TAX
Bradley Burnett: ERC Trap Threatens Thousands of Taxpayers
While cases stall, the right to sue could expire.
By CPA Trendlines Research
Thousands of business taxpayers still battling Employee Retention Credit disallowances could lose their right to sue the IRS in 2026 because the two-year refund-suit deadline keeps running while cases sit in IRS examination or Appeals, a risk tax attorney Bradley Burnett calls part of a “colossal mess” of statute traps, litigation risks and unresolved audits.
The National Taxpayer Advocate estimates roughly 28,000 taxpayers may be affected, prompting the IRS to roll out a special Form 907 extension process for certain ERC claimants approaching the deadline.
CPE WEBINAR
Covid ERC in 2026: Picking Up the Pieces: Which Are Ticking Time Bombs?
With Bradley Burnett, J.D., LL.M.
Thursday, June 18, 1-4 p.m. ET
“What is left … a colossal mess,” Burnett tells CPA Trendlines Academy attendees. “Some of those broken pieces out there may be time bombs.”
The filing window has closed. The refund fights have not.
Ten Tax Issues That Add New Revenue
Plus four “how much” questions you can put numbers to.
By Ed Mendlowitz
How to Build a Stronger Tax Practice
As you see each tax prep client you should keep a list of additional services you can offer them. Also, continue this list when you review each return.
MORE by Ed Mendlowitz
Exclusively for PRO Members. Log in here or upgrade to PRO today.
I prepare a list of follow-up items during a tax season on my Microsoft Outlook task list. These items are entered as the issue or idea arises. It is simple, quick and very satisfying. The next job will be to make the time to follow up with the client, and do your “good deed.”
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The Fastest-Growing Jobs in Accounting Are Not Accounting Jobs
CPAs Not Wanted: Firms Build a New Workforce – without Accountants
By CPA Trendlines
Cornerstone Report
CPA firms are building a new workforce, and they’re doing it without CPAs.
Firms are hiring thousands of new staffers in jobs that look less like traditional accounting and more like sales, systems and management, according to new data parsed by CPA Trendlines.
MORE Private Equity’s Accounting Playbook Is Shifting from Dealmaking to Operating Systems | Why CPAs Quit Public Accounting | Inside Tax Season’s Hidden Shift: Same Work, Fewer People, Higher Cost | MORE Cornerstone Reports | Outlook & Analysis | Staffing & Recruiting | Surveys & Research | Tax | Pay & Compensation |
The public accounting profession has added 3,930 accountant and auditor positions since 2021, which pales in comparison to the 12,250 new sales representatives, 11,140 new financial managers, or 8,130 new computer and information systems managers. Firms added 4,370 new software developers and 4,190 new project management specialists. They also added 2,210 new data scientists. Even the number of chief executives has grown faster.
The pattern shows firms are not simply replacing missing CPAs and CPA candidates. They are building a different kind of firm, with more people assigned to sell services, manage clients, run systems, build software and coordinate projects. CPAs need not apply. READ MORE →
CPAs Regain Upper Hand in Pricing Battles
Advisory and specialty services lead the way.
Tax pricing pulls away from audit, year-over-year percent change. (CPA Trendlines)
By CPA Trendlines
After two years of mostly weak pricing power, accounting firms appear to be regaining the initiative on billing rates, led by tax services with eye-popping 8% increases.
MORE in Pricing: Tax Prep Billing Rates Lift Busy Season | The Hidden Data Behind CPA Firm Burnout and Profit Pressure | Six Steps to High-Value Tax Advisory |
CPAs are raising rates by 4.2 percent year over year, reversing a 2.1 percent decline recorded a year ago, according to new CPA Trendlines findings.