Technology
AI, apps and the modern firm tech stack.
What Anthropic's new AI watermark means for tax practitioners
Anthropic's introduction of a digital watermark for AI-generated content through Claude Sonnet 4.6 significantly impacts tax practitioners, enhancing the visibility of AI involvement in their work.
Turn client meeting conversations into draft proposals in one click
Accounting firms can now streamline proposal creation with a new integration between Vinyl and Ignition, transforming recorded meetings into drafted proposals in just one click.
Why I built our AI systems in-house instead of buying them
The decision to build AI systems in-house rather than purchasing them has proven invaluable for my Brisbane firm. By developing our own solutions, we retain ownership of critical context, leading to enhanced operational…
The AI clause every Australian engagement letter needs
Australian firms must now include an AI clause in their engagement letters to comply with the Tax Practitioners Board's latest guidance.
The £24,000 opportunity hiding in one client meeting
In every client meeting lies an untapped advisory opportunity, as illustrated by a £24,000 chance discovered in a simple conversation. By focusing on key signals such as client goals, pain points, and emotional cues,…
How I built a tax intake tool in forty minutes with eleven prompts
In just forty minutes, the author transformed a complex tax intake tool into an efficient app using Lovable, demonstrating how practice owners can quickly develop their own workflows with just eleven prompts.
How to scope an AI project so it actually ships
Successfully scoping an AI project requires clarity in problem definition and realistic expectations in project scope. Many AI initiatives fail not due to inadequate models, but from unclear objectives and overly…
AI is now a Code obligation for every tax practitioner
The Tax Practitioners Board's recent guidance mandates that tax practitioners must uphold their Code of Professional Conduct when using AI tools, ensuring accountability for outputs and maintaining confidentiality.
I sold my firm to hedge against AI. Here's what I learned.
In the evolving landscape of accounting, the author shares key insights from selling their firm to hedge against AI disruption. By aligning with tech partners, they emphasise the importance of understanding client…
Real firms, real builds: what accountants are creating with AI right now.
In a recent panel at The Firm's AI in Practice Summit, three accountants shared their journeys of creating effective internal tools using AI vibe coding, despite initial coding challenges.
AI tools are giving tax advice. Accountants should be behind them.
AI tools are now providing tax advice, often without qualified accountants behind them, raising concerns about accountability and reliability. As AI's influence grows, the accounting profession must step up to ensure…
AI and the IRS rules: what US accounting firms can and can't do
US firms can use AI in tax practice, but Section 7216 makes unauthorized disclosure of client tax return information a crime, and the IRS made clear in June 2026 that Circular 230 duties apply in full to AI-assisted…
AI for Canadian accounting firms: CPA Canada's position, PIPEDA, and what's actually allowed
Canada has no dedicated AI law, so Canadian accounting firms using AI answer to PIPEDA, provincial privacy statutes like Quebec's Law 25, and their provincial CPA code of conduct. This guide explains what the regulators…
AI for UK accounting practices: ICAEW and ACCA guidance, GDPR, and the practical path
UK accounting practices have more official AI guidance available than most realise: ICAEW has published a full generative AI guide, ACCA has a formal position paper, and the ICO has detailed guidance on AI and data…
Client consent for AI: what to tell clients, when to ask, and the letter to send
Whether you need client consent to use AI depends on where you practise and what data you feed the tool: US tax preparers face a criminal statute, while AU, UK and Canadian firms mostly work from professional codes and…
The AI month-end close, step by step
A tool-agnostic, day-by-day walkthrough of a month-end close with AI folded into the steps where it genuinely earns its place: reconciliation triage, accrual prep, variance commentary drafts and checklist automation.…
The Python Scripts Accountants Are Quietly Writing (and How AI Writes Them for You)
In between "learn to code" courses and app-building platforms sits a middle layer almost nobody covers: tiny, single-purpose scripts that kill the 20-minute weekly chores in a tax practice. Practitioners are already…
Speech-to-text for accountants: talk three times faster than you type
Modern AI dictation tools like Wispr Flow and superwhisper turn messy speech into clean, formatted text in any app, and speaking is roughly three times faster than typing. This guide compares the main options on price,…
Claude vs ChatGPT vs Copilot: which AI should your accounting firm actually run?
A structured, practitioner-first comparison of Claude, ChatGPT and Microsoft 365 Copilot for accounting firms: pricing, business-tier data terms, real strengths and weaknesses, and firm-type recommendations. The honest…
25 AI prompts accountants actually use (not the LinkedIn kind)
Most "AI prompts for accountants" lists are recycled filler that produce generic output. These 25 are working prompts organised by the actual jobs in a firm (month-end, client communication, advisory, practice ops, tax…
The best AI meeting assistants for accounting firms, honestly ranked
We compared six AI meeting assistants (Otter, Fireflies, Fathom, Teams Premium, Zoom AI Companion and Vinyl) through an accounting firm's lens: file notes, workflow push, and where client data actually goes. Honest…
The one-page AI policy every accounting firm needs (write it this week)
Nearly every accountant is already using AI, but only about one in five firms has a written policy governing it, which means the real policy is whatever each person quietly decides at their desk. This walkthrough gives…
Agentic AI in Accounting, Explained (Before a Vendor Explains It to You)
Every accounting software keynote now says "agentic," and most of the audience is nodding along without a working definition. Here's what an AI agent actually is, which agents are real in accounting today versus…
What Copilot gets right for accounting firms (that the AI crowd won't admit)
The AI commentary crowd treats Microsoft Copilot as the boring choice, yet it keeps winning accounting firm deployments, often for rational reasons. This piece makes the honest steelman case: where Copilot genuinely…
ChatGPT for Accountants: What It's Actually Good At (and Where It Will Bite You)
ChatGPT is the AI most accountants actually use, usually on a personal free account their firm's policy has never heard of. Here's what it's genuinely excellent at, the specific ways it will bite you on numbers, tax and…
Is AI safe for client data? The accountant's straight answer
The honest answer to whether accountants can use AI with client data: yes, if you use business-tier tools and a handful of non-negotiable rules. The real risk is your process, not the model. We break down what ChatGPT,…
Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek and the rest: do accounting firms need a fourth AI?
Most accounting firms don't need an AI beyond Claude, ChatGPT or Copilot, but if your firm runs on Google Workspace, Gemini isn't a fourth option, it's your first. We take an honest look at Gemini's in-suite case,…
How to set up Claude Cowork in your accounting firm: the practical guide
A practical, step-by-step walkthrough for accounting and bookkeeping firm owners setting up Claude Cowork: from choosing the right plan and settling your client-data policy to connecting the first folders and…
MCP for Accountants, Explained (Without the Jargon)
MCP is the plug standard that lets AI assistants like Claude and ChatGPT talk directly to the software your firm already runs, which is why Xero, Ignition and half your app stack suddenly mention it. Here's what it…
Five jobs I used to do by hand in Karbon. Now I just ask.
Discover how AI can streamline your accounting processes by turning client emails into actionable tasks in Karbon, all without manual data entry. This article explores five common tasks that can be automated, showcasing…
AI writes 10,000 lines of code in an afternoon. We still tell most firms to wait.
While generative AI promises to revolutionise accounting by rapidly producing code, the reality is more complex. The authors argue that firms should hold off on adopting these technologies hastily, as the risks of data…
The noise is all about Claude. Nine in ten firms are quietly staying on Copilot.
While many firms are captivated by Claude's innovative features, the majority remain loyal to Copilot for its security and structured environment. Both tools offer similar capabilities, but Copilot prioritises data…
I was my firm's biggest bottleneck. Now it runs on 40 apps I built myself
Two years ago, I transformed my accounting firm by building over 40 apps to eliminate my role as the bottleneck. This journey highlights the accessibility of app development, empowering accountants to create efficient…
No AI is ever going to jail for you
In the evolving landscape of accounting, AI is often overhyped for its capabilities, yet it neglects critical human factors like apathy and fear. As trust remains the key asset for accountants, the true challenge lies…
98% of accountants already use AI. Only 1 in 5 are doing it on purpose.
Despite 98% of accountants using AI, only 21% have a formal strategy or policy in place, leading to inefficiencies. This article explores how firms can optimise AI use, highlighting the importance of structured SOPs and…
I can't write a single line of code. I've built 17 apps this year anyway.
This article reveals how a chartered accountant, with no coding skills, successfully built 17 apps in a year by leveraging AI and simple planning techniques.
Anyone can build a pricing tool now. That's exactly the problem.
Many accounting firms struggle with pricing, often undervaluing their services due to a lack of structured frameworks. This article highlights the importance of building a comprehensive pricing tool that incorporates…
Ignition + Vinyl + Claude: I Built 2 Proposals in Under 4 Minutes Using MCP
Creating proposals in Ignition can be streamlined dramatically using the new MCP, which connects AI like Claude to automate tasks in just minutes. This innovative approach not only saves time but also allows for…
Generating AML Risk Assessments Using AI in Minutes
From 1 July, firms must conduct AML risk assessments for clients, but traditional forms can be cumbersome. This article reveals how AI can streamline the process by generating assessments from recorded onboarding calls…
The AI in Practice Summit ran for 18 hours. She watched every minute, and walked away with a new plan.
The AI in Practice Summit offered 18 hours of transformative learning for Lorraine Ellison, a seasoned practice owner who found practical insights on leveraging AI tools for her firm. This free event challenged her…
Would you put Claude in charge of a $20M manufacturer's month-end close?
Kayley Perry's article highlights how AI, specifically Claude, is revolutionising the month-end close for a $20 million manufacturing business using NetSuite.
The real reason Intuit cut 3000 jobs
Intuit's recent layoff of 3,000 employees raises concerns about the future of accounting roles in light of AI advancements. However, the cuts primarily affected middle management, not those directly involved in AI…
Xero wants to run your month-end. The question is whether you'll let it.
Xero has introduced XeroForce, a no-code agent builder for automating financial workflows, allowing accountants to streamline tasks using plain English.
The profession spent twenty years tracking the wrong thing
The accounting profession has historically focused on financial metrics while neglecting the crucial client conversations that drive relationships. With the emergence of vast data from client interactions, firms can…
Most AI tools your firm buys will end up as silos. Here's how to spot them.
Many accounting firms struggle with SaaS tools that create data silos, hindering productivity and workflow integration. The Xero case study on Shapes highlights the importance of asking the right questions before…
Anthropic released ten AI agent templates this week. Five of them are built for accounting.
Anthropic's recent release of ten AI agent templates includes five specifically tailored for accounting tasks, such as month-end closing and GL reconciliation.
The one thing every accountant thinks but nobody says
In a candid reflection, CPA Martin Kamenski highlights a critical issue in the accounting profession: the shift from relationship-building to mere deliverables.
Copilot adoption in Australian Accounting firms: The productivity is real, but the value is uneven
Copilot is improving productivity in accounting firms, but results vary based on how consistently it’s used. Firms that build it into daily workflows see stronger gains, while others see limited impact. The challenge is…
The firms that win with AI will feel more human, not less
In the era of AI, accounting firms must prioritise creating a cohesive and manageable work environment over simply adding more tools.
Firm owners are vibe coding their own integration to Karbon. No developers required.
Firm owners are taking control by creating their own tools to integrate with Karbon, eliminating the need for developers or custom software budgets. This trend highlights the ability to automate workflows and enhance…
Four Minutes to a Finished Proposal. What the Ignition MCP Changes for Accounting Firms
The introduction of the Model Context Protocol (MCP) by Ignition revolutionises proposal workflows by allowing AI assistants like Claude to interact seamlessly with software platforms.
The fastest growing AI category in accounting right now
AI notetakers and meeting assistants are rapidly transforming the accounting landscape by capturing crucial client conversations and context that have historically been lost.
Claude Cowork for Accounting Firms: What It Does, What It Costs, and What to Know Before You Connect Anything.
Claude Cowork transforms how accounting firms interact with AI by minimising repetitive tasks through its connectors and skills. By linking to existing tools and automating workflows, it streamlines operations and…
A finance team cut 40% of its costs. They didn't buy a single new tool.
A finance team successfully cut 40% of its operational costs without acquiring new tools by reengineering workflows and reallocating tasks between AI and humans.
Where AI actually fits in your accounting firm
As AI transforms the accounting landscape, understanding its strategic fit within your firm is crucial. While many firms experiment with tools, a lack of clear direction can lead to fragmented adoption and increased…
Everyone says AI is the future of accounting. This story says otherwise
The story of Jenesys AI, which recently shut down despite promising innovation in accounting technology, highlights the challenges of building AI tools in a complex environment.
The self-healing ledger: can AI take on the reviewer role?
The concept of a self-healing ledger revolutionises traditional accounting workflows by integrating AI to detect and rectify discrepancies before the review stage.
A more powerful QuickBooks: fixing the problem behind fragmented workflows
Fragmented workflows in growing businesses can hinder efficiency, with multiple systems causing delays and duplicated efforts.
Why one platform will outperform your entire tech stack
In an era of abundant technology, many accounting firms struggle with inefficiencies caused by fragmented systems. The Intuit Accountant Suite offers a solution by integrating client management, workflows, and insights…
Why Automation is the Key to Better Cash Flow in Accounting Firms
Automation is essential for improving cash flow in accounting firms, as operational delays, rather than client issues, often hinder timely payments.
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