Could AI Clone QuickBooks? One Developer Already Did
If a self-taught developer can clone the core functionality of QuickBooks in a weekend, what does that say about the defensibility of accounting software?
Why Cost Accounting is the Wrong Way to Value Artificial Intelligence
AI can prepare a tax return. But is tax prep the bottleneck in your firm? If AI speeds up tax prep while the partner review queue moves at the same pace, your throughput remains the same. That’s the problem with applying cost accounting to the ROI of artificial intelligence.
PwC vs. EY: The Big Four Make Opposing Bets on AI
Anthropic’s AI Exposure Index actually tells a more nuanced story than the headlines suggest. Yes, business and finance has near-ceiling theoretical exposure. But the observed exposure — what's actually being automated today — is still low. There's a gap.
“Go Clean Your Room” and Other Ways to Get a Straight Answer from AI
Accounting systems need to be deterministic. There is no "probably correct" in a general ledger. You can't have a system running autonomous best-guess operations against books that a client is going to stake business decisions on — and that you're staking your reputation on.
When AI Can Prepare a Partnership Return, What Happens to the Business Model?
For decades, the complexity of business tax returns functioned as a moat around compliance revenue. If AI can cross that moat, even partially, we need to rethink some assumptions.
I’m Speaking at PICPA’s 129th Annual Meeting & Celebration
I’m honored to be the keynote speaker at PICPA’s 129th Annual Meeting & Celebration, May 4–5 at The Omni Bedford Springs. I’ll be speaking on how CPAs can stay ahead of AI and evolve alongside the technology changing our profession.
Stop Typing Bills: An AI Agent That Does It For You (Free Template)
Forward bills by email and let an AI agent create draft bills in Xero—lines coded, tax allocated, PDF attached. Free template included.
Putting Perplexity's Comet browser to the test with accounting data entry
On The Accounting Podcast, I tested Perplexity new Comet browser - their AI assistant that promises to work across browser tabs and handle repetitive tasks. The test was simple: take a basic PDF invoice (one line item, $85 for web design) and enter it as a bill in Xero.
CPA firms cut jobs while raising wages
Total employment in accounting and tax services dropped by 9,200 jobs in the past year, but average hourly pay jumped 6.1% to $43.88.
When AI efficiency backfires: PwC’s clients demand discounts
PwC bragged about using AI to work faster and eliminate billable hours. Then clients started asking for discounts.