TB Academy co-founders Twyla Verhelst (head of accountants at Mercury) and Byron Patrick (CEO at VERIFYiQ) led a conversation during the MACPA's monthly town hall meeting on April 23 that focused on tips for elevating accounting through the use of artificial intelligence. If you missed the meeting, here are three key takeaways:

1. You're not late to the AI game

Patrick channeled the AICPA's Tom Hood in saying the accounting and finance profession is on the cusp of broad GenAI adoption. He cited these stats:

• Sixty-two percent of CPAs haven't even considered using GenAI yet.
• Thirty percent are experimenting with the technology.
• Six percent have implemented it in their firms — meaning 94% haven't adopted it professionally.

In short, late-adopting CPAs still have plenty of time to get caught up. "The train hasn't left the building yet," Patrick said.

2. Opportunities galore

What are accountants doing with AI? Verhelst and Patrick offered the following examples:

• Writing client emails with better tone and clarity.
• Automating standard operating procedures, onboarding documents and workflows.
• Summarizing meetings with Otter, Firefly, Zoom.
• Researching tax issues and benchmarking data.
• Drafting marketing content or firm-wide updates.
• Generating financial narratives and insights for clients.

And that just scratches the surface of AI's possibilities in the profession.

3. Prompt communication

The key to building effective AI prompts, Verhelst and Patrick say, is good communication. Some tips:

• Be clear with your intent: What do you want it to do?
• Set the context: What does it need to know?
• Establish constraints: What tone, format, voice, etc., do you want?
• Iteration is critical: Work at refining your prompts to deliver better results.

… and a bonus takeaway

Nick Manis, a member of the MACPA's lobbying team at Manis Canning & Associates, kicked off the meeting with a quick analysis of the Maryland General Assembly's 2025 legislative session. While the session was generally successful for CPAs, Manis offered a word of caution: "The year's not over, and the fight's not over." Manis said there's a strong possibility that legislators will call a special session sometime in autumn and urged CPAs to remain vigilant and ready to respond if needed.

Learn more here

If you'd like to watch the April town hall meeting in its entirety, it will be replayed at 9 a.m. ET on May 9. Get details and register here.

RESOURCES

• Download the slides from the April meeting.
• View the results of our polling questions.
• Watch past town halls (without CPE) at MACPA.org/new-townhalls.
• MACPA's AI Learning Program | AI resource center
  
  

• Learn key AI skills at MACPA Converge 2025: Three MACPA conferences — our Business and Industry Conference, Government and Not-for-Profit Conference, and Government Contractors Conference — converge on April 28 into one all-in-one day of learning, networking, and community. The event will include an AI session titled "Navigating the Future: Insights From the MACPA's AI Program Pilot." Get details and register.
  
  
• AI Foundations: Scheduled for April 29, this dynamic, in-person, half-day experience is specifically crafted for accounting professionals who want to master generative AI with ChatGPT. Get details and register.
  
  
• Give your tax practice an AI boost with Blue J: The MACPA has partnered with Blue J, a GenAI tool that empowers tax professionals to research expertly, draft instantly, and achieve superior client outcomes. Watch a demo and get preferred pricing here.