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CPA & Consultant for Accounting Firms
AICPA Engage 2026 — what I actually saw.
Happy Frye-Day.
I made it to my first AICPA Engage in Vegas this year as Canopy's Accountant in Residence, and it was a tremendous success. I had so much fun meeting people for the first time or catching up with them from prior conferences. Vegas is always an entertaining place to be in, especially with work colleagues.
Here's what I saw.
Luke Frye — AICPA Engage 2026
The Theme
Tax Workflow Automation dominated the floor.
Every vendor conversation started from the same place: how much of your intake, workflow, or billing is still manual? The firms that are growing are already past that question. The ones that aren't are going to feel it soon.
The best summary wasn't from a keynote. It was on a banner at the StanfordTax booth:
"You didn't become a CPA to babysit clients."
— StanfordTax, AICPA Engage 2026
Half the room stopped when they walked by it. That's the conversation the industry is finally having.
Ryan Reynolds was one of the keynote speakers, along with a former CFO of Costco. Entertaining and interesting — still kind of wondering if that was really necessary, but it was Vegas.
AICPA Engage Live Studio
Got on camera to share what I'm seeing.
One of the highlights was getting invited on the AICPA Engage Live Studio to talk about what I'm seeing at the intersection of tech and accounting. If you've never attended Engage, this setup is genuinely impressive — a full production setup right on the exhibit floor.
Best Session
Tax Tea with Lemons & Erb.
This is probably the most interesting session I attended — not only because it was the first and one of two, but because this was a former IRS communications director, Kelly Lemons, and Kelly Erb, a Forbes columnist on tax issues. They discussed some really interesting things, including tax on tips, OnlyFans, and the Loper Bright lawsuit, which changed how tax law is applied.
Loper Bright — What it means
Courts — not federal agencies — must now interpret ambiguous tax law. 40 years of Chevron deference, gone.
If you haven't read the ruling yet, your clients will ask about it before you're ready. The short version: when tax law is ambiguous, it's no longer the IRS's call. Courts decide. That changes how you advise on anything that lives in a gray area.
The Floor
A few booths worth knowing about.
Digits is building what the ledger for CPA firms should have been from day one. Not adapted from a generic GL — designed for firms. The "first ledger built for firms" positioning felt earned, not manufactured. Worth a look if you're evaluating.
Softledger for multi-entity accounting is as good as advertised. If you're managing consolidations for clients with multiple entities, it belongs in your evaluation.
Puzzle — I spent time building their accounting channel before joining Canopy. Always encouraging to see traffic at your old company's booth.
Canopy had a booth worth stopping at. The pitch — from proposals to payments, all-in-one practice management — landed with a lot of people on the floor.
Me, Sam Kropp (Decimal), Laryssa Ramina (Pilot.com), and Joseph Huckaby — all connected through accounting tech circles.
Chrissy from Softledger (great multi-entity GL).
Always encouraging to see traffic at your old company's booth.
Also on the floor
David Leary at the Earmark booth.
David Leary from The Accounting Podcast was at his Earmark booth. He was beyond excited for Michael Ly's 2000s party. I didn't see him there, but I did see pics of his AI informed Ross wardrobe.
David Leary — The Accounting Podcast / Earmark.
Dinner at Delilah
This restaurant has been on my list for a long time.
I had the opportunity to take some co-workers and former co-workers out to dinner, as well as some potential partners. From left to right:
Brad Siegmiller, Strategic Partnerships at Canopy
Thomas Shelley, CEO of MagneticTax.com — one of the newer AI tax prep challengers
Sasha Orloff, CEO of Puzzle.io — where I got to start CS, Sales and building the accounting channel
Jody Padar — the radical accountant who I used to send business back and forth to when I had my tax practice
Patrick Nelson, Head of Demand Gen at Canopy
I was mixing business with pleasure here because this restaurant has been on my list for a long time. No photos allowed inside, and don't forget your ID.
Brad Siegmiller · Me · Thomas Shelley (MagneticTax) · Sasha Orloff (Puzzle) · Jody Padar · Patrick Nelson (Canopy)
The People
This is why you go.
One of those internet-friend-to-irl moments. I finally got to meet Leroy Kember from Filed. in person. He's one of the people building something genuinely interesting in the accounting space. If you don't know his work, worth following.
Leroy Kember — Filed.
Second Dinner
The accounting community knows how to eat.
Two dinners in four days. Both excellent. Both with people I'd go back for. This industry is more fun than its reputation suggests.
Three Things Worth Taking Home
What I'm actually carrying out of this week:
1. Tax Workflow Automation is no longer optional. It's the floor. Firms that haven't moved yet are not late — but they're getting there.
2. The competitive set is changing. AI-native firms don't have legacy processes to defend. They're not coming — some are already here. Worth knowing what they look like.
3. The relationships compound. The best thing about Engage wasn't the sessions or the booth — it was the dinner table. Go to one conference this year. Be intentional about who you sit next to.
Connect & Collaborate
- Where to find me: Scaling New Heights in Orlando, June 14 to 17
- Learn: Curious about executive coaching? Casey Miller, PCC and I did a short real-life demo. Watch the replay on LinkedIn.
- Speak: Do you have a story to tell? Reply to this email or send me a DM on LinkedIn and I will get you on the Canopy Practice Success podcast.
Luke
#LookForTheHelpers #accounting #firms #growth #billing #advisory