This episode is sponsored by Fathom - fathomhq.com

In this episode of the Digi-Tools in Accrual World podcast, Ryan Pearcy and John Toon dive into the latest shifts in the accounting technology landscape, following John’s return from his annual ski trip. The duo explores significant new software integrations and the evolving role of AI in professional workflows.

Key topics covered include:

Chapters

00:00 Ski Trip Adventures and Industry Connections

In this episode of the Digi-Tools in Accrual World podcast, hosts Ryan Pearcy and Leigh Stallard dive into the latest in accounting and fintech news. They discuss the impact of new technologies on the industry, highlight key updates from companies like A2X, iplicit, and Crezco, and explore the strategic moves of Briefcase and FYI. The conversation also touches on the importance of automation and innovation in accounting practices.

00:00 - Welcome to Digi-Tools in Accrual World 6.03 - Sponsored by Scoro

04:23 - A2X Innovations and E-commerce Solutions

08:12 - iplicit's Growth and Focus on Education

11:17 - Acumatica's New Leadership and Market Positioning

14:36 - Crezco's Pay by Card Feature

17:29 - Briefcase's New Sales Processing Feature

21:52 - Briefcase adds Line Item Categorisation

25:16 - FYI's Adds Forms Feature

31:14 - Digital Disruptors Updates

Reuben’s Website post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/reuben-steenkamp_over-christmas-i-spent-2-weeks-782-million-activity-7417541719820238848-PsSE

In this episode of Digi-Tools in Accrual World, Ryan and Indi dive into the start of 2026 with a breakdown of the biggest accounting tech news and fintech news hitting the market.

The conversation headlines with Xero’s major platform shift, moving to usage-based pricing and restricting API data for AI training. Is this a move for security or a strategy to build a "walled garden"? The hosts also explore the rising "slop" in accounting books caused by generalist AI chatbots, with new data from Dext highlighting the cost of these errors for firms.

Plus, we cover the latest updates from Scoro (retainer watchdogs), FloQast’s push for deterministic AI, and WorkflowMax’s focus on capacity forecasting. Finally, we look at how niche firms are using tech stacks to target the construction boom.

In this episode, we cover:

Scoro Updates: New "Watchdog" alerts for retainer metrics and resource booking improvements. 

FloQast & AI: Why "deterministic" AI might be the future for reliable accounting workflows. 

This episode is sponsored by Xledger, the mid-tier accounting system perfect for those moving to the cloud. www.xledger.com

00:00 – Intro & Welcome

00:03:41 – Xero’s Data Ownership & Pricing Shake-up

00:10:45 – Scoro Releases: Watchdog Alerts for Retainers

00:14:07 – FloQast’s Deterministic AI Strategy

00:20:36 – The Cost of AI Errors: Dext Data on Chatbot "Slop"

00:25:12 – WorkflowMax Updates: Capacity Planning & Fraud Detection

00:31:12 – Solving the Subcontractor Approval Headache

00:34:15 – Niche Focus: Tech Stacks for Construction

00:37:41 – Awards, Academy & Closing

Welcome back to Digi-Tools in Accrual World! We are kicking off 2026 with a packed episode of accounting tech news and fintech news to help you navigate the year ahead.

Join John Toon, Ryan Pearcy, and Indi Tatla as they look at the latest launches, from the world's first "AI CFO" to major platform updates from the industry giants. Plus, the team breaks down bold predictions for the profession - is the manual month-end close dead?

In this episode, we cover:

Nume Launch: We analyse the release of Nume, the "first AI CFO". Is this $99/mo tool a threat or an opportunity for accountants?

Intuit Accountants Suite: A look at Intuit’s massive redesign, including the new "close books at scale" feature and AI-powered client insights.

Fintech & Capital: Updates on the QuickBooks Capital Marketplace, featuring new integrations with Adsum for instant VAT refunds and YouLend for working capital.

Iris Elements Summary: A review of Iris’s 2025 updates, including new large-firm features, IFRS support, and the long-awaited tax anomaly detection.

2026 Predictions: We debate Digits CEO Jeff Seibert's claim that the month-end close will be fully automated by the end of this year.

Future Trends: Insights from Wallester on why real-time finance and spend management are becoming the new advisory standard.

Solver's New AI: A look at Solver’s new AI-driven supply chain management solution for manufacturing and logistics clients.

Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by iplicit, the award-winning mid-tier accounting software.

Subscribe for more insights into the digital evolution of accounting!

Join Indi, Ryan, John and Leigh for the Digi-Tools in Accrual World Year-End Special - sponsored by Advancetrack.

In this episode, the team gathers in the studio to wrap up a massive year in accounting tech news.

We break down the most controversial and exciting stories of 2025, from Xero and QuickBooks Online introducing strict usage caps to the explosion of fintech news surrounding AI agents and automated ledgers. We also cover major acquisitions, including the TaxCalc and Engager merger, and discuss the latest feature drops from Dext and FreeAgent.

Finally, we gaze into the crystal ball to share our predictions for 2026. Will AI replace compliance? Is e-invoicing about to change everything? Tune in to find out.

In this episode, we cover:

00:00:00: Welcome to the Christmas Special

Subscribe for more insights into the world of accounting technology!

In this episode of Digi-Tools in Accrual World, we break down a massive fortnight of news in the accounting tech ecosystem. From leadership changes at the top of the UK’s biggest platforms to the "unbundling" of SaaS pricing, we analyse the strategic moves that will define 2026.

The Big Xero Shift: The team reacts to the continued fallout from Xero’s new API pricing model and the news that Alex von Schirmeister is stepping down to join Nomentia. We discuss whether Xero is moving away from "inclusivity" as it pivots toward profitability.

The AI Reality Check: Despite the hype, recent data shows a decline in active generative AI usage in the workplace. We explore why Microsoft Copilot is struggling to gain traction and why "Ask Digits" represents the future of AI as a primary software interface.

Acquisitions & Payments: We look at the strategic implications of Mollie acquiring GoCardless for £1.1bn and how Intuit is tightening its grip on the UK market with the official launch of QuickBooks Payments.

Strategic Pricing: Finally, we analyse Unleashed Software’s move to "unbundle" its pricing. Is functionality-driven pricing the new standard for SaaS?

00:00 Welcome To Digi-Tools in Accrual World

App News

03:08 Ecosystem Friction: Developers React to Xero's API Pricing Model

10:42 Leadership Change: Alex von Schirmeister Steps Down at Xero

17:56 Xero Update: MTD Support for Multiple Businesses

19:02 M&A Alert: GoCardless Acquired by Payments Giant Mollie

23:33 Why Microsoft is Struggling with AI Agent Traction

32:33 The AI Dip: Workplace Surveys Show Usage Decline

35:58 App Spotlight: Digits Unveils "Ask Digits" AI Interface

38:06 QuickBooks Payments Officially Launches in the UK

40:06 Intuit's "Agentic" Capabilities for QuickBooks & MailChimp

43:52 Briefcase Platform: Absorbing Complex Tax Codes via AI

46:07 SaaS Strategy: Unleashed Unbundles Pricing & Inventory Features

49:53 Like, Subscribe and Join Us!

Keywords / Hashtags: #AccountingTech #Xero #Intuit #QuickBooks #GoCardless #Mollie #SaaSStrategy #AI #GenerativeAI #FinTech #Unleashed #SaaSActivation #ChannelStrategy

This week on Digi-Tools in Accrual World, John Toon joins Indi from Las Vegas to unpack a massive week in accounting tech.

We cover Thomson Reuters' major move to integrate their PPC methodology with AI audit partners like Trullion and Fieldguide. We also break down Xero's two biggest announcements: the "JAX" powered automated bank reconciliation that learns from your history, and a complete overhaul of the dashboard into a "financial command center".

Plus, we discuss the confirmation of a "soft landing" for MTD for Income Tax penalties and the UK Budget’s surprise announcement mandating B2B e-invoicing by 2029.

0:00 Welcome to Digi-Tools in Accrual World!

App News

This week on Digi-Tools in Accrual World, we dive deep into the biggest accounting tech news of the week. Indi is joined by accounting tech veteran Leigh Stallard to break down the "spicy" new tiered pricing model for the Xero API - a move that could change the landscape for Xero's ecosystem.

The Taxfiler founders are back with TaxPad, a new compliance suite for smaller firms, but will accountants trust them after the sale to Iris? Ryan and Indi discuss the market’s cautious reaction and whether a commitment to not sell is enough .

This week's accounting tech news:

AI Agents: Expensify releases a "hybrid contextual AI expense agent" that works across the platform .

Compliance & Audit: TaxCalc launches biometric ID checks for Companies House verification , and Caseware brings group audit functionality to the cloud .

New Tools: TaxNav launches a simple bridging tool for landlords, Solver integrates with Microsoft Fabric, and BrightPay Cloud introduces a new app for employees.

Finally, John Toon speaks with Peter Hucker from Xledger about the friction in the audit process . They discuss how giving auditors read-only access and using automation for month-end accruals can solve the annual audit pain for mid-market finance teams.

Timestamp

App News

Is the audit profession under threat from AI? Ryan and Indi discuss a viral discussion sparked by a graduate questioning if they should accept a Big Four internship given PwC's heavy investment in AI audits.

The hosts discuss whether automation will replace juniors or simply change the nature of the work.

Also - this week in accounting tech news:

Intuit and OpenAI: Intuit announces a strategic partnership with OpenAI to power new AI agents across Credit Karma and TurboTax.

Digits' Bold Claim: The platform says it can automate the monthly close and bank reconciliations to save significant time on manual work.

New Entrants: Record OS launches to fix the data collection bottleneck for self-assessments, whilst Vinyl releases a mobile app to capture client meeting data.

Integration News: Karbon connects with Active Workpapers and Socket, whilst FreeAgent integrates with Pleo via Shift API.

Plus, good news for the industry as Mazuma founder Lucy Cohen is appointed President of the AAT.

Finally, Ryan speaks with Anoop Rehal from BKL for the Xledger spotlight. They discuss why mid-market firms are turning to outsourcing to solve talent gaps and how moving away from complex app stacks to modern ERPs helps drive efficiency.

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