AccountingWEB’s MTD Accountability Club is in full swing. In association with Sage, it follows accountants and bookkeepers preparing for the first mandation date. Richard Hattersley goes through the early results from our recent survey (which is still open), on how the profession is coping, exploring what the answers reveal about MTD readiness.

Tom Herbert shares the news that Xero has acquired the bill payments platform Melio for $2.5bn. Herbert explains who Melio are and what it signals about Xero’s global strategy, especially as UK users already have an end-to-end accounts payable workflow and recent price hikes are causing concerns.

Finally, Matthew Ord turns to audit reform as the government’s Modern Industrial Strategy confirms plans to update the corporate reporting framework. The team discusses what’s coming and shares their thoughts on key topics also on the agenda, including talent, AI, sustainability reporting, and money laundering regulations.