Busy Season 2026: The Year CAS Firms Seize the Lead

Why busy season is better for CAS accountants.

**CAS Comparison:** At firms where CAS is the leading fee-generator, CAS accountants are handling half the book (left) and collecting 10 times the fees (right).

By CPA Trendlines Research

With busy season 2026, accountants specializing in client accounting services are reaping the benefits of a year’s worth of hard work, in a smoother path to April 15, more compliant clients, and higher fees, according to the CPA Trendlines Busy Season Barometer.

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The Busy Season Barometer marks the 2026 tax season as the breakthrough moment when CAS crosses from merely an aspirational experiment to a routine part of the service mix for small and midsize firms.

While tax law changes, IRS delays, and client delays absorb much of the attention in Busy Season 2026, the CAS movement is reshaping how practitioners plan for the year. CAS is expanding through process discipline, structured engagements, deeper staff development, and more consistent planning conversations with clients. Unlike previous years, when CAS growth was merely an aspiration, this season’s Barometer reveals a more grounded shift, borne out by a few key readings.

Posted on January 25, 2026

CPA Trendlines Research

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