CPA Trendlines: Firms' Busy Season Readiness

Are we causing our own busy-season chaos? Blake and David break down a simple scheduling system that spreads tax work, trains clients, and slashes extensions. They debate Congress’s barcode bill vs. e-filing, unpack a poll showing GOP support for a millionaire’s tax, and ask what AI really changes when managers still have to review the bots. Plus: IRS CI’s latest wins, whistleblower e-filing, and a Britney tax fight.

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• (01:11) - AI and Survey Creation
• (02:30) - Google's Personal Intelligence
• (05:11) - IRS Defunding and Workforce Reduction
• (06:51) - CPA Trendlines Busy Season Barometer
• (11:12) - Barcode Efficiency Act
• (15:24) - IRS Criminal Investigations
• (17:24) - Payroll Headaches and OnPay
• (18:56) - SBA and IRS Employee Fraud
• (21:41) - IRS Whistleblower Office
• (23:08) - Britney Spears vs. IRS
• (24:04) - Washington State Millionaires Tax
• (27:01) - Busy Season Is Self-Inflicted
• (30:44) - Livestream and CPE Credits
• (31:24) - UNC Kenan-Flagler MAC Program
• (32:38) - A New Year's Eve Pink Eye Adventure
• (33:20) - AI Prescriptions in Utah
• (35:03) - Trust in Accountants at Historic Lows
• (39:13) - Listener Mail: Advisory Services and Online Degrees
• (45:30) - The CPA Exam: Challenges and Changes
• (01:03:17) - Closing Remarks and Earmark App Growth

Show Notes

Are Washingtonians Finally Ready for a State Income Tax? 

https://www.dhmresearch.com/are-washingtonians-finally-ready-for-a-state-income-tax/

Guess Who Supports a Millionaires Tax in Washington State? Republicans, Poll Finds 

https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2026/01/14/guess-who-supports-a-millionaires-tax-in-washington-state-republicans-poll-finds/176337/

Barometer: Firms Brace for a Tough Tax Season 

https://cpatrendlines.com/2025/10/01/barometer-firms-brace-for-a-tough-tax-season/

IRS Advisory Council blasts defunding of agency 

https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/irs-advisory-council-blasts-defunding-of-agency

IRS Advisory Council report defends workers, criticizes budget and staff cuts 

https://www.thetaxadviser.com/news/2026/jan/irs-advisory-council-report-defends-workers-criticizes-budget-and-staff-cuts/

Internal Revenue Service Advisory Council PUBLIC REPORT January 2026 

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5316.pdf

Lengthy grudge motivated Brown mass shooting, MIT professor killing: Sources 

https://abcnews.go.com/US/lengthy-grudge-motivated-brown-mass-shooting-mit-professor/story?id=128961044

A Reddit post helped find MIT and Brown shooting suspect. Here's what we know 

https://www.npr.org/2025/12/19/nx-s1-5649528/brown-mit-shooter-what-we-know

Former SBA and IRS Employee Charged with Using Government Positions to Steal Millions from COVID Relief Programs

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/former-sba-and-irs-employee-charged-using-government-positions-steal-millions-covid

Hampton woman accused of using federal jobs to steal pandemic relief funds 

https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/hampton-woman-accused-using-federal-jobs-steal-pandemic-relief-funds

House advances bill to speed tax return processing via barcodes 

https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/house-advances-bill-to-speed-tax-return-processing-via-barcodes

BARCODE Efficiency Act Brings Overdue Modernization to the IRS 

https://atr.org/barcode-efficiency-act-brings-overdue-modernization-to-the-irs/

Utah and Doctronic Announce Groundbreaking Partnership for AI Prescription Medication Renewals

https://commerce.utah.gov/2026/01/06/news-release-utah-and-doctronic-announce-groundbreaking-partnership-for-ai-prescription-medication-renewals/

Utah allows nation's first AI drug prescriptions

https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2026/01/07/utah-ai-drug-prescriptions-doctronic

Nurses Continue to Lead in Honesty and Ethics Ratings 

https://news.gallup.com/poll/700736/nurses-continue-lead-honesty-ethics-ratings.aspx

Americans' Ratings of U.S. Professions Stay Historically Low 

https://news.gallup.com/poll/655106/americans-ratings-professions-stay-historically-low.aspx

Britney Spears disputes $600K tax claim

https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/britney-spears-disputes-600k-tax-claim

Britney Spears Fighting With IRS Over $600,000

https://www.tmz.com/2025/12/19/britney-spears-fighting-with-irs-taxes/

Right Now, Managing AI Agents is About as Much Work as Managing Humans. Just Different Work.

https://www.saastr.com/right-now-managing-ai-agents-is-about-as-much-work-as-managing-humans/

The 'Godfather of SaaS' says he replaced most of his s...