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Cornerstone

Major Changes to Circular 230: Implications for Tax Professionals | Cornerstone Report

This Cornerstone Report analyzes the key differences between the current and proposed rules, focusing on the implications for professional tax practitioners, especially CPAs and Enrolled Agents.

By CPA Trendlines Research

The U.S. Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service have proposed significant updates to Circular 230, which governs practice before the IRS.

MORE CORNERSTONE REPORTS: Gen AI in Accounting: Epic Transformation, or Overheated Hype? | Jobs Outlook: Strong and Steady Growth in Hiring and Earnings for U.S. Accountants | Explaining the Talent Shortage in One Big Chart | Battling the Staffing Crisis: Is a Little-Known, But Controversial, Visa Program the Answer? | Salary and Compensation Outlook for Small CPA Firms 2025 | A Brief History of the US Income Tax, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Tax, Accounting and CPA Profession | CPA Trendlines Almanac: Key Data Points for the Tax, Accounting and Finance Profession

They couldn’t have chosen a worse time to release the proposal – the day after Christmas, Dec. 26, just before Tax Season 2025.

Comments are due Feb. 24, with a public hearing on March 6. Only the IRS, it seems, would be surprised if you’re too busy to attend.

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Cornerstone

Salary and Compensation Outlook for Small CPA Firms 2025

Cornerstone Report

The CPA Trendlines overview of what accountants can expect regarding annual salary and bonuses at small CPA firms – and what small CPA firms can expect to budget.

By CPA Trendlines Research

A combination of a talent shortage and the general economic environment could push payroll budgets up by as much as 16.9% in 2025 at small CPA firms, according to CPA Trendlines Research. But partners and owners could make even more.

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Cornerstone

Battling the Staffing Crisis: Is a Little-Known, But Controversial, Visa Program the Answer for 2025 Hiring?

Cornerstone Report: H-1B Hiring and Salary Trends in Tax, Accounting and Finance

  • The Jobs Outlook, Salary Trends, and Election Year Politics.

    • Plus: Comprehensive Guides for Accountants and CPA Firms

CPA Trendlines Research estimates and illustration

What it is. How it works. And what CPA firms are doing.

By CPA Trendlines Research

The H-1B visa program is vital for U.S. companies to hire highly skilled foreign workers in specialty occupations, including tax, finance, and accounting.

CPA Trendlines Research estimates that as many as 46,000 tax, accounting and finance professionals work at U.S. firms under the H-1B program. This figure has received scant attention in the profession but is critical to its infrastructure. To the extent that it has received attention, critics say the program holds down salaries for U.S. workers.

In 2024, the Biden administration eased restrictions on the H-1B visa program while clamping down on abuses. By 2025, with the Trump Administration, it had become a lightning rod of controversy.

The nation’s tech industry has a huge stake in the outcome. Despite fluctuations in the number of H-1B workers requested and approved, the demand for H-1B workers in computer-related occupations remains strong, and H-1B workers play a critical role in the workforce.

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