Accounting Today mourns the loss of our longtime columnist Dom Esposito. In this column, he and consultant Tony Zecca write about the trend of private equity firms investing in CPA firms.

The Top 25 Firm is expanding in its home territory by merging in Brigante, Cameron, Watters & Strong LLP.

Private equity firms are increasing their funding of accounting firms in a pair of deals announced this week, with Lightyear Capital partnering with Schellman & Co., and CVC Capital Partners investing in CFGI.

This is the company’s second doc management acquisition, having bought Doc.It in June.

The Top 15 Firm will add in West Virginia-based Arnett Carbis Toothman in November.

Intuit Inc., the maker of TurboTax and QuickBooks software, agreed to buy privately held email marketing firm Mailchimp for $12 billion in cash and stock, uniting two providers of services for small businesses.

The Top 10 Firm has signed an agreement to add personnel from the California technology firm effective Oct. 1.

Carr, Riggs & Ingram, a Top 25 Firm based in Enterprise, Alabama, has expanded in North Carolina by adding Sharrard, McGee & Co., a firm with offices in High Point and Greensboro.

Pittsburgh-based managed service provider Vertical Solutions will combine operations with HBK IT.

This is the third acquisition Sovos has made this fiscal year.

CBIZ acquired Shea Labagh Dobberstein; Dixon Hughes Goodman integrated Burkhart & Co.; Hawkins Ash CPAs merged in Roberts, Ritschke & Tyczkowski; Meaden & Moore acquired Long Cook & Samsa; and Deloitte added a legal services team.

The Chicago-based firm plans to acquire a top Houston-based SageIntacct partner.

Talks are ongoing and if they’re successful it would mark Intuit’s largest deal ever.

America’s poorest families are using new child benefits in large measure to climb out of debt, much of it likely accumulated during the pandemic.

RubinBrown is combining with Liberty Technology Advisors; and Grimbleby Coleman is merging in Ristau & Co.

The acquisition of PS Johnson strengthens the tax firm in Canada and in property tax services.

The Top 50 Firm expects to add in Manhattan’s Ganer + Ganer in November.

The November combination will give the Top 25 Firm’s presence in the New York area a major boost.

C Systems specializes in nonprofit tech services and association management systems, and Confluence Global is a Salesforce consulting partner.

Grassi acquired S&Z Fund Services; Yount, Hyde and Barbour merged in Rowles & Co.; Alexander Thompson Arnold acquired Teasler CPA; and DJH Mitten Clarke added Lloyd Piggott.