Program provides accredited U.S., Canada and U.K. colleges and universities with complimentary access to the same tax research technology trusted by more than 5,000 accounting firms
NEW YORK (July 16, 2026) — Blue J, the leading AI-powered tax research solution and CPA.com, the trusted partner in accounting and finance transformation, today announced Blue J's Academic Access Program. The program gives full-time faculty at accredited U.S., Canada and U.K. colleges and universities free access to Blue J's AI-powered solution, bringing real-world research tools into accounting classrooms.
Tax law changes faster than curricula can keep pace. The program closes that gap, helping students build lasting research judgment instead of memorizing rules that may soon be outdated.
"Tax moves too fast for static answers," said Benjamin Alarie, CEO and co-founder of Blue J. "Blue J's Academic Access Program puts self-directed research tools in students' hands, so they leave knowing not just what the law is, but how to find out what it becomes."
Building research judgment, not just tool familiarity
Rather than just teaching students to operate software, the program is designed to build the underlying research judgment that makes tax professionals effective throughout their careers — the ability to frame a complex question, identify authority that bears on it, weigh competing interpretations and construct a defensible, well-sourced answer. Through the program, students learn to:
- Ask sharper questions — framing complex tax issues and following up with the right lines of inquiry
- Verify against authority — checking every conclusion against cited sources rather than taking answers on faith
- Weigh competing positions — working through multiple defensible readings of real-world questions
- Build a defensible answer — producing structured, sourced analysis that holds up to scrutiny
Faculty accepted into the program can also use Blue J for their own research and scholarship, in addition to classroom instruction.
"The accounting profession is being reshaped by AI, and the firms that thrive will be the ones staffed by professionals who know how to use it," said Erik Asgeirsson, president and CEO of CPA.com. "By putting a leading AI tax research tool like Blue J into the classroom, we're helping give the next generation of CPAs and tax professionals a head start on the skills they'll rely on for the rest of their careers."
To further support the next generation of accounting talent, CPA.com is making a donation to the AICPA Foundation in recognition of Blue J's commitment to providing academic access to its platform.
"We're at a defining moment for the profession, one increasingly defined by human judgment, trust, and the ability to lead through complexity," said Mark Koziel, president and CEO of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA). "New associates are already expected to exercise real judgment from day one. Integrating real-world scenarios and AI tools like Blue J into university curriculums builds those critical competencies earlier, so new graduates are ready to lead as anticipatory advisors from the start."
Eligibility and how to apply
The program is open to full-time professors, lecturers, or instructors — and their students — at accredited U.S., Canada and U.K. universities and colleges teaching tax, law or accounting. It excludes practitioners billing client or firm work, commercial users and non-accredited institutions.
Faculty apply with their name, institutional email and job title; Blue J reviews eligibility within a few business days. Approved faculty and their students can begin using Blue J right away, with no added setup.
For more details or to apply, visit bluej.com/academic-access.
Learn more at the AICPA & CIMA Faculty Hour Series
Academics interested in learning more are also invited to join the next AICPA & CIMA Faculty Hour session on Friday, July 17, 2026, at 2 p.m. EDT.
About Blue J
Blue J is the leading AI-powered tax research solution, delivering defensible tax answers in seconds — all backed by a rigorously curated content library. Founded in 2015, Blue J is trusted by thousands of organizations, including Big Four firms and Fortune 100 companies. With over 10 million tax questions answered to date, Blue J empowers tax professionals to spend less time researching and more time applying their judgment where it matters most.
About CPA.com
CPA.com is the trusted partner in accounting and finance transformation, enabling firms and finance teams to evolve and innovate across audit, tax and advisory services. It delivers leading-edge strategies, resources and technologies to help firms and finance teams of all sizes stay ahead of a rapidly changing marketplace, deliver more value to clients, and position for long-term success. CPA.com is an affiliate of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA). For more information, visit www.CPA.com.
