Tech news: Luca IQ launches with e-file approved tax engine for CPA firms

Published July 31, 2026 12:20 PM

1 Min Read

Luca IQ launches with e-file approved tax engine for CPA firms; Workday touts new Financial Audit Agent; Cherry Hill Advisory launches AI-enabled internal audit services; and other accounting tech news and updates.

Luca IQ launches with e-file approved tax engine for CPA firms

Angelo Policicchio

Luca IQ, a new tax solutions provider for CPA firms, has launched today with a tax engine built exclusively for firms, which has already passed IRS Assurance Testing and is now an Authorized IRS e-file Provider. The platform automates workpaper preparation, converts source documents into structured tax inputs, calculates returns through a deterministic engine, and gives tax professionals a complete audit trail and final review before filing. Users upload client source documents, including W-2s, 1099s, K-1s, and brokerage statements and Luca IQ reads each document and maps the values to the specific lines of the return they belong on, with every figure traceable back to the document it came from. Nothing is retyped. The engine then computes every return using rules-based logic rather than probabilistic models. The same inputs always produce the same result, and every figure traces back to the rule and the source document that produced it. Luca IQ then transmits completed returns to the IRS itself versus routing filings through a separate transmitter sitting on top of an older engine. It is touted as an API-first platform that allows firms and fintechs to connect tax filing directly to the rest of their systems while keeping the tax professional in control; a single call returns a completed return as structured data, as a formatted PDF, or as a return e-filed with the IRS. Luca IQ does not sell to taxpayers. It sells only through CPA and tax firms and does not offer a DIY product for clients to file without accountants. CPA and tax firms are onboarding now ahead of the upcoming filing season.

Workday touts new Financial Audit Agent

HR, finance and IT platform Workday announced the availability of its Financial Audit Agent. The new agent works within Workday's Accounting Agent, their broader agent. The new agent removes automatically gathers audit evidence. Accountants and controllers simply ask for the evidence they need—an invoice, a supplier contract, a bank reconciliation—and the agent retrieves it instantly through a natural language interface, then assembles everything into a compilation package ready to share with auditors and other stakeholders. In the future, the agent will also be able to do audit testing. The Financial Audit Agent's upcoming testing capabilities will test 100% of transactions, surface exceptions immediately, and recommend remediation—replacing periodic spot-checks with continuous, always-on testing.

Cherry Hill Advisory launches AI-enabled internal audit services

Audit Robotic process automation RPA concept. Robot pressing button on screen 3d render.

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Internal audit and risk management solutions provider Cherry Hill Advisory announced the launch of AI-Enabled Internal Audit Services. Specifically, the firm is now offering predictive risk assessment that builds a forward-looking risk picture built by 3 AI models running in parallel; AI governance assessments via adversarial scans of your LLMs; a map and grading of assurance coverage across 3 lines; segregation-of-duties conflict detection; third party risk program audits; SOC report reviews; exposure analysis to IIA requirements; and internal audit function benchmarks. Practitioners lead every engagement, and an AI-enabled team and toolbox handle the parts that used to consume the calendar.

Workiva launches agents and intelligence layer to coordinate them

Cloud-based financial reporting technology company Workiva announced three purpose-built AI agents and Workiva Knowledge, a persistent intelligence layer grounded in an organization's data, instructions, and content. The Tie-Out Agent performs comprehensive checks across financial reports, flagging discrepancies and surfacing AI-generated explanations for each variance; the Benchmarking Agent analyzes publicly filed peer data from 10-Ks and 10-Qs filed with the SEC, enabling financial reporting teams to build custom peer groups, identify disclosure gaps, and draft disclosures with insights traceable back to the source filing; and the Sustainability Disclosure Agent drafts, checks, and improves disclosures against ESRS and ISSB standards, generating gap assessments and compliance scorecards with actionable recommendations. Workiva Knowledge creates a shared foundation for all AI interactions on the platform. Knowledge enables customers to develop intelligence informed by their organization's data, custom instructions, and content, from past filings and internal policies to institutional guidance and trusted source documentation. It's enriched with each reporting cycle, so each AI interaction builds on the last one. Knowledge is complemented by the flexibility of Workiva's newly announced Model Context Protocol (MCP) gateway. The Workiva MCP gateway allows customers to use the AI of their choice and eliminate manual workarounds while maintaining Workiva's permissions, governance, and data lineage.

Zuora rolls out quote-to-cash agent "Milo"

Zuora CEO Tien Tzuo at the company's Subscribed conference

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Billing, revenue management and monetization platform Zuora announced Milo. The AI builds a quote-to-cash digital twin of how a company sells, contracts, bills, and recognizes revenue. Milo builds the operational foundation needed to plan and execute change with more context from the start. It then brings Zuora systems and capabilities into the way the business operates by aligning technology, processes, data, and teams. Then it helps teams configure, validate, test, and bring new capabilities into production. Once all this is done, it continually optimizes itself after launch with an evolving understanding of the business, identifying opportunities to adapt, refine, and enhance how systems operate in today's rapidly changing business landscape. Milo works in tandem with expert oversight. Zuora Global Services, Customer Success, and implementation teams remain actively in the loop to guide decisions, review outcomes, and validate critical work to keep projects on track. GSI partners continue to play a critical role in Zuora's ecosystem, helping customers scale implementation and sustain success over time.

Milo is now available for every Zuora implementation.

iDenfy launches bank card verification, age verification

Does an upcoming audit have you sweating bullets? Take a breath, grab a towel and check out some advice from the pros.

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Identity verification management solutions provider iDenfy announced the launch of a Bank Card Verification platform within its software dashboard. When a business enables the bank card verification flow, the end user simply receives a verification link by invitation; the end user has to verify the bank card by choosing and verifying the card ownership in two ways: either by capturing it with the smartphone as well as any other device such as an iPad or laptop integrated camera, or uploading a card confirmation document that verifies the owner. As an option, users can also be asked to enter the last 4 digits of their bank card to ensure greater accuracy. It is important to note that only the card number and the name are read, and the card verification value, also known as CVV, is not captured or stored because it is classified as sensitive authentication data. iDenfy strictly complies with regulations and protects users from database breach attacks and fraud exposure. Once that login succeeds, iDenfy extracts the relevant authentication data and passes it to the client in real time through API and SDK, without needing to do any further action. Once a user provides needed data, businesses can automatically retrieve identity details such as name, surname, IBAN, and bank information directly from the account, cross-check those details against account ownership, and use that data solely for verification purposes without storing sensitive banking information beyond what verification requires.

iDenfy also announced the launch of its Age Estimation tool integrated into its onboarding software dashboard. This new Age Verification upgrade gives the ability to create, manage, and review age verification sessions on their own, separately from iDenfy's standard identity verification flow metrics, while still relying on the same level of security. That means iDenfy's users will now be able to choose an alternative, non-document-based Age Estimation workflow, designed to convert more users while still complying with age check requirements. When a business enables the age estimation flow, the end user is asked to capture a live selfie, which is compared against a configurable age limit and buffer zone set by the business. It is worth mentioning that iDenfy's age estimation tool can estimate people's age within 3 years of gap accuracy, and control the age limit businesses want to provide access to their products. Users who are clearly above the age threshold pass in seconds using only a selfie. On the other hand, users whose estimated age falls near the legal limit are automatically routed to a certified ID document check within the same session, where the date of birth on the document, not the model's estimate, makes the final decision.

Caseware launches "30 Under 30 Excellence Network"

Audit solutions provider Caseware announced the launch of the Caseware 30 Under 30 Excellence Network, a new community that connects the inaugural class of 30 Under 30 honorees so they can continue learning from one another, sharing perspectives, and helping shape the future of assurance and accounting together, alongside the platforms Caseware is building to support that future. The network, which gives the profession's rising leaders a standing forum rather than one-time recognition, will hold its first gathering on July 30, 2026. The initial cohort of 30 Under 30 honorees was first recognized in May at CwX North America 2026, the same event where the company unveiled Caseware Verity, its industry-first agentic platform built directly into assurance engagements. The network will bring honorees together on a regular cadence to discuss emerging trends across audit, accounting and assurance; share perspectives on adopting AI and agentic tools responsibly in practice; access mentorship from senior leaders, including Barry Melancon, Chair of Caseware's Global Advisory Board and former CEO of the AICPA and CIMA/AICPA-CPA.com; help identify and evaluate nominees for future 30 Under 30 cohorts; and contribute thought leadership content and speak at future CwX events. Connor Crow, CPA, the program's inaugural first-place winner and Associate Chief at CPAClub, will be among the network's founding voices.

Integrations and partnerships and M&A

Payroll and HR platform Deel announced the availability of its services in the Microsoft Marketplace. Organizations that run their operations on Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365 can now find and deploy Deel's Employee of Record, Managed Payroll, and contractor hiring solutions directly through Microsoft Marketplace. They can further optimize cloud spend by applying Deel toward existing Azure Consumption Commitments (MACC). … Intuit has established multi-year partnerships with Anthropic and OpenAI to bring new, actionable sales invoicing, payroll, and lending intelligence in Claude and ChatGPT – moving beyond read-only access to user data. These features enable small business users to perform tasks like creating invoices, looking up payroll details, and accessing loan benchmarking through conversation. QuickBooks customers can continue to power their Claude and ChatGPT experiences. … Value added reseller and managed services provider Net at Work announced the acquisition of Kinzit Technologies, a managed services provider (MSP) and cybersecurity firm. Kinzit's employees will join Net at Work and continue to serve their existing clients while gaining expanded career growth opportunities. Kinzit clients will benefit from access to a broader suite of applications that will optimize workflows and support business growth. … LexisNexis® Legal & Professional and Neil Jesani Tax Advisors, a national full-service tax advisory firm, announced plans to collaborate on Tolley+™ with Protégé™ to advance tax advisory services for CPA firms. LexisNexis will support Neil Jesani Tax Advisors with access to authoritative tax content and AI-powered research tools. … Big Four firm E&Y announced an expanded alliance with SymphonyAI in manufacturing and supply chain, allowing more organizations to build AI operations from the ground up rather than bolting AI onto legacy structures. SymphonyAI's industrial AI platform will be embedded into EY's Order-to-Cash Master Value Blueprint, which helps EY clients scale AI across manufacturing and business operations. This expansion builds on EY and SymphonyAI's original alliance, which focused on bringing GenAI applications to retail and financial services. The expanded alliance will bring services to EY clients in manufacturing-intensive industries including industrial products, consumer goods, life sciences and energy. … FreshBooks, a business management solutions provider, and Grasshopper, a client-first, full-service digital bank, announced a new strategic partnership. FreshBooks now brings Grasshopper transactions into one place, turns transactions into clear reports, pairs Grasshopper's with FreshBooks' invoices, online payments, and smart payment reminders, and enables users to scan receipts. … Vena Solutions, a provider of financial and operational planning solutions, announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Morpheo AI, subject to customary closing conditions. Vena is acquiring Morpheo AI's technology and the team behind it to advance Vena AI through Vena Omega™, a cumulative context engine designed to deepen organizational intelligence and enable company-specific AI capabilities. The acquisition also brings new capabilities to Acterys, transforming fragmented enterprise data into structured, enriched and continuously evolving context that AI can understand and act on.

New hires and appointments

GruntWorx, a tax automation solutions provider, announced the appointment of Stacy Penna as President. Penna previously served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing and has played a central role in strengthening the company's brand and deepening its connection to the accounting profession. Her appointment marks a significant milestone for GruntWorx as the company continues expanding its capabilities to meet the evolving needs of modern accounting firms. Penna will oversee strategic growth initiatives, practitioner experience, and the continued development of GruntWorx's technology enabled tax workflow solutions. … Small business accounting platform Xero announced Jonathan Meltzer as U.S. Managing Director. Meltzer joins the role from his position at Xero as senior vice president of customer growth and experience, where he led the team responsible for driving growth and retention across Xero's small business customers and accountant and bookkeeper partners. He will report to Maninder Sawhney, who will join Xero as Chief Business Officer in August, bringing sales, marketing, business development and customer experience together under one leader. In this role, Meltzer will also partner closely with Matan Bar, CEO of Xero's US and Melio business, to deliver integrated accounting and payments solutions for US small businesses and their advisors…. Professional services automation provider Kantata announced three strategic additions to its executive leadership team as the company enters its next phase of growth. Joining Kantata are Lisa Bianco as Chief Marketing Officer, Jeff Balistrere as Vice President of Enterprise Sales, North America, and Keith Bendy as Global Vice President of the Alliances & Channels Ecosystem. Collectively, the three leaders bring decades of experience building and scaling high-growth organizations at some of the world's most recognized technology companies, including SAP, Google, and ServiceNow. … XcelLabs, the company behind Navi, announced that Michael Parness has joined the organization as managing director of business development. In this role, Parness will focus on introducing firms to Navi and helping leaders identify where stronger conversations can create greater value. He will also help XcelLabs deepen its relationships across the profession, refine how it supports firms in adopting and expanding Navi, and identify opportunities to help firms navigate change through XcelLabs' learning and consulting capabilities.

Other news

BlackLine, which provides automation software for accounting and finance, announced the general availability of Verity Prepare, which debuted last fall. Verity Prepare orchestrates a specialized digital workforce to autonomously analyze supporting documentation, match transactions, identify reconciling items, and assemble audit-ready reconciliations.