The Accounting Podcast

DEC 8, 2025

Trump's Department of Education Says Accountants Aren't Professionals

Are accountants no longer “professionals”? We unpack the DOE proposal that could slash grad loan limits—and what AICPA/NASBA plans to do about it. Plus: Deloitte’s AI-made citations, EY’s audit turnaround, PwC’s end‑to‑end AI audit ambitions, and OpenAI’s circular investment into accounting rollups. We also cover Xero’s new auto‑reconcile, Intuit’s small‑biz data ad play, and two practical wins: Google’s shared inboxes and unexpected networking tactics for landing that first job.

Sponsors
Cloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/cas
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Chapters

(00:00) - Introduction and Podcast Overview
(00:44) - Headline: Accountants No Longer Professionals?
(02:18) - Department of Education's Proposal and Reactions
(03:50) - Implications for Accounting Students and Professionals
(09:28) - Deloitte's AI Work Swap Controversy
(12:46) - EY's Audit Quality Improvements
(20:56) - Economic Update: Tariffs and Job Market
(34:02) - Circular AI Investments: A Closer Look
(36:31) - AI Tools for Accountants: New Features
(39:32) - Xero's New Pricing and AI Policies
(49:13) - PWC's AI-Driven Audit Automation
(52:39) - Google Workspace Shared Inboxes
(55:49) - Dissolution of the Department of Government Efficiency
(56:47) - Career Networking Tips for Accountants
(01:01:16) - Outsourcing Talent: A Global Perspective

Show Notes

Department of Education Accounting Professional Degree Classification
https://www.newsweek.com/full-list-degrees-professional-trump-administration-11085695

Accountants Inexplicably Deemed "Not Professional" Under OBBBA Student Loan Rules
https://www.goingconcern.com/accountants-inexplicably-deemed-not-professional-under-obba-student-loan-rules/

Department of Education Unclassifies Accounting as a Professional Degree
https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2025/11/24/department-of-education-unclassifies-accounting-as-a-professional-degree/173875/

Deloitte allegedly cited AI-generated research in a million-dollar report for a Canadian provincial government https://fortune.com/2025/11/25/deloitte-caught-fabricated-ai-generated-research-million-dollar-report-canada-government/

Major N.L. healthcare report contains errors likely generated by A.I.
https://theindependent.ca/news/lji/major-n-l-healthcare-report-contains-errors-likely-generated-by-a-i/

N.L. asks Deloitte to carry out review after 'incorrect' citations found in $1.6M provincial health plan

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/nl-deloitte-citations-9.6990216

OpenAI's investment into Thrive Holdings is its latest circular deal
https://techcrunch.com/2025/12/01/openais-investment-into-thrive-holdings-is-its-latest-circular-deal/

Thrive-backed accounting firm Crete to spend $500 million in AI roll-up
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/thrive-backed-accounting-firm-crete-130200467.html

Crete PA plans $500 million spend to buy and upgrade accounting firms with AI
https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/crete-pa-plans-500-million-spend-to-buy-and-upgrade-firms-with-ai

OpenAI takes an ownership stake in Thrive Holdings to accelerate enterprise AI adoption
https://openai.com/index/thrive-holdings/

Trump Tariffs: The Economic Impact of the Trump Trade War
https://taxfoundation.org/research/all/federal/trump-tariffs-trade-war/

IEEPA Tariffs Are Down from April Threats

https://taxfoundation.org/blog/ieepa-tariffs-rates-down-april-threats/

Intuit SMB MediaLabs Audiences Now Available on The Trade Desk Platform
https://investors.intuit.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/1288/intuit-smb-medialabs-audiences-now-available-on-the-trade-desk-platform-connecting-advertisers-with-small-and-mid-market-businesses

Intuit SMB MediaLabs | Advertising Network

https://medialabs.intuit.com/

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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.

Sponsorships

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Need Accounting Conference Info?

Check out our new website - accountingconferences.com

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63 MIN

NOV 27, 2025

What Americans Are Most Afraid of Discussing at Thanksgiving

Do money talks make your family squirm more than politics? In this Thanksgiving mailbag, Blake and David dig into a Bankrate survey on taboo money chats, the grim 2026 grad job market, and the maze of CPA experience sign-offs after NASBA’s program vanished. You’ll hear practical career advice (big firm vs. small, starting bookkeeping), what AI can and can’t do for accountants today, plus news on audit partners’ outlook and tariff shifts hitting grocery bills.

Chapters

(01:14) - Listener Mailbag: Top Messages of the Year
(02:05) - Thanksgiving Dinner Conversations: Money vs. Politics
(06:11) - Listener Questions: CPA Licensing Challenges
(12:07) - NASBA Data Issues and CPA Exam Pass Rates
(13:24) - Economic Optimism Among Audit Partners
(17:22) - Political News: Tariff Rollbacks
(19:03) - Career Advice for Accounting Students
(26:47) - AI's Impact on Accounting Careers
(27:34) - AI's Current Capabilities and Limitations
(31:10) - Future of AI in Accounting
(34:49) - Challenges in Accounting Education
(40:51) - Listener Mail and Feedback
(46:23) - Accounting News and Stories

Show Notes

Companies Predict 2026 Will Be the Worst College Grad Job Market in Five Years
https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/2026-graduates-job-market-7928bcd7

Survey: Americans would rather discuss politics or religion than what's in their bank accounts

https://www.bankrate.com/banking/financial-taboos-survey/

Audit partners feel more optimistic about economy
https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/audit-partners-feel-more-optimistic-about-economy

Trump lowers tariffs on coffee, beef and fruits, as Americans' concerns about affordability grow

https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/14/economy/lower-tariffs-coffee-beef-bananas-produce

Georgia Accountant Arrested After Allegedly Tearing Down Trump Sign, Shooting at North Carolina Man's House

https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2025/10/24/georgia-accountant-arrested-after-allegedly-tearing-down-trump-sign-shooting-at-north-carolina-mans-house/171649/

Measuring AI Ability to Complete Long Tasks

https://metr.org/blog/2025-03-19-measuring-ai-ability-to-complete-long-tasks/

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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.

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

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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

51 MIN

NOV 21, 2025

Intuit's $100m/yr OpenAI Deal & How Tech Companies Juice Profits

Blake breaks down how AI can help with cost segregation and explains why AI currently works best on tasks that take humans 2-5 minutes. Michael Burry is betting against AI companies, claiming they're manipulating earnings by stretching server depreciation from 3-4 years to 5-6 years, adding billions to their bottom lines. Also covered: Intuit's $100 million annual OpenAI deal to integrate QuickBooks and TurboTax into ChatGPT, new bank evidence in the Rippling corporate espionage case, and a survey showing 10% of adults are acting on AI tax advice despite error rates up to 50%.

Chapters

(00:00) - Welcome to The Accounting Podcast
(00:49) - Blake's Illness and Recovery
(02:05) - Upcoming Topics
(04:06) - Cost Segregation Explained
(06:46) - AI in Cost Segregation
(11:15) - AI's Current Capabilities and Limitations
(19:10) - Intuit's OpenAI Deal
(22:01) - Intuit's Strategy and Industry Implications
(30:12) - Michael Burry's New Bet Against AI
(31:21) - Depreciation and AI Companies
(39:15) - Rippling vs. Deel: Corporate Espionage
(42:44) - New Jersey's Alternative Pathways Bill
(44:39) - AI's Role in Tax and Investing Advice
(47:37) - Defining Audit Quality: PCOB's New Initiative
(51:56) - FASB's Costly Lease Standard
(56:13) - Ancient Accounting Systems in Peru
(58:45) - Conclusion and Viewer Interaction

Show Notes

AI Is Now a First Stop for Tax and Investing Questions - CPAs Need a Playbook Fast
https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2025/10/29/ai-is-now-a-first-stop-for-tax-and-investing-questions-cpas-need-a-playbook-fast/171939/

19% lost $100 or more on bad AI financial advice

https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/19-lost-100-or-more-on-bad-ai-financial-advice

Intuit to pay OpenAI over $100 million for model access, ChatGPT integrates with TurboTax

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/18/intuit-pays-openai-100-million-turbotax-integrates-chatgpt.html

Intuit Strikes $100M Deal to Bring TurboTax and QuickBooks Into ChatGPT

https://www.eweek.com/news/intuit-100m-chatgpt-deal/

Intuit signs $100M+ deal with OpenAI to bring its apps to ChatGPT

https://techcrunch.com/2025/11/18/intuit-signs-100m-deal-with-openai-to-bring-its-apps-to-chatgpt/

Intuit and OpenAI join forces on new AI-powered experiences

https://openai.com/index/intuit-partnership/

'Big Short' investor Michael Burry accuses AI hyperscalers of artificially boosting earnings

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/11/big-short-investor-michael-burry-accuses-ai-hyperscalers-of-artificially-boosting-earnings.html

Michael Burry Hits Back At Critics: Accuses AI Companies Of 'Suspicious Revenue Recognition' And Depreciation Gimmicks: 'Fraud, Not A Flywheel'

https://www.benzinga.com/markets/hedge-funds/25/11/48967194/michael-burry-hits-back-at-critics-accuses-ai-companies-of-suspicious-revenue-recognition-and-depreciation-gimmicks-fraud-not-a-flywheel

Fireside chat with PCAOB acting chair George Botic

https://www.accountingtoday.com/opinion/fireside-chat-with-pcaob-acting-chair-george-botic

New Banking Records Prove Deel Paid Thief Who Stole Trade Secrets from Rippling

https://www.rippling.com/blog/new-banking-records-prove-deel-paid-thief-who-stole-trade-secrets-from-rippling

Newly unsealed documents tie Deel to payments for alleged Rippling spy, while Deel points to witness incentives

https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/h1ysgtng11l

FASB Says Certain Costs of Leases Standard Were Significantly Higher Than Expected

https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2025/11/20/fasb-says-certain-costs-of-lease-accounting-standard-were-significantly-higher-than-expected/173680/

FASB finds leases standard was costlier than expected

https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/fasb-finds-leases-standard-was-costlier-than-expected

NJ's once-stalled CPA licensing bill advances after 'surprise' vote

https://www.cfodive.com/news/njs-once-stalled-cpa-licensing-bill-advances-surprise-vote-accounting/805589/

Indigenous accounting and exchange at Monte Sierpe ('Band of Holes') in the Pisco Valley, Peru

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/indigenous-accounting-and-exchange-at-monte-sierpe-band-of-holes-in-the-pisco-valley-peru/41D83389D230D99CFF18194CF274A9A3

Peru's ancient 'band of holes' mystery may be solved

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/11/21/science/peru-band-of-holes-mystery

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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 Podcha...

59 MIN

NOV 20, 2025

The Future of Advisory: Unlocking Your Firm’s CFO Potential (from The Earmark Podcast)

Earmark Media Presents a bonus episode of Earmark Podcast:

Live from Boston on the final stop of the Advisory Amplified tour, Blake sits down with James Erving from Fathom and Chris Macksey from Prix Fixe Accounting to explore what advisory services really mean beyond bookkeeping and compliance. Chris shares how his firm requires advisory for all restaurant clients, using industry expertise and operational metrics to guide decisions on everything from menu pricing to expansion timing. The conversation covers the difference between delivering information versus being integral to decision-making, with insights on forecasting, benchmarking, and why visual KPIs help clients with low financial literacy understand their business performance.

Meet Our Guests

James Erving

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameserving/

Learn more about Fathom

Official website: http://fathomhq.com

Chris Macksey

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cmacksey/

Learn more about Prix Fixe Accounting

Official website: https://prixfixe.accountants/

Need CPE?
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Get CPE for listening to podcasts with Earmark: https://earmarkcpe.com
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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/ApplePodcasts
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Classifieds

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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

28 MIN

NOV 18, 2025

Leading with Empathy: Building Teams That Thrive (from The Earmark Podcast)

Earmark Media Presents a bonus episode of Earmark Podcast:

On the fifth stop of the Advisory Amplified tour in Atlanta, Blake sits down with Lisa Gilreath of Acuity and Valerie Heckman of OnPay to discuss what empathetic leadership actually looks like in an industry notorious for long hours and tight deadlines. The conversation covers everything from recognizing when team members are struggling to handling toxic high performers, with real talk about building slack into capacity planning and why unused PTO is a red flag. Lisa and Valerie share concrete steps for creating a culture where people feel supported enough to lean in when it matters most.

Meet Our Guests

Valerie Heckman

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valerieheckman/

Learn more about OnPay

Official website: https://onpay.com

Lisa Gilreath

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-gilreath-2ba506a/

Learn more about Sorren

Official website: https://sorren.com/

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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/ApplePodcasts
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAccountingPodcast
Spotify: http://cloudacctpod.link/Spotify
Podchaser: http://cloudacctpod.link/podchaser
Stitcher: http://cloudacctpod.link/Stitcher
Overcast: http://cloudacctpod.link/Overcast

Classifieds

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

32 MIN

Details

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