today's features
pricing, fees & billing rates

how to create client personas

they’ll help you build service packages.

by jody padar
radical pricing – by the radical cpa

one drawback of the hourly pricing model is its one-size-fits-all nature. every client is charged the same rates per hour, with the only difference being the number of hours each uses.

but the world isn’t made up of identical people working in identical businesses and driving identical cars to and from their identical homes. thank goodness!

more by jody padar
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clients are as different as you or me, but we can group them into buckets called personas based on shared values or traits. in a client-centric firm, it helps to understand these basic personas so you can more efficiently meet each client’s needs. you probably have a handful of personas in your firm right now. you just haven’t seen them as a grouping because, in your bill-by-the-hour model, it doesn’t matter who they are.
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accounting influencers

hannah munro: real reasons change fails | accounting influencers

from unclear goals to digital missteps, this episode outlines what it takes to transform with confidence.

this was originally published april 19, 2025.
sponsored by “max: maximize productivity, profitability, and client retention,” by august j. aquila  – see today’s special offer

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accounting influencers
with rob brown

change isn’t slowing down. it’s speeding up. and according to hannah munro, that’s precisely why finance professionals can’t afford to treat transformation as a one-time event.

in this episode of accounting influencers, munro—managing director of itas solutions and host of the cfo 4.0 podcast—discusses driving successful change in accounting and finance. she dives into why so many transformation initiatives fail and outlines a smarter path forward for firms looking to adapt, evolve, and thrive.

“the pace of change is accelerating,” munro explains. “that volatility and uncertainty are forcing finance professionals to elevate their role.”

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pro member exclusive

ten ways to hold partners accountable

man, woman, man having serious discussion around conference table

making partner doesn’t mean it’s time to kick back.

by marc rosenberg
the rosenberg practice management library

partner accountability addresses what is expected of each partner, how partners will be managed so that expectations are met and what the consequences will be for failure to meet these expectations.

more by marc rosenberg
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we have interviewed hundreds of partners on partner accountability. we frequently ask them if they would like the firm to have partner accountability. a response we often get is a derivation of: “yes, i’m all for partner accountability (long pause …) as long as it doesn’t affect me!”

read more →

charts & graphs

‘kryptonite:’ irs buried under 8 million paper returns

2025 season leaves 8.2 million unprocessed returns and a backlog of 750,000 correspondence cases.

return type
scanned by april 18
form 1040
~1%
form 940
~9%
form 941
~13.5%
far behind digital processing goals.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

despite modernization efforts, the irs is drowning in paper, which the national taxpayer advocate calls the agency’s “kryptonite.”

more tax | brace yourself: irs 25% staff cuts mean big trouble for tax pros and clients | what to watch in the one big beautiful bill  | irs’s big annual report: already out of date as agency grapples with chaos and cuts | busy season barometer stats: who’s responding and how they’re doing | accountants reporting a pretty good year | tax season faceplant: accountants overrun by late chaos

during the 2025 filing season, the irs scanned fewer than 1 percent of paper-filed forms 1040, falling drastically short of its paperless processing initiative goals. this continuing reliance on paper adds months to the processing cycle. in addition to return delays, it clogs the system for identity theft resolution, amended returns, and refund claims, each requiring manual review. for tax professionals, the paper problem means longer timelines, more uncertainty, and higher support costs.

read more →

pro member exclusive

who has your loyalty? your firm or your clients?

silence might be the best approach.

by martin bissett
passport to partnership

ask yourself and answer these questions when considering the current and future “commitment” behaviors that you’ll employ.

more by martin bissett
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1 – what is my first reaction to being asked to work outside of my normal hours?

2 – how well do i understand the history and ethos of this firm and do i appreciate what the current partners have had to do to get this firm to where it can afford to pay me today?
read more →

featured video

chris vanover: audit, now with 100% less misery | the disruptors

cpaclub is doing what few dared: killing the billable hour, shrinking the workweek, and proving that audit doesn’t have to suck.

originally published oct. 4, 2023.

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see the disruptors

the disruptors
with liz farr

public accounting has long had a reputation for being slow to change, but in the world of audit, that pace has been glacial. chris vanover, cpa, founder and president of cpaclub (formerly auditclub), is here to challenge that status quo. in this episode of the disruptors, vanover shares how he’s rebuilding audit from the ground up—ditching billable hours, crushing burnout, and making accounting cool (and flexible) again.

卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 celebrates: the 100th episode of the disruptors

more streaming: erica goode: build a $200k firm in 15 hours a week | randy crabtree: live at the intersection of passion & skill | mcclelland and telka: women ready to rewrite the rules of accounting | jacob schroeder: ai won’t replace accountants—but it will reveal who’s replaceable | ditching corporate america: the bold story behind pbs accounting’s rapid rise | jean zick: happy team = happy clients | breslin & greathead: be a client advocate | dominic piscopo: clear pay=bargaining power | debbie kilsheimer: stop thinking small |

goprocpa.com exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

and the transformation doesn’t stop with audit. cpaclub has expanded into tax and advisory, now offering a broader array of subscription-based solutions for cpa firms.

read more →

cornerstone

private equity update: 53 deals, $98 billion valuations [updated]

dealflow timeline, 2020-2025: top trends, benchmarks, transactions

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research
cornerstone report

卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research is tracking over 53 significant pe-related transactions and firm mergers from 2020 through mid-2025, with 25 deals this year alone.

more private equity | more 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 cornerstone reports here

pe has poured at least $28.7 billion in new capital into cpa firms over the last six years, according to a 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research estimate. with $13 billion in trackable firm revenues, 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 puts a valuation on the firms at a collective $98 billion. 

by comparison, the entire tax, accounting, bookkeeping, payroll, and cpa firm sector in the u.s. grosses about $125 billion a year. if you’re looking at only the $28 billion invested, and you exclude the big four, that’s more than six times the annual revenue of the next 96 firms, and half the revenue of the non-big four top 500 firms. read more →

innovation & change management

can aicpa ceo koziel deliver what cpas want?

koziel says to look beyond the cpa for new answers.

koziel: ‘with the variety of skill sets needed in a growing practice, looking outside of those letters seems necessary.’

by seth fineberg
at large

one thing that’s clear from the annual aicpa & cima engage conference (arguably the largest in the profession) is that the association’s new leader, mark koziel, has much on his plate.

more mark koziel: mark koziel: the future of the profession | opportunity awaits incoming aicpa ceo | koziel to succeed melancon as aicpa ceo

for years, the cpa brand, its value, and the profession it stands for have been challenged, to say the least. in his first year as the institute’s leader, its membership made its needs abundantly clear to him. more importantly, it appears there is much support behind him to see that they are addressed.

to be fair, it is not on one person or one institutional body to fix all of the profession’s issues. but advocating and addressing the most glaring challenges, especially given membership fees and the seemingly long-standing fact that approximately half of those who hold the cpa credential are either not aicpa members or don’t necessarily support what they do, is no small task. this is where koziel, a long-standing member, small-firm advocate, and head of the allinial global firm association, can shine.

read more →

charts & graphs

mounting delays undermine public trust in irs refund process

get ready for more unhappy clients and tougher conversations.

identity theft victim assistance (idtva) workload
pending idtva cases 387,000
average resolution time 602 days
percent of affected taxpayers below 250% of federal poverty line 69%
pending cases and processing delays stress hundreds of thousands of taxpayers financially.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

the internal revenue service is taking an average of 20 months to resolve identity theft cases, leaving hundreds of thousands of taxpayers in financial limbo, disproportionately harming low-income households and straining the resources of cpa firms and tax professionals.

more tax | brace yourself: irs 25% staff cuts mean big trouble for tax pros and clients | what to watch in the one big beautiful bill  | irs’s big annual report: already out of date as agency grapples with chaos and cuts | busy season barometer stats: who’s responding and how they’re doing | accountants reporting a pretty good year | tax season faceplant: accountants overrun by late chaos

for tax professionals, the stakes are high and the immediate need is clear: set client expectations, document communication with the irs, and explore hardship cases that might qualify for expedited handling. at the policy level, the delays are fueling calls for funding, automation, and clearer transparency metrics from the irs.

“victims entitled to refunds are waiting nearly two years to receive them,” collins says. “these delays disproportionately affect vulnerable populations dependent on their refunds to meet basic living expenses.”

read more →

pro member exclusive

trust is the primary ingredient

portrait of julie johnson
johnson
 julie johnson, cima, cfp,  is the founder and chief engagement officer of xy communication and a former senior vice president with ubs. she helps financial professionals to increase engagement with existing clients, prospects and peers by improving their ability to communicate, connect, and build trust and loyalty.

it drives retention, loyalty and growth.

by julie s. johnson
the holistic guide to wealth management

the insurance network for fiduciary advisors reported that 96 percent of clients are looking for wealth transfer advice from their advisors while they’re still alive, but fewer than one in four (25%) of financial professionals provided it to their clients.

why is there such a disconnect?

more: use goodwill to maximize exit readiness | an accountant’s role in exit planning | trust and estate planning is for clients of all ages | help clients manage and embrace investment risk | tax advisory services: a pathway to greater financial freedom | leverage ai to grow and protect revenue: six steps | four ways to provide wealth management in your accounting practice | what multiples mean to accounting firms | how wealth management has evolved | why now is the time for cpas to embrace wealth management
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so many financial professionals have told me it’s not their job to hold clients’ hands during the emotional challenges of death, divorce, inheritance. “they hire us to take care of their financial goals and challenges, not be their therapist,” advisors tell me again and again. this comment, and multiple variations of it, are what i hear often after speaking or writing on this topic.

that disconnect is your opportunity as a cpa!
read more →

audit & assurance

is your staff truly empowered?

three people having discussion at table over document and water glasses

this doesn’t overlook accountability. quite the opposite.

by alan anderson, cpa
transforming audit for the future

i don’t know if it was luck or by design, but when i started out at mcgladrey, i landed on a team that was already doing the kinds of innovative work that i coach teams today to try out. i’ve never been a status quo type of person, so that resonated with me. i was always trying to find a better way to do things.

in my first six months, we were already working with data, using the primitive data software tools available back then, or, more likely, that we built ourselves. i was in an environment that created the art of what’s possible. we were willing to try new things. i didn’t have mentors or co-workers who would tell me “that’s not the way we do it here,” so i was able to actually do the things i thought about.

more by alan anderson
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audit has become an exercise in filling out forms

back then, at the beginning of my career, we weren’t under fee or time pressure. we were encouraged to talk to the client, to ask questions and to understand their business. but as fixed fee and fee pressures started to grow, the mindset of audit became focused on getting the work done quickly, not on providing insights or value to the clients. the empowerment mindset that i got from my team in those early days began to fade.
read more →

podcast

koebnick: freedom from federal taxes? the tribal credit that’s sparking fireworks | the concierge cpa

advisors are learning how a federally registered tribal credit could mean big tax savings and big tax controversy.

this is a preview. the complete episode is first available exclusively to pro members | go pro here

update: this episode was originally recorded in early 2025 and appears here as part of the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 special independence week series. please be advised that the tribal tax credit is currently under increased scrutiny by the irs, with concerns about potential misuse and fraudulent claims. the perspectives shared in this episode reflect the understanding at the time of recording and do not align with the most recent regulatory guidance or enforcement actions. listeners are strongly encouraged to consult a qualified tax advisor and review the latest irs guidance before considering any strategies discussed herein. 

the concierge cpa
with jackie meyer
for 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

as americans celebrate independence, a lesser-known federal tax credit tied to native american tribal negotiations is offering its own version of financial freedom—up to 40 percent off federal tax liability, no clawbacks, and five years to use it.

more jackie meyer

on this special independence week episode of the concierge cpa show, host jackie meyer, cpa, sits down with chad koebnick, vice president of specialized tax services at nepsis, to explore a strategy that could permanently reduce taxes—and permanently change the way we think about advisory.

“this is one of those once-in-a-decade strategies,” says meyer. “but it’s new, and with that comes skepticism. that’s why we brought in chad to break it all down.”

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advisory & consulting

ten ways to thank a client | listicle

//m.g005e.com/category/checklist/listicle/by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

don’t neglect to thank your clients. they are your bread and butter, your best sales reps, your raison d’être. a token of appreciation goes a long way to foster goodwill, keep customers satisfied and, indirectly, secure new business.

more listicles here

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here are 10 thoughtful ways to keep them thinking well of you.

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