AccountingWEB

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 small practices to larger targets.

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 Zafar Khan.

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 the risks of poor communication and why alignment across finance teams matters.

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.