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Excel Still Trumps AI, Tariffs Under Threat, QBO Price Increases Justified?
Episode 438
What happens when a major newspaper publishes a summer reading list where only five of the 15 books actually exist? Blake and David explore this real example of AI-generated content gone wrong and what it means for accounting professionals who increasingly rely on automated tools. They break down QuickBooks' latest price increases, demonstrate how AI can now build complex consolidation spreadsheets in minutes, and discuss why Excel skills still outrank AI knowledge in finance hiring. Plus, they examine the legal challenges facing Trump's tariff policies, alternative CPA pathway expansion, and hear from accounting student Jason Farley about the dangerous gap between classroom education and real-world cloud accounting practice.
Sponsors
Payhawk - http://accountingpodcast.promo/payhawk
Keeper - http://accountingpodcast.promo/keeper
REFRAME 2025 - http://accountingpodcast.promo/reframe2025
TeamUp - http://accountingpodcast.promo/teamup
Chapters
- (00:48) - Summer Reading List Mishap
- (02:52) - AI and the Future of Fact-Checking
- (05:27) - AI Video Generators and Fake News
- (08:20) - QuickBooks and AI Pricing Debate
- (09:16) - Elon Musk and Government Efficiency
- (10:41) - The Big Beautiful Bill and Its Implications
- (18:29) - Tariffs and Trade Wars
- (39:48) - Excel vs AI in Finance
- (42:42) - The Rise of Excel: A Brief History
- (43:44) - Introducing Perplexity AI: A Versatile Tool
- (53:56) - Alternative CPA Pathways and Legislative Changes
- (55:07) - The Role of the PCAOB in Audit Quality
- (59:25) - Controversies Surrounding IRS Commissioner Nominee Billy Long
- (01:03:59) - The Future of Accounting Internships and Outsourcing
- (01:20:20) - Perplexity's Onboarding Process: Results and Insights
- (01:24:38) - Upcoming Conferences and Closing Remarks
Show Notes
Chicago Sun-Times fake summer reading list article
https://www.chicagosuntimes.com/fake-summer-reading-list-2025
South Carolina passes alternative CPA pathway legislation
https://www.scstatehouse.gov/cpa-pathway-legislation-2025
New Jersey alternative CPA pathway bill
https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bills/cpa-alternative-pathway-2025
Oregon CPA licensure reform legislation
https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/cpa-pathway-reform-2025
Minnesota CPA education requirements change
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/cpa-education-requirements-2025
Illinois CPA pathway legislation
https://www.ilga.gov/cpa-pathway-bill-2025
Trump tariffs constitutional challenge court ruling
https://www.reuters.com/legal/trump-tariffs-constitutional-challenge-2025
Court of International Trade blocks global tariffs
https://www.cit.uscourts.gov/trump-tariffs-ruling-2025
International Emergency Economic Powers Act tariff authority
https://www.treasury.gov/ieepa-tariff-authority-analysis
PCAOB elimination provi
Published on 6 months, 3 weeks ago