17.4K
Downloads
126
Episodes
The go-to place for all things cloud accounting and digital. Find out the latest in accounting app news and exclusive interviews with cloud pioneers in the accounting industry.
Episodes
7 days ago
7 days ago
In this episode of Digi-Tools in Accrual World, we break down a massive fortnight of news in the accounting tech ecosystem. From leadership changes at the top of the UK’s biggest platforms to the "unbundling" of SaaS pricing, we analyse the strategic moves that will define 2026.
The Big Xero Shift: The team reacts to the continued fallout from Xero’s new API pricing model and the news that Alex von Schirmeister is stepping down to join Nomentia. We discuss whether Xero is moving away from "inclusivity" as it pivots toward profitability.
The AI Reality Check: Despite the hype, recent data shows a decline in active generative AI usage in the workplace. We explore why Microsoft Copilot is struggling to gain traction and why "Ask Digits" represents the future of AI as a primary software interface.
Acquisitions & Payments: We look at the strategic implications of Mollie acquiring GoCardless for £1.1bn and how Intuit is tightening its grip on the UK market with the official launch of QuickBooks Payments.
Strategic Pricing: Finally, we analyse Unleashed Software’s move to "unbundle" its pricing. Is functionality-driven pricing the new standard for SaaS?
Episode Timestamps
00:00 Welcome To Digi-Tools in Accrual World
App News
03:08 Ecosystem Friction: Developers React to Xero's API Pricing Model
10:42 Leadership Change: Alex von Schirmeister Steps Down at Xero
17:56 Xero Update: MTD Support for Multiple Businesses
19:02 M&A Alert: GoCardless Acquired by Payments Giant Mollie
23:33 Why Microsoft is Struggling with AI Agent Traction
32:33 The AI Dip: Workplace Surveys Show Usage Decline
35:58 App Spotlight: Digits Unveils "Ask Digits" AI Interface
38:06 QuickBooks Payments Officially Launches in the UK
40:06 Intuit's "Agentic" Capabilities for QuickBooks & MailChimp
43:52 Briefcase Platform: Absorbing Complex Tax Codes via AI
46:07 SaaS Strategy: Unleashed Unbundles Pricing & Inventory Features
49:53 Like, Subscribe and Join Us!
Keywords / Hashtags: #AccountingTech #Xero #Intuit #QuickBooks #GoCardless #Mollie #SaaSStrategy #AI #GenerativeAI #FinTech #Unleashed #SaaSActivation #ChannelStrategy
Monday Dec 15, 2025
Monday Dec 15, 2025
This week on Digi-Tools in Accrual World, John Toon joins Indi from Las Vegas to unpack a massive week in accounting tech.
We cover Thomson Reuters' major move to integrate their PPC methodology with AI audit partners like Trullion and Fieldguide. We also break down Xero's two biggest announcements: the "JAX" powered automated bank reconciliation that learns from your history, and a complete overhaul of the dashboard into a "financial command center".
Plus, we discuss the confirmation of a "soft landing" for MTD for Income Tax penalties and the UK Budget’s surprise announcement mandating B2B e-invoicing by 2029.
0:00 Welcome to Digi-Tools in Accrual World!
App News
02:49 Thomson Reuters Integrates PPC Methodology with AI Audit Partners
06:50 Xero Rolling Out JAX-Powered Bank Reconciliation
11:00 New Xero Homepage Dashboard Launched
16:03 Xero Celebrates Ecosystem Innovation with November Updates
17:34 MTD Penalty Soft Landing Confirmed
21:43 Budget 2025 Mandates E-Invoicing by 2029
22:50 Like and Subscribe!
Monday Dec 08, 2025
Monday Dec 08, 2025
This week on Digi-Tools in Accrual World, we dive deep into the biggest accounting tech news of the week. Indi is joined by accounting tech veteran Leigh Stallard to break down the "spicy" new tiered pricing model for the Xero API - a move that could change the landscape for Xero's ecosystem.
We discuss whether this is a strategic defensive play or a barrier to innovation. Plus, we cover MIMO's new AI Associate for month-end automation, TaxCalc’s unique hybrid cloud announcement, and FreeAgent’s latest MTD controls.
Chapter Markers
00:00 - Welcome to Digi-Tools in Accrual World
02:41 - App News
02:46 - Partners celebrated in 2025 Global App Awards
05:21 - Developers face new tiered pricing model for Xero APIs
14:35 - Reporting updates include percentage rows and better Excel formatting retention
16:26 - November update adds purchase order revisions and pause timers for billing
18:37 - New controls from FreeAgent launched for MTD for Income Tax
21:21 - Live two-way integration with Engager removes data re-keying requirements
23:09 - TaxCalc confirms hybrid future with browser-based option for compliance suite
29:04 - Mimo releases AI Associate to automate month-end journals and anomalies
34:04 - Rate and Subscribe
Tuesday Dec 02, 2025
Tuesday Dec 02, 2025
The Taxfiler founders are back with TaxPad, a new compliance suite for smaller firms, but will accountants trust them after the sale to Iris? Ryan and Indi discuss the market’s cautious reaction and whether a commitment to not sell is enough .
This week's accounting tech news:
Fintech Exits: Lloyds Banking Group acquires Curve for £120m—less than half of what the fintech raised—marking a sobering reality for valuations. Meanwhile, US spend management platform Ramp hits a massive $32bn valuation.
AI Agents: Expensify releases a "hybrid contextual AI expense agent" that works across the platform .
Compliance & Audit: TaxCalc launches biometric ID checks for Companies House verification , and Caseware brings group audit functionality to the cloud .
New Tools: TaxNav launches a simple bridging tool for landlords, Solver integrates with Microsoft Fabric, and BrightPay Cloud introduces a new app for employees.
Finally, John Toon speaks with Peter Hucker from Xledger about the friction in the audit process . They discuss how giving auditors read-only access and using automation for month-end accruals can solve the annual audit pain for mid-market finance teams.
Timestamp
00:00 Welcome to Digi-Tools in Accrual World!
App News
02:47 Taxfiler founders return with TaxPad
08:16 TaxCalc launches biometric ID checks
11:02 Expensify releases hybrid AI expense agent
14:14 Caseware brings group audit functionality to the cloud
15:51 Lloyds Banking Group acquires fintech Curve for £120m
20:01 Solver announces new data integration with Microsoft Fabric
21:47 TaxNav launches simple MTD bridging tool for landlords
22:49 Ramp hits $32bn valuation in latest funding round
27:00 BrightPay Cloud introduces new manager and employee app
28:46 The Problem With Audit...
38:57 Rate and Subscribe!
Monday Nov 24, 2025
Monday Nov 24, 2025
Is the audit profession under threat from AI? Ryan and Indi discuss a viral discussion sparked by a graduate questioning if they should accept a Big Four internship given PwC's heavy investment in AI audits.
The hosts discuss whether automation will replace juniors or simply change the nature of the work.
Also - this week in accounting tech news:
Intuit and OpenAI: Intuit announces a strategic partnership with OpenAI to power new AI agents across Credit Karma and TurboTax.
Digits' Bold Claim: The platform says it can automate the monthly close and bank reconciliations to save significant time on manual work.
New Entrants: Record OS launches to fix the data collection bottleneck for self-assessments, whilst Vinyl releases a mobile app to capture client meeting data.
Integration News: Karbon connects with Active Workpapers and Socket, whilst FreeAgent integrates with Pleo via Shift API.
Plus, good news for the industry as Mazuma founder Lucy Cohen is appointed President of the AAT.
Finally, Ryan speaks with Anoop Rehal from BKL for the Xledger spotlight. They discuss why mid-market firms are turning to outsourcing to solve talent gaps and how moving away from complex app stacks to modern ERPs helps drive efficiency.
➡️ Timestamps
00:00 Welcome to Digi-Tools in Accrual World podcast!
03:32 PwC bets big on AI audits
10:37 Intuit deploys AI agents across Credit Karma and TurboTax
14:50 Karbon connects with Active and Socket
16:22 FreeAgent connects with Pleo
19:47 Digits claims to fully automate the monthly close using AI bank reconciliation
21:36 New entrant Record OS launches to fix the self-assessment bottleneck
23:52 Vinyl launches a mobile app to help accountants manage meetings on the go
27:30 Dext releases November product updates
28:43 AAT appoints Mazuma founder Lucy Cohen as its new president
32:34 Mid-Market Outsourcing: Solving Talent Gaps and Tech Stacks with BKL - Xledger
44:16 Rate, like and subscribe
Monday Nov 17, 2025
Monday Nov 17, 2025
John Toon and Indi speed-run a huge week in accounting tech news, and the theme is clear: AI. New research suggests half of UK firms are planning £100k+ AI investments, and the vendors are delivering.
This week's fintech news covers Adfin's new "Autopilot" AI credit controller that writes and sends chasers, Bill.com's "touchless" AI agents, and Thomson Reuters' move into agentic AI for tax and audit.
Plus, Dwayne Jackson is back. The founder of Kashflow and Staffology has launched Sodium, a new practice management platform - another future IRIS acquisition?
Also in this episode:
* Ben Carter from Access joins to give tangible examples of Evo's AI, from solving "mystery margin" to an "autopilot world".
* Laura Brophy from Xledger explains their "Pick and Mix" approach to digital training, based on adult learning theory
* Updates from NetSuite, Digits, and Fathom.
Learn how to harness EVO in Unleashed pre-client meetings. Join our Partner Product Webinar on the 17th November at 9pm GMT - https://hubs.la/Q03Q2dcL0
Find out more about Unleashed - https://hubs.la/Q03Q2cWv0
00:00 Welcome to Digi-Tools in Accrual World
03:48 Unleashed: Using AI to Solve "Mystery Margin" & Create an "Autopilot World"
App News
12:23 Firms Plan Major AI Spend as Agentic AI Arrives
16:49 BILL Launches AI Agents for ‘Touchless’ SMB Finance
19:26 Thomson Reuters Unveils Agentic AI for Tax and Audit
22:45 Adfin unveils ‘Autopilot’ AI
25:22 NetSuite launches ‘NetSuite Next,’
28:04 Sodium practice software expands features
33:08 Digits announces new ‘Connect API’
36:32 Fathom introduces ‘Forecast Snapshots’
40:25 Xledger: The "Pick and Mix" Approach to Digital Training
Wednesday Nov 12, 2025
Wednesday Nov 12, 2025
The Accounting Tech landscape is shifting under our feet. This week, we're breaking down the major strategic moves from the industry's biggest players and what it really means for your app, your ecosystem, and your channel strategy.
We dive deep into the new AI in Accounting arms race, with Intuit launching its new AI Agents and even HMRC rolling out Copilot.
Meanwhile, the giants are making moves. We explore the launch of Sage's next-gen X3 platform and ask the question: Is Sage50 really cloud-based now?
But it's not all about the platforms. For SaaS leaders focused on SaaS Activation and partnerships, we put two key ecosystem players under the microscope:
Unleashed: In our App Spotlight, we analyze Unleashed's strategic role within the wider Access Group ecosystem and cover its latest production feature enhancements.
Xledger: In our "Channel Focus" segment, we get a partner's-eye view of the Xledger program—a must-listen for anyone building a partner-led growth motion.
Join us for a packed episode of market intelligence to keep your Digital Transformation strategy one step ahead.
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
Find out more about Unleashed - https://hubs.la/Q03Q2cWv0
Episode Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to Digi-Tools in Accrual World
06:21 App Spotlight: Unleashed's Role in the Access Ecosystem
15:17 App News
15:32 Sage50 now cloud based?
19:04 Sage X3 next gen launch
25:37 New Intuit Accountant Suite and its AI Agents
28:57 New Kids on the Block: Xero’s October App Store Additions
32:47 HMRC rolls out Copilot
36:25 Unleashed Software Enhances its Production & Inventory Features
40:40 Channel Focus: Xledger from a Partner's Perspective
50:52 Outro
Monday Nov 03, 2025
Monday Nov 03, 2025
Welcome to the Digi-Tools in Accrual World Podcast, your essential update on UK Accounting Tech News and Fintech News!
This week, Ryan Pearcy and John Toon discuss the strategies shaking up the software world and the latest app updates you need to know about.
First, Ryan speaks with Ben Carter, Product Director for the Small Business Division at Access. Ben shares the vision behind integrating products like Unleashed, MintSoft, and Tradify. He explains their mission to deliver "value in seven minutes" and how they're using AI to revolutionise data onboarding for new trial users.
Then, it's a packed App News segment:
Sumday (Xero): An AI bot has been added to the carbon tracking platform to help analyse data and build sustainability business cases.
AI-Native Payments: Ryan questions if AI-driven automatic payment runs are a genuine innovation or just a buzzword.
Adfin Autopilot: The platform has launched an AI agent to intelligently and automatically chase customer debts.
Karbon & Spotlight: A new integration allows firms to automate the scheduling and generation of Spotlight reports directly from Karbon tasks.
Katana: The inventory tool for manufacturers has introduced a free plan, limited to 30 SKUs and 3 locations.
WorkGuru: The project management tool adds project document templates and an OCR integration with Easy Bills.
Employment Hero: The system now automates the complex calculation of leave entitlement for offboarding employees.
Cyber Attacks: John covers startling research from FreeAgent showing 6 in 10 UK small businesses were hit by a cyber attack last year.Finally, Kevin Fitzgerald, MD of UK for Employment Hero, returns. He explains the strategic decision to pause and relaunch their bureau program , moving away from a "race to the bottom" on price to a new model focused on integrating HR and payroll services for accounting firms.
This episode is sponsored by Unleashed and Employment Hero.
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 Find out more about Unleashed - https://hubs.la/Q03Q2cWv0
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Welcome to Digi-Tools in Accrual World
03:44 Unleashing Success: Inside the Small Business Division at Access
14:18 App News
14:22 Xero adds Sumday AI sustainability analysis
17:06 AI-native payments promise faster cashflow for firms
20:58 Adfin launches Autopilot automation
23:40 Karbon integrates with Spotlight for automated reporting
25:52 Katana introduces free plan for small manufacturers
27:52 WorkGuru adds templates and purchase orders
30:36 Employment Hero automates leave entitlement on offboarding
32:10 FreeAgent: Three in five small businesses hit by a cyber attack
38:00 Transforming Bureaus: Employment Hero's Approach to Payroll and HR
Subscribe to our newsletter for more news, and reach out if you're interested in attending the Digital Disruption Awards next year!
Monday Oct 27, 2025
Monday Oct 27, 2025
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
Find out more about Unleashed - https://hubs.la/Q03Q2cWv0
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!
Monday Oct 20, 2025
Monday Oct 20, 2025
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!