Journal of Accountancy Podcast

Early this month , the AICPA launched its Profession Ready Initiative . In this episode of the JofA podcast, Carl Mayes, CPA, the AICPA's vice president–CPA Candidate Quality and Competency, explained more about the initiative and why a rapidly changing workplace demands new skills from emerging and early-career CPAs.  He discussed how automation, AI, and offshoring are reshaping entry-level work...

Tammy Thomas, CPA/CFF, CGMA, is a co-author of the most recent FVS Eye on Fraud report, focused on the importance of internal controls preventing employee embezzlement . In this episode, Thomas breaks down how failures in segregation of duties allowed two major embezzlement schemes to persist for years. She explains how small control gaps and role consolidation can quietly erode an organization's...

In this episode, Wesley Hartman, co‑author of the Journal of Accountancy' s Technology Q&A column, discusses how AI is reshaping work for accounting firms. He explains the difference between generative and agentic AI and why both matter for firm workflows. Hartman also outlines the most pressing AI risks for CPAs, including hallucinations and emerging deepfake‑driven scams, which he wrote about in...

A new episode of the JofA podcast breaks down the AICPA's updated criteria for stablecoin controls, explaining what issuers and practitioners need to know as regulatory expectations evolve. This episode explores how revised AICPA stablecoin criteria support more consistent reporting, disclosure, and control assessments across a rapidly developing digital asset landscape. What you'll learn from thi...

In this episode, former AICPA Chair Bill Reeb, CPA/CITP, CGMA, reflects on more than 40 years in the profession and why he believes accountability is the starting point for a successful leadership effort.  Reeb, speaking from the Digital CPA Conference in December, discusses how momentum, clarity of direction, and facing fear help leaders navigate today's rapid pace of change. He also addresses te...

On this episode of the JofA podcast, an AICPA executive and regular guest discussed trends from discussions with numerous finance professionals, delving into how AI and hybrid work might affect accounting this year and beyond. "Now we're going to be talking about managing AI agents in finance and accounting," Tom Hood, CPA/CITP, CGMA, said. "That's going to be a whole different world, and it's goi...

Samantha Bowling, CPA, CGMA, managing partner of GWCPA, shares how her firm eliminated busy season, limited hours, and improved morale while still meeting client needs. She also explained how thoughtful use of AI can support advisory services, boost efficiency, and help small firms get "unstuck." This episode of the JofA podcast was recorded at Digital CPA in National Harbor, Md., in December 2025...

Sarah Ference, CPA, an author of the  JofA' s Professional Liability Spotlight column, returns to the  JofA podcast to discuss recent column topics and the advice CPAs can gain from them. In particular, Ference details data security preparedness, the value of engagement letters for tax-compliance services, common audit claims and defenses, and more. Editor's note: This episode is the JofA podcast'...

Melanie Lauridsen, the AICPA's vice president–Tax Policy & Advocacy, joined the  JofA podcast on Tuesday from the Digital CPA Conference, offering context on the most recent government shutdown and on how a potential shutdown early in 2026 could affect IRS services. The interview was conducted one day after the IRS released guidance for health savings accounts . Guidance related to H.R. 1, P.L. 11...

What's the view of finance executives about the U.S. economy and their own businesses? And what's the latest from the IRS on new Trump accounts? Find out more in this quick-hitting episode that summarizes several topics, including the December digital edition of the magazine. What you'll learn from this episode: A summary of CPA decision-makers' sentiment about the economy and their own businesses...

In this  Journal of Accountancy branded podcast episode, Clint Costa, CPA, J.D., LL.M., a senior wealth strategist at Choreo, talks with Matt Gotlin, Choreo's chief investment officer, on trends in investment management and tips for CPAs to advise clients.

This episode of the JofA podcast explores Accounting Opportunities Experience month, a growing nationwide program to inspire students to pursue accounting careers.   Liz Burkhalter, the AICPA's vice president–CPA Pipeline, shares how CPAs and volunteers are working to reach 50,000 students through classroom visits and events. She also mentioned resources that can help listeners who want to volunte...

Andrea Millar, CPA/PFS, thought she knew what really mattered. Getting good grades in school and going above and beyond at work were part of her being. But she came to the realization that work was consuming her life, at the expense of other things she cared about. Millar wrote about that experience, and some of the changes she made to create a more fulfilling life, in a recent JofA article . She...

Withum partner Brian Lovett, CPA, CGMA, J.D., is the guest on this week's episode of the Journal of Accountancy podcast. Lovett is scheduled to speak at the AICPA Construction & Real Estate Conference in December on industry-specific impacts of new tax provisions in H.R. 1, P.L. 119-21, commonly known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. He joined the podcast to preview some of those topics and expl...

Executive coach and author Nick Robinson illuminates the challenging traits of work colleagues and shares strategies from his book — The 9 Types of Difficult People: How to Spot Them and Quickly Improve Working Relationships — that professionals can employ to improve relationships on the job.  Robinson, a speaker at UK & Ireland ENGAGE, explores the interplay between organizational pressures, psyc...

"You cannot avoid AI" — but you can and should continue to experiment with it. That's one key message from consultant and keynote speaker Pascal Finette, who returned to the JofA podcast to discuss how artificial intelligence (AI) adoption has grown and how the profession is dealing with rapid changes and uncertainty. The conversation revisits topics Finette discussed in 2021 and 2022, and it look...

This week's podcast guest is Kimberly Ellison-Taylor, CPA/CITP, CGMA, the CEO of KET Solutions and former AICPA and Association of International Certified Professional Accountants chair. Ellison-Taylor joined the show from the National Association of Corporate Directors 2025 Summit earlier this week, where AI was the main topic of conversation. What else are corporate boards discussing? And how is...

Melanie Lauridsen, the AICPA's vice president–Tax Policy & Advocacy, joined the  JofA  podcast on Tuesday to provide context on the government shutdown and its effect on IRS services, along with discussion on other tax advocacy topics. The interview was conducted the day before the IRS announced that most of its operations were closed and that a plan to furlough employees had begun "for everyone e...

Jimmy Robinson, CPA, CGMA, the national chair of the AICPA Dealership Conference, and his co-presenter and co-worker Jesse Stopnitzky joined the JofA podcast to preview discussion points of their conference session later this month. Their expertise is industry-specific, but some of the topics are applicable to a broader audience. Robinson, a former dealership CFO, shared the key traits of strong f...

Sarah Ference, CPA, an author of the  JofA' s Professional Liability Spotlight column, returns to the  JofA podcast to discuss recent column topics and the advice CPAs can gain from them. In particular, Ference details some of the risks for CPA firms engaging in mergers and acquisitions, the subject of a recent two-part series. The articles discussed in this episode are: n   June: " Form 1065: Pay...

In her professional career, Annette Nellen, Esq., CPA, CGMA, cannot recall a time when there was more misinformation in the realm of taxes than today, as practitioners wade through H.R. 1, P.L. 119-21, commonly known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. She believes an overreliance on artificial intelligence tools in analyzing the budget law is one reason. "You still have to review it," said Nellen,...

Karim Ellis is the keynote speaker at the AICPA Governmental and Not-for-Profit Conference in October in Las Vegas. The early-bird registration deadline for the event is Friday. For Ellis, the qualities of a strong speaker are similar to the ones needed in a strong leader: empathy, preparedness, adaptability, and excellent storytelling skills. In this conversation, Ellis shares how he prepares for...

Sentiment about the U.S. economy improved slightly — but not nearly enough to be considered a positive outlook — in the latest quarterly Business and Industry Economic Outlook Survey by the AICPA and CIMA. For a breakdown of the results, the  JofA podcast welcomed back Ken Witt, CPA, CGMA, associate director–Management Accounting Research & Development. He discusses finance decision-makers' views...

"Maybe I never will change the whole world. But every day, I can change my world." Those are the words of profession leader Lindsay Stevenson, CPA, CGMA. She's back on the JofA podcast, this time in person from her house in South Dakota. Stevenson discussed technology adoption, how her firm approaches remote work, and why keeping a journal at least for part of the year is important to her. Stevens...

"We're not short on things to do." Those are the words of Mark Koziel, CPA, CGMA, CEO of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants and president and CEO of the AICPA. He's been in that role since the start of the year and traveled all over the world hearing from members. Summer's end seemed like a good time for a progress report on a variety of fronts from Koziel, who at...