Professional Development & Education - Recent Threads

Building an emotional toolkit for CPAs: Why soft skills are actually technical skills

Nageshwaran Gopal — Mon, 11 May 2026 16:29:23 GMT

When 90% of client financial decisions are driven by emotion, your ability to manage those moments is the difference between losing clients and building lasting advisory relationships.

Highlights

Emotional intelligence is a strategic skill for CPAs to manage client emotions and build trust.
Six practical tools help CPAs navigate difficult tax conversations with calm, clarity, and documentation.
AI technology creates capacity for CPAs to develop emotional skills and advisory growth.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

The psychology of change: Mastering the art of adaptability

Nageshwaran Gopal — Mon, 11 May 2026 16:24:55 GMT

By the end of this webcast, you should be able to:

Identify the common barriers to change and how to overcome them with proven techniques.
Apply change management principles to your firm's culture, processes, and systems.
Recognize the signs of change resistance and how to address them constructively.
Enhance your communication skills to foster trust and collaboration among your clients and team members.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

AI-era audit competency framework: Building future-ready auditors

Nageshwaran Gopal — Mon, 11 May 2026 16:06:15 GMT

What you'll learn:

The five-competency framework that transforms auditors from compliance verifiers into AI-enabled strategic advisors who deliver measurable audit quality improvements
Experience-level milestones with specific proficiency indicators for staff, senior, manager, and partner levels so you know exactly what "AI-ready" means at each career stage
Implementation roadmap with four phases spanning assessment, design, launch, and measurement to move from consideration to effective execution without bandwidth constraints
ROI validation showing how systematic competency development reduces deficiency rates, accelerates fieldwork, improves retention, and enhances client value through deeper insights
Self-assessment tool to evaluate your firm's current AI readiness across all five competencies and identify your highest-priority development areas

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

How CPA firms can master an AI-powered growth mindset

Nageshwaran Gopal — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 13:18:52 GMT

CPA firm leaders know the challenge isn't just getting through the work; it's creating the capacity to focus on what drives long-term value. When deadlines, client requests, and compliance demands consume the day, strategic priorities like advisory growth, team development, and process improvement often get pushed aside.

This white paper explores how firms can take a more intentional approach to capacity by combining AI, workflow improvements, and continuous learning to reduce friction and unlock higher-value opportunities.

Key takeaways include how to:

Create more capacity by reducing low-value, repetitive work
Use AI to improve efficiency and support professional judgment
Build a culture of learning, adaptability, and continuous improvement
Reduce technostress and help teams navigate change with confidence
Turn freed-up time into stronger advisory services and deeper client relationships

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

How to create an effective AI prompt for tax and accounting professionals

Nageshwaran Gopal — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:22:06 GMT

Master the CREATE framework; a six-step prompting system that transforms vague AI interactions into precise, professional outputs tailored specifically for tax and accounting workflows.

Highlights

The CREATE framework helps tax and accounting professionals craft precise, effective AI prompts for better results.
Each CREATE element—Character, Request, Examples, Adjustments, Type of output, Extras—ensures clarity and tailored outputs.
Common prompting mistakes can be avoided by specifying context, detail, and output format for AI interactions.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

Point solution vs. end-to-end agentic AI: A tax firm buyer’s guide

Nageshwaran Gopal — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:21:14 GMT

Highlights

Tax firms face a critical choice between adopting isolated AI point solutions or investing in integrated end-to-end platforms.
Point solutions offer quick wins but create long-term inefficiencies, while unified platforms streamline workflows and enhance compliance.
Strategic evaluation of firm size, growth, and security needs is essential for maximizing AI ROI in tax practices.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

XBRL Cuts AI Errors in Reading Company Filings, Study Finds

Nageshwaran Gopal — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 15:09:11 GMT

AI makes far fewer mistakes reading company filings when the information is provided in XBRL — a wonky reporting format that may suddenly look a lot more valuable.

A recent academic study found artificial intelligence is far better at pulling numbers from annual reports when filing data is provided in XBRL, a structured digital format, rather than plain text or HTML — a finding that could give fresh ammunition to supporters of stricter structured-data reporting.

Researchers who reviewed 5,000 annual reports from 2014 through 2023 found AI’s overall error rate fell to 9.19% when it worked from XBRL context, compared with 15.75% for HTML and 18.24% for plain text.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

A guide to global e-invoicing for ONESOURCE customers

Nageshwaran Gopal — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:57:19 GMT

ONESOURCE Pagero integrates directly with your Determination and Indirect Tax Compliance solutions, creating one unified compliance ecosystem without ERP disruption.

Download this guide to discover:

How to achieve 50 to 60% cost reductions versus standalone e-invoicing vendors
Why one vendor managing your tax rules and e-invoicing eliminates dual maintenance
How to create a seamless audit trail from transaction to return filing
Ways to reduce month-end close times from days to hours
How your existing Thomson Reuters relationship future-proofs EU ViDA compliance

Turn compliance into competitive advantage. While others struggle with costly integrations and regulatory changes, you gain operational speed, reduced risk, and budget savings that fuel growth.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

What Are Our Company’s Obligations to a Former Employee Receiving COBRA Coverage Who Has Been Called to Active Duty in the Uniformed Services?

Nageshwaran Gopal — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 11:34:35 GMT

QUESTION: A former employee who left our company a year ago has been receiving COBRA coverage under our major medical plan. He has been called to active duty in the uniformed services. We understand that USERRA imposes continuation requirements on health plans, and that active-duty members of the uniformed services are automatically covered under the military’s health care program (TRICARE). Does USERRA give our former employee any continuation rights under our plan? And can we terminate his COBRA coverage when he becomes covered under TRICARE?

ANSWER: You are correct that USERRA requires health plans to offer continuation coverage under certain circumstances. Specifically, USERRA gives continuation rights to employees who—

have health plan coverage in connection with their employment; and
are absent from employment for service in the uniformed services.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

Elevating audit and advisory work with CoCounsel Tax & Audit

Nageshwaran Gopal — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 11:28:00 GMT

Executive summary

The team at Harris, Hardy & Johnstone adopted CoCounsel Tax and Audit from Thomson Reuters to relieve time pressure on its audit and tax teams, increase confidence in answers, and elevate client service. After due diligence and peer references, the firm adopted Thomson Reuters CoCounsel Tax & Audit and tasked auditors and managers to use it for board minutes, leases, contracts, and day‑to‑day research. Early results show meaningful time savings — summarizing lengthy documents in minutes and validating technical answers quickly — alongside higher‑quality workpapers and faster client support. Within six weeks, the team captured new business by using CoCounsel to pinpoint anomalies in a prospect's financials and translate those findings into clear, defensible insights. Going forward, the firm expects continued gains in consistency, confidence, and client satisfaction by embedding CoCounsel across audit and tax workflows.

Key results:

Board minute and contract reviews cut from about an hour to five minutes, enabling auditors to move faster on core procedures
Spot-checks and research validations completed in one minute versus 15 to 30 minutes using prior methods, speeding confident client responses
New client won by analyzing a working trial balance in minutes and surfacing mispostings that demonstrated immediate advisory value

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

Weekly AI workflows: How 86% of tax professionals are integrating AI into daily operations

Nageshwaran Gopal — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 15:51:18 GMT

AI adoption in tax is accelerating—learn what top firms are doing differently and how to apply it to your practice.

Highlights

86% of tax professionals using generative AI now integrate it into weekly workflows, driving sustainable productivity gains.
AI-powered tools are transforming tax research, document summarization, and return preparation across U.S. tax firms.
Early AI adopters gain a competitive edge, with structured integration strategies essential for future-ready tax practices.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

IDC MarketScape: Thomson Reuters is a Leader

Nageshwaran Gopal — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 15:48:44 GMT

Thomson Reuters is positioned as a Leader in Worldwide Global Trade Management for Retailers and Importers, and Management Applications for Manufacturers and Exporters

Global trade is more complex than ever. Tariffs shift overnight, regulations change by the hour, and supply chain disruptions threaten operational continuity. This independent IDC MarketScape assessment provides insight into today’s evolving landscape, including why Thomson Reuters is positioned as a Leader.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

How tax determination tools are redefining career paths

Nageshwaran Gopal — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 15:43:29 GMT

Discover how AI-driven tax determination is transforming indirect tax from a back-office burden into a strategic advantage. This special report explores how Thomson Reuters ONESOURCE Determination with CoCounsel automates complex, high-volume calculations so tax professionals can focus on higher-value work and career growth.

Key takeaways:

See how AI reduces manual workload by 40% to 60% and boosts calculation accuracy to more than 99%.
Learn how roles like tax analysts, operations managers, IT specialists, and senior advisors are evolving into more strategic and advisory positions.
Understand the human-AI partnership model — what the AI handles versus where human judgment is essential.
Explore how integrated systems, real-time analytics, and anomaly detection improve compliance, audit readiness, and scalability.
Get guiding questions tax leaders should ask to plan an AI-enabled transformation of their tax function.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

More than a research tool: How CoCounsel Tax empowers junior colleagues

Nageshwaran Gopal — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 15:07:14 GMT

With tariffs and regulations accelerating, companies are turning to intelligent classification and ESG-aligned supplier data to stay ahead.

Highlights

CoCounsel Tax transforms junior tax staff into independent analysts handling complex scenarios.
Research time reduced from 2 hours to 30 minutes with 75-85% efficiency gains.
Under-resourced departments spend 44% of budgets on external support versus 37% for resourced teams.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

How to choose the best AI tax research tool

Nageshwaran Gopal — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 14:30:41 GMT

Highlights

AI tax research tools help teams move from questions to defensible conclusions faster with better citations.
Key tool evaluation criteria includes tax content coverage, data security, ease of use, and ROI.
Leading tools like CoCounsel Tax, Blue J, and TaxGPT offer different strengths for firm needs.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

Demystifying AI for tax: Understanding generative, agentic, and beyond

Nageshwaran Gopal — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 14:23:54 GMT

Download to discover:

The key differences between traditional, generative, and agentic AI, and when to use each
Practical examples of how tax and accounting firms are applying AI today
A simple framework for aligning AI capabilities to your firm’s real workflow challenges
How to evaluate risk, oversight, and accountability in AI driven processes
Five essential considerations to ensure responsible, high-impact AI adoption
Why trust, data readiness, and intentional implementation are critical to long term success

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

Stop budgeting like it’s 2019: The case for putting your accounting firm budget toward technology

Nageshwaran Gopal — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 14:49:43 GMT

New survey data shows why technology investment is becoming the foundation of sustainable firm growth.

Highlights

Accounting firm budgets are shifting toward technology as staffing shortages intensify.
Larger firms are pulling ahead by investing heavily in AI initiatives.
Modern tax automation unlocks the bandwidth for higher‑value advisory services

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

NHS drives e-invoicing efficiency with ONESOURCE Pagero and Oracle Cloud ERP

Nageshwaran Gopal — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 14:33:59 GMT

Discover how the UK's NHS streamlined e-invoicing and strengthened supplier collaboration through this integration—delivering measurable results and a practical roadmap for others.

Highlights

The UK's National Health Service (NHS) streamlined its processing of hundreds of thousands of annual invoices by adopting the ONESOURCE Pagero integration.
The integration provides real-time visibility into invoice status and errors, enabling faster resolution and improved supplier collaboration.
ONESOURCE Pagero enhances data quality and reporting while evolving with Oracle updates—giving the NHS insights to make smarter decisions and cut costs.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

SEC Approves PCAOB’s 2026 Budget With Major Cuts to Spending, Board Member Pay

Nageshwaran Gopal — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 14:33:04 GMT

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on January 22, 2026, approved the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s (PCAOB) 2026 budget and the related accounting support fee, instituting significant reductions in overall spending and board member compensation as part of a renewed emphasis on fiscal discipline and regulatory oversight.

The PCAOB’s 2026 budget totals $362.1 million, representing a 9.4% decrease—or $37.6 million less—than the prior year. The related accounting support fee is set at $306.0 million, down 18.4% from last year. Of this amount, $280.3 million will be assessed on public company issuers, while $25.7 million will be assessed on brokers and dealers.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

Why Should Our Company Offer Adoption Assistance Benefits When the Code Already Provides a Tax Credit?

Nageshwaran Gopal — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 14:06:37 GMT

QUESTION: An employee has asked us to consider adding an adoption assistance benefit. There is also a tax credit for adoption expenses, so, as a small company with a tight benefits budget, would it make sense for us to offer an adoption assistance plan of our own?

ANSWER: The Code does have a generous tax credit for qualified adoption expenses. For 2026, the maximum credit is $17,670 per child—the same as the maximum nontaxable reimbursement by an employer’s qualified adoption assistance program—and a portion of the tax credit is refundable (up to $5,120 in 2026). If an employer has an adoption assistance benefit, employees can choose whether to take the federal tax credit for a qualified expense or submit that expense to the employer-provided program for reimbursement.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

Updated HRSA Guidelines Expand Preventive Health Services Mandate for Cervical Cancer Screening

Nageshwaran Gopal — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 13:42:20 GMT

The HHS Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has issued updated women’s preventive services guidelines that were approved on December 29, 2025. As a reminder, non-grandfathered group health plans and insurers must cover without cost-sharing certain preventive services specified by HRSA, the United State Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), and the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Recommendations and guidelines are updated periodically, and non-grandfathered health plans generally must cover newly recommended services in plan years beginning on or after the date that is one year after the guideline is approved.

The updated HRSA guidelines add the following to the list of health services that must be covered without cost-sharing for plan years beginning on or after December 29, 2026:

Self-collected cervical cancer screening for women aged 30 to 65 years with average risk.
Additional testing if necessary to complete the screening process for malignancies (e.g., cytology, biopsy, colposcopy, extended genotyping, and dual stain).

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

How AI-powered anomaly detection catches indirect tax errors

Nageshwaran Gopal — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 19:26:38 GMT

Risk management just got easier for tax professionals

Highlights

AI-powered anomaly detection provides real-time alerts for indirect tax compliance errors
Automated systems reduce manual tax review workload and error rates below 1%
Thomson Reuters ONESOURCE transforms tax professionals from troubleshooters to strategic advisors

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

How to build a modern AI tax research strategy: A small-sized firm’s checklist

Nageshwaran Gopal — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 18:42:51 GMT

Cut your tax research time without sacrificing accuracy by leveraging AI that's built specifically for small tax and accounting firms.

Highlights

Small tax firms need AI research strategies designed specifically for their profession and tight margins.
Five-step checklist helps evaluate AI tools for tax accuracy, integration, and regulatory compliance.
Tax-specific AI built on authoritative sources reduces validation time and improves client service.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

Protecting Digital Fortunes – Planning for a Digital Asset Legacy

Nageshwaran Gopal — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 19:41:32 GMT

The rise of digital assets like cryptocurrencies and Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) is profoundly altering how clients manage their finances. As trusted advisors, you’re already addressing the tax implications of these innovative assets. However, an equally vital, yet often overlooked, question arises: what happens to these digital assets if access is lost or if unforeseen circumstances prevent their smooth transfer?

The financial news is full of stories about substantial digital asset fortunes that have become inaccessible due to poor planning, leaving millions of dollars essentially stranded in the digital realm. This presents both a unique challenge and a significant opportunity for tax professionals. By helping clients establish a thorough digital asset legacy, you provide more than just tax compliance; you offer invaluable peace of mind. Empower your clients to control their digital investments, ensuring secure transfer to beneficiaries and strengthening long-term financial security.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

Harnessing AI to transform your audit during peak season

Nageshwaran Gopal — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 19:29:37 GMT

Are you spending more than half your time on manual and repetitive audit tasks? This on-demand webinar shows audit professionals how to harness AI to boost efficiency, increase precision, and reduce risk during peak audit season.

Watch now to discover how AI-powered solutions can transform your audit workflow and help you thrive during the busiest periods.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.