Can AI now do bookkeeping better than humans? Blake and David dig into new data showing major AI models outperforming outsourced accountants on basic transaction coding, then explore what that means for firms, finance teams, and the future of audit. They also cover a one-person finance team powered by AI agents, KPMG’s scramble to keep up, and why the accounting talent shortage still isn’t going away.
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Chapters
- (00:00) - TAP 491
- (00:38) - Top stories preview
- (03:23) - OnPay support story
- (04:08) - Finance team of one
- (06:49) - LLMs vs humans benchmarks
- (09:15) - Ramp Stack agents
- (13:04) - Digits interview begins
- (19:55) - Outcome pricing and skills
- (28:05) - Livestream Q&A reactions
- (29:27) - Future of audit Oath
- (30:29) - Oath AI Audit Vision
- (31:46) - Continuous Audit Workflow
- (32:21) - Business Model Debate
- (33:02) - Big Four On Alert
- (33:07) - Accounting Engineer Hiring
- (33:47) - KPMG Courts AI Startups
- (35:15) - Talent Shortage Worsens
- (36:31) - Why Seniors Are Scarce
- (39:55) - Ramp Stack AI Agents
- (47:14) - Procurement Agents And Valuation
- (48:50) - KPMG Token Maxing Dashboard
- (52:31) - KPMG Australia Fallout
- (54:45) - Trump Tax Settlement Update
- (56:14) - IRS Leadership Vacuum
- (59:28) - Wrap Up And Earmark News
Show Notes
Digits "Beyond the AI Hype" Benchmark — AI Models Now Beat Human Accountants
https://blog.insightfulaccountant.com/digits-releases-latest-edition-of-their-beyond-the-ai-hype-benchmark
Ramp Launches Stack, an AI Operating System for Accounting Firms
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ramp-launches-stack-an-ai-operating-system-for-accounting-firms-302789630.html
Ramp Launches Fleet of AI Agents Across Its Procurement Platform
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ramp-launches-fleet-of-ai-agents-across-its-procurement-platform-302756657.html
Ramp Raises $750 Million Series F at $44 Billion Valuation
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ramp-raises-series-f-at-44-billion-valuation-302791103.html
Accounting Talent Shortage Surges — Accounting Today
https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/accounting-talent-shortage-surges
Ex-PCAOB Regulator Joins AI Audit Startup Oath Targeting 80% Automation
https://thefinancestory.com/ex-pcaob-regulator-joins-ai-native-audit-firm-oath
KPMG Exploring Start-Up Deals in Silicon Valley to Counter AI Threat — Financial Times
https://www.internationalaccountingbulletin.com/news/kpmg-exploring-start-up-deals/
KPMG Sets 75% AI Usage Target with New Dashboard, Employees Flag It's Easy to Game — Business Insider
https://www.aol.com/articles/kpmg-now-dashboard-where-consultants-154532433.html
Amazon Shuts Down Internal AI Leaderboard After Employees Inflate Usage via Tokenmaxxing
https://www.hcamag.com/us/specialization/hr-technology/amazon-shuts-down-ai-leaderboard-after-tokenmaxxing/577189
KPMG Australia CEO Andrew Yates Resigns Amid Whistleblower Scandal
https://www.internationalaccountingbulletin.com/news/kpmg-australia-ceo-andrew-yates-resigns-amid-whistleblower-scandal/
Trump Administration Drops $1.8 Billion Anti-Weaponization Fund — Todd Blanche Testimony
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/02/doj-fund-trump-todd-blanche.html
Bessent Says He Is Performing IRS Commissioner Duties Amid Trump Tax Settlement Scrutiny
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/03/bessent-irs-commissioner-trump-tax-settlement-doj-fund.html
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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 leave a voicemail; maybe we'll play it on the show. DIAL (202) 695-1040.
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