AI

The Digital Spine of Modern CAS

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How to integrate accounting and advisory technology.

By Hitendra Patil
Client Accounting Services: The Definitive Success Guide

CAS has emerged as one of the most strategic service lines for accounting firms. As CAS has expanded in scope and significance, so has the requirement for robust, scalable and integrated technology solutions. As revealed in our CAS survey, technology serves as the foundation of CAS success, playing a far more critical role than simply enabling processes.

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In this article, we will explore the key tools and technologies that drive modern CAS practices. It draws insights from research involving over 300 accounting professionals who shared their challenges, strategies and technology use. You will also discover how to create a “Single Source of Truth” for client data. From AI adoption, cybersecurity readiness to real-time dashboards, this post aims to provide a blueprint for building a future-ready, tech-enabled CAS firm.
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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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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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Five KPIs to Measure ROI Success

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The secret sauce? Value pricing tax advisory services.

portrait of Jackie Meyer
Meyer
 Jackie Meyer, CPA, CTC, MSA, is president and founder of Meyer Tax Consulting LLC, TaxPlanIQ, and Concierge Accountant Coaching programs in Southlake, Texas. She offers concierge tax and accounting services to assist clients with anything from income-shifting strategies to managing a family business in QBO.

By Jackie Meyer
The Holistic Guide to Wealth Management

Revenue growth isn’t just a metric; it’s at the heart of financial well-being for financial professionals and their clients. When a firm grows its revenue, the balance sheet isn’t the only thing that benefits. It enables the firm to invest in advanced technologies and education, to offer more comprehensive services, to fulfill philanthropic goals and to attract top-tier talent. Expanding revenue also benefits the firm’s clients by availing them of more strategic advice, faster response times and ultimately, a more secure financial future.

MORE Rory Henry and The Holistic Guide to Wealth Management
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According to an American Psychological Association’s Stress in America survey, money worries and inflation have raised our collective stress to the highest level since 2015. Financial stress is detrimental to mental health and leads to higher rates of anxiety, depression and other mental health issues.
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Busy Season 2026: IRS Problems, Staffing Issues and Client Wrangling Emerge as Top Pressures

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IRS dysfunction replaces OBBBA as top concern.

On the front lines (clockwise from top left): Woodard, Dienhart, Volk, Stitely, Tejero, Brady, Svihla.

By CPA Trendlines

Join the survey. Get the results.

With only a week to go before the opening of filing season 2026, tax practitioners are focusing on IRS dysfunction as their biggest potential problem this year

And no wonder. The agency was already chronically underfunded, buried under a mountain of overdue paperwork, and crippled by ancient computer systems when it lost 25% of its workforce in early 2025.

JOIN the Busy Season Barometer survey here.

MORE TAX, PRICING, and THE 2026 OUTLOOK

Today 63% of tax professionals say a beleaguered IRS poses the single biggest risk to this year’s tax season, up from 54% just a couple of months ago, according to the CPA Trendlines Busy Season Barometer.

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