The Accounting Podcast

Are AI “super agents” like Xero’s Jax actually useful—or just shiny chatbots? Blake and David unpack Xerocon announcements, why embedded agents lack context, smarter way to automate bank feeds with rules, the leaked “no tax on tips” job list and planning opportunities, IRS staffing whiplash, plus what billion‑dollar AI pledges from big firms really mean. Walk away with practical steps to deploy AI...

Are AI bank feeds helping—or just creating more work? Blake and David unpack Intuit’s missteps, why “use AI to make the rules” matters, and how a no‑code agent now posts multi‑line bills to Xero. They demo Excel’s new "copilot()" function, share how FP&A roles are shifting, and hit headlines from Barstool’s lawsuit to tariffs and Gusto’s Guideline deal. You’ll leave with practical ways to depl...

Can AI agents actually reduce your workload—or just add hype? Blake demos how he rebuilt bill-entry “Hubdoc-style” in about an hour with Zapier Agents, then maps out why most AI pilots fail without documented workflows and human approvals. Plus: PwC’s plan to hire one-third fewer grads, juniors supervising AI, HMRC scanning social posts for tax gaps, and fresh salary and pricing benchmarks. Learn...

Can an AI reconcile your books while you sleep? Blake and David run a live experiment with ChatGPT-5’s Agent Mode in Xero—watching it match transactions, stumble on prepayments, and reveal what’s realistically automatable today. They also break down a flood of app news: Dext's bill pay, Ramp’s mega raise, Thomson Reuters and Deloitte’s agentic AI, plus Ignition–Financial Cents and Canopy portal mo...

Blake and David discuss how both AICPA and NASBA have officially endorsed a 120-hour CPA licensure pathway in the ninth edition of the Uniform Accountancy Act, validating Blake's long-standing advocacy against the 150-hour requirement. They also examine Baker Tilly's policy, which requires CPAs to remove their designations from email signatures and LinkedIn profiles due to alternative practice str...

What happens when the traditional path from college to accounting career gets disrupted by AI and automation? This week, Blake and David explore who's most likely to quit accounting firms (hint: it's the middle managers), why wages are rising while jobs disappear, and how one college is revolutionizing accounting education. You'll discover which employees are happiest and most miserable in account...

What happens when politicians threaten to cut funding from accounting standard-setters unless they eliminate specific rules? Blake and David explore unprecedented political interference in FASB and PCAOB operations, plus the IRS facing a 23% budget cut despite Trump's push for more customer service staff. They unpack Sam Altman's warning about AI breaking voice authentication at major banks, why a...

What happens when a $2 trillion cryptocurrency market suddenly requires monthly audits? Blake and David break down the Genius Act, the new federal stablecoin legislation that just created a massive opportunity for auditors—but also potentially recreated the chaotic "wildcat banking" era of the 1800s. You'll learn why every stablecoin issuer now needs monthly attestation reports and annual audits,...

Why is AI failing at basic accounting tasks while claiming to outsmart PhD students? Blake and David dive into the stark reality of AI implementation in accounting, from Ramp's promising new expense management agents to QuickBooks' baffling suggestion to credit and debit the same account. You'll discover the critical security vulnerabilities in AI systems and learn why clients are increasingly usi...

What happens when AI decides who gets promoted and who gets fired? Blake and David dive into the shocking reality that 60% of managers now use AI for HR decisions, with over 20% letting algorithms make final calls without human oversight. They explore a Stanford study revealing that tax preparers are the #1 profession seeking automation, but only for basic calendar scheduling. Plus, discover why y...

What happens when AI agents promise to transform accounting but create more cognitive burden than productivity gains? Blake and David explore the reality behind the AI agent hype as QuickBooks, Digits, and Big Four firms launch their "digital teammates." They also dig into Xero's massive $2.5 billion acquisition of Melio and what it means for the payments landscape. You'll learn why managing AI ag...

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...

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 automa...

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 trai...

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...

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...

What happens when a major newspaper publishes a summer reading list where only five of the 15 books actually exist? Blake and David explore this real example of AI-generated content gone wrong and what it means for accounting professionals who increasingly rely on automated tools. They break down QuickBooks' latest price increases, demonstrate how AI can now build complex consolidation spreadsheet...

How close are we to expense reports that create themselves? In this crossover episode recorded live at Emburse in Motion, Blake Oliver explores real-world AI implementation with Adriana Carpenter, CFO of Emburse, and Olga Pavlova from PizzaExpress. Discover how PizzaExpress manages 350+ restaurant locations using AI to automatically flag policy violations and detect hidden SaaS subscriptions burie...

What happens when Congress passes a $3.8 trillion deficit-increasing bill by just one vote while promising fiscal responsibility? Blake and David break down the "Big Beautiful Bill" and reveal who really benefits—spoiler alert: it's not the middle class or the national debt. They explore QuickBooks' aggressive new AI agents rollout with price hikes up to 17%, examine why Tesla's CPA CFO earned $13...

Could the Pope be on the hook for US taxes? As the first American elected Pope, Leo XIV faces an unusual conundrum under US citizenship rules. Meanwhile, Intuit's controversial new API pricing has developers reeling, and Hector Garcia joins the conversation to explain why this "tariff" threatens the entire QuickBooks ecosystem. Blake and David also examine how companies use foreign trade zones to...

What if your firm could cut its tech stack in half while delivering faster results to clients? In this episode, Blake and David explore the consolidation revolution in accounting software as practice management tools secure massive funding rounds. They also break down how private equity is reshaping the profession's business model, with some firms now prohibiting CPAs from using their credentials...

Could AI create a $20 trillion professional services earthquake? In this episode, Blake and David dive into the data showing that AI firms generate $45,000 more revenue per employee than non-adopters. You'll discover how AI is reshaping traditional accounting and what Claude's new ability to connect with your Gmail and calendar means for productivity. They also demonstrate how indistinguishable AI...

Could you spend years earning your CPA license only to be told you can't use it? In this episode, Mark Koziel, president of the AICPA, joins Blake and David to discuss the shocking trend of firms prohibiting CPAs from identifying themselves as such in emails, on business cards, and even on LinkedIn. Blake and David also explore the economic uncertainty created by Trump's tariff policies, with majo...

In this bonus episode, David teams up with Caleb and Zach from Oh My Fraud to unpack the 2016 film The Accountant. Together, they explore how Hollywood portrays forensic accounting, internal controls, and what happens when your auditor brings a thermos full of sniper parts. Connect with David and Caleb https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidleary https://www.linkedin.com/in/calebnewquist Oh My Fraud Epi...

Could AI be doing a day's work in just minutes for accountants? In this episode, Blake and David explore how accounting technology is revolutionizing traditional workflows, from Xero's new AI protocol that connects chatbots directly to accounting data, to Google's game-changing "I" function in Sheets that lets you analyze data with natural language. You'll discover why deep research tools might re...