AI: make time to take time

While all eyes may be on MTD, the chatter is about the use, or lack of it, among accountancy practices, writes Vipul Sheth.

It’s (literally) been an eventful few weeks, what with Advancetrack’s flagship gbX conference, Accountex, and the launch of the Accounting Talent Index 2026. I also attended the Kreston Global Conference – which Advancetrack sponsored – along with colleague Louise Walpole.

This period is an intense one for myself and the team, because we end up having a greater volume of conversations with clients, prospects, and other vendors.

There has been chatter about the day-to-day for accountants – namely, getting clients, software and processes working as the first reporting period for Making Tax Digital approaches.

However, the main topic of discussion won’t surprise you: AI. Or, to be more precise, what will the world of accountancy look like in an AI world.

The noise around AI and professional services over the last couple of years has been how jobs will fall as AI steps in. You would think, therefore, that accountants would want to wrest control of this potential situation; in other words, how do we use AI to enhance and support what we do, rather than just take over calculations, processes and workflows?

Move AI beyond email-writing

What concerns me is that it appears there’s not enough work being undertaken by firms to navigate the changes that are coming down the track because of AI. Anecdotally, AI usage/testing is light-touch and very informal. Using it to write emails or rearrange the inbox is fine, but it’s not enough.

The Accounting Talent Index provides quantitative evidence: just 16% of the 500 respondents said their firm was actively investing in AI.

I have said this before: It’s difficult to pull your firm, or its individuals, outside of the day-to-day focus – particularly with the ebbs and flows of new compliance/tax requirements. But the most successful firms are those that embrace the new. Perhaps look at AI to make MTD easier for your firm and clients?

Martec’s Law provides that technology advances at an exponential rate, and organisations can’t change quickly enough to keep up. But those that are curious, and prepared to try (and sometimes fail), will eventually find new and better ways of working.

Some might say that accountancy firms backed by private equity have the financial clout to take more risks than other models of practice – I don’t buy that. Independent practices can overcome financial barriers by having more opportunity to flex their culture – to be more inquisitive without spending their time reporting back to their owners every quarter.

And before anyone asks, Advancetrack is far from immune to AI disruption. We are working very hard to leverage it to make us a better organisation, and by definition, better serve practices.

Vipul Sheth is founder and MD of Advancetrack

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