Cottons Group partner Emma Reid cuts through the advisory talk. The problem isn't interest, it's capacity. If your team is stuck in rework and compliance deadlines, advisory becomes unpaid overtime nobody can scope properly.
Most UK firms know what they charge for Self Assessment. Fewer have calculated what it actually costs to deliver. When salary, utilisation and overhead are properly modelled, internal costs per return sit between £300 and £600. The margins are tighter than many assume.
Tax expert Rebecca Benneyworth says firms should test MTD with at least one client before 6 April 2026. She chairs HMRC's Digital Advisory Group and has been running MTD trials with her own practice clients. Her advice: understand the year-end filing process now, not in a panic later.
AI accounting startup Basis closed $100 million Series B funding at a $1.15 billion valuation, led by Accel and Google Ventures. The platform claims 30% adoption among top-25 US firms, with reported efficiency gains of 20-50%. First autonomous 1065 completion demonstrated.
Most CPA firms patch last season's breakdowns and hope this year will be different. Then the first few weeks hit. Here's what actually matters when the work is layered, the deadlines are real, and the capacity isn't there.
Xero has integrated Melio's payment processing directly into its US platform, removing the need for separate banking portals. Existing customers must set up Melio by 31 March 2026 to maintain service.
Small business owners ignored December financials until February, then made decisions based on bank balances instead. Sound familiar? When 78% of non-employers pull under $50K annually and profitability turned negative in late 2025, unread P&Ls aren't just an annoyance. They're a business risk.
Intuit is forcing all US accounting firms off QuickBooks Online Accountant onto Intuit Accountant Suite by year-end. The Core tier is free, but AI features and Books Close cost $149/month. QuickBooks Enterprise Desktop users get a separate, pricier suite.