How to be a good accountant in 2026

Teddy Kosashi, MaxGrowth managing partner and recent winner of SME accountant of the year, said being a good accountant in 2026 went beyond numbers and compliance, it was about serving people and solving problems collaboratively.

“A great accountant brings passion to the work, acts with purpose, and always puts people first. Technology may handle the calculations, but clients still need clear advice, understanding and trust,” he said.

“By listening closely, adding practical value, and genuinely caring about outcomes, accountants help businesses grow and communities thrive. When we lead with integrity and service, we create real impact because together, we can make a difference.”

Amy Fox, Goldi Group founder, emphasised that “good accountants” were ones that were truly themselves, a characteristic she embodies within her own business.

According to Fox, if an accountant hated advisory or tax returns and never wanted to do them ever again, then the answer was simple – just don’t.

Fox advised other accountants to not get “caught in the trap” of looking around at what everyone else was doing and instead focus on what they wanted to do and what they were good at.

“We’re in this golden era where supply of accountants is lower than demand, and for everyone who has done economics 101 we know that means we have less competition and more clients than we probably need,” she said.

“If you’re not excited by the work you currently deliver, start the year with this exercise - imagine you walk into your office tomorrow and you’re doing the work you love, have clients you enjoy working with, working the hours you want to work, getting paid what you’d like to be paid – what would that look like?

Also weighing in on the conversation around being the best accountant for yourself, team and clients in 2026 was business coach, Amanda Gascoigne, who said a “good accountant” was one who “set the scene”.

Gascoigne said this topic was central to her own business and teachings she imparted on accounting firm owners as it was important to focus on the idea that a “better practice” meant a “better life”.

“A good accountant in 2026 is clear on how they work, who they work with, and the value they bring – and the right clients want what they have and want their help achieving it,” she said.

“They say no more often, price with confidence, and have braver, more curious client conversations that go beyond compliance into advisory. They plan and manage their workflow intentionally and look after themselves too – knowing their own numbers, paying themselves properly, setting boundaries and creating space for life beyond the practice.”

Circling back to her point of “start doing the things you want now”, Fox said accountants who didn’t have all the things they wanted within their business, “knew what to do”.

“Send disengagement letters, increase your prices, change your scope of work, change your office hours, stop taking calls after hours etc - what’s stopping you? If a decision doesn’t make logical sense, it makes emotional sense,” she said.

“Our clients have the exact same feelings stopping them from improving their businesses, how great would it be to have someone support you while you implement those changes - we are (or can be, if we want to be) that person to our clients. And in case you need to hear it, AI can’t do that.”