A First Look at Early Data from the 2026 IPA Survey

A First Look at Early Data from the 2026 IPA Survey

Earn free CPE with Earmark! Take your learning on the go and earn NASBA-approved CPE just for listening to The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast. Simply listen, take a short quiz, and download your certificate. Start now on the IPA channel in the Earmark app: INSIDE Public Accounting | Earmark CPE [https://www.earmark.app/channels/c5717392-a994-407c-9f27-7f09a08a4b7c] What are the latest numbers telling us about the accounting profession? In this episode of the INSIDE Public Accounting podcast, Sarah Noonan joins Chelsea Summers to discuss preliminary findings from the 2026 IPA Practice Management Survey. With more than 350 firms already participating, the early data offers a glimpse into some of the profession’s biggest trends. The conversation explores slowing revenue growth, rising technology investments, increasing profitability and continued shifts away from traditional hourly billing. Chelsea also shares insights into turnover, advisory services and the impact of AI on firm operations and pricing strategies. While the data is still preliminary, the discussion highlights where firms appear to be gaining momentum and where important questions remain unanswered. For firm leaders looking to benchmark their performance and better understand where the profession may be headed, this episode offers an early look at the trends shaping public accounting today.

Designing a Firm for the Future

Earn free CPE with Earmark! Take your learning on the go and earn NASBA-approved CPE just for listening to The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast. Simply listen, take a short quiz, and download your certificate. Start now on the IPA channel in the Earmark app: INSIDE Public Accounting | Earmark CPE [https://www.earmark.app/channels/c5717392-a994-407c-9f27-7f09a08a4b7c] What does it actually look like to build an accounting firm designed for the future? In this episode of the INSIDE Public Accounting podcast, Chelsea Summers talks with Rachel Farris, CPA, founder of a boutique advisory firm and TaxStack AI, about specialization, talent, pricing, AI adoption, and the evolving narrative around accounting careers. Rachel shares why narrowing a firm’s focus can strengthen client relationships and reduce operational friction, how firms can rethink hiring and onboarding, and why the profession’s talent challenges are about more than compensation alone. The conversation also explores fixed-fee pricing, responsible AI adoption, and the importance of building firms around flexibility, curiosity, and people-first leadership. Rachel offers a candid perspective on what accounting firms may need to rethink over the next decade: From the way they recruit talent to the way they define value for both employees and clients.

Is Your Governance Built for What’s Ahead? (Part 2)

Earn free CPE with Earmark! Take your learning on the go and earn NASBA-approved CPE just for listening to The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast. Simply listen, take a short quiz, and download your certificate. Start now on the IPA channel in the Earmark app: INSIDE Public Accounting | Earmark CPE [https://www.earmark.app/channels/c5717392-a994-407c-9f27-7f09a08a4b7c] In part two of this conversation, Rob Brown continues the discussion with Gary Thomson and David Bundy on one of the biggest challenges facing accounting firms today: governance that no longer fits the complexity of the modern firm. The conversation explores the warning signs of outdated governance structures, why consensus-driven decision making can slow firms down and how leaders can navigate the difficult transition from partner-led management to more scalable leadership models. Gary and David share practical insights on accountability, trust, change management and the importance of aligning governance with the firm’s future strategy. They also discuss why governance isn’t just a compliance exercise, it’s a foundational element that either enables or limits growth, innovation, and succession planning. For managing partners and firm leaders asking whether their current structure is ready for what’s ahead, this episode offers a candid and practical perspective on where to start.

Is Your Governance Built for What’s Ahead? (Part 1)

Earn free CPE with Earmark! Take your learning on the go and earn NASBA-approved CPE just for listening to The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast. Simply listen, take a short quiz, and download your certificate. Start now on the IPA channel in the Earmark app: INSIDE Public Accounting | Earmark CPE [https://www.earmark.app/channels/c5717392-a994-407c-9f27-7f09a08a4b7c] Governance may sound like a back-office topic, but it directly impacts how firms grow, compete and make decisions. In this episode of the INSIDE Public Accounting podcast, Rob Brown sits down with Gary Thomson and David Bundy of Thompson Consulting to discuss why governance has become one of the most important conversations in the profession today. The conversation explores how governance affects everything from decision-making speed and succession planning to M&A activity, technology investments and leadership development. Gary and David explain why many firms are realizing that the structures which worked in the past may not support the pace and complexity of today’s accounting environment. They also discuss the importance of having the right people making key decisions, why governance should evolve alongside firm strategy, and how firms can stay competitive while preserving the culture and values that made them successful. For managing partners and firm leaders navigating growth and change, this episode offers practical insight into what governance really means and why it matters more than ever.

From Reactive to Intentional: What’s Emerging Across the Profession

Earn free CPE with Earmark! Take your learning on the go and earn NASBA-approved CPE just for listening to The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast. Simply listen, take a short quiz, and download your certificate. Start now on the IPA channel in the Earmark app: INSIDE Public Accounting | Earmark CPE [https://www.earmark.app/channels/c5717392-a994-407c-9f27-7f09a08a4b7c] Conference season is underway, and Chelsea Summers is sharing the conversations that are surfacing across the accounting profession, not just on stage, but in hallways, dinners, and between sessions. In this solo bonus episode, Chelsea breaks down five themes showing up repeatedly across firms this year: a more mature approach to consolidation and private equity, AI moving beyond experimentation into practical application, the growing pressure to rethink traditional firm metrics, the structural barriers holding advisory growth back, and a talent market that’s finally beginning to stabilize. Rather than reacting to constant change, firms are starting to make more deliberate decisions about how they want to grow, structure their teams, and define success in the years ahead. If you’re a firm leader thinking about culture, technology, advisory, or the future of your business model, this episode offers a grounded look at where the profession stands today, and where it may be headed next.