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Dec. 1-3, 2026 | TaxCon

Agenda

TaxCon helps you make sense of today's technology landscape so you can make informed decisions for your firm.

Tuesday, Dec. 1

10:00 AM - 10:15 AM

Welcome

Tax professionals have always adapted as the tools changed. TaxCon opens with a clear look at where the profession stands now, how this event will help you keep what works and rethink what slows you down.

10:20 AM - 11:10 AM
  • Awareness

Voices from the Profession

Tax professionals are not all approaching technology the same way. This candid panel brings practitioner perspectives to the conversation, helping you understand how peers are weighing new tools against the realities of tax practice.

Jared Foos, EA
Jared Foos, EA
Sarah York, EA
Sarah York, EA
Josh Youngblood, EA, CTRS, CRETS, NTPI
Josh Youngblood, EA, CTRS, CRETS, USTCP
Misty Erickson, MBA
Misty Erickson, MBA Moderator
11:20 AM - 12:10 PM
  • Awareness

The Reality of AI in a Tax Practice

AI tools are showing up across tax practices, but not every claim deserves your trust. Learn how to evaluate AI with professional judgment and client service in mind.

Shannon Hall, EA
Shannon Hall, EA
12:30 PM - 1:20 PM
  • Awareness

Judgment & Ethics in a Technology-Assisted Practice

Professional judgment doesn't get outsourced to technology. This session helps tax professionals understand where human review remains essential under Circular 230 and other professional standards.

Jared Foos, EA
Jared Foos, EA
1:30 PM - 2:20 PM
  • Awareness

Preparing for a More Automated IRS

IRS technology is changing more than internal operations. Learn how digital tools, automation and the development of AI use may affect the way tax professionals interact with the agency and support clients.

JimButtonow_100x100
Jim Buttonow, CPA, CITP, AATPR
2:30 PM - 3:20 PM
  • Awareness

The Infrastructure Behind Responsible Technology Adoption

Before tax firms add more technology, their security foundation has to hold up. This session connects WISP and practical safeguards to AI-assisted workflows, helping you protect taxpayer information and keep the practice running.

Jatin Narang
Jatin Narang

Wednesday, Dec. 2

10:00 AM - 10:50 AM
  • Application

Leveling Up the Review Process by Leveraging Technology

AI may help with the work, but you still need to review the return. This session gives tax professionals a practical framework for reviewing returns, documenting key decisions and reducing preparer penalty exposure.

Nicole DeRosa, CPA, MAcc
Nicole DeRosa, CPA, MAcc
11:00 AM - 11:50 AM
  • Application

Finding Tax Planning Opportunities Beyond the W-2

Look beyond wages and withholding to find planning opportunities in payroll records. This session helps tax professionals connect payroll details to broader tax planning.

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Tom O'Saben, EA, Ed. M
12:00 PM - 12:50 PM
  • Application

Protecting Taxpayer Information Under Section 7216

Before client data goes into a tool, tax professionals need to understand the privacy rules that apply. This session focuses on Section 7216 and how it affects using taxpayer information in technology-assisted workflows.

Josh Youngblood, EA, CTRS, CRETS, NTPI
Josh Youngblood, EA, CTRS, CRETS, USTCP
1:20 PM - 2:10 PM
  • Application

Training Your Team for Responsible Technology Use

AI tools can support tax work, but your team still needs clear expectations before using them. This session helps firms prepare staff to review AI-assisted work with consistency and practitioner oversight.

Rachel Farris, CPA, MBA
Rachel Farris, CPA, MBA
2:20 PM - 3:10 PM
  • Application

Turn Every Return into a Tax Planning Opportunity

A completed tax return can reveal more than what happened last year. This session helps tax professionals spot planning opportunities and turn return review into more valuable client conversations.

Shannon Hall, EA
Shannon Hall, EA
3:20 PM - 4:20 PM
  • Application

Build Service Lines Beyond the Tax Return

Hear from tax professionals who have expanded their services and learn how to evaluate which opportunities may make sense for your own firm and practical next steps.

Genaro Cardaropoli, CPA, MPA
Genaro Cardaropoli, CPA, MPA
Ray Fox, CPA, MST
Ray Fox, CPA, MST
Josh Youngblood, EA, CTRS, CRETS, NTPI
Josh Youngblood, EA, CTRS, CRETS, USTCP
Misty Erickson, MBA
Misty Erickson, MBA Moderator

Thursday, Dec. 3

10:00 AM - 10:50 AM
  • Action

Map Your Workflow Before Choosing Technology

Technology decisions get easier when you understand the work behind them. This session gives you a practical way to evaluate tools based on your firm’s workflow.

Ray Fox, CPA, MST
Ray Fox, CPA, MST
11:00 AM - 2:20 PM
  • Action

Explore Solutions

Confirmed solution sessions and demos are listed below. Final times will be added as the schedule is finalized.

Cut Prep Time, Not Accuracy: See Expert AI Transform the Tax Workflow

Presented by:

Join us for an exclusive first look at the powerful new AI-driven workflow enhancements coming to TaxWise for 2026. See firsthand how Expert AI functions as a trusted digital tax assistant, helping sole practitioners and growing firms overcome staffing challenges, reduce repetitive manual work, and increase overall productivity.

Whether you're looking to process more returns, streamline operations, or free up valuable time for client service, these innovative enhancements are designed to help your business work smarter throughout the tax season.

One Connected Tax Prep Workflow, Every Stage

Presented by:

You already know the real bottleneck isn't tax prep itself. It's everything disconnected around it: chasing documents, re-entering data, and stitching together tools that were never built to talk to each other.

Join SmartVault for a live, end to end walkthrough of how SmartVault brings your entire tax workflow into one connected system: Engage, Collect, Prep & Review, Deliver, and Archive, so nothing falls through the cracks between client intake and final delivery.

Whether you're buried in busy season chaos or just tired of your tools not working together, this session will show you exactly how to get hours back and finally run tax season as one connected process instead of five disconnected ones.

Automate Client Intake with AI

Presented by:

Client intake is one of the most time-consuming parts of tax season - but it doesn't have to be. Join this live demo to see how StanfordTax uses AI to automate organizers, document collection, questionnaires, and client follow-up, helping firms save time while delivering a better client experience.

AI-Assisted Tax Work

Presented by:

A look at how AI is actually showing up in tax practice right now: grounded, citation-backed research across federal and state authority, and intelligence that reads client documents and flags what's worth a second look. Live demo, real tax questions, and a clear line drawn around what the technology does and what stays the practitioner's call.

Keep what works. Rethink what slows you down.