The Accounting Podcast

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/casOnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpayWurthy - http://accountingpodcast.promo/wurthyChapters(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 NotesHow Tax Day Turned Into Party Night at the Post Officehttps://www.history.com/articles/tax-day-partiesAmericans to Spend 11.6 Billion Hours Completing Federal Compliance Formshttps://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2026/03/16/americans-to-spend-11-6-billion-hours-completing-federal-compliance-forms/179866/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.htmlIRS AI Projects Fall by the Wayside Due to Staff Cutshttps://www.accountingtoday.com/news/irs-ai-projects-fall-by-the-wayside-due-to-staff-cutsIRS Inflated Direct File Costs by $45 Million in 2025https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2026/03/25/irs-inflated-direct-file-costs-by-45-million-in-2025/180237/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)https://www.tidwell.comWarehouse Worker Charged in $500M Arson Attack at Kimberly-Clark Distribution Centerhttps://abc7.com/post/employee-arrested-arson-kimberly-clark-distribition-center-destroyed-massive-fire-ontario/18851549/New Jersey Tax Preparer Sentenced in Largest COVID-19 Tax Relief Fraud Casehttps://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/new-jersey-man-sentenced-prison-largest-covid-19-tax-relief-fraud-scheme-countryPennsylvania Tax Preparer Jessica Cordero Faces Federal Charges in New Fraud Schemehttps://www.justice.gov/usao-edpa/pr/allentown-woman-and-two-others-charged-federal-court-wire-fraud-and-aggravated-identityIn This Critical Part of Audits, the Accountant's Role Is Shrinking Fasthttps://www.wsj.com/finance/accounting/auditors-ai-kpmg-pwc-ey-7f07d3a5KPMG Plans to Cut Up to 440 Audit Jobs in UKhttps://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-27/kpmg-set-to-shed-hundreds-of-auditors-as-attrition-remains-lowEY 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-monthAI Is Changing How EY Recruits, Develops and Promotes Employeeshttps://www.businessinsider.com/ey-ai-talent-career-paths-accounting-2026High-Growth Accounting Firms Spend Twice as Much on Marketinghttps://hingemarketing.com/blog/story/marketing-financial-services-the-2025-forecastEvergrande Liquidators and PwC Head to Courthttps://www.accountingtoday.com/news/evergrande-liquidators-and-pwc-head-to-courtOntario Securities Commission Accuses KPMG of Botching Audits for Bridging Financehttps://www.accountingtoday.com/news/ontario-securities-commission-accuses-kpmg-of-botching-audits-for-bridging-financeJuno Raises $12M Seed to Scale AI Tax Preparation Platformhttps://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2026/04/13/juno-raises-12m-seed-to-scale-ai-tax-preparation-platform-that-automates-90-of-busy-work/181502/AI Slop Survey: A Third of Workers Rarely Check AI Output Before Using Ithttps://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2026/04/08/ai-slop-survey-a-third-of-workers-rarely-check-ai-output-before-using-it/181191/Agentic AI Frameworks and Artifact's Omni Platform Launchhttps://www.artifact.buildNeed CPE?Get CPE for listening to podcasts with Earmark: https://earmarkcpe.comSubscribe to the Earmark Podcast:

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.SponsorsOnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpayCloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/casREFRAME 2026 - http://accountingpodcast.promo/reframe2026Wurthy - http://accountingpodcast.promo/wurthyChapters(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 Notes4 Million Children Have Been Signed Up for Trump Accounts with 1 Million Claiming the $1,000 Pilot Program Contributionhttps://www.irs.gov/newsroom/4-million-children-have-been-signed-up-for-trump-accounts-with-1-million-claiming-the-1000-pilot-program-contributionIntroducing Computer for Taxeshttps://www.perplexity.ai/hub/blog/introducing-computer-for-taxesThe IRS Wants Smarter Audits. Palantir Could Help Decide Who Gets Flaggedhttps://dnyuz.com/2026/03/30/the-irs-wants-smarter-audits-palantir-could-help-decide-who-gets-flagged/Digits Announces Outcome-Based Pricinghttps://www.accountingtoday.com/news/digits-announces-outcome-based-pricingYour AI Business Case Is Built on the Wrong Mathhttps://www.cfo.com/news/your-ai-business-case-is-built-on-the-wrong-math-throughput-accounting-productivity/816014/Treasury and IRS Announce Tax Filing Relief to DHS Personnelhttps://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0431Need CPE?Get CPE for listening to podcasts with Earmark: https://earmarkcpe.comSubscribe to the Earmark Podcast: https://podcast.earmarkcpe.comGet in TouchThanks 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.SponsorshipsAre you interested in sponsoring The Accounting Podcast? For details, read the prospectus.Need Accounting Conference Info? Check out our new website - accountingconferences.comLimited edition shirts, stickers, and other necessitiesTeePublic Store: http://cloudacctpod.link/merchSubscribeApple 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/OvercastClassifieds REFRAME 2026 - http://accountingpodcast.promo/reframe2026Want 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/RunClassifiedAdTranscriptsThe full transcript for this episode is available by clicking on the Transcript tab at the top of this page

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.SponsorsCloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/casOnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpayUNC - http://accountingpodcast.promo/uncChapters(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 NotesThe 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 returnhttps://www.accountingtoday.com/news/taxgpt-touts-ai-that-automatically-completes-returns-from-start-to-finish As Tax Deadline Approaches, Consumers Are Going to AI Before Filinghttps://www.pymnts.com/taxes/2026/as-tax-deadline-approaches-consumers-are-going-to-ai-before-filing/ AI Efficiency Gains Push Accounting Firms to Reimagine Pricinghttps://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 Businesseshttps://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260326956055/en/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 Closehttps://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ramp-launches-accounting-agent-to-automate-bookkeeping-with-real-time-close-302686214.html Ramp Launches Ramp Budgetshttps://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ramp-launches-ramp-budgets-302667840.html Canopy Unveils Canopy Bookkeeping to Eliminate Month-End Friction for Accounting and CAS Teamshttps://www.morningstar.com/news/business-wire/20260211348515/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 Integrationhttps://www.getcanopy.com/blog/canopy-expands-tax-workflow-with-ai-powered-tax-preparation-through-new-filed-integration Double AI Journal Entrieshttps://doublehq.com/ai-journal-entries/ Tech News: Ramp, Canopy Both Announce AI-Powered Bookkeeping Solutions (includes Bill.com AI agents coverage)https://www.accountingtoday.com/list/tech-news-ramp-canopy-both-announce-ai-powered-bookkeeping-solutions Exclusive: Founded By 2 Brothers In Their 20s, YC-Backed Denki Raises $4.1M To Automate Financial Auditshttps://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 Issuerhttps://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 Costcohttps://fortune.com/2026/03/13/americans-demanding-tariff-refunds-suing-costco-fedex/Need CPE?Get CPE for listening to podcasts with Earmark: https://earmarkcpe.comSubscribe to the Earmark Podcast: https://podcast.earmarkcpe.comGet in TouchThanks 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.SponsorshipsAre you interested in sponsoring The Accounting Podcast? For details,

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.SponsorsDigits - http://accountingpodcast.promo/digitsCloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/casOnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpayUNC - http://accountingpodcast.promo/uncChapters(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 NotesAir Traffic Audio Appears to Show Tower Was Dealing With Incident Before Crash (New York Times via DNYUZ)https://dnyuz.com/2026/03/23/air-traffic-audio-appears-to-show-tower-was-dealing-with-incident-before-crash/ 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)https://www.ficpa.org/news/1cee5313-ce07-47f2-841f-48a95344f6f5:legislative-update-end-of-session-still-pending 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.comSubscribe to the Earmark Podcast: https://podcast.earmarkcpe.comGet in TouchThanks 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.SponsorshipsAre you interested in sponsoring The Accounting Podcast? For details, read the prospectus.Need Accounting Conference Info? Check out our new website - accountingconferences.comLimited edition shirts, stickers, and other necessitiesTeePublic Store: http://cloudacctpod.link/merchSubscribeApple 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/OvercastWant 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/RunClassifiedAdTranscriptsThe full transcript for this episode is available by clicking on the Transcript tab at the top of this page

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.SponsorsOnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpayUNC - http://accountingpodcast.promo/uncChapters(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 NotesMassachusetts Auditor DiZoglio Performs "Baby Where the Hell Is My Audit" Parodyhttps://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/04/16/metro/diana-dizoglio-auditor-legislature-audit-democrats/ Afroman Wins Defamation Lawsuit Filed by Ohio Police Officershttps://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 Firmshttps://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 Chinahttps://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 AIhttps://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 Automatedhttps://fortune.com/2026/02/13/when-will-ai-kill-white-collar-office-jobs-18-months-microsoft-mustafa-suleyman/ Only 14% of UK Finance Leaders See Traditional Accounting Skills as Valuable for Next Generationhttps://www.theglobalrecruiter.com/only-14-per-cent-of-finance-leaders-see-traditional-accounting-skills-as-valuable-for-next-generation/ Accounting and Tax Staff Worry AI Threatens Jobshttps://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.htmlNeed CPE?Get CPE for listening to podcasts with Earmark: https://earmarkcpe.comSubscribe to the Earmark Podcast: https://podcast.earmarkcpe.comGet in TouchThanks 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.SponsorshipsAre you interested in sponsoring The Accounting Podcast? For details, read the prospectus.Need Accounting Conference Info? Check out our new website - accountingconferences.comLimited edition shirts, stickers, and other necessitiesTeePublic Store: http://cloudacctpod.link/merchSubscribeApple 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...