AI for Accountants Is Getting Real – Are You Ready?

This week on Digi-Tools in Accrual World, we’re looking at what might be the most significant tech shift the accounting profession has ever faced. AI agents are no longer just theory.

Sage, QuickBooks, Karbon and others are now rolling out tools that automate accounting and bookkeeping workflows - with everything from categorisation and reconciliation to forecasting and client emails.

If you're trying to stay up to date with digital transformation in accounting, or want to learn about using AI in finance - this episode is for you!

We cover: • The beginning of the end for month-end • AI agents that clean your books, chase debtors and forecast cashflow • Sage Copilot and X3 updates • Thomson Reuters launching AI tax review tools • Karbon’s integrated tax workflows and pricing intelligence • UK influencers facing FCA action over financial misinfo • The Accounting Excellence Awards 2025 shortlist • Scoro on why PSA tools matter more than ever for growing firms

0:00 Coming Up 01:17 Welcome to the Digi-Tools in Accrual World Podcast 04:46 App News:

05:01 AI is bringing about the end of month-end 09:38 Sage unveils AI-powered task automation with agents 12:24 Intuit reveals AI agents coming to QuickBooks 18:08 Sage previews Copilot capabilities for X3 platform 19:34 Thomson Reuters launches Agentic AI for tax and accounting 21:16 Karbon launches end-to-end tax workflows, AI tools, and practice intelligence 27:22 UK influencers arrested in multi-million pound tax fraud case 29:10 Accounting Excellence Awards 2025 finalists announced

32:22 Scoro: The Role of PSA in Modernising Operations and Finance 43:56 Thanks for listening - remember to rate and subscribe to the podcast!

In this week’s Digi-Tools in Accrual World - sponsored by Xledger, we ask the big question: What has AI actually done for us?

...Well so far anyway.

How are accountants and bookkeepers actually using these tools to make their work and lives better?

From smarter tax tools to automated audit prep, the answer might surprise you.

Tune in for real-world examples of AI adoption in UK accountancy, plus the latest accountant news: • How accounting firms are using AI (email triage, Excel coding, audit docs, tax memos) • Countingup’s SmartTax AI trained on £10bn of data • IRIS buys Instead – US-based AI tax prep platform • Ravical raises €7.3m to challenge Silverfin with AI-native tooling • Caseware acquires LeaseJava to boost lease accounting automation • Airwallex lands £300m Series F for global expansion • Builder.ai collapses after revelations it’s not really AI…

We also introduce Scoro’s PSA platform (think.. operating system for your business) and what it offers scaling firms trying to ditch disconnected spreadsheets.

If you’re an accountant wondering how to approach AI adoption or curious what AI for accountants actually looks like, this one’s for you.

00:00 Coming Up… 01:03 Welcome to Digi-Tools in Accrual World podcast

App news 05:32 Real-life examples of AI in accountancy 14:07 Airwallex raises £300m to build global banking future 16:43 Caseware acquires LeaseJava to boost lease accounting 19:41 IRIS invests in AI-powered tax management platform Instead 23:15 Puzzle and Joiin team up for multi-entity consolidation 24:52 Ravical tipped to challenge Silverfin in practice tech 28:22 Ravical secures €7.3m to develop AI-native firm tooling 35:23 Countingup unveils Smart Tax AI assistant

37:36 Introducing Scoro

49:22 Outro

#AIAdoption #AIAccountants #AccountantNews #AccountingTech #FintechNews #SmartTax #PracticeManagement #Scoro #Airwallex #IRIS #Caseware #BuilderAI #Ravical #DigiTools #AccrualWorld

In this episode of Digi-Tools in Accrual World, we break down the biggest stories in accounting tech and fintech news. Sage posts a 16% profit increase, with 97% of revenue now recurring—what does this mean for cloud-based adoption in the UK? Meanwhile, Xero reports an impressive 23% revenue growth in FY25 and launches ‘Pay by Bank’ to streamline payments for SMEs.

We also cover: • Cloud adoption stats: 81% of UK firms now using cloud accounting • The FRC shake-up for digital filing under the Economic Crime & Transparency Act • New Xero App Store additions including Karbon • Zoho Books earns ICB accreditation • Adsum expands with Self Assessment data integration

📈 If you’re watching for insights on Sage FY25 results, Xero FY25 results, cloud accounting adoption, or UK fintech trends, this is one to watch.

👉 Subscribe for weekly updates on the latest in UK accounting and SaaS.

00:00 Coming Up 01:29 Hello and Welcome to Digi-Tools in Accrual World

App News: 05:27 Sage reports FY25 profit jump amid global uncertainty 08:34 Xero FY25 delivers 23% revenue growth 12:07 Xero launches ‘Pay by Bank’ to expand payment options 17:12 New apps arrive in the Xero App Store – May roundup 18:23 Zoho Books earns ICB accreditation 21:39 OpenTax adds Self Assessment tracking 23:27 Major shake-up planned for digital accounts filing 26:20 Cloud accounting adoption in the UK – latest insights

33:27 Outro - Rate and Subscribe!

#AccountingTechNews #FintechNews #SageFY25 #XeroFY25 #CloudAccounting #UKAccounting #DigitalTransformation #XeroPayByBank #MTD #Karbon #ZohoBooks #Accountex #HMRC

This week on Digi-Tools in Accrual World, we’re unpacking the biggest headlines in accounting tech news — from game-changing AI features to major payments milestones and strategic acquisitions shaking up the UK accounting software space.

🔍 Top stories:

• Sage Intacct launches powerful AI-driven period close tools for mid-market firms

• QuickBooks rolls out MTD ITSA tools powered by automation — are they the new frontrunner?

• TrueLayer processes £10bn in one month — open banking is now mainstream

• iplicit + GoCardless = in-app Direct Debit and smoother mid-market workflows

• Brieff expands its AI notetaker to in-person meetings

• Briefcase now extracts data from Word and Excel files — not just PDFs

• Allica Bank nearly doubles profit, hits £3bn lending milestone

• IRIS Elements now FRS 102 compliant

• Rippling vs Deel legal drama heats up amid a $450M raise

• FreeAgent, Capium, and Bright continue pushing forward with niche tools

Whether you’re advising SMEs, scaling an accountancy firm, or just keen to stay ahead in fintech and software, this episode brings everything together — with commentary, context, and a bit of clarity.

Chapters:

00:00 Coming Up

02:00 Intro & Man Flu Drama

03:18 App News ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

04:50 Brieff launches in-person AI notetaker

08:15 QuickBooks unveils AI-driven MTD tools

12:45 Sage Intacct adds AI-powered close tools

17:30 TrueLayer hits £10bn in monthly payments

21:00 Briefcase adds Word & Excel support

23:45 Allica Bank financial results

27:50 iplicit expands GoCardless integration

30:50 IRIS Elements now FRS 102 compliant

33:00 Wrap-up & what’s next

No break for us at Digi-Tools in Accrual World, we we’re back straight after Accountex to cover the biggest developments in accounting tech news and fintech innovation fresh off the back of Accountex 2025.

Headlines:

•TaxCalc acquires Engager in a bold play to power up its practice management suite.

•Bright snaps up TimeKeeper to bolster its payroll game — targeting summer 2025 for full integration.

•Capium 365 launches to support MTD ITSA, offering a simplified, client-facing bookkeeping tool.

•FreeAgent drops multiple updates, including Find & Fix, Management Reporting, and AI-powered invoice capture via Jenesys.

•Dwayne Jackson returns with a free CIS compliance app — smart move or Trojan horse? Or both?

•QuickBooks introduces usage caps across plans — time to check your limits.

•Rippling raises $450m, but the Deel lawsuit adds drama to their $16.8B valuation.

•Xero launches Tap-to-Pay via Stripe — now your phone is your card reader.

We also recap our own Accountex circus antics, explore community feedback on our upcoming Digital Transformation Certification, and tease what’s next for accountants looking to modernise.

Perfect for accountants, CFOs, and tech-curious bookkeepers looking to stay ahead of the curve.

00:00 Coming Up

01:05 Intro

09:27 App News

09:31 TaxCalc acquires Engager to boost practice management offering

14:10 Bright acquires TimeKeeper to enhance payroll offering

15:50 Capium launches Capium 365 to tackle MTD complexity

18:28 FreeAgent and Powdr partner on financial modelling for startups

18:57 FreeAgent integrates with Jenesys for AI-powered insights

19:16 FreeAgent unveils new features and AI partnership at Accountex 2025

21:04 KashFlow founder launches CIS compliance app

25:07 QuickBooks introduces usage limits across plans

26:39 Rippling raises $450m at $16.8bn valuation

29:34 Xero launches Tap to Pay for UK businesses

32:23 Close

In this episode of the Digi-Tools in Accrual World Podcast, we jump back int the latest accounting tech news. trends and updates, including Xero and QuickBooks integrations, revenue and profit growth statistics, and the impact of automation and AI.

Join us as we explore new research from Credence Research, the market valuation of the small business accounting software market, and the latest updates from leading providers like Canopy and WorkflowMax. Additionally, we have an insightful interview with Monica Odysseos from Grant Thornton Cyprus, who shares her journey in AI and its transformative effects on the accounting field.

Don't miss out on the essential tech news and expert advice to stay ahead in the industry!

00:00 Coming Up 00:55 Welcome!

03:38 App news 03:43 Small business accounting software market forecast to 2032 08:35 Xero releases 2025 accounting industry report 15:55 HMRC seeks new CRM to replace Salesforce 20:00 MTD proving more expensive for businesses than expected 23:07 Canopy raises $70m to scale AI-powered accounting platform 26:21 Xero and BGL announce Workpapers integration partnership 29:08 QuickBooks enhances sole trader features for accountants 31:57 WorkflowMax delivers March 2025 product updates

34:37 AI in Accounting: Regulation, Implementation and Ethics - Monica Odysseos

In this episode of Digi-Tools in Accrual World, we discuss the rapid advancements in AI and their impact on the accounting profession, looking at an insightful report by LinkedIn predicting that 70% of workforce skills will be replaced by AI within five years, and touch on the significant replacement of the bookkeeping workforce.

Updates and innovations from FreeAgent, XLedger, and Dext are highlighted, alongside an engaging interview with Dom Gibbs from S&W and Laura from Xledger, covering strategic outsourcing and technology's role in transforming finance functions.

PLUS previews of what we’re up to at Accountex this year!

Accountaxe: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/accountaxe-2025-london-tickets-1235998257059 How to effectively partner with vendors: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/digital-transformation-training-tickets-1338884693159

00:00 Coming Up 01:04 Intro 02:25 Accountex Previews

05:46 App News 05:51 The Accountant 2 07:46 Agentic AI edges closer to mainstream accounting adoption 16:25 FreeAgent expands integrations with Stripe and more 18:32 Dext launches Vault for AI-powered document storage 21:24 Dext rolls out supplier statement matching features 24:04 BILL expands into procurement and cashflow management 26:30 BILL powers Xero’s US online bill payments 28:41 Xero highlights April’s newest app integrations

31:15 Process Outsourcing at scale 48:28 Outro

In this episode, we unpack the latest in accounting tech news and fintech developments for UK firms and beyond.

We kick off with OpenTax’s new feature for tracking corporation tax deadlines — a smart move for firms managing multiple client obligations. Then it’s over to Wolters Kluwer’s long-awaited cloud tools rollout, where existing customers face dual-platform fees and usage-based pricing as they migrate.

Mid-market ERP is booming. We speak with Xledger and Moore Insight about the tier-two ERP explosion and what makes this segment increasingly attractive for growing businesses and charities.

Plus, there’s a full preview of AccountAxe 2025 — now hosted at Fairgame London with support from Karbon, FreeAgent, Employment Hero, Advancetrack, iPlicit, Xledger and Scoro

Book your tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/accountaxe-2025-london-tickets-1235998257059

Also in the mix: • Airwallex is pursuing banking licences in the UK and US — signalling a major shake-up for cross-border payments, lending, and SME banking. • Xero’s online bill payments go global, now supporting 25+ currencies through Crezco. • Intuit acquires HR platform GoCo, deepening QuickBooks’ suite for SMBs with payroll and human capital management. • Caseware launches Validate, its new financial check automation tool.

We wrap up with ERP consultancy insights and why scalable, cloud-based systems are making Tier 1 look bloated. A must-listen for anyone tracking the future of accounting tech.

00:00 Coming Up 00:35 Intro

05:16 App News 05:20 OpenTax launches first stage of Corporation Tax tracking 07:38 Airwallex to pursue UK and US banking licences 12:52 UK online bill payments from Xero go global 15:01 Wolters Kluwer rolls out cloud tax and accounts production tools 18:44 Caseware launches Validate to automate financial checks 20:11 Intuit to acquire HR platform GoCo

23:30 Moving on up from Tier 3: Xledger