Accounting

Quality management standards: Time is running out!

Published

4 months ago

February 10, 2025

Has your firm started work on implementing the new quality management standards? If you haven’t already started, it may be challenging getting it done by the Dec. 15, 2025, deadline for having a quality management system in place.

That may seem like a long way off, with plenty of time to update your existing quality control document. Many firms are underestimating the level of effort required, and seem to think that simply changing the wording from “document” to “system” will be sufficient. However, that just isn’t the case.

What’s the difference between a QCD and a QMS?

The biggest — and most obvious — difference is that the QCD was a document while the QMS is a system. The defining point of QMS is the “S” for system. Your firm needs to develop a system to ensure that the output meets the standards of quality.

The reality is that the quality control document often sat on a shelf to be dusted off every three years for peer review. When working with firms on their QMS, we start by talking through their QCD with leaders who are often surprised by the differences between what the document says the firm does versus what is actually happening at the firm. Trying to comply by switching the name from QCD to QMS and folding in a few things, like adding snippets about technology and IP resources to the human resources section of the QCD, simply won’t work. Your firm’s QMS must also include accountabilities and tracking measures that are lacking in a QCD.

Quality objectives in a QMS

The new standards require firms to establish quality objectives around each of eight components, which you can read about in the standard. Because every firm is different, this isn’t just a boilerplate document that can be slightly edited. Each firm’s objectives and the path to achieving those objectives will be different.

At AccountAbility Plus, we recommend using the long-standing SMART approach to establishing quality objectives for each of the eight components.

Specific: Objectives are stated in clear and specific terms to ensure that every team member is on the same page. For example, “As a firm we will not do PCAOB A&A work.”
Measurable: Objectives must be measurable. Has this objective been completed? How will feedback be assessed? What will be the standard for acceptable feedback?
Attainable: These objectives must also be attainable within the firm’s capacity, with adequate resources, competencies, and methodologies to ensure they can be achieved.
Relevant: Quality objectives must be relevant to the firm’s strategic goals. They must align with the quality standards of the profession and the firm and ensure that regulatory requirements are met.
Time-oriented: Each objective must also be time-oriented with a clear and unambiguous date for achievement. Firms must also determine the timing of responses to risks depending on the severity.

A firm risk assessment process in a QMS

In the old QCD standards, it wasn’t clear how you were supposed to respond when you had a quality issue. QCDs could also be vague about the timeframes for evaluating and responding to risks, using words such as “periodically” and “timely,” which are left up to interpretation of each person in the firm.

In contrast, your firm’s QMS must be actionable and must include a risk assessment process to be implemented by your firm. This process is used to identify risk events that could occur based on the firm’s quality objectives, and must include a process for tracking and documenting when you have risk events. You also need to determine the specific timing of your response to risk events by carrying out a root cause analysis to determine the remediation plan.

For a minor risk event, like issuing financials with a typo, or a staff member being short of CPE, but they don’t do Yellow Book audits, you can likely bundle these risks and respond to them once or twice a year.

However, if this staff person does governmental audits for which Yellow Book CPE is required, the response needs to be much quicker. You need to determine what went wrong in your system and fix it to ensure that team members don’t miss their Yellow Book CPE in the future.

Severe risk events — like issuing the wrong opinion or finding out the firm is not independent after the report has been issued — will require immediate attention to gather facts, determine the impact, and develop a response.

Root cause analysis and the ‘Five Whys’ approach

When a risk event occurs, you need to determine why it happened by doing a root cause analysis, then you need to remediate the problem.

For example, let’s say you have to reissue a financial statement. Sometimes the reason for reissuance isn’t a big deal, such as a typo that doesn’t affect the numbers or the opinion or anything significant, but you still need to reissue the financials to correct the minor error. Since this is a minor risk, you would track how many times it happened and at least once a year perform a root cause analysis.

To perform a root cause analysis, we teach firms to use the ‘Five Whys’ approach. You start by asking what happened, and then repeatedly ask why that happened. By the time you get to the fifth why, you should find the root cause for the problem. Using our example of the typo, you start by asking what happened. Why did this typo happen? Then you keep asking why until you get to the root cause.

You also need to consider how pervasive each risk event is. If it only occurred once or twice during the year, you’ll want to make sure your proofing system is robust enough to minimize the risk of typos. However, it’s not worth spending a significant amount of time and money to absolutely eliminate all risk of typos. However, if you’re reissuing financials to fix typos dozens of times a year, then there’s clearly something wrong with your proofing process. Using the Five Whys method, you should be able to determine the root cause and figure out how to mitigate this from happening as often.

On the other hand, if you need to reissue financials due to a material misstatement, this is clearly a more severe risk event. You’ll need to immediately perform the root cause analysis as to why it happened and determine next steps to remediate the issue.

This standard was designed to be scalable, and firms should take advantage of this to right-size their response to risk events.

Don’t delay — start now

Ideally, you have already started this time-consuming and mandatory process. Your firm needs to consider each of the eight components and determine quality objectives that are both SMART and reflective of your firm’s characteristics.

Several of the firms that we’ve been working with over the last year will be ready to start piloting their new QMS early in 2025. They’ll have the chance to see what’s working and what’s not working so they can make any necessary adjustments before the effective date.

For firms that are truly committed to quality, this is more of a cost burden than a value add, although it’s never a bad idea to make enhancements that will improve quality. You may find some process improvements along the way that improve more than just quality.

Dec. 15, 2025, will be here sooner than you think — start today, not tomorrow.

Accounting

XcelLabs launches to help accountants use AI

Published

2 days ago

June 6, 2025

Business Finance News

Jody Padar, an author and speaker known as “The Radical CPA,” and Katie Tolin, a growth strategist for CPAs, together launched a training and technology platform called XcelLabs.

XcelLabs provides solutions to help accountants use artificial technology fluently and strategically. The Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs and CPA Crossings joined with Padar and Tolin as strategic partners and investors.

“To reinvent the profession, we must start by training the professional who can then transform their firms,” Padar said in a statement. “By equipping people with data and insights that help them see things differently, they can provide better advice to their clients and firm.”

The platform includes XcelLabs Academy, a series of educational online courses on the basics of AI, being a better advisor, leadership and practice management; Navi, a proprietary tool that uses AI to help accountants turn unstructured data like emails, phone calls and meetings into insights; and training and consulting services. These offerings are currently in beta testing.

“Accountants know they need to be more advisory, but not everyone can figure out how to do it,” Tolin said in a statement. “Couple that with the fact that AI will be doing a lot of the lower-level work accountants do today, and we need to create that next level advisor now. By showing accountants how to unlock patterns in their actions and turn client conversations into emotionally intelligent advice, we can create the accounting professional of the future.”

Katie Tolin

“AI is transforming how CPAs work, and XcelLabs is focused on helping the profession evolve with it,” PICPA CEO Jennifer Cryder said in a statement. “At PICPA, we’re proud to support a mission that aligns so closely with ours: empowering firms to use AI not just for efficiency, but to drive growth, value and long-term relevance.”

Accounting

Accounting is changing, and the world can’t wait until 2026

Published

2 days ago

June 6, 2025

Business Finance News

The accountant the world urgently needs has evolved far beyond the traditional role we recognized just a few years ago.

The transformation of the accounting profession is not merely an anticipated change; it is a pressing reality that is currently shaping business decisions, academic programs and the expected contributions of professionals. Yet, in many areas, accounting education stubbornly clings to outdated, overly technical models that fail to connect with the actual demands of the market. We must confront a critical question: If we continue to train accountants solely to file tax reports, are we truly equipping them for the challenges of today’s world?

This shift in mindset extends beyond individual countries or educational systems; it is a global movement. The recent announcement of the CIMA/CGMA 2026 syllabus has made it unmistakably clear: merely knowing how to post journal entries is insufficient. Today’s accountants are required to interpret the landscape, anticipate risks and act with strategic awareness. Critical thinking, sustainable finance, technology and human behavior are not just supplementary topics; they are essential components in the education of any professional seeking to remain relevant.

The CIMA/CGMA proposal for 2026 is not just a curriculum update; it is a powerful manifesto. This new program positions analytical thinking, strategic business partnering and technology application at the core of accounting education. It unequivocally highlights sustainability, aligning with IFRS S1 and S2, and expands the accountant’s responsibilities beyond mere numbers to encompass conscious leadership, environmental impact and corporate governance.

The current changes in the accounting profession underscore an urgent shift in expectations from both educators and employers. Today, companies of all sizes and industries demand accountants who can do far more than interpret balance sheets. They expect professionals who grasp the deeper context behind the numbers, identify inconsistencies, anticipate potential issues before they escalate into losses, and act decisively as a bridge between data and decision making.

To meet these expectations, a radical mindset shift is essential. There are firms still operating on autopilot, mindlessly repeating tasks with minimal critical analysis. Likewise, many academic programs continue to treat accounting as purely a technical discipline, disregarding the vital elements of reflection, strategy and behavioral insight. This outdated approach creates a significant mismatch. While the world forges ahead, parts of the accounting profession remain stuck in the past.

The consequences of this shift are already becoming evident. The demand for compliance, transparency and sustainability now applies not only to large corporations but also to small and mid-sized businesses. Many of these organizations rely on professionals ill-equipped to drive the necessary changes, putting both business performance and the reputation of the profession at risk.

The positive news is that accountants who are ready to thrive in this new era do not necessarily need additional degrees. What they truly need is a commitment to awareness, a dedication to continuous learning, and the courage to step beyond their comfort zones. The future of accounting is here, and it is firmly rooted in analytical, strategic and human-oriented perspectives. The 2026 curriculum is a clear indication of the changes underway. Those who fail to think critically and holistically will be left behind.

In contrast, accountants who see the big picture, understand the ripple effects of their decisions, and actively contribute to the financial and ethical health of organizations will undeniably remain indispensable, anywhere in the world.

Accounting

Republicans push Musk aside as Trump tax bill barrels forward

Published

2 days ago

June 6, 2025

Business Finance News

Congressional Republicans are siding with Donald Trump in the messy divorce between the president and Elon Musk, an optimistic sign for eventual passage of a tax cut bill at the root of the two billionaires’ public feud.

Lawmakers are largely taking their cues from Trump and sticking by the $3 trillion bill at the center of the White House’s economic agenda. Musk, the biggest political donor of the 2024 cycle, has threatened to help primary anyone who votes for the legislation, but lawmakers are betting that staying in the president’s good graces is the safer path to political survival.

“The tax bill is not in jeopardy. We are going to deliver on that,” House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters on Friday.

“I’ll tell you what — do not doubt, don’t second guess and do not challenge the President of the United States Donald Trump,” he added. “He is the leader of the party. He’s the most consequential political figure of our time.”

A fight between Trump and Musk exploded into public view this week. The sparring started with the tech titan calling the president’s tax bill a “disgusting abomination,” but quickly escalated to more personal attacks and Trump threatening to cancel all federal contracts and subsidies to Musk’s companies, such as Tesla Inc. and SpaceX which have benefitted from government ties.

Republicans on Capitol Hill, who had — until recently — publicly embraced Musk, said they weren’t swayed by the billionaire’s criticism that the bill cost too much. Lawmakers have refuted official estimates of the package, saying that the tax cuts for households, small businesses and politically important groups — including hospitality and hourly workers — will generate enough economic growth to offset the price tag.

“I don’t tell my friend Elon, I don’t argue with him about how to build rockets, and I wish he wouldn’t argue with me about how to craft legislation and pass it,” Johnson told CNBC earlier Friday.

House Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington told reporters that House lawmakers are focused on working with the Senate as it revises the bill to make sure the legislation has the political support in both chambers to make it to Trump’s desk for his signature.

“We move past the drama and we get the substance of what is needed to make the modest improvements that can be made,” he said.

House fiscal hawks said that they hadn’t changed their prior positions on the legislation based on Musk’s statements. They also said they agree with GOP leaders that there will be other chances to make further spending cuts outside the tax bill.

Representative Tom McClintock, a fiscal conservative, said “the bill will pass because it has to pass,” adding that both Musk and Trump needed to calm down. “They both need to take a nap,” he said.

Even some of the House bill’s most vociferous critics appeared resigned to its passage. Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie, who voted against the House version, predicted that despite Musk’s objections, the Senate will make only small changes.

“The speaker is right about one thing. This barely passed the House. If they muck with it too much in the Senate, it may not pass the House again,” he said.

Trump is pressuring lawmakers to move at breakneck speed to pass the tax-cut bill, demanding they vote on the bill before the July 4 holiday. The president has been quick to blast critics of the bill — including calling Senator Rand Paul “crazy” for objecting to the inclusion of a debt ceiling increase in the package.

As the legislation worked its way through the House last month, Trump took to social media to criticize holdouts and invited undecided members to the White House to compel them to support the package. It passed by one vote.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune — who is planning to unveil his chamber’s version of the bill as soon as next week — said his timeline is unmoved by Musk.

“We are already pretty far down the trail,” he said.