear-pwc-interns-wont-be-swarming-disney-world-this-year/ Bitquery CEO Faces $5M Theft Claim, 194 Records Deleted https://www.analyticsinsight.net/news/bitquery-ceo-faces-5m-theft-claim-194-records-deleted Need CPE? Get CPE for listening to podcasts with Earmark: https://earmarkcpe.comSubscribe to the Earmark Podcast: https://podcast.earmarkcpe.com Get 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?  Check out our new website - accountingconferences.com Limited edition shirts, stickers, and other necessities TeePublic Store: http://cloudacctpod.link/merch Subscribe Apple Podcasts: http://cloudacctpod.link/ApplePodcastsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAccountingPodcastSpotify: http://cloudacctpod.link/SpotifyPodchaser: http://cloudacctpod.link/podchaserStitcher: http://cloudacctpod.link/StitcherOvercast: http://cloudacctpod.link/Overcast Classifieds REFRAME 2026 - http://accountingpodcast.promo/reframe2026Flowglad - https://cal.com/team/flowglad/flowglad 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

    PwC Cuts Disney & The Uncertain Career Path for CPAs

  6. Aug 4

    Grant Thornton to Acquire CBIZ & Trump Puts Immunity Over Blanche

    Could Grant Thornton’s $5 billion CBIZ deal create a Big Five? Blake and David unpack the private-equity-backed combination, what it means for accounting firm ownership, and why controller talent is still hard to find. They also examine AI’s effect on finance judgment—and why nearly half of Gen Z workers say it makes them less intelligent—plus tariff refunds, audit scrutiny, and rising software prices. SponsorsCloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/casOnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpayThomson Reuters - http://accountingpodcast.promo/taxautomationVeltrix - http://accountingpodcast.promo/veltrix Chapters(00:00) - TAP 499 (02:17) - Livestream and CPE Plug (03:12) - Grant Thornton Buys CBIZ (04:35) - Stock Spike and Activists (09:06) - PE Strategy and IPO Exit (11:09) - Deal Size vs Big Four (13:21) - Trump Immunity and Nominee (16:39) - EY Hack Claim Explained (18:56) - Trump Deal Appeal Update (21:37) - Controller Hiring Crunch (23:21) - Senior Pay Flattening (26:24) - Corporate Hiring Demand (27:59) - AI Boosts Finance Judgment (29:38) - Claude Transforms Forecasting (30:43) - Gen Z AI Dependency Fears (34:32) - Xero Price Hike Backlash (36:45) - Lovable Connector Moat (40:38) - Agents Use Existing SaaS (45:29) - Tariff Refund Windfall (48:20) - NYC Pied-a-Terre Tax (51:44) - PwC UK Audit Failures (55:03) - Wrap Up and Episode 500   Show Notes Grant Thornton Advisors to acquire CBIZ in $5 billion transaction https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2026/07/29/grant-thornton-set-to-buy-cbiz-for-5-billion-become-5th-largest-firm-in-u-s/187542/ Accounting Firm CBIZ Urged by Activist Investor to Pursue M&A https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-07-07/accounting-firm-cbiz-urged-by-activist-investor-to-pursue-m-a Trump floats pulling Blanche's AG nomination until after GOP holdouts leave office https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/30/trump-blanche-ag-doj-cornyn-tillis.html Donald Trump's tax audit immunity remains in place as Blanche's path to confirmation is cleared https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/as-blanches-path-to-confirmation-is-cleared-trumps-tax-audit-immunity-remains-in-place-3858601/ Ernst & Young data breach claimed by ShinyHunters extortion gang https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/ernst-and-young-data-breach-claimed-by-shinyhunters-extortion-gang/ 2026 Corporate Finance & Accounting Talent Research Study https://controllerscouncil.org/2026-corporate-finance-accounting-talent-research-study/ Accounting's missing middle https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/accountings-missing-middle A third of companies look to increase finance and accounting hires https://www.cfo.com/news/companies-look-to-boost-hiring-pay-for-finance-and-accounting-staff-controllers-council-report/824667/ AI's top value for finance now lies in improving judgment, not efficiency https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/ai/articles/ai-top-value-finance-now-085159658.html Nearly Half of Gen Z Workers Say AI is Making Them Less Intelligent https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2026/05/19/nearly-half-of-gen-z-workers-say-ai-is-making-them-less-intelligent/183621/ Xero Announces U.S. Subscription Price Changes https://www.xero.com/us/pricing-plans/update/ Introducing the Lovable Xero connector: build on your Xero data, no code required https://devblog.xero.com/introducing-the-lovable-xero-connector-build-on-your-xero-data-no-code-required-386873b591bc We Peaked at 30 AI Agents. Now We're Coming Back Down to 20 https://www.saastr.com/we-peaked-at-30-ai-agents-now-were-coming-back-down-to-20-heres-what-consolidation-actually-looks-like-the-agents-011-live/ Amazon Got a $600 Million Tariff Refund, Some Going to Shoppers https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/30/amazon-trump-tariff-refunds.html NYC Extends Deadline for Pied-à-Terre Tax Exemption Applications to Sept. 18 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-01/nyc-extends-deadline-for-second-home-levy-exemption-requests Staten Island Homeowners Say They Fear for Safety After Names, Addresses Published on NYC Tax List https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2026/07/31/staten-island-homeowners-say-they-fear-for-safety-after-names-addresses-published-on-nyc-tax-list/187775/ PwC Fined $4.4 Million by UK Watchdog Over Babcock Audit Failures https://www.globalbankingandfinance.com/uk-financial-watchdog-fines-pwc-4-4-million-over-babcock/ New York Governor Trolls LeBron James with Tax on Rumored NYC Home https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2026/07/31/new-york-governor-trolls-lebron-james-with-tax-on-rumored-nyc-home/187765/ Need CPE? Get CPE for listening to podcasts with Earmark: https://earmarkcpe.comSubscribe to the Earmark Podcast: ...

    Grant Thornton to Acquire CBIZ & Trump Puts Immunity Over Blanche

  7. Jul 31

    IRS Chief Spied on Colleagues & Out of Control AI

    Could an AI agent decide to hack a system, or cancel your software subscription just to complete its task? Blake and David examine reports of AI agents escaping guardrails, flooding IRS rulemaking with generated comments, and taking autonomous business actions. They also trace accounting from ancient clay tokens to today’s AI economy, exploring why calculating profit and trustworthy records matter more than ever. SponsorsCloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/casThe Value Builder System - http://accountingpodcast.promo/valueOnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpayVeltrix - http://accountingpodcast.promo/veltrix Chapters(00:00) - Profit First Accounting (00:33) - Dumb Accounting AI (02:40) - AI Guest Pitch Email (07:21) - When Agents Go Rogue (09:38) - OpenAI Agent Hacks Out (11:57) - Waymo Laws And Goals (16:33) - IRS Chief Spy Claims (19:28) - AI Floods IRS Comments (23:30) - SaaStr AI Cancels SaaS (28:09) - Ode To Accounting Site (29:54) - Accounting Births Writing (31:24) - Double Entry Changes Everything (32:09) - Industrial Era Standards (33:29) - Internet Cloud And AI (34:19) - Hosts React Tokens Return (36:49) - Profit Cost Accounting And AI (39:33) - Round Tripping Explained (44:00) - IRS EIN Breakdown (46:19) - Trump Accounts Adoption (48:20) - Tax Leak Sentencing Debate (50:23) - KPMG Australia Shakeup (52:09) - QuickBooks MCP Workflows (55:52) - Intuit Card Versus Ramp (57:35) - Ramp Stablecoin And Token Spend (01:00:39) - Wrap Up And Where To Find Us   Show Notes OpenAI and Hugging Face partner to address security incident during model evaluation https://openai.com/index/hugging-face-model-evaluation-security-incident/ Trump's IRS Chief Frank Bisignano Accused of Using Hi-Tech Software to Spy on Colleagues' Emails at JPMorgan https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-irs-chief-frank-bisignano-accused-of-using-hi-tech-software-to-spy-on-colleagues-emails-at-jpmorgan/ IRS blitzed with AI-generated comments on proposed tax rules https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/irs-blitzed-with-ai-generated-comments-on-proposed-tax-rules Your Agents Are About to Start Firing Your Vendors. Ours Fired Marketo. https://www.saastr.com/your-agents-are-about-to-start-firing-your-vendors-ours-fired-marketo/ Basis offers AI agents, love letters and an ode to accounting https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/basis-offers-ai-agents-love-letters-and-an-ode-to-accounting 7 Million Trump Accounts Have Been Opened, Administration Says https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2026/07/29/7-million-trump-accounts-have-been-opened-administration-says/187586/ DC Circuit Denies Littlejohn Appeal and the Need for Privacy Protections Remains https://www.ntu.org/foundation/detail/dc-circuit-denies-littlejohn-appeal-and-the-need-for-privacy-protections-remains KPMG Australia appoints new CEO https://www.internationalaccountingbulletin.com/news/kpmg-australia-appoints-new-ceo/ KPMG Fires Former COO Eileen Hoggett Over Confidentiality Breach https://news.ssbcrack.com/kpmg-fires-former-coo-eileen-hoggett-over-confidentiality-breach/ QuickBooks Expands Into Claude and ChatGPT with New Features https://www.intuit.com/blog/news-social/quickbooks-expands-into-claude-and-chatgpt-with-new-sales-invoicing-payroll-and-lending-features/ Intuit Launches Business Credit Card That Brings Spend Management, Rewards, and Insights Together in QuickBooks https://investors.intuit.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/1316/intuit-launches-business-credit-card-that-brings-spend-management-rewards-and-insights-together-in-quickbooks Ramp Brings Stablecoin Accounts and Payments to All Customers https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ramp-brings-stablecoin-accounts-and-payments-to-all-customers-302830447.html Ramp Launches AI Token Spend Controls https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ramp-launches-ai-token-spend-controls-302827389.html Need CPE? Get CPE for listening to podcasts with Earmark: https://earmarkcpe.comSubscribe to the Earmark Podcast: https://podcast.earmarkcpe.com Get 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?  Check out our new website - accountingconferences.com Limited edition shirts, stickers, and other necessities

    IRS Chief Spied on Colleagues & Out of Control AI

  8. Jul 25

    How Sam Leon Uses Claude Cowork to Prep Tax Returns 5x Faster

    Can one accountant really do tax prep five times faster with AI? Blake and David talk with Sam Leon, founder of The Millennial CPA, about how he uses Claude projects to turn client documents into tax workpapers, speed up review, and run a solo firm built around software. They also dig into where AI still falls short, why review remains the bottleneck, and what firms can realistically automate today. SponsorsDigits - http://accountingpodcast.promo/digitsThe Value Builder System - http://accountingpodcast.promo/valueOnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpayCloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/cas Chapters(00:00) - Autonomous AI Reality Check (00:11) - Show Welcome and Interview Tease (00:55) - Sponsor Spotlight Digits (02:34) - Trump IRS Deal Dismissed (05:20) - California Billionaire Tax Fight (07:35) - New York Pied a Terre Tax (09:29) - Sponsor Spotlight Value Builder System (11:18) - Xero CEO Pay and Stock Sale (16:39) - Verification Tax and AI Jobs (22:06) - Sponsor Spotlight OnPay (23:21) - 1948 IBM Accounting Machine Lesson (29:56) - Sponsor Spotlight Cloud Accountant Staffing (31:07) - Meet Sam Leon Millennial CPA (32:01) - Solo Firm Vision (33:15) - From Big Firms to Millennial CPA (35:42) - Why AI Agents Weren’t Ready (37:19) - Automating Tax Prep Workflow (40:33) - Smart Intake for Better Scoping (43:06) - End to End Return Automation (46:04) - AI Workpapers and Review (49:38) - Claude Setup and Time Savings (58:18) - Tech Spend and Pricing Strategy (01:02:52) - Building TaxWeave Platform (01:06:21) - Wrap Up and CPE Info   Show Notes Judge Smacks Down Trump's IRS Settlement And Orders Sanctions https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/13/politics/trump-irs-judge-ruling-settlement-sanctions Instead of Uniting the Left, California's Billionaire Tax Measure Has Split Democratic Allies https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2026/07/08/instead-of-uniting-the-left-californias-billionaire-tax-measure-has-split-democratic-allies/186379/ NYC lawyers slam pied-a-terre tax as a half-baked money grab https://www.audacy.com/1010wins/news/local/nyc-lawyers-slam-pied-a-terre-tax-as-a-half-baked-money-grab A 1948 IBM computer with no memory at all, fed by punchcards, was still doing the accounting at a Texas filtration company as recently as 2020 https://scienceblog.com/t-1948-ibm-402-punchcards-sparkler-filters-accounting-2020/ Time saved by AI partially canceled out by time spent checking AI https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/time-saved-by-ai-partially-cancelled-out-by-time-spent-checking-ai Research Suggests Jobs May be Safer at Companies that Embrace AI https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2026/07/07/research-suggests-jobs-may-be-safer-at-companies-that-embrace-ai/186281/ AI Is No Longer Just a Tech Occupation Story: It's Spreading Across Job Titles in the US and Europe https://www.hiringlab.org/2026/07/08/ai-is-no-longer-just-a-tech-occupation-story/ The 2026 Best Accounting Firms for Technology https://www.accountingtoday.com/list/the-2026-best-accounting-firms-for-technology Need CPE? Get CPE for listening to podcasts with Earmark: https://earmarkcpe.comSubscribe to the Earmark Podcast: https://podcast.earmarkcpe.com Meet Our Guest, Sam Leon, CPALinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuelaaronleon/ Website: https://www.millennialcpa.tax/Website: https://www.taxweave.ai/ Get 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?  Check out our new website - accountingconferences.com Limited edition shirts, stickers, and other necessities TeePublic Store: http://cloudacctpod.link/merch Subscribe Apple Podcasts: http://cloudacctpod.link/ApplePodcastsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAccountingPodcastSpotify: http://cloudacctpod.link/SpotifyPodchaser: http://cloudacctpod.link/podchaserStitcher: http://cloudacctpod.link/StitcherOvercast: http://cloudacctpod.link/Overcast Classifieds REFRAME 2026 - http://accountingpodcast.promo/reframe2026Flowglad - https://cal.com/team/flowglad/flowglad 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 classi...

    How Sam Leon Uses Claude Cowork to Prep Tax Returns 5x Faster
See All (615)

4.4
out of 5
347 Ratings

About

The most authoritative voice in accounting news. Every week, Blake Oliver and David Leary break down the stories reshaping the profession — AI, the Big Four, firm M&A, audit failures, and the talent crisis — with analysis you won't get from the trade press. Earn free NASBA-approved CPE just for listening, with the Earmark app.

Information

  • Creator
    Blake Oliver & David Leary
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    615
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Earmark Media LLC
  • Show Website
    The Accounting Podcast

You Might Also Like