Tax Season Now 52% Financial Target

Thursday, November 13, 2025

Hey, Accounting Pros!

Welcome back to AI Accounting Daily, your #1 source for AI news in accounting.

Today, we’ve got the IRS warning that AI‑fueled phishing and fake W‑2s are primed to hit the 2026 season, firms locking down with MFA and out‑of‑band checks as deepfakes mimic client voices, a lawsuit claiming Google’s Gemini quietly scanned Gmail, Chat, and Meet by default, and OpenAI pushing back on a demand to hand over 20 million ChatGPT logs. We’ll unpack what these moves mean for your controls, client communications, and data retention so you can stay a step ahead.

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Latest in Accounting AI

IRS Warns Of AI-Driven Tax Scams

AI is reshaping 2026 tax-season risk. Microsoft says 52% of cyber incidents are financially motivated versus 4% espionage, as models speed malware and lifelike phishing. Intake workflows, W-2s, and e-file notices now mimic clients, pushing firms from reactive to proactive controls while attackers iterate.

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Microsoft Ends Windows 10 Support Pushing Upgrades

QuickBooks choices are shifting, as firms weigh QBO’s automation against Desktop’s control to speed reconciliations. Windows 10 support ended Oct. 14, 2025, with paid ESUs through 2028, pushing upgrades across month-end close stacks. Xero’s big buy and seven other moves hint at tighter, end-to-end advisory.

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Accounting Firms Add MFA To Thwart Deepfakes

Voice familiarity isn’t a control anymore. John O’Connell notes fraudsters can clone a client with 30–60 seconds of audio and a browser plug-in, making phone approvals for wires or account changes unsafe. Advisory and intake workflows shift to out-of-band checks—how formal will these protocols get?

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3. ElevenLabs Inc - ElevenLabs automates professional voiceovers for firm training, marketing, and client explainers so accountants educate clients faster and build consistent brand authority.

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Updates in AI

Google Faces Suit Over Gemini Eavesdropping

Google’s latest privacy fight centers on defaults. A proposed class action filed Tuesday in San Jose claims Gemini was switched on by default in October across Gmail, Chat, and Meet, quietly scanning messages and attachments. Plaintiffs cite California’s 1967 Invasion of Privacy Act and the “entire recorded history” of communications. Google pitched Gemini as opt-in, but the case may redraw consent norms for AI in productivity tools.

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OpenAI Challenges 20M Chat Logs Order

Privacy is colliding with discovery: OpenAI asked a federal judge to undo an order forcing it to turn over 20 million full ChatGPT conversations to the New York Times and other publishers. It says more than 99.99% are irrelevant and include entire multi-turn logs, while plaintiffs initially sought 120 million. The ruling could reset how user data enters AI lawsuits—and reshape retention policies next.

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Google Faces Wiretap Suit Over Gemini

Google faces a federal lawsuit alleging it secretly activated Gemini in Gmail, Chat, and Meet, allowing AI to scan emails, messages, attachments, and call data by default. Plaintiffs cite California’s wiretap law and accuse “surreptitious recording,” noting the opt-out is buried in settings. If courts treat assistant features as intercepts, enterprise rollouts may shift from quiet defaults to explicit consent — and force redesigns around private data.

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Prompt Ideas

Draft Outreach Emails for Strategic Partnerships

**Role:** You are a **business development manager** at an accounting firm crafting outreach emails to potential partners. **Action:** Write an **outreach email** proposing a **[INSERT PARTNERSHIP TYPE]** with **[INSERT COMPANY OR ORGANIZATION]**. **Context:** - Audience: business owners or executives at potential partner organizations - Goal: start a conversation about collaboration, referral partnerships, or co-marketing - Tone: professional, warm, and persuasive - Style: concise outreach email (1–2 short paragraphs) - Variables: - **Partnership Type:** [Referral / Event Collaboration / Co-Branded Content] - **Recipient Company:** [INSERT COMPANY NAME] - **Firm Name:** [INSERT COMPANY NAME] - Structure: 1. Friendly introduction and purpose 2. Shared audience or alignment 3. Quick outline of mutual benefits 4. Invite to connect or schedule a quick call - Output Length: **125–175 words**