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CHARTS & GRAPHS

CPA Firm Growth Slows to 7.9% After Two-Year Surge

Expansion gives way to strategic adaptation.

By CPA Trendlines Research
The Rosenberg Survey

Available from CPA Trendlines here

After two years of double-digit expansion, CPA firm growth is cooling.

Average revenue growth among firms over $2 million is falling to 7.9 percent this year, down from 10.7 percent in 2023 and 2024.

MORE: The 2025 Rosenberg MAP Survey is available from CPA Trendlines here.

The slowdown, while modest, signals that the post-pandemic boom driven by mergers, tax complexity and advisory demand is giving way to a more mature phase marked by tighter margins, higher costs and the growing influence of private equity, according to the 2025 Rosenberg Survey, the accounting profession’s leading management benchmark.

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OUTLOOK & ANALYSIS

Emerging Pros Need More than Tech Training

Rebekah Olson, CPA, CEO, Maryland Association of CPAs 2025
Olson

Two ways to close the skills gap.

By Rebekah Olson, CPA
CEO, Maryland Association of CPAs

Many of us in the profession have felt a particular challenge for years: the lingering effects of the pandemic that have impacted the development of foundational professional and communication skills.

MORE on Talent, Career Development, Staffing, and Recruiting

This gap isn’t just about technical know-how – it’s about the ability to lead, communicate and thrive in a profession built on trust, relationships and adaptability.

We can’t afford to let gaps in professional and communication skills hold back the next generation of leaders. By investing in cohort-based learning and encouraging state society involvement, we strengthen our profession and create professionals better equipped to serve, lead and thrive.

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BUSY SEASON MANAGEMENT

Barometer: Firms Brace for a Tough Tax Season

Busy season 2026 clouded by regulatory shifts and client pressures.

Ready or Not: Less than half are ahead of last year’s preparation for Tax Season 2026. On the Front Lines: Clockwise from top left, Cicero, Saul, Krueger

By CPA Trendlines Research

Fewer than half of accounting firm leaders report entering the 2026 busy season in better shape than a year ago, according to the new CPA Trendlines Busy Season Barometer.

Join the survey; Get the answers

MORE Tax Practice | TaxPlanIQ Escalates the Battle in Tax Planning Software | How TaxDome and Juno Just Changed the Tax Tech Game | DOGE, Palantir and the IRS: What Could Go Wrong? | Five Million IRS Refunds Delayed by Staff Cuts | IRS Phone Stats Improve—Unless You’re a Tax Pro | ‘Kryptonite:’ IRS Buried under 8 Million Paper Returns | Mounting Delays Undermine Public Trust in IRS Refund Process | Brace Yourself: IRS 25% Staff Cuts Mean Big Trouble for Tax Pros and Clients

The readiness gap, evident across firm sizes and specialties, sets the tone for a season overshadowed by heightened concerns about tax law changes and mounting pressure on margins.

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