AI agents reshape workflows, private equity pushback grows, and competency frameworks expand

Welcome to our weekly digest—a space to reflect on where the accounting profession is headed and how it’s evolving in real time. Each week, we bring you a curated roundup of recent headlines, ideas, and innovations shaping the future of the industry.

From emerging technologies and shifting talent pipelines to strategic mergers and evolving client expectations, the profession is in motion. Our goal is to surface stories that matter—whether you’re leading a firm, advising clients, or just ruminating about what comes next.

In last week's issue, we tracked new fraud prevention strategies, cybersecurity lessons from a firm's "textbook" breach response, and a new startup using AI to acquire and scale accounting firms. This week, we're exploring how AI agents are automating end-to-end workflows while saving firms significant time, growing pushback against the private equity investment trend, and expanded competency frameworks that position accounting professionals as strategic business partners beyond traditional roles.

Let’s dive in.

🔍 Top headlines

Intuit CEO outlines vision for AI agents to handle end-to-end accounting workflows

Intuit is rolling out a suite of AI agents designed to automate everything from lead management to cash collection within QuickBooks, now available for US customers. CEO Sasan Goodarzi positions this as a solution to what he calls "over-digitization," when small businesses juggle up to 10 different apps that don't communicate with each other.

The AI agents will integrate with Gmail and SMS to rank leads, generate estimates and invoices, and flag critical actions, such as following up on overdue payments. Intuit is pairing these agents with 12,000 human experts who work alongside the AI to ensure accuracy and a solid customer experience.

What's particularly interesting is Intuit's data approach that is training proprietary financial language models exclusively on customer data that never leaves their infrastructure. This suggests a more cautious path forward than the "move fast and break things" mentality we've seen elsewhere in AI deployment, positioning firms to leverage automation while maintaining the accuracy standards the profession demands.

Grant Thornton survey reveals massive tech investment gap between spending and strategic alignment

Grant Thornton's first Digital Transformation Survey delivers a sobering reality check: While 93% of organizations are increasing technology investments, only 27% report their tech is fully aligned with business objectives. And with 32% of survey respondents noting that their data probably needs work, many organizations are building their ambitious tech initiatives on top of shaky foundations.

What's particularly relevant for accounting professionals is the survey's emphasis on tracking usage alongside traditional ROI calculations. Real-time data on how teams actually adopt technology can quickly signal when something isn't working, such as low API usage indicating an application isn't being fully deployed. This allows for faster adjustments rather than waiting months for ROI results to reveal problems.

The tax function shows how this plays out in practice, with departments increasingly using AI for taxability decisions and exploring different approaches to find tax savings. This suggests we're moving beyond basic automation toward technology that actively improves decision-making.

IMA expands competency framework to include data analysis and cross-functional tech skills

The Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) unveiled an expanded competency framework that goes beyond traditional accounting to include data analysis, business operations, IT, and project management skills.

The updated framework represents IMA's recognition that the profession is evolving beyond technical accounting knowledge toward what they call "trusted strategic business partners." It’s a reflection of the fact that organizations are increasingly expecting their finance teams to bridge functional silos and contribute to a broader business strategy, not just maintain compliance and reporting.

What's particularly significant is IMA's focus on making these competencies "aligned, scalable, and tied directly to business impact." This language signals a profession that's positioning itself as central to operational success rather than a support function.

💻Technology & innovation

Intuit's AI agents deliver specific automation wins with measurable time savings

The now-live AI agent suite from QuickBooks goes beyond basic automation. The Payments Agent predicts late payments and gets businesses paid 5 days faster on average, while the Accounting Agent handles transaction categorization and reconciliation automatically. The Finance Agent provides KPI analysis and scenario planning based on peer benchmarking data.

Early users report saving up to 12 hours monthly, with 78% saying the AI makes business management easier. The Customer Hub adds lead sourcing and personalized email drafting, while upcoming Payroll and Project Management agents will tackle time collection and milestone tracking. The platform maintains human oversight while delivering measurable operational improvements.

Stanford study shows AI boosts accounting productivity without sacrificing quality

New research from Stanford and MIT reveals that accountants using AI support more clients per week and close books 7 ½ days faster, while improving reporting quality and granularity by 12%. The study of 277 accountants found AI handles routine tasks such as transaction classification, freeing professionals for higher-value advisory work.

Interestingly, experience matters; senior accountants who treat AI as a collaborator see bigger gains than junior staff who accept AI outputs without scrutiny. Despite 62% expressing concerns about AI-generated errors, nearly half report that automation helps them meet deadlines more reliably. The technology currently focuses on basic bookkeeping, leaving complex audit and tax strategy work untouched for now.

🧠 Practice management

CLA chief growth officer pushes back on private equity trend, advocates for organic expansion

Private equity investment has been rapidly transforming the accounting industry landscape, with firms across the sector pursuing external capital and M&A strategies for growth. CliftonLarsonAllen's (CLA) Chief Growth Officer Paul Bailey is pushing back on this trend, arguing that the industry's rush toward outside investment prioritizes firm valuations and investor returns over client needs.

Instead, CLA's "seamless" approach emphasizes deepening relationships and expanding services to drive organic growth, rather than rapid expansion through external capital. While acknowledging various business models can succeed, Bailey warns against the "fleeting sugar high of outside investment" and its potential crash, suggesting it can erode firm culture and independence.

Accounting firms can save time by automating client screening and onboarding processes

Finding the right clients often consumes significant time, but Kellie Parks, owner of Calmwaters Cloud Accounting, argues that simple automated processes can dramatically streamline both client acquisition and onboarding. Parks advocates for electronic discovery forms with three to five strategic questions that filter prospects based on industry focus, service needs, or software preferences—essentially having clients vet themselves before eating up a firm’s valuable time.

The automation extends into client onboarding through repurposed email drip campaigns that request information incrementally rather than overwhelming new clients with massive document requests. These automated sequences can also educate clients on software tutorials and tax law changes, reducing routine inquiries and freeing practitioners to focus on higher-value advisory work.

🏢 Firms and mergers

Baker Tilly expands Southeast presence with KraftCPAs acquisition

Chicago-based Baker Tilly, an Inside Public Accounting (IPA) 100 firm, announced plans to acquire Nashville-based KraftCPAs, an IPC Top 200 firm, marking another strategic expansion into the Southeast's rapidly growing market.

The combination leverages KraftCPAs' strong local presence and industry specialization with Baker Tilly's national scale, positioning the firms to meet increasing demand for specialized services in one of the nation's fastest-growing regions. KraftCPAs CEO Chris Hight emphasized the cultural alignment between the firms, noting their shared commitment to collaboration and integrity, while Baker Tilly's Monica Dalwadi highlighted the acquisition as part of the firm's long-term investment strategy in the Southeast.

RubinBrown combines with Maggart & Associates in Tennessee

Top 40 accounting firm RubinBrown is expanding its Nashville presence by combining with Maggart & Associates, one of the largest CPA firms in Middle Tennessee.

The deal brings 25 team members, including six partners, under the RubinBrown banner and significantly strengthens the firm's financial institutions practice—a key specialization area for the 45-year-old Maggart firm. With nearly $240 million in revenue and offices across seven cities, RubinBrown continues its strategic growth trajectory following last year's acquisition of healthcare consulting firm The Rybar Group. The combination reflects the ongoing consolidation in mid-market accounting, particularly in high-growth markets like Nashville, where firms are positioning to serve expanding client bases with broader service capabilities.

🏅 Featured accountants and firms

Insightful Accountant announces top ProAdvisor award recipients

Susan R. Cook, CEO of Account Ability Consulting, Inc., was named ProAdvisor of the Year for 2025 by Insightful Accountant during the Scaling New Heights conference, marking what she called a "milestone achievement" after 35+ years in the field. Cook emphasized her focus on empowering business owners through technology-driven accounting solutions.

The awards, issued in cooperation with the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program, recognize excellence across multiple categories, including international recognition for Canada's Jane Unsworth, up-and-coming talent Questian Telka, and specialists in areas ranging from social media to niche practices. Recipients are evaluated on professional standards, training, certifications, and Intuit ecosystem integrations, reflecting the growing sophistication and specialization within the ProAdvisor community.

📅 Events, podcasts & webinars

WATCH

In the Know: Bill Pay limits

In this episode of In the Know, Jaclyn Anku, Jorge Cardenas, and James Keane walk through major updates to Bill Pay processing limits that address a key pain point for firms and clients. Learn how to request personalized limits that better match actual payment needs, view the new same-day scheduling feature, and understand the streamlined two-day approval process.

LISTEN

On the Books: Navigating the AI frontier with Chad Davis 

Chad Davis, founder of LiveCA and creator of Automation Town, joins the conversation about transforming accounting through AI implementation. Davis shares his journey from curiosity to expertise, discussing how his firm serves more clients with the same headcount and runs operations from an RV while traveling North America. The episode emphasizes adaptability over resistance, exploring how accountants can embrace AI changes rather than get left behind as the profession evolves.

ATTEND

Advisory in Action: The Right Platform for Complex Clients 

On July 10 (11 AM PT/2 PM ET)| join Intuit's Jed McLoughlin for a practical framework on guiding complex clients through platform decisions. This CPE-eligible webinar features live panels with Baker Tilly's Missy Thompson and UHY's Bradley Belesky, as well as hands-on segments covering service model packaging and a live demo of Dimensions in action. The 50-minute session concludes with a live Q&A to help elevate your advisory impact with sophisticated clients.

APPLY

Join the QuickBooks Partner Council

Applications are open for the 2025 Intuit Partner Council, with submissions closing July 14. If you're a forward-thinking ProAdvisor with ideas to shape the future of accounting software, now's your chance to make an impact.

🗣️ Quote of the week

The future of accounting is unfolding every day, and it’s being shaped by professionals like you who are exploring new ideas, testing what works, and finding better ways to support clients. Whether you’re growing your skill set, expanding your services, or simply staying curious about what’s next, we hope this issue gives you a few useful sparks.

We’ll be back next week with more insights, trends, and tools to help you keep moving forward—one step, one win, and one update at a time.