Episode Details

What happens when AI starts cutting audit bills? Blake and David unpack KPMG’s push for a 14% fee cut from Grant Thornton, Botkeeper’s shutdown versus Pilot’s “AI accountant,” and how agents like Claude are already doing real client work. You’ll hear why entry-level roles are vanishing, what tax pros need to know about the IRS’s new e-payment push and Tax Pro Account upgrades, plus a fun detour: DJ John Summit’s Tax Day album.

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• (00:00) - KPMG's AI-Driven Audit Fee Reduction
• (00:28) - Welcome to the Accounting Podcast
• (00:53) - Blake's First Time at the Waste Management Open
• (02:00) - John Summit: From Accountant to DJ Superstar
• (04:39) - John Summit's Accounting-Themed Album
• (09:44) - Earmark CPE: Easy CPE Credits for Accountants
• (12:34) - The Rise and Fall of AI Bookkeeping Startups
• (24:48) - Pilot's Autonomous AI Accountant
• (26:50) - Partnering with Accounting Firms
• (29:59) - AI in Bookkeeping and Accounting
• (33:33) - Impact of AI on Accounting Jobs
• (40:27) - Trump's $10 Billion Lawsuit Against the IRS
• (44:40) - IRS Updates and Tax Pro Accounts
• (49:53) - KPMG's AI Acquisition
• (51:14) - Airlines Save Millions with Weight Loss Drugs
• (52:58) - Conclusion and CPE Information

Show Notes

KPMG pressed its auditor to pass on AI cost savings
https://www.irishtimes.com/business/2026/02/06/kpmg-pressed-its-auditor-to-pass-on-ai-cost-savings/

Botkeeper is Closing Its Doors
https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2026/02/09/botkeeper-is-closing-its-doors/177677/

Botkeeper shuts down
https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/botkeeper-shuts-down

Anthropic AI Tool Sparks Selloff From Software to Broader Market
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-02-03/legal-software-stocks-plunge-as-anthropic-releases-new-ai-tool

AI fears pummel software stocks: Is it 'illogical' panic or a SaaS apocalypse?
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/06/ai-anthropic-tools-saas-software-stocks-selloff.html

Pilot launches fully autonomous AI bookkeeper
https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/pilot-launches-fully-autonomous-ai-bookkeeper

Pilot Rolls Out Fully Autonomous AI Accountant
https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2026/02/04/pilot-rolls-out-fully-autonomous-ai-accountant/177453/

Pilot Unveils AI Accountant
https://pilot.com/blog/pilot-unveils-ai-accountant-a-major-leap-toward-artificial-general-intelligence-in-accounting

Startup Accrual Officially Launches with $75M in Funding to Bring AI-Native Automation to Accounting

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