OUTLOOK & ANALYSIS

Goldman Bets $75 Million on Fieldguide: AuditTech Comes of Age

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Goldman’s rationale: Vertical AI with measurable ROI.

The new AuditTech ecosystem of startups and backers
Fieldguide, an engagement workflow platform powered by agentic AI, closes a $75 million Series C round, for a $700 million valuation.

By CPA Trendlines

Fieldguide, an engagement workflow platform powered by agentic AI, has raised $75 million in a Series C round led by Goldman Sachs Alternatives, valuing the company at $700 million.

MORE: Jin Chang: Why Repeat Last Year’s Questions? | The Disruptors, with Liz Farr | Jin Chang: Why the Future Is in Risk Advisory | with Donny Shimamoto
MORE Tech and Assurance

The financing is one of the clearest signals yet that audit technology—long one of accounting’s most conservative corners—is becoming a prime target for growth equity investment.

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Busy Season 2026: Chaos Looms as DOGE Cuts and OBBBA Changes Collide

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Downsizing and backlogs become national policy.

By CPA Trendlines Research

The Internal Revenue Service is heading into the 2026 filing season with fewer employees, more complex tax law changes, and less capacity to resolve problems when returns go wrong — a combination federal watchdogs say will leave tax professionals managing the fallout even as headline service metrics appear stable.

JOIN the Busy Season Barometer daily pulse check for top trends, best practices, and emerging opportunities
MORE Tax, Busy Season, Outlook 2026

National Taxpayer Advocate Erin M. Collins says most taxpayers with straightforward, electronically filed returns should see few disruptions. But she warned that the true test of the filing season will be how the IRS handles the millions of returns that require human intervention — at a time when the agency’s workforce has been cut by more than a quarter.

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

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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.

JOIN THE BUSY SEASON SURVEY. GET THE RESULTS

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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Busy Season 2026: The Year CAS Firms Seize the Lead

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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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JOIN THE BUSY SEASON SURVEY. GET THE RESULTS

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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Top Tech Trends for Tax Season 2026

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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.

JOIN the Busy Season Barometer survey here.

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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