The Accounting Podcast

Can AI prepare a tax return—and catch errors the software misses? Blake shares how Claude Cowork reconciled books, built workpapers, and completed two business returns, while David examines EY’s bonuses for human judgment, Deloitte’s $21 million DEI settlement, and PwC’s Evergrande exposure. Plus, Cloud Accountant Staffing’s Jordan Sublette explains why onshoring is joining offshore hiring strategies for accounting firms.SponsorsOnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpayThomson Reuters - http://accountingpodcast.promo/taxautomationSavant Labs - http://accountingpodcast.promo/savantCloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/casChapters(00:00) - Ethics And Job Security (00:18) - Show Intro And Headlines (02:34) - Livestream Shoutouts (03:03) - Claude CoWork Tax Prep (06:54) - AI Catches TaxAct Errors (11:26) - Accrual Buys Puzzle (18:19) - EY Human Skills Bonuses (20:33) - Deloitte DEI Settlement (27:43) - Salaries And Big Four Fallout (31:22) - PwC Evergrande Liability (35:03) - Grant Thornton Buys CBIZ (36:25) - CBIZ Returns Reality Check (37:23) - Marcum Deal And Partner Payouts (38:34) - IRS Revenue Hits Record (40:50) - Chat Reactions And AI Ledgers (44:03) - AI Cost Seg Pitfalls (53:00) - Jordan Joins And Origin Story (55:06) - Jason Staats Partnership Explained (59:37) - Onshoring Portal And Pricing (01:04:58) - Candidate Vetting And Training (01:09:37) - Meetups And CPE Wrap Up  Show NotesAccrual to Acquire Puzzle to Expand Into Client Accounting Serviceshttps://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2026/09/02/accrual-takes-the-leap-into-cas-by-acquiring-puzzle/189565/EY Rewards Employees' Human Skills With $100Mhttps://www.accountingtoday.com/news/ey-rewards-employees-human-skills-with-100mDeloitte to Pay $21.5M to Settle Claims Its DEI Programs Violated Federal Civil Rights Lawhttps://www.cfo.com/news/deloitte-to-pay-215m-to-settle-claims-its-dei-programs-violated-federal-c/828948/Accounting Firm Salaries Rose Slightly This Yearhttps://www.cfobrew.com/stories/accounting-firm-salaries-rose-slightly-this-yearKPMG Australia to Axe 5% of Workforcehttps://www.cfo.com/news/kpmg-australia-to-axe-5-of-workforce-John-Sams/828636/PwC International Can't Exit Evergrande Case, HK Court Ruleshttps://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-26/pwc-international-can-t-exit-evergrande-case-hk-court-rulesCBIZ Told Grant Thornton No, No, No, Before Saying Yeshttps://cpatrendlines.com/2026/09/01/cbiz-told-grant-thornton-no-no-no-before-saying-yes/IRS Enforcement Activity Fell Despite Record Tax Collections, TIGTA Sayshttps://www.journalofaccountancy.com/news/2026/aug/irs-enforcement-activity-fell-despite-record-tax-collections-tigta-says/Cost Segregation in the Age of AI: What the IRS Audit Technique Guidelines Revealhttps://www.accountingtoday.com/opinion/cost-segregation-in-the-age-of-ai-what-the-irs-audit-technique-guidelines-revealNeed 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 Fearless Foundry - www.advisoryamplified.comExpense Bot - https://www.expensebot.ai/accountantProfitRoot - 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/RunClassifiedAdTranscriptsTh...

Can AI make tax prep cheaper without replacing the experts behind it? Hector Garcia joins Blake and David to unpack Intuit’s TurboTax pricing pressure, QuickBooks’ push into the mid-market, and whether AI-powered services are a bridge to automation. They also examine Thomson Reuters’ proprietary tax-and-legal AI model, Relate’s $100 million raise, and a student’s unusual path onto the New Mexico Board of Accountancy.SponsorsCloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/casThomson Reuters - http://accountingpodcast.promo/taxautomationOnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpaySavant Labs - http://accountingpodcast.promo/savantChapters(00:00) - TAP 503 (02:47) - Intuit earnings overview (03:52) - Meet Hector Garcia (04:40) - Intuit stock and AI fears (07:57) - TurboTax pricing pressure (11:34) - TurboTax Live strategy shift (16:12) - TurboTax Live vs firms (19:47) - AI plus human bridge (22:13) - QuickBooks Free and Light (25:54) - Thomson Reuters builds LLM (30:29) - Trust security and ownership (34:16) - Vertical models disrupt giants (35:18) - Copilot partnership pitch (36:51) - Bulk AI Adoption (38:59) - Rillet Unicorn News (39:21) - Workday Buyout Math (40:50) - Switching Costs Reality (43:12) - Intuit Versus Rillet (45:26) - How Rillet Wins (48:18) - AI Spend Line Item (51:15) - Stripe Buys OpenRouter (53:22) - Reframe Conference Pitch (56:01) - Pablo Pledgebar Cautionary (57:08) - Britton Joins Board (01:01:37) - Student View On PE (01:04:57) - Education And AI Concerns (01:09:33) - Board Dynamics Explained (01:12:12) - Regulation Priorities (01:15:13) - Wrap Up And CPE  Show NotesIntuit Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year Fiscal 2026 Results; Sets Fiscal 2027 Guidancehttps://investors.intuit.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/1320/intuit-reports-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-fiscal-2026-results-sets-fiscal-2027-guidanceThomson Reuters Leverages its World-Class Data Assets to Launch Its Own Frontier Modelhttps://www.thomsonreuters.com/en/press-releases/2026/august/thomson-reuters-leverages-its-world-class-data-assets-to-launch-its-own-frontier-modelRillet Raises $100 Million Series C at $1 Billion Valuation, Becomes Unicornhttps://techcrunch.com/2026/08/19/rillet-raises-100m-series-c-at-1b-valuation-2-years-after-emerging-from-stealth/Silver Lake Eyes $51 Billion Workday Take-Private in Mega Software Dealhttps://www.axios.com/2026/08/14/silver-lake-workday-take-privateStripe Agrees to Acquire OpenRouter to Help Businesses Optimize Token Routing and Usagehttps://stripe.com/newsroom/news/stripe-agrees-to-acquire-openrouterFrom Accounting Major and Frat Brother to Suspected of Being Penn State's Largest Drug Dealerhttps://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/penn-state-agostino-abbatiello-drug-scheme-rcna593041Accounting Student Appointed to the New Mexico Public Accountancy Boardhttps://news.unm.edu/news/accounting-student-appointed-to-the-new-mexico-public-accountancy-boardNeed 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 Fearless Foundry - www.advisoryamplified.comExpense Bot - https://www.expensebot.ai/accountantProfitRoot - 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/RunClassifiedAdTranscriptsThe full transcript for this episode is available by clicking on the Transcript tab at the to...

AI agents are going rogue — deleting bookings, sending unauthorized emails, and lying about it — and Blake and David trace the trend into the $3 trillion of off-balance-sheet AI commitments hiding in Big Tech's footnotes (and why accountants will get blamed when the bubble pops). They also recap what stood out at XeroCon 2026. Then Hoover Institution fellow Ben Jaros runs the real numbers on California's Prop 40 billionaire wealth tax — why the $100 billion estimate is closer to $40 billion, and whether taxing 200 people is even constitutional.SponsorsCanopy - http://accountingpodcast.promo/canopyThomson Reuters - http://accountingpodcast.promo/taxautomationOnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpayCloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/casChapters(00:00) - Welcome to The Accounting Podcast (03:00) - Rogue AI Agents Gone Wild (07:53) - Controlling Agent Permissions (12:08) - Microsoft AI Receivables Surge (14:49) - Three Trillion Off Book Commitments (17:09) - Meta Hyperion Lease Loopholes (21:33) - Bubble Risk and Circular Financing (28:24) - XeroCon Highlights and AI Agents (32:21) - Bank Reconciliation and Roadmap Gripes (34:10) - Conference Vaporware Rant (34:37) - Billionaire Tax Preview (36:33) - Prop 40 Basics (38:40) - Revenue Reality Check (42:44) - Residency Cutoff Drama (45:01) - Wealth Tax vs Income Tax (45:52) - One Time Or Not (46:34) - Healthcare Backfill Claims (51:42) - Better Ways To Tax (55:23) - Constitutional Challenges (58:01) - Why Voters Oppose It (01:02:09) - Trial Balloon And Wrap Up  Show NotesComing soon!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/OvercastClassifieds Flowglad - https://cal.com/team/flowglad/flowgladFearless Foundry - www.advisoryamplified.comExpense Bot - https://www.expensebot.ai/accountantProfitRoot - 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/RunClassifiedAdTranscriptsThe full transcript for this episode is available by clicking on the Transcript tab at the top of this page

Is AI creating an audit boom—or hiding the next Enron-style risk? Blake and David unpack NVIDIA’s $500 billion data-center financing plan, why Michael Burry sees warning signs, and how AI is speeding up audits while challenging existing standards. They also cover improved PCAOB inspection results, the end of BOI reporting, Tether’s long-awaited audit, QuickBooks Live’s overhaul, and practical AI workflows small firms can use today.SponsorsDigits - http://accountingpodcast.promo/digitsOnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpayThomson Reuters - http://accountingpodcast.promo/taxautomationCloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/casChapters(00:00) - AI Biggest Audit Shift (01:35) - Headlines And Sponsors (02:20) - Digits AI Ledger (04:02) - Nvidia Deal Explained (06:31) - Enron Echoes And SPVs (09:46) - Bubble Risks And GAAP (12:31) - EY Audit Efficiency Claims (15:25) - PCAOB Reports Debate (17:40) - OnPay Payroll Sponsor (18:53) - FinCEN Ends BOI (19:52) - Audit AI Adoption Stats (21:08) - PCAOB Must Set AI Rules (25:52) - Quarterly Reporting Comments (29:17) - Tether Finally Audited (33:17) - Thomson Reuters Tax Automation (35:07) - Ancient Rome Tax Scam (38:45) - Why Tax Fraud Meant Death (39:18) - Clients Want AI Dashboards (39:45) - Small Firm AI Workflows (44:35) - Sponsor Cloud Staffing (45:49) - AI Raises Client Demands (46:27) - Audit Disruption Debate (48:35) - QuickBooks Live Rebrand (51:10) - Taiwan Receipt Lottery (54:40) - OnPay Benefits Upgrade (01:05:17) - Switch Payroll Midyear (01:09:19) - Wrap Up And CPE  Show Notes'Shades of Enron': Michael Burry shorts Nvidia as its $500 billion chip-financing deal fuels a bubblehttps://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/nvidia-ai-push-echoes-enron-123355872.htmlEY leverages AI for audithttps://www.accountingtoday.com/news/ey-leverages-ai-for-auditIn ancient Rome, tax fraud was punishable by deathhttps://www.popsci.com/science/tax-fraud-death-penalty-ancient-rome/PCAOB inspection reports of largest audit firms show improvementshttps://www.accountingtoday.com/news/pcaob-inspection-reports-of-largest-audit-firms-show-improvementsFinCEN ends beneficial ownership reportinghttps://www.accountingtoday.com/news/fincen-ends-beneficial-ownership-reportingGartner Survey Finds Audit Teams' AI Use is Common, But Most Teams are Lacking Strategic Adoption and Applicationhttps://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2026-08-10-gartner-survey-finds-audit-teams-ai-use-is-common-but-mostIt's Time for the US Audit Board to Set Corporate AI Standardshttps://news.bloombergtax.com/tax-insights-and-commentary/its-time-for-the-us-audit-board-to-set-corporate-ai-standardsSEC quarterly earnings proposal draws flood of public complaintshttps://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/sec-quarterly-earnings-proposal-draws-112015106.htmlFirms (and Some Guy Obsessed With China) Have Weighed in on the PCAOB Turning an Eye to AIhttps://www.goingconcern.com/firms-and-some-guy-obsessed-with-china-have-weighed-in-on-the-pcaob-turning-an-eye-to-ai/Tether says KPMG issued 'clean' opinion in first full audit of USDT issuer's financialshttps://www.coindesk.com/business/2026/08/13/tether-says-it-completed-long-promised-big-four-audit-of-finances-behind-usd180-billion-usdt-stablecoinReal-life ways small firms use AIhttps://www.journalofaccountancy.com/issues/2026/aug/real-life-ways-small-firms-use-ai/QuickBooks Live is Dead, Long Live Intuit Expertshttps://uqb.show/154Need 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:

What does episode 500 reveal about where accounting is headed? Blake Oliver and David Leary celebrate the milestone with CFO.com’s Adam Zaki and Going Concern’s Adrienne Gonzalez. They unpack AI’s pressure on billable hours, shrinking entry-level pathways, the changing route to CFO, and PwC’s canceled Disney intern event. Plus, Blake shares what happened after NASBA challenged his CPE comments.SponsorsOnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpayCanopy - http://accountingpodcast.promo/canopyThomson Reuters - http://accountingpodcast.promo/taxautomationCloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/casChapters(00:00) - ‌ (00:20) - Episode 500 Kickoff (02:59) - Origin Story Live Chat (07:22) - Billable Hour Fading (13:36) - AI Knowledge vs Data Risk (16:21) - PwC Intern Disney Cut (24:31) - Pyramid to Diamond Firms (34:29) - CFO Pathway Disrupted (37:25) - AI Without Apprenticeship (38:55) - Would You Work for AI (39:47) - CFO Pipeline Shrinking (41:11) - Skipping Entry Level (43:15) - Simulations vs Real Work (45:05) - Metaverse Training Fail (47:35) - Crypto Fraud Irony (49:10) - Listener Milestones (51:58) - Billable Hour Debate (01:01:21) - AI Auditing Future (01:02:33) - NASBA Speech Clash (01:11:48) - Wrap Up and Thanks  Show NotesCrossCountry Consulting's new co-CEOs say billable hour is 'waning'https://www.cfo.com/news/crosscountry-consulting-new-co-ceo-amy-bjarnason-neil-smith-discuss-their-industrys-future/826266/Diamonds May Be a Firm's Best Strategy: How AI Is Rewriting the Structure of Modern Practicehttps://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2026/08/05/diamonds-may-be-a-firms-best-strategy-how-ai-is-rewriting-the-structure-of-modern-practice/188060/Teikametrics CFO Brian Beaupre says the career path he took is disappearinghttps://www.cfo.com/news/teikametrics-cfo-brian-beaupre-says-the-career-path-he-took-is-disappearing-cfo-leadership-council-/824716/The Age of Artificial Intelligence: Quinnipiac University Poll on AIhttps://poll.qu.edu/poll-release?releaseid=3955We Went to the Boot Camp Where KPMG Teaches Auditors to Think Criticallyhttps://www.wsj.com/business/kpmg-summer-interns-auditing-ai-training-941ad5ccIn Case You Didn't Hear, PwC Interns Won't Be Swarming Disney World This Yearhttps://www.goingconcern.com/in-case-you-didnt-hear-pwc-interns-wont-be-swarming-disney-world-this-year/Bitquery CEO Faces $5M Theft Claim, 194 Records Deletedhttps://www.analyticsinsight.net/news/bitquery-ceo-faces-5m-theft-claim-194-records-deletedNeed 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/reframe2026Flowglad - https://cal.com/team/flowglad/flowgladWant 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