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GROWTH STRATEGIES

Epp and Schrock: Firms that Listen Keep Their People | MOVE Like This

Paychecks and perks are no longer enough to retain talent.

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MOVE Like This
With Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk
For CPA Trendlines Research

In this episode of MOVE Like This, Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk sits down with Kristi Epp, a tax partner, and Amber Schrock, an advisory partner and Las Vegas market leader at Frazier & Deeter, explore how the accounting profession is evolving and how firm leaders can better support their people. Both guests share their career journeys and how they found long-term professional homes at the firm, emphasizing mentorship, growth opportunities, and a culture that values people as much as performance. 

MORE MOVE

Epp and Schrock note that the past five years, particularly the post-COVID period, have fundamentally reshaped accounting. Remote work, automation, and regulatory complexity are now the norm, while consolidation and private equity activity are accelerating change across the profession. Frazier & Deeter’s recent growth initiatives, including acquisitions, reflect this shifting landscape and the need for firms to think differently about scale, talent, and integration.  READ MORE →

CHARTS & GRAPHS

Gallup: Accountants Still Trusted, but on Thinning Ice

New honesty and ethics ratings place accountants near historic lows.

Accountants rank seventh out of 21 professions measured by Gallup, trailing all healthcare professions and teachers, and clustering near other mid-tier trust occupations. Source: Gallup, December 2025.
Accountants rank seventh out of 21 professions measured by Gallup, trailing all healthcare professions and teachers, and clustering near other mid-tier trust occupations.

By CPA Trendlines

Accountants remain among the more trusted professions in American life — but barely, and increasingly precariously.

In Gallup’s newest Honesty and Ethics of Professions survey, only 35% of Americans rate accountants’ honesty and ethical standards as “very high” or “high.” That places the profession in the middle tier of public esteem and, according to Gallup, statistically close to its lowest point since the polling series began in 1976.

MORE Accounting Industry Buoyed by Positive Image | Gallup: Accountants Recover Pre-Enron Reputations | Gallup: Accountants ‘Top-Rated’ for Honesty, Ethics | Gallup: Accountants’ Reputations Unsullied by Financial Debacles | Are CPAs Fretting Too Much? | Gallup: Accounting Reputation in Recovery | Accounting’s Reputation Hits 14-year High

The new poll comes with a broader warning label: Americans’ ethics ratings have fallen across many occupations, and the average across Gallup’s core set of professions has slid to a historic low. Accountants are not isolated — but they are exposed. Their work is built on trust, and their public standing appears to be eroding at the exact moment the profession is asking clients and regulators to accept more complex roles for CPAs, including AI-enabled advisory services, outsourced finance, and expanded assurance responsibilities.

READ MORE →

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

Nineteen Things to Expect When Merging Up

Smaller firms should be prepared.

By Marc Rosenberg
The Rosenberg Practice Management Library

The degree to which merger terms are negotiable is often determined by the relative size of the two firms.

MORE by Marc Rosenberg
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Generally, the larger the gap in firm size between buyer and seller, the fewer the items are open to negotiation. This can be illustrated by the following chart:
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MARKETING & SALES

Don’t Sell to Clients, Attract Them

woman points to laptop to explain something to a female client

Demonstrate how your value meets their needs.

By Martin Bissett
Business Development on a Budget

It’s about time to realize that value is not about time.

MORE by Martin Bissett
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When I look back on the research that has been conducted by various groups as to the biggest obstacles accounting firms cite to growing their practice,

  • 50 percent said creating opportunities,
  • 25 percent said knowing how to close deals
  • and the remainder said having self-confidence in presenting, and then being able to positively differentiate from their competition.

Let’s not sell, let’s attract.
READ MORE →

CLIENT ACCOUNTING SERVICES

WEBINAR: IRS Tightens Crypto Reporting as 1099-DA Comes Online

New IRS Form 1099-DA raises the stakes for compliance—and tax professionals are racing to prepare. 

By Center for Accounting Transformation

Cryptocurrency has evolved from a niche curiosity to a mainstream economic force — and U.S. tax authorities are finally catching up. 

As digital assets, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, NFTs, and stablecoins, become common investment choices for individuals and businesses alike, the IRS has quietly but significantly overhauled how crypto income must be reported and taxed. However, despite these changes, many taxpayers still fail to comply, and tax professionals are scrambling to keep up. 

WEBINAR: Nuts & Bolts of Cryptocurrency Taxation & 1099-DAs | Jan. 27 |1 p.m. ET | 2 CPE

That’s the backdrop for “Nuts & Bolts of Cryptocurrency Taxation & 1099-DAs,” a live 2-hour webinar scheduled for Jan. 27, which will provide accountants and tax advisors with a practical roadmap to navigate this rapidly evolving terrain.  READ MORE →