Like the year before it, 2026 will be a year of great change as the 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. We shared some of their most compelling thoughts here; below is the full text of their responses — as well as their ideas about a number of other ways technology will change accounting in the next 12 months.
Thank you to everyone who sent us their thoughts. You can view a deeper examination of the trends
AI governance comes to the fore
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. Executives are responding by creating cross-functional AI councils that include legal, risk, technology, and business leaders. Many are embedding AI into enterprise risk management programs and piloting internal model controls, testing, and validation. 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
In 2026, I envision that the staff accountant's role could start to shift from executing accounting processes to orchestrating technology, leveraging their judgment to review exceptions and guide decisions AI can't fully automate. Repetitive and system reconciliation-heavy tasks will likely be increasingly automated, freeing professionals to focus more of their time on work involving professional judgment. That said, I think there will be a greater demand for human oversight and governance over AI systems to help mitigate the risks associated with technology. From a technology standpoint, AI is a complexity. Each new agent introduced into a process adds incremental technology and risks to manage. Accounting leaders will need to ensure human involvement remains central to AI-driven processes, especially when it comes to validating accuracy and addressing complex or ambiguous scenarios. Demonstrating "why we trust AI outputs" will be as important as producing those outputs. Ultimately, we expect that accountants will continue to harness their foundational knowledge, critical thinking and problem-solving skills. While AI may support and streamline various functions, the challenge – and opportunity - for professionals will likely be uncovering new problems to solve and developing insights and solutions to navigate them. While change can be intimidating, it can also be an opportunity to reshape your career.
— 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. These tools are powerful and nimble, but to support effective (and cost-effective) RAI, also depends on suitable upskilling and user expectations, risk tiering (with protocols for human intervention), and clarified documentation requirements and tools. RAI can then deliver the value you want like performance, innovation, and a reduction in the costs and delays that come with governance models built for another time.
— Dan Priest, chief AI officer, PwC
The demand for results
2026 is shaping up to be a reckoning year for the accounting profession's relationship with technology. 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.
The CEO and CFO must align on a clear, budgeted strategy for AI adoption that is fundamentally linked to a future-state operating model and a finance-led talent pipeline strategy. CFOs must stop funding AI as fragmented experiments and start treating it as a core capital expenditure for a new operating system. This conversation forces the C-suite to define the clear ROI, governance, and technology stack required. The real value in AI is not automation, but re-skilling. CFOs must define how cost savings from automation will be redeployed into upskilling the workforce in high-value areas like data science, strategic analysis, and business partnering.
— Alex Cedro, vice president of finance, Tipalti
More CFOs are starting to see what we've known for a while now: AI is more than automation, it's a tool to become a more effective strategic advisor to the business. In 2026, I expect to see a fundamental shift in how finance leaders engage with the rest of the organization. CFOs will become more deeply involved in go-to-market strategy, connecting financial performance and ROI directly to revenue objectives. AI-powered analytics will make this possible by surfacing insights faster and with more precision than traditional methods ever could. Our own research underscores the urgency behind this shift in thinking. Nearly 43% of finance professionals say they aren't confident their organizations are ready to navigate tariff impacts – this is just one example of complex scenario planning that AI-powered tools can help model and stress-test in real time. This isn't about replacing human judgment. It's about equipping finance teams with tools that let them move at the speed the business demands. The CFOs who embrace this shift will have a seat at the table for decisions that matter most – pricing strategy, market expansion, customer acquisition costs, and resource allocation.
— Josh Schauer, CFO, Insightsoftware
Embedded systems over point solutions
As AI tools become more prevalent in accounting, AI agents embedded directly in software workflows and agent standards such as Model Context Protocol (MCP) will help ensure data remains secure, contextually accurate and deliver context relevant insight. CPAs and accountants will need to stay informed on newly added AI agents and identify opportunities to benefit from embedded AI, as well as emerging best practices and standards to comply with governance and data privacy policy and regulations.
— Craig Sullivan, group vice president of product management, Oracle NetSuite
With the prefiltration of models coming out, the cost of high-quality models will be driven down, which will change how people utilize AI in the industry. Organizations won't be wondering whether or not to use AI, but how to take the journey to adoption effectively, upskill their workforce for AI fluency, and establish the necessary governance, risk management, and operational models to scale AI securely. This is because companies are so budget-constrained that they resonate with AI's promise of helping to get more work done. 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. It will evolve to become integrated into where teams work, shifting away from the traditional interface. By meeting humans where they work, AI can increase accessibility to technical knowledge.
— 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. The organizations that scale AI across their go-to-market engine will unlock predictability, efficiency, and a new level of commercial clarity we've never seen before.
— Michele Shepard, chief revenue officer, Emburse
Integration will be key
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. The firms that win won't simply use technology. They will build new capabilities around it, from smarter automation to better client delivery. That will create a reinvention of practice areas, including new services, new staffing and training models and pricing that reflects outcomes rather than hours.
— Erik Asgeirsson,
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. The real differentiator won't be whether firms use the cloud: It will be how seamlessly their systems connect to enable real-time data flow, dramatic reductions in manual work, and instant decision-making. Expect a surge in AI-enabled tools, workflow automation, predictive analytics, and cybersecurity investments. Technology will stop being a back-office enabler and become the central nervous system of more firms, powering scalable innovation and client-centric service models. High-growth firms will lead the way, leveraging integrated ecosystems that anticipate client needs, optimize operations, and unlock new revenue opportunities. They won't just react: they'll predict and deliver before clients even ask. In 2026, firms that fail to build integrated, intelligent tech stacks will fall behind. The shift is already paying off: the 2025 Future Ready Accountant report found that 83% of firms reported revenue growth in 2025, up from 72% in 2024, with high-growth firms being 53% more likely to have deeply integrated technology systems. The future belongs to firms that treat technology as the heartbeat of their business, not just the wiring
— Adam Orentlicher, senior vice president and chief technology officer, Wolters Kluwer
Right now, a lot of firms say they're using AI, but when you dig into what that actually means, it often doesn't live up to the hype. AI in accounting today is more of a spectrum than a single thing, and results across the industry are disparate. Many firms are testing, playing, and experimenting, but they aren't seeing major returns yet. That's largely because most AI tools aren't deeply integrated into the platforms accountants actually use every day. Being a first mover is also expensive, and the advantage doesn't last long once everyone else has access to the same tools. 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. It speeds up the mundane parts of the job and helps professionals get to answers faster. The real impact is that AI allows people to focus less on data entry and research and more on judgment, strategy, and client conversations. That's when AI starts delivering real value.
— Matt Fargo, co-founder and managing partner, Kurtz Fargo LLP
Adoption of cloud computing will be almost widespread, but integration will take center stage. Real-time workflows will be pushed by mandatory e-invoicing throughout Europe, and businesses want unified systems for client portals, tax, and ESG. Although blockchain technology is still in its infancy, mobile-first solutions are becoming increasingly popular as professionals use tablets to handle complex tasks. Given persistent security concerns, automated audit trails and compliance technologies are key differentiators.
— Glenn Friedman, chairman of the board, Prager Metis
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. Our firm is at the forefront of building technology-enabled ecosystems that reduce complexity and improve the flow of information across teams. This progress is reshaping client relationships by elevating service delivery and strengthening the overall client experience.
— Christopher McPhee, chief information officer, PKF O'Connor Davies
Leaner tech stacks
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. Firms will gravitate toward platforms that support multiple use cases across audit, analytics, document management, and workflow rather than relying on disconnected point solutions. For TAS teams, interoperability between analytics tools, valuation models, and reporting systems will be critical to meeting compressed deal timelines and client expectations.
— 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). Some of the more specific use cases for this trend will include: Automated, AI-augmented workflows - AI will become embedded into task routing, document prep, and intake, especially in firms facing persistent staffing shortages. Emerging 2025→2026 signals show firms actively piloting permission-aware AI to speed up intake and improve consistency. Real-time visibility and search that "just works" - Directors of Ops increasingly demand "Google-like search" across files, notes, tasks, and client records, a major source of friction today. In 2026, search and reporting will feel unified, contextual, and AI-driven. As these trends combine, the firm's core platform will evolve from a task tracker into a central command center, automating administrative work, orchestrating client communication, and freeing accountants to focus on advising, client relationships, and higher-margin services.
— Davis Bell, CEO, Canopy
Having the right technology stack isn't optional or a luxury in 2026 – it's the difference between a firm that is growing and thriving and one that is struggling and surviving. The data is compelling: firms with highly integrated technology see nearly
— Eva Mrazikova, senior director, IRIS Accountancy
More accountants will start their own firms
Given the current pace of technology innovation and openness to partnerships, 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. I think that will come to fruition across the industry. In addition, I also think there will be a significant increase in virtual, membership- based communities for accountants in 2026, driven by a desire for shared perspectives on handling professional challenges. This is great for the profession as it leads to better networking, pricing and service levels.
— 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. The limiting factor for progress will no longer be AI capability, but data readiness: the quality, lineage and availability of financial and operational data needed to power these tools responsibly and at scale. The transformation from human-led technology to human-agent teams will be powered by platforms that move beyond basic automation, toward AI-orchestrated workflows that surface risks, recommend actions and coordinate close, reporting and forecasting.
— 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. Smart firms will task AI with processing documents, surfacing insights, and handling busy, repetitive work so accountants can spend their time having real conversations, giving proactive guidance, and deepening client trust. With AI, there's no reason why any firm should leave CAS off their list of offerings.
— Tammy Hahn, senior vice president of product, Ignition
Compliance and Tax Specialization: I don't foresee the CAS train stopping anytime soon, and what that creates is a bit of a vacuum for accountants who want to specialize and excel in compliance and tax. As more firms are moving away from tax services, this will create a strong demand for those with this niche, and encourage an opportunity for healthy pricing.
— Jarrod Randall, senior partner consultant, Xero
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. Examples of practice management models include platforms like Intuit's Accountant Suite, Canopy, Karbon and Financial Cents where the offering is more than just features and functionality, it is a sharing of intellectual properties and best practices within the platform. Pilot is a recent example of a revenue sharing model, where the practice outsources marketing motions and sales motions to Pilot. Pilot will also be the billing and collections arm for firms using their platform. Franchise models are not new to the profession, especially with stand-alone CAS practices and stand-alone tax practices, but we will see stronger innovation and market appeal for this category (mostly outside the CPA realm) as tax practices struggle to adopt CAS and as all practitioners struggle to keep up with AI development and to stabilize staffing.
— Joe Woodard, CEO, Woodard
AI will become table stakes, not aspirational
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. To get there we'll need real growth in experiential learning and simulation‑based training, as well as well-defined supervised use of AI in daily decisions, which will build confidence in AI's uses and outcomes through practice. This pace of technological change is going to have a real impact on what young professionals, just starting out in their careers, look for in an employer. … I believe we'll also see AI bringing a new sense of meaning to the profession. Companies that are developing and deploying AI need to ensure that they build trust and confidence in their capabilities – and they'll call on accounting firms to help. The relevance of the profession will be paramount.
— 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. When embedded directly into ERP platforms, AI helps reveal trends and risks that might otherwise stay hidden, from margin pressure and cash flow issues to project overruns, compliance exposure, and security gaps. Organizations that fail to adopt these capabilities risk operating with blind spots that can quickly become strategic or operational liabilities.
— Mike Kaufman, vice president of managed infrastructure and cloud services, Aktion Associates
EU regulations unfurled
Expect to see regulation moving from proof to proactivity over the next 12 months: 2026 will see regulators expect not just evidence of compliance, with frameworks like DORA, BCBS 239, and AI transparency mandates, but real-time operational resilience. In a similar vein, you won't get away with saying 'we think EU data stays in the EU', you'll be expected to show it, with lineage that is jurisdiction-aware by design. Data lineage will therefore continue to evolve from a static compliance requirement into a live operational control system that demonstrates how data supports financial stability, risk management, and AI oversight on an ongoing basis. The winners will be the organisations that can open a single blueprint and see, in seconds, which data sets are impacted by different regulations, new local rules or a sovereign cloud migration.
— Philip Dutton, CEO and co-founder, Solidatus
The EU Data Act, which went into effect in September 2025, will become deeply embedded in SaaS financial models, forcing a permanent shift in how companies recognize revenue. The Act empowers customers with the right to cancel any fixed-term contract with just two months' notice, undermining long-term commitment as a foundation of SaaS predictability. That change means SaaS providers should rethink their discount strategies. Upfront multi-year discounts can no longer be assumed "earned", because if a customer exits early, providers will need to reprice the used portion of service at a higher, monthly rate and reverse previously recognized revenue. Forecasting becomes more complex; churn risk grows, refund liabilities rise, and traditional metrics like net and gross retention may fluctuate more. To stay ahead, companies will lean heavily on automated revenue recognition systems that can detect cancellations, recalculate discount forfeitures, reprice past service and update forecasts in real time. In short: 2026 will mark a turning point where automation and agile RevRec become mission-critical for SaaS businesses operating under the EU Data Act.
— Jagan Reddy, founder and CEO, RightRev
By 2026, e-invoicing will become a strategic business advantage, moving beyond a government mandate. As countries such as France, Germany, and Belgium implement their frameworks, global tax reform will increasingly converge around data, pushing multinationals to standardize compliance processes and transition from reactive reporting to proactive control.
— Alex Baulf, vice president of e-invoicing and live reporting, Avalara
AI adoption will get more deliberate
By 2026, AI adoption in accounting will be slower and more deliberate than many expect. Much of what's being called AI today is deterministic, rules-based automation—workflows firms have relied on for years, now delivered in more accessible and scalable ways. These use cases represent real low-hanging fruit and are already improving consistency and capacity inside firms. Firms feel real pressure to 'do something' about AI, and this is shown in the increased technology spend, but the question is whether that investment is truly about generative intelligence—or about building repeatable, scalable systems and processes. 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
AI adoption will speed up
As we look at 2026 I think the biggest trend and impact on the Profession will be 2026 will be the year AI becomes mainstream in Finance and Accounting. We will see mainstream adopting of AI in four significant ways: Adoption of everyday use by the majority of firms & corporations, accounting & finance professionals. Integration of AI into the various 'tech stacks' and accounting software from the largest ERPs, EPMs, CRMs, HRIS systems to the small business general ledger accounting systems. A proliferation of AI & GenAI applications (chatbots) like Blue J for tax and AICPA-CIMA's Josi for accounting standards and guidance. Finally, the accelerated adoption of Agentic AI and its application to Finance and Accounting. This is being validated by our work to-date with our #Rise2040 Project to create a vision for the global accounting and finance profession in 2040. (This is a year-long research project we've (AICPA & CIMA) undertaken using Dan Burrus' Anticipatory Trends framework to identify the top trends and opportunities and to imagine the profession in the future. Our initial report will be issued in the Spring.) The top 'hard trends' identified AI & Agentic AI as the #1 trend with multiple big opportunities for both public accounting and corporate. In addiction as we look to the future in 2040, our early results show unity across the global profession that AI can augment and amplify our unique skills and when combined with our knowledge of the 'language of business' turn us into superworkers that will change this profession from a past-tense profession to a future-tense profession helping businesses and individuals navigate an increasingly uncertain world. And with our legacy of ethics and integrity be the most trusted professionals in the world!
— Tom Hood, executive vice president of business growth and engagement, AICPA
Accounting technology in general For years, accounting firms have been investing heavily in technology, but much of that investment has been fragmented. Firms buy tools, test features, and talk about innovation, yet the day-to-day workflow often doesn't change very much. One reason is that there are only a handful of core platforms most firms rely on — major tax providers, research tools, and audit systems. While those companies talk a lot about AI, what's actually been implemented so far is fairly light. Helpful, yes — but not game-changing. That dynamic is likely to change in 2026. The big technology providers are working toward integrating AI across their platforms in a meaningful way. Once research, tax prep, audit testing, and documentation are connected through the same systems, firms will see a real change in efficiency. That integration shortens the path from raw data to usable results. Instead of spending hours on manual, time-consuming tasks, professionals can spend more time interpreting results and advising clients. That's where technology finally starts to move the needle.
— Thomas Mackenzie, chief digital officer (audit), KPMG
AI will bring new career considerations
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. In many firms, technology leadership will shift from supporting the business to shaping it. The leaders who treat technology as the source of innovation - not just a stack of tools - will stand out. Those ahead of the curve will spot where AI can streamline workflows, strengthen accuracy and open entirely new advisory opportunities. They'll also give teams the confidence and skills to work effectively with intelligent systems. And when teams take that first step with AI, something interesting happens: once they see it work even once, trust grows quickly. That confidence snowballs. The hardest part is getting started, after that, the benefits become obvious. The firms that invest in this capability now - the leadership, the mindset and the skills - will move faster for clients, offer better advice and stand apart in a profession that's evolving quickly.
— Aaron Harris, CTO, Sage
The 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
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. Regal is helping large enterprises build custom AI agents that improve customer experience and drive better business outcomes.
— 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. Ideally this will allow accounting professionals to turn more of their attention to providing strategic planning and insight to their clients. The trade off is that the expansion of AI has the potential to also disrupt or commoditize key elements of accounting firms' traditional value proposition; the winners will be firms that turn AI integration into not just a cost and time saver, but also a tool that provides more responsive, specialized, and insightful service to the client base.
— Gentry Sherrill, COO, Ledgible
The death of the annual plan
Over the last five years, everything about how businesses operate has changed: moments like COVID, rising interest rates, AI disruption, tariffs, and geopolitical instability are making the concept of one annual planning cycle obsolete. In 2026, locking in a budget once a year will feel like planning for a world that's already moved on. Finance teams will move toward continuous planning, powered by real-time data and automation that allow them to adjust to shifting conditions in weeks, not quarters. Whether it's accelerating growth or tightening spend, finance must be ready to reorient quickly. Ongoing volatility has made it clear that agility in planning isn't optional; it's the only way to navigate an economy that never stands still. Continuous planning is also reshaping how companies think about whether being public or private. In public markets, the pressure to "hit the number" every quarter makes flexibility harder, but not impossible, if finance can plan and reforecast in real time. For private companies, abundant liquidity and available equity funding are giving CFOs room to stay nimble and avoid the overhead of short-term reporting cycles. Either way, the message is the same: finance leaders who can adjust on the fly will have the advantage. Continuous planning isn't just operational agility; it's strategic freedom.
—Todd McElhatton, chief operating and financial officer, Zuora
Identity management will be more important than ever
In 2026, identity will either be your company's strongest differentiator, or its weakest link. We're entering an era where AI is both transforming business and transforming fraud. The cost is not just revenue loss, but long-term reputational damage, regulatory exposure, and a complete erosion of customer trust. Many companies are still relying on outdated verification methods such as static data, passwords, and fragmented KYC checks, while attackers are using tools that didn't exist two years ago. This asymmetry will define the winners and laggards in the next phase of digital business. Identity verification must become continuous, adaptive, and anticipatory, predicting and preventing risk before it occurs while remaining nearly invisible to the end user. It represents the evolution from a point-in-time identity check to a continuous, connected understanding of who someone truly is. Identity intelligence brings together data across identity, historical, behavior, and risk checks to build a dynamic view of a user over time. Instead of verifying once and hoping for the best, organizations can continuously assess trust in the background, adapting to new signals as they emerge. Because when fraud happens, customers don't blame the criminal, they blame the brand. The leaders who understand that digital trust and identity intelligence form the foundation of a modern business model, not just a security protocol, will be the ones who scale safely, expand globally, and protect their reputation.
— Robert Prigge, CEO, Jumio
A 1:1 ratio between humans and bots
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
Regional clouds will be reasonable clouds
GPU optimization and AI-driven attacks will push companies toward regional cloud providers for security and stability. GPU optimization becomes a headline topic in 2026. Today, most companies only use about 60 percent of the GPU power for which they are paying. Next-gen optimization software is going to flip that on its head, giving organizations the ability to squeeze full value out of their infrastructure. That matters not just for cost control, but for AI reliability. When your model performance becomes a competitive advantage, you can't afford wasted compute, unpredictable throttling, or hardware carved into fractional units you can't see. This is where optimized IaaS and regional GPU clouds start to shine. At the same time, attackers are getting smarter, and they're starting to use AI too. The largest, most complex cloud environments become the biggest targets - when bad actors can spin up their own LLMs. Hyperscalers have hundreds of thousands of tenants, which means hundreds of thousands of potential attack surfaces (and pockets to pick). Regional providers have tighter vetting, cleaner environments, and fewer noisy neighbors. In 2026, security-conscious organizations will realize that the safest place to run AI and high-value workloads often isn't the biggest cloud, it's the one that actually keeps out the wrong people."
— Richard Copeland, CEO, Leaseweb USA
Specialists not as special
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. In IT, for example, you may no longer need coders specialized in specific languages. Instead, you may want engineers who understand both tech architecture and how to manage and oversee the agents that do know these languages. In finance functions, as agents do tasks like invoice processing, purchase order matching, reconciliation, and anomaly detection, people with general finance skills can focus on growing revenue and expanding margins, engaging with vendors on payment terms, working with sales on dynamic pricing models, and conducting more scenario planning. In knowledge work, many of these roles can be filled by entry-level employees who tend to be AI savvy. 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. But for front-line employee-based task work, agents could replace entry-level workers with more mid-level people needed to orchestrate and manage these agents—creating a workforce more like a diamond.
— Dan Priest, chief AI officer, PwC
Audit committees will tech up
As we look towards 2026, the role of the Audit Committee Chair will be pivotal in navigating the intersection of AI advancements and accounting integrity. The challenge lies in leveraging AI while safeguarding against its potential risks. Audit Committee Chairs must lead the charge in integrating AI technologies responsibly. It is about balancing innovation with oversight to ensure ethical and accurate financial reporting. The future of accounting is intertwined with AI, and in 2026, Audit Committee Chairs will need to be both guardians and pioneers—ensuring that AI tools are used to bolster, not compromise, the integrity of financial data. In 2026, the audit committee's role will continue to expand beyond traditional oversight to become strategic enablers of AI-enabled insights, transforming how we approach risk management and financial accuracy. Audit Committee Chairs must foster a culture of continual learning to effectively integrate AI capabilities while ensuring that human oversight remains central to maintaining rigorous standards of accountability.
— Dipti Gulati, CEO, audit and assurance, Deloitte
Less of a capacity problem
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. We'll increasingly see firms delivering more personalized service to the most complex clients while still maintaining that quality and efficiency for the rest. With fewer people entering and staying in the profession, firms that empower their talent through technology and better learning tools will stand out.
— Tim Brackney, CEO, Springline Advisory
Tax pros may be slightly less stressed
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. Several drivers support this direction: Talent pressure is forcing cultural change. Staffing shortages aren't a temporary problem; they're reshaping the profession. Firms that retain top talent are those offering flexibility, manageable workloads, and modern tools, and that trend will accelerate in 2026. Accountants will spend more time advising, less time reconciling - As data quality and workflow automation improve, CAS and advisory leaders will have the capacity to shift their work from operational tasks to strategic, higher-value relationships. 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
[Thomson Reuters 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. As AI-driven automation tools reduce the need for late-winter and early-spring sprints, new solutions will streamline client communication, simplify document gathering and e-signatures, and automate tax payments, invoicing, and tax return delivery. That shift will fundamentally change client relationships, enabling more nuanced, customer-centric services instead of a single frenzied tax season grind.
— Elizabeth Beastrom, president, tax and accounting professionals, Thomson Reuters
People will still matter
Firms that focus on tech savvy talent will flourish in 2026 As client demand for technology-led services surges, the firms that thrive will be those that intentionally cultivate tech-savvy talent. While experienced accountants bring invaluable expertise to advisory roles, the future belongs to those who can seamlessly integrate AI-driven tools into their workflows. 75% of accountants report their firms have increased their focus on technology-related skills as part of the recruitment process, a trend that underscores the industry's shift toward innovation. In the coming year, and beyond, firms that will lead and thrive in the industry will be those that are centered around AI-driven efficiency and human-led advisory. This includes leveraging AI-native platform solutions, like the new Intuit Accountant Suite, which provides AI-powered tools and automations designed to improve capacity planning, productivity, accuracy, decision making, and collaboration to help firms scale and run more smoothly with less overhead. Firms positioned for the future will also prioritize training and professional development, from programs such as Intuit's ProAdvisor program, accounting firms can empower talent to confidently navigate new technologies, deliver higher-value services, and secure their place at the forefront of an evolving profession.
— Simon Williams, vice president, Accountant Segment Leader, Intuit
People-powered AI will define the winners. AI will be everywhere, but success will depend on how well firms prepare their people to use it. Those that invest in practical training and reskilling will turn technology into real results. At Grant Thornton, we're investing in Microsoft Copilot, AI-enabled learning and resource management platforms so our professionals can work confidently alongside technology. [Also] Culture will be front and center. Technology can make work faster, but culture makes work better. Collaboration, inclusion, flexibility and well-being will set the pace for innovation and trust. At Grant Thornton, initiatives like the GT Way, our flexible return-to-office approach and our feedback-driven performance platform are designed to keep people connected, supported and ready to lead.
— Jeanna Shapiro, chief people and culture officer, Grant Thornton
The profession will continue to be reshaped by an "AI-first, human-centric" approach. With AI automating routine tasks, accounting professionals will move into more strategic advisory roles, focusing on complex, high-risk areas where human judgment is most valuable. There will also be a strong emphasis on continuous learning and upskilling, especially focused around agentic and AI systems. Foundational abilities like critical thinking, strategic problem-solving and collaboration will become more crucial than ever to maintain quality and provide valuable insights, while the pairing of machine and human expertise elevates the strategic importance of financial professionals. A rapidly evolving regulatory landscape will also demand attention to AI ethics, data privacy, and transparency of the algorithms used, making accountants pivotal to navigating these increasingly complex challenges.
— Thomas Mackenzie, chief digital officer (audit), KPMG
