Accountingweb

With our technology editor, Tom Herbert, off on holiday, we have parachuted in Rebecca Benneyworth, an upcoming speaker at FAB to offer her thoughts in the run up to the event. Ahead of her first session, MTD Accountability Club Live, Benneyworth reflects on her hands-on experience of MTD testing. She outlines what she has learned, how the process has worked in practice, and the growing pressure as deadlines approach. She also encourages firms to sign up at least one client now to understand the year-end filing process and what it will really involve. Staying with MTD, she sets out what the final weeks before 6 April 2026 should look like for practices – what needs to be actioned, what should already be in place, and where firms cannot afford to fall behind. Turning to her second session, Rebecca Benneyworth: Live At FAB, she highlights the tax and technical changes on the horizon. In particular, she focuses on the new tax agent registration requirements, explaining what is changing, why it matters, and how

In this special episode, Sam Gooding, Nikki Adams and James Bennett - all of whom are speaking at the Finance, Accounting and Bookkeeping Show (FAB) - discuss some of the lessons learned on their growth journeys.

In the latest episode of our Inside the Numbers podcast – which pulls back the curtain on the KPIs of finance leaders – Alton Nutile of GeoAcoustics reveals the three main metrics that help him navigate his work, as well as how the role is evolving and why being able to explain the facts and figures is so important.

Tom Herbert opens the podcast by looking at accounting firm consolidators and the difficulty of integrating acquired practices. Following news that the sale of Xeinadin has collapsed after its private equity owners failed to land a £1bn-plus price tag, he explores Xeinadin’s background and the challenges of knitting together different tech stacks, workflows and data. Drawing on his conversation with M&A specialist David Boyd, he asks whether AI can genuinely speed up this change or whether old mistakes are being repeated. In other news, it was announced that the timeline for small companies and micro entities to file their profit and loss (P&L) accounts with Companies House has been paused following stakeholder concerns. Richard Hattersley outlines what happened and whether this was expected. He reveals that many have welcomed the delay with 2027 already shaping up to be a busy year. And lastly, Matthew Ord shares his chat with Bob Horgan, FD at Central Technology who believes there’s a push towards AI and

The new series of the show sees Emma Reid of Cottons and Paul Attridge of Gerald Edelman look at how to keep client relationships strong during the sometimes difficult-to-navigate self assessment season.

At the end of last year, Matthew Ord may or may not have made a glowing prediction about the positive direction audit reform will take in 2026… Anyway, this week he discusses the Audit Reform Bill being scrapped, almost eight years since Carillion entered compulsory liquidation. The team unpacks the reasons behind the decision, what it means for firms and whether there’s still a will for change. Found on Any Answers, Tom Herbert shares an issue with payroll software underpaying pension contributions for women on maternity leave. He covers what’s happening, the attention it’s getting, the scale of the problem, who’s responsible and how it can be fixed. Richard Hattersley also shares conversations he’s had with firms accepting consolidation offers because they’re unsure the opportunity will still be there in five years. He questions, have we hit the peak in the M&A market? The team reflects on valuations, market activity, regulatory changes and whether large private equity firms may shift their focus from smal

In the latest episode of Inside the Numbers – which pulls back the curtain on the KPIs of finance leaders – Kay Chaplin of Mantle Space reveals the three main metrics that help her navigate her work, as well as discussing skills, software and spreadsheets.

January means one thing for accountants: self assessment season. Richard Hattersley opens the podcast with the latest filing statistics. He compares these to the figures from previous years and reveals the statistics from the festive period. Every year, AccountingWEB checks in with the community and Hattersley highlights a few member responses. The team then explores what’s changed with the rise of artificial intelligence to how Making Tax Digital might change future Januarys. ACCA has revealed that it can no longer police online exams due to AI-fuelled cheating and, as a result, is going back to in-person exams from March this year. Tom Herbert walks us through what happened, how students were cheating, the reaction that followed and whether it was the right move. The Carillion saga continues with the FCA imposing fines on two former FDs. The team provides a refresh of the Carillion story and Matthew Ord explains the latest development of the penalties that have officially been given to Richard Adam and Zafa

It’s that time again as the team reunites for their final podcast of the year, reviewing the biggest stories of 2025 and finishing with some juicy predictions.

As the dust settles on the accounting tech landscape for another year, guests Billie Mcloughlin and John Toon join AccountingWEB technology editor Tom Herbert to discuss the impact of AI, run the rule over the major players in the profession, and analyse the upcoming introduction of Making Tax Digital and e-invoicing. For show notes and full details of all the stories discussed, visit: https://www.accountingweb.co.uk/content/accounting-technology-year-in-review-2025-ai-apis-and-mtd

In the latest episode of Inside the Numbers – which pulls back the curtain on the KPIs of finance leaders – Michael Burgess of DJH reveals the three main metrics that help him navigate her work, and also discusses his transition to becoming a CFO.

Chris Maslin, a speaker at The Finance, Accounting and Bookkeeping Show (FAB), joins the podcast to discuss selling a controlling stake in his firm to an employee ownership trust (EOT). He explains why he chose this route, how the transition worked, adjusting to reduced control and the alternatives he considered. Maslin also talks about launching Go EO, his consultancy helping other businesses explore EOTs, and gives his reaction to the Budget announcement cutting capital gains tax relief on EOT disposals from 100% to 50%. He’ll be going more in-depth into his journey at FAB on 11-12 March at the NEC. Tom Herbert covers ICAEW’s new tech hub for ACA students, created to close the skills gap by giving graduates free access to industry-standard apps. He and Maslin share their thoughts and what’s still missing. Finally, Matthew Ord discusses Grant Thornton data showing CFOs and FDs often being left out of the loop. Drawing on chats with FAB speaker Clare Elliott and fractional CFO Marc Obrart, the team explore th

Silverfin co-founder Joris Van Der Gucht tells AccountingWEB technology editor Tom Herbert that AI can automate 80% of accounting tasks, but warns the 'human in the loop' must evolve. Welcome to the age of the 'AI Orchestrator'. For full show notes visit: https://www.accountingweb.co.uk/tech/tech-pulse/why-ai-orchestrator-might-be-the-next-job-title-in-practice

The team recorded the podcast straight after the Budget to share their instant reactions. They covered the Office for Budget Responsibility’s early report release and the pre-Budget leaks. Richard Hattersley shared his view on the announcements and what surprised him. Tom Herbert sank his teeth into some tech news, with e-invoicing and Making Tax Digital making the cut. Paul Baker, tax partner at Buzzacott and speaker at the Finance, Accounting & Bookkeeping Show (FAB), joined to share his take. He discussed the day and what measures stood out. He mentioned the impact of extending the income tax and employer national insurance thresholds, whether this was the way forward and the issue of applying NICs to salary-sacrificed pension contributions of about £2k a year. He concluded the podcast by sharing concerns that he had and the next steps for a tax expert like himself.

Accounting tech founder Duane Jackson lifts the lid on the limits of artificial intelligence in accounting, the suite-vs-best-of-breed battle, and why he’d be “very surprised” if he sold a third business to IRIS. The Kashflow and Staffology creator joins AccountingWEB technology editor Tom Herbert to to unpack the AI race, the shifting dynamics between suites and specialist tools, and why he’s keen that his “redemptive” life story does not eclipse his ability to build a product. For full show notes visit: https://www.accountingweb.co.uk/tech/practice-software/duane-jackson-on-ai-suite-wars-and-the-fight-for-future-talent

In the first episode of the new Inside the Numbers podcast - which pulls back the curtain on the KPIs of finance leaders - Clare Elliott of NetSupport reveals the three main metrics that help her navigate her day-to-day, and also discusses her journey to becoming a CFO.

Nick Williams, global product director at Intuit opens the podcast by announcing the global availability of AI agents on the Intuit platform. He explains how it works, why they’re launching now, and risks and reactions. The team discusses new Intuit QuickBooks research showing small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) can achieve up to 58% more revenue growth by closing the gap between ambition and execution. Williams explores the role of AI, automation, the importance of readiness and unlocking potential. Tom Herbert talks about the return of tech founders, covering six founders who built and sold successful accounting tech products and are now back with new software. Herbert details their return and the growing tech gap for small businesses. With the Budget weeks away, Richard Hattersley chats about rumours, likely changes, Rachel Reeves’s briefing and the team share their thoughts on which tax updates might actually happen. Matthew Ord wraps up discussing ICAEW AML compliance. A new report shows that rates

Accounting firm founders Emily Vass of Nourished and Dean Shepherd of Eat, Sleep, Excel, Repeat join AccountingWEB technology editor Tom Herbert to discuss their practice tech setups, the tools that have saved them time, and the false starts along the way. For full show notes, visit: https://www.accountingweb.co.uk/tech/accounting-software/new-firms-lean-stacks-how-startup-practices-can-dodge-accounting-techs

The AccountingWEB team celebrates the 200th podcast episode by looking back in time at some notable moments and reflecting on the first episode. Matthew Ord takes a look at the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) new role as anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CTF) supervisor for all accountancy and legal firms. He recalls his chat with AML expert David Winch, who warned it won’t be a light-touch regime. Ord explores why the move has frustrated supervisory bodies and whether the FCA really understands the profession. Tom Herbert turns to Making Tax Digital (MTD) and the part that banks are starting to play. With 840,000 taxpayers not yet using commercial software, Herbert talks about which banks have made their MTD move, his concerns about this approach and how he sees it all playing out. Back from the US, Richard Hattersley shares his experience at NetSuite’s SuiteWorld where AI was the topic of conversation. The team unpacks the launch of NetSuite Next and the push toward the “auto

Caseware CEO David Marquis tells AccountingWEB technology editor Tom Herbert about the company's UK priorities: cloud parity, safer AI, platform consolidation and a shift from compliance to advisory – and why firms shouldn’t sit on their hands when it comes to tech transformation. For full details see the show notes at: https://www.accountingweb.co.uk/tech/accounting-software/caseware-chief-on-audits-next-tech-leap