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What is CPA firm data really telling us about the future of tax advice and why does it feel different this time?

In this crossover episode with Heidi Henderson (Chief Marketing Officer at Engineered Tax Services and host of the Slash Tax Podcast), we connect the dots between firm benchmarking data and what taxpayers are experiencing in real life.

IPA has been surveying the profession since 1987, and the latest trends point to a profession at an inflection point. Staffing shortages, succession challenges, private equity consolidation, offshoring and rapid technology adoption are all converging at once. The result: compliance work is being reshaped and advisory services are moving from “nice to have” to a core growth engine.

We dig into:

1. Why advisory is growing and what that means for tax planning and client expectations
2. How technology (and AI) is accelerating efficiency and forcing new operating models
3. The pressure points around staffing, partner time, and leadership pipelines
4. Why billable-hour dependence is still high and what’s pushing firms toward fixed-fee, value, and subscription models
5. What benchmarks suggest about where pricing is going (and how inflation plays into it)
6. How offshoring is evolving from third-party work to fully integrated teams
7. What firm leaders can do now to stay profitable and sustainable

Whether you run a firm or rely on one, this episode will help you understand why tax advice is changing—and what to do about it.

Follow the Slash Tax Podcast: https://slashtax.transistor.fm/