Welcome back to Digi-Tools in Accrual World, your weekly source for the latest accounting tech news and fintech news! This week, Indi and Ryan dive into a massive wave of AI innovation sweeping the industry.

The AI revolution is here! We break down Microsoft's game-changing "Agent Mode" for Excel, which promises to automate complex data analysis and reporting tasks. In other huge app news, Karbon has acquired the AI platform Aider to supercharge its practice management capabilities, and Sage is getting ahead of the curve by launching a new AI agent designed to tackle the administrative burden of MTD for ITSA.

Join us as we cover all the essential updates you need to know, including:

• Karbon's AI Future: An in-depth look at the Aider acquisition and what it means for practice management.

• Microsoft's "Agent Mode": How AI is about to turbocharge Excel and Word for accountants.

• Sage's MTD Agent: A new tool to automate client onboarding and quarterly submissions.

• App News Round-up: Dext introduces a WhatsApp integration for easy receipt capture, QuickBooks unveils a major UI overhaul, Acting Office integrates with FreeAgent, and Brieff connects with Karbon for smarter meeting workflows.

• MTD Client Transition: We catch up with Dave from FreeAgent to discuss strategies for moving clients to MTD.

• Payroll Pitfalls: Kevin Fitzgerald from Employment Hero joins us to explain why running payroll on spreadsheets is a recipe for disaster.

This episode is packed with critical insights into the tools and trends shaping the future of accounting. Don't miss out on the latest fintech news! Chapters 00:00 Welcome to Digi-Tools in Accrual World

App News 16:02 Karbon Acquires Aider to Boost AI Capabilities 18:18 Brieff Announces Integration with Karbon 21:16 Dext Introduces WhatsApp Integration 22:26 QuickBooks Unveils New User Interface 24:20 Acting Office Integrates with FreeAgent 28:50 Microsoft Introduces "Agent Mode" for Excel 32:01 Xero Launches New Partner Hub 34:22 Sage Announces AI Agent for MTD

37:58 Why Running Payroll on Spreadsheets is a recipe for disaster - Employment Hero

44:24 Accountants and Bookkeepers - Come and join us on the pod!