This week on the Digi-Tools in Accrual World we share the latest updates in accounting and fintech news.

We kick off with insights on the recent Digital Disruptor Awards and plans for next year’s event.

App News segment covers big names like Iris Software, Telleroo, Xero, and Monzo, with notable updates on faster payments, MTD tools, and AI-driven solutions.

We explore evolving payroll systems, the impact of AI on product development, and integrating multi-functional solutions to streamline business processes and data security.

Don’t miss our discussion on recent AWS outages and their impact on firms, plus the ongoing debate between Xero and QuickBooks users over bank reconciliation. Stay ahead in the world of accounting tech with this comprehensive and engaging episode.

Learn how to harness EVO in Unleashed pre client meetings. Join our Partner Product Webinar on the 17th November at 9pm GTM - https://hubs.la/Q03Q2dcL0

00:00 Introduction

04:44 AI's Role in Rapid Evolution: A Discussion with Ben Carter / Unleashed

App News 15:03 AWS outage slows down multiple SaaS platforms 16:48 Debate: Cloud Dependency and Resilience 20:50 Xero vs QBO: accountants debate the best bank rec tool 27:11 Sage powers Monzo’s new Making Tax Digital tool 28:44 IRIS partners with Telleroo for faster payments 30:31 Modulr's Confirmation of Payee for Batch Payments 32:14 Pleo launches embedded finance solution for SMEs 35:05 Apron's Accounts Receivable Tool 38:06 Appventory’s New Onboarding Methods 41:25 Joiin's Live Data Integration with Excel 45:27 From Fragmentation to Integration: The Evolution of Employment Tools - Employment Hero

55:06 Like and Subscribe!

Get your weekly fix of accounting tech news and fintech news with Digi-Tools in Accrual World. This week, we uncover a shocking new trend: over half of taxpayers are now using AI to prepare their tax returns, but are they ignoring the risks? We debate whether this is an opportunity or a threat for accounting professionals.

Next, we explore a critical topic for accountants: Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. Stu from FreeAgent joins us to explain their unique approach of segregating landlord and sole trader income, and how creating separate ledgers can simplify bookkeeping and boost automation for your clients.

Finally, we reveal the hidden impacts of payroll errors. With a staggering 84% of SMEs having experienced a payroll mistake, we discuss how these errors can erode employee trust and create significant compliance headaches.

Plus, don't miss our roundup of the biggest stories in the accounting tech space:

ICAEW has launched the biggest overhaul of the ACA qualification in 30 years.

TRIVER secures £114m to expand its SME invoice finance platform.

Caseware unveils 'Validate', an AI tool for last-mile audit review tasks.

Thomson Reuters acquires AI startup Additive to boost tax automation.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Welcome to the  Digi-Tools in Accrual World Podcast! 04:06 Segregating Landlord and Sole Trader Income for MTD - FreeAgent

13:49 App News 13:55 ICAEW launches future proofed qualification 17:20 Majority of taxpayers now using AI for tax returns 20:24 TRIVER secures £114m to expand SME lending platform 23:30 Caseware unveils AI audit tool for ‘last-mile’ review tasks 24:41 Light raises $30m to grow AI-powered finance platform 27:01 Thomson Reuters acquires Additive, boosting AI tax automation

28:32 The hidden impacts of payroll errors - Employment Hero 36:57 Come and join us on the pod!

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!

This episode is sponsored by Advancetrack, the go-to outsourcing and podsourcing specialists to help build capacity for your practice.

This week's accounting tech news is dominated by the rapid rise of Accounting AI agents! We take a first look at the US-based “Digits” platform and its AI-powered general ledger, which claims to auto-categorise up to 97% of transactions. We also explore Adsum's new 'Agent Mode' for data interrogation and automated reminders , and discuss how the profession is moving towards a future defined by these specialised AI agents.

Dave Norwell from FreeAgent joins us to tackle the very real challenge of client resistance to MTD for ITSA, sharing common patterns of denial and stressing the need for practices to create a proactive plan. We also round up the latest fintech news, including FYI's new team productivity and interim invoicing tools , a major integration between Active Workpapers and Alphatax for corporation tax , and Xero's new beneficial ownership compliance tool.

Finally, James Rose of Content Snare offers his perspective on the accounting tech scenes in Australia and the UK, comparing tech adoption rates and concluding that the UK is much further ahead than many believe.

00:00 Introduction and Event Highlights

04:17 Client Resistance to MTD - FreeAgent

App News 09:38 FYI Releases Team Productivity and Invoicing Tools 12:29 Gather Nexus Announces Integration with QuickBooks Online 17:09 Adsum Releases OpenTax Agent Mode in Beta 19:25 Active and Alphatax Announce Integration for Corporation Tax 22:45 Strategic Partnerships and Ecosystem Development 23:01 Roveel Partners with Tradebox for Enhanced E-commerce Reporting 24:40 Xero Releases New Beneficial Ownership Compliance Tool 29:33 A First Look at the New “Digits” Accounting Platform 35:37 How Agentic AI is Redefining the Future of Accounting

44:29 AU vs UK - Tech and Compliance Readiness - Content Snare 54:33 Outro

This week, the Digi-Tools in Accrual World podcast brings you front-row access to the biggest news in UK accounting tech! We're fresh from an "insane week" hosting the Digital Disruptor Awards and we're recapping all the winners and highlights from the must-attend event.

Then, in a special takeover episode, we hand the mic to FreeAgent for an exclusive review into their product roadmap and award-winning strategy. Staff Product Manager Stu McEwan joins us to pull back the curtain on:

Strategic Integrations: Why FreeAgent is moving away from a vast ecosystem to focus on selective, "best-in-class" partners in key verticals like practice management and accounts payable.

Award-Winning CIS Module: How listening to accountants shaped a flexible and easy-to-correct CIS solution for both contractors and subcontractors.

Practice Efficiency: A look at new tools like "Find and Fix" for bulk reclassifying transactions and enhanced dashboard controls for managing client tax information and permissions.

Serving Larger Clients: How features like enhanced Management Reports, budgeting, and upcoming Tracking Groups are expanding FreeAgent's capabilities beyond the micro-entity market.

A Pragmatic Approach to AI: Why FreeAgent is deliberately focusing on embedded machine learning rather than jumping on the generative AI hype, prioritising solutions that solve real customer problems.

Finally, James Rose from Content Snare joins us to discuss his realist take on AI in document collection, arguing why protecting the client experience must come before full automation.

Whether you're looking for the latest accounting tech news, insights from the Digital Disruptor Awards, or a strategic look into FreeAgent's future, this episode is unmissable.

TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Welcome to the Digitals and the Cruel World Podcast 09:46 Digital Disruptor Award Win - FreeAgent Reaction ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 14:43 App News - FreeAgent Takeover 15:30 Introducing Stu McEwan 16:36 Approach to Integrations 21:04 FreeAgent Card?! 22:09 Practice Management 24:03 Why CIS? 26:35 Voice of the customer 30:00 Find and Fix 35:09 Management Reports 39:16 FreeAgent's Customer Focus 42:18 Tracking Groups 44:30 Release of the Year 46:30 Hot Topics: Payments and AI ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

54:26 Beyond the Hype: A Pragmatic Approach to AI - Content Snare 01:05:49 Enjoyed the pod? Leave a rating!

Ryan and Indi are back with your weekly dose of accounting tech news and fintech news, headlined by the launch of a new AI-native accounting platform set to challenge the established players - this episode sponsored by Content Snare.

The big story this week is the emergence of Artifact AI, an "agentic AI accountant" backed by a $4 million seed round from Andreessen Horowitz. Is this the beginning of the end for traditional ledgers? Ryan, who has been advising the company, shares his inside take on how these AI-native platforms are built from the ground up to automate workflows and disrupt the market.

The news roundup also covers AccountsIQ's move into non-financial metrics, major compliance updates from Bright and Inform Direct, and Zoho Books' competitive free plan for MTD ITSA.

We're also joined by Paul Sparkes from iplicit to discuss the power of integration, and why moving from a closed legacy system to a connected ecosystem is critical for the mid-market. Then, James Rose from Content Snare dives deep into security, exploring how to balance robust protection with a simple client experience that finally moves accountants away from insecure email exchanges.

00:00 Welcome to Digi-Tools in Accrual World 07:00 From Closed Systems to Connected Solutions - iplicit

17:58 App News 18:03 Artifact AI Launches New Accounting Platform with $4M Seed Funding 22:21 AccountsIQ Unveils New Non-Financial Metrics Tracking Tool 25:31 Unleashed Enhances Platform with AI and Workflow Updates 27:44 Bright Continues Expansion with Acquisition of The Payroll Centre 30:18 Inform Direct Adds Identity Verification for ECCTA Compliance 31:58 Zoho Books Offers Free Software for MTD ITSA 33:52 Paradigm Launches Innovative Spreadsheet with AI in Every Cell

36:14 Beyond Email: How Content Snare is Revolutionising Secure Document Exchange 46:58 Enjoyed the episode? Leave us a rating!

Indi and Ryan are back with the latest accounting tech news and fintech news, leading with their in-depth Xerocon reaction.

Tickets to the Digital Disruptor Awards are now available: https://digitaldisruptorawards2025.eventbrite.co.uk

In this episdoe, sponsored by Tugger, Xero has unveiled its new AI "Financial Superagent," an evolution of JAX. But is it a game-changer or a disappointment? The hosts dive deep into the announcement, discussing the agent's capabilities for providing insights rather than processing transactions, the staggered global rollout which initially excludes the UK, and other key updates from Xerocon, including a new homepage, payment features, and payroll enhancements.

The app news doesn't stop there. The duo also covers Dext's impressive new AI-powered line item extraction and the latest innovations from QuickBooks, including a 'Pay by Bank' feature, enhanced CIS functionality, and a direct PayPal integration.

We round off the news with Socket's new Zapier integration, unlocking more automation for your practice

00:00 Welcome to Digi-Tools in Accrual World 03:05 Solving the Month-End Bottleneck - iplicit ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ App News 13:25 Xero Reveals "Financial Superagent" 15:38 Other Xerocon Announcements and more on JAX 2.0 23:56 Xero Payroll Updates 25:58 Dext Adds AI Line Item Extraction via Unleashed 29:59 QuickBooks Launches New AI-Powered Innovations 34:52 Socket Announces New Zapier Integration ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 36:28 Making it 'Stupid Easy' for clients to provide MTD info - Content Snare 47:18 Enjoyed the pod? Leave us a rating!

This episode's sponsors:

iplicit: https://www.iplicit.com Content Snare: https://contentsnare.com/ Tugger: https://tuggerapp.com

Stay ahead with the latest accounting tech news and fintech news on Digi-Tools in Accrual World.

This episode (sponsored by Scoro), we dive deep into two critical areas: AI-driven forecasting and cost-effective client reporting.

First, discover how to make budgeting smarter by removing human emotion and bias from your forecasts. We talk with Paul Sparkes about how iplicit's new AI tools are enhancing ERP systems to provide more accurate, data-driven financial projections.

Later in the show learn how to unlock better client reporting and simplify your Power BI sharing process with Craig Morrall from Tugger.

Plus, get caught up on the biggest headlines in the accounting tech space, including:

M&A Alert: Dutch payments giant Mollie in talks to acquire GoCardless.

Compliance Tech: How Firmcheck is preparing firms for new Companies House ID verification rules.

Feature Updates: Dext introduces live VAT number validation to fight fraud.

Industry Trends: Surprising research shows senior accountants are adopting AI faster than juniors.

ERP Evolution: Oracle launches a new AI connector for NetSuite to enhance data integration.

(00:00) Welcome to Digi-Tools in Accrual World (03:47) Make Budgeting Smarter with AI Forecasting (14:59) App News Roundup (15:04) Mollie in Talks to Acquire GoCardless (17:15) Roveel Rolls Out Summer Platform Upgrades (19:01) Firmcheck Ready to Help Firms Meet New Companies House ID Rules (21:25) Dext Introduces Live VAT Checks (23:56) Accounting Seniors LEAD Juniors in AI Adoption (26:01) Clockwork.ai Partners with Thomson Reuters (29:45) Oracle Launches NetSuite AI Connector (33:22) Xero Urges Government for SME Digital Roadmap (36:59) Unlock Better Client Dashboards for Less (47:27) Leave a rating to help us grow the podcast!

This episode's sponsors

iplicit: https://www.iplicit.com Tugger: https://tuggerapp.com Scoro: https://www.scoro.com/