In the News: July 17, 2026

This week’s headlines show how much is changing across the accounting profession. New technology, regulatory updates, and shifting client expectations are all shaping how practices operate and serve clients. Staying current can help practices make more informed decisions about their teams, services, and day-to-day work.

What’s happening at Woodard

Intuit ProPartner Marks a New Era for QuickBooks Professionals (The Woodard Report)

Intuit plans to replace the ProAdvisor Program with Intuit ProPartner Accountants in early 2027. Heather Satterley looks at the new practice-based tiers, benefits, certifications, and revenue opportunities, along with what the change could mean for solo professionals and smaller accounting practices. Read more...

Stronger Email Security for Accounting Firms (The Woodard Report)

Dax Wiseman explains how SPF, DKIM, and DMARC work together to help prevent criminals from sending emails that appear to come from an accounting practice. The article also offers practical guidance for checking domain settings and working with an IT provider to address gaps. Read more...

From Compliance to Capacity: Building an AI-Enabled Accounting Firm (The Woodard Report)

In this week’s The Woodard Report Podcast, Joe Woodard sits down with Jan Haugo of SmartAccountant.AI to discuss what AI adoption looks like inside an accounting practice. Their conversation covers workflows, security, training, advisory capacity, and the role practice owners play in moving AI use beyond individual experimentation. Read more...

Webinar: The Lean Firm Mindset (Woodard)

Woodard’s upcoming webinar will look at how practices can make better use of the tools, systems, team members, and time they already have. The session is scheduled for Thursday, July 30, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Eastern and will help attendees identify underused resources and decide when outside support or a new tool may be needed. Register here...

IRS and regulatory updates

IRS Raises Standard Mileage Rates for Remainder of 2026 (Journal of Accountancy)

The IRS increased the optional standard mileage rate for business use to 76 cents per mile for the remainder of 2026, up from 72.5 cents. The medical and moving rate increased to 23.5 cents per mile, while the charitable rate remains 14 cents per mile. The revised rates took effect July 1. Read more...

Tax-Exempt Central Organizations Get New IRS Form (Accounting Today)

Central organizations with subordinate organizations under a group exemption will generally use new Form 15644 to provide annual Supplemental Group Ruling Information. The form can also be used to add or remove subordinate organizations, update IRS records, or terminate a group exemption. Read more...

SEC Eyes E-Delivery as the Default Over Paper (Journal of Accountancy)

The Securities and Exchange Commission proposed making electronic delivery the default for certain investor materials required under federal securities laws. Recipients moving from paper delivery would receive notices explaining the transition and how to opt out. Read more...

Technology updates

Expensify Launches Consolidated Travel Billing to Simplify How Companies Pay for Business Travel (CPA Practice Advisor)

Expensify introduced consolidated travel billing for U.S. customers using Expensify Travel. Businesses can place flights, hotels, rental cars, and rail bookings on one monthly bill, giving finance teams centralized visibility without requiring every traveler to use a corporate card or submit reimbursements. Read more...

Firm360 Introduces AutoPrep (CPA Practice Advisor)

Firm360 announced AutoPrep, a tax preparation automation feature powered by Juno. The tool extracts and verifies information from more than 100 document types, creates review-ready workpapers, identifies mismatches, and sends verified data to several major tax software platforms. Read more...

Canopy Launches Comprehensive Tax Workflow Automation (CPA Practice Advisor)

Canopy launched an AI-powered system that supports the tax engagement process from document collection through return delivery. Its Smart Intake, Smart Prep, and Smart Delivery modules are designed to reduce manual handoffs while keeping AI-generated output visible and editable before it reaches the client. Read more...

Acumatica Acquires Vertrax to Expand Vertical ERP Capabilities (Insightful Accountant)

Acumatica acquired Vertrax, a longtime partner that provides cloud enterprise resource planning solutions for the fuel and energy distribution industry. Vertrax will continue operating under its existing brand while adding specialized capabilities for fuel marketers, propane distributors, lubricant businesses, and convenience retailers. Read more...

Taken together, these updates show how accounting practices are balancing new technology with changes in tax, reporting, and client service. Automation is becoming more connected across travel, tax, and practice workflows, while regulatory changes continue to affect the advice and support clients may need. Staying informed gives practices a better foundation for deciding what deserves attention and what may be useful in their own work.

This article was written with the assistance of AI and edited by a human.