Jason On Firms Podcast

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firms and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter📌 Check out the cool stuff our sponsors are doing here: https://accountingfirmcoach.com/sponsors/Welcome to Accounting Firm Coach Office Hours presented by Canopy. I’m Jason Staats. Ready to get 1% better at running an accounting firm? In this episode, I break down Perplexity’s local AI capabilities and whether accounting firms should trust AI running entirely on their computers. Then I share Halloween costume ideas for accountants, explore whether it’s time to start cloning accounting software with AI, and explain why space accounting could be a massive niche opportunity. In 📬 Mailbag, I cover how to charge for midyear bookkeeping catch-up, building an email list that actually converts, developing future firm leaders, choosing between Intuit Link and other tax workflow tools, and whether buying leads is worth it.// Chapters:01:35 - The All-In-One Local AI!13:34 - 11 Halloween Costumes for Accountants19:04 - Time To Start Cloning Accounting Apps?29:23 - $21B Went Into This Niche In Q3 Alone!34:43 - How To Charge For Catch-Up?38:43 - Worth Building an Email List?44:08 - How To Develop Leaders47:47 - Is Intuit Link Good Enough?50:47 - Worth Buying Leads?53:27 - Because We Love Them!📞 Leave me a voicemail at +1 (516) 980-4968!📧 Email me! [email protected]💰 Today's SponsorsCanopy: https://www.getcanopy.com/jasonGusto: https://gusto.com/Kick: https://www.kick.co/Stanford Tax: https://stanfordtax.com/Tax Bandits: https://www.taxbandits.com/Cloud Accountant Staffing: https://www.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://x.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firms and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter📌 Check out the cool stuff our sponsors are doing here: https://accountingfirmcoach.com/sponsors/Welcome to Accounting Firm Coach Office Hours presented by Canopy. I’m Jason Staats. Ready to get 1% better at running an accounting firm? In this episode, I break down the three biggest priorities accounting firm owners need to tackle before year-end, including tech transitions, hiring, client renewals, and getting ahead of January production. Then, in 🏹 Firm Hunters, we look at a $1.4 million accounting firm with an unbelievable 87% of revenue going to the owner. I also introduce a new segment called 👿 Mean Bag to tackle whether AI is about to get dramatically more expensive, rethink the all-in-one versus best-of-breed software debate in 🤓 Nerd Corner, and answer 📬 Mailbag questions about accounting ledgers, getting clients to sign proposals, AI agents, and keeping client data secure.// Chapters:01:32 - Do This By November 111:06 - Do This By December 120:44 - Do This By January 122:49 - This $1.4M/yr Firm Is Running An 87% Margin!?28:38 - Is AI About To Get Expensive?34:03 - Is All-in-One A Mirage?42:38 - Double vs New AI Ledgers45:38 - Simplify That Proposal!47:28 - Create An AI Agent User?49:12 - Claude MAX Plan Made Secure?52:07 - Lester Returns📞 Leave me a voicemail at +1 (516) 980-4968!📧 Email me! [email protected]📌 Here’s that $1.4M/yr firm https://privatepracticetransitions.com/business-listing/1265-established-cas-practice-with-strong-growth/💰 Today's SponsorsCanopy: https://www.getcanopy.com/jasonGusto: https://gusto.com/Kick: https://www.kick.co/Stanford Tax: https://stanfordtax.com/Realize: https://www.rlz.io/Cloud Accountant Staffing: https://www.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://x.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firms and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter📌 Check out the cool stuff our sponsors are doing here: https://accountingfirmcoach.com/sponsors/Welcome to Accounting Firm Coach Office Hours presented by Canopy. I’m Jason Staats. Ready to get 1% better at running an accounting firm? In this episode, I break down two surprisingly profitable accounting firms for sale, including one generating over $1.6 million with just two people, and explain why outsourcing and offshoring can create very different business models. In 💾 You Need This Tech, I share a $400 artificial skylight designed to bring natural-looking light into your office. Then, in 🤓 Nerd Corner, I challenge some of the guidance around AI and taxpayer data presented at an IRS National Tax Forum session. Finally, I answer 📬 Mailbag questions about Double as a practice management tool, seller financing when buying a firm, AI for nonprofit accounting, software security, Grok, and why heavily funded tax AI startups aren’t on my app recommendations list.📌 The skylight https://www.amazon.com/PHILIPS-Skylight-Ceiling-NatureConnect-inches/dp/B0HDTPRNSD?sr=8-1💲 The tax firm that’s for sale https://privatepracticetransitions.com/business-listing/1262-established-virtual-tax-practice/🧾 And the CAS firm that sold https://poegroupadvisors.com/practice/cp2024/// Chapters:00:00 - A 2-Person $1.6M Firm11:32 - A 60% Margin CAS Firm21:52 - You Need This Tech26:05 - Bad AI Advice From The IRS36:56 - Double As A PM?40:04 - Up-Front Cash?44:16 - AI For Fund Accounting47:35 - How To Know if an App Is Secure?49:21 - Firms Using Grok!?52:53 - BlackOre Basis and Accrual📞 Leave me a voicemail at +1 (516) 980-4968!📧 Email me! [email protected]💰 Today's SponsorsCanopy: https://www.getcanopy.com/jasonGusto: https://gusto.com/Kick: https://www.kick.co/Stanford Tax: https://stanfordtax.com/MakersHub: https://makershub.com/Verito: https://verito.com/jason?utm_campaign=42071442-Jason&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=show-notes🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://x.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firms and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter📌 Check out the cool stuff our sponsors are doing here: https://accountingfirmcoach.com/sponsors/Welcome to Accounting Firm Coach Office Hours presented by Canopy. I’m Jason Staats. Ready to get 1% better at running an accounting firm? In this episode, I break down whether you can build a bookkeeping firm without QuickBooks or Xero, and why specializing around a painful industry-specific accounting system may be a much bigger opportunity than simply choosing a newer ledger. I also look at Meta’s upcoming VR glasses, debate separating technical production from client relationship management, dissect a supposedly self-sufficient $1.2 million accounting firm for sale, empty out September’s Swear Jar, and answer Mailbag questions about sponsorships, advisory positioning, buying versus building a firm, AI-powered email management, and tax research tools.📌 Here’s that firm we talked about https://poegroupadvisors.com/practice/va2036/// Chapters:01:54 - Building a Bookkeeping Firm Without QuickBooks or Xero11:20 - The Industry Ledger Opportunity17:05 - Meta VR Glasses: Goodbye, Monitors?23:25 - Technical Hire or Relationship Manager?26:49 - Planning for When Someone Leaves31:58 - A CPA Firm Run in 30 Owner Hours a Year33:46 - What You're Really Buying38:05 - The September Swear Jar42:41 - How Sponsors Work at Accounting Firm Coach45:01 - What's Wrong With the Word "Advisor"48:07 - Buy a Firm or Grow Organically?50:55 - Admin vs AI for Email Management57:00 - CoCounsel vs. Claude, ChatGPT or Blue J📞 Leave me a voicemail at +1 (516) 980-4968!📧 Email me! [email protected]💰 Today's SponsorsCanopy: https://www.getcanopy.com/jasonGusto: https://gusto.com/Kick: https://www.kick.co/Stanford Tax: https://stanfordtax.com/MakersHub: https://makershub.com/Verito: https://verito.com/jason?utm_campaign=42071442-Jason&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=show-notes🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://x.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!📧 Email me! [email protected] this episode, I break down why the latest generation of AI models should force accounting firms to rethink how work actually gets done, from bookkeeping and tax prep to review, staffing, and firm structure. I explain why the biggest limitation is no longer the AI itself, but workflows that were never designed for AI, and how firms can rebuild production around more structured, reviewable systems. I also run through 10 recent accounting tech updates in 🤓 Nerd Corner, answer 📫 Mailbag questions about app recommendations, AR services, Juno, document management, Power Automate, and Claude plus Beancount, and share the upcoming rebrand from Jason On Firms to Accounting Firm Coach.⚒️ Tools I mentioned in the podcast:- Filed open sources their 1040 engine https://www.filed.com/blog/we-open-sourced-our-tax-engine- Ramp launches accounts receivable https://ramp.com/blog/introducing-accounts-receivable- Campfire forecast https://www.linkedin.com/posts/johnglasgow_campfire-is-the-first-erp-that-calls-the-activity-7507836212796227584-MPz-- Accrual Arc https://accrual.com/arc- Canopy + Juno integration https://juno.tax/integrations/canopy- QuickBooks updates https://www.firmofthefuture.com/product-update/september-2026-mpu- Double lower-cost AI model https://doublehq.com/- Digits’ 11 new automated quality-control checks https://digits.com/blog/quality-checks/- Financial Cents AI file routing https://financial-cents.canny.io/changelog/ai-file-routing- RightTool right-click QBO navigation https://righttool.app/release-notes/💰 Today's SponsorsVerito: https://verito.com/jason?utm_campaign=42071442-Jason&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=show-notesSoraban: https://hubs.ly/Q04cNLF80MakersHub: https://makershub.com/get-started?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=jasonstaatsCanopy: https://www.getcanopy.com/jason complete your demo for a $75 gift card// Chapters:00:00 - AI Changes the Workflow04:30 - Building From Scratch06:40 - AI at Any Scale06:50 - Claude + QuickBooks10:25 - Automating Tax Prep12:05 - The Workflow Problem13:30 - AI-Compatible Workflows18:35 - Rebuilding Production20:15 - Excel 104021:25 - Accounting AI Agents24:40 - Solo + AI Firms27:15 - The First Human Hires30:15 - Rethinking Firm Structure35:10 - Work Worth Doing38:35 - Building AI Skills40:03 - 🤓 Nerd Corner40:13 - Filed Open-Source Tax Engine41:24 - Ramp Accounts Receivable41:49 - Campfire Forecasting42:19 - Accrual ARC42:39 - Canopy + Juno42:49 - QuickBooks Updates45:04 - Double AI Costs45:39 - Digits Quality Control46:14 - Financial Cents File Sorting46:49 - RightTool Updates48:03 - 📫 Mailbag48:13 - Apps by Firm Size52:58 - Managing Client AR56:23 - Juno for Tax Intake58:28 - Replacing FileCabinet01:00:48 - Microsoft Power Automate01:02:18 - Claude + Beancount01:03:53 - Accounting Firm Coach01:05:03 - The Podcast Is Changing🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!📧 Email me! [email protected] this episode, I break down the accounting conferences and industry events that are actually worth attending, including how to use client-facing events. 🐝 We talk in Niche of the Week on how to become more visible in a specific industry. I also share a simple lighting upgrade that can dramatically improve how you look on video, then answer 📫 Mailbag questions about industry-specific credentials, Mercury launching an accounting ledger, earning potential for accounting firm owners, AI-backed firm rollups, practice management platforms expanding into close automation, and whether joining a PE-backed platform really gives firm owners a meaningful seat at the table.📄 Here’s that list of over 1,000 events https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1alr-NMmUWXUK4nC-JK-Nnr7R8Kg9BIJXSsLFqEQOU1s/edit?usp=sharing🔦 And here’s that video light https://amarancreators.com/pages/amaran-verge-max💰 Today's SponsorsVerito: https://verito.com/jason?utm_campaign=42071442-Jason&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=show-notesSoraban: https://hubs.ly/Q04cNLF80MakersHub: https://makershub.com/get-started?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=jasonstaatsCanopy: https://www.getcanopy.com/jason complete your demo for a $75 gift card// Chapters:00:00 - The Best Accounting Events02:05 - 1,100 Upcoming Events03:00 - Intuit Connect03:45 - Scaling New Heights04:45 - AICPA Conferences05:35 - Bridging the Gap06:25 - Reframe07:20 - Customer Conferences08:15 - Skip Technical Training09:00 - State Society Events09:35 - Client Industry Events10:06 - 🐝 Niche of the Week10:15 - Why In-Person Matters11:25 - Industry User Conferences15:05 - Certification Events15:55 - Association Meetings16:35 - Trade Shows17:20 - Local Chapters17:50 - Golf Fundraisers18:30 - Member Alliances20:15 - Virtual Events20:50 - Mastermind Groups21:00 - Events to Avoid21:30 - Compliance Events22:35 - Better Video Lighting24:10 - Amaran Verge Max27:48 - 📫 Mailbag28:13 - Industry Credentials30:33 - Favorite Star Trek Episode30:48 - Mercury’s Accounting Ledger32:00 - Replacing Traditional Ledgers34:13 - Accounting Firm Income35:13 - Selling Outcomes, Not Hours36:33 - Finding Expensive Problems38:18 - Moving Beyond Hourly Rates41:03 - AI Accounting Rollups43:48 - Built-In Close Automation45:03 - Best-of-Breed vs. All-in-One46:13 - PE Shareholder Seats48:13 - Alternatives to PE49:37 - Closing Thoughts🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!📧 Email me! [email protected] this episode, I break down what the current market for accounting firms is telling us about valuation, including which firms are commanding higher multiples, why size alone does not appear to drive value, and what makes virtual and niche firms more attractive to buyers. I also highlight a bizarre new office gadget, discuss how accounting firms should evaluate their IT support for the AI era, and answer 📫 Mailbag questions about AI readiness, acquisitions, three-tier proposals for simple services, and whether firms should grow organically or through acquisition.💰 Today's SponsorsVerito: https://verito.com/jason?utm_campaign=42071442-Jason&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=show-notesSoraban: https://hubs.ly/Q04cNLF80MakersHub: https://makershub.com/get-started?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=jasonstaatsCanopy: Go to https://www.getcanopy.com/jason and schedule a demo to see for yourself, and Canopy will send you a $75 gift card after your demoFinancial Cents: sign up at https://hubs.li/Q03mLr_x0 and use code Jason10 to receive 10% off the Team or Scale annual plan for firms with 2+ users.Karbon: https://karbonhq.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=jason-staats📄 Grab the firm listing data set here https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HHxl5KGG-3zApXRbpok8Hkacvn4vE6D_/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=101670352005046800441&rtpof=true&sd=true🪑 Butt cushion https://www.xpolar-tech.com/pages/xpolar-c1🎙️ The podcast episode with video advice https://youtu.be/xBitNWRIQeg?si=iDxnhxIlVWrMFHi9// Chapters:00:00 - Accounting Firm Valuations01:40 - 449 Firms for Sale02:30 - Typical Firm Size03:25 - Fractional Acquisitions03:50 - Size vs. Multiple04:45 - CPA Credentials05:35 - Premium Firm Characteristics06:40 - Where Firms Are Listed07:15 - Private Firm Sales08:35 - Reasons for Sale09:05 - Time on Market11:55 - Valuation Outliers13:25 - Premium Firm Examples15:00 - Highly Profitable Firms15:55 - The Coolest Office Gadget16:05 - X Polar C117:05 - 8 Sleep Comparison18:00 - Remote Workforce Monitoring21:34 - 📫 Mailbag21:59 - Choosing an AI-Savvy IT Provider22:29 - ChatGPT and Claude23:19 - AI Due Diligence27:00 - Getting Started With Video27:19 - Make 100 Videos28:14 - Reduce Production Friction28:39 - Invest in Lighting29:04 - AI Video Editing29:29 - Video as a Competitive Advantage30:14 - Organic Growth vs. Acquisition30:49 - Acquisition Efficiencies31:24 - Firm Size and Valuation31:44 - Industry vs. Geography32:14 - Avoiding Capacity Problems32:49 - AI and Diversification33:49 - Work Yourself Out of the Firm34:09 - Three-Tier 1040 Proposals34:19 - Pricing Simple Services35:29 - Premium Delivery Tiers36:29 - Better Than Doing More37:04 - Scoping Availability37:44 - Bronze Client Economics38:04 - Opinionated Proposal Design40:34 - Firm360 and Intake41:19 - Choosing the Right Workflow43:04 - Practice Management Options43:39 - Acquiring a Small Client Book44:09 - Building a Side Hustle Firm44:49 - Seller-Financed Acquisitions45:14 - Finding A Clients45:54 - Acquisition as a Launchpad46:19 - Evolving Your Client List47:24 - Closing Thoughts🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!📧 Email me! [email protected] this episode, I break down six mindset shifts I consistently see behind the most successful accounting firms. We cover why client relationships should not automatically be treated as permanent, how high-agency firm owners deliberately shape their client base, why delaying difficult decisions makes running a firm harder, and why leaders should hire to protect their own time first. I introduce 🗄️ Tales From the Vault, where we revisit one of my earliest YouTube videos, its 300 views, painfully slow delivery, and an economically disastrous fanny pack referral program. Then, in 🔥 Unsolicited Takedowns, I question whether AI usage statistics and productivity flexes actually reflect meaningful work. I also dig into whether Claude can automate old-school accounting applications, the continued importance of time tracking, how to promote a side firm, where accountants should post online, and how new firms should approach pricing.🔥 Here’s that Roast-My-Firm intake form: https://airtable.com/appZ7dtNz3oaTWWZT/shrybn5166E9t12ag📚 A curated list of the apps I actually use and recommend: https://www.jasononfirms.com/apps💰 Today's SponsorsCloud Accountant Staffing: https://portal.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/candidatesFinancial Cents: Book a demo https://hubs.li/Q03PYVrp0 and use code Jason10 to receive 10% off the Team or Scale annual plan for firms with 2+ users.Karbon: https://karbonhq.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=jason-staatsSoraban: https://www.soraban.com/Verito: https://verito.com/jason?utm_campaign=42071442-Jason&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=show-notes// Chapters:00:00 - Six Mindset Shifts for Firm Owners00:54 - Why Mindset Still Matters02:13 - #1 Stop Expecting Forever Clients05:00 - #2 Build a High-Agency Firm07:25 - #3 Do the Painful Thing09:40 - #4 Protect Your Own Time12:06 - The First Four Mindset Shifts15:21 - #5 Stop Figuring It Out Alone16:16 - #6 Build Around Your Passions21:05 - Why I Care About Accounting Firms24:13 - 🗄️ Tales From the Vault24:23 - My Cringey Early YouTube Video25:28 - The Reality of Starting With No Audience29:02 - Why I Kept Going29:41 - The $35 Fanny Pack Giveaway31:28 - 🔥 Unsolicited Takedowns31:28 - The Whisper Flow Productivity Flex34:00 - AI Usage Is Not Productivity38:17 - 📬 Mailbag38:29 - Can Claude Use Judy’s TenKey?42:50 - Should Firms Still Track Time?46:02 - Building a Side Firm Publicly50:05 - X or Instagram for Accountants?53:06 - Pricing a Brand-New Firm57:34 - Closing Thoughts🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa