Explore every episode of the podcast Accounting Today Podcast

Technology is driving transformation in how audits are conducted at an ever-faster pace, says Paul Goodhew, global assurance innovation & emerging technology leader at Big Four firm Ernst & Young -- and artificial intelligence will only accelerate that.

As the Senate takes up the Trump administration's tax bill, Neil Fishman, the president of the National Conference of CPA Practitioners, dives into the details of the House bill and some of the possibilities in the Senate, as well as other issues from Washington that accountants should be keeping in mind.

To move beyond being a scrappy small firm, you have to change the way you think about a host of things, suggests Brannon Poe of Poe Group Advisors.

With accounting talent so hard to find, Paul Peterson shares how his firm has cultivated non-accountants and non-CPAs to fill the gap.

Consultant and technology thought leader Seth Fineberg offers a guide to finding, choosing, implementing and assessing the software your firm needs.

Bob Lewis and Doug Lewis of The Visionary Group dive into how everything about firm combinations -- from deal structure and their impact on staff, to how accounting and PE firms are identifying targets -- is changing, and will continue to change in the future.

Brannon Poe of Poe Group Advisors talks about how the current landscape of acquisition -- particularly the entrance of private equity into the field -- is impacting firms below $10 million.

AAM Hall of Famers August Aquila and Kristen Lewis examine the rise of marketing as a professional function in accounting firm -- and look ahead to where it's going.

What will the firings at the IRS and other developments in Washington mean for tax season? Neil Fishman, returning president of the National Conference of CPA Practitioners, dives into these and other major tax issues.

Kim Blascoe, senior director of CAS professional services at CPA.com, shares some of the highlights of their most recent CAS Benchmark Survey -- from the area's extraordinary growth rates to the key practices of a high-performing CAS practice.

As firms grow, they need to move their sales pipeline from inside their head into a more formal process, says Sarah Dobek of Inovautus Consulting, to gather the right data and hold everyone involved accountable for growth.

Private equity can solve many of a firm's problems –– but not necessarily all, according to Phil Whitman of Whitman Transition Advisors, and there are alternatives.

Private equity is a solution to many accounting firm problems -- but not for all accounting firms. Allan Koltin of Koltin Consulting Group dives into who might be a good fit for PE, and what they can expect if they do.

Private equity presents a lot of opportunities for accounting firms -- but comes with a great many questions, too. Bob Lewis of the Visionary Group offers answers and valuable advice for accountants looking at this major trend.

Terrell Turner of the TLTurner Group explains his firm's unique process for upgrading employee reviews and keeping staff performing at the levels they need.

And that should be their firm, says David Wurtzbacher of PE-backed accounting firm platform Ascend, so they can spend the vast majority of their time working on the business, rather than in the business.

Service line and practice offering leaders stand at the point where a firm's overall strategy meets the delivery of its actual services, and they have a unique role and set of responsibilities, says Sarah Dobek of Inovautus Consulting.

Client advisory services Kane Polakoff of CohnReznick looks into the future of this fast-growing service area, and outlines the steps firms need to take to succeed in CAS's next iteration.

The National Pipeline Advisory Group's recommendations cover a wide range of ways to attract more people to the profession, and NPAG facilitator and ConvergenceCoaching co-founder Jennifer Wilson walks us through what everyone can do to bring in the next generation. If you're interested in helping, you can take the Pipeline Pledge here.

What it means to be an accountant is changing -- and that may be an important part of attracting more young people too the profession, says David Bergstein.

What clients value and what accountants think they value are rarely the same thing, and Joe Woodard makes the case that it's accountants who need to change their ideas around value, not clients.

The co-leaders of the Rosenberg Group, Marc Rosenberg and Kristen Rampe look back at three decades of change in the accounting profession — and what lies ahead.

Kelly Fisher, chief practice officer at Top 100 Firm Wipfli, offers a practical look at artificial intelligence, current use cases, and how accounting firms should be thinking about it.

The profession is seeing wholesale shifts in generational approaches across a range of areas, say Bob Lewis and Doug Lewis of the Visionary Group, as they dive into how best to navigate all those changes.

Accounting hought leader Seth Fineberg shares the three areas that public accounting needs to address: life-work balance, DEI and salaries.

The AICPA's Crystal Cooke talks about why the perception that companies are scaling back their diversity efforts is wrong, and how accounting can move forward in its pursuit of diversity, equity and inclusion.

What goes into the recipe for accounting firm success? Randy Crabtree of TriMerit Specialty Taxes goes over the ingredients, and how best to combine them.

Okorie Ramsey, the chair of the AICPA and vice president of SOX at Kaiser Permanente, dives into how accounting firms can make the most of this important recruiting and career development tool, and the benefits it offers for both mentee and mentor.

Nela Richardson, chief economist of ADP, shares her thoughts on what's in store economically for the year ahead, what accountants should be worried about, and why the new normal will be anything but normal.