What happens when AI starts doing the audit work itself? Blake and David dig into KPMG’s prediction that routine audit testing could soon happen with almost no human auditors directly involved. They also cover the IRS’s unfinished AI projects, the end of Direct File, new tax-on-tips rules, and why firms investing more in marketing are growing faster. Press play to hear what these shifts could mean for accountants, firms, and clients.

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Chapters

  • (00:00) - Audits Without Humans
  • (00:22) - Tax Day Show Kickoff
  • (02:30) - When Tax Day Hit Post Office
  • (04:34) - E Filing Ends The Party
  • (05:23) - This Week Top Stories
  • (05:58) - Warehouse Fire Accounting Impact
  • (08:52) - Compliance Time Cost
  • (11:04) - No Tax On Tips Rules
  • (13:44) - IRS AI Projects Stall
  • (14:43) - Direct File Cost Debate
  • (17:30) - Xero Os Buzzword Critique
  • (20:32) - Can Ai Replace QuickBooks
  • (21:23) - Reddit Claude Accounting System
  • (22:45) - Firms Lose Stack Control
  • (23:27) - AI Makes More Cleanup
  • (23:58) - Tidwell Spreadsheet Accounting
  • (25:13) - Tax Preparer Fraud Cases
  • (27:17) - Big Four Audit Automation
  • (30:58) - EY Office Mandate and Careers
  • (34:01) - Firm Growth Marketing and AI
  • (36:19) - Audit Lawsuits and Penalties
  • (40:19) - Juno AI Tax Prep Funding
  • (42:27) - Workers Skipping AI Review
  • (44:36) - Agentic Frameworks and Omni
  • (47:19) - Wrap Up and Free CPE

 


Show Notes

How Tax Day Turned Into Party Night at the Post Office

https://www.history.com/articles/tax-day-parties

Americans to Spend 11.6 Billion Hours Completing Federal Compliance Forms

https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2026/03/16/americans-to-spend-11-6-billion-hours-completing-federal-compliance-forms/179866/


IRS Publishes List of Jobs That Qualify for 'No Tax on Tips' Provision

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/13/irs-tax-on-tips-big-beautiful-bill.html


IRS AI Projects Fall by the Wayside Due to Staff Cuts

https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/irs-ai-projects-fall-by-the-wayside-due-to-staff-cuts


IRS Inflated Direct File Costs by $45 Million in 2025

https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2026/03/25/irs-inflated-direct-file-costs-by-45-million-in-2025/180237/


Xero OS: Your Operating System for the Future of Autonomous Finance

https://blog.xero.com/news-events/xero-os-ai-native-operating-system/


Tidwell — MCP Accounting Server (Reddit reference)

https://www.tidwell.com


Warehouse Worker Charged in $500M Arson Attack at Kimberly-Clark Distribution Center

https://abc7.com/post/employee-arrested-arson-kimberly-clark-distribition-center-destroyed-massive-fire-ontario/18851549/


New Jersey Tax Preparer Sentenced in Largest COVID-19 Tax Relief Fraud Case

https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/new-jersey-man-sentenced-prison-largest-covid-19-tax-relief-fraud-scheme-country


Pennsylvania Tax Preparer Jessica Cordero Faces Federal Charges in New Fraud Scheme

https://www.justice.gov/usao-edpa/pr/allentown-woman-and-two-others-charged-federal-court-wire-fraud-and-aggravated-identity


In This Critical Part of Audits, the Accountant's Role Is Shrinking Fast

https://www.wsj.com/finance/accounting/auditors-ai-kpmg-pwc-ey-7f07d3a5


KPMG Plans to Cut Up to 440 Audit Jobs in UK

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-27/kpmg-set-to-shed-hundreds-of-auditors-as-attrition-remains-low


EY Requiring U.S. Tax Staff to Work In-Person 12 Days a Month

https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/ey-requiring-us-tax-staff-to-work-in-person-12-days-a-month


AI Is Changing How EY Recruits, Develops and Promotes Employees

https://www.businessinsider.com/ey-ai-talent-career-paths-accounting-2026


High-Growth Accounting Firms Spend Twice as Much on Marketing

https://hingemarketing.com/blog/story/marketing-financial-services-the-2025-forecast


Evergrande Liquidators and PwC Head to Court

https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/evergrande-liquidators-and-pwc-head-to-court


Ontario Securities Commission Accuses KPMG of Botching Audits for Bridging Finance

https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/ontario-securities-commission-accuses-kpmg-of-botching-audits-for-bridging-finance


Juno Raises $12M Seed to Scale AI Tax Preparation Platform

https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2026/04/13/juno-raises-12m-seed-to-scale-ai-tax-preparation-platform-that-automates-90-of-busy-work/181502/


AI Slop Survey: A Third of Workers Rarely Check AI Output Before Using It

https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2026/04/08/ai-slop-survey-a-third-of-workers-rarely-check-ai-output-before-using-it/181191/


Agentic AI Frameworks and Artifact's Omni Platform Launch

https://www.artifact.build


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