Show Notes
Are fake AI receipts becoming the next big headache for finance teams? Blake Oliver and David Leary unpack the surge in AI-generated expense fraud, why tax pros are rapidly adopting AI research tools, and how firms are using AI to automate month-end close and revenue recognition. They also cover NASBA’s response to criticism, Intuit’s renewed focus on accountants, and the implications of private equity and a shifting work culture for the future of accounting firms.
Sponsors Cloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/cas The Value Builder System - http://accountingpodcast.promo/value OnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpay
Chapters (00:00) - AI Tax Research Surge
(00:23) - Show Intro and Lead Story
(02:11) - AI Receipt Fraud Explodes
(04:42) - Fraud Types and Detection
(06:32) - Vibe Coding Goes Mainstream
(10:19) - Claude for Rev Rec Workpapers
(11:48) - NASBA Letter Follow Up
(17:38) - Earmark CPE and New Audit Show
(20:08) - Intuit Courts Accountants
(23:04) - AI in Tax and IRS Guidance
(28:45) - Hourly Billing Debate
(29:10) - Disclosing AI Use
(29:36) - NASBA Free Speech Question
(31:34) - Customer Focus vs Regulation
(35:52) - AI Close Tools Meridian
(37:38) - DIY Agents for Accounting
(39:20) - Claude Builds Rev Rec
(44:46) - Eide Bailly Takes PE
(48:06) - Big Firms Losing Control
(53:01) - PE Meets Culture Shift
(53:55) - Wrap Up CPE and Pricing
Show Notes Use of AI receipts in expense fraud soars https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/use-of-ai-receipts-in-expense-fraud-soars The future of the ecosystem: Is everyone a developer now? https://devblog.xero.com/the-future-of-the-ecosystem-is-everyone-a-developer-now-f3899ddf0b24 Blue J and CPA.com Survey Finds AI Adoption Among Tax Firms Has Nearly Doubled in One Year https://www.cpa.com/news/blue-j-and-cpacom-survey-finds-ai-adoption-among-tax-firms-has-nearly-doubled-one-year IRS rolls out introductory AI guidelines for tax practitioners https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/irs-rolls-out-introductory-ai-guidelines-for-tax-practitioners IRS electronic tax advisory committee recommends AI and preparer safeguards https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/irs-electronic-tax-advisory-committee-recommends-ai-and-preparer-safeguards The end of hourly billing Ignition's 2025 benchmark signals pricing shift for firms https://www.ignitionapp.com/news/the-end-of-hourly-billing-ignitions-2025-benchmark-signals-pricing-shift-for-firms Intuit CEO to accountants You are the customer not a channel https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/intuit-ceo-to-accountants-you-are-the-customer-not-a-channel Pilot Launches Meridian The AI Platform That Fully Closes the Books for Accounting Firms https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/06/16/3312500/0/en/pilot-launches-meridian-the-ai-platform-that-fully-closes-the-books-for-accounting-firms.html Kinter.ai Launches Agentic AI Accountants to Automate The Financial Close https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kinterai-launches-agentic-ai-accountants-to-automate-the-financial-close-302807330.html Eide Bailly Advances Growth Strategy and Client Service Commitment Through Investment from Reverence Capital Partners https://www.eidebailly.com/insights/firm-news/2026/reverence-capital-partners-investment With 1.8 Billion Dollar Deal Eide Bailly Set for Explosive Growth https://cpatrendlines.com/2026/06/25/with-1-8-billion-deal-eide-bailly-set-for-explosive-growth/ Losing Control The Erosion of Disciplinary and Pastoral Power in Accounting Firms https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1911-3846.70028
Need CPE? Get CPE for listening to podcasts with Earmark: https://earmarkcpe.com Subscribe to the Earmark Podcast: https://podcast.earmarkcpe.com
Get in Touch Thanks for listening and the great reviews! We appreciate you! Follow and tweet @BlakeTOliver and @DavidLeary. Find us on Facebook and Instagram. If you like what you hear, please do us a favor and write a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser. Call us and
More from The Accounting Podcast
AI outperformed 12 CPAs on a month-end close benchmark, but that doesn’t mean it can replace them. Blake Oliver and David Leary unpack the study’s limits and why adding AI to existing workflows may not save time. They also explore survey findings that accounting budgets triple when businesses hit $1 million in revenue, plus why most firms are invisible in AI searches. Learn what these shifts mean for your firm’s processes, pricing, and marketing.
Could AI replace your CFO or simply make their job more exhausting? Blake and David debate automation’s limits, unpack an enrolled agent’s log of 188 IRS calls, and explore proposed reforms to taxpayer service. They also examine why AI is putting pressure on billable hours, gaps in AI safety audit requirements, and a romance scam victim’s $225,000 tax bill. Learn what these developments could mean for your firm, clients, and workload.
Will AI replace accountants—or finally ease the profession’s talent shortage? Blake and David unpack why AI-exposed accounting roles are seeing pay rise, not fall; how EY cut audit deficiencies from 28% to under 5%; and why firms must give AI agents limited access and auditable logins. They also explore the coming firm structure: fewer staff, more AI agents, and partners focused on judgment, review, and client relationships.
Could AI make a one-person audit firm possible—and what happens if the data-center boom slows down first? Blake and David examine the AI economy’s circular debt, the construction ripple effects of a pullback, and practical ways firms can document workflows before automating them. They also cover AI-powered continuous audits, Mercury’s new general ledger, and tax evasion headlines.
Is AI the real threat to accounting firms, or is it the client experience? Blake and David unpack a KPMG-linked Polymarket insider-trading investigation, AI-powered fraud, Xero’s influencer backlash, and a tax startup founder charged with defrauding investors. They also share their own experiments using Claude and ChatGPT to prepare tax returns, making the case that firms must eliminate frustrating back-and-forth if they want to keep clients.