The Accounting Podcast

What happens when AI starts doing more than answering questions? Blake and David dig into Perplexity’s move into tax prep and bookkeeping, the IRS testing Palantir to help select audit targets, and why many firms still aren’t seeing real ROI from AI. They also unpack the surprising success of Trump accounts and what all of this could mean for accountants, firm workflows, and the future of the profession.

Sponsors
OnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpay
Cloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/cas
REFRAME 2026 - http://accountingpodcast.promo/reframe2026
Wurthy - http://accountingpodcast.promo/wurthy

Chapters
(00:00) - TAP 482

(02:37) - Trump Accounts Boom

(07:22) - CPE With Earmark

(08:38) - Perplexity Targets Taxes

(12:32) - AI Agents And Moats

(23:43) - Claude Cowork Bookkeeping

(30:25) - Digits Outcome Pricing

(30:58) - Digits Pay For Performance

(31:25) - Zero Touch Guarantee

(31:56) - Pricing Power Debate

(32:20) - Switching GL Friction

(33:11) - Reframe Conference Sponsor

(34:26) - AI Security Banter

(35:14) - IRS Palantir Snap Audits

(39:09) - AI ROI Wrong Math

(44:27) - Find The Bottleneck

(46:14) - Automate Client Intake

(48:02) - Claude PBC Workflow

(54:40) - Weekly Close Discipline

(56:13) - DHS Tax Extension Story

(57:48) - Mentoring And Webinars

(59:15) - Future Firm Tech Stack

(01:01:45) - Wrap Up And CPE

 

Show Notes
4 Million Children Have Been Signed Up for Trump Accounts with 1 Million Claiming the $1,000 Pilot Program Contribution
https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/4-million-children-have-been-signed-up-for-trump-accounts-with-1-million-claiming-the-1000-pilot-program-contribution
Introducing Computer for Taxes
https://www.perplexity.ai/hub/blog/introducing-computer-for-taxes
The IRS Wants Smarter Audits. Palantir Could Help Decide Who Gets Flagged
https://dnyuz.com/2026/03/30/the-irs-wants-smarter-audits-palantir-could-help-decide-who-gets-flagged/
Digits Announces Outcome-Based Pricing
https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/digits-announces-outcome-based-pricing
Your AI Business Case Is Built on the Wrong Math
https://www.cfo.com/news/your-ai-business-case-is-built-on-the-wrong-math-throughput-accounting-productivity/816014/
Treasury and IRS Announce Tax Filing Relief to DHS Personnel
https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0431

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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

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Transcripts
The full transcript for this episode is available by clicking on the Transcript tab at the top of this page

Can AI really prepare a tax return without a human touching the keyboard? Blake and David dig into a wave of new accounting tools that promise exactly that, from AI tax prep and bookkeeping agents to month-end automation. They’re joined by Kenji Kuramoto of Basis to discuss what this means for firms, pricing, and jobs. Plus: the U.S. government’s worsening balance sheet, Tether’s long-awaited audit, and why token costs may become accounting’s next big metric.

Sponsors
Cloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/cas
OnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpay
UNC - http://accountingpodcast.promo/unc

Chapters
(00:00) - TAP 481

(02:34) - US Insolvency Breakdown

(06:04) - Household Budget Analogy

(07:49) - GAO Disclaimer Explained

(08:37) - AI Tax Prep Agents

(11:45) - Kenji Joins the Show

(15:07) - Kenji New Role at Basis

(19:40) - Basis Agents for CAS

(25:36) - AI Skills and Pricing Shift

(28:04) - Token Billing and FinOps

(33:55) - Tokens Not Timesheets

(34:17) - Delve Compliance Fallout

(36:18) - Xero Adds Claude AI

(38:16) - Who Really Owns Data

(41:06) - Ramp Accounting Agent

(45:19) - Ramp Budgets Reality Check

(48:27) - Canopy Bookkeeping Module

(53:11) - Billcom Agents Soapbox

(55:09) - Audit Tech Fundraising

(56:37) - Tether Finally Gets Audited

(59:52) - Costco Tariff Refund Lawsuit

(01:02:16) - Wrap Up And CPE

 

Show Notes
The Treasury just declared the U.S. insolvent. The media missed it.
https://fortune.com/2026/03/23/us-government-insolvent-fiscal-crisis-fix/
 
TaxGPT AI agent aims to complete the whole tax return
https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/taxgpt-touts-ai-that-automatically-completes-returns-from-start-to-finish
 
As Tax Deadline Approaches, Consumers Are Going to AI Before Filing
https://www.pymnts.com/taxes/2026/as-tax-deadline-approaches-consumers-are-going-to-ai-before-filing/
 
AI Efficiency Gains Push Accounting Firms to Reimagine Pricing
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/ai-efficiency-gains-push-accounting-firms-to-reimagine-pricing
 
Accounting Jobs Requiring AI Skills Jump 67%
https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/accounting-jobs-requiring-ai-skills-jump-67
 
Xero and Anthropic Collaborate to Bring AI-Powered Financial Intelligence to Millions of Small Businesses
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260326956055/en/Xero-and-Anthropic-Collaborate-to-Bring-AI-Powered-Financial-Intelligence-to-Millions-of-Small-Businesses
 
Ramp Launches Accounting Agent to Automate Bookkeeping with Real-Time Close
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ramp-launches-accounting-agent-to-automate-bookkeeping-with-real-time-close-302686214.html
 
Ramp Launches Ramp Budgets
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ramp-launches-ramp-budgets-302667840.html
 
Canopy Unveils Canopy Bookkeeping to Eliminate Month-End Friction for Accounting and CAS Teams
https://www.morningstar.com/news/business-wire/20260211348515/canopy-unveils-canopy-bookkeeping-to-eliminate-month-end-friction-for-accounting-and-cas-teams
 
Canopy Expands Tax Workflow With AI-Powered Tax Preparation Through New Filed Integration
https://www.getcanopy.com/blog/canopy-expands-tax-workflow-with-ai-powered-tax-preparation-through-new-filed-integration
 
Double AI Journal Entries
https://doublehq.com/ai-journal-entries/
 
Tech News: Ramp, Canopy Both Announce AI-Powered Bookkeeping Solutions (includes Bill.com AI agents coverage)
https://www.accountingtoday.com/list/tech-news-ramp-canopy-both-announce-ai-powered-bookkeeping-solutions
 
Exclusive: Founded By 2 Brothers In Their 20s, YC-Backed Denki Raises $4.1M To Automate Financial Audits
https://news.crunchbase.com/venture/yc-backed-denki-raise-financial-audit-automation-ai/
 
Tether Taps Big Four Firm KPMG for First Financial Audit of $184 Billion Stablecoin Issuer
https://www.theblock.co/post/395423/tether-taps-kpmg-for-first-financial-audit
 
Americans Are Demanding Refunds from the $180 Billion in Tariffs They Paid, Including Suing Companies Like Costco
https://fortune.com/2026/03/13/americans-demanding-tariff-refunds-suing-costco-fedex/
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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,

Can AI really handle accounting and tax work—or is it just creating new ways to fake compliance? Blake and David dig into allegations of fraudulent SOC 2 reports, how taxpayers are actually using AI for tax prep, and why tools like Claude are creeping into finance workflows. They also cover FAA staffing risks, threats to state accountancy boards, and what listeners should watch as AI reshapes trust in the profession.

Sponsors
Digits - http://accountingpodcast.promo/digits
Cloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/cas
OnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpay
UNC - http://accountingpodcast.promo/unc

Chapters
(00:00) - TAP 480

(01:28) - Sponsor Digits Overview

(02:54) - LaGuardia Crash Breakdown

(05:36) - Shutdown Staffing Fallout

(07:58) - Livestream and CPE Plug

(08:49) - Delve SOC 2 Allegations

(15:57) - How Fake Audits Happen

(20:49) - Sponsor Cloud Staffing

(22:00) - Is Anyone Using AI

(24:02) - AI for Tax Prep Examples

(35:14) - AI Tax Advice Limits

(36:04) - Tech Creates More Cleanup

(36:41) - OnPay Payroll Sponsor

(37:53) - Games To Beat Busy Season

(40:42) - Florida Board Threat Averted

(44:02) - UNC MAcc Sponsor

(45:20) - Guess The Finance App

(46:47) - Claude Targets Finance Workflows

(50:29) - Will AI Replace The GL

(55:07) - Women Partners Progress

(01:00:50) - Wrap Up And CPE

 

Show Notes
Air Traffic Audio Appears to Show Tower Was Dealing With Incident Before Crash (New York Times via DNYUZ)
https://dnyuz.com/2026/03/23/air-traffic-audio-appears-to-show-tower-was-dealing-with-incident-before-crash/
 
Delve — Fake Compliance as a Service — Part I (DeepDelver on Substack)
https://deepdelver.substack.com/p/delve-fake-compliance-as-a-service
 
Delve Accused of Misleading Customers with 'Fake Compliance' (TechCrunch)
https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/22/delve-accused-of-misleading-customers-with-fake-compliance/
 
What 81,000 People Want from AI (Anthropic)
https://www.anthropic.com/research/what-people-want-from-ai
 
WSJ Readers Share How They Are Using AI for Tax Prep (Wall Street Journal via TaxProf Blog)
https://taxprofblog.aals.org/2026/03/09/wsj-readers-share-how-they-are-using-ai-for-tax-prep/
 
10 Fun Games to Play at Work and Their Impact on Productivity (Small Business Trends)
https://smallbiztrends.com/games-to-play-at-work/
 
FICPA Legislative Update: End of 2026 Session — HB 607 Did Not Advance (Florida Institute of CPAs)
https://www.ficpa.org/news/1cee5313-ce07-47f2-841f-48a95344f6f5:legislative-update-end-of-session-still-pending
 
Claude for Financial Services (Anthropic)
https://www.anthropic.com/financial-services
 
Glass Ceiling Shattered? Female Lead Engagement Partners in S&P 500 Audits (The CPA Journal)
https://www.cpajournal.com/2026/03/13/glass-ceiling-shattered/
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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

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TeePublic Store: http://cloudacctpod.link/merch

Subscribe
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Transcripts
The full transcript for this episode is available by clicking on the Transcript tab at the top of this page

Will AI actually take accountants’ jobs—or just change what their work looks like? Blake and David unpack the gap between AI hype and reality, from a LinkedIn challenge that found zero accountants replaced by AI to how firms like PwC and EY are shifting strategy. They also explore probabilistic audit opinions, AI agents in accounting workflows, and what professionals can do now to stay ahead.

Sponsors
OnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpay
UNC - http://accountingpodcast.promo/unc

Chapters
(00:00) - TAP 479

(02:27) - Auditor Karaoke Protest

(03:58) - Baby Where My Audit

(07:14) - Reactions and Afroman

(10:19) - Probabilistic Audit Opinions

(14:57) - BDO Lawsuit and Liability

(18:52) - Super Micro Fraud Signals

(24:19) - Deterministic AI Checklists

(30:16) - Checklist Driven AI Agents

(31:28) - How LLMs Differ From Brains

(33:00) - Puzzle Functions And Guardrails

(36:06) - Prompting For Clarifying Questions

(36:48) - UNC MAcc Sponsor Break

(38:30) - PwC Goes AI First

(41:46) - EY Bets On CPA Talent

(43:27) - AI Exposure Index Reality Check

(47:40) - Will Accounting Jobs Disappear

(50:23) - Coan Paradox And Rising Standards

(52:43) - AI As A Career Upskill

(55:20) - Who Is Losing Work To AI

(56:23) - Livestream Chat And Wrap Up

 

Show Notes
Massachusetts Auditor DiZoglio Performs "Baby Where the Hell Is My Audit" Parody
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/04/16/metro/diana-dizoglio-auditor-legislature-audit-democrats/
 
Afroman Wins Defamation Lawsuit Filed by Ohio Police Officers
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/afroman-wins-lawsuit-ohio-police-raid-music-videos/
 
Would You Take a Probabilistic Audit Opinion?
https://www.accountingtoday.com/opinion/would-you-take-a-probabilistic-audit-opinion
 
BDO Faces Investor Lawsuit That Could Impact Other Firms
https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/bdo-faces-investor-lawsuit-that-could-impact-other-firms
 
Super Micro Computer Co-Founder Charged With Smuggling Nvidia AI Chips to China
https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/19/politics/super-micro-computer-founder-charged-ai-chips-china
 
Puzzle Launches AI Close for Accountants 
https://puzzle.io/blog/puzzle-accounting-ai
 
PwC CEO: You Cannot Opt Out of AI
https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/pwc-ceo-you-cannot-opt-out-of-ai
 
EY Doubles CPA Exam Bonus to $10K 
https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/ey-doubles-cpa-exam-bonus-to-10k
 
Anthropic AI Labor Market Impacts Report 
https://www.anthropic.com/research/labor-market-impacts
 
Microsoft AI Chief Gives It 18 Months for All White-Collar Work to Be Automated
https://fortune.com/2026/02/13/when-will-ai-kill-white-collar-office-jobs-18-months-microsoft-mustafa-suleyman/
 
Only 14% of UK Finance Leaders See Traditional Accounting Skills as Valuable for Next Generation
https://www.theglobalrecruiter.com/only-14-per-cent-of-finance-leaders-see-traditional-accounting-skills-as-valuable-for-next-generation/
 
Accounting and Tax Staff Worry AI Threatens Jobs
https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/accounting-and-tax-employees-feel-ai-threatens-job-prospects
 
AI's First Substitution: Freelancers (Ramp Economics Lab) 
https://ramp.com/velocity/ai-labor-market-impact-freelancers
 
Record Number of Companies Are Ditching Old CEOs for Younger, Less Experienced Executives 
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/fired-record-number-companies-ditching-152914066.html
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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
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...

What do tariffs, war, AI agents, and a collapsed accounting startup have in common? This week, Blake and David connect the dots between rising economic pressure and rapid tech change. They break down the lopsided cost of drone warfare, small businesses getting crushed by tariffs, AI tools handling tax and bookkeeping tasks, and new details on Botkeeper’s collapse. You’ll hear what these shifts could mean for accountants, firms, and the future of the profession.

Sponsors
UNC - http://accountingpodcast.promo/unc
OnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpay
Cloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/cas

Chapters
(01:27) - Sponsor Break UNC

(02:46) - War Costs and Drones

(08:58) - GPT 5.4 for Accountants

(11:13) - AI Agent Files City Tax

(15:23) - Claude Skill for Tax Prep

(17:11) - Sponsor Break OnPay

(18:55) - Gemini Makes Theme Music

(22:33) - Uber CEO AI Clone

(24:22) - Botkeeper Collapse Follow Up

(31:13) - QuickBooks Integration Doubts

(31:53) - Cloud Accountant Staffing Spot

(32:59) - KPMG Earnings Leak Theory

(37:23) - Zapier AI Guardrails

(39:43) - 401k Hardship Withdrawals Rise

(43:02) - Tariff Refunds and AI Lawsuits

(46:27) - Trump v Trump IRS Lawsuit

(48:43) - IRS Union Contract Termination

(50:01) - Direct File Act Returns

(51:56) - Meta 16B Tax Fight

(54:33) - Trump Accounts Auto Enrollment

(56:13) - Accounting Degrees Loan Limits

(57:39) - CPE App and Sign Off

 

Show Notes
Iran's Drones Cost a Fraction of the U.S. Weapons Shooting Them Down 
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/04/business/iran-drones-us-weapons-cost.html
 
Introducing GPT-5.4 
https://openai.com/index/introducing-gpt-5-4/
 
Breaking Up with TurboTax: How I Used Claude to File My Taxes for Free 
https://kachess.dev/taxes/ai/personal-finance/2026/02/27/breaking-up-with-turbotax.html
 
Show HN: Claude Skill to Do Your Taxes 
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47277164
 
Enrico Palmerino Explains Botkeeper's Fall 
https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/enrico-palmerino-explains-botkeepers-fall
 
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi Has an AI Clone 
https://www.fastcompany.com/91500087/uber-ceo-dara-khosrowshahi-has-an-ai-clone
 
KPMG-Audited Companies Are Trading Strangely on Polymarket 
https://eventwaves.substack.com/p/kpmg-audited-companies-are-trading
 
Zapier Updates: AI Guardrails & Governance Controls 
https://zapier.com/blog/february-2026-product-updates/
 
Record Numbers of Workers Are Raiding Their 401(k) Savings 
https://www.wsj.com/personal-finance/retirement/401k-hardship-withdrawals-record-vanguard-2025
 
For Some Small Businesses, a Tariff Refund Isn't Worth the Pain of Pursuing It 
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/small-businesses-tariff-refund-isnt-worth-pain-pursuing-it.html
 
Trump's IRS Lawsuit Offers Lessons on Privacy and Legal Process 
https://news.bloombergtax.com/tax-insights-and-commentary/trumps-irs-lawsuit-offers-lessons-on-privacy-and-legal-process
 
Democrats Unveil Bill to Resurrect Direct File 
https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/democrats-unveil-bill-to-resurrect-direct-file
 
I.R.S. Tactics Against Meta Open a New Front in the Corporate Tax Fight 
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/24/business/irs-meta-tax-ireland.html
 
IRS Should Open Trump Accounts for Eligible Children Automatically, AICPA Says 
https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/news/2026/feb/irs-should-open-trump-accounts-for-eligible-children-automatically-aicpa-says/
 
NASBA Urges U.S. Department of Education to Restore "Professional" Status for Accounting Degrees
https://nasba.org/blog/2026/03/05/status-for-accounting-degrees/
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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