16 predictions for accounting tech for 2026

January 9, 2026 10:19 AM

Like the year before it, 2026 will be a year of great change as the accounting profession continues its digital transformation journey. Accounting Today reached out to roughly 150 practitioners, vendors, consultants and advocates who provided us their predictions on how all that change will unfold.

While the particulars varied, certain strong patterns began to emerge, such as a strong focus on AI governance, a demand for tangible results for their AI investments, and consolidation of tech stacks. We explore these themes in detail here, but there were many others that, while not exactly fitting these motifs, nonetheless were compelling. Below is a selection of some of the 2026 predictions that most captured our attention.

Thank you to everyone who sent us their thoughts.

You can read our deeper examination of the trends here and an expanded version of the insights below, along with additional predictions, here.

AI GOVERNANCE COMES TO THE FORE

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The question is no longer whether to use AI, it's how to use it responsibly and defensibly. Boards are asking for AI inventories, model risk frameworks, and clear guardrails around high-risk use cases. Investors are beginning to view AI governance in the same context as cybersecurity and data privacy. … The most forward-looking organizations understand that in a world where everyone claims responsible AI, evidence will matter more than slogans.

– Avani Desai, CEO, Schellman

I think there will be a greater demand for human oversight and governance over AI systems to help mitigate the risks associated with technology. … Demonstrating "why we trust AI outputs" will be as important as producing those outputs.

– Will Bible, audit and assurance partner and digital products leader, Deloitte.

In many cases, agents can do roughly half of the tasks that people now do — but that requires a new kind of governance, both to manage risks and improve outputs. The good news: The proliferation of new, tech-enabled AI governance approaches brings new techniques to the challenge. Automated red teaming, deepfake detection, AI enabled inventory management, and other advancements can help make continuous assessment and monitoring a reality.

– Dan Priest, chief AI officer, PwC

THE DEMAND FOR RESULTS

Firms will finally stop tolerating tools that no longer deliver measurable value and will subject every piece of software in their stack to audit-level scrutiny. The most successful practices will be defined not by how much technology they have adopted, but by their willingness to write off the tools that do not pass muster.

— Ariege Misherghi, senior vice president and general manager, Bill

AI GETS EMBEDDED

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As AI tools become more prevalent in accounting, AI agents embedded directly in software workflows and agent standards such as Model Context Protocol will help ensure data remains secure, contextually accurate and deliver context relevant insight.

-- Craig Sullivan, group vice president of product management, Oracle NetSuite

The cost of high-quality models will be driven down, which will change how people utilize AI in the industry. … This will contribute to the shift of AI becoming more ambient. It won't be noticed as much; it will just exist and become the default in how work gets done.

-- Jeremy Ung, chief technology officer, BlackLine

In 2026, AI won't be something revenue teams 'adopt' — it will be the infrastructure they're built on. CROs are moving from dashboards and retroactive reporting to intelligence that anticipates risk, accelerates time-to-revenue, and guides every step of the customer journey.

— Michele Shepard, chief revenue officer, Emburse

INTEGRATIONS WILL BE KEY

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Accounting technology in 2026 will be less about isolated tools and more about connected, agentic AI enabled systems that improve efficiency and quality at the same time.

-- Erik Asgeirsson,

CPA.com

In 2026, accounting technology won't just evolve, it will rapidly accelerate toward full integration. Disconnected tools will still exist, but their lifespan will continue shrinking, fast. Integration will be the new innovation, and hybrid platforms and fully integrated ecosystems will become the norm.

-- Adam Orentlicher, senior vice president and chief technology officer, Wolters Kluwer

Most AI tools aren't deeply integrated into the platforms accountants actually use every day…. In 2026, I expect that to change. The major software providers that dominate tax, audit, and research are beginning to integrate AI across their entire platforms. Once that happens, AI becomes much more than a novelty.

— Matt Fargo, co-founder and managing partner, Kurtz Fargo LLP

Accounting technology is entering an era where systems talk to each other, data flows in real time and insights are delivered instantly. The next frontier is using these capabilities to create a more efficient, transparent and predictable experience for clients, from onboarding to reporting.

-- Christopher McPhee, chief information officer, PKF O'Connor Davies

LEANER TECH STACKS

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In 2026, accounting technology strategies will be defined by consolidation. After years of layering new tools onto existing systems, many firms, particularly those with sizable audit and TAS practices, will prioritize rationalizing their tech stacks. The objective will be to reduce complexity, integration gaps, and redundant workflows that slow engagement delivery and frustrate staff.

— Justin Pulgrano, senior vice president of strategic growth, Crunchafi

AI will hasten the consolidation of the accounting tech stack in 2026 from a host of standalone point solutions to core work platforms. Consolidated platforms dramatically enhance the value of AI by capturing all the relevant data that AI needs to create value in a single place, and then providing a platform for the AI to automate low-value work (with human oversight).

— Davis Bell, CEO, Canopy

The data is compelling: firms with highly integrated technology see nearly 80% revenue growth, compared to under 50% for those without. Yet many firms are still juggling 15 or more disconnected tools, creating data silos and inefficiencies that hinder them.

— Eva Mrazikova, senior director, IRIS Accountancy

MORE WILL START THEIR OWN FIRMS

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It's an optimal time to start one's own accounting firm; further, with AI as an enabler, more professionals will be empowered to start their own business.

— Jarrod Randall, senior partner consultant, Xero

In 2026, we'll see accounting technology increasingly influenced by the rise of the "Frontier Firm" — organizations that blend human judgment with AI, embedded into finance and accounting workflows.

— Paul Goodhew, global assurance innovation and emerging tech leader, EY

2026 WILL BE THE YEAR OF CAS

AI will put CAS on every accountant's menu in 2026. As AI becomes the super assistant behind the scenes, more accountants will have the capacity to deliver the kind of advisory work clients always hoped for. … With AI, there's no reason why any firm should leave CAS off their list of offerings.

— Tammy Hahn, senior vice president of product for Ignition

With practice management, we will see an increase in support for small and emerging firms around processes and operations, especially with CAS, where this support will be through three primary models: practice management solutions, revenue sharing models, and franchise models.

— Joe Woodard, CEO, Woodard

AI WILL BE TABLE STAKES, NOT ASPIRATIONS

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We'll start to see AI literacy and fluency become table stakes across the profession, and every role will be AI‑enabled by default. We'll quickly move from the current model, where agents assist with tasks, to one where they actually run workflows — but still under human direction. … I believe we'll also see AI bringing a new sense of meaning to the profession.

— Sandra Oliver, global assurance talent leader, EY

AI in accounting systems is no longer an added luxury or advanced option, it is table stakes for any business that wants to remain competitive.

— Mike Kaufman, vice president of managed infrastructure and cloud services, Aktion Associates

AI ADOPTION WILL GROW MORE DELIBERATE

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By 2026, AI adoption in accounting will be slower and more deliberate than many expect. … In the near term, the biggest gains will come from strengthening execution through automation and standardization, while true AI capable of handling complex judgment and compliance-critical work matures more slowly and earns trust.

— Ilya Radzinsky, co-founder and president, TaxDome

NEW CAREERS WITH AI

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By 2026, roles like AI compliance officers and finance technologists will emerge as core to the profession. Firms that create room for growth and help people adapt will attract and retain the talent of the future. We're already redesigning career paths and building leadership programs to help our people guide clients through this new era.

— Jeanna Shapiro, chief people and culture officer, Grant Thornton

As intelligent systems take on more of the execution layer in finance, someone needs to guide how those systems behave — and yes, I'm biased, but the role best positioned for that is the CTO. We've been preparing for this moment for a long time.

— Aaron Harris, CTO, Sage

BATTLE BETWEEN LEGACY PROVIDERS AND STARTUPS HEATS UP

2026 will be a challenging year for CPAs to sort through all the emerging AI-infused technology tools in order to develop the optimal tech strategy for their firms. There will be a fierce battle between legacy solution providers trying to hold on to their customer base by integrating the power of AI into their applications versus the new startups that build innovation applications using state of the art technology without the burden of integrating into a legacy application.

— John Higgins, strategic technology advisor, Higgins Advisory

GOODBYE CHATBOTS, HELLO AGENTS

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Web chat is a dying technology. Yeah, chat AI isn't going to be around because people are going to want to call. Chatbots are going away. Soon every business will have AI agents in the same way they have websites and apps.

— Alex Levin, CEO, Regal

We're likely to see an expanded integration of AI into the business processes of accounting firms, as employees move beyond simply chatting with bots and toward deploying agents to take ownership of low-value and repetitive work.

— Gentry Sherrill, COO, Ledgible

A BOT FOR EVERY PERSON

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Firms will employ at least one virtual agent for every CPA on staff within the next five years. This 1:1 ratio will crush talent shortages and act as a cost-effective way to bolster productivity and curb burnout. AI agents will handle manual research, data extraction, and routine analysis, culling vital information from trusted sources — like the Tax Code and a firm's own financial documents — to distill key insights and solve specific tax-related problems. The result: higher-value work for humans, and a decreased attrition rate that can help make the profession attractive to new talent again.

— Elizabeth Beastrom, president, tax and accounting professionals, Thomson Reuters

SPECIALISTS NOT AS SPECIAL

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AI could soon end a shift that has marked most of the industrial era — the ever-increasing specialization of work. Agents can increasingly do the specialized tasks that fill the workdays of experienced, mid-tier employees. … As agents — available for anyone to buy or rent — take on more "midlevel" work, differentiation comes from senior professionals who excel at strategy and innovation. With more talent concentrated at the junior and senior levels, and a smaller mid-tier, the knowledge workforce may look like an hourglass.

— Dan Priest, chief AI officer, PwC

THE CAPACITY PROBLEM WILL BE LESS OF A PROBLEM

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For years, it's been accepted that capacity is the biggest constraint in our profession, but that will begin to shift as technology helps us solve that problem. As automation and offshore models become more seamless, firms will be able to serve more clients effectively without overextending people. The old thinking that you have to "trim the tail" of the smaller, less profitable clients will fade away because tech will make it possible to serve all clients profitably. They will just be served differently.

— Tim Brackney, CEO, Springline Advisory

LESS STRESS AND BURNOUT

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2026 will mark a meaningful shift in how accountants experience their careers. The narrative is moving away from "busy season burnout" toward a profession that is more sustainable, more strategic, and more human. … The result of all of this is that accountants in 2026 will feel more fulfilled, better compensated, and less overwhelmed, not because the work went away, but because technology finally carried its share of the load.

— Davis Bell, CEO, Canopy

[TR sees] AI freeing tax pros from the unsustainable "80-to-100-hour week" model and allowing them to get back to the fundamentals of the profession: critical thinking, curiosity, adaptability, and great counsel.

— Elizabeth Beastrom, president, tax and accounting professionals, Thomson Reuters