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The CPA PE Playbook: Private Equity 2026 Outlook & Strategy Guide
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The Definitive Guide to Private Equity’s Transformation of the CPA Profession
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By CPA Trendlines Research
The accounting profession is changing faster than at any time in its modern history—and private equity is driving the shift. More than $30 billion in new capital has entered CPA firms since 2020, igniting a powerful wave of consolidation, modernization, and strategic reinvention. Firms that once relied on incremental growth and traditional partnership structures are now operating as high-performance platforms built for scale, technology adoption, and national reach.
The CPA PE Playbook is the most comprehensive analysis available today on this historic transformation.
If you want to know where the profession is heading, how PE-backed firms are competing, and what it will take to thrive in the next decade, this is the report you need.
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Client Trust Begins with Onboarding
How do you want this new relationship to begin?
By Jody Grunden
Building the Virtual CFO Firm in the Cloud
Onboarding is critical when it comes to bringing on new virtual CFO clients. It’s also important to have a smooth onboarding process for clients receiving any other types of services. I want to dive into onboarding in each of our service areas a little bit more.
MORE by Jody Grunden
Exclusively for PRO Members. Log in here or upgrade to PRO today.
I don’t mean to beat a dead horse here, but I simply cannot express enough how important the onboarding process is for establishing extremely solid client relationships. When it comes down to it, relationships are the backbone of our business.
READ MORE →
All Ages Can Benefit from Trust and Estate Planning
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Cody Barbo is the founder and CEO of Trust & Will. Before this, he was founder and CEO of Industry, a “LinkedIn” for the service and hospitality industry. He serves on the San Diego State University Alumni Board of Advisors and Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity’s National Foundation Board. |
Advances in online planning tools make it easier and more affordable.
By Cody Barbo
The Holistic Guide to Wealth Management
Studies show that 60 percent of families don’t have any estate planning in place, which usually makes it more painful and expensive for families to settle the estate of their loved ones.
MORE Rory Henry and The Holistic Guide to Wealth Management
Exclusively for PRO Members. Log in here or upgrade to PRO today.
When it comes to considering who will be the best guardian for your children or how to divide your assets among loved ones, thinking about your estate can be stressful and intimidating. In fact, our research shows that half of people who eventually do get estate plans in place, spend one to five years considering before actually completing it. Why do so many people procrastinate about something that’s so important?
READ MORE →
Tax Prep Wages and Salaries Hit 4-Year High
Even as DIY returns cut into pros’ market share.
By CPA Trendlines
Wages for accountants and tax preparers are rising far faster than hiring as the 2026 filing season begins, even as early filing volumes trail last year’s pace.
Average hourly earnings in the accounting and tax preparation sector rose roughly 4 percent to 6 percent year over year, pushing pay for many accountants above $45 per hour, while employment across the tax and accounting sector is increasing only a few tenths of a percent.
MORE Busy Season
If current trends hold, the accounting industry will process about 150 million individual tax returns in 2026 — roughly 0.4 percent more than last year — with nearly the same number of workers..
Leadership Starts Earlier: Students Help Shape Accounting’s Future
Center for Accounting Transformation expands Student Ambassador Program nationwide with nonprofit fiscal sponsorship.
Support future accounting leaders! Make tax-deductible contributions through FSA, with funds restricted to support the Center’s student initiatives
By Center for Accounting Transformation
The Center for Accounting Transformation announced today that its student initiatives are now fiscally sponsored by Fiscal Sponsorship Allies (FSA), a 501(c)(3) public charity. The milestone provides the nonprofit governance, financial stewardship, and fundraising infrastructure needed to expand the Center’s student-led programs nationwide.
The Center is currently inviting educators, firms, professional organizations, and individuals to participate through partnership, mentorship, and philanthropic support.
Organizations and individuals can now make tax-deductible contributions through FSA, with funds restricted to support the Center’s student initiatives.
To learn more and hear directly from one of the student leaders, visit https://www.fundraisegenius.com/ca3677.
While the fiscal sponsorship establishes operational support, the announcement represents something larger: an investment in a new, student-driven model for professional engagement and career readiness. READ MORE →
The PE Takeover: Audit Problem? What Audit Problem?
1,000 Deals Show Where PE Money in Accounting Really Goes.
By CPA Trendlines
Private equity’s expansion into accounting is widely framed as a takeover of public company audits. But new data shows that’s only a myth.
MORE Private Equity | The 7.6x Machine: How Grassroots Firms Are Taking Private Equity for a Ride | Deal Tracker: PE Platforms Accelerate the Grab for CPA Firms | With Apax Sale, CohnReznick Starts Building a National Platform | Unicorns and Funerals: From the Demise of Botkeeper to the Rise of Basis.ai | Jeremy Dubow: Raising the Bar for Talent | Big 4 Transparency | Twelve Great Reasons to Merge In a Smaller Accounting Firm
A close look at almost 1,000 PE deals over the last 10 years shows only about 10% involve firms with assurance practices. The reason is as clear as it is simple: The vast majority of PE and PE-backed deals are for firms too small to play in the audit business.