The Accounting Podcast Trump's Department of Education Says Accountants Aren't Professionals
Dec 8, 2025
The proposal from the Department of Education could redefine accountants as non-professionals, stirring fear among students and professionals alike. Deloitte's AI missteps in government reports spark debate, while EY showcases a remarkable audit turnaround. OpenAI's investments lead to discussions on AI-driven rollups in accounting. Xero unveils a new auto-reconcile feature, and Google Workspace promotes shared inboxes to aid small firms. Finally, creative networking strategies offer job seekers unique paths to opportunity.
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Accounting Loses Professional Designation
- The Department of Education proposed removing accounting from the 'professional' degree list, cutting grad loan limits drastically.
- This change hits master's programs and damages accounting's prestige despite AICPA and NASBA opposition.
Reclassification Could Impact Overtime Rules
- Reclassifying accountants might create unintended labor impacts like eligibility for overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
- Blake and David note firms could face pressure and may lobby to reverse classification to preserve salaried exemptions.
Loan Limits Reflect Subsidy Policy Choices
- Government loan policy tweaks aim to curb overpriced degrees by limiting loan access to select 'high-cost' programs.
- Blake argues this approach misallocates the subsidy problem instead of reducing overall education costs by limiting federal funding.