Author | Lightnews

Bill Sheridan @billsheridan.bsky.social · 1d

After years of shrinking enrollment, accounting programs saw a 12% increase in students in 2024, according to data cited in the AICPA’s new 2025 trends report. Underneath that enrollment recovery, though, the report hints at a bigger disconnect between education and employment.

New AICPA data signals serious issues in the CPA pipeline

Though accounting enrollment is improving, degree completions lag in a job market with fewer entry-level opportunities.

www.cfo.com

Bill Sheridan @billsheridan.bsky.social · 1d

Two of Maryland’s top Democrats have been eager to jump into the redistricting arms race unfolding across the country — but the third Democrat needed to run that special session, the president of the Maryland Senate, has refused.

Maryland’s Democratic Senate president blocks anti-Trump redistricting fight

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones, two of the state’s top Democrats, want a special session to redistrict. Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson said no.

www.washingtonpost.com

Bill Sheridan @billsheridan.bsky.social · 1d

Monthly ransomware attacks rose for the first time in six months in September, increasing by 28% from the previous month to 421 attacks, cybersecurity firm NCC Group said Monday.

Ransomware attacks jumped 28% in September

The surge “could be a sign that the decline we’ve seen recently is now over,” said cybersecurity firm NCC Group’s Matt Hull.

www.cfodive.com

Bill Sheridan @billsheridan.bsky.social · 1d

As the accounting profession contends with a historic labor shortage, a new report warns that firms pulling back from diversity, equity and inclusion efforts are courting deeper disruption to their profitability, quality and future viability.

Belonging or Bust: Talent Crisis Deepens as Firms Retreat from DEI - CPA Trendlines

ACTIONABLE INTELLIGENCE FOR TAX, ACCOUNTING, AND FINANCIAL PROFESSIONALS

cpatrendlines.com

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Bill Sheridan @billsheridan.bsky.social · 1d

Maryland’s February bar exam will be limited to 400 people, the state Supreme Court announced Monday, as the government shutdown has forced the Washington, D.C., bar to postpone registration for its February exam.

MD top court limits bar exam as shutdown complicates DC bar

Maryland’s February bar exam will be limited to 400 people, as the government shutdown has led the Washington bar to postpone its exam.

thedailyrecord.com

Bill Sheridan @billsheridan.bsky.social · 1d

A federal judge in San Francisco on Tuesday indefinitely barred the Trump administration from firing federal employees during the government shutdown, saying that labor unions were likely to prevail on their claims that the cuts were arbitrary and politically motivated.

Judge extends order barring the Trump administration from firing federal workers during the shutdown

A federal judge in San Francisco has indefinitely blocked the Trump administration from firing federal workers during the government shutdown. U.S.

apnews.com

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Bill Sheridan @billsheridan.bsky.social · 2d

Monthly ransomware attacks rose for the first time in six months in September, increasing by 28% from the previous month to 421 attacks, cybersecurity firm NCC Group said Monday.

Ransomware attacks jumped 28% in September

The surge “could be a sign that the decline we’ve seen recently is now over,” said cybersecurity firm NCC Group’s Matt Hull.

www.cfodive.com

Bill Sheridan @billsheridan.bsky.social · 2d

The IRS and the Treasury Department are proposing to get rid of the "domestic corporation look-through rule" for determining whether a real estate investment trust in the U.S. is controlled by foreign investors.

IRS looks to remove look-through rule for REITs

The Internal Revenue Service is proposing to remove the domestic corporation look-through rule for real estate investment trusts controlled by foreign investors.

www.accountingtoday.com

Bill Sheridan @billsheridan.bsky.social · 2d

The Internal Revenue Service is confronting a daunting array of management and performance challenges in fiscal year 2026, according to a new report from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.

IRS faces major management challenges

The Internal Revenue Service is confronting a daunting array of management and performance challenges in fiscal year 2026, according to a new report.

accountingtoday.com

Bill Sheridan @billsheridan.bsky.social · 2d

Not only is it harder to secure entry-level positions, but AI has also taken over the foundational tasks that gave new accounting hires the knowledge to progress to higher-value work.

Why the Accounting Profession Needs to Rethink Foundational Skills for Entry-Level Staff

Not only is it harder to secure entry-level positions, but AI has also taken over the foundational tasks that gave new accounting hires the knowledge to progress to higher-value work.

www.cpapracticeadvisor.com

Bill Sheridan @billsheridan.bsky.social · 2d

The desire to hire new accounting graduates remains strong among public accounting firms, and signs point to a possible turning of the tide when it comes to supply meeting demand, according to data from the AICPA’s biennial Trends report.

The accounting graduate pipeline: Where do things stand?

As public accounting firms continue to report a strong need for new talent, recent declines in accounting graduates are easing, according to the AICPA’s Trends report.

www.journalofaccountancy.com

Bill Sheridan @billsheridan.bsky.social · 2d

Companies increasingly use AI to sift CVs and assess candidates, requiring a different approach to creating a clear, specific, and convincing job application.

How to land a finance job in the age of AI-enabled hiring

Companies increasingly use AI to sift CVs and assess candidates, requiring a different approach to creating a clear, specific, and convincing job application.

www.fm-magazine.com

Bill Sheridan @billsheridan.bsky.social · 2d

A new generative AI tool, initially focused on the auditing and accounting space, accesses information within the AICPA Online Professional Library.

AICPA releases gen AI tool: Josi

A new generative AI tool, initially focused on the auditing and accounting space, accesses information within the AICPA Online Professional Library.

www.journalofaccountancy.com

Bill Sheridan @billsheridan.bsky.social · 2d

Accounting firms have a strong hiring outlook this year, with three-in-four of those that recruited new staffers in 2024 indicating plans to hire the same amount or more in 2025.

Accounting Firms Say Hiring Outlook is Strong in AICPA Survey

Of firms that hired in 2024, three-quarters (75%) said they expected to add a similar number of staff or more in the current year. Only 18% anticipated lower hiring rates.

www.cpapracticeadvisor.com

Bill Sheridan @billsheridan.bsky.social · 2d

The number of U.S. students who graduated with a bachelor’s or a master’s degree in accounting fell 6.6% in the 2023-2024 academic year from the year earlier period.

US accounting degree graduates drop 6.6%

While the pipeline of accounting graduates shrank again last year, the YoY rate of decline in diplomas conferred ebbed too, an AICPA report found.

www.cfodive.com

Bill Sheridan @billsheridan.bsky.social · 2d

The number of students who graduated with either a bachelor's or master's degree in accounting dropped again last year, but not as much as in recent years, according to the latest Trends report released Monday by the American Institute of CPAs.

Accounting grad numbers continue to decline

The number of students who graduated with a bachelor's or master's in accounting dropped again, but not by as much as in recent years, according to the AICPA.

www.accountingtoday.com

Bill Sheridan @billsheridan.bsky.social · 2d

Federal workers who are on a state taxe payment plan can ask to have their payments deferred during the ongoing federal government shutdown, the comptroller’s office announced Monday.

Comptroller offers deferral of tax payment plans for federal workers - Maryland Matters

Federal workers who are on a state tax payment plan can ask to have their payments deferred during the ongoing federal government shutdown, the comptroller's office announced Monday.

marylandmatters.org

Bill Sheridan @billsheridan.bsky.social · 2d

As the federal government shutdown drags on, Comptroller Brooke Lierman announced new tax relief measures to help Maryland’s federal workers weather the financial strain.

Comptroller Announces Tax Relief for Federal Workers Amid Shutdown

As the federal government shutdown drags on, Comptroller Brooke Lierman announced new tax relief measures to help Maryland’s federal workers weather the

conduitstreet.mdcounties.org

Bill Sheridan @billsheridan.bsky.social · 3d

The IRS is reminding the more than 800,000 paid tax preparers that preparer tax identification numbers must be renewed annually, and the 2026 renewal period is now open.

IRS reminds tax pros to renew PTINs for the 2026 tax season | Internal Revenue Service

IR-2025-108, Oct. 27, 2025 — The Internal Revenue Service today reminds the more than 800,000 paid tax preparers that preparer tax identification numbers must be renewed annually, and the 2026 renewal...

www.irs.gov

Bill Sheridan @billsheridan.bsky.social · 3d

On Monday, Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman said federal workers impacted by the government shutdown and living in the state can apply for deferred tax payments. www.wmar2news.com/local/maryla...

Maryland Comptroller defers tax payments for federal workers impacted by shutdown

On Monday Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman said impacted federal workers living in the state can apply for deferred tax payments.

www.wmar2news.com

Bill Sheridan @billsheridan.bsky.social · 3d

Today’s dynamic public accounting firm landscape can require firm leaders to think strategically about how much capital investment is needed to lead the firm forward.

CPA firm funding — no one right answer

From tech investments to partner buyouts and private equity, CPA firms are evaluating capital needs in a changing environment. Explore the latest trends in CPA firm funding.

www.journalofaccountancy.com

Bill Sheridan @billsheridan.bsky.social · 3d

The desire to hire new accounting graduates remains strong among public accounting firms, and signs point to a possible turning of the tide when it comes to supply meeting demand, according to data from the AICPA’s biennial Trends report.

The accounting graduate pipeline: Where do things stand?

As public accounting firms continue to report a strong need for new talent, recent declines in accounting graduates are easing, according to the AICPA’s Trends report.

www.journalofaccountancy.com

Bill Sheridan @billsheridan.bsky.social · 3d

Individual taxable earnings of up to $184,500 annually will be subject to Social Security tax in 2026, the Social Security Administration said Friday.

Social Security wage base and COLA announced for 2026

Individual taxable earnings of up to $184,500 annually will be subject to Social Security tax in 2026, the Social Security Administration said. The SSA also announced a cost-of-living adjustment of 2....

www.journalofaccountancy.com

Bill Sheridan @billsheridan.bsky.social · 3d

Accounting firms have a strong hiring outlook this year, with three-in-four of those that recruited new staffers in 2024 indicating plans to hire the same amount or more in 2025. www.aicpa-cima.com/news/article...

Accounting Firms Report Strong Hiring Outlook, AICPA Report Finds

The AICPA's 2025 Trends Report identifies key trends in U.S. accounting graduations, new graduate hiring and firm expectations.

www.aicpa-cima.com

Bill Sheridan @billsheridan.bsky.social · 3d

This move comes in response to the shrinking talent pipeline, which has prompted many states to consider and implement legislation that increases flexibility for current and prospective CPAs.

Michigan Moves Forward on Pathways Bill for CPA Licensure

This move comes in response to the shrinking talent pipeline, which has prompted many states to consider and implement legislation that increases flexibility for current and prospective CPAs.

www.cpapracticeadvisor.com