Client Advisory Services Foundations: The next evolution of accounting education

For decades, the accounting profession has been built on taxes, bookkeeping, and compliance. While that foundation remains solid today, it’s no secret that the profession is evolving, and that transition is accelerating fast. Automation and AI are reshaping traditional workflows, while client expectations are not only changing; they’re expanding. 

It’s no longer enough to simply deliver accurate books and timely filings. Clients are looking for guidance, insights, and proactive problem-solving. They want partners who can forecast trends, assess risk, and offer clarity amid uncertainty. Clients don’t just want accountants who reconcile the past. They want advisors who help shape the future.

To help your firm prepare for this future, we’re excited to announce the launch of the Client Advisory Services (CAS) Foundations Pathway in ProAdvisor Academy: A comprehensive, skills-based curriculum designed to help accounting professionals evolve their practices and unlock new opportunities in an advisory-driven market.

Listening to the profession, building for the future

At Intuit, we’ve always evolved in step with the profession—listening to firm leaders, ProAdvisors, and practitioners who are navigating rapid change, and looking for the tools, tech, and knowledge to help them succeed.

Earlier this year, we invited 20 firm leaders to our Partner Council to help identify the skills and competencies they expect their team to have, and how those skills progress over time. From those conversations, four core competencies emerged: 

1. Delivering accounting
2. Mastering technology
3. Communicating with clients
4. Providing advisory insights 

We also heard from firm leaders that making the leap to advisory can feel daunting, whether it’s a skills gap on the team, internal resistance to change, or just not knowing where to start. 

Together, these insights directly informed the CAS Foundations pathway, helping firms overcome those barriers while providing professionals at any stage of their career the opportunity to strengthen their technical foundation while honing their advisory acumen. 

Inside the CAS Foundations’ learning pathway

This learning pathway is more than a few hours of product training; it’s a reimagined approach to education that bridges the gap between traditional accounting and modern client advisory—between technical know-how and critical soft skills. Your team will move from simply producing financial reports to uncovering the stories behind them that spark more meaningful conversations with clients. Through immersive simulations that mirror real-world client scenarios, they’ll strengthen core accounting skills and increase technical literacy—both through the lens of AI and the Intuit ecosystem—all while building the communication skills and confidence to guide clients with insight, empathy, and trust.

The result? A team that’s not just technically skilled, but strategically empowered.

Upon completion of all five courses, participants earn the CAS Foundations badge, proof that your firm is ready to deliver the kind of trusted, advisory partnership today’s clients expect.

Take a closer look at what the pathway includes:

1. Intuit Bookkeeping Certification—28.5 hours

Revisit accounting fundamentals—recording, reconciling, and producing financial statements—while learning to analyze those reports to drive better business decisions.

2. QuickBooks Online Certification Level 1—7.5 hours

Master end-to-end workflows in QuickBooks Online and identify “light-touch” advisory moments that naturally emerge in day-to-day accounting.

3. AI for Accounting—195 minutes

Explore how AI is transforming the profession, and discover how Intuit’s AI agents in QuickBooks automate tasks and surface insights for smarter client guidance.

4. Communicating to Build Trust—50 minutes

Advisory is built on relationships. This course strengthens your emotional intelligence and communication skills so you can foster confidence, collaboration, and long-term trust.

5. Understanding Financial Reports—100 minutes

Develop the ability to interpret financial statements, uncover insights, and ask sharper questions that reveal how a business truly operates.

Why CAS training matters—Now more than ever

Whether you’re a solo practitioner or leading a large firm, it’s impossible to ignore the writing on the wall. Firms that remain focused solely on compliance work risk being left behind as automation, AI, and new client expectations redefine what it means to deliver value. 

But it’s not about abandoning compliance; it’s about building on it. CAS services complement traditional work, creating a holistic client experience that drives both business and client growth. By investing in future-focused education, firms of all sizes can not only uplevel their teams, but:

• Strengthen client loyalty through deeper, more strategic relationships.
• Diversify revenue streams beyond tax and bookkeeping.
• Enhance their reputation as trusted advisors and strategic partners.

Shaping the next era of accounting

The move toward advisory isn’t just an industry trend; it’s the next evolution of the profession. Accountants have always been trusted experts. Now, you have the opportunity to become trusted advisors, helping clients navigate complexity, seize opportunity, and unlock new streams of revenue. 

CAS Foundations Pathway was built to support that evolution—empowering firms to adapt, grow, and lead in an advisory-driven market.

Ready to evolve?

Whether you’re taking your first step toward advisory or looking to refine your existing services, we’re here to help you chart the course.

Explore how CAS Foundations Pathway can transform your firm—and start building the future of your advisory practice today.