Accounting for the U.S. Iran War
The Accounting Podcast
Tariff refunds and small business burdens
Blake and David explain that small importers paid $55B in tariffs and struggle to pursue refunds due to legal costs.
What do tariffs, war, AI agents, and a collapsed accounting startup have in common? This week, Blake and David connect the dots between rising economic pressure and rapid tech change. They break down the lopsided cost of drone warfare, small businesses getting crushed by tariffs, AI tools handling tax and bookkeeping tasks, and new details on Botkeeper’s collapse. You’ll hear what these shifts could mean for accountants, firms, and the future of the profession.
Sponsors
UNC - http://accountingpodcast.promo/unc
OnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpay
Cloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/cas
Chapters
- (01:27) - Sponsor Break UNC
- (02:46) - War Costs and Drones
- (08:58) - GPT 5.4 for Accountants
- (11:13) - AI Agent Files City Tax
- (15:23) - Claude Skill for Tax Prep
- (17:11) - Sponsor Break OnPay
- (18:55) - Gemini Makes Theme Music
- (22:33) - Uber CEO AI Clone
- (24:22) - Botkeeper Collapse Follow Up
- (31:13) - QuickBooks Integration Doubts
- (31:53) - Cloud Accountant Staffing Spot
- (32:59) - KPMG Earnings Leak Theory
- (37:23) - Zapier AI Guardrails
- (39:43) - 401k Hardship Withdrawals Rise
- (43:02) - Tariff Refunds and AI Lawsuits
- (46:27) - Trump v Trump IRS Lawsuit
- (48:43) - IRS Union Contract Termination
- (50:01) - Direct File Act Returns
- (51:56) - Meta 16B Tax Fight
- (54:33) - Trump Accounts Auto Enrollment
- (56:13) - Accounting Degrees Loan Limits
- (57:39) - CPE App and Sign Off
Show Notes
Iran's Drones Cost a Fraction of the U.S. Weapons Shooting Them Down
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/04/business/iran-drones-us-weapons-cost.html
Introducing GPT-5.4
https://openai.com/index/introducing-gpt-5-4/
Breaking Up with TurboTax: How I Used Claude to File My Taxes for Free
https://kachess.dev/taxes/ai/personal-finance/2026/02/27/breaking-up-with-turbotax.html
Show HN: Claude Skill to Do Your Taxes
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47277164
Enrico Palmerino Explains Botkeeper's Fall
https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/enrico-palmerino-explains-botkeepers-fall
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi Has an AI Clone
https://www.fastcompany.com/91500087/uber-ceo-dara-khosrowshahi-has-an-ai-clone
KPMG-Audited Companies Are Trading Strangely on Polymarket
https://eventwaves.substack.com/p/kpmg-audited-companies-are-trading
Zapier Updates: AI Guardrails & Governance Controls
https://zapier.com/blog/february-2026-product-updates/
Record Numbers of Workers Are Raiding Their 401(k) Savings
https://www.wsj.com/personal-finance/retirement/401k-hardship-withdrawals-record-vanguard-2025
For Some Small Businesses, a Tariff Refund Isn't Worth the Pain of Pursuing It
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/small-businesses-tariff-refund-isnt-worth-pain-pursuing-it.html
Trump's IRS Lawsuit Offers Lessons on Privacy and Legal Process
Democrats Unveil Bill to Resurrect Direct File
https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/democrats-unveil-bill-to-resurrect-direct-file
I.R.S. Tactics Against Meta Open a New Front in the Corporate Tax Fight
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/24/business/irs-meta-tax-ireland.html
IRS Should Open Trump Accounts for Eligible Children Automatically, AICPA Says
NASBA Urges U.S. Department of Education to Restore "Professional" Status for Accounting Degrees
https://nasba.org/blog/2026/03/05/status-for-accounting-degrees/
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Get in Touch
Thanks for listening and the great reviews! We appreciate you! Follow and tweet @BlakeTOliver and @DavidLeary. Find us on Facebook and Instagram. If you like what you hear, please do us a favor and write a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser. Call us and leave a voicemail; maybe we'll play it on the show. DIAL (202) 695-1040.
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