The Accounting Podcast

Will faster tax prep mean shorter hours—or just more returns to review? Blake Oliver and David Leary compare AI announcements from Intuit Connect, NetSuite SuiteWorld, and CCH Connections. They also explore how Digits, Kick, and Gusto connect accounting data to tools like Claude and ChatGPT. Learn where automation could save time, create new bottlenecks, and push firms to rethink hourly billing. Sponsors Cloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/cas Canopy - http://accountingpodcast.promo/canopy OnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpay Kick.co - http://accountingpodcast.promo/kick Chapters (00:00) - Bitcoin Audit Reality Check (00:19) - Show Intro and Events Preview (02:22) - Intuit Connect vs SuiteWorld AI (04:13) - Intuit Accountant Suite Tour (09:14) - Industry Editions and AI Agents (13:12) - AI Pricing and Token Costs (17:10) - CCH Connections First Impressions (20:42) - Keynote Generic vs Domain AI (22:14) - Agentic Tax Prep Demo Walkthrough (24:37) - Capacity Burnout and Billing Models (27:24) - Document Gathering K1 Bottleneck (28:27) - AI ROI Reality Check (29:18) - Tax Planning Upside (31:29) - Seeing Demos Live (32:20) - Audit Agents Expansion (33:16) - Intuit Connect Observations (36:18) - Digits Multi Entity Push (39:07) - MCPs Open vs Closed (45:04) - Kick MCP Workflows (48:47) - Crypto Audit Cautionary Tale (56:38) - Gusto MCP and Slack (59:41) - Wrap Up and CPE Tips Show Notes Intuit Expands Intelligence Platform to Power the Next Era of Accounting Firm and Business Growth https://investors.intuit.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/1329/intuit-expands-intelligence-platform-to-power-the-next-era-of-accounting-firm-and-business-growth NetSuite Advances Vision for an Autonomous Suite https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/netsuite-advances-vision-for-an-autonomous-suite-302919139.html Intuit Accountant Suite Fall 2026 Updates https://www.firmofthefuture.com/product-update/intuit-accountant-suite-fall-2026-updates/ Intuit Expands Industry Roster for Intuit Enterprise Suite, Steps Up Midmarket Game https://www.constellationr.com/insights/news/intuit-expands-industry-roster-intuit-enterprise-suite-steps-midmarket-game Intuit to Acquire AI-Native Revenue Management Platform Sequence https://investors.intuit.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/1327/intuit-to-acquire-ai-native-revenue-management-platform-sequence NetSuite QuickStart Gives US Tech Startups a Free Route Into Its ERP https://erp.today/netsuite-quickstart-gives-us-tech-startups-a-free-route-into-its-erp/ Wolters Kluwer Launches Agentic Tax Preparation in CCH Axcess, the Agentic Platform for Tax and Accounting https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/news/wolters-kluwer-launches-agentic-tax-preparation-in-cch-axcess Wolters Kluwer Expands Agentic Tax and Audit Capabilities in CCH Axcess https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/news/wolters-kluwer-expands-agentic-tax-and-audit-capabilities-in-cch-axcess Wolters Kluwer Partners with Inscope to Launch Agentic Financial Statement Preparation in CCH Axcess https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/news/wolters-kluwer-partners-with-inscope-to-launch-agentic-financial-statement Digits Touts Multi-Entity Support https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/digits-touts-multi-entity-support Digits Launches Write MCP: The Safe Way for AI Agents to Do Accounting https://insightfulaccountant.com/accounting-tech/vendor-news/digits-launches-write-mcp-the-safe-way-for-ai-agents-to-do-accounting/ Kick MCP https://www.kick.co/changelog/kick-mcp Bitcoin Treasury Datavault AI Says It Can’t Access Its BTC, Stock Tanks https://decrypt.co/382116/bitcoin-treasury-datavault-ai-stock-crashes-cant-access-btc Datavault AI Inc. Form 8-K https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001682149/000110465926118772/tm2628100d1_8k.htm Gusto MCP https://gusto.com/product/integrations/gusto-mcp Need CPE? Get CPE for listening to podcasts with Earmark: https://earmarkcpe.com Subscribe 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 Limit...

Should your AI agent have the same bank access you do? Blake Oliver and David Leary unpack banks’ concerns about AI agents and explain why separate logins and limited permissions matter. They also explore practical email automation, Blake’s ballooning token costs, and why firm-wide AI gains require standardized workflows. Plus, they examine Oxford Economics’ warning that U.S. growth could look recessionary without AI investment—and what that means for the pressure to deliver real returns. Sponsors Digits - http://accountingpodcast.promo/digits Numeral - http://accountingpodcast.promo/numeral OnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpay Cloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/cas Chapters (00:00) - Recession With AI Boost (00:47) - TurboTax Storefront Mystery (04:37) - CCH Conference AI Preview (06:21) - Banks Block AI Agents (10:03) - Stripe Treasury Agents Rise (12:41) - Permissioned Access Fix (18:43) - Zapier MCP Lawyer Workflow (24:36) - Token Spend Spirals (28:13) - Shared AI Orchestration Layers (29:40) - AI Layer Missed (30:46) - Standardize vs Customize (35:03) - Memory Costs Tokens (37:17) - Inbox Automation Wins (40:01) - Scaling Past Demos (41:33) - Firm AI vs Personal (45:07) - PE Rollup AI Bet (50:32) - AI Native Firm Risks (51:16) - Recession Minus AI (54:47) - ROI Reality Check (57:25) - Chicago Head Tax (58:43) - Wrap Up and CPE Show Notes TurboTax Stores and Expert Offices in Santa Monica https://turbotax.intuit.com/local-tax-offices/ca/santa-monica/ Banks Are Blocking External AI Agents. Is This Sustainable? https://americanbanker.com/news/banks-are-blocking-external-ai-agents-is-this-sustainable Introducing Stripe Treasury for Agents https://stripe.com/newsroom/news/treasury-for-agents Stripe Agrees to Acquire OpenRouter to Help Businesses Optimize Token Routing and Usage https://stripe.com/newsroom/news/stripe-agrees-to-acquire-openrouter What Happens to a Lawyer’s Business Model When AI Makes Him 5x Faster https://zapier.com/blog/damian-guzman-fte-legal-mcp/ Introducing Glass https://ramp.com/blog/introducing-glass Meridian Launches Meridian Starter, a Shared AI Workspace for Accounting Firms https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/10/20/3384755/0/en/meridian-launches-meridian-starter-a-shared-ai-workspace-for-accounting-firms.html Platform Accounting Group Secures $355 Million Investment https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/?p=192093 Exclusive: Gradient Raises $4M for AI-Native Startup Accounting Firm https://techfundingnews.com/exclusive-gradient-raises-4m-ai-native-accounting-firm-us-startups/ Minus AI Investments, the US Edges Toward Recession https://www.cfo.com/news/minus-ai-investments-the-us-edges-toward-recession/833461/ Mayor Johnson Renews Fight for His Failed Corporate Head Tax https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2026/10/20/mayor-brandon-johnson-failed-corporate-head-tax-resurrected-proposed-budget Need CPE? Get CPE for listening to podcasts with Earmark: https://earmarkcpe.com Subscribe 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/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 ProfitRoot - 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

AI outperformed 12 CPAs on a month-end close benchmark, but that doesn’t mean it can replace them. Blake Oliver and David Leary unpack the study’s limits and why adding AI to existing workflows may not save time. They also explore survey findings that accounting budgets triple when businesses hit $1 million in revenue, plus why most firms are invisible in AI searches. Learn what these shifts mean for your firm’s processes, pricing, and marketing. Sponsors Cloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/cas OnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpay Finance Accounting Technology Expo - http://accountingpodcast.promo/fate SavantLabs - http://accountingpodcast.promo/savant Chapters (00:00) - AI Search Visibility Crisis (00:24) - Show Intro and Headlines (02:38) - Livestream Shoutouts (03:18) - AI Beats CPAs Study (05:40) - Charts Speed and Accuracy (08:27) - Why Humans Lag Context (10:31) - When AI Plus Human Fails (20:00) - AI Native Workflow Shift (26:52) - Sams List Client Budgets (29:48) - Small Biz Client Focus (30:36) - What Clients Actually Want (31:35) - Pricing Reality Check (34:06) - Startup Budget Mindset (36:34) - New Studio Chat (37:59) - AI Progress Story (43:29) - Ramp Glass Orchestration (47:26) - AI Search Disrupts SEO (50:41) - How To Get Recommended (53:13) - Niche Beats Location SEO (55:21) - Wrap Up And CPE Show Notes Human Baselines for Benchmarks: AI Now Outperforms Junior Accountants https://www.mercor.com/blog/human-baselines-for-benchmarks-ai-now-outperforms-junior-accountants/ Clients Spend $5K a Year on Accountant Until Revenue Passes $1M https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/clients-spend-5k-a-year-on-accountant-until-revenue-passes-1m Meta Is Back in the AI Race. Muse Wonder Just Ranked #2 for Accounting https://www.dualentry.com/blog/muse-wonder-just-ranked-2-for-accounting Ramp’s $1.5 Million Week of Spending Leads to Glass AI Tool https://www.pymnts.com/?p=4306638 Ramp Glass https://ramp.com/glass AI Recommendations Favoring Narrow Band of Big Firms https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/ai-recommendations-favoring-narrow-band-of-big-firms Need CPE? Get CPE for listening to podcasts with Earmark: https://earmarkcpe.com Subscribe 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/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 ProfitRoot - 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

Could AI replace your CFO or simply make their job more exhausting? Blake and David debate automation’s limits, unpack an enrolled agent’s log of 188 IRS calls, and explore proposed reforms to taxpayer service. They also examine why AI is putting pressure on billable hours, gaps in AI safety audit requirements, and a romance scam victim’s $225,000 tax bill. Learn what these developments could mean for your firm, clients, and workload. Sponsors OnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpay Numeral - http://accountingpodcast.promo/numeral SavantLabs - http://accountingpodcast.promo/savant Cloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/cas Chapters (00:00) - TAP 508 (02:40) - Can AI replace executives (03:38) - Survey results and divides (06:03) - Why AI can't lead yet (12:18) - EA tracks IRS call hell (13:54) - IRS chatbots and america.gov (15:50) - IRS and ICE data sharing (17:42) - IRS modernization bill highlights (22:45) - Tax fraud and complexity costs (25:53) - Influencer deductions in tax court (28:00) - Influencer Expenses Denied (28:45) - Accountant With Bad Records (29:38) - Romance Scam Tax Bill (31:25) - ‌ (33:01) - AI Agents Breach Systems (42:13) - Big Law Versus AI Billing (47:44) - Illinois AI Audit Mandate (52:07) - Meta Muse Integrations (52:31) - Wrap Up And Events Show Notes Could AI replace CFOs and other top executives? https://www.cfo.com/news/could-ai-replace-cfos-and-other-top-executives-watch-chest-ai-/827098/ IRS Hold Times in 2026: What 188 Timed Calls to the IRS Actually Showed https://claritytaxrelief.com/blog/irs-hold-times-study-188-calls/ Appeals court blocks IRS from sharing taxpayer info with ICE https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/appeals-court-blocks-irs-from-sharing-taxpayer-info-with-ice Senate unanimously passes TAS Act https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/senate-unanimously-passes-tas-act Congress approves funding bill that maintains IRS budget https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/news/2026/sep/congress-approves-funding-bill-that-maintains-irs-budget/ GAO tax fraud estimate puts annual losses at up to $304 billion https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/news/2026/sep/gao-tax-fraud-estimate-puts-annual-losses-at-up-to-304-billion/ Tax Complexity Now Costs the US Economy over $544 Billion Annually https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/federal/irs-tax-complexity-costs-us-economy-over-544-billion-annually/ Paying For Clout Isn't A Business Expense: Tax Court Lessons For Social Media Creators https://abovethelaw.com/2026/08/paying-for-clout-isnt-a-business-expense-tax-court-lessons-for-social-media-creators/ A North Carolina Woman Lost $600,000 to a Scam. Then an Unexpected IRS Bill Arrived https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/?p=190730 EY staffers accused of accessing Australia PM's bank account https://www.accountingtoday.com/articles/ey-staffers-accused-of-accessing-australia-pms-bank-account 'Extreme concern' over first known AI hack of a government system https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/23/business/australia-openai-agent-hack-intl-hnk OpenAI alerts more than 100 groups about rogue AI agent activity https://www.thestar.com.my/tech/tech-news/2026/10/02/openai-alerts-more-than-100-groups-about-rogue-ai-agent-activity OpenAI says its AI agents probed federal websites without the company's knowledge https://www.whro.org/2026-09-26/openai-says-its-ai-agents-probed-federal-websites-without-the-companys-knowledge As A.I. Makes Law Firms More Efficient, Clients Ask: 'Where's My Discount?' https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/26/business/dealbook/ai-law-discount-billable-hour.html Sorren launches law firm https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/sorren-launches-sorren-law Column: Illinois Ordered an Audit of AI Developers. Who Will Do It? https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2026/07/28/column-illinois-ordered-an-audit-of-ai-developers-who-will-do-it/187458/ Meta is expanding its AI agent Muse to small businesses https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/29/meta-is-expanding-its-ai-agent-muse-to-small-businesses/ Need CPE? Get CPE for listening to podcasts with Earmark: https://earmarkcpe.com Subscribe 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? F...

Will AI replace accountants—or finally ease the profession’s talent shortage? Blake and David unpack why AI-exposed accounting roles are seeing pay rise, not fall; how EY cut audit deficiencies from 28% to under 5%; and why firms must give AI agents limited access and auditable logins. They also explore the coming firm structure: fewer staff, more AI agents, and partners focused on judgment, review, and client relationships. Sponsors Cloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/cas Numeral - http://accountingpodcast.promo/numeral OnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpay Veltrix - http://accountingpodcast.promo/veltrix Chapters (00:00) - Staff Are Gone (01:52) - Doctor Note AI Warning (03:33) - AI Access Controls Lesson (06:05) - Annual Reports Design (07:59) - Taxing AI Debate (13:08) - Audit Judgment Future (19:11) - EY Audit Quality Surge (23:05) - Meta Muse Microwave Moment (29:52) - Apps Handing Off To Claude (31:58) - AI As The Interface (32:58) - LLMs Become The New OS (34:15) - Where AI Captures Value (35:29) - Platform Cloning Threats (36:26) - Regulation Protects Fintech (37:02) - Orchestrating Accounting Agents (39:10) - One Universal Business Brain (41:53) - Big Four Future In AI (46:32) - KPMG Incubator Career Play (49:52) - America Solopreneur Boom (52:53) - Are Business Filings Real (53:53) - Spotify Lessons For Firms (58:18) - Accountant Turned Top DJ (01:01:13) - Shakira Tax Residency Fight (01:02:35) - Wrap Up And CPE Plug Show Notes The turbulent AI era is here. The choices we make now are critical. https://www.gatesnotes.com/a-turbulent-ai-era-and-critical-choices-to-make US jobs paradox: AI-exposed roles see 46% pay surge even as AI-linked layoffs rise https://businesstoday.in/technology/story/us-jobs-paradox-ai-exposed-roles-see-46-pay-surge-even-as-ai-linked-layoffs-rise-556730-2026-09-21 PCAOB's Logothetis: AI can only do part of an auditor's job https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/pcaobs-logothetis-ai-can-only-do-part-of-an-auditors-job EY reports improved audit quality https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/ey-reports-improved-audit-quality Introducing Muse: The World's First Personal AI Agent Built for Everyone https://about.fb.com/news/2026/09/introducing-muse-personal-ai-agent/ Expensify Becomes One of the First Expense Management Tools Available in Claude for Small Business https://finviz.com/news/392305/expensify-becomes-one-of-the-first-expense-management-tools-available-in-claude-for-small-business Xero Wherever You Work: Real-Time Financial Intelligence in Claude for Small Business and ChatGPT https://blog.xero.com/product-updates/claude-for-small-business-chatgpt-ai-integrations-launch/ Avalara launches Aviator AI hub for tax compliance https://itbrief.co.uk/story/avalara-launches-aviator-ai-hub-for-tax-compliance Clients now expect some projects to happen twice as fast, PwC partner says https://www.indiaipo.in/news/detail/clients-now-expect-some-projects-to-happen-twice-as-fast-pwc-partner KPMG Announces Client Technology & Innovation Group to Build AI-Native Businesses https://kpmg.com/us/en/media/news/kpmg-announces-client-technology-innovation-group.html America has become an entrepreneur's paradise https://thenightly.com.au/business/the-economist-america-has-become-an-entrepreneurs-paradise-c-22636515 What accounting firms can learn from the music industry https://www.accountingtoday.com/opinion/what-accounting-firms-can-learn-from-the-music-industry John Summit Saved $20,000 and Quit His Accounting Job to Become a DJ. Now He's Building an Entertainment Empire https://www.entrepreneur.com/building-a-business/john-summit-saved-20000-and-quit-his-accounting-job-to-become-a-dj-now-hes-building-an-entertainment-empire Shakira takes Spain stage as court reviews $63M tax claim https://www.accountingtoday.com/articles/shakira-takes-spain-stage-as-court-reviews-63m-tax-claim Need CPE? Get CPE for listening to podcasts with Earmark: https://earmarkcpe.com Subscribe 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 neces...