Could AI Replace CFOs & Time Tracking 188 IRS Calls

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...