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accounting arc

return season is the new stress test | arc

e-commerce growth forces firms to rethink accruals, margins, and sustainability.

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accounting arc
with liz mason, byron patrick, and donny shimamoto
center for accounting transformation

build a 7-figure firm in just 4 hours a week!

holiday shopping has never been easier. with a few taps on a smartphone, consumers can buy gifts from bed, track deliveries in real time, and return unwanted items with minimal friction. but behind that convenience lies a complicated accounting reality—one that came into sharp focus during a recent episode of accounting arc.

more accounting arc: small firms may have the biggest advantage in 2026 | downgraded: what the doe said about accounting | savage: using your license as a megaphone |  baker: interpreting pricing psychology | don’t get fired by your own automation | what amazon doesn’t tell you | royalties, residuals, and reality checks | arc-slc | free speech is a right; respect is a responsibility | cash bags, casinos & audits: how first jobs shape us | gen z redefines careers | bootleggers, baptitsts & cpas: rethinking licensure

hosts donny shimamoto, cpa.citp, cgma; byron patrick, cpa.citp; and liz mason, cpa, examine the financial, operational, and environmental consequences of e-commerce returns, using the holiday season as a lens to explore broader shifts in consumer behavior and business sustainability.

industry research shows that nearly 25% of e-commerce purchases are returned after the holidays, compared with less than 9% of in-store retail purchases. for accounting teams, that disparity introduces volatility into revenue recognition, inventory valuation, and profitability forecasting—often at the worst possible time of year.

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outlook & analysis

outlook 2026: can tax & accounting payrolls keep surging to new highs?

record high: tax and accounting industry hits 1,163,600 jobs, an annualized growth rate of 2%, and a new all-time high.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

the full tax and accounting industry—which includes accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping and payroll services—has hit a new record high with 1,163,600 jobs, representing an annualized growth rate of 2%, which is measurably stronger than the year-over-year 1.23% gain, according to new data examined by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间. but a choppy economy and political volatility have accountants and observers alike wondering if the trends can continue in 2026

more staffing and pay trends

cpa offices managed to add 1,700 jobs over the past year, keeping the segment on a slow but positive trajectory. employment at offices of certified public accountants is holding steady at 544,300 positions, matching the month-before figure. the revision from the previous estimate of 544,600 marks a modest 0.06% downgrade. the year-over-year trend improved slightly to 0.3%, up from 0.2% in the prior report. read more →

pro member exclusive

outlook 2026: higher tax prices, rising strains, and a widening gap among firms

the 2026 filing season will have an increasingly uneven pricing structure.

busy season barometer: most tax practices remain clustered below $1,500 in typical annual client fees. a smaller, higher-priced tier is emerging, characterized by minimum fees, selective client retention, and a stronger willingness to raise rates. dig deeper, and the reality is even more nuanced.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

top-priced tax practices are driving typical annual client fees toward $3,000 and above this year, according to the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 busy season barometer survey, underscoring how rising costs are pressuring most firms even as a smaller group gains pricing power through scale, selectivity, and tighter engagement control.

join the busy season barometer survey. get the results. | more tax and pricing

one cpa respondent put it bluntly: “we are raising rates again this year. some clients will leave. that’s fine. we can’t keep doing $400 returns when staff wages keep rising.” another practitioner described a more selective approach: “we didn’t raise everyone equally. we raised prices where the work was painful and left simpler clients mostly alone.”

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marketing & sales

seven questions for making your practice better

older businesswoman pondering, seated by window

if you’re not the best, what are you?

by august aquila
max: maximize productivity, profitability and client retention

there is only one person who can make your practice better. that person is you if you are a sole practitioner. if you are a multipartner firm, then it’s up to all the partners and senior staff. let’s explore how you get your firm to the next level.

more by august j. aquila
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

do you tolerate mediocrity? tolerating mediocrity is the death of many good firms. whenever and wherever you see it in your firm, stamp it out fast. here are some questions to ask yourself and your partners to see if you are hanging on to what’s comfortable rather than stretching yourself and your partners to truly excel.
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client service opportunities

blake and pryor: from a $550k tax bill to near $0 | big 4 transparency

integrated planning, not heroics, creates life-changing outcomes for clients.

this is a preview. the complete video episode, with commentary and transcript, is first available exclusively to pro members | go pro here
sponsored by the balanced millionaire: the advisor edition by dr. jackie meyer | see today’s special offer

 subscribe to 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 podcasts anywhere: apple, google/youtube, spotify, iheart, deezer, amazon music, audible, player fm, audacy, rss.

build a 7-figure firm in just 4 hours a week!
.

big 4 transparency
by dominic piscopo, cpa
for 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

what happens when you fuse a cpa firm with a wealth advisory under one roof and design the operations from a blank page? in this two-guest episode of the big 4 transparency, host dominic piscopo sits down with owen pryor and steve blake, managing and senior managing advisors at evans may advisory, the sister firm to evans may wealth advisory. their premise is simple and radical: serve the client with unreasonable hospitality, align wealth and tax strategy, and deliver family-office convenience to high-net-worth families and growing owner-operated businesses. 

more dominic piscopo | more private equity | more pay & compensation

pryor and blake describe a system built on proactive data sharing (with client consents in place) so the firm, not the client, chases documents, coordinates advisors, and executes. the impact shows up in small, high-leverage wins (e-paying taxes and killing paper vouchers, physically banking clients’ mailed checks twice a week, fully recording receivables) and in headline outcomes (structuring a family-farm sale from an estimated $550,000 tax bill to near $0 through planning; spotting missed depreciation and back-catching via form 3115; introducing lesser-known international strategies like icdis where relevant). the result is relief for clients and measurable roi that converts conversations into scope. 

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