The Wednesday Accrual: October 22, 2025

Accountants Gone Wild

Shutdown Cripples IRS Operations as Workforce Drops 30,000

The government shutdown reduced the IRS workforce from 103,000 to 74,000, causing major delays and straining the Taxpayer Advocacy Service after significant employee losses. Federal courts are also nearing their funding limits, focusing only on essential criminal cases instead. 

Experts noted IRS reforms, including removing the “willfulness” checkbox and narrowing John Doe summonses. Practitioners are urged to stay proactive by maintaining contacts, using FOIA requests, meeting their deadlines, and speaking out to address other systemic issues present. 

Source: Thomson Reuters

Cool Accounting Facts!

DYK how “cooking the books” sounds like dinner gone wrong? 🍳

“Cooking the books” dates back to 17th-century London, which means to falsify. One of the earliest references popped up in 1636, when the Earl of Strafford complained that financial evidence had been “cook’d since.”

Now, imagine candlelit ledgers, ink-stained clerks, and fraudsters “seasoning” the numbers just right to make everything look better than what they are. 

So, the next time someone mentions “cooking the books,” just smile — that phrase has been simmering for almost 400 years, mostly in British empires.

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Numbers Don’t Lie

AICPA’s Budgeting Secrets for Shutdown-Affected Employees

The AICPA informs to prioritize essentials, review budgets, and seek unemployment or temporary cash flow options. Dan Snyder, CPA/PFS, stresses communication with creditors and careful use of financial resources to stay afloat during hardships.

Experts recommend building an emergency fund covering three to six months of expenses, maintain a monthly budget, avoid high-interest debt, network early and plan proactively, and transform financial uncertainty into an opportunity for better stability.

Source: CPA Practice Advisor

Twitter Showdown

“How much did it cost?”

Accountant 1: Good news! I finally balanced my books!

Accountant 2: Nice! How long did it take you to finish?

Accountant 1: Three breakdowns and nine coffee refills.

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