Earmark Podcast | Earn Free Accounting CPE

What if AI wipes out the entry-level accounting work firms have relied on for decades? Blake Oliver talks with Sikich managing principal Richard Lynch about the rise of the “super accountant,” why the pyramid-shaped firm may become a diamond, and how AI could force firms to rethink training, billing, and performance metrics. You’ll hear what firm leaders must change now—and what happens to those who don’t adapt.Chapters(00:00) - EAP 112 (07:41) - Training The Next Gen (09:39) - Rethinking Early Career Work (14:17) - Learning Review Without Doing (18:41) - Automated Tax Prep Reality (21:28) - Billable Hour Under Pressure (26:33) - Why Timesheets Persist (28:21) - Why Hours Persist (29:53) - Timesheets Trust and Control (30:53) - Preventing Burnout with Targets (32:30) - AI Breaks Time Productivity (34:39) - Shift from Production to Value (37:02) - New Metrics Client and Staff (39:13) - Revenue Incentives and Attribution (44:24) - Basketball Team Performance Model (46:33) - Hours Culture and Team Standards (51:34) - Leaders Choose Progression Sign up to get free CPE for listening to this podcasthttps://earmarkcpe.comhttps://earmark.app/Download the Earmark CPE App Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/earmark-cpe/id1562599728Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.earmarkcpe.appConnect with Richard Lynch, CPALinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardlynch/Connect with Blake Oliver, CPALinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaketoliverTwitter: https://twitter.com/blaketoliver/

What does the data actually say about where accounting firms are headed? Blake Oliver talks with Chelsea Summers of Inside Public Accounting about the real numbers behind firm performance, pricing, staffing, offshoring, advisory growth, and AI adoption. You’ll hear why top firms aren’t just working people harder, how offshore teams are boosting margins, and why hourly billing may be the biggest obstacle to using technology well.Chapters(00:00) - EAP 112 (04:45) - Advisory vs compliance mix (09:40) - Capacity and burnout signals (18:27) - Pricing models and billable hour (25:08) - AI ROI and adoption blockers (29:37) - About IPA and closing Sign up to get free CPE for listening to this podcasthttps://earmarkcpe.comhttps://earmark.app/Download the Earmark CPE App Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/earmark-cpe/id1562599728Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.earmarkcpe.appConnect with Our Guest, Chelsea SummersLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelseasummers620/Learn more about Inside Public Accountinghttp://insidepublicaccounting.comConnect with Blake Oliver, CPALinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaketoliverTwitter: https://twitter.com/blaketoliver/

Blake sits down with Lawrence Zlatkin, VP of Tax at Coinbase, to unpack the state of crypto taxation. From how the IRS treats digital assets as property to the new 1099-DA, stablecoin reporting burdens, and the policy changes Coinbase is pushing for in Washington, this episode covers what tax pros need to know now and where the rules may be headed next.Chapters(00:00) - EAP 111 (02:11) - What is Form 1099-DA (03:08) - Reconciling 1099 data (03:53) - Why cost basis matters (08:29) - IRS use of gross proceeds (12:44) - Crypto tax basics (14:07) - Staking and 1099-MISC (15:36) - Stablecoins as property (17:43) - Reporting thresholds and privacy (22:42) - Policy priorities in DC (23:47) - De minimis and admin burden (28:34) - Charity and appraisal rules (30:15) - Foreign investment safe harbors (32:20) - Why Congress moves slowly (34:56) - Wrap-up and thanks Sign up to get free CPE for listening to this podcasthttps://earmarkcpe.comhttps://earmark.app/Download the Earmark CPE App Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/earmark-cpe/id1562599728Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.earmarkcpe.appConnect with Our Guest Lawrence Zlatin https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrence-zlatkin-880417bLearn more about Coinbasehttps://www.coinbase.comConnect with Blake Oliver, CPALinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaketoliverTwitter: https://twitter.com/blaketoliver/

What really happens after private equity buys your CPA firm? ParkerGale partner Devin Mathews joins Blake to unpack why partners cheer while staff chafe, how PE drives returns (bill rates, utilization, acquisitions), and what managers should demand: a clear value‑creation plan and a path to upside. They also dig into AI’s true impact—raising the ceiling, squeezing entry‑level work—and why this might be your cue to start an AI‑first firm.Chapters(00:00) - Private Equity Meets AI (02:04) - Survey Shock Partners vs Staff (04:18) - How PE Boosts Profits (06:17) - Culture Clash and KPIs (09:29) - The New Owner Speech (23:15) - Lessons From Vets and Dentists (25:50) - Pricing Power and Workload (26:39) - How Firms Decide to Sell (27:12) - Deal Tensions Surface (27:25) - LOI And Data Deep Dive (28:20) - Pricing Pressure And Client Cuts (29:48) - Spreadsheet Management Shock (33:20) - Career Paths And Trust (35:02) - Demand The Value Plan (37:13) - Three Problems To Fix (40:00) - AI Threat Or Tailwind (41:35) - AI Reality Check (45:17) - Entry Level Gets Harder (48:47) - Start An AI First Firm (50:56) - Podcast And Farewell Sign up to get free CPE for listening to this podcasthttps://earmarkcpe.comhttps://earmark.app/Download the Earmark CPE App Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/earmark-cpe/id1562599728Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.earmarkcpe.appConnect with Our Guest, Devin MathewsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinmathewsLearn more about ParkerGalehttps://www.parkergale.com/Connect with Blake Oliver, CPALinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaketoliverTwitter: https://twitter.com/blaketoliver/

AI won’t replace accountants—but AI-enabled firms will outcompete them. Blake Oliver sits down with Thomson Reuters’ Elizabeth Beastrom and Kirat Sekhon to map the end-to-end tax workflow, from document intake and auto-population (SurePrep) to delivery and e-sign (SafeSend), and into year-round advisory with CoCounsel and Ready to Advise. Learn how to “kill the questionnaire,” free staff from data entry, build an open tech stack, and turn tax prep into subscription advisory.Chapters(02:49) - Technology Expectations of New Accountants (03:38) - The Shift from Desktop to Cloud-Based Tax Software (05:14) - Thomson Reuters' Approach to Customer-Centric Tax Technology (05:55) - Automation and AI in Tax Workflow (10:58) - The Role of SurePrep in Data Entry Automation (18:34) - Advisory Services and Ready to Advise (24:53) - AI in Onboarding and Knowledge Transfer (25:35) - Empowering Junior Associates with AI (26:41) - AI in Education and Talent Attraction (30:40) - AI's Role in Tax and Accounting (33:58) - The Future of AI in Tax Preparation (41:59) - AI-Driven Advisory Services (47:41) - Practical Steps for Tax Firms to Embrace AI Sign up to get free CPE for listening to this podcasthttps://earmarkcpe.comhttps://earmark.app/Download the Earmark CPE App Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/earmark-cpe/id1562599728Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.earmarkcpe.appConnect with Our GuestsElizabeth Beastromhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-beastrom/Kirat Sekhonhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/kirat-sekhon-2172022/Learn more about Thomson Reutershttp://thomsonreuters.com/Connect with Blake Oliver, CPALinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaketoliverTwitter: https://twitter.com/blaketoliver/