What’s New in Accounting? Tax Season Takeaways, Industry Awards, and What CFOs Are Betting On in 2026

Tax season is over. You survived. Now let’s talk about what it all means.

From how clients are using AI on their returns to what billion-dollar CFOs are prioritizing this year, there’s a lot that’s worth paying attention to as accounting heads into the second half of 2026. Here’s a quick rundown of the highlights.

Tax Season 2026: The Numbers That Matter for Your Firm

The Bipartisan Policy Center surveyed 1,200 Americans who filed their 2025 taxes, and the results paint a pretty interesting picture.

The headline: more than half received a federal refund, and 39% said it was larger than the year before. A lot of that is tied to new deductions—tips, overtime, auto loan interest—that gave filers more incentive to file early. In fact, 44% of people with tips or overtime income filed in January. And 82% said claiming those new benefits was easy.

“Easy” and “tax season” in the same sentence? Truly a sign of the times.

But here’s what should really catch your attention: 19% of filers used AI to help prepare their return. They used it to answer questions, determine deduction eligibility, explain forms, estimate refunds, and in some cases, fill out parts of the return directly. Another 34% said they hadn’t tried it yet but would consider it—meaning nearly half of all taxpayers are either already using AI on their taxes or open to doing so.

That number is going up, not down. Which means at some point, if it hasn’t already happened, a client is going to show up with AI-generated numbers and zero context about whether those numbers are right.

It’s worth having a conversation with your clients now about how to use these tools responsibly—or at least flagging it in your onboarding process. Because “ChatGPT told me” isn’t a source you want to be reconciling against at 11 p.m. in April.

Accounting’s Best and Brightest: 40 Under 40 and 20 Under 40

On a more celebratory note, CPA Practice Advisor just released its 2026 class of 40 Under 40 and 20 Under 40 honorees—now in its 21st year.

The awards cover two groups. The 40 Under 40 spotlights top public accountants, educators, and thought leaders who are actively shaping the profession through their work and community involvement. If you’ve been to any accounting or tech conference in the last few years, you’ve probably heard several of these people speak.

The 20 Under 40 Accounting Influencers category recognizes the builders—the people developing the tools, systems, and workflows that make your workday a little less painful. They’re the ones behind the software you’ve been quietly grateful for this year.

Nominations for next year’s awards open in July, so if you know someone doing exceptional work in the profession, start thinking about that now.

It’s a good reminder that accounting isn’t just a compliance function. The people in this industry are building real things and changing how the profession operates.

What CFOs Are Prioritizing in 2026

For a wider view of where finance is heading, the Journal of Accountancy published insights from a Deloitte survey of 200 CFOs — all from companies with at least $1 billion in annual revenue.

CFO confidence is at a 6.6 out of 10, which is actually the highest it’s been in four years. Not exactly euphoric, but the trend is moving in the right direction.

So where are these finance chiefs putting their energy?

AI is the clear top priority. 87% of CFOs say AI will be very important to their finance departments in 2026 and beyond. That means integrating AI agents, automating financial processes, and building out the tech infrastructure to support it all.

After AI, the focus shifts to cash management and freeing up employees from lower-value tasks so they can focus on work that actually moves the needle. The theme is consistent whether you’re running a small firm or a billion-dollar company: less time on repetitive work, more time on judgment calls.

Two-thirds of CFOs also said they’re actively interested in mergers and acquisitions this year—building more resilient organizations in an uncertain market. When the environment is unpredictable, scale starts to look attractive.

The Takeaway

Three threads are running through accounting right now: clients are using AI in ways that will affect the work you receive, the profession is producing real talent worth recognizing, and the finance leaders at the top are doubling down on technology and efficiency.

None of that is slowing down. The firms that come out ahead will be the ones paying attention to these shifts—and building the systems to handle what comes next.