Here’s what you’re looking for: CPA Trendlines Research

BUSY SEASON MANAGEMENT

With Congress Stalled, Tax Professionals Take Control of Preparer Standards

Why Tax Pros Are Imposing Standards on Themselves.

By CPA Trendlines Research

Scott Artman, NATP: New credentialing program

As the 2026 filing season begins, the National Association of Tax Professionals is launching a formal credentialing program for taxpayer representation.

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MORE Tax, Busy Season, The Next Circular 230

The NATP is stepping into a regulatory void left by years of congressional inaction, leaving more than 500,000 paid preparers operating without national standards, even as IRS and GAO data show higher error rates on paid-prepared returns than on do-it-yourself filings, and Congress is delaying action.

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BUSY SEASON MANAGEMENT

The IRS in 2026: Quiet Backlogs, Harder Fixes, and Late Guidance

Less capacity, more obligation.

By CPA Trendlines Research

Identity theft is becoming one of the biggest time drains for tax professionals this filing season, and the IRS may be less equipped than ever to handle it.

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MORE BUSY SEASON BAROMETER | MORE OUTLOOK 2026

According to the IRS Advisory Council—the body representing tax professionals—identity-theft refund cases now take nearly two years to resolve, as staffing cuts and system limits slow IRS response.

But identity theft is only one of a long list of problems that can only get worse this year. Tax professionals are bracing for prolonged client disputes and frustrating follow-ups with an understaffed, ill-equipped IRS.

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ADVISORY & CONSULTING

Busy Season 2026: The Year CAS Firms Seize the Lead

Why is the busy season 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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MORE BUSY SEASON BAROMETER | MORE CAS | MORE OUTLOOK 2026

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.

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BUSY SEASON MANAGEMENT

Top Tech Trends for Tax Season 2026

Holding Steady, Tuning Workflow, and Testing AI.

Tech plans: 43% of accountants say they’ll be working with new or upgraded versions of practice management & workflow apps, followed by 25% with tax prep packages.

By CPA Trendlines Research

With the 2026 filing season approaching, most accounting firms are not racing to rip and replace their technology stacks. Instead, they are making selective adjustments, tightening workflows, and cautiously experimenting with artificial intelligence — all while keeping a close eye on staffing limits, client behavior, and return on investment.

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MORE TAX, PRICING,  PAY, HIRING, and THE 2026 OUTLOOK

That restrained approach comes through clearly in CPA Trendlines’ Busy Season Barometer, which shows a profession that is less focused on transformation than on execution. The dominant theme across survey waves is not disruption, but discipline.

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CHARTS & GRAPHS

Profit Squeeze: Billing Rates Rebound, but Staff Costs Are Rising Faster

Accountants show renewed pricing power as rates gain 5.7%.

Mind the gap: CPA firms are raising billing rates at about a 6% rate, not quite enough to match the rising costs of staff.

By CPA Trendlines

CPA firms are raising prices again as they enter 2026, even as hiring remains weak and wage pressures show little sign of easing. The combination is tightening margins across the profession.

MORE Outlook 2026, Pay, Hiring, Pricing

A CPA Trendlines analysis of new pricing data shows that billing rates for core CPA firm services are rebounding sharply, reversing an earlier soft patch and vaulting fees to near record highs. At the same time, employment growth across accounting firms has stalled, while wage growth remains elevated, underscoring the growing imbalance between pricing power and labor costs.

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