The CPA Horizons 2025 report has sparked debate among accounting bloggers. It started here, and was picked up by Ron Baker at the Versage Institute. A young CPA named Barrett weighed in with a unique perspective. His comments are below.

Barrett
I hesitate to speak, given the level of IC already present in the comments here. So I approach cautiously, like a very nervous mouse in a room full of tigers…

Having participated in the 2025 project, I am a bit disappointed in the results. There has been a lot of discussion already here about the what (tax returns vs. consulting) and the how (technology), but where is the reflection on the why and the who? “Making sense of a changing and complex world?” To quote a friend’s blog post (which I will take responsibility for), your vision statement sucks. Palm readers have the same vision statement. So do musicians, and pastors, and every human being alive in this changing and complex world.

Why does someone NEED a CPA? What value proposition – what unique perspective – at looking at this world can only a CPA bring? Why isn’t our WHY reflective of something more proactive and forward looking than “making sense”? Why isn’t it “molding” or “directing” or “facilitating” or “policing” or “attesting”.

And lastly, the who. I am a Gen Y (shocker, right?) and 9 out of 10 of my ideas I contributed were a plea for help, for CPAs with experience to step up and mentor and teach me how to build trust and how to actually perform when my mouth gets me into tight spots. But not one recommendation (other than perhaps “lifelong learning”?) regarding recruiting/attracting/mentoring/guiding/inspiring a new wave of CPAs made it into the report. So really, all we’re told going into college is what the colleges tell us: Go into accounting! It’s one of the top-ten job guaranteeing degrees in the US. Then, when we get there, we’re drawn to the Big 4 and the cities, because since we came in for the money, we better go where the money is.

Where are the senior CPAs showing the new guys what the profession is about, that we’re more than payables, receivables, and audit trails? More than IRS notices, and state decoupling modifications, and timesheets? Trusted advisor – and the actual lives changed that go with that – is a title earned by blood, sweat, and tears (and caffeine). But a guiding hand from just ONE CPA in my first six years like I’ve received in the past year (From Tom & the MACPA, and the gang over at THRIVEal.com) sure would have saved me a lot of sleepless nights feeling all alone in a profession, having no one to talk through my issues. I am still in the profession (and thanks to this past year, have no intention of leaving ever), but not everyone has Tom as their Executive Director, and I just barely lucked into finding Thriveal. Again, I’m out of my league here and will regret this comment in the morning, but it’s hard to place much confidence in CPA Horizons 2025 when all I’ve known are CPAs that don’t plan to be in the business much longer than that.

Richard Muscio’s Response
BARRETT- I’ll give you a quote from Walt Whitman: “But where is what I started for so long ago? And why is it yet unfounded?” I am glad that you are finding something meaningful from the profession at last, and my advice to anyone in the profession who is asking the same questions as Walt Whitman is this: ask your customers what they want, then figure out a way to deliver.

JOEY- I agree that technology is but a part of innovation, I believe what customers want is access to knowledge and a vibrant network, with total transparency.

Please see separate blog between Mark Koziel of the AICPA and me on the 2025 report on this website, wherein I make the point that if CPAs cannot make a meaningful and positive difference in customers’ lives, then irrelevancy of the profession is the logical and unfortunate result.

Bill Tsotso’s Response
Young CPA candidates should be armed with the right questions to ask when they are being recruited. Among them: what % of annual revenue is invested in staff development, does the firm have a succession plan in place and a clear path to partnership, does your firm have a mentoring program, has your firm embraced social media, how do you answer the question “why should I do business with your firm”, what is the firm’s mission statement, how frequently do you contact your clients, do you survey client opinions of your service and finally, do you really understand your client and his/her business? The young person that asks these questions will be offered a position – the responses he/she hears will determine whether or not to accept.

Richard’s Response
Right on Bill! I also encourage the following questions from the young CPA candidate: What is the power of the story behind your firm? What is your firm’s reason for being? How does this differentiate your firm in the marketplace?
In what specific ways is your firm active in making its community a better place?