(AICPA and CPA.com invite early-stage companies to apply by Nov. 30)

NEW YORK (Aug. 2, 2023) – The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and CPA.com are seeking applicants for the 2024 Startup Accelerator program, which promotes the growth of early-stage companies to help advance the accounting and finance ecosystem. Recognizing the profound impact that artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to have on the accounting and finance profession, this year’s program is exclusively targeting companies that are leveraging the technology within their solutions.

The program is open to pre-Series A startups worldwide, offering successful participants invaluable insights from subject matter experts, executives, firms and financial leaders across the profession. Senior leaders from the AICPA and CPA.com, along with the program’s advisory board members, will provide strategic intelligence and business acumen bolstered by their diverse backgrounds and complementary skills in entrepreneurship, startup tech companies, accounting and finance. Additionally, selected companies will receive a $25,000 grant.

“Being part of the 2023 Accelerator program has been a game-changer for Audit Sight,” said T.C. Whittaker, CEO and co-founder of Audit Sight, a participant in the 2023 program. “The program's advanced training, access to accounting thought leaders and influencers and participation in AICPA and CPA.com's marquee conferences have made a significant impact on our company. Any entrepreneur focused on building new solutions in the accounting space should consider applying for this program.”

Applications for the 2024 accelerator program will be accepted through Nov. 30, 2023. The 2024 cohort will be showcased next summer at AICPA & CIMA ENGAGE the largest U.S.-based conference for CPAs. Later in the year, they will also be featured at the CPA.com Digital CPA Conference.

“We expect AI to have a transformative impact on the accounting profession,” said Erik Asgeirsson, president and CEO, CPA.com. “As part of our efforts to support firms with the knowledge, resources and solutions to navigate this rapid change, we are excited to focus the 2024 Startup Accelerator around the technology innovators that are integrating AI in practical ways to meet the most pressing needs of the profession and deliver more value for clients.”

To be eligible for consideration, companies must meet the following criteria:

• Focus on accounting, tax, fintech, regulatory technology or educational solutions
• Leverage artificial intelligence in their solution
• Have a working product with active users
• Be at seed or pre-Series A stage (with some exceptions)

For questions about the program, please contact Vendela Hale at vendela.hale@hq.cpa.com. CPA.com and the AICPA are also hosting a webinar Nov. 9 at 2 p.m. with the startup companies representing the 2023 cohort to discuss emerging technologies and the impact on the accounting profession.

To apply for the 2024 cohort, please visit the accelerator program page at www.accelerator.cpa.com.

About CPA.com

CPA.com brings innovative solutions to the accounting profession, either in partnership with leading providers or directly through its own development. The company has established itself as a thought leader on emerging technologies and as the trusted business advisor to practitioners in the United States, with a growing global focus.

Our company’s core mission is to drive the transformation of practice areas, advance the technology ecosystem for the profession, and lead technology research and innovation efforts for practitioners.
A subsidiary of the American Institute of CPAs, the company is also part of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, the world’s most influential organization representing the profession. For more information, visit CPA.com.

About the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, and AICPA & CIMA
The Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (the Association), representing AICPA & CIMA, advances the global accounting and finance profession through its work on behalf of 698,000 AICPA and CIMA members, students and engaged professionals in 188 countries and territories. Together, we are the worldwide leader on public and management accounting issues through advocacy, support for the CPA license and specialized credentials, professional education and thought leadership. We build trust by empowering our members and engaged professionals with the knowledge and opportunities to be leaders in broadening prosperity for a more inclusive, sustainable and resilient future.

The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), the world’s largest member association representing the CPA profession, sets ethical standards for its members and U.S. auditing standards for private companies, not-for-profit organizations, and federal, state and local governments. It also develops and grades the Uniform CPA Examination and builds the pipeline of future talent for the public accounting profession.

The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) is the world’s leading and largest professional body of management accountants. CIMA works closely with employers and sponsors leading-edge research, constantly updating its professional qualification and professional experience requirements to ensure it remains the employer’s choice when recruiting financially trained business leaders.

Award recognizes accounting and finance professionals who are driving innovation in the profession

NEW YORK (July 11, 2023) – CPA.com, the business and technology arm of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), is seeking applicants for its annual Digital CPA Innovative Practitioner Award, which recognizes individuals who are driving the accounting profession forward through innovative thought leadership, processes, services and technology implementation.

“The Innovative Practitioner Award honors the change-makers in the accounting profession who are adopting new services, skills and business models to position their firms and staff for ongoing success,” said Kacee Johnson, vice president-Strategy & Innovation, CPA.com. “It’s the innovative approaches and contributions of these future-focused leaders that is helping forge the path forward for the profession.”

The award winner will be announced at the CPA.com Digital CPA conference to be held Dec. 3-6 at the ARIA in Las Vegas. The conference brings together more than 1,000 progressive practitioners to learn about the future of the accounting profession through three days of insightful and actionable CPE-eligible sessions. The Innovative Practitioner Award winner will receive two free registrations and hotel accommodations for DCPA as well as benefit from profession-wide recognition at the event and through CPA.com social media, newsletter and media channels. Additionally, the individual’s firm or organization will have the opportunity to highlight the achievement with their clients, customers, staff and key stakeholders.

Past winners have included leaders from across the profession who have embraced new service lines, implemented unique marketing techniques, fostered new approaches to talent management and culture, or adopted innovative new processes to enhance efficiency and value.

Self-nominations and nominations from peers or colleagues are welcome. Everyone who submits a nomination will receive a $50 discount for a 2023 Digital CPA conference registration.

Applications for the 2023 Innovative Practitioner Awards close Aug. 31.

For more information or to submit your nomination, please visit the CPA.com Digital CPA Innovative Practitioner Award page.

About CPA.com

CPA.com brings innovative solutions to the accounting profession, either in partnership with leading providers or directly through its own development. The company has established itself as a thought leader on emerging technologies and as the trusted business advisor to practitioners in the United States, with a growing global focus.

Our company’s core mission is to drive the transformation of practice areas, advance the technology ecosystem for the profession, and lead technology research and innovation efforts for practitioners.

A subsidiary of the American Institute of CPAs, the company is also part of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, the world’s most influential organization representing the profession. For more information, visit CPA.com.

Tools and resources will be developed to support CPAs’ understanding and utility of the transformative technology

LAS VEGAS (June 7, 2023) – CPA.com, the business and technology subsidiary of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), today announced its plans to deliver a series of initiatives designed to support accounting and finance professionals in building awareness and understanding of generative AI (GenAI) and its potential impact on the accounting profession. The announcement came during a keynote session at AICPA & CIMA ENGAGE 2023.

“Generative AI is going to have a profound impact on the accounting profession,” said Erik Asgeirsson, president and CEO, CPA.com. “While other technologies like cloud computing have transformed how firms deliver services, we believe generative AI’s impact could be much more dramatic and evolve much more rapidly.”

CPA.com has initiated a series of thought leadership activities aimed at accelerating the profession’s understanding of generative AI, including how it works with specific use cases within tax, audit, client advisory services (CAS), finance, practice management and marketing. With that insight, CPA.com is also developing practical tools and resources—as it’s done with other emerging technologies and categories including the cloud, blockchain and ESG—to empower firms to assess the potential of generative AI in their practices. Activities will include:

• Ecosystem Review: An ecosystem scan of solution providers who are experimenting with AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) with their software to deliver new features and functionality for accounting and finance professionals.
• An AI Symposium that will bring together subject matter experts, firm practice leaders, thought leaders, AI solution providers and technologists to exchange strategies and information on the real and potential impacts of the transformative technology on the profession.
• An AI-specific cohort within the 2024 AICPA and CPA.com Startup Accelerator to support the growth of early-stage companies harnessing this technology to benefit accounting and finance.
• AI-focused training:
  • A toolkit that firms can use to inform their AI strategy across multiple practice areas.
  • Thought leadership resources to support awareness and education including a security checklist, explainer videos and special reports.
  • Dedicated sessions at Digital CPA 2023, including one with innovation expert Pascal Finette during which attendees will map out their own GenAI use cases in roundtable groups.
  • Special webinars including “Generative AI, The Great Equalizer,” to be held Oct. 24, which will provide a demonstration of various GenAI use cases specific to accounting firms and ways to leverage the emerging technology within their firms.

Many firms are already leveraging AI through their existing solution providers who are moving fast to incorporate the technology into their platforms. Various solutions have enabled practitioners to generate client email responses, review documents and automate processes and workflows within practice management.

“Simply said, AI will increase our productivity and spark our innovation potential by allowing us to make new connections between disparate ideas, said Pascal Finette, co-founder and CEO, be radical. “It’s not a question of ‘if’ generative AI can fit into a practice, but ‘how’—and that will vary by firm and use case.”

“We want to create education and resources that support firms through this change,” continued Asgeirsson. “Generative AI has significant co-pilot like capabilities for practitioners and we think this is a great opportunity for the profession.

About CPA.com

CPA.com brings innovative solutions to the accounting profession, either in partnership with leading providers or directly through its own development. The company has established itself as a thought leader on emerging technologies and as the trusted business advisor to practitioners in the United States, with a growing global focus.

Our company’s core mission is to drive the transformation of practice areas, advance the technology ecosystem for the profession, and lead technology research and innovation efforts for practitioners.

A subsidiary of the American Institute of CPAs, the company is also part of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, the world’s most influential organization representing the profession. For more information, visit CPA.com.

Biweekly news series recognized as top resource for the accounting profession empowering practitioners with insights, guidance and strategies to prepare for the future.

LAS VEGAS (June 6, 2023) – Today the AICPA and CPA.com marked the 100th episode of the AICPA Town Hall, an award-winning, biweekly news broadcast series examining the accounting profession’s most pressing issues. The series launched in April 2020 to help CPAs navigate the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program and other pandemic-era relief programs on behalf of their clients. It quickly evolved to become the leading source of timely and critical updates, real-time analysis and strategies for accounting and finance professionals, attracting nearly 10,000 live and on-demand viewers every other week.

“We launched the Town Hall series at a defining moment for firms and businesses when the world shut down at the start of the pandemic. Like a breaking news broadcast, we provided the best available information along with timely recommendations to help CPAs rise to moment and deliver on their Trusted Advisor role,” said Erik Asgeirsson, president and CEO of CPA.com, the business and technology subsidiary of the AICPA. “Over time we broadened the Town Hall beyond just interpreting these regulatory updates to helping CPAs advance their firm and company capabilities and strategies.”

The series regularly includes updates on key legislation, with government experts providing analysis and practical guidance on potential impact to accounting professionals and small and medium-size businesses. Town Hall contributors have included U.S. Congress members, IRS executives, former Treasury officials, regulators, Fortune 500 company CEOs, nationally recognized economists, CPA firm practitioners representing the largest to the smallest firms, finance leaders, futurists, technologists and other thought leaders.

Since inception, Town Hall attendance per episode has tripled, resulting in more than 800,000 total views live and on-demand via archived webcast or podcast. The series was also recognized by Accounting Today as a “Top New Educational Product” in 2022.

Erin Kehrer, CPA, tax manager at Gerding, Korte & Chitwood, PC, CPAs in Columbia, Missouri, has been attending the Town Hall from the beginning. “The information coming across was incredible and very timely. With the Town Hall, it’s new. It’s updated. It’s good information,” said Kehrer. “I don't know why you wouldn't dedicate an hour of your day every other week to get this information. It puts our firm in a much better place.”

The series airs biweekly on Thursdays at 3 p.m. ET, with additional episodes added for key legislative or profession updates. The interactive format allows attendees to get answers to their most pressing questions from subject matter experts—more than 50,000 questions have been submitted through the first 100 Town Hall broadcasts collectively.

“The Town Halls have provided an amazing opportunity for people from all aspects of the profession to come together on a regular basis to address not only the latest technical topics, but also to discuss where the profession is heading,” said Lisa Simpson, CPA, CGMA, vice president-Firm Services, AICPA. “The input from our Town Hall community has been invaluable.”

Each Town Hall episode is eligible for one CPE credit for live attendees and is free to AICPA members ($39 for non-members). The Town Hall community can also access archived recordings and resources by logging into the Town Hall portal at cpa.com/town-hall, or listen on the AICPA Town Hall podcast (no CPE eligibility).

The 100th episode was aired live from AICPA & CIMA ENGAGE, with thousands more tuning in from across the country. During the broadcast, in celebration of the milestone event, Asgeirsson announced that all AICPA members can gift one colleague with a year of free access to the Town Halls.

To learn more about the Town Hall series, visit cpa.com/town-hall. For other innovative tools and ideas that can help firms stay abreast of the latest developments in the accounting profession and deliver even more value to clients, please visit CPA.com.

About CPA.com

CPA.com brings innovative solutions to the accounting profession, either in partnership with leading providers or directly through its own development. The company has established itself as a thought leader on emerging technologies and as the trusted business advisor to practitioners in the United States, with a growing global focus.

Our company’s core mission is to drive the transformation of practice areas, advance the technology ecosystem for the profession, and lead technology research and innovation efforts for practitioners.

A subsidiary of the American Institute of CPAs, the company is also part of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, the world’s most influential organization representing the profession. For more information, visit CPA.com.

NEW YORK, NY, May 21, 2023 – With the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) actively seeking new ways to help small business owners secure financing during the current credit crunch, Biz2Credit and CPA.com have introduced a new SBA 7(a) lending option to the CPA Business Funding Portal , a cloud-based platform that supports accounting firms in securing business financing options for clients.

As small businesses have increasingly looked to accountants to guide their financing needs, the portal has continually added new financing options, including working capital, term, Employee Retention Credit (ERTC), and now SBA 7(a) loans.

"Rising interest rates and the tightening of lending at big banks, as well as small and midsized banks, have combined to create a credit crunch for small business owners in need of capital," said Rohit Arora, CEO and co-founder of Biz2Credit. "We are proud to partner with CPA.com to expand the options available through the CPA Business Funding Portal to help business owners get the funding they need through the SBA 7(a) program."

The CPA Business Funding Portal was developed specifically to support the advisor's role in the lending process and provides a 100% online financing application process, a consolidated dashboard for client management, firm-wide collaboration with user role management, time-saving integrations with client payroll and bank accounts, and application preview and modification features.

"In an increasingly complex economic environment, small and midsize businesses need a trusted advisor to help navigate complexity and manage cash flow," said Erik Asgeirsson, President and CEO of CPA.com. "Financing advisory is a growing area within client advisory services (CAS) practices, and the addition of the SBA lending option to the CPA Business Funding Portal better positions firms to deliver more holistic financing guidance and secure the capital their SMB clients need to run their businesses and invest in future growth."

The SBA 7(a) loan option is ideal for smaller businesses due to its lower down-payments, competitive interest rates, and longer-term financing. These loans provide opportunities for small business owners who may not be eligible for other lending options to secure funding. Available in amounts up to $5 million, SBA 7(a) loans can be used for short- and long-term working capital, refinancing current business debt, purchasing and installation of machinery and equipment, and purchasing furniture, fixtures, and supplies.

CPA firms and accounting professionals can access the SBA lending program for their clients through a portal subscription. The platform is driven by Biz2Credit's industry-leading Biz2X® digital lending platform technology.

For more information on the CPA Business Funding Portal, visit: www.cpa.com/business-funding or attend an upcoming demo. Firms interested in learning more about how to deliver deeper client value with finance advisory services are invited to join an upcoming CPA.com and Biz2Credit webinar on Wednesday, May 24, 2023.

About Biz2Credit

Founded in 2007, Biz2Credit has arranged more than $7 billion in small business financing. The company is expanding its industry-leading technology in custom digital platform solutions for banks and other financial institutions, investors, and service providers. Visit www.biz2credit.com or Twitter @Biz2Credit, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

About CPA.com

CPA.com brings innovative solutions to the accounting profession, either in partnership with leading providers or directly through its own development. The company has established itself as a thought leader on emerging technologies and as the trusted business advisor to practitioners in the United States, with a growing global focus. Its core mission is to drive the transformation of practice areas, advance the technology ecosystem for the profession, and lead technology research and innovation efforts for practitioners. CPA.com is a subsidiary of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (AICPA), the world's largest and most influential organization representing the profession.