By Jessica Salerno-Shumaker, OSCPA senior content manager  

For professionals navigating a changing business environment, one CPA said accountants shouldn’t be afraid to embrace change while feeling confident about their expertise.  

“Accountants don't like change historically, but I think we have to come to the realization that we've got to change,” said Dave Krebs, CPA, chief visionary officer at CPA Advisory Group. “Because the tax return is becoming more and more a commodity, especially as AI evolves.”  

Krebs will present “Project management best practices: Thrill ‘em and bill ‘em” at the December MEGA Tax Conference, covering the role of data analytics in improving tax decision-making, leverage tax analytics tools and more.   
While technology can be daunting, Krebs said this is an opportunity for CPAs to lean into strengthening those client relationships while tech handles some of the more cumbersome tasks. 

“In the scary things that are out there, there can be great positives if we look in that direction,” he said.   
This is also a chance to reevaluate billing practices, and Krebs emphasized the importance of explaining to clients the investment related to working with a trusted business advisor.  

“A lot of times we as accountants sell ourselves short,” Krebs said. “We've had a lot of education over a lot of years, and we should get paid for that. Just because we knew something quickly off the top of our heads doesn't mean that that's what we should charge.”  

He noted that it’s important to stay aware of what services clients are looking for and being able to pivot, such as investment advisory. 

Accountants are often worried about losing a client, but sometimes that needs to happen,” Krebs said. “There is always another client around the corner, and accountants should feel good about the fact that they're pretty smart and charge what they’re worth.”  

Register for MEGA Tax Conference today!