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.

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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.

➡️ Timestamps

John Toon and Indi speed-run a huge week in accounting tech news, and the theme is clear: AI. New research suggests half of UK firms are planning £100k+ AI investments, and the vendors are delivering.

This week's fintech news covers Adfin's new "Autopilot" AI credit controller that writes and sends chasers, Bill.com's "touchless" AI agents, and Thomson Reuters' move into agentic AI for tax and audit.

Plus, Dwayne Jackson is back. The founder of Kashflow and Staffology has launched Sodium, a new practice management platform - another future IRIS acquisition?

Also in this episode:

00:00 Welcome to Digi-Tools in Accrual World

App News

40:25 Xledger: The "Pick and Mix" Approach to Digital Training

The Accounting Tech landscape is shifting under our feet. This week, we're breaking down the major strategic moves from the industry's biggest players and what it really means for your app, your ecosystem, and your channel strategy.

We dive deep into the new AI in Accounting arms race, with Intuit launching its new AI Agents and even HMRC rolling out Copilot.

Meanwhile, the giants are making moves. We explore the launch of Sage's next-gen X3 platform and ask the question: Is Sage50 really cloud-based now?

But it's not all about the platforms. For SaaS leaders focused on SaaS Activation and partnerships, we put two key ecosystem players under the microscope:

Unleashed: In our App Spotlight, we analyze Unleashed's strategic role within the wider Access Group ecosystem and cover its latest production feature enhancements.

Xledger: In our "Channel Focus" segment, we get a partner's-eye view of the Xledger program—a must-listen for anyone building a partner-led growth motion.

Join us for a packed episode of market intelligence to keep your Digital Transformation strategy one step ahead.

Learn how to harness EVO in Unleashed pre client meetings. Join our Partner Product Webinar on the 17th November at 9pm GTM - https://hubs.la/Q03Q2dcL0

Find out more about Unleashed - https://hubs.la/Q03Q2cWv0

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Welcome to Digi-Tools in Accrual World

50:52 Outro

Welcome to the Digi-Tools in Accrual World Podcast, your essential update on UK Accounting Tech News and Fintech News! 

This week, Ryan Pearcy and John Toon discuss the strategies shaking up the software world and the latest app updates you need to know about.

First, Ryan speaks with Ben Carter, Product Director for the Small Business Division at Access. Ben shares the vision behind integrating products like Unleashed, MintSoft, and Tradify. He explains their mission to deliver "value in seven minutes" and how they're using AI to revolutionise data onboarding for new trial users.

Then, it's a packed App News segment:

Sumday (Xero): An AI bot has been added to the carbon tracking platform to help analyse data and build sustainability business cases.

AI-Native Payments: Ryan questions if AI-driven automatic payment runs are a genuine innovation or just a buzzword.

Adfin Autopilot: The platform has launched an AI agent to intelligently and automatically chase customer debts.

Karbon & Spotlight: A new integration allows firms to automate the scheduling and generation of Spotlight reports directly from Karbon tasks.

Katana: The inventory tool for manufacturers has introduced a free plan, limited to 30 SKUs and 3 locations.

WorkGuru: The project management tool adds project document templates and an OCR integration with Easy Bills.

Employment Hero: The system now automates the complex calculation of leave entitlement for offboarding employees.

Cyber Attacks: John covers startling research from FreeAgent showing 6 in 10 UK small businesses were hit by a cyber attack last year.Finally, Kevin Fitzgerald, MD of UK for Employment Hero, returns. He explains the strategic decision to pause and relaunch their bureau program , moving away from a "race to the bottom" on price to a new model focused on integrating HR and payroll services for accounting firms.

This episode is sponsored by Unleashed and Employment Hero. 

Learn how to harness EVO in Unleashed pre client meetings. Join our Partner Product Webinar on the 17th November at 9pm GTM - https://hubs.la/Q03Q2dcL0 Find out more about Unleashed - https://hubs.la/Q03Q2cWv0

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Welcome to Digi-Tools in Accrual World

03:44 Unleashing Success: Inside the Small Business Division at Access

14:18 App News

14:22 Xero adds Sumday AI sustainability analysis

17:06 AI-native payments promise faster cashflow for firms

20:58 Adfin launches Autopilot automation

23:40 Karbon integrates with Spotlight for automated reporting

25:52 Katana introduces free plan for small manufacturers

27:52 WorkGuru adds templates and purchase orders

30:36 Employment Hero automates leave entitlement on offboarding

32:10 FreeAgent: Three in five small businesses hit by a cyber attack

38:00 Transforming Bureaus: Employment Hero's Approach to Payroll and HR

Subscribe to our newsletter for more news, and reach out if you're interested in attending the Digital Disruption Awards next year!

This week on the Digi-Tools in Accrual World we share the latest updates in accounting and fintech news. 

We kick off with insights on the recent Digital Disruptor Awards and plans for next year’s event. 

App News segment covers big names like Iris Software, Telleroo, Xero, and Monzo, with notable updates on faster payments, MTD tools, and AI-driven solutions. 

We explore evolving payroll systems, the impact of AI on product development, and integrating multi-functional solutions to streamline business processes and data security. 

Don’t miss our discussion on recent AWS outages and their impact on firms, plus the ongoing debate between Xero and QuickBooks users over bank reconciliation. Stay ahead in the world of accounting tech with this comprehensive and engaging episode.

Learn how to harness EVO in Unleashed pre client meetings. Join our Partner Product Webinar on the 17th November at 9pm GTM - https://hubs.la/Q03Q2dcL0

00:00 Introduction

Get your weekly fix of accounting tech news and fintech news with Digi-Tools in Accrual World. This week, we uncover a shocking new trend: over half of taxpayers are now using AI to prepare their tax returns, but are they ignoring the risks?  We debate whether this is an opportunity or a threat for accounting professionals.

Plus, don't miss our roundup of the biggest stories in the accounting tech space:

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Welcome to the  Digi-Tools in Accrual World Podcast!

13:49 App News

28:32 The hidden impacts of payroll errors - Employment Hero

Welcome back to Digi-Tools in Accrual World, your weekly source for the latest accounting tech news and fintech news! This week, Indi and Ryan dive into a massive wave of AI innovation sweeping the industry.

The AI revolution is here! We break down Microsoft's game-changing "Agent Mode" for Excel, which promises to automate complex data analysis and reporting tasks. In other huge app news, Karbon has acquired the AI platform Aider to supercharge its practice management capabilities, and Sage is getting ahead of the curve by launching a new AI agent designed to tackle the administrative burden of MTD for ITSA.

Join us as we cover all the essential updates you need to know, including:

Karbon's AI Future: An in-depth look at the Aider acquisition and what it means for practice management.

Microsoft's "Agent Mode": How AI is about to turbocharge Excel and Word for accountants.

Sage's MTD Agent: A new tool to automate client onboarding and quarterly submissions.

App News Round-up: Dext introduces a WhatsApp integration for easy receipt capture, QuickBooks unveils a major UI overhaul, Acting Office integrates with FreeAgent, and Brieff connects with Karbon for smarter meeting workflows.

MTD Client Transition: We catch up with Dave from FreeAgent to discuss strategies for moving clients to MTD.

Payroll Pitfalls: Kevin Fitzgerald from Employment Hero joins us to explain why running payroll on spreadsheets is a recipe for disaster.

This episode is packed with critical insights into the tools and trends shaping the future of accounting. Don't miss out on the latest fintech news!

App News

37:58 Why Running Payroll on Spreadsheets is a recipe for disaster - Employment Hero

44:24 Accountants and Bookkeepers - Come and join us on the pod!