AccountingWEB

Recording on location from the Festival of Accounting & Bookkeeping, accountants Della Hudson and Aaron Patrick join host Tom Herbert to discuss the software systems that should be on practitioners' shopping lists in Spring 2025. The trio discuss Making Tax Digital, artificial intelligence and practice management systems, and make a few predictions about what will (and won't) be hot news on the show floor in 2026.

In this short but sweet episode, recorded live on day two of the Festival of Accounting & Bookkeeping (FAB), the team take a look back at the key moments from day one and get ready for the discussions ahead.

With AI continuing to reshape the profession, Making Tax Digital developments and tax changes keeping accountants on their toes, there was plenty for the AccountingWEB team to unpack.

Tune in to hear the latest insights straight from the show floor.

Fresh from QuickBooks Get Connected, Tom Herbert kicks off the podcast with the start of event season. He recaps key announcements, Making Tax Digital (MTD) product updates and the upcoming Festival of Accounting and Bookkeeping (FAB) on 12-13 March, highlighting the importance of these events being the last proper window for vendors to push their MTD message.

Continuing with MTD, Richard Hattersley covers HMRC’s plan to start writing to sole traders and landlords in April. The team debates whether this signals real progress or if it’s still too early to tell. Herbert also shares how event attendees are reacting to MTD and why HMRC’s presence at FAB makes it a must-attend.

This week’s special guest is Jess Brindle, co-founder of Jessica & Morton and an upcoming FAB speaker. Matthew Ord talks with Brindle about the changing role of finance leaders, their expanding responsibilities and the need to stay ahead of tech advancements. She also previews her FAB session, What’s The Forecast and the importance of preparing for upcoming changes.

Special guest Grace Hardy, founder of Hardy Accounting and upcoming speaker of the Festival of Accounting & Bookkeeping (FAB) joins the podcast to share her journey in starting and scaling her business. She speaks about finding her voice, overcoming challenges and using social media to grow her brand.

As part of the next generation of accountants, Hardy offers perspective on whether the profession meets young people’s needs, what firms need to do differently and how apprenticeships shaped her career.

Richard Hattersley continues on the topic of apprenticeships amid National Apprenticeship Week and concerns over Level 7 funding. He discusses the benefits, the impact of potential funding cuts and what firms should do to prepare.

Matthew Ord closes the podcast with some recent M&A activity with Blick Rothenberg having recently agreed to buy Greenback Alan. He explores the deal, why the firm is looking to expand and how to make sure that everyone in the business feels at ease.

The beginning of February marks the end of the self assessment season so Richard Hattersley starts the podcast sharing how accountants on AccountingWEB coped on deadline day. The team speaks about the 1.1m who missed the deadline and what’s next for accountants now that another self assessment is over.

Tom Herbert details the Companies House agent filing system, requiring firms filing for clients to register on a new system. He looks at the rollout timeline, its impact on accountants and whether it will have the desired effect.

To wrap up the podcast, Matthew Ord explores the journey to the boardroom and how CFOs rise through the ranks. The team discusses the evolving role of CFOs, who now have to oversee all aspects of operation

With the self assessment deadline next week, the worst has happened for some tax agents who have been locked out of their agent accounts. Tom Herbert examines the timing, the impact on practitioners’ livelihoods, and HMRC’s poor communication around the issue.

Continuing on with HMRC, Richard Hattersley reviews the criticism HMRC has come under, from exchequer secretary James Murray being grilled on customer service to a scathing public accounts committee report on poor service levels. The team considers what it will take for HMRC to change.

Matthew Ord shares insight from his conversation with Pete Fendall, one of the youngest CFOs in the alternative investment market, who reveals how he proved himself at such a young age.

Lastly, Herbert discusses the software market for large firms. He spoke with John Toon, tech strategy lead at Beever and Struthers about how 2025 might bring an increase in spending.

Our tech editor, Tom Herbert kicks off the podcast with the shutdown and acquisition of online bookkeeping giant Bench. He details who Bench are, what happened when the company ceased operations, why we should care and the dangers of using technology without proper oversight.

With January being a busy month for accountants and the 31 January self assessment deadline looming, Richard Hattersley talks about HMRC’s statistics that 5.4m taxpayers are still left to file their return. The team questions whether it is just human nature that a deadline is a deadline for a reason and they see how accountants are coping.

Finally, Matthew Ord reports on the calls for change in audit. He looks at whether any progress has been made so far and the Financial Reporting Council’s (FRC) desire for audit to be more effective.

With Christmas and New Year fast approaching, the AccountingWEB team reunites for their final podcast of 2024, reflecting on the year’s biggest stories.

They kick off with the 20-year Post Office scandal, which gained renewed attention in 2024 after the ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office. The team discusses ongoing lessons and why it’s important to keep this issue in focus.

Next, they tackle HMRC’s pattern of U-turns, including this year’s reversals on double cab pickups and helpline cuts, sharing what these shifts reveal about HMRC’s direction.

The conversation turns to major anti-money laundering (AML) failures, such as Metro Bank’s £16.7m fine and the accountant who faked being an auditor for 34 years. The team questions why AML continues to be an issue and whether things will change.

General election highlights and two budgets – Jeremy Hunt’s Spring Budget and Rachel Reeves’s inaugural Autumn Budget – also feature, with their impact being examined.

Finally, Richard Hattersley and Tom Herbert share bold predictions for 2025, exploring where the accounting profession might head in the coming year.

In a podcast rounding up 2024 in accounting tech, Tom Herbert, Billie Mcloughlin and Ryan Pearcy discuss the emergence of AI assistants in accounting tech, what the latest round of software consolidation means for accountants, and whether switching bonuses are potentially misaligned with the profession’s ethical standards. For links to all stories featured in the pod, visit https://www.accountingweb.co.uk/tech/tech-pulse/ai-assistants-acquisitions-and-switching-bonuses-2024-in-accounting-tech

Special guest Thomas Adcock, a tax partner at Gravita joins this week's podcast to shed light on the recent protests from farmers. Last week, tractors drove through Westminster to protest the changes announced in the Budget. Adcock discusses the changes that have impacted the farming sector, what farmers can do and whether there is a better route for them.

With the government deciding to create an AI-powered chatbot, Tom Herbert fills us in on the details, where it can be found, what it does and his general thoughts after trying it out.

Finally, Richard Hattersley speaks about his chat with Alastair Barlow and Paul Layte, founders of flinder and Next Level Business. They have announced plans to merge and target the outsourced finance director sector. The team questions how firms have embraced virtual finance services, how technology will play an important role and where this craze will go.