With 2025 drawing to a close sooner than we think, the accounting industry landscape is set to become even more digital-first as 2026 arrives. Technological tools are advancing, paving the way for automation and AI to take centre stage while the shift toward business advisory services will also dictate how the industry changes in the coming years.
In order to keep up to date with the latest trends within the industry for the year ahead, our guest blogger, Jessica Tonelli compiled a list of what you should be embracing so that your firm can stay ahead, look to the future, and thrive in a competitive market.
The projected growth of AI from 2025-2030 is set to increase by 461% within a range of $6.68 billion in 2025, skyrocketing by 2030 to $37.6 billion. The automation market is lucrative and with that, your accounting firm can utilise the AI boom to boost your own profits. When you’ve embraced automation for administration, bookkeeping, and data entry (to name a few), the focus can be shifted to data interpretation, financial strategy, and client advisory services.
The ability to offer your clients valuable insights into their financial outlook means being able to offer services that were once looked over. Your services can be scaled to improve your overall profit margins due to being able to offer more complex services, while having the opportunity to upskill your staff and improve career progression for your team, bolstering retention.
The recruitment landscape within the Australian accounting industry has faltered and turnover rates are a concern. A study from CFO Brew found that turnover within CPA firms averaged 15% and in professional services firms, including the Big Four, averaged 13.4% in 2022. The demand for highly-skilled and ambitious accountants has never been higher and yet the industry is still facing challenges in finding and retaining talented staff.
A popular option to solve this issue has been to look to outsourcing companies who are well-trained and trusted within the industry. Many firms are seeking to partner with teams that are tailored to your personal work style and well-versed in adapting to your individual compliance needs. A trend the industry will see in 2026 will be accountants looking to pass over the recruitment lag and look to partner with companies that are skilled and readily available to complete high quality compliance work.
Soft skills are one of the most important and essential tools that an accountant can have that sets them apart from the rest of the market. Your skill to effectively communicate, empathise, reframe and strategise with your clients and staff will be one of the most impactful trends of 2026.
Your ability to problem-solve, harness critical thinking, encourage collaboration, and lead by example are just some of the ways you can exercise your soft skills. While the accounting industry has heavily relied upon their ability to think unilaterally in the past, the future of the industry relies upon how an accountant can identify with their clients and work together with their team to deliver outcomes that are multi-faceted.
While automation is a large component of the shifting future of the accounting industry, there needs to be services that take the place of what is now covered by AI. Business advisory services are the surest way that a firm can forecast their future and improve upon their services to increase profitability and sustainability in a competitive market.
From being able to work with your team to improve their career trajectory through business advisory to being able to offer your clients strategic advice that could change their financial goals - these services have been the top trend for the accounting industry for a number of years. The best way to harness this to increase your firm’s chances of withstanding a long and lucrative future is to make strong connections within your sphere to offer your clients alternative advice, work on your skills to identify your client’s goals and how to address those in an impactful way, and creatively collaborate with your staff to ensure they know how to advise in a way that forges long-standing client relationships.
