Is your accounting tech stack becoming "Accountable" or just more confusing?

From AI agents that hunt through your inbox to the battle over mid-market marketing, the latest episode of the #DigiToolsinAccrualWorld podcast is packed with the insights you need to navigate the noise.

Here's what we’re breaking down this next week:

The Main Stories

FreeAgent’s Bank-Led CIS: We explore how FreeAgent is tackling the MTD for Income Tax headache by allowing CIS transactions directly from bank coding.

As Lara Manton C.MICB puts it, most subcontractors don’t care about complex domestic reverse charges - they just care about the money in. This could be a massive win for reducing the admin burden.

Fathom’s New AI Commentary: 🎙️ Ryan Pearcy looks at Fathom’s new tool that moves beyond "boring jargon". Instead of just restating the obvious, it uses "context engineering" to explain the why behind the numbers.

Firmcheck’s AML Evolution: Ian Gregory highlights how Firmcheck is shifting the conversation from simple "onboarding" to "ongoing compliance". In an era of "Companies House blunders," having a single AML control centre is becoming defensible and critical.

The Bits You Can't Miss:

🤖 "I’ve now got AI reading my emails, but I certainly wouldn’t let it send any without my permission." - Ian Gregory on the security of Apron’s new AI agent, William.

😬 "If you're not going to be fair to others in this space... you're not going to damage them. You're going to damage yourself." - Ryan Pearcy on the recent "angst" between iplicit and Sage over marketing comparison tables.

🧐 "Is it SaaS or is it 'Software as an Intelligent Service'?" - The team debates Xero’s new "Accountable Intelligence" branding and whether we really need another acronym for AI.

Stay informed with the latest accounting tech news and fintech news in this episode of Digi-Tools in Accrual World - this episode sponsored by Advancetrack.

Indi Tatla and John Toon are joined by Robbie from Forvis Mazars to discuss the rapid shift in the UK software landscape as MTD for ITSA approaches.

The team breaks down the recent QuickBooks update for sole traders and the strategic move by Sage and Barclays to provide an integrated banking and accounting experience. We also look at the rise of AI assistants within banking apps like Starling and how Dext is using AI to codify firm-level judgment for better automation.

A major highlight of this episode is the news from Briefcase regarding their AI-native MTD platform, Briefcase One, which aims to handle complex areas like fixed assets and depreciation. We also discuss Revolut finally securing its UK banking license and what their expansion means for the SME market. Finally, we look at recent data regarding AI adoption in accounting firms and whether security concerns are still acting as a blocker for core workflows.

00:00 Introduction to Digi-Tools in Accrual World 03:02 QuickBooks and the New Sole Trader Experience 05:46 Barclays and Sage announce strategic partnership 07:09 Starling launches integrated accounting and MTD tool 09:42 Dext launches AI Assist tool to enhance supplier rule automation 13:27 Briefcase's Disruptive Innovations in Pre-Accounting 21:25 Revolut's Banking License and Market Expansion 26:15 Digits expands payroll connectivity 27:14 AI in Accounting: Current State and Future Prospects 31:11 Outro

This episode is sponsored by Advancetrack.

Advancetrack provides modern accounting and tax outsourcing solutions, helping practices access top-tier talent and robust security measures to scale their business and focus on client relationships.

Visit their website: https://www.advancetrack.com/

In this episode of Digi-Tools in Accrual World, Ryan Pearcy is joined by Eriona Bajrakurtaj and Kevin Fitzgerald to break down the most significant developments in accounting tech news and fintech news. The team explores how major platforms are moving beyond simple automation to embed artificial intelligence directly into the core of the accounting workflow.

The conversation covers the recent Intuit Get Connected event, where the global platform announced a massive shift toward AI-driven compliance. We examine what the partnership with Anthropic means for the rollout of custom AI agents and how the new business tax beta aims to proactively identify tax savings. The panel also reviews the latest product roadmap from FreeAgent and how they are positioning themselves to compete with larger players through rapid development and MTD readiness.

Beyond the software updates, we look at the broader economic landscape affecting the profession. Drawing on the latest data from Xero and Employment Hero, we discuss the 8.8 per cent rise in SME wages, persistent late payment challenges, and why the era of the Frankenstack—disjointed software collections—is rapidly coming to an end in favour of unified systems.

We also highlight new innovations in compliance and portfolio management, including the MTD Command Centre from Bots for That, the integration between FYI and AMLCC, and Starling Bank's expansion into integrated tax software.

• 00:00 Intro and Welcome

• 02:40 Employment Hero

• 03:21 Intuit scales up AI capabilities as MTD deadline approaches

• 07:38 Intuit partners with Anthropic to bring custom AI agents

• 11:33 Intuit launches business tax AI beta to simplify filings

• 14:06 FreeAgent product spotlight 2026

• 18:37 Latest Xero data reveals small businesses are still facing persistent late payment challenges

• 21:18 Latest Xero data reveals small businesses are still facing persistent late payment challenges

• 23:33 UK SME wages rise by 8.8 per cent sparking concerns over potential price increases

• 27:28 Innovations in Fintech and Compliance Tools

• 27:37 Bots for That unveils a new MTD control centre for centralised client portfolio management

• 29:51 FYI and AMLCC integrate to automate anti-money laundering compliance for accountancy firms

• 31:09 Starling Bank expands business features with integrated HMRC-recognised software for digital tax

• 33:08 Xenon Connect releases a process tool to replace manual checklists for compliance reviews

• 35:19 Outro

This episode is sponsored by Employment Hero. Visit their website: https://employmenthero.co.uk