Illinois Wants AI Audit Reports. Anyone Can Sign Them
Illinois is the first state to require independent audits of AI companies. But the law doesn’t require the auditors to be CPAs. In fact, they don’t need to be anything.
The One-Person Audit Firm Is Coming
Last year, audit fees rose less than 2%. The Financial Times credits AI. I think they’re right. And I think the fee slowdown is the first visible crack in a much bigger shift. The old pricing playbook came with easy excuses like tighter regulation and too few CPAs to go around. When clients have to buy your product and your competitors can’t hire enough people to undercut you, a price increase is an easy way to grow margins. That playbook just stopped working.
Your $30K Software Has a $300K Blind Spot
Two firms turned down six-figure quotes to have vendors develop custom software and vibe coded their own solutions, instead. It sounds like serious cost savings. But there’s another cost that doesn’t show up on any invoice.
Stablecoins: The next big thing in accounting (and why it's risky)
The stablecoin market is set to grow by $2 trillion, creating huge opportunities for CPAs. Learn about the risks, rewards, and why accountants are at the center of this revolution.
The $2 trillion stablecoin opportunity for CPAs in the GENIUS Act
The federal government just handed auditors a potential $2 trillion opportunity, but it might also recreate the financial chaos of the 1800s.
Stop being a checklist zombie: A new podcast for auditors who want to add value
Introducing "Audit Smarter," a new show from the Earmark team that helps practitioners upgrade from checklist managers to strategic advisors.
Should the PCAOB be disbanded? A board member's surprising take
Should DOGE “delete” the PCAOB? In other words, should the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board be disbanded and its responsibilities returned to the SEC? And has the PCAOB had any contact with DOGE, the “Department of Governmental Efficiency?”
How PCAOB inspections favor big accounting firms and burden smaller ones
Did you know smaller audit firms face PCAOB inspections at a higher rate than the Big Four? I didn’t. I learned that in my recent Earmark Podcast conversation with Christina Ho, a PCAOB Board Member appointed in 2021.
Is the PCAOB's 46% audit deficiency rate misleading investors?
What if the numbers we use to measure audit quality are fundamentally flawed? PCAOB Board Member Christina Ho reveals why the headline-grabbing 46% deficiency rate in public company audits deserves serious scrutiny.
Benjamin F. Borgers surrenders Colorado CPA license
Good news! Benjamin F. Borgers, the CPA who faked over a thousand public company audits, is no longer a licensed CPA in Colorado. It only took 5 months.