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AI has changed the way people work in all sorts of industries, taking over everything from drafting emails and writing code to chatting with customers. Accounting is no different. The sector is going through a major, tech-powered transformation, with AI now an expectation rather than a nice-to-have.
Despite the proliferation of AI, MYOB’s recent Accounting Industry Monitor found that it’s not all smooth sailing. Practices in the survey agreed on the importance of AI, but the majority also cited roadblocks to full adoption. Difficulty with integration, missing expertise and mistrust of AI outputs are common issues for Australian practices.
One group in our survey is turning those friction points into a competitive advantage. Practices in the ‘progressive’ group, with significant revenue and strong revenue growth, are prioritising AI integration and focusing on overcoming barriers. They are looking beyond efficiency gains and using AI for data analytics, decision-making and expanding client services.
Efficiency is well-established
In accounting, technology has always aimed to boost efficiency. The sector involves a lot of time-consuming, repetitive work, and if technology can take on some of this burden, it can help practices reclaim time and increase revenue.
According to the Australian practices surveyed in our 2026 study, that goal has already been achieved. The vast majority of practices surveyed – 98% – say that they are using automation and tech-driven improvements to increase efficiency. While AI isn’t always the tool, it does seem to be supporting significant efficiency gains. 55% of practices reported faster turnaround, 53% reduced errors, and 48% increased capacity as a result of AI. Practices use technology for time-intensive tasks like transferring information from client documents to workpapers, reconciling bank transactions, calculating tax rates, and summarising documents for clients. It’s all about minimising time, errors and rework, so day-to-day operations don’t take so long.
The numbers are clear: efficiency gains are now standard, and many Australian practices are already taking advantage of AI tools. The next step: leveraging AI for more than just time savings.
What’s limiting fuller AI adoption?
While AI, automation and cloud platforms are improving speed, accuracy and capacity, they’re also some of the biggest friction points for practices. Practice leaders in our survey know that they should be using AI and other technologies to keep up with the sector, but they run into issues around data security, integration with existing technology, and skill or knowledge gaps in their teams. Some shared concerns came through from many of the practices surveyed.
Integration between systems was the most common issue, shared by 53% of survey respondents. They expressed frustration around disconnected software and tools that lead to duplicated data and extra work for teams. Fragmentation also makes it difficult to automate workflows and repetitive processes, as systems can’t communicate or share data effectively.
Another 49% said that skill and knowledge gaps were a barrier to effective AI adoption, an increase of 8% from 2025. AI may offer incredible benefits, but if practice leaders or IT teams don’t understand how to apply it within the practice, they won’t get the full benefit.
The final roadblocks come from the accountants and practice leaders themselves. 55% of survey participants said that trust was a barrier to AI adoption, while 50% cited data security as a concern. This shows that, despite AI making substantial inroads in the sector, accountants themselves are still cautious and hesitant about some aspects of the technology.
Tech goals and efficiency gaps
The MYOB Accounting Industry Monitor also asked what technology practices look for, and what their current tech platforms are missing.
The bulk of respondents are already using some kind of accounting or practice management software, giving them real-world insight into what works and what doesn’t. Most – 91% – think it’s important for practice software to be user-friendly, with clear navigation and a minimal learning curve. This is a 6% jump from 2025. They cited simpler, faster reporting, more dashboards and better visibility into operations and clients.
Practices shared software shortcomings and difficulties, including regulatory compliance (55%), document retrieval (54%) and tech integration (53%).
These needs are a sign of how ingrained technology is in accounting practices. Software is used in every part of the practice, by every person for every workflow, so it needs to be smooth, simple and easy for new employees to learn.
Progressive practices – competitive advantage and future focus
Throughout our survey, we found commonalities in the ways practices think about and use technology. Respondents shared a lot of common ground around what practice software should do, the importance of integration and connection, and the potential of AI.
However, one group differentiated itself. Practices that slotted into the ‘progressive’ group showed strong growth and revenue. When we looked at this group in comparison with other practice cohorts, we saw some trends that spotlight a link between technology and growth.
Most of the progressive practices in our survey are using technology on a higher level than others, with 69% using real-time analytics to drive decision-making. That is, they’re already moving to the next stage of the AI enablement journey. In comparison, 62% of other cohorts are using tech in this way.
36% of progressive practices spend between $30-40K on practice software and other technology every year, indicating a concrete commitment to tech improvement. 79% of progressive practices said they had ongoing efficiency improvement programmes, including regular process assessments. This underscores the importance of organisation-wide commitment to change – technology investment needs to be supported by policy and people.
In the end, three factors seem to unite progressive practices when it comes to technology: commitment, investment and use. Progressive practices are prepared to push past adoption barriers, actually put money down for the right technology, and leverage that technology to improve outcomes.
Technology drives the practice of the future
Technology was the theme that flowed through the entire MYOB Accounting Industry Monitor survey. Whether we were asking practice leaders about clients, compliance, employee onboarding or the sector itself, technology and AI came up again and again.
In the practice of the future, technology will clearly be a driving force. In the next few years, more practices will be investing in AI and moving past roadblocks to use it in their practices. They’ll be looking for platforms that can connect workflows, automate daily work, and offer real-time insight into client performance and practice operations. With tech solutions in place, accountants will spend less time staring at screens and more time reaching out to new clients and offering advisory services. The practice of the future will look very different from the practice of 2026.
Want to know more about technology, today’s practices and the future of the sector? Read the full MYOB Accounting Industry Monitor report.
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