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There is just under a month to go until entries for the Accounting Excellence Awards close on 20 May. Matthew Ord shares more on this year’s awards, including the new categories, while Tom Herbert outlines the trends he expects to see in the entries and offers some good advice on what actually makes a good entry. After an Any Answers post criticised AccountingWEB for covering artificial intelligence (AI) too much, Herbert argued that AI is changing the profession too quickly to ignore. Calling it a “noisy tech transition”, he said there is a clear appetite for education and information. Drawing on conversations from Sage’s AI roadshows, Herbert noted that many attendees were sole practitioners and small firms at the start of their AI journey, looking for guidance, something which AccountingWEB can provide. Finally, Ord looks at the profession’s ongoing skills gap, which shows little sign of easing. He reflects on his conversation with AAT chief executive Sarah Beale, who warned that the profession is still not doing enough to show how much it has changed. Ord and Herbert agree that finance and accountancy have never been especially strong at selling themselves, keeping old ideas about the profession alive.

Making Tax Digital (MTD) has finally become a reality, more than a decade after it was first announced. Richard Hattersley reflects on the journey so far, from the highs and lows to where MTD stands today, including the National Audit Office report, confidence levels, costs and how the initiative has changed. The team also argues that the real crunch point is not 6 April, but the first filing deadline on 7 August, as they discuss systems, preparedness, sign-ups and what comes next. Tom Herbert then turns to another hot topic, artificial intelligence (AI). After attending NetSuite, he shares what he saw, what was announced and the key themes that emerged. He also looks at OpenAI’s growing interest in tax policy, outlining what has been said and what it could mean for the profession. Finally, Matthew Ord reflects on the first series of Inside the Numbers, which featured conversations with FDs and CFOs about the metrics they use. The team explores finance leaders’ attitudes to technology and automation, what comes next as AI frees up more time, and why KPIs matter as early warning systems. Stay tuned for the second series of Inside the Numbers on AccountingWEB.

While MTD and AI dominated the chatter at the Finance, Accounting and Bookkeeping Show, one theme kept surfacing above the noise: accountants are still searching for software that solves real problems rather than just adding another shiny layer of complexity. This was the broad verdict from Hancock and Hastings director Amy Hancock and AAG managing director Aaron Patrick, who joined AccountingWEB’s No Accounting for Tech podcast from the show floor in Birmingham to talk through what had caught their eye, what had not, and where firms may be placing their bets as the software shopping window opens. For full show notes visit: https://www.accountingweb.co.uk/content/software-shopping-season-less-sizzle-more-substance

How can a firm broadening their horizons improve a relationship with a client? Aaron Patrick and Eriona Bajrakurtaj join The Progressive Firm Podcast to discuss the journey of introducing a new service line and knowing when the time is right.

Tom Herbert opens the podcast with two tech stories from Companies House and HMRC. First, he unpacks a security flaw at Companies House that left confidential details linked to more than five million companies exposed, explaining what happened, how Companies House responded and how serious the breach was. He then turns to HMRC’s decision to reintroduce multi-factor authentication for agents from June, following a series of cyberattacks on agent accounts, looking at why the measure was introduced and later withdrawn, why it is now returning, and the general reaction. Richard Hattersley then tackles one of the biggest questions in the profession’s M&A boom: what is the endgame for private equity-backed firms? He explores the possible exit routes, from sales to larger private equity houses and further consolidation, to initial public offerings, outside buyers such as banks or tech vendors, or even a wave of management buyouts if private equity interest collapses. The team weighs up each one and how realistic it may be. Matthew Ord closes the episode with news that the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has set out plans for what it calls a major evolution of its audit supervisory model, following the scrapping of the audit reform bill in January. He examines what is being proposed, when changes could take effect, and whether this latest attempt at reform has a genuine chance of improving audit oversight. The team shares their views on whether it will lead to meaningful change.

In the latest episode of our Inside the Numbers podcast – which pulls back the curtain on the KPIs of finance leaders – Chris Sharp of Intercity Technology sees out series one with the three main metrics that help him navigate his work, as well as discussing his non-traditional route into the profession and the need to be able to tell a story with data.

Recorded live on day two of FAB, the team discuss the sessions they hosted, the conversations happening across the show floor and hot topics, from artificial intelligence (AI) to Making Tax Digital (MTD). They also unpack the insights from the MTD Accountability Club session, Sage’s AI Labs and the growing interest in fractional CFO services. Sharing takeaways from roundtable discussions with mid-tier firms and finance leaders, along with reflections on keynote sessions from Dan Neidle and Rebecca Benneyworth, the team have been busy. Catch up on the key insights and conversations from the show floor.

The government’s Making Tax Digital programme has prompted a rush of banks to release tools to handle its new quarterly filing requirement through basic accounting functionality, without the complexity of a full-scale accounting platform. Is the all-in-one ledger finally here? AccountingWEB speaks to Starling Bank’s Dan Hogan to find out. For links to everything discussed and full show notes visit: https://www.accountingweb.co.uk/tech/accounting-software/can-banks-become-the-front-door-to-accounting-data No Accounting for Tech was written and produced by Tom Herbert

Stephen Murdoch, CEO of Bright, joined the No Accounting for Tech podcast to discuss the group’s ambitious journey toward a "one-stop shop" for accounting firms, and acknowledged that the initial communication around moving BrightPay customers from desktop to cloud "didn't land well enough". For full show notes visit: https://www.accountingweb.co.uk/content/brights-ceo-reflects-on-practice-pain-points

With our technology editor, Tom Herbert, off on holiday, we have parachuted in Rebecca Benneyworth, an upcoming speaker at FAB to offer her thoughts in the run up to the event. Ahead of her first session, MTD Accountability Club Live, Benneyworth reflects on her hands-on experience of MTD testing. She outlines what she has learned, how the process has worked in practice, and the growing pressure as deadlines approach. She also encourages firms to sign up at least one client now to understand the year-end filing process and what it will really involve. Staying with MTD, she sets out what the final weeks before 6 April 2026 should look like for practices – what needs to be actioned, what should already be in place, and where firms cannot afford to fall behind. Turning to her second session, Rebecca Benneyworth: Live At FAB, she highlights the tax and technical changes on the horizon. In particular, she focuses on the new tax agent registration requirements, explaining what is changing, why it matters, and how firms should prepare.

In this special episode, Sam Gooding, Nikki Adams and James Bennett - all of whom are speaking at the Finance, Accounting and Bookkeeping Show (FAB) - discuss some of the lessons learned on their growth journeys.

In the latest episode of our Inside the Numbers podcast – which pulls back the curtain on the KPIs of finance leaders – Alton Nutile of GeoAcoustics reveals the three main metrics that help him navigate his work, as well as how the role is evolving and why being able to explain the facts and figures is so important.

Tom Herbert opens the podcast by looking at accounting firm consolidators and the difficulty of integrating acquired practices. Following news that the sale of Xeinadin has collapsed after its private equity owners failed to land a £1bn-plus price tag, he explores Xeinadin’s background and the challenges of knitting together different tech stacks, workflows and data. Drawing on his conversation with M&A specialist David Boyd, he asks whether AI can genuinely speed up this change or whether old mistakes are being repeated. In other news, it was announced that the timeline for small companies and micro entities to file their profit and loss (P&L) accounts with Companies House has been paused following stakeholder concerns. Richard Hattersley outlines what happened and whether this was expected. He reveals that many have welcomed the delay with 2027 already shaping up to be a busy year. And lastly, Matthew Ord shares his chat with Bob Horgan, FD at Central Technology who believes there’s a push towards AI and automation to cut costs and free finance for more strategic work. The team questions whether these organisations have the culture, data quality and system fit to turn that promise into real value.

The new series of the show sees Emma Reid of Cottons and Paul Attridge of Gerald Edelman look at how to keep client relationships strong during the sometimes difficult-to-navigate self assessment season.

At the end of last year, Matthew Ord may or may not have made a glowing prediction about the positive direction audit reform will take in 2026… Anyway, this week he discusses the Audit Reform Bill being scrapped, almost eight years since Carillion entered compulsory liquidation. The team unpacks the reasons behind the decision, what it means for firms and whether there’s still a will for change. Found on Any Answers, Tom Herbert shares an issue with payroll software underpaying pension contributions for women on maternity leave. He covers what’s happening, the attention it’s getting, the scale of the problem, who’s responsible and how it can be fixed. Richard Hattersley also shares conversations he’s had with firms accepting consolidation offers because they’re unsure the opportunity will still be there in five years. He questions, have we hit the peak in the M&A market? The team reflects on valuations, market activity, regulatory changes and whether large private equity firms may shift their focus from small practices to larger targets.