Joe Woodard joins Blake and David to examine how accountants and bookkeepers can increase the value of their services in the eyes of their clients. Joe introduces the Cobb value curve, illustrating how differentiation and relative value impact pricing. He emphasizes the importance of offering unique, high-value services like controllership and financial planning to stand out from commoditized offerings and command premium prices. Meet Our Guest, Joe Woodard LinkedIn:...

Blake and David dive into the concerning trend of small CPA firms conducting shoddy audits of large companies and SPACs, raking in big fees while facing minimal consequences for deficient work. They also discuss the latest accounting app funding news, the power of AI for crafting persuasive arguments, and the American Institute of CPAs' puzzling resistance to changes in CPA licensure requirements and touch on the growing importance of client accounting services for public accounting...

Blake and David dig through the latest accounting news, including the effectiveness of pizza parties in boosting accounting firm morale, the record number of baby boomers reaching retirement age, and the impact on Social Security, as well as the massive amount of COVID-related fraud originating in South Florida. They also take a look at audit integrity issues, the long working hours in accounting, and some of the latest app headlines. SponsorsLiveFlow -...

Blake and David meet with M&A advisor Charles Bedard about valuations for accounting firms looking to sell. Bedard explains that subscription-based "modern" firms command much higher multiples than traditional hourly billing firms. Bedard provides specific valuation ranges based on revenue and EBITDA multiples and highlights the importance of recurring revenue. He also offers actionable tips for firm owners to increase their value in preparation for an exit. Meet Our Guest, Charles...

Blake and David look at the potential impact of AI on the accounting profession and discuss how AI tools like ChatGPT can boost productivity by automating tasks, improving communication, and assisting with problem-solving. They also examine the implications of these efficiency gains on the billable hour, predicting that firms will need to adapt their pricing strategies as a result. Finally, they review the results of a recent Accounting Today survey, which reveals accountants' perceptions and...

Professor Ed Ketz of Penn State joins the show to discuss audits' current state and future. We delve into the relevance of audits and explore the value of unqualified opinions in making audits meaningful. The discussion also touches on the overstandardization of audit reports and how this can lead to investor misunderstandings. Professor Ketz brings a unique perspective, sparking a debate on whether the existence of the unqualified opinion creates value rather than the content within. The...

Blake and David start with a discussion on Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's testimony regarding the failure of small and mid-sized banks due to exposure to the commercial real estate sector. They also get into Minnesota's CPA licensure bill for 150-hour requirement alternatives and KPMG's audit findings on the Department of Education and the cost of the federal student loan program. Rounding out the episode, they answer listener questions and comments on topics including the...

Here's a preview of Blake's recent appearance on Federal Tax Updates, where he joined host Roger Harris to unpack some of the biggest tax stories making headlines, from a federal court ruling deeming a new business reporting law unconstitutional to the staggering estimates of tax evasion by the wealthy. To hear the complete discussion, visit Federal Tax Updates: https://share.transistor.fm/s/d8c45ed9 Need CPE? Get CPE for listening to podcasts with Earmark: https://earmarkcpe.comSubscribe to...

Blake and David meet up with AJ Yawn, partner at Armanino LLP, about Armanino's new tool, Audit Ally, which streamlines and automates SOC 2 audits. They discuss the growing trend of tech companies entering the audit space and commoditizing services like SOC 2 audits, and explore how Audit Ally aims to help accounting firms compete on price and quality by utilizing AI and machine learning. Meet Our Guest, AJ YawnLinkedIn: https://www.armanino.com/company/people/aj-yawn Learn about about Audit...

We're celebrating surpassing 10,000 YouTube subscribers! Thank you! Blake and David look into H&R Block's new reality show about teaching people life skills like doing their taxes. They also talk about workflow automation challenges for accounting firms, how the IRS is contacting wealthy non-filers, and the Trump Organization CFO pleading guilty to perjury. They also break down the SEC's extensive new climate disclosure rules and the job opportunities this could create for...

Blake and David meet with Chris Vanover, President of CPAClub, about the recent $2 million PCAOB fine against Withum for poor audit quality on many 2021 SPAC audits. They examine Withum's 500% increase in audits with minimal staff growth, leading to overworked teams and partners working 100+ hour weeks. They also debate whether the fines are large enough to change behavior or just a cost of doing business. Meet Our Guest, Chris Vanover LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisvcpa/ Learn...

Fast food chain Wendy's considers demand pricing – should your firm, too? We discuss the potential for surge pricing tax returns to smooth workload and raise revenue. We also dive into new AI-powered accounting productivity tools from Sage and Xero, Zoho's $5 per user practice management suite, and analyze the results of our listener survey. SponsorsLiveFlow - http://accountingpodcast.promo/liveflowZoho - http://accountingpodcast.promo/zohoClient Hub -...

Aaron Harris joins Blake and David to discuss Sage's new AI offering, Sage Copilot, which brings generative intelligence into Sage Intacct to eliminate routine accounting work. They discuss specific use cases Copilot handles, like chasing people for approvals/documents, drafting emails, and answering ad hoc questions without running reports. Aaron also shares his perspective on AI’s impact on the accounting profession and why increased automation will make human review and trust even more...

Blake and David discuss the Lyft financial typo that sent its stock price soaring. They also examine how AI-powered help desks and customer service are improving efficiency by 10-20%, and look at some alternatives to the pesky 150-hour rule. Other news includes the future of commercial real estate taxes, the use of AI tools to monitor employee communications, and how the IRS plans to collect over $500 billion more in owed taxes. Sponsors OnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpayCloud...

Blake and David meet with Geoffrey Brown of the Illinois CPA Society to examine some key findings from ICPAS's recent retention report, including top reasons for turnover, where departing accountants are going, and ideas for improving work-life balance. Meet Our Guest, Geoffrey Brown LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffrey-brown-cae-9039484/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IllinoisCPAFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ICPASInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/illinoiscpasociety/ Learn...

Blake and David break down the IRS's $99 million paper-check limit, how states use tax credits to attract movie productions (sometimes unsuccessfully) and give their take on actor Kenan Thompson losing $1.5 million to fraud as a child. They also cover couples arguing over finances, AI answering tax questions in California, accounting rules hiding commercial real estate loan losses on bank balance sheets, and the lack of action from accounting standards boards to change these...

Blake and David talk with Chayton Farlee, an accounting student at the University of the Pacific, about his journey into accounting and his thoughts on the profession. They discuss his inspiring path from cleaning carpets during the pandemic to pursuing his CPA and CMA, the disconnect many students feel between accounting theory and real-world application, the importance of bookkeeping skills, and considerations around starting his career at a Big Four firm or a smaller, more...

Blake and David discuss a wealth of timely topics, including the risks of filing taxes electronically versus by mail, the impact of the 150-hour rule on diversity in the accounting profession, and how major accounting firms are turning to private equity funding to accelerate growth. They also explore news from the artificial intelligence space, including Google's unveiling of Gemini, as well as ADP's new AI assistant, and examine how deepfake video calls enabled the theft of $25...

Yoseph West joins Blake and David to examine Relay Financial's background and their ambition to solve banking problems by becoming a bank themselves, designing the ideal user experience, and overcoming regulatory challenges. West also outlines Relay's redesigned accountant partner program, its many benefits, and upcoming features like receipt capture. The discussion turns to best practices for incorporating technology like Relay into accounting practices to solve client problems and the...

CNBC tells taxpayers to seek out EAs if they can't find a CPA, crypto fraud by a pastor who claims God told him to do it, issues with IRS taxpayer notices and filing, accounting irregularities at agricultural giant ADM send the stock plummeting, CPA reciprocity is a pain, AI updates including Microsoft Mesh VR meetings in Teams, FTC forcing TurboTax to stop advertising as "free," Wave’s new paid subscription model, and the liquidation threat facing massive Chinese developer...

This week, Blake and David Leary sort through the mail and respond to a variety of listener emails and voicemails. Amongst the topics covered, they explore working as a TurboTax preparer to barriers faced by career-changers entering public accounting. They go on to debate the root causes behind accounting's heavy workloads and offer perspectives on how licensing rules and firm profitability shape experiences. SponsorsOnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpayA2 Advisors -...

Blake and David discuss the challenges of busy season and achieving work-life balance as accountants. They also debate the value and investment risks of cryptocurrency and analyze global economic impacts like outflows from China's economy. They also review some of the latest AI trends including self-driving vehicle safety data, and examine some recent news regarding a software error falsely accusing hundreds, an SEC crypto ETF approval, and a feel-good small town tax budget balanced without...

Dominic Piscopo is the founder of Big4Transparency.com, an accounting salary transparency website. Dominic was inspired to start the site based on his experience discovering the disparity in compensation between his accounting job and what other accountants were making in the same city. To date, Big4Transparency.com has collected over 13,000 salary data points. In the episode, we discuss the value of using the platform for salary negotiation. Dominic also highlights trends in accounting...

Blake and David mull over the Arizona CPA Society's survey revealing that 80% of Arizona CPAs support 150-hour-rule alternatives. They also examine the UK Post Office scandal that led to hundreds of criminal convictions of postmasters, as well as Deloitte's recent massive audit failures, and the impacts of the talent shortage illustrated by delayed government audits in Wyoming. Wrapping things up, some reflections on the need for major reforms in auditing and regulation of the accounting...