I've spent 13+ years working at the intersection of accounting and technology, and I've watched thousands of firms try to scale, pivot to advisory, and navigate tech adoption.
The pattern is always the same. The firms that win are the ones making decisions based on evidence. The ones that struggle are guessing.
If you're helping your clients benchmark their businesses but you're not doing the same for your own firm, you're missing something important.
That's what The Crunch 2026 addresses.
What The Crunch Actually Is
The Crunch is Australia's annual benchmark report for small to medium accounting firms. Real data from hundreds of Australian practices showing exactly where you sit on pricing, margins, productivity, and profitability.
It's built by The Benchmarking Group, the team that's been doing this for 25+ years across 140 industries. Not Big Four data. Not US benchmarks. Real Australian firms operating in your market.
Why 2026 Is Different
Running an accounting practice in 2026 looks nothing like it did even 18 months ago.
AI has moved from "interesting" to "essential" faster than most predicted. I'm seeing this firsthand at Vinyl, where we're now processing 400+ hours of meetings per day for accountants and bookkeepers. That's not a future state. That's happening right now.
The firms adapting fastest are asking better questions:
How do we price advisory when AI is handling compliance tasks we used to bill hourly for?
What does productivity even mean when one person with the right tech stack can do what used to take three people?
Where should we invest when every software vendor is promising AI transformation?
How do we structure our teams when offshore, onshore, and AI are all in the mix?
These aren't hypothetical questions. These are the conversations happening in practice leadership meetings every week.
And you can't answer them without data.
The Productivity Question
Here's what I'm watching closely.
The gap between high-productivity firms and low-productivity firms is widening. Fast.
The Crunch shows you how leading firms are achieving more output per person. Not by working harder. By working differently.
Technology adoption. AI-enabled workflows. Offshore partnerships. Hybrid delivery models. Automation that actually works.
But here's the thing. Not all of these deliver ROI. Some are hype. Some are genuinely transformative. And without benchmarks, you don't know which is which.
I see firms throwing money at tech because a competitor is using it. Or avoiding investment because they're not sure it's worth it. Both approaches are expensive.
The Crunch gives you visibility into what's actually working. What margins look like when firms implement AI successfully. What productivity gains are real versus marketing claims.
That's valuable intelligence.
What The Data Actually Shows You
Pricing Reality in an AI World
See what top performers are charging as AI changes the compliance game. What margins they're achieving. Where your rates sit in the market.
This matters more now than ever. When tasks that used to take hours now take minutes, your pricing model needs to reflect value, not time. The data shows you how successful firms are making this transition.
Productivity Insights
How are leading firms improving output per person? What's the actual impact of AI tools, offshore resources, and workflow automation?
The report breaks this down. You see what’s delivering returns. What staffing models are working. Where the real productivity gains are coming from.
Service Mix Strategy
Which service lines are most profitable as the market shifts? How are firms balancing compliance work that's being automated with higher-value advisory?
This is critical. I talk to practice owners every week who know they need to move upmarket, but they're not sure what "good" looks like. The Crunch shows you what revenue splits look like in high-performing practices.
Investment Intelligence
Where are successful firms investing their money? Technology? People? Training? Offshore partnerships?
You see expense ratios. You see what's delivering return. You make smarter choices about where to allocate capital.
How Firms Are Using This
Making Pricing Decisions
They're seeing what the market actually supports. Not guessing. Not hoping. They're adjusting pricing with confidence because they know where they sit.
Lifting Productivity
They're comparing their output per person against top performers. They're seeing which technology investments are delivering ROI. They're making informed choices about AI, offshore, and automation.
Prioritising Investment
Should you invest in that AI tool? Expand the team? Shift your service mix? The Crunch shows you outcomes across firms taking different approaches. You see what's working.
Getting Partner Alignment
When partners debate strategy based on opinions, progress stalls. When you have external data showing what's working in the market, conversations shift. Decisions happen.
Who This Is For
If you're running an Australian accounting firm with turnover between $100k and $10M per site, this is relevant.
Practice owners making strategic decisions. Partners debating investment priorities. Practice managers focused on productivity.
You don't need to be struggling to benefit. The best firms use benchmarking because they refuse to make decisions without data.
The Process
Register before 31 March 2026 for the early bird rate: $247.50 (50% off the standard $495).
You submit your practice data through a secure questionnaire.
Your data gets quality-checked, anonymised, and aggregated.
Once all the data is collected, Benchmarking will analyse the data and write the report – with the help of a few experts like myself.
Then you receive your comprehensive benchmark report showing exactly where you sit across all key metrics.
Everything is confidential. Anonymised and aggregated. No individual practice can be identified.
Why This Matters Now
2026 is shaping up to be a massive year for accounting.
AI is moving from experimental to operational. Advisory is becoming table stakes. The firms that thrive will be the ones making informed decisions about where to invest, how to price, and how to structure their operations.
The firms that struggle will be the ones guessing.
Strong internal results don't always mean strong market positioning. Your firm might be profitable and growing. But are you leaving money on the table? Are your margins competitive? Is your productivity where it could be?
Without external benchmarks, you don't know.
I've seen too many practices discover too late that their pricing was off, their productivity was lagging, or their service mix was leaving opportunities untapped.
Don't be that firm.
Get The Data
Registrations are open now. Early bird pricing ends 31 March.
Register for The Crunch 2026 here
Get the data. Make better decisions. Build a better practice.
Trent McLaren is CEO at Vinyl, founder of Journey, and creator of The Firm. He's spent 13+ years helping accountants and bookkeepers embrace technology and scale their practices. Connect with him on LinkedIn or visit usevinyl.com
