What happens when 19 states simultaneously abandon the 150-hour CPA requirement while tariffs create unprecedented uncertainty for CFOs? Blake and CFO.com reporter Adam Zaki explore the rapid transformation of CPA licensure—from New York's recent changes to the coordinated state-by-state rollout that followed Barry Melancon's AICPA retirement. You'll discover how political and economic volatility is driving demand for accounting services, why the PCAOB may disappear in the Senate's tax bill, and how AI is reshaping audit teams while raising questions about the future value of CPAs. Plus, insights on navigating everything from reciprocal tariffs to the SEC's new chief accountant.Sponsors Cloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/cas Human at Scale - http://accountingpodcast.promo/humanChapters(01:38) - Tariffs and Their Impact on CFOs
(03:19) - Supreme Court and Tariff Legalities
(05:47) - Economic Impact of Tariffs and Inflation
(08:09) - Geopolitical Conflicts and Economic Uncertainty
(11:17) - Federal Reserve and Economic Policies
(18:51) - CPA Pipeline and 150 Hour Rule Changes
(33:08) - Chief Accountant at the SEC
(40:11) - Smart Moves by Congress: Nonprofit Pay Scales
(40:44) - The Impact of Budget Cuts on PCAOB
(41:34) - Challenges in Government Oversight
(42:02) - Senate's Big Bill: Key Changes and Controversies
(46:25) - Tax Implications and Political Dynamics
(52:42) - Business Deductions and Higher Education
(55:40) - AI in Accounting: Transforming the Big Four
(57:37) - The Future of Accounting Education
(01:02:10) - AI's Role in Auditing and the Future Workforce
(01:05:19) - The Impact of Automation on Jobs and Society
(01:15:48) - Concluding Thoughts and Future Outlook
Show NotesSupreme Court Challenge to Trump Tariffs by Toy Companies https://www.reuters.com/legal/supreme-court-trump-tariffs-toy-companies-challengeConsumer Price Index Impact of Current Tariffs https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htmNew York State CPA Licensure Reform Legislation https://www.nysscpa.org/news/publications/the-trusted-professional/article/new-york-cpa-licensure-reform-passes-legislaturePennsylvania CPA Pathway Bill Senate Approval https://www.picpa.org/articles/advocacy/cpa-pathway-legislation-senate-approvalMaine CPA Exam Requirements Change https://www.maine.gov/pfr/professionallicensing/professions/accountants/cpa-exam-requirementsCFO.com State-by-State CPA Licensure Tracker https://www.cfo.com/news/cpa-licensure-changes-state-tracker-2025Kurt Hoel Appointed SEC Chief Accountant https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2025-89AICPA Barry Melancon Retirement Impact Analysis https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/news/2025/01/melancon-retirement-cpa-pipeline-changesSenate Modifications to Big Beautiful Bill https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1/actionsAvalara 2025 Accountants Confidence Report https://www.avalara.com/us/en/resources/reports/2025-accountants-confidence-reportPCAOB Elimination Implications Analysis https://www.pcaobus.org/oversight/inspections/implications-elimination-analysisKPMG Clara AI Audit Platform Interview https://www.cfo.com/news/kpmg-thomas-mackenzie-clara-ai-audit-interviewPwC USA Tax Leader Agentic AI Implementation https://www.cfo.com/news/pwc-tax-agentic-ai-implementation-2025Bill.com Small Business Paperless Survey 2030 https://www.bill.com/resources/small-business-paperless-2030-surveyUniversal Technical Institute CFO Interview https://www.cfo.com/news/uti-cfo-future-higher-education-interviewNeed CPE?Get CPE for listening to podcasts with Earmark: https://earmarkcpe.comSubscribe to the Earmark Podcast: https://podcast.earmarkcpe.comLearn more about Adam Zaki: Website: https://www.cfo.com/editors/azaki/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamzakinycGet 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://clo...
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1:22:34
AICPA Doesn't Care If PCAOB Goes Away
What happens when venture capitalists spend billions on AI but need customers to buy it? In this episode, Blake and David explore how investment firms are now purchasing accounting firms to force-feed AI adoption, comparing it to Pepsi buying restaurants to sell more soda. They also dig into the massive gap between AI promises and reality, questioning bold claims that 80% of tax prep is now automated while basic bookkeeping tools still make obvious errors. You'll learn about the AICPA's surprising neutrality on eliminating the PCAOB, Billy Long's confirmation as IRS commissioner despite his controversial past, and why accountant optimism has plummeted 58 points in just four months. Plus, discover how Miley Cyrus hid drug purchases from her accountant and why audit reports get downloaded only 30 times despite millions of investors.SponsorsOnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpayRelay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/relay Keeper - http://accountingpodcast.promo/keeperPayhawk - http://accountingpodcast.promo/payhawkChapters(00:57) - Updates from AICPA Engage
(01:45) - AI in Accounting: Hype vs Reality
(03:38) - The Future of the PCAOB
(13:52) - The Role of Technology in Accounting
(29:15) - Miley Cyrus' Financial Deception
(29:56) - Miley Cyrus' Vintage Clothing Purchases
(30:32) - Accountant's Responsibility in Client Purchases
(32:11) - Billy Long Confirmed as IRS Commissioner
(33:03) - Controversial Tribal Tax Credits
(36:51) - Elon Musk's Opposition to the Big Beautiful Bill
(46:06) - Accounting Firms' Optimism and AI Adoption
(49:29) - Conclusion and Sponsor Messages
Show NotesCPAacademy 2025 AI and Accounting Report https://www.cpaacademy.org/resources/ai-accounting-report-2025How to Reimagine Audit Quality Beyond the PCAOB https://www.cpajournal.com/2025/01/15/reimagining-audit-quality-beyond-pcaob/Inflow Survey: 70% of US Businesses Open to Switching Audit Firms https://www.inflowaudit.com/resources/audit-firm-switching-survey-2025Gian Porzio LinkedIn Post on Tribal Tax Credit Investigation https://www.linkedin.com/posts/gianporzio_tribal-tax-credits-investigation-billy-longEconomist-YouGov Poll on Big Beautiful Bill Public Opinion https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2025/06/13/americans-support-musk-criticism-trump-tax-billCBO Analysis of Big Beautiful Bill Wealth Transfer Effects https://www.cbo.gov/publication/61234Avalara 2025 Accountants Confidence Report https://www.avalara.com/us/en/resources/reports/2025-accountants-confidence-report.htmlCenter for Audit Quality Audit Partner Pulse Survey https://www.thecaq.org/audit-partner-pulse-survey-2025European Business Travel to US Drops 25% in April https://www.businesstravelnews.com/Management/European-Business-Travel-US-Drops-Tariff-ConcernsXero 2025 State of the Industry Report https://www.xero.com/us/resources/small-business-insights/state-of-industry-report-2025/Indiana CPA Society Survey on Firm Headcount Predictions https://www.incpas.org/resources/surveys/firm-headcount-predictions-2025BDO $1 Billion AI Strategy Investment Announcement https://www.bdo.com/insights/business-financial-advisory/technology/bdo-ai-strategy-investmentRSM $1 Billion AI Investment Plan https://rsmus.com/insights/rsm-ai-investment-strategy-2025Create Professional Alliance CPA $500 Million Investment Plan https://www.createprofessionalalliance.com/investment-strategyThrive Capital $1 Billion OpenAI Investment Details https://www.techcrunch.com/2024/08/15/thrive-capital-openai-investment-billionGeneral Catalyst Accrual AI Startup and Accounting Firm Acquisitions https://www.generalcatalyst.com/portfolio/accrual-ai-accounting-vertical-integrationNeed 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://cl...
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57:57
The Death of the Financial Close: Aaron Harris on AI's Accounting Revolution
Live from the Sage Future conference in Atlanta, Aaron Harris, CTO of Sage, joins Blake and David to explain why he wants to completely eliminate the financial close rather than just make it faster. Harris breaks down the three waves of AI transformation in accounting—from task-based automation to generative AI to fully autonomous agents—and reveals how Sage is building custom language models trained specifically on accounting principles with the AICPA. He also discusses the psychology of trust between CFOs and AI systems, introduces Sage's new AI transparency labels, and explains why his company is taking a more cautious approach than competitors like Intuit when deploying autonomous agents.Meet Our Guest, Aaron Harris, CTO, SageLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-harris-7407b2/Website: https://www.sageintacct.com/leadership/aaron-harrisX: https://x.com/AaronRHarrisLearn more about Sagehttps://www.sage.com/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/OvercastClassifiedsWant 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
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46:58
Real Life Ways Accountants Use AI, How Sage Will Eliminate the Close
Blake and David return from Sage Future 2025 with insights into how AI is reshaping accounting—from eliminating the financial close to real-world use cases. They also cover Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s public breakup, the latest in Deel’s corporate spying allegations, Deloitte’s unapologetically intense work-life balance ad, and a billion-dollar “AI” startup that turned out to be powered by humans.SponsorsOnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpayKeeper - http://accountingpodcast.promo/keeperTeamUp - http://accountingpodcast.promo/teamup Payhawk - http://accountingpodcast.promo/payhawkChapters(00:00) - Welcome to The Accounting Podcast
(01:02) - AI in Accounting: Real-World Examples
(05:08) - Sage Intacct Roadmap and AI Innovations
(12:02) - AI's Impact on Accounting Jobs
(18:33) - AI in Auditing: Tools and Trends
(26:54) - Internal Audit and AI Adoption
(32:36) - Elon Musk and Donald Trump Fallout
(35:43) - Impact of Tariffs and Political Alliances
(37:03) - Rippling vs. Deel: Allegations and Legal Battles
(40:45) - Deloitte's Work-Life Balance Ad Controversy
(43:10) - Accounting Profession's Retention and Salary Issues
(46:43) - CPA Title Removal Debate
(49:23) - 150-Hour Rule and Master's Degree Debate
(52:56) - Trump-Musk Fallout and Its Implications
(01:01:07) - Alliant Group and IRS Commissioner Controversy
(01:05:14) - AI Startup Fraud Exposed
(01:07:08) - Conclusion and Announcements
Show NotesReal-life ways accountants are using AI https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/issues/2025/jun/real-life-ways-accountants-are-using-ai/Fieldguide Introduces Industry-Leading Agentic AI for Financial Audit to Improve Quality and Efficiency https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/06/04/3093606/0/en/Fieldguide-Introduces-Industry-Leading-Agentic-AI-for-Financial-Audit-to-Improve-Quality-and-Efficiency.htmlFieldguide launches AI agent to automate audit testing https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/fieldguide-launches-ai-agent-to-automate-audit-testingHow KPMG is using AI to revamp their audit practice https://www.cfo.com/news/how-kpmg-thomas-mackenzie-is-using-clara-ai-to-revamp-their-audit-practice-/748316/KPMG Advances AI Integration in KPMG Clara Smart Audit Platform https://kpmg.com/us/en/media/news/kpmg-clara-smart-audit-platform.htmlEx-PwC Partner Says AI Is Coming For Big 4 Jobs in a Big Way https://www.goingconcern.com/ex-pwc-partner-says-ai-is-coming-for-big-4-jobs-in-a-big-way/PwC's 2025 Global AI Jobs Barometer https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/news-room/press-releases/2025/ai-linked-to-a-fourfold-increase-in-productivity-growth.htmlFrom bros to foes: how the unlikely Trump-Musk relationship imploded https://www.reuters.com/world/us/bros-foes-how-unlikely-trump-musk-relationship-imploded-2025-06-06/Deloitte's Latest Ad Promises Clients Their People Have No Life Whatsoever and Are Always Eager to Serve https://www.goingconcern.com/deloittes-latest-ad-promises-clients-their-people-have-no-life-whatsoever-and-are-always-eager-to-serve/Microsoft backed this $1.5 billion AI startup that was just discovered to be 700 engineers pretending to be AI https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/builder-ai-collapse-microsoft-backed-fake-ai-servicesBuilder.ai faked AI with 700 engineers, now faces bankruptcy and probe https://www.business-standard.com/companies/news/builderai-faked-ai-700-indian-engineers-files-bankruptcy-microsoft-125060401006_1.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/OvercastClassifieds
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1:08:40
The $400 Million Question: Should Congress Eliminate the PCAOB?(From the Earmark Podcast)
Earmark Media Presents a bonus episode of Earmark Podcast: What happens when Congress votes to eliminate the watchdog that's overseen public company audits for two decades? In this episode, Blake Oliver sits down with three leading accounting academics—Maureen McNichols from Stanford, Nemit Shroff from MIT, and Daniel Aobdia from Penn State—to examine the research behind the PCAOB's effectiveness and what elimination could mean for audit quality. You'll discover why companies with clean audit inspections can raise capital more easily, how the infamous "40% deficiency rate" actually works, and why these researchers believe dismantling the PCAOB could undermine trust in U.S. capital markets. The conversation reveals the hidden economics of audit oversight and explains why there hasn't been a major public company fraud since Enron and WorldCom.Chapters(00:00) - Welcome to the Show
(01:10) - Meet the Experts
(02:59) - Discussion on PCAOB's Elimination
(08:17) - Research Insights on PCAOB's Effectiveness
(20:11) - Deficiency Rates and Audit Quality
(24:50) - Economic Impact of Fraud and PCAOB's Role
(25:20) - Regulatory Model of the PCAOB
(25:59) - Incentive Structure and Audit Quality
(26:59) - Inspection Deficiency Rates
(28:54) - Restatement Rates vs. Deficiency Rates
(30:23) - Auditor-Client Relationship Tensions
(31:42) - Documentation Issues in Audits
(35:15) - Effectiveness of PCAOB Inspections
(37:49) - Impact of PCAOB on Financial Reporting Quality
(40:33) - Potential Elimination of the PCAOB
(44:00) - Conclusion and Final Thoughts
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 Guests:Maureen McNicholshttps://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/faculty/maureen-mcnicholsNemit Shroffhttps://mitsloan.mit.edu/faculty/directory/nemit-shroffDaniel Aobdiahttps://directory.smeal.psu.edu/dza5396Connect with Blake Oliver, CPALinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaketoliverTwitter: https://twitter.com/blaketoliver/
The Accounting Podcast (formerly the Cloud Accounting Podcast) is the world's #1 accounting, bookkeeping, and tax podcast! Join us weekly for a roundup of accounting news, analysis, and interviews. Plus, earn free NASBA-approved CPE credits for listening with the Earmark app. Learn more at https://earmarkcpe.com.
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