the nation’s accounting regulators are signaling that private equity’s rapid expansion into cpa firms has reached a point that demands closer scrutiny.
in a new white paper, the national association of state boards of accountancy lays out a framework of questions that could shape the next phase of regulation for firms backed by private equity or operating under alternative practice structures. at the same time, senior officials at the securities and exchange commission are warning cpa firms to remain focused on “the basics.” the aicpa is also considering revising its independence regime.
for decades, hourly billing was the primary pricing method in the accounting industry. charging based on time seemed fair and simple. however, as your firm shifts into advisory-cas (client accounting services), that model starts to show its flaws.
why? advisory services focus on the impact and outcomes they provide, with time becoming less of a priority. if a cpa firm partner spends 45 minutes advising a business owner and that conversation prevents a six-figure mistake, what is that advice worth? much more than what a typical $200/hour rate suggests. in this case, the time spent is less important than the value provided. read more →
the high-performance framework is a description of how middle-market companies can identify the components of high performance, assess their present position relative to high-performance benchmarks, and then create a plan of action to close any performance gaps.
the framework is essentially a set of models and common language that help communicate with a client. it provides the basis for developing an action to assist a client in a systematic and thoughtful way. read more →
the concierge cpa with jackie meyer
for 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间
most accounting professionals do extraordinary work—and still struggle to explain why it matters.
that tension sits at the heart of a standout episode of the concierge cpa, where host dr. jackie meyer is joined by messaging strategist neil gordon for a wide-ranging conversation on persuasion, clarity, and the future of tax advisory in an ai-driven world.
the result is an episode that feels less like a marketing lesson—and more like a wake-up call for tax professionals who know their value but haven’t quite figured out how to communicate it.
early in the episode, meyer names a frustration that resonates across the profession: most tax professionals create real value, yet struggle to articulate it in a way that inspires action.
that gap isn’t about intelligence or effort. it’s about messaging.
new paper links post-2020 surge to consolidation and pricing power.
barrios and abramova: as pe moves into accounting, researchers see more roll-ups, more non-audit work and higher fees
by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间
a new study says private equity’s post-2020 rush into accounting is pushing up fees.
in “financializing the professions: the rise of private equity in accounting,” inna abramova of london business school and john m. barrios of yale school of management examine what happens when outside capital enters a profession historically organized around partner ownership and licensing rules. using data from 1999 to 2024 that link “more than 3,600 pe transactions” to mergers and acquisitions, labor markets, and audit pricing, the authors report that private equity investment “increases sharply after 2020.”
the paper lands amid a widening regulatory and standards-setting response. state boards of accountancy, nasba, the aicpa and international ethics setters have been studying whether alternative practice structures and private equity investment create new independence risks or oversight gaps. the study adds market-level evidence — not a case study of a single deal, but measurable signals of consolidation and pricing power.
“the word has gotten out there that accounting firms are great investments,” consultant allan koltin says. finance professor sabrina howell, who has studied private equity, describes it as “the tip of the spear driving consolidation” in a traditionally fragmented industry.
