Jason On Firms Podcast

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/
📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter

☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!
📧 Email me! jason@jasononfirms.com

In this episode, I break down the biggest AI developments of the last two weeks and what they could mean for accounting firms, especially the shift toward AI that can actually operate a computer instead of simply chatting with you. I explain why computer-use AI could be especially powerful in accounting, where firms are constantly stitching together disconnected software, and why security and due diligence become even more important as AI agents gain more autonomy. I also go through 🔥 Roast My Tech Stack and answer to some of your questions in 📞 Accountant Support.

💰 Today's Sponsors
Verito: https://verito.com/jason?utm_campaign=42071442-Jason&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=show-notes
Soraban: https://hubs.ly/Q04cNLF80
MakersHub: https://makershub.com/get-started?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=jasonstaats
Canopy: Go to https://www.getcanopy.com/jason and schedule a demo to see for yourself, and Canopy will send you a $75 gift card after your demo
Financial Cents: sign up at https://hubs.li/Q03mLr_x0 and use code Jason10 to receive 10% off the Team or Scale annual plan for firms with 2+ users.
Karbon: https://karbonhq.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=jason-staats

// Chapters:
00:00 - The AGI Era
01:20 - Artificial General Intelligence
02:30 - Fable 5.1
04:45 - AI Benchmarks
06:10 - GPT6 Astra
07:55 - AI That Uses Your Computer
09:25 - Automating Accounting Work
10:40 - AI Inside Your Apps
12:15 - What Do I Do With My Hands?
13:05 - ChatGPT vs. Claude
13:49 - AI Security Risks
15:59 - Trusting AI Agents
18:00 - Sandboxing AI
19:45 - The Four-Monitor Accountant
21:15 - Talking to Your Computer
22:25 - Learning AI
23:25 - AI Due Diligence
25:35 - 🔥 Roast My Tech Stack
26:25 - The 3.5-Person Firm
27:54 - Practice Management
28:44 - Month-End Close Automation
32:24 - Drake Tax Hosting
34:09 - Filed vs. GruntWorx
34:49 - GoHighLevel
35:24 - Document Management
36:09 - Digits or Zero?
36:29 - Upfront Pricing
38:03 - Stop Building Software
38:38 - AI and the Tech Stack
40:44 - Submit Your Tech Stack
40:59 - 📞 Accountant Support
41:19 - Acquisition Fatigue
43:14 - When to Acquire Firms
43:59 - Starting With Small Acquisitions
44:04 - Leaving Intuit
45:19 - The Case for AI
46:04 - Moving Beyond QuickBooks
48:59 - Raising Your Prices
49:44 - Migrating Existing Clients
51:19 - Outsourcing Bookkeeping
52:59 - Offshore Bookkeeping
53:58 - AI Bookkeeping
54:43 - Business Valuation Credentials
55:38 - Building a Valuation Practice
56:38 - Is an Accounting Degree Still Worth It?
57:28 - Accounting Beyond Bookkeeping
58:18 - AI Watermarks
59:08 - Talking to Clients About AI
01:00:14 - Closing Thoughts

🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!
X https://twitter.com/jasononfirms
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/
📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter

☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!
📧 Email me! jason@jasononfirms.com

In this episode, I dig into data from 5,000 accounting firm listings to see what firms are actually selling for, what drives higher multiples, and which common M&A assumptions don’t hold up. I also break down medical spas as a potential accounting niche in 🐝 Niche of the Week and map out how I would enter that market. Then I answer to your questions in 📞 Accountant Support.

📄 Grab the Accounting Firm Acquisitions spreadsheet I talked about: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HHxl5KGG-3zApXRbpok8Hkacvn4vE6D_/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=100194317059241398669&rtpof=true&sd=true

💰 Today's Sponsors
Verito: https://verito.com/jason?utm_campaign=42071442-Jason&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=show-notes
Soraban: https://hubs.ly/Q04cNLF80
MakersHub: https://makershub.com/get-started?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=jasonstaats
Canopy: Go to https://www.getcanopy.com/jason and schedule a demo to see for yourself, and Canopy will send you a $75 gift card after your demo
Financial Cents: sign up at https://hubs.li/Q03mLr_x0 and use code Jason10 to receive 10% off the Team or Scale annual plan for firms with 2+ users.
Karbon: https://karbonhq.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=jason-staats

// Chapters:
00:00 - 5,000 Accounting Firm Sales
01:15 - Accounting Firm M&A Data
02:35 - Multiples Are Rising
03:30 - Does Firm Size Matter?
05:45 - Virtual Firm Premium
06:25 - Why Owners Sell
07:15 - Geography and Firm Value
07:45 - Most Firms Sold Are Small
08:55 - Financing Firm Acquisitions
09:20 - Buyer Demand Is Rising
09:40 - Which Services Sell Best?
10:35 - The 1.5x Multiple Myth
14:55 - More M&A Surprises
16:50 - What Firms Actually Sell For
17:40 - 🐝 Niche of the Week
18:00 - Medical Spas
19:05 - Are Solo Med Spas Too Small?
20:20 - The Better Med Spa Client
21:25 - Targeting More Mature Med Spas
23:05 - Finding Med Spa Clients
28:30 - Med Spa Referral Channels
30:10 - The Swear Jar
32:30 - Accounting Cornerstone Foundation
32:35 - 📞 Accountant Support
32:55 - Puzzle Acquired by Accrual
35:00 - How Fast Should Your Firm Grow?
41:55 - Claude Skills Security
44:35 - Claude Pro and Client Data
46:40 - Automating QBO Deposits
48:55 - Can Instead Replace UltraTax?
51:55 - App Recommendations
52:00 - Accounting Firm Sales Data

🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!
X https://twitter.com/jasononfirms
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/
📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter

☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!
📧 Email me! jason@jasononfirms.com

In this episode, I break down 23 accounting firm models that go beyond traditional bookkeeping and tax, including specialized compliance, niche audit, and advisory opportunities that small firms can compete for. Then I take the idea of specialization to its logical extreme and build a space accounting firm from scratch, using government awards, cost reimbursement contracts, conferences, and accelerators to find potential clients. In 📫 Mailbag, I dig into whether AI will eliminate junior accounting roles, how firms can use AI to attract better clients, connecting Claude directly to QuickBooks Online, private versus cloud AI models, what I’m spending on AI subscriptions, and the environmental tradeoffs of AI.

🔥 Want the chance to have your firm anonymously roasted? Complete this form! https://airtable.com/appZ7dtNz3oaTWWZT/shrybn5166E9t12ag
📚 A curated list of the apps I actually use and recommend: https://www.jasononfirms.com/apps

💰 Today's Sponsors
Verito: https://verito.com/jason?utm_campaign=42071442-Jason&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=show-notes
Karbon: https://karbonhq.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=jason-staats
MakersHub: https://makershub.com/get-started?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=jasonstaats
Canopy: Go to https://www.getcanopy.com/jason and schedule a demo to see for yourself, and Canopy will send you a $75 gift card after your demo

// Chapters:
00:00 - 23 Accounting Firm Niches
03:30 - Trust & Estate Firms
04:50 - Nonprofit Tax Firms
05:40 - Tax Representation Firms
06:10 - Sales & Use Tax Firms
07:20 - Foreign-Owned Business Firms
08:10 - Expat Tax Firms
08:40 - Crypto Compliance Firms
09:00 - Cannabis Compliance Firms
09:34 - 401(k) Plan Audit Firms
10:40 - Government Grant Audit Firms
14:04 - Nonprofit Audit Firms
14:39 - HOA Audit Firms
15:29 - Construction & Surety Firms
16:14 - Affordable Housing Firms
16:59 - Franchisor Audit Firms
17:24 - Captive Insurance Audit Firms
17:49 - Credit Union & Community Bank Firms
18:24 - Business Valuation Firms
19:09 - Divorce Forensics Firms
19:44 - Forensic & Fraud Firms
20:09 - Royalty & Contract Compliance Firms
21:09 - Healthcare Reimbursement Firms
21:53 - Government Contractor Firms
26:13 - Building a Space Accounting Firm
27:43 - Finding Space Companies
30:02 - Cost Reimbursement Contracts
31:33 - Space Industry Gateways
32:33 - Finding Niche Opportunities
33:08 - Let’s Make a Hire
35:48 - 📫 Mailbag
36:22 - Will AI Replace Juniors?
41:47 - Using AI to Grow
44:17 - Claude + QuickBooks
45:32 - Private AI Models
50:26 - Jason’s AI Spend
52:36 - AI’s Environmental Cost
54:36 - Closing Thoughts

🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!
X https://twitter.com/jasononfirms
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/
📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter

☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!
📧 Email me! jason@jasononfirms.com

In this episode, I break down nine non-accounting apps that can make a modern accounting firm more efficient, from collaborative email and soft phones to AI assistants, meeting recorders, and scheduling tools. I also 🔥 Roast a Firm and explain why an extremely specific niche can be a powerful advantage. Then in 📞 Accountant Support, I answer questions about cutting lower-paying clients, using Claude with QuickBooks, choosing PC versus Mac for AI, trial balance software, replacing traditional software with AI, and whether new accounting graduates should start their own firms.

🔥 Want the chance to have your firm anonymously roasted? Complete this form! https://airtable.com/appZ7dtNz3oaTWWZT/shrybn5166E9t12ag
📚 A curated list of the apps I actually use and recommend: https://www.jasononfirms.com/apps

💰 Today's Sponsors
Verito: https://verito.com/jason?utm_campaign=42071442-Jason&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=show-notes
Karbon: https://karbonhq.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=jason-staats
MakersHub: https://makershub.com/get-started?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=jasonstaats
Canopy: Go to https://www.getcanopy.com/jason and schedule a demo to see for yourself, and Canopy will send you a $75 gift card after your demo

// Chapters:
00:00 - Private Equity in Accounting
01:45 - Accounting Firm Exit Options
04:49 - $1M to $3M Firms
06:34 - $3M to $10M Firms
09:29 - Larger Firm Deals
11:09 - Six Types of Deals
14:04 - Minority Recapitalization
15:09 - External Sales and Succession
15:34 - What Makes Firms Valuable
17:18 - Alliances and Franchises
19:23 - 🔥 Roast My Firm
20:05 - The $1.9M Tax Firm
21:15 - Pricing Problems
22:45 - Family Office Opportunity
23:25 - The $100K Tech Stack
24:19 - The Owner Bottleneck
28:43 - Four Delegation Strategies
32:27 - The Senior Hire Problem
35:36 - 📫 Mailbag
35:51 - Choosing Practice Management
38:26 - Finding Audit Clients
39:56 - Outsourcing Tax Production
42:50 - Claude as Accounting Software
43:50 - QuickBooks MCP Connector
47:49 - MCP Security Risks
48:49 - Building a Firm While Working
51:09 - AI Advisory for Clients
52:49 - Tax Return Delivery
53:34 - Luca Pacioli Joins the Podcast
56:19 - Closing Thoughts

🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!
X https://twitter.com/jasononfirms
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/
📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter

☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!
📧 Email me! jason@jasononfirms.com

In this episode, I break down nine non-accounting apps that can make a modern accounting firm more efficient, from collaborative email and soft phones to AI assistants, meeting recorders, and scheduling tools. I also 🔥 Roast a Firm and explain why an extremely specific niche can be a powerful advantage. Then in 📞 Accountant Support, I answer questions about cutting lower-paying clients, using Claude with QuickBooks, choosing PC versus Mac for AI, trial balance software, replacing traditional software with AI, and whether new accounting graduates should start their own firms.

🔥 Here’s that Roast-My-Firm intake form: https://airtable.com/appZ7dtNz3oaTWWZT/shrybn5166E9t12ag📚 A curated list of the apps I actually use and recommend: https://www.jasononfirms.com/apps

💰 Today's Sponsors
Cloud Accountant Staffing: https://portal.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/candidates
Financial Cents: Book a demo https://hubs.li/Q03PYVrp0 and use code Jason10 to receive 10% off the Team or Scale annual plan for firms with 2+ users.
Verito: https://verito.com/jason?utm_campaign=42071442-Jason&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=show-notes
Karbon: https://karbonhq.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=jason-staats
MakersHub: https://makershub.com/get-started?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=jasonstaats
Canopy: Go to https://www.getcanopy.com/jason and schedule a demo to see for yourself, and Canopy will send you a $75 gift card after your demo

// Chapters:
00:00 - 9 Essential Non-Accounting Apps
01:55 - Collaborative Email
04:44 - Soft Phones + SMS
06:25 - Loom for Client Communication
08:55 - Social Media Scheduling
10:19 - Password Management
12:24 - Claude or ChatGPT
14:04 - Slack or Microsoft Teams
17:54 - Meeting Recorders
19:04 - Scheduling Tools
23:28 - 🔥 Roast a Firm
24:54 - Why Specific Niches Work
25:43 - Building a Side Website
26:09 - Website Messaging
28:38 - Capturing Visitor Emails
30:23 - Adding Social Proof
30:48 - Rethinking Website Pricing
36:28 - Selling the Opportunity
38:43 - 📞 Accountant Support
38:58 - Cutting Lower-Paying Clients
40:08 - How Many Clients to Cut
44:02 - QuickBooks + Claude Outside the US
48:12 - PC vs. Mac for AI
50:32 - Trial Balance Software
51:02 - Accounting Software Mount Rushmore
53:02 - 10-Key ATB vs. Tallyfor
54:47 - Is Software Too Expensive?
57:02 - Should AI Replace CCH?
01:00:22 - Starting an Accounting Firm
01:05:26 - Realize

🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!
X https://twitter.com/jasononfirms
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa