Tech-led change and AI tops long-term concerns for CPAs – AICPA survey

Managing alteration driven by caller exertion and the accelerated beforehand of AI has emerged arsenic the starring semipermanent contented for certified nationalist accountant (CPA) practices, a biennial survey by the American Institute of CPAs found.

The CPA Firm Top Issues Survey conducted by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants' (AICPA) Private Companies Practice Section (PCPS) included CPA companies of each sizes.

The survey, which segmented responses into six company-size categories, asked CPA practices to place some their astir pressing existent challenges and those expected to person the top interaction implicit the adjacent 5 years.

While contiguous priorities disagree betwixt sole practitioners, tiny practices, mid-size firms and ample networks, "change absorption owed to exertion and AI" ranked archetypal successful the five-year outlook for each groups and appeared successful the apical 3 for astir current-issue lists.

AICPA steadfast services vice-president Lisa Simpson said: "The apical issues for firms necktie into the translation we are seeing successful technology, radical skills and operating models.

"We cognize keeping up with accelerated developments successful AI and exertion capabilities tin beryllium a challenge, but the survey besides revealed that determination are challenges with integrating exertion and leveraging it to heighten work offerings."

For solo practitioners and companies with 2 to 10 professionals, managing taxation instrumentality complexity is the superior existent concern, with cybersecurity and information privateness besides among the apical issues.

Companies with 11–30 professionals, which made up astir a 3rd of respondents, mention hiring experienced unit arsenic their biggest challenge, with Internal Revenue Service-related issues and unit workload adjacent behind.

In the 31–100 nonrecreational segment, "finding the adjacent procreation of leadership" is the apical existent issue, alongside concerns implicit hiring experienced staff, utilizing exertion to amended lawsuit work and managing workflow.

Among practices with 101–500 professionals, exertion adoption and integration leads the database of apical concerns.

For the largest companies, with much than 500 professionals, managing alteration owed to exertion and AI is the fig 1 existent concern. Staff retention is besides precocious connected their database of concerns.

The PCPS CPA Firm Top Issues Survey was carried retired online betwixt 20 April and 22 May 2026. A full of 629 practitioners took part.

"Tech-led alteration and AI tops semipermanent concerns for CPAs – AICPA survey" was primitively created and published by The Accountant, a GlobalData owned brand.